| 1. |
- Bell, S., et al.
(författare)
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METefnet : Developments in metrology for moisture in materials
- 2015
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Ingår i: 17th International Congress of Metrology, CIM 2015. - Les Ulis, France : EDP Sciences.
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Konferensbidrag (refereegranskat)abstract
- Bien que les mesures de teneur en eau soient largement utilisées dans l'industrie, les considérations métrologiques quant à cette mesure ne sont pas complètement abouties de sorte à fournir des mesures fiables et traçables au SI. Afin de remédier à ceci, le projet de recherche conjoint, Joint Research Project SIB64 “METefnet – Metrology for moisture in materials”, est actuellement en cours, et contribue au programme européen de recherche en métrologie European Metrology Research Programme. Le projet METefnet a pour objectifs de développer et d'améliorer l'approche métrologique de ce sujet. Ceci inclus notamment: le travail sur de nouvelles méthodes de référence pour évaluer la fraction massique en eau, l'amélioration des mesures mettant en œuvre la méthode primaire de type titration Karl Fischer, le développement de nouveaux matériaux de référence certifiés présentant une très bonne stabilité et permettant une traçabilité au SI, le développement de nouveaux étalons de transfert, la réalisation d'études visant à quantifier et réduire les effets liés à la prise d'échantillon, son transport et sa manipulation, le développement d'une nouvelle méthode pour étalonner les instruments mesurant l'humidité de surface, et l'amélioration des méthodes d'estimation d'incertitudes de ces mesures. Ce travail, réalisé dans le domaine de la métrologie de l'humidité au sein des matériaux, couvre à la fois le mesurande décrit comme étant spécifiquement la teneur en eau, seule, dans les matériaux, mais également un mesurande plus large pouvant inclure l'eau ainsi que d'autres liquides ou composés organiques volatiles; ceci afin de bien mettre en exergue la différence qui peut être observée entre ces deux mesurandes. Le projet global a pour objectif de soutenir une action de dissémination et de traçabilité au système SI des mesures de teneur en eau dans les matériaux avec une exactitude optimale et de développer une infrastructure métrologique cohérente pour ce type de mesures. Le travail technique ainsi que les dernières avancées vous sont ainsi présentées.
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| 2. |
- Vuorinen, V., et al.
(författare)
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Modelling aerosol transport and virus exposure with numerical simulations in relation to SARS-CoV-2 transmission by inhalation indoors
- 2020
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Ingår i: Safety Science. - : Elsevier BV. - 0925-7535. ; 130
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- We provide research findings on the physics of aerosol and droplet dispersion relevant to the hypothesized aerosol transmission of SARS-CoV-2 during the current pandemic. We utilize physics-based modeling at different levels of complexity, along with previous literature on coronaviruses, to investigate the possibility of airborne transmission. The previous literature, our 0D-3D simulations by various physics-based models, and theoretical calculations, indicate that the typical size range of speech and cough originated droplets (d⩽20μm) allows lingering in the air for O(1h) so that they could be inhaled. Consistent with the previous literature, numerical evidence on the rapid drying process of even large droplets, up to sizes O(100μm), into droplet nuclei/aerosols is provided. Based on the literature and the public media sources, we provide evidence that the individuals, who have been tested positive on COVID-19, could have been exposed to aerosols/droplet nuclei by inhaling them in significant numbers e.g. O(100). By 3D scale-resolving computational fluid dynamics (CFD) simulations, we give various examples on the transport and dilution of aerosols (d⩽20μm) over distances O(10m) in generic environments. We study susceptible and infected individuals in generic public places by Monte-Carlo modelling. The developed model takes into account the locally varying aerosol concentration levels which the susceptible accumulate via inhalation. The introduced concept, ’exposure time’ to virus containing aerosols is proposed to complement the traditional ’safety distance’ thinking. We show that the exposure time to inhale O(100) aerosols could range from O(1s) to O(1min) or even to O(1h) depending on the situation. The Monte-Carlo simulations, along with the theory, provide clear quantitative insight to the exposure time in different public indoor environments.
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| 3. |
- Cagigi, Alberto, et al.
(författare)
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Airway antibodies emerge according to COVID-19 severity and wane rapidly but reappear after SARS-CoV-2 vaccination
- 2021
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Ingår i: JCI Insight. - : American Society for Clinical Investigation. - 2379-3708. ; 6:22
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Understanding the presence and durability of antibodies against SARS-CoV-2 in the airways is required to provide insights into the ability of individuals to neutralize the virus locally and prevent viral spread. Here, we longitudinally assessed both systemic and airway immune responses upon SARS-CoV-2 infection in a clinically well-characterized cohort of 147 infected individuals representing the full spectrum of COVID-19 severity, from asymptomatic infection to fatal disease. In addition, we evaluated how SARS-CoV-2 vaccination influenced the antibody responses in a subset of these individuals during convalescence as compared with naive individuals. Not only systemic but also airway antibody responses correlated with the degree of COVID-19 disease severity. However, although systemic IgG levels were durable for up to 8 months, airway IgG and IgA declined significantly within 3 months. After vaccination, there was an increase in both systemic and airway antibodies, in particular IgG, often exceeding the levels found during acute disease. In contrast, naive individuals showed low airway antibodies after vaccination. In the former COVID-19 patients, airway antibody levels were significantly elevated after the boost vaccination, highlighting the importance of prime and boost vaccinations for previously infected individuals to obtain optimal mucosal protection.
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| 4. |
- Carlsson, Frida, et al.
(författare)
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Prevalence of annoyance attributed to electrical equipment and smells in a Swedish population, and relationship with subjective health and daily functioning
- 2005
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Ingår i: Public Health. - : Elsevier BV. - 1476-5616 .- 0033-3506. ; 119:7, s. 568-577
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- BACKGROUND: Self-reported annoyance from electrical equipment has been in evidence since the mid-1980s, and the first reports of illness from everyday chemicals arose in the 1960s. However, the extent of the problem has not yet been fully established.AIMS: The aim of this study was to estimate the prevalence of annoyance related to electrical and chemical factors in a Swedish general population, and to assess possible relationships with subjective health and daily functioning.METHODS: In total, 13,604 subjects, representative of the population of Scania, Sweden, answered a survey containing five questions regarding annoyance from five environmental factors: fluorescent tube lighting, visual display units, other electrical equipment, air that smells of chemicals, and other smells. The survey also obtained data on self-reported health (SRH-7), mental well-being [General Health Questionnaire (GHQ)-12], work situation and daily functioning.RESULTS: Almost one-third of the respondents reported annoyance from at least one environmental factor. Annoyance was more frequent among women, subjects of working age and immigrants. Subjects who reported environmental annoyance scored higher on GHQ-12 and lower on SRH-7, indicating impaired subjective physical and mental well-being. They were also more likely to report deteriorated daily functioning.CONCLUSIONS: Annoyance related to electrical and/or chemical factors was common in a Swedish population. Subjects reporting environmental annoyance rated their overall health significantly poorer than the general population. The association with subjective health and functional capacity increased with severity of annoyance, which suggests that there is some connection between environmental annoyance, well-being and functional capacity.
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| 5. |
- Claesson, A., et al.
(författare)
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Unmanned aerial vehicles (drones) in out-of-hospital-cardiac-arrest
- 2016
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Ingår i: Scandinavian Journal of Trauma, Resuscitation and Emergency Medicine. - : BioMed Central (BMC). - 1757-7241. ; 24:1
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Background: The use of an automated external defibrillator (AED) prior to EMS arrival can increase 30-day survival in out-of-hospital cardiac arrest (OHCA) significantly. Drones or unmanned aerial vehicles (UAV) can fly with high velocity and potentially transport devices such as AEDs to the site of OHCAs. The aim of this explorative study was to investigate the feasibility of a drone system in decreasing response time and delivering an AED. Methods: Data of Global Positioning System (GPS) coordinates from historical OHCA in Stockholm County was used in a model using a Geographic Information System (GIS) to find suitable placements and visualize response times for the use of an AED equipped drone. Two different geographical models, urban and rural, were calculated using a multi-criteria evaluation (MCE) model. Test-flights with an AED were performed on these locations in rural areas. Results: In total, based on 3,165 retrospective OHCAs in Stockholm County between 2006-2013, twenty locations were identified for the potential placement of a drone. In a GIS-simulated model of urban OHCA, the drone arrived before EMS in 32 % of cases, and the mean amount of time saved was 1.5 min. In rural OHCA the drone arrived before EMS in 93 % of cases with a mean amount of time saved of 19 min. In these rural locations during (n = 13) test flights, latch-release of the AED from low altitude (3-4 m) or landing the drone on flat ground were the safest ways to deliver an AED to the bystander and were superior to parachute release. Discussion: The difference in response time for EMS between urban and rural areas is substantial, as is the possible amount of time saved using this UAV-system. However, yet another technical device needs to fit into the chain of survival. We know nothing of how productive or even counterproductive this system might be in clinical reality. Conclusions: To use drones in rural areas to deliver an AED in OHCA may be safe and feasible. Suitable placement of drone systems can be designed by using GIS models. The use of an AED equipped drone may have the potential to reduce time to defibrillation in OHCA.
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| 6. |
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| 7. |
- Garde, A. H., et al.
(författare)
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Effects of lifestyle factors on concentrations of salivary cortisol in healthy individuals
- 2009
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Ingår i: Scandinavian Journal of Clinical & Laboratory Investigation. - : Informa UK Limited. - 1502-7686 .- 0036-5513. ; 69:2, s. 242-250
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Objective . Salivary cortisol is widely used in occupational health research. However, many ordinary daily activities can influence the concentrations of cortisol and the interpretation of field studies. The aim of the present study was to evaluate the effect of lifestyle factors on salivary cortisol in everyday settings. Material and methods . Healthy employees participated in one or more sub-studies on the effect of eating a vegetable salad versus protein-rich mid-day meal (n=40), drinking coffee and smoking (n=12), drinking alcohol (n=32), awakening at different times (n=29) and exercising (n=21). Cortisol in saliva was measured by radioimmunoassay (RIA). Results . When eating a mid-day meal, salivary cortisol was increased by 10 % (CI -1 % to 24 %) 1 h after eating compared to before eating in the case of both types of meal. Salivary cortisol increased by 80 % (CI 9 % to 199 %) after exercising compared to before exercise. The relative awakening response was approximately 100 % when using an alarm clock on both work-days and days off. However, the awakening response was 39 % (CI 10 % to 75 %) on a day off with spontaneous awakening. No effects of alcohol, coffee or smoking were observed. Discussion . In field studies, the biological variation in salivary cortisol may be reduced by restricting physical exercise and in collecting pre-meal samples. However, the protein content of food and moderate consumption of alcohol had no effect on concentrations of cortisol. Differences in relative awakening responses on work-days and days off are related to time and mode of awakening.
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| 8. |
- Heinonen, M., et al.
(författare)
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New Primary Standards for Establishing SI Traceability for Moisture Measurements in Solid Materials
- 2018
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Ingår i: International journal of thermophysics. - : Springer. - 0195-928X .- 1572-9567. ; 39
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- A European research project METefnet addresses a fundamental obstacle to improving energy-intensive drying process control: due to ambiguous reference analysis methods and insufficient methods for estimating uncertainty in moisture measurements, the achievable accuracy in the past was limited and measurement uncertainties were largely unknown. This paper reports the developments in METefnet that provide a sound basis for the SI traceability: four new primary standards for realizing the water mass fraction were set up, analyzed and compared to each other. The operation of these standards is based on combining sample weighing with different water vapor detection techniques: cold trap, chilled mirror, electrolytic and coulometric Karl Fischer titration. The results show that an equivalence of 0.2 % has been achieved between the water mass fraction realizations and that the developed methods are applicable to a wide range of materials.
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| 9. |
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| 10. |
- Mwanika, K., et al.
(författare)
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Colonial legacies and contemporary commercial farming outcomes: sugarcane in Eastern Uganda
- 2021
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Ingår i: Third World Quarterly. - : Informa UK Limited. - 0143-6597 .- 1360-2241. ; 42:5, s. 1014-1032
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- This article explores the impact of nineteenth-century colonial activities of cash crop farming which altered existing forms of land use from subsistence to capitalist commercial farming. Such modifications had long-term implications for postcolonial development paths by producing and reproducing structures that skew the benefits of commercial farming towards the capitalist agenda at the expense of the welfare of the local population. The article builds on the debates over colonial legacies of agrarian transformation using commercial sugarcane farming in eastern Uganda. Using youth surveys, qualitative tools and document reviews, the authors argue that the detrimental effects of sugarcane farming are a recurrence of capitalism rooted in colonial imperialist policies in Uganda. Through its processes of accumulation by dispossession, colonial-era capitalist systems continue to operate through land seizure for sugarcane farming at the expense of food crops, precipitating food insecurity. It has also pushed the indigenous population into a very vulnerable situation, offering poorly remunerated and extremely exploitative jobs in sugarcane farming. The authors argue that the broader historical context of colonialism is relevant in explaining the contemporary dynamics associated with activities such as commercial farming in postcolonial societies.
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