| 1. |
- Löfstrand, Magnus
(författare)
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A modelling and simulation approach for linking design activities to business decisions
- 2007
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Doktorsavhandling (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract
- The business environment of the manufacturing industry is changing from a hardware-based product focus to a process and function focus. A current industrial interest is the development and sale of functions. This function could be realised as a product based on hardware, software and services, and may be sold as a function rather than as hardware. This function view is referred to as Functional Products (FP). The new focus for the customer is on value rather than hardware. This presents new challenges for how engineering hardware design may best be carried out. Sale of functional products requires a changed business model in which the price of the functional product is related to the functionality of the product itself; hence the name functional product. The supplier can in such a scenario no longer sell maintenance and spare parts. Instead, these activities become a cost, thus motivating the supplier to increase process efficiency, decrease internal production cost by using less energy per produced unit and increase knowledge about use-cases. The researcher's challenge is how to create new knowledge regarding functional product development for academic as well as for industrial benefit. The research question was formulated as: How may methods or tools for design process modelling and simulation be developed to support functional product development? Four case studies were carried out in Swedish industry. Case study 1 was carried out in cooperation with Hägglunds Drives AB. Case study 2 was carried out in cooperation with companies Hägglunds Drives AB, Volvo Aero and Volvo Car Corporation. Case study 3 was carried out in cooperation Volvo Aero and Case study 4 was carried out in cooperation with nine industrial companies during the formation of the Faste Laboratory, Centre for Functional Product Innovation. Results include the need for integrating product development process and company strategy for functional product development and the identification of the need for new methods and tools to enable better understanding of technology and business processes. The research shows the possibility of evaluating cost and time of development before doing the actual product development work by modelling and simulating the design process. Thus, the knowledge that previously was implicit in the work process is made explicit and possible to manipulate for a desired outcome. Linking the future business cases to work processes by modelling and simulation enables knowledge re-use and work-process predictions concerning cost and time. Hence, modelling and simulation of work processes results in better knowledge of company development capacity earlier than before, thus allowing shorter reaction time to changes in the business domain.
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| 2. |
- Antoniewicz, Lukasz, et al.
(författare)
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Acute Effects of Electronic Cigarette Inhalation on the Vasculature and the Conducting Airways
- 2019
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Ingår i: Cardiovascular Toxicology. - : Springer. - 1530-7905 .- 1559-0259. ; 19:5, s. 441-450
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- The use of electronic cigarettes has increased exponentially since its introduction onto the global market in 2006. However, short- and long-term health effects remain largely unknown due to the novelty of this product. The present study examines the acute effects of e-cigarette aerosol inhalation, with and without nicotine, on vascular and pulmonary function in healthy volunteers. Seventeen healthy subjects inhaled electronic cigarette aerosol with and without nicotine on two separate occasions in a double-blinded crossover fashion. Blood pressure, heart rate, and arterial stiffness measured by pulse wave velocity and pulse wave analysis were assessed at baseline, and then at 0 h, 2 h, and 4 h following exposure. Dynamic spirometry and impulse oscillometry were measured following vascular assessments at these time points, as well as at 6 h following exposure. e-Cigarette aerosol with nicotine caused a significant increase in heart rate and arterial stiffness. Furthermore, e-cigarette aerosol-containing nicotine caused a sudden increase in flow resistance as measured by impulse oscillometry, indicating obstruction of the conducting airways. Both aerosols caused an increase in blood pressure. The present study indicates that inhaled e-cigarette aerosol with nicotine has an acute impact on vascular and pulmonary function. Thus, chronic usage may lead to long-term adverse health effects. Further investigation is warranted.
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| 3. |
- Antoniewicz, Lukasz, et al.
(författare)
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Brief exposure to Swedish snus causes divergent vascular responses in healthy male and female volunteers
- 2018
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Ingår i: PLOS ONE. - : PUBLIC LIBRARY SCIENCE. - 1932-6203. ; 13:4
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Introduction: The use of Swedish oral moist snuff, known as snus, has for a long time been limited to the Scandinavian countries. With declining cigarette sales in the western world, tobacco companies have looked to the development of alternative tobacco products. In 2006 snus products were launched in the US. Even though several studies have demonstrated negative health effects, snus is often depicted as harmless.The aim of the present study was to investigate acute vascular effects of snus as measured by arterial stiffness as well as blood pressure and heart rate.Methods: Two separate randomized double-blind crossover studies with the same study design were pooled for analysis. Twenty-nine healthy snus-users (17 females, 12 males) were included. Snus (Göteborgs Rapé) and tobacco free snus (Onico) were administered in a randomized order at two separate visits. Arterial stiffness, blood pressure and heart rate were measured at baseline as well as every five minutes for 40 minutes during exposure. Following snus removal, measurements continued for 30 minutes post exposure. Arterial stiffness was measured using pulse wave velocity (Vicorder) and pulse wave analysis (Sphygmocor).Results: Compared to placebo, snus significantly increased systolic and diastolic blood pressure as well as heart rate, however, only in females (p = 0.004, p = 0.006 and p<0.001 respectively). No changes were seen in arterial stiffness measurements in either gender.Conclusion: We observed an increase in blood pressure and heart rate only in females, but not in males due to snus usage as compared to placebo. This novel finding was surprising and needs to be further investigated considering most of the earlier studies have mainly focused on male snus users and the increasing usage of snus among females.
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| 4. |
- Antoniewicz, Lukasz, et al.
(författare)
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Chronic snus use in healthy males alters endothelial function and increases arterial stiffness
- 2022
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Ingår i: PLOS ONE. - : Public Library of Science (PLoS). - 1932-6203. ; 17:6
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Background: Snus usage is commonly touted as a safer alternative to cigarette smoking. However, recent studies have demonstrated possible adverse cardiovascular effects in chronic snus users. The present study evaluates the effects of chronic snus use on vascular function by assessing central arterial stiffness and endothelial vasodilatory function in healthy chronic snus users as compared to matched non-users.Methods and results: Fifty healthy males (24 snus users, 26 age-matched controls) with a mean age of 44 years were included in the study. Arterial stiffness was assessed employing both pulse wave velocity and pulse wave analysis. Endothelial vasodilatory function was measured by venous occlusion plethysmography, utilizing intra-arterial administration of acetylcholine, glyceryl trinitrate and bradykinin to further gauge endothelium-dependent and -independent vasodilatory function. Arterial stiffness was significantly higher in chronic snus users as compared to controls: pulse wave velocity [m/s]: 6.6±0.8 vs 7.1±0.9 resp. (p = 0.026), augmentation index corrected for heart rate [%]: 0.1±13.2 vs 7.3±7.8 resp. (p = 0.023). Endothelial independent vasodilation, i.e. the reaction to glyceryl trinitrate, was significantly lower in snus users as measured by venous occlusion plethysmography.Conclusions: The results of this study show an increased arterial stiffness and an underlying endothelial dysfunction in daily snus users as compared to matched non-tobacco controls. These findings indicate that long-term use of snus may alter the function of the endothelium and therefore reinforces the assertion that chronic snus use is correlated to an increased risk of development of cardiovascular disease.
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| 5. |
- Barath, Stefan, et al.
(författare)
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Impaired vascular function after exposure to diesel exhaust generated at urban transient running conditions
- 2010
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Ingår i: Particle and Fibre Toxicology. - : BioMed Central. - 1743-8977. ; 7:1, s. 19-
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- BACKGROUND: Traffic emissions including diesel engine exhaust are associated with increased respiratory and cardiovascular morbidity and mortality. Controlled human exposure studies have demonstrated impaired vascular function after inhalation of exhaust generated by a diesel engine under idling conditions.OBJECTIVES: To assess the vascular and fibrinolytic effects of exposure to diesel exhaust generated during urban-cycle running conditions that mimic ambient 'real-world' exposures.METHODS: In a randomised double-blind crossover study, eighteen healthy male volunteers were exposed to diesel exhaust (approximately 250 mug/m3) or filtered air for one hour during intermittent exercise. Diesel exhaust was generated during the urban part of the standardized European Transient Cycle. Six hours post-exposure, vascular vasomotor and fibrinolytic function was assessed during venous occlusion plethysmography with intra-arterial agonist infusions.MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS: Forearm blood flow increased in a dose-dependent manner with both endothelial-dependent (acetylcholine and bradykinin) and endothelial-independent (sodium nitroprusside and verapamil) vasodilators. Diesel exhaust exposure attenuated the vasodilatation to acetylcholine (P < 0.001), bradykinin (P < 0.05), sodium nitroprusside (P < 0.05) and verapamil (P < 0.001). In addition, the net release of tissue plasminogen activator during bradykinin infusion was impaired following diesel exhaust exposure (P < 0.05).CONCLUSION: Exposure to diesel exhaust generated under transient running conditions, as a relevant model of urban air pollution, impairs vasomotor function and endogenous fibrinolysis in a similar way as exposure to diesel exhaust generated at idling. This indicates that adverse vascular effects of diesel exhaust inhalation occur over different running conditions with varying exhaust composition and concentrations as well as physicochemical particle properties. Importantly, exposure to diesel exhaust under ETC conditions was also associated with a novel finding of impaired of calcium channel-dependent vasomotor function. This implies that certain cardiovascular endpoints seem to be related to general diesel exhaust properties, whereas the novel calcium flux-related effect may be associated with exhaust properties more specific for the ETC condition, for example a higher content of diesel soot particles along with their adsorbed organic compounds.
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| 6. |
- Barath, Stefan, 1963-, et al.
(författare)
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Short-Term Exposure to Ozone Does Not Impair Vascular Function or Affect Heart Rate Variability in Healthy Young Men
- 2013
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Ingår i: Toxicological Sciences. - : Oxford University Press. - 1096-6080 .- 1096-0929. ; 135:2, s. 292-299
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Air pollution exposure is associated with cardiovascular morbidity and mortality, yet the role of individual pollutants remains unclear. In particular, there is uncertainty regarding the acute effect of ozone exposure on cardiovascular disease. In these studies, we aimed to determine the effect of ozone exposure on vascular function, fibrinolysis, and the autonomic regulation of the heart. Thirty-six healthy men were exposed to ozone (300 ppb) and filtered air for 75min on two occasions in randomized double-blind crossover studies. Bilateral forearm blood flow (FBF) was measured using forearm venous occlusion plethysmography before and during intra-arterial infusions of vasodilators 2–4 and 6–8h after each exposure. Heart rhythm and heart rate variability (HRV) were monitored during and 24h after exposure. Compared with filtered air, ozone exposure did not alter heart rate, blood pressure, or resting FBF at either 2 or 6h. There was a dose-dependent increase in FBF with all vasodilators that was similar after both exposures at 2–4h. Ozone exposure did not impair vasomotor or fibrinolytic function at 6–8h but rather increased vasodilatation to acetylcholine (p = .015) and sodium nitroprusside (p = .005). Ozone did not affect measures of HRV during or after the exposure. Our findings do not support a direct rapid effect of ozone on vascular function or cardiac autonomic control although we cannot exclude an effect of chronic exposure or an interaction between ozone and alternative air pollutants that may be responsible for the adverse cardiovascular health effects attributed to ozone.
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| 7. |
- Bjerg, Anders, 1982, et al.
(författare)
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Increase in pollen sensitization in Swedish adults and protective effect of keeping animals in childhood
- 2016
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Ingår i: Clinical and Experimental Allergy. - : Wiley. - 0954-7894 .- 1365-2222. ; 46:10, s. 1328-1336
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- BACKGROUND: To date, most studies of the "allergy epidemic" have been based on self-reported data. There is still limited knowledge on time trends in allergic sensitization, especially among adults.OBJECTIVE: To study allergic sensitization, its risk factors, and time trends in prevalence.METHODS: Within West Sweden Asthma Study (WSAS) a population-based sample of 788 adults (17-60y) underwent skin prick tests (SPT) for 11 aeroallergens 2009-2012. Specific IgE was analyzed in 750 of the participants. Those aged 20-46y (n=379) were compared with the European Community Respiratory Health Survey sample aged 20-46y from the same area (n=591) in 1991-1992.RESULTS: Among those aged 20-46y the prevalence of positive SPT to pollen increased; timothy from 17.1% to 29.0% (p<0.001) and birch from 15.6% to 23.7% (p=0.002) between 1991-1992 and 2009-2012. Measurements of specific IgE confirmed these increases. Prevalence of sensitization to all other tested allergens was unchanged. In the full WSAS sample aged 17-60y any positive SPT was seen in 41.9%, and the dominating sensitizers were pollen (34.3%), animals (22.8%) and mites (12.6%). Pollen sensitization was strongly associated with rhinitis, whereas indoor allergens were more associated with asthma. Growing up with livestock or furred pets decreased the risk of sensitization, adjusted odds ratio 0.53 (0.28-0.995) and 0.68 (0.47-0.98) respectively.CONCLUSION: Pollen sensitization has increased in Swedish adults since the early 1990's, while the prevalence of sensitization to other allergens has remained unchanged. This is one plausible explanation for the increase in rhinitis 1990-2008 in Swedish adults, during which time the prevalence of asthma, which is more associated with perennial allergens, was stable. Contact with animals in childhood seems to reduce the risk of sensitization well into adulthood. One major factor contributing to the rise in pollen allergy is a significant increase in levels of birch and grass pollen over the past three decades.
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| 8. |
- Byhamre, Marja Lisa, 1981-
(författare)
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Snus use and mortality : associations, potential mechanisms, and socioeconomic aspects
- 2022
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Doktorsavhandling (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract
- Snus is a smokeless tobacco product made of a moist powder of ground tobacco. It is used mainly in the Nordic countries, although increasingly popular internationally. The Swedish snus tradition dates back to the seventeenth century, and it is now used daily by about 23% of the male and 6% of the female population. Snus contains high levels of nicotine as well as carcinogenic substances and microorganisms that could potentially cause adverse health effects. The physiological effects of snus use include acutely raised blood pressure and heart rate, and increased cardiac oxygen demand, while the psychological response results in alertness and anxiety reduction. The high nicotine content causes rapid onset of addiction. Previous research on snus use and health is largely inconclusive, but indicates increased risks of all-cause, cardiovascular and cancer mortality. This thesis aimed to further investigate the health effects of snus use, with a focus on mortality, potential underlying mechanisms, and the impact of socioeconomic factors. Four original papers form the base of this thesis. The first study was performed on a pooled dataset of eight Swedish cohorts (The Swedish Collaboration on Health Effects of Snus use), including over 169 000 men. We found an increased risk of all-cause (HR 1.28, 95% CI 1.20; 1.35), cardiovascular, and other cause mortality, and indications of raised cancer mortality. The second study was set within an interventional program in northern Sweden (Västerbotten Intervention Programme) and included 46 000 men and women. It showed increased mortality overall (estimates similar to first study), from cardiovascular diseases, and external causes (e.g., accidents and suicide) that remained after controlling for socioeconomic status. We found these associations in groups of varying socioeconomic background (e.g., both basic education and high-income groups), suggesting that increased mortality risks among snus users are not restricted to certain socioeconomic groups. Studies three and four investigated potential underlying mechanisms that might contribute to increased mortality among snus users, including established cardiometabolic risk factors in study three (the metabolic syndrome and its components: obesity, hypertension, type 2-diabetes and abnormal blood lipids) and more novel risk factors in study four (low-grade inflammation, low vitamin D-concentrations, and altered iii testosterone levels). The analytical samples were drawn from a long- term follow-up study of around 900 16-year-olds in a municipality in northern Sweden (Northern Sweden Cohort, study three) and more than 6 000 participants in another population-based cohort (the Northern Sweden MONICA study, study four). We found no associations between snus use and established cardiometabolic risk factors, but there was evidence of lower concentrations of inflammatory and vitamin D-status biomarkers in both men and women, and higher testosterone concentrations in men who were currently using snus. We conclude that snus use is associated with increased all-cause and cardiovascular mortality, and to death by other causes, that may be restricted to external causes. Cancer mortality may also be increased among snus users. The associations cannot be fully explained by differences in socioeconomic status among snus users and non-users. Established cardiometabolic risk factors do not seem to be the main mechanisms behind these associations. Lower inflammatory biomarker levels among snus users may serve as a protective factor, while lower vitamin D-concentrations and increased testosterone levels may be part of an underlying mechanism linking snus use to increased mortality. Future research should focus on the health consequences of snus use among women, on other possible links between snus use and death, and on mortality in different cancers among users of snus. The health consequences of dual use of snus and cigarettes should also be assessed.
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| 9. |
- Engberg, Robert, 1978-, et al.
(författare)
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Strategy implementation and organizational levels : resourcing for innovation as a case
- 2015
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Ingår i: Journal of Organizational Effectiveness: People and Performance. - Bingley : Emerald Group Publishing Limited. - 2051-6614. ; 2:2, s. 157-175
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Purpose– The purpose of this paper is to further the understanding of the link between human capital and strategy across hierarchies.Design/methodology/approach– Using data on personality traits as a proxy for strategy implementation success, empirical data included 1,738 Operational Personality Questionnaire personality traits assessments in one large multinational firm. Respondents spanned from top-management to white-collar employees. Besides personality traits, measures include employment level and employment status. In addition, a total of 43 interviews were performed on the employee-level, with middle managers, with senior managers, and with executive-level managers.Findings– After a strategic shift, successful implementation of a human resource management (HRM) strategy decreased down through the hierachies. This has implications for a firm trying to realign its resources to a new strategy. If the strategic shift is large, this will pose a great problem as human capital further down in the hierarchy will not be aligned to the new strategy, but rather be aligned to the old strategy.Research limitations/implications– The findings are discussed using the concept of the strategic centre of gravity. The authors elaborate on the concept in terms of the origin, mass, and inertia of the strategic centre of gravity.Practical implications– A successful strategic shift in this sense will to a great extent depend on how successful the implementation is at lower levels of hierarchy, thus pointing to the importance to considering this when designing and pursuing strategic change.Originality/value– The research contributes to the HRM literature by furthering the understanding of aligning human capital on different organizational levels to strategy and by developing the concept of the strategic centre of gravity. © Emerald Group Publishing Limited
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| 10. |
- Ermis, Özuygur, 1991, et al.
(författare)
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Sensitization to molecular dog allergens in an adult population: Results from the West Sweden Asthma Study
- 2023
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Ingår i: Clinical and experimental allergy : journal of the British Society for Allergy and Clinical Immunology. - : Wiley. - 0954-7894 .- 1365-2222. ; 53:1, s. 88-104
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- As the prevalence of dog allergy rises, component resolved diagnosis might improve the diagnosis, understanding of the clinical outcomes, and the effectiveness of immunotherapy. Considering the paucity of data in adults, the current study characterized the patterns of sensitization to dog molecular allergens in an adult population.Data were derived from the West Sweden Asthma Study, a population-based and representative sample of adults from western Sweden. Of the 2006 subjects clinically examined, 313 participants sensitized to whole dog allergen extract were measured for specific immunoglobulin E (sIgE) levels to Can f 1, Can f 2, Can f 3, Can f 4, Can f 5, Can f 6 using ImmunoCAPTM . Poly-sensitization was defined as sensitization to ≥3 components. Overlapping sensitization was defined as having concomitant sensitization to at least two dog molecular allergen families (lipocalin, albumin, or prostatic kallikrein).Of 313, 218 (70%) subjects tested positive to at least one dog allergen component. Sensitization to Can f 1 (43%) was the most common, followed by Can f 5 (33%) among molecular allergens, while sensitization to lipocalins (56%) was the most common among component families. Polysensitization was found in 22% of all participants and was more common in participants with than in those without asthma. Subjects with asthma were less likely to be monosensitized to Can f 5 than those without asthma. Subjects with asthma had higher IgE levels of Can f 3, Can f 4 and Can f 6 than those without asthma. Overlapping sensitizations also differed between those with asthma and allergic rhinitis and those without.Increased knowledge about the sensitization patterns of dog allergen components can aid in defining their role in asthma and rhinitis. In complex clinical cases of dog allergy, a detailed analysis of dog allergen components can provide additional information on the nature of sensitization.
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