| 1. |
- Bergh, Caroline, et al.
(författare)
-
Organophosphate and phthalate esters in indoor air : a comparison between multi-storey buildings with high and low prevalence of sick building symptoms
- 2011
-
Ingår i: Journal of Environmental Monitoring. - : Royal Society of Chemistry (RSC). - 1464-0325 .- 1464-0333. ; 13:7, s. 2001-2009
-
Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- An extensive study has been conducted of the prevalence of organophosphorous flame retardants/plasticizers and phthalate ester plasticizers in indoor air. The targeted substances were measured in 45 multi-storey apartment buildings in Stockholm, Sweden. The apartment buildings were classified as high or low risk with regard to the reporting of sick building symptoms (SBS) within the project Healthy Sustainable Houses in Stockholm (3H). Air samples were taken from two to four apartments per building (in total 169 apartments) to facilitate comparison within and between buildings. Association with building characteristics have been examined as well as association with specific sources by combining chemical analysis and exploratory uni- and multivariate data analysis. The study contributes to the overall perspective of levels of organophosphate and phthalate ester in indoor air enabling comparison with other studies. The results indicated little or no difference in the concentrations of the target substances between the two risk classifications of the buildings. The differences between the apartments sampled within (inter) buildings were greater than the differences between (intra) buildings. The concentrations measured in air ranged up to 1,200 ng/m3 for organophosphate esters and up to 11,000 ng/m3 for phthalate esters. Results in terms of sources were discerned e.g. PVC flooring is a major source of benzylbutyl phthalate in indoor air.
|
|
| 2. |
- Andersson, J., et al.
(författare)
-
Worse survival for TP53 (p53)-mutated breast cancer patients receiving adjuvant CMF
- 2005
-
Ingår i: Ann Oncol. - : Elsevier BV. - 0923-7534 .- 1569-8041. ; 16:5, s. 743-8
-
Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- BACKGROUND: TP53 has been described as a prognostic factor in many malignancies, including breast cancer. Whether it also might be a predictive factor with reference to chemo- and endocrine therapy is more controversial. PATIENTS AND METHODS: We investigated relapse-free (RFS), breast cancer-corrected (BCCS) and overall survival (OS) related to TP53 status in node-positive breast cancer patients that had received polychemotherapy [cyclophosphamide, methotrexate, 5-fluorouracil (CMF)] and/or endocrine therapy (tamoxifen). Sequence analyses of the whole TP53 coding region was performed in 376 patients operated on for primary breast cancer with axillary lymph node metastases between 1984 and 1989 (median follow-up time 84 months). RESULTS: TP53 mutations were found in 105 patients (28%). We found 90 (82%) of the 110 mutations in the more frequently analysed exons 5-8, while the other 20 (18%) were located in exons 3-4 and 9-10, respectively. Univariate analyses showed TP53 to be a significant prognostic factor with regard to RFS, BCCS and OS in patients who received adjuvant CMF. CONCLUSIONS: TP53 mutations might induce resistance to certain modalities of breast cancer therapy. Sequence-determined TP53 mutation was of negative prognostic value in the total patient population and in the CMF treated patients.
|
|
| 3. |
- Anthony, Kenneth R. N., et al.
(författare)
-
Operationalizing resilience for adaptive coral reef management under global environmental change
- 2015
-
Ingår i: Global Change Biology. - : Wiley. - 1354-1013 .- 1365-2486. ; 21:1, s. 48-61
-
Forskningsöversikt (refereegranskat)abstract
- Cumulative pressures from global climate and ocean change combined with multiple regional and local-scale stressors pose fundamental challenges to coral reef managers worldwide. Understanding how cumulative stressors affect coral reef vulnerability is critical for successful reef conservation now and in the future. In this review, we present the case that strategically managing for increased ecological resilience (capacity for stress resistance and recovery) can reduce coral reef vulnerability (risk of net decline) up to a point. Specifically, we propose an operational framework for identifying effective management levers to enhance resilience and support management decisions that reduce reef vulnerability. Building on a system understanding of biological and ecological processes that drive resilience of coral reefs in different environmental and socio-economic settings, we present an Adaptive Resilience-Based management (ARBM) framework and suggest a set of guidelines for how and where resilience can be enhanced via management interventions. We argue that press-type stressors (pollution, sedimentation, overfishing, ocean warming and acidification) are key threats to coral reef resilience by affecting processes underpinning resistance and recovery, while pulse-type (acute) stressors (e.g. storms, bleaching events, crown-of-thorns starfish outbreaks) increase the demand for resilience. We apply the framework to a set of example problems for Caribbean and Indo-Pacific reefs. A combined strategy of active risk reduction and resilience support is needed, informed by key management objectives, knowledge of reef ecosystem processes and consideration of environmental and social drivers. As climate change and ocean acidification erode the resilience and increase the vulnerability of coral reefs globally, successful adaptive management of coral reefs will become increasingly difficult. Given limited resources, on-the-ground solutions are likely to focus increasingly on actions that support resilience at finer spatial scales, and that are tightly linked to ecosystem goods and services.
|
|
| 4. |
- Bahr, Adam, et al.
(författare)
-
Nitrogen leaching and ectomycorrhizal nitrogen retention capacity in a Norway spruce forest fertilized with nitrogen and phosphorus
- 2015
-
Ingår i: Plant and Soil. - : Springer Science and Business Media LLC. - 0032-079X .- 1573-5036. ; 390:1-2, s. 323-335
-
Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- To estimate the production of external ectomycorrhizal mycelia (EMM) in Norway spruce forests with varying nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P) levels, and to relate this to the N retention capacity of ectomycorrhizal fungi (EMF) and N leaching. Seasonal changes in EMF production (in ingrowth mesh bags) and soil water N (in suction lysimeters) were analyzed after fertilization with N or N combined with P. The EMF N retention capacity was estimated by the addition of isotopically labeled N to the mesh bags. No relationship was found between the seasonal variation in EMF growth and N leakage from the soil. However, in the mesh bags, the total assimilation of N-15 by EMF was almost halved by N fertilization, while twice as much N-15 leached through. We found a high specific N assimilation capacity per unit weight of EMF mycelia. This was unaffected by N fertilization, but the total assimilation of N by EMF was drastically reduced due to reduced production of EMM. However, N-retaining processes other than N assimilation by EMF must be taken into account to explain the losses of N after fertilization.
|
|
| 5. |
- Bergh, Andreas, et al.
(författare)
-
Government Size and Growth: A Survey and Interpretation of the Evidence
- 2011
-
Ingår i: Journal of Economic Surveys. - : Wiley. - 0950-0804. ; 25:5, s. 872-897
-
Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- The literature on the relationship between the size of government and economic growth is full of seemingly contradictory findings. This conflict is largely explained by variations in definitions and the countries studied. An alternative approach – of limiting the focus to studies of the relationship in rich countries, measuring government size as total taxes or total expenditure relative to GDP and relying on panel data estimations with variation over time – reveals a more consistent picture: The most recent studies find a significant negative correlation: An increase in government size by 10 percentage points is associated with a 0.5 to 1 percent lower annual growth rate. We discuss efforts to make sense of this correlation, and note several pitfalls involved in giving it a causal interpretation. Against this background, we discuss two explanations of why several countries with high taxes seem able to enjoy above average growth: One hypothesis is that countries with higher social trust levels are able to develop larger government sectors without harming the economy. Another explanation is that countries with large governments compensate for high taxes and spending by implementing market-friendly policies in other areas. Both explanations are supported by ongoing research.
|
|
| 6. |
- Bergh, Ingrid, 1956, et al.
(författare)
-
Descriptions of pain in elderly patients following orthopaedic surgery.
- 2005
-
Ingår i: Scandinavian journal of caring sciences. - : Wiley. - 0283-9318 .- 1471-6712. ; 19:2, s. 110-8
-
Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- The aims of this study were to investigate what words elderly patients, who had undergone hip surgery, used to describe their experience of pain in spoken language and to compare these words with those used in the Short-Form McGill Pain Questionnaire (SF-MPQ) and Pain-O-Meter (POM). The study was carried out at two orthopaedic and two geriatric clinical departments at a large university hospital in Sweden. Altogether, 60 patients (mean age =77) who had undergone orthopaedic surgery took part in the study. A face-to-face interview was conducted with each patient on the second day after the operation. This was divided into two parts, one tape-recorded and semi-structured in character and one structured interview. The results show that a majority of the elderly patients who participated in this study verbally stated pain and spontaneously used a majority of the words found in the SF-MPQ and in the POM. The patients also used a number of additional words not found in the SF-MPQ or the POM. Among those patients who did not use any of the words in the SF-MPQ and the POM, the use of the three additional words 'stel' (stiff), 'hemsk' (awful) and 'rad(d)(sla)' (afraid/fear) were especially marked. The patients also combined the words with a negation to describe what pain was not. To achieve a more balanced and nuanced description of the patient's pain and to make it easier for the patients to talk about their pain, there is a need for access to a set of predefined words that describe pain from a more multidimensional perspective than just intensity. If the elderly patient is allowed, and finds it necessary, to use his/her own words to describe what pain is but also to describe what pain is not, by combining the words with a negation, then the risk of the patient being forced to choose words that do not fully correspond to their pain can be reduced. If so, pain scales such as the SF-MPQ and the POM can create a communicative bridge between the elderly patient and health care professionals in the pain evaluation process.
|
|
| 7. |
- Bergh, Magnus, et al.
(författare)
-
A Validation Study of the General Amber Force Field Applied to Energetic Molecular Crystals
- 2016
-
Ingår i: Journal of Energetic Materials. - : Informa UK Limited. - 0737-0652 .- 1545-8822. ; 34:1, s. 62-75
-
Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Molecula dynamics is a well-established tool to computationally study molecules. However, to reach predictive capability at the level required for applied research and design, extensive validation of the available force fields is pertinent. Here we present a study of density, isothermal compressibility and coefficients of thermal expansion of four energetic materials (FOX-7, RDX, CL-20 and HMX) based on molecular dynamics simulations with the General Amber Force Field (GAFF), and compare the results to experimental measurements from the literature. Furthermore, we quantify the accuracy of the calculated properties through hydrocode simulation of a typical impact scenario. We find that molecular dynamics simulations with generic and computationally efficient force fields may be used to understand and estimate important physical properties of nitramine-like energetic materials.
|
|
| 8. |
- Bergh, Magnus, et al.
(författare)
-
Feasibility of imaging living cells at subnanometer resolutions by ultrafast X-ray diffraction
- 2008
-
Ingår i: Quarterly reviews of biophysics (Print). - 0033-5835 .- 1469-8994. ; 41:3-4, s. 181-204
-
Forskningsöversikt (refereegranskat)abstract
- Detailed structural investigations on living cells are problematic because existing structural methods cannot reach high resolutions on non-reproducible objects. Illumination with an ultrashort and extremely bright X-ray pulse can outrun key damage processes over a very short period. This can be exploited to extend the diffraction signal to the highest possible resolution in flash diffraction experiments. Here we present an analysis or the interaction of a very intense and very short X-ray pulse with a living cell, using a non-equilibrium population kinetics plasma code with radiation transfer. Each element in the evolving plasma is modeled by numerous states to monitor changes in the atomic populations as a function of pulse length, wavelength, and fluence. The model treats photoionization, impact ionization, Auger decay, recombination, and inverse bremsstrahlung by solving rate equations in a self-consistent manner and describes hydrodynamic expansion through the ion sound speed, The results show that subnanometer resolutions could be reached on micron-sized cells in a diffraction-limited geometry at wavelengths between 0.75 and 1.5 nm and at fluences of 10(11)-10(12) photonS mu M (2) in less than 10 fs. Subnanometer resolutions could also be achieved with harder X-rays at higher fluences. We discuss experimental and computational strategies to obtain depth information about the object in flash diffraction experiments.
|
|
| 9. |
- Bergh, Magnus, et al.
(författare)
-
Interaction of Ultrashort X-ray Pulses with B4C, SiC and Si
- 2008
-
Ingår i: Physical Review E. Statistical, Nonlinear, and Soft Matter Physics. - 1063-651X .- 1095-3787. ; 77:2, s. 026404-1-026404-8
-
Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- The interaction of 32.5 and 6 nm ultrashort x-ray pulses with the solid materials B4C, SiC, and Si is simulated with a nonlocal thermodynamic equilibrium radiation transfer code. We study the ionization dynamics as a function of depth in the material and modifications of the opacity during irradiation, and estimate the crater depth. Furthermore, we compare the estimated crater depth with experimental data, for fluences up to 2.2 J/cm(2). Our results show that, at 32.5 nm irradiation, the opacity changes by less than a factor of 2 for B4C and Si and by a factor of 3 for SiC, for fluences up to 200 J/cm(2). At a laser wavelength of 6 nm, the model predicts a dramatic decrease in opacity due to the weak inverse bremsstrahlung, increasing the crater depth for high fluences.
|
|
| 10. |
- Bergh, Magnus, 1975-
(författare)
-
Interaction of Ultrashort X-ray Pulses with Material
- 2007
-
Doktorsavhandling (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract
- Radiation damage limits the resolution in imaging experiments. Damage is caused by energy deposited into the sample during exposure. Ultrashort and extremely bright X-ray pulses from free-electron lasers (FELs) offer the possibility to outrun key damage processes, and temporarily improve radiation tolerance. Theoretical models indicate that high detail-resolutions could be realized on non-crystalline samples with very short pulses, before plasma expansion.Studies presented here describe the interaction of a very intense and ultrashort X-ray pulse with material, and investigate boundary conditions for flash diffractive imaging both theoretically and experimentally. In the hard X-ray regime, predictions are based on particle simulations with a continuum formulation that accounts for screening from free electrons.First experimental results from the first soft X-ray free-electron laser, the FLASH facility in Hamburg, confirm the principle of flash imaging, and provide the first validation of our theoretical models. Specifically, experiments on nano-fabricated test objects show that an interpretable image can be obtained to high resolution before the sample is vaporized. Radiation intensity in these experiments reached 10^14 W/cm^2, and the temperature of the sample rose to 60000 Kelvin after the 25 femtosecond pulse left the sample. Further experiments with time-delay X-ray holography follow the explosion dynamics over some picoseconds after illumination.Finally, this thesis presents results from biological flash-imaging studies on living cells. The model is based on plasma calculations and fluid-like motions of the sample, supported by the time-delay measurements. This study provides an estimate for the achievable resolutions as function of wavelength and pulse length. The technique was demonstrated by our team in an experiment where living cells were exposed to a single shot from the FLASH soft X-ray laser.
|
|
