| 1. |
- Beskow, Jonas, et al.
(författare)
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Hearing at Home : Communication support in home environments for hearing impaired persons
- 2008
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Ingår i: INTERSPEECH 2008. - BAIXAS : ISCA-INST SPEECH COMMUNICATION ASSOC. - 9781615673780 ; , s. 2203-2206
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Konferensbidrag (refereegranskat)abstract
- The Hearing at Home (HaH) project focuses on the needs of hearing-impaired people in home environments. The project is researching and developing an innovative media-center solution for hearing support, with several integrated features that support perception of speech and audio, such as individual loudness amplification, noise reduction, audio classification and event detection, and the possibility to display an animated talking head providing real-time speechreading support. In this paper we provide a brief project overview and then describe some recent results related to the audio classifier and the talking head. As the talking head expects clean speech input, an audio classifier has been developed for the task of classifying audio signals as clean speech, speech in noise or other. The mean accuracy of the classifier was 82%. The talking head (based on technology from the SynFace project) has been adapted for German, and a small speech-in-noise intelligibility experiment was conducted where sentence recognition rates increased from 3% to 17% when the talking head was present.
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| 2. |
- Blecken, Godecke-Tobias, et al.
(författare)
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Dataset on stormwater bioretention column studies: Impact of temperature, salt and a submerged zone on the removal of metals, nutrients and suspended solids
- 2022
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Annan publikationabstract
- This data set presents the full raw data from bioretention column studies conducted at Luleå University of Technology in 2010-2014. The pilot scale columns were watered with synthetic stormwater. Influent and effluent samples were collected and analysed for pollutants including total and dissolved metals, nutrients, pathogens and suspended sediment. Further, supporting parameters (e.g. pH, conductivity) are included. The data enables quantifying the impact of bioretention design factors (submerged zone) and ambient factors (salinity in stormwater inflow, temperature) on the removal of these pollutants by bioretention. All filters utilised the same general column design and filter material as well as stormwater preparation. This enables inter-comparability between the different studies. Synthetic stormwater inflow concentrations and bioretention effluent concentrations are presented in the data set. Further, metal concentrations in the filter material and plant tissue have been analysed. The data set enables further analyses of bioretention performance, comparison with similar work performed elsewhere and can be used in modelling of bioretention removal performance and processes. Scientific papers describing the data have been published (see Publications)
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| 3. |
- Brendler-Lindqvist, Maria, et al.
(författare)
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Overqualification at work and risk of hospitalization for psychiatric and somatic diseases among immigrants in Sweden : a prospective register-based study
- 2022
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Ingår i: Scandinavian Journal of Work, Environment and Health. - : Nordic Association of Occupational Safety and Health (NOROSH). - 0355-3140 .- 1795-990X. ; 48:8, s. 632-640
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Objectives: This study aimed to (i) describe the prevalence of overqualification at work among immigrants in Sweden and (ii) analyze any association between overqualification and the risk of hospitalization for somatic and psychiatric disease among refugees and labor immigrants.Methods: We performed a prospective register study in a cohort of 120 339 adults who immigrated to Sweden in 1991-2005 and were employed in 2006. Education-occupation status was defined as the combination of an individual's highest level of education and their occupation skill level. Individuals were followed from 2007 to 2016 with regard to hospitalization for a psychiatric, cardiovascular, respiratory or musculoskeletal disease or diabetes. Hazard ratios (HR) with 95% confidence intervals (CI) were calculated in a multivariate Cox regression analysis adjusted for age, gender, reason for residence and duration of residence.Results: The overall prevalence of overqualification among immigrants with an academic education was 39%. Overqualified individuals had an increased risk of hospitalization for any disease (HR 1.33, 95% CI 1.21-1.46) compared to "job-matched with an academic education". However, the risk estimates were lower than that of "job-matched with no academic education" (HR 1.56, 1.46-1.68). The increased risk of hospitalization for a psychiatric disease of overqualified individuals did not differ from that of job-matched with no academic education.Conclusion: Our study showed that being overqualified was associated with poorer health outcomes than job-matched individuals with an academic education. Considering the high prevalence of overqualification in immigrants, this constitutes a concern, for both society and individuals.
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| 4. |
- Carlsson, Axel C., et al.
(författare)
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Country of birth-specific and gender differences in prevalence of diabetes in Sweden
- 2013
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Ingår i: Diabetes Research and Clinical Practice. - : Elsevier BV. - 0168-8227 .- 1872-8227. ; 100:3, s. 404-408
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Objective: The aim was to investigate country or region of birth-specific prevalence and gender differences of diabetes in residents in Sweden, using Swedish-born men and women as referent. Methods: The Apolipoprotein MOrtality RISk (AMORIS) cohort was used (184,000 men and 151,453 women) aged between 20 and 80 years, with data from the CALAB laboratory, Stockholm, 1985-1996. Diabetes was defined as fasting glucose >= 7.0 mmol/L or a hospital diagnosis of diabetes. Country of birth was obtained by linkage to Swedish Censuses 1970-1990. Standardized prevalence rate ratios (SPRR) with 95% confidence intervals (95% CI) were estimated. Results: Five groups of women and one group of men had a significantly higher prevalence than Swedish-born (based on SPRR): women born in Iraq (6.0 (95% CI 1.3-28.9)), North Africa (6.9 (95% CI 3.1-15.3)), South Asia (3.1 (95% CI 1.0-10.0)), Syria (5.3 (95% CI 1.8-16.0)), Turkey (3.7 (95% CI 1.2-10.9)) and men born in other Middle Eastern countries (2.3 (95% CI 1.0-5.5)). Swedish-born men had a higher age-standardized prevalence of diabetes (3.9%) than Swedish born women ( 2.5%). A higher prevalence among men was also seen in other Western countries. In contrast, a higher age-standardized prevalence among women was observed in immigrants from Turkey (8.9% vs. 3.1%, p < 0.001), Syria (13.1% vs. 4.0%, p = 0.002), and North Africa (16.8% vs. 6.6%, p < 0.001). Conclusion: Female immigrants to Sweden from Iraq, North Africa, South Asia, Syria, and Turkey have an increased prevalence of diabetes of substantial public health concern.
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| 5. |
- Davitt, C. J. H., et al.
(författare)
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Alpha-galactosylceramide enhances mucosal immunity to oral whole-cell cholera vaccines
- 2019
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Ingår i: Mucosal Immunology. - : Elsevier BV. - 1933-0219. ; 12, s. 1055-1064
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Cholera is a severe diarrheal disease caused by the bacterium Vibrio cholerae (V. cholerae) that results in 3–4 million cases globally with 100,000–150,000 deaths reported annually. Mostly confined to developing nations, current strategies to control the spread of cholera include the provision of safe drinking water and improved sanitation and hygiene, ideally in conjunction with oral vaccination. However, difficulties associated with the costs and logistics of these strategies have hampered their widespread implementation. Specific challenges pertaining to oral cholera vaccines (OCVs) include a lack of safe and effective adjuvants to further enhance gut immune responses, the complex and costly multicomponent vaccine manufacturing, limitations of conventional liquid formulation and the lack of an integrated delivery platform. Herein we describe the use of the orally active adjuvant α-Galactosylceramide (α-GalCer) to strongly enhance intestinal bacterium- and toxin-specific IgA responses to the OCV, Dukoral ® in C57BL/6 and BALB/c mice. We further demonstrate the mucosal immunogenicity of a novel multi-antigen, single-component whole-cell killed V. cholerae strain and the enhancement of its immunogenicity by adding α-GalCer. Finally, we report that combining these components and recombinant cholera toxin B subunit in the SmPill ® minisphere delivery system induced strong intestinal and systemic antigen-specific antibody responses. © 2019, The Author(s).
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| 6. |
- Flanagan, Kelsey, et al.
(författare)
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Contamination of Urban Stormwater Pond Sediments : A Study of 259 Legacy and Contemporary Organic Substances
- 2021
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Ingår i: Environmental Science and Technology. - : American Chemical Society (ACS). - 0013-936X .- 1520-5851. ; 55:5, s. 3009-3020
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Stormwater ponds improve water quality by facilitating the sedimentation of particles and particulate contaminants from urban runoff. Over time, this function entails the accumulation of contaminated sediments, which must be removed periodically to maintain a pond’s hydraulic and treatment capacity. In this study, sediments from 17 stormwater sedimentation facilities from four Swedish municipalities were analyzed for 259 organic substances likely to be found in the urban environment. A total of 92 substances were detected in at least one sample, while as many as 52 substances were detected in a single sample. A typical profile of urban contamination was identified, including polychlorinated biphenyls, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, organotins, aliphatic hydrocarbons, phthalates, aldehydes, polybrominated diphenyl ethers, perfluorinated substances, and alkylphenols. However, levels of contamination varied greatly between ponds, influenced heavily by the dilution of urban pollutants and wear particles from other sources of particles such as eroded soil, sand, or natural organic matter. For 22 of 32 samples, the observed concentrations of at least one organic substance exceeded the regulatory threshold values derived from toxicity data for both sediment and soil.
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| 7. |
- Galfi, Helen, et al.
(författare)
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Comparison of indicator bacteria concentrations obtained by automated and manual sampling of urban stormwater runoff
- 2014
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Ingår i: Water, Air and Soil Pollution. - : Springer Science and Business Media LLC. - 0049-6979 .- 1573-2932. ; 225:9
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- A comparative study of indicator bacteria concentrations obtained by laboratory analysis of grab samples of storm water, which were collected manually or by automatic samplers, was carried out in two urban catchments. Samples were analyzed for four types of indicator bacteria, total coliforms, Escherichia coli (E. coli), enterococci, and Clostridium perfringens and further documented by measurements of total suspended solids (TSS) and turbidity. Analysis of complete data sets (N=198) indicated no statistically significant differences in the geometric means of all the constituent samples collected automatically or manually, but there were some small differences between the results produced by the two sampling methods applied. Total coliform concentrations were positively biased in samples collected by automatic samplers, but for the three remaining indicator bacteria (E. coli, enterococci, and C. perfringens), the opposite was true. Risk of sample cross-contamination in automatic samplers was assessed in the laboratory by sampling consecutively synthetic storm water with high and low concentrations of E. coli and enterococci. The first low-concentration samples preceded by high-concentration samples were cross-contaminated and the measured concentrations were positively biased. This cross-contamination was explained by storm-water residue in the sampling line. Such a residue remained in place even after line purging by compressed air, and its mass depended on the sampling line length (tested up to 5 m), as verified by measurements in the laboratory. The study findings should be helpful for improving field protocols for indicator bacteria sampling.
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| 8. |
- Galfi, Helen, et al.
(författare)
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Indicator bacteria variation in separate sewersystems in Östersund, Sweden - Preliminary results : [La variation des indicateurs bactériens et des flux de MES dans les systèmes séparatifs d'eaux pluviales à Östersund, en Suède - Résultats préliminaires]
- 2013
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Konferensbidrag (refereegranskat)abstract
- Faecal bacteria are a major pollution threat of water bodies designated for multipurpose use including drinking water sources or recreational purposes. Even though stormwater discharges may contribute significantly to microbiological pollution, they have not been fully investigated in the European context. We have studied the presence of indicator bacteria and total suspended solids (TSS) in stormwater discharged from four urban catchments, with areas between 5 and 40 ha, in Östersund, Sweden. The aim was to determine local variation of standard bacteria strains and TSS in Swedish urban catchments with specific land uses. Further, intra event variations were investigated. During dry weather, indicator bacteria concentrations in sewers conveying baseflow did not exceed 100 CFU/100 mL. During storm runoff, total coliform and int. enterococci concentrations increased 102 to 103 times, compared to those in baseflow. Compared to these two parameters, considerably lower concentrations were observed for E. coli and C. perfringens. Bacteria concentrations differed significantly among the sampling sites and partly, a first flush phenomenon was observed. Partly, significant correlations between TSS and indicator bacteria were observed. These were catchment specific and need a more detailed assessment. Further research will focus on seasonal variations and influential factors.
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| 9. |
- Galfi, Helen, et al.
(författare)
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Influence of sampling methods on the measurements of urban stormwater quality constituents - Preliminary results : [Influence des méthodes d'échantillonnage pour la mesure de la qualité des eaux pluviales urbaines - Résultats préliminaires]
- 2013
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Konferensbidrag (refereegranskat)abstract
- The choice between automatic and manual sampling of urban stormwater quality has been addressed in the past as an issue of economic efficiency, field safety, and practicality. Nevertheless, there is experimental evidence that both types of sampling may yield statistically different stormwater quality data. While the past attention focused on differences in sampled solids, a new issue was addressed in this study, the potential impacts of sampling methods on concentrations of indicator bacteria. Towards this end, four indicator bacteria (coliforms, E. coli, enterococci and C. perfringens) were sampled in storm sewers of two urban catchments in Östersund, Sweden, using both automatic samplers and manual sampling. Such data were further supplemented by measurements of total suspended solids (TSS) and turbidity, recognizing that bacteria are mostly transported in the attachment to solids. Preliminary results indicate that there may be large differences between indicator bacteria in automatic and manual samples, with E. coli measurements yielding the least differences, and turbidity readings were correlated well with all the indicator bacteria and particularly E. coli. These findings will be used in the continuation of this study for refining the existing experimental design and developing practical guidance for surveys of municipal storm sewers for faecal pollution.
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| 10. |
- Galfi, Helen, et al.
(författare)
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Inter-Event and Intra-Event Variations of Indicator Bacteria Concentrations in the Storm Sewer System of the City of Östersund, Sweden
- 2016
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Ingår i: Journal of environmental engineering. - 0733-9372 .- 1943-7870. ; 142:7
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- An episode of microbiological contamination of the drinking water supply of the City of Östersund, Sweden (63°10′45″N; 14°38′09″E) prompted a study of fecal pollution in four storm drainage catchments discharging in the vicinity of the water treatment plant intake, with the overall aim of determining the presence and variation of standard fecal indicator bacteria strains and total suspended solids (TSS) in stormwater from urban catchments with specific land uses and sizes varying from 5 to 40 ha. Four bacteria strains used as indicators of fecal pollution in Sweden were studied: total coliforms, enterococci, Escherichia coli (E. coli) and Clostridium perfringens (C. perfringens). In dry weather, indicator bacteria concentrations in storm sewers conveying baseflow did not exceed 100 colony forming units (CFU)/100 mL 100 colony forming units (CFU)/100 mL, but during wet weather, total coliform and enterococci concentrations increased 10 2 102 to 10 3 103 times, compared to those in baseflow, and considerably less in the case of E. coli and C. perfringens. Bacteria concentrations differed significantly among the sampling sites and in the majority of events observed in the four catchments; higher bacteria concentrations were observed during the early phases of runoff. Only in one catchment, positive correlations were observed between TSS and total coliforms, E. coli, and enterococci, suggesting similar sources; in the remaining catchments, no such correlations were observed. The collected indicator bacteria data represent a useful addition to the available data on indicator bacteria in stormwater in cold-climate regions.
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