| 1. |
- Aydin-Schmidt, Berit, et al.
(författare)
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Usefulness of Plasmodium falciparum-specific rapid diagnostic tests for assessment of parasite clearance and detection of recurrent infections after artemisinin-based combination therapy.
- 2013
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Ingår i: Malaria journal. - : Springer Science and Business Media LLC. - 1475-2875. ; 12:1
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Rapid diagnostic test (RDT) is an important tool for parasite-based malaria diagnosis. High specificity of RDTs to distinguish an active Plasmodium falciparum infection from residual antigens from a previous infection is crucial in endemic areas where residents are repeatedly exposed to malaria. The efficiency of two RDTs based on histidine-rich protein 2 (HRP2) and lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) antigens were studied and compared with two microscopy techniques (Giemsa and acridine orange-stained blood smears) and real-time polymerase chain reaction (PCR) for assessment of initial clearance and detection of recurrent P. falciparum infections after artemisinin-based combination therapy (ACT) in a moderately high endemic area of rural Tanzania.
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| 2. |
- Barletta, Ilaria Giovanna, 1988, et al.
(författare)
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Fostering sustainable electronic waste management through intelligent sorting equipment
- 2015
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Ingår i: IEEE International Conference on Automation Science and Engineering. - 2161-8070 .- 2161-8089. ; 2015-October:Special Session Presentation-Only, s. 459-461
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Konferensbidrag (refereegranskat)abstract
- Joint forces of industry and academia can pave the way to truly foster sustainability of Waste of Electric and Electronic Equipment (WEEE) management. Against this background, the WEEE ID project funded by VINNOVA (Swedish Agency for Innovation Systems) developed an intelligent, automated sorting equipment for used electronics’ segregation and grading. It prevents operators from being exposed to hazardous substances from segregation processes and enables higher recycling rates within downstream processes thanks to increased sorting efficiency and accuracy. This abstract explores how the knowledge and technology developed within the WEEE ID project may have a positive impact on WEEE (or “e-waste”) management sustainability performance.
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| 3. |
- Beer, Netta, et al.
(författare)
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High effective coverage of vector control interventions in children after achieving low malaria transmission in Zanzibar, Tanzania.
- 2013
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Ingår i: Malaria journal. - : Springer Science and Business Media LLC. - 1475-2875. ; 12
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- ABSTRACT: Background: Formerly a high malaria transmission area, Zanzibar is now targeting malaria elimination. A major challenge is to avoid resurgence of malaria, the success of which includes maintaining high effective coverage of vector control interventions such as bed nets and indoor residual spraying (IRS). In this study, caretakers' continued use of preventive measures for their children is evaluated, following a sharp reduction in malaria transmission. Methods: A cross-sectional community-based survey was conducted in June 2009 in North A and Micheweni districts in Zanzibar. Households were randomly selected using two-stage cluster sampling. Interviews were conducted with 560 caretakers of under-five-year old children, who were asked about perceptions on the malaria situation, vector control, household assets, and intention for continued use of vector control as malaria burden further decreases. Results: Effective coverage of vector control interventions for under-five children remains high, although most caretakers (65%; 363/560) did not perceive malaria as presently being a major health issue. Seventy percent (447/643) of the under-five children slept under a long-lasting insecticidal net (LLIN) and 94% (607/643) were living in houses targeted with IRS. In total, 98% (628/643) of the children were covered by at least one of the vector control interventions. Seasonal bed-net use for children was reported by 25% (125/508) of caretakers of children who used bed nets. A high proportion of caretakers (95%; 500/524) stated that they intended to continue using preventive measures for their under-five children as malaria burden further reduces. Malaria risk perceptions and different perceptions of vector control were not found to be significantly associated with LLIN effective coverage. Conclusions: While the majority of caretakers felt that malaria had been reduced in Zanzibar, effective coverage of vector control interventions remained high. Caretakers appreciated the interventions and recognized the value of sustaining their use. Thus, sustaining high effective coverage of vector control interventions, which is crucial for reaching malaria elimination in Zanzibar, can be achieved by maintaining effective delivery of these interventions.
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| 4. |
- Björkman, Max Bekken, et al.
(författare)
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Förstudie om resurskartläggning i företag : Att förstå och förändra för en ökad fysisk resurseffektivitet
- 2023
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Rapport (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract
- Denna förstudie har syftat till att undersöka potentialen med fysisk resurskartläggning (RKL) inom företag. RKL kan dels höja den interna kunskapen om företagets resursanvändning, dels stödja extern kommunikation av företagets materialeffektivitet, samt fungera som ett underlag för policymakers som vill utreda styrmedel kopplade till resursanvändning.Initiativet till förstudien är delvis sprungen ur tanken att delar av det som idag görs inom energikartläggning (EKL) också skulle kunna appliceras på kartläggning av fysiska resursströmmar. I förstudien har därför EKL summerats översiktligt tillsammans med tidigare utvärderingar av EKL. Rapporten lyfter även fram viktiga lärdomar från EKL som kan användas i resurskartläggningssammahang.En viktig del av förstudien har bestått i att utforska vad ett koncept som RKL kan inkludera för att uppnå ökad resurseffektivitet. Begreppet RKL kan delas in i två huvudsakliga delar: Förstå och Förändra. Generellt handlar det om att först kartlägga fysiska resursflöden, och därefter agera på resultaten för att nå konkret handling och förändring. Förstudien ger förslag på ett antal befintliga metoder som kan användas för inledande kartläggning, exempelvis materialflödesanalys (MFA) och livscykelanalys (LCA). Kopplat till detta har förstudien undersökt verktyg och indikatorer för att mäta cirkularitet som företag kan använda för att skapa sig en bild av hur cirkulär företagets verksamhet, produkter och tjänster är.För att få en bättre förståelse för hur företag och aktörer i Sverige ser på en mer detaljerad kartläggning av fysiska resursflöden i sina verksamheter, genomfördes femton intervjuer och en enkätstudie. Den enskilt största nyttan som de intervjuade personerna uttryckte med RKL var att kunna visualisera och synliggöra fysiska resurser och hur de flödar genom verksamheten. Via kommande lagkrav inom EU i form av CSRD (Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive) och ESRS (European Sustainability Reporting Standards) skruvas kraven på företags hållbarhetsredovisning upp. Detta nya regelverk kräver bland annat redovisning av in- och utflöden av fysiska resurser, samt att företagen ska kunna visa på mål, strategier och planer för hur resursflödena kan effektiviseras.De nya EU-kraven kommer troligen vara en av de starkaste drivkrafterna för företag att utföra RKL, i tillägg till externa krav från kunder och samarbetsparter. I rapporten har översiktliga processer skisserats som stöd för genomförande av RKL med hjälp av befintliga metoder och verktyg. RKL i företag är ett brett begrepp och därför kan RKL utföras på olika sätt beroende på syftet med kartläggningen och typ av företag.En slutsats från projektet är att det inte är nödvändigt eller lämpligt med en RKL-lagstiftning på samma sätt som dagens lagstiftning för EKL. Detta beror på att RKL innebär en större komplexitet än EKL och är svår att generalisera för alla företag. Den generella metodiken kan dock utformas på liknande sätt för RKL som för EKL, och stöden gällande nätverkande och lathundar skulle kunna erbjudas på liknande sätt för RKL som för EKL för att stötta företag i att uppfylla kommande krav.I det fortsatta arbetet med resurskartläggningar i företag är det viktigt att beakta: (1) Fokusera på att använda redan existerande metoder, verktyg och indikatorer för att mäta resurser och cirkularitet; (2) Samarbeta med organisationer som tillhandahåller och utvecklar metoder, verktyg och indikatorer för en ökad cirkularitet för att tillsammans med dem öka kunskapen och förståelsen hos företag; (3) Utveckla den skisserade RKLprocessen, så att den bättre kan visa vilka typer av metoder och indikatorer som passar särskilt bra för olika syften; (4) Testa och utveckla processerna och guiderna tillsammans med ett antal pilotföretag; (5) Integrera RKL-processen och guiden med pågående utveckling av standarder för rapportering inom EU och ISO-samarbetet.
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| 5. |
- Björkman, Max, et al.
(författare)
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Balancing Different Environmental Effects of Forest Residue Recovery in Sweden - A Stepwise Handling Procedure
- 2014
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Rapport (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract
- An increased use of forest fuels is important in the reduction of our dependence on fossil fuels and in attempting to mitigate climate change. However, an increased use will also result in an intensified forestry. Recovery of forest residues (logging residues and stumps) results in a higher pressure on the forest ecosystems and adds environmental effects to those already existing in conventional forestry of stem-wood harvest. The purpose of this study is to use current research on forest residue recovery and its environmental effects and suggest an approach to how these potential positive and negative effects can be balanced. For this task suitable environmental system analysis tools are identified, as well as relevant environmental quality objectives that are connected to the forestry operation. The report suggests an environmental evaluation model in which environmental impact assessment is the fundamental part to balance local and regional effects, such as acidification, eutrophication and biodiversity. Life cycle assessment is integrated to consider global effects, such as greenhouse gas performance. Relevant environmental quality objectives are used as a measure where the compatibility between the recovery of forest residues and the development of the environmental objectives is assessed. The need for regional/local assessments is stressed as an important aspect regarding the applicability of the model, as well as improved preciseness of the environmental quality objectives utilised.
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| 6. |
- Czeszumski, Artur, et al.
(författare)
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Coordinating With a Robot Partner Affects Neural Processing Related to Action Monitoring
- 2021
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Ingår i: Frontiers in Neurorobotics. - : Frontiers Media SA. - 1662-5218. ; 15
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Robots start to play a role in our social landscape, and they are progressively becoming responsive, both physically and socially. It begs the question of how humans react to and interact with robots in a coordinated manner and what the neural underpinnings of such behavior are. This exploratory study aims to understand the differences in human-human and human-robot interactions at a behavioral level and from a neurophysiological perspective. For this purpose, we adapted a collaborative dynamical paradigm from the literature. We asked 12 participants to hold two corners of a tablet while collaboratively guiding a ball around a circular track either with another participant or a robot. In irregular intervals, the ball was perturbed outward creating an artificial error in the behavior, which required corrective measures to return to the circular track again. Concurrently, we recorded electroencephalography (EEG). In the behavioral data, we found an increased velocity and positional error of the ball from the track in the human-human condition vs. human-robot condition. For the EEG data, we computed event-related potentials. We found a significant difference between human and robot partners driven by significant clusters at fronto-central electrodes. The amplitudes were stronger with a robot partner, suggesting a different neural processing. All in all, our exploratory study suggests that coordinating with robots affects action monitoring related processing. In the investigated paradigm, human participants treat errors during human-robot interaction differently from those made during interactions with other humans. These results can improve communication between humans and robot with the use of neural activity in real-time.
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| 7. |
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| 8. |
- Elfving, Kristina, et al.
(författare)
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Acute Uncomplicated Febrile Illness in Children Aged 2-59 months in Zanzibar : Aetiologies, Antibiotic Treatment and Outcome
- 2016
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Ingår i: PLOS ONE. - : Public Library of Science (PLoS). - 1932-6203. ; 11:1
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- BACKGROUND: Despite the fact that a large proportion of children with fever in Africa present at primary health care facilities, few studies have been designed to specifically study the causes of uncomplicated childhood febrile illness at this level of care, especially in areas like Zanzibar that has recently undergone a dramatic change from high to low malaria transmission.METHODS: We prospectively studied the aetiology of febrile illness in 677 children aged 2-59 months with acute uncomplicated fever managed by IMCI (Integrated Management of Childhood Illness) guidelines in Zanzibar, using point-of-care tests, urine culture, blood-PCR, chest X-ray (CXR) of IMCI-pneumonia classified patients, and multiple quantitative (q)PCR investigations of nasopharyngeal (NPH) (all patients) and rectal (GE) swabs (diarrhoea patients). For comparison, we also performed NPH and GE qPCR analyses in 167 healthy community controls. Final fever diagnoses were retrospectively established based on all clinical and laboratory data. Clinical outcome was assessed during a 14-day follow-up. The utility of IMCI for identifying infections presumed to require antibiotics was evaluated.FINDINGS: NPH-qPCR and GE-qPCR detected ≥1 pathogen in 657/672 (98%) and 153/164 (93%) of patients and 158/166 (95%) and 144/165 (87%) of controls, respectively. Overall, 57% (387/677) had IMCI-pneumonia, but only 12% (42/342) had CXR-confirmed pneumonia. Two patients were positive for Plasmodium falciparum. Respiratory syncytial virus (24.5%), influenza A/B (22.3%), rhinovirus (10.5%) and group-A streptococci (6.4%), CXR-confirmed pneumonia (6.2%), Shigella (4.3%) were the most common viral and bacterial fever diagnoses, respectively. Blood-PCR conducted in a sub-group of patients (n = 83) without defined fever diagnosis was negative for rickettsiae, chikungunya, dengue, Rift Valley fever and West Nile viruses. Antibiotics were prescribed to 500 (74%) patients, but only 152 (22%) had an infection retrospectively considered to require antibiotics. Clinical outcome was generally good. However, two children died. Only 68 (11%) patients remained febrile on day 3 and three of them had verified fever on day 14. An additional 29 (4.5%) children had fever relapse on day 14. Regression analysis determined C-reactive Protein (CRP) as the only independent variable significantly associated with CXR-confirmed pneumonia.CONCLUSIONS: This is the first study on uncomplicated febrile illness in African children that both applied a comprehensive laboratory panel and a healthy control group. A majority of patients had viral respiratory tract infection. Pathogens were frequently detected by qPCR also in asymptomatic children, demonstrating the importance of incorporating controls in fever aetiology studies. The precision of IMCI for identifying infections requiring antibiotics was low.
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| 9. |
- Elfving, Kristina, et al.
(författare)
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Pathogen Clearance and New Respiratory Tract Infections Among Febrile Children in Zanzibar Investigated With Multitargeting Real-Time Polymerase Chain Reaction on Paired Nasopharyngeal Swab Samples
- 2018
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Ingår i: The Pediatric Infectious Disease Journal. - 0891-3668 .- 1532-0987. ; 37:7, s. 643-648
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- BACKGROUND: New molecular methods have revealed frequent and often polymicrobial respiratory infections in children in low-income settings. It is not known whether presence of multiple pathogens is due to prolonged infections or to frequent exposure. The aim of this study was to analyze short-term pathogen clearance from nasopharynx and the rate of new respiratory tract infections in febrile preschool children.METHODS: Children (n = 207) with uncomplicated acute febrile illness 2-59 months of age presenting to a health center in Zanzibar, Tanzania, April-July 2011, were included. Paired nasopharyngeal swab samples, collected at enrolment and after 14 days, were analyzed by multiple real-time polymerase chain reaction for Adenovirus, bocavirus, Bordetella pertussis, Chlamydophila pneumoniae, Coronaviruses, Enterovirus, influenza A and B virus, metapneumovirus, measles virus, Mycoplasma pneumoniae, parainfluenza virus, Parechovirus, respiratory syncytial virus and Rhinovirus. An age-matched and geographically matched healthy control group (n = 166) underwent nasopharyngeal sampling on 1 occasion.RESULTS: At baseline, 157/207 (76%) patients had at least 1 pathogen detected, in total 199 infections. At follow-up (day 14), 162/199 (81%) of these infections were not detected, including >95% of the previously detected infections with Enterovirus, influenza A virus, influenza B virus, metapneumovirus or parainfluenza virus. Still 115 (56%) children were positive for at least 1 pathogen at follow-up, of which 95/115 (83%) were not found at baseline. Detection of influenza B on day 14 was significantly associated with fever during follow-up.CONCLUSION: The results suggest that children with acute febrile illness in Zanzibar rapidly clear respiratory tract infections but frequently acquire new infections within 14 days.
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| 10. |
- Elfving, Kristina, et al.
(författare)
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Real-time PCR threshold cycle (Ct) cut-offs help to identify agents causing acute childhood diarrhea in Zanzibar.
- 2014
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Ingår i: Journal of clinical microbiology. - 1098-660X. ; 52:3, s. 916-923
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Molecular assays might improve identification of causes of acute diarrheal disease, but may lead to more frequent detection of asymptomatic infections. In the present study real-time PCR targeting 14 pathogens was applied on rectal swabs from 330 children aged 2-59 months in Zanzibar, 165 with acute diarrhea and 165 asymptomatic controls. At least one pathogen was detected in 94% of patients and 84% of controls, with higher rates in patients for norovirus genogroup II (20% vs. 2.4%, p<0.0001), rotavirus (10% vs. 1.8%, p=0.003) and Cryptosporidium (30% vs. 11%, p<0.0001). Detection rates did not differ significantly for enterotoxigenic Escherichia coli (ETEC)-estA (33% vs. 24%), ETEC-eltB (44% vs. 46%), Shigella (35% vs. 33%), and Campylobacter (35% vs. 33%), but for these agents Ct (threshold cycle) values were lower (pathogen loads were higher) in sick children than in controls. In multivariate analysis, Ct values for norovirus genogroup II, rotavirus, Cryptosporidium, ETEC-estA and Shigella were independently associated with diarrhea. We conclude that this real-time PCR allows convenient detection of essentially all diarrheagenic agents, and provides Ct values that may be critical for interpretation of results for pathogens with similar detection rates in patients and controls. The results indicate that assessment of pathogen load may improve identification of agents causing gastroenteritis in children.
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