| 1. |
- Ali, Hazrat, et al.
(författare)
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Translation of atherosclerotic disease features onto healthy carotid ultrasound images using domain-to-domain translation
- 2023
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Ingår i: Biomedical Signal Processing and Control. - 1746-8094 .- 1746-8108. ; 85
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Objective: In this work, we evaluated a model for the translation of atherosclerotic disease features onto healthy carotid ultrasound images.Methods: An un-paired domain-to-domain translation model – the cycle Generative Adversarial Network (cycleGAN) – was trained to translate between carotid ultrasound images of healthy arteries and images of pronounced disease. Translation performance was evaluated using the measurement of wall thickness in original and generated images. In addition, we explored disease translation in different tissue segments (subcutaneous tissue, muscle, lumen, far wall, and deep tissues), using structural similarity index measure (SSIM) maps.Results: Features of pronounced disease were successfully translated to the healthy images (1.2 (0.33) mm vs 0.43 (0.07) mm, p < 0.001), while overall anatomy was retained as SSIM value was equal to 0.78 (0.02). Exploration of translated features showed that both arterial wall and subcutaneous tissues were modified in the translation, but that the subcutaneous tissue was subject to distortion of the anatomy in some cases. The image quality influenced the disease translation performance.Conclusion: The results show that the model can learn a mapping between healthy and diseased images while retaining the overall anatomical contents. This is the first study on atherosclerosis disease translation in medical images.Significance: The concept of translating disease onto existing healthy images may serve purposes such as education, cardiovascular risk communication in health conversations, or personalized modelling in precision medicine.
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| 2. |
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| 3. |
- Bengtsson, Anna, 1973-, et al.
(författare)
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Multi-view carotid ultrasound is stronger associated with cardiovascular risk factors than presence of plaque or single carotid intima media thickness measurements in subclinical atherosclerosis
- 2023
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Ingår i: The International Journal of Cardiovascular Imaging. - : Springer Nature. - 1569-5794 .- 1875-8312. ; 39:8, s. 1461-1471
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- We aimed to explore the prevalence of atherosclerosis by using multi-view ultrasound examination of the carotid arteries and its association with clinical risk factors in a middle-aged population at low to intermediate risk of cardiovascular disease (CVD). Carotid vascular ultrasound was performed in 3532 participants in the VIPVIZA trial. Mean and maximal carotid intima media thickness (cIMT) at prespecified angles and plaque presence were examined on the left and right side. Associations between CVD risk factors and ultrasound variables were quantified by partial least squares (PLS) regression. A combined ultrasound variable was computed using weights of the first PLS component. Associations between CVD risk factors and the combined multi-view ultrasound variable, single cIMT and plaque measurements, respectively, were determined using linear regression modelling. The participants’ mean age was 55.7 years and 52.9% were women. Plaque prevalence was 51.1% in men and 39.0% in women. cIMT was higher in men than in women and in the left compared with the right carotid artery. The strongest association of CVD risk factors was observed with the combined multi-view ultrasound variable (R2 = 24%), compared with single cIMT variables (R2 = 14–18%) and plaque presence (R2 = 15%). The pattern was similar in both sexes. The association with CVD risk factors and the combined ultrasound variable was stronger in 40-year olds (R2 = 22%) compared with 50- or 60-year olds (R = 12%). CVD risk factors are stronger associated with a combined ultrasound variable than plaque presence or single cIMT measures suggesting that carotid multi-view ultrasonography better captures the focality of early atherosclerosis. Clinical Trial Registration: ClinicalTrials.gov, number NCT01849575. May 8, 2013.
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| 4. |
- Bengtsson, Anna, 1973-, et al.
(författare)
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The beneficial effect over 3 years by pictorial information to patients and their physician about subclinical atherosclerosis and cardiovascular risk : results from the VIPVIZA randomized clinical trial
- 2021
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Ingår i: American Journal of Preventive Cardiology. - : Elsevier. - 2666-6677. ; 7
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Objective: Non-adherence to guidelines and preventive measures is a major challenge, particularly so to ob- tain long-term adherence to lifestyle changes and recommended medication. The objective was to investigate if pictorial information regarding subclinical carotid atherosclerosis provided to individuals and physicians gave sustained effects on cardiovascular risk beyond the previously reported effect after 1 year and up to 3 years. Methods: A Prospective Randomized Open Blinded End-point (PROBE) trial. Within a CVD prevention program in Västerbotten County, Sweden, 3532 healthy individuals aged 40, 50 or 60 years were enrolled and 1:1 ran- domized to intervention ( n = 1749; pictorial information with additional prevention materials to participants and physicians) or control group ( n = 1783; no pictorial information to participants and physicians). Preventive measures were managed within primary care. Participants were investigated at baseline during 2013–2016 and at follow-up after 1 and 3 years. Results: A beneficial effect on cardiovascular risk was observed at 3-year follow-up; Framingham Risk Score (FRS) was 13.38 for the intervention group and 14.08 for the control group ( p = 0.047) and SCORE was 1.69 vs. 1.82 ( p = 0.022). The effect observed at 1-year was sustained over 3 years after adjustment for sex and education and more pronounced among participants with a severe atherosclerotic picture at baseline.Conclusions: This study provides evidence of sustained beneficial effects on the adherence to prevention guidelines over 3 years of pictorial information about subclinical carotid atherosclerosis, resulting in lower cardiovascular risk regardless of sex and educational level. Direct visualization of the underlying still subclinical atherosclerotic disease, rather than just indirect information about risk factors and statistical risk of future myocardial infarction, stroke and death, is one way to tackle the problem of non-adherence to prevention of cardiovascular diseases.
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| 5. |
- Bern, Sofia, et al.
(författare)
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Mobilitet och tillgänglighet – framtidens resande
- 2016
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Rapport (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract
- Trafikverket har gett TRUM (Transportforskningsenheten vid Umeå Universitet) i uppdrag att utreda framtidens mobilitet innefattande frågor såsom privatpersoners attityder och normer till resande med bil och däribland självkörande bilar, betalningsvilja, syn på ägande inställning till individuellt resande gentemot kollektivt resande, samt intressenters förväntningar på ett framtida tillgängligt transportsystem. Därutöver önskar Trafikverket ökad förståelse kring arbetssätt och metoder för att möta teknikutveckling och framtida mobilitet. Syftet med föreliggande rapport är att svara på dessa frågeställningar utifrån litteraturstudier och intervjuer.Det huvudsakliga underlaget för rapporten är en genomgång av litteratur relaterad till transporter, mobilitet och historiska såväl som framtida trender. Fokus har varit på persontransporter kopplat till människors beteende, samt vad privatpersoner, framtidsspanare och företrädare för bil- och teknikbranschen tror kommer att hända med personresande i framtiden. Utöver litteraturstudien genomfördes sex intervjuer under januari och februari 2016. Intervjuerna gjordes med syfte att öka förståelsen för hur människor resonerar kring mobilitet och transporter i dagsläget och hur de tror att vi kommer att resa i framtiden. Utifrån litteraturgenomgången och intervjuerna kan konstateras att attityder till elbilar generellt sett är positiva. Hinder för ett bredare genombrott utgörs av uppfattade prisskillnader, räckviddsångest och uppfattad brist på laddinfrastruktur. Som drivkrafter kan nämnas ökat miljömedvetande och alltmer positiva attityder bland flera olika aktörer, till exempel teknikutvecklare. När det gäller självkörande bilar är attityderna mer varierande. Bland annat lyfts säkerhetsfaktorer, tillgänglighet och det faktum att flera bilmodeller redan idag utrustas med olika typer av autonomifunktioner. Enligt olika bedömningar kommer koncept såsom Mobility as a Service och liknande att leda till förändrade attityder och normer när det gäller både privat och kollektivt resande. Avslutningsvis lämnas förslag på hur dessa och andra förändringar kan följas och förstås utifrån ett planeringsperspektiv. Olika metoder och perspektiv är viktiga för att skapa en bild över framtida utveckling redan idag, framförallt kopplat till de miljöutmaningar samhället står inför.
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| 6. |
- Bolin, Anette, 1962-, et al.
(författare)
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Socialtjänstens brottsförebyggande arbete ur ungas perspektiv
- 2023
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Rapport (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract
- Sverige har en lång historia av brottsförebyggande initiativ för att tidigt upptäcka ungdomar som är involverade i brottslighet eller befinner sig i kriminella miljöer. På operativ nivå involverar samarbetet främst socialtjänst och polis. Socialtjänsten i Trollhättans Stad har under 2021–2022 genomfört brottsförebyggande insatser inom ramen för projektet Tidig upptäckt – tidig insats (TUTI). Den här rapporten redovisar den följeforskning som bedrivits i anslutning till arbetet.TUTI bygger på tidiga interventioner, delaktighet och samverkan, såväl övergripande som i det enskilda fallet. Ambitionen med projektet var att minska risken för att unga 9–17 år utvecklar en kriminell livsstil samt förebygga risk för kriminalitet, missbruk, psykisk ohälsa och utanförskap. Detta genom att systematisera det arbete med brottsförebyggande insatser gällande unga förstagångslagöverträdare som sker i samverkan mellan socialtjänst, polis, åklagare och civilsamhälle.Följeforskningen har kartlagt typ av och bakgrund till orosanmälningar för unga 9–17 år i Trollhättans Stad samt undersökt ungas egna erfarenheter och förståelse av socialtjänstens brottsförebyggande insatser (TUTI-insatser). I studien har både kvantitativa och kvalitativa datainsamlingsmetoder använts. Data har tagits fram dels på aggregerad nivå gällande orosanmälningar i Trollhättans Stad under perioden 2017–2022, dels gällande de 196 unga som under perioden 2021–2022 erbjöds socialtjänstens brottsförebyggande insatser. Orsaker till orosanmälan var främst ringa stöld (30%), misshandel/våld/hot (20%) samt ringa narkotikabrott (20%). Ungefär hälften av de som erbjöds brottsförebyggande insatser tackade ja till insats. 21 av dessa deltog i återkommande kvalitativa intervjuer. Totalt genomfördes 41 intervjuer.Majoriteten av de intervjuade uppger vid uppföljningen cirka ett år efter den första intervjun att de inte har haft någon ny kontakt med socialtjänsten och att TUTI-stödet har förstärkt deras kapacitet att inte begå någon ny lagöverträdelse. Alla vittnar om att de redan vid tidpunkten för händelsen bestämt sig för att det var dumt gjort, men för några av dem var rentav det väsentligt att de fick stöd att vidmakthålla beslutet. De unga berättar att de har lärt sig mer om sig själva och utvecklat sin förmåga att ta positiva snarare än negativa beslut.För att förstå unga som för första gången kommer i kontakt med samhällets representanter när de misstänks för ett brott, har materialet analyserats med hjälp av modellen för proceduriell rättvisa (Tyler & Blader, 2003). Resultaten visar att de unga har högt förtroende för samhällets reaktion och ger legitimitet till det stöd som ges i kedjan av insatser: polis, mottagningsgrupp och familjebehandlare. Sammantaget kan vi konstatera att unga som genomgått hela TUTI-kedjan upplever samhällets reaktion vid sin första lagöverträdelse som positiv.
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| 7. |
- Bulanova, Daria, et al.
(författare)
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Antiviral Properties of Chemical Inhibitors of Cellular Anti-Apoptotic Bcl-2 Proteins
- 2017
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Ingår i: Viruses. - : MDPI AG. - 1999-4915. ; 9:10
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Viral diseases remain serious threats to public health because of the shortage of effective means of control. To combat the surge of viral diseases, new treatments are urgently needed. Here we show that small-molecules, which inhibit cellular anti-apoptotic Bcl-2 proteins (Bcl-2i), induced the premature death of cells infected with different RNA or DNA viruses, whereas, at the same concentrations, no toxicity was observed in mock-infected cells. Moreover, these compounds limited viral replication and spread. Surprisingly, Bcl-2i also induced the premature apoptosis of cells transfected with viral RNA or plasmid DNA but not of mock-transfected cells. These results suggest that Bcl-2i sensitizes cells containing foreign RNA or DNA to apoptosis. A comparison of the toxicity, antiviral activity, and side effects of six Bcl-2i allowed us to select A-1155463 as an antiviral lead candidate. Thus, our results pave the way for the further development of Bcl-2i for the prevention and treatment of viral diseases.
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| 8. |
- Dahlin, Emma, et al.
(författare)
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Neuromas cause severe residual problems at long-term despite surgery
- 2023
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Ingår i: Scientific Reports. - : NATURE PORTFOLIO. - 2045-2322. ; 13:1
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Pain, and disabilities after neuroma surgery, using patient reported outcome measurements (PROMs), were evaluated by QuickDASH and a specific Hand Questionnaire (HQ-8). The 69 responding individuals (response rate 61%; 59% women; 41% men; median follow up 51 months) reported high QuickDASH score, pain on load, cold sensitivity, ability to perform daily activities and sleeping difficulties. Individuals reporting impaired ability to perform daily activities and sleeping problems had higher scores for pain, stiffness, weakness, numbness/tingling, cold sensitivity and QuickDASH. Only 17% of individuals reported no limitations at all. No differences were observed between sexes. Surgical methods did not influence outcome. Symptoms and disabilities correlated moderately-strongly to each other and to ability to perform regular daily activities as well as to sleeping difficulties. Pain, cold sensitivity, sleeping difficulties and limitation to perform daily activities were associated to higher QuickDASH. A weak association was found between follow up time and QuickDASH score as well as pain on load, but not cold sensitivity. A major nerve injury was frequent among those with limitations during work/performing other regular daily activities. Despite surgical treatment, neuromas cause residual problems, which affect the capacity to perform daily activities and ability to sleep with limited improvement in long-term.
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| 9. |
- Dahlin, Emma, et al.
(författare)
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Patient reported symptoms and disabilities before and after neuroma surgery: a register-based study
- 2023
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Ingår i: Scientific Reports. - : NATURE PORTFOLIO. - 2045-2322. ; 13:1
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Residual problems may occur from neuroma despite surgery. In a 12-month follow-up study using national register data, symptoms, and disabilities related to surgical methods and sex were evaluated in patients surgically treated for a neuroma. Among 196 identified patients (55% men; lower age; preoperative response rate 20%), neurolysis for nerve tethering/scar formation was the most used surgical method (41%; more frequent in women) irrespective of affected nerve. Similar preoperative symptoms were seen in patients, where different surgical methods were performed. Pain on load was the dominating symptom preoperatively. Women scored higher preoperatively at pain on motion without load, weakness and QuickDASH. Pain on load and numbness/tingling in fingers transiently improved. The ability to perform daily activities was better after nerve repair/reconstruction/transposition than after neurolysis. Regression analysis, adjusted for age, sex, and affected nerve, showed no association between surgical method and pain on load, tingling/numbness in fingers, or ability to perform daily activities. Neuroma, despite surgery, causes residual problems, affecting daily life. Choice of surgical method is not strongly related to pre- or postoperative symptoms. Neurolysis has similar outcome as other surgical methods. Women have more preoperative symptoms and disabilities than men. Future research would benefit from a neuroma-specific ICD-code, leading to a more precise identification of patients.
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| 10. |
- Di Baldassarre, Giuliano, et al.
(författare)
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An integrative research framework to unravel the interplay of natural hazards and vulnerabilities
- 2018
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Ingår i: Earth's Future. - : John Wiley & Sons. - 2328-4277. ; 6:3, s. 305-310
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Climate change, globalization, urbanization, social isolation, and increased interconnectednessbetween physical, human, and technological systems pose major challenges to disaster risk reduction(DRR). Subsequently, economic losses caused by natural hazards are increasing in many regions of theworld, despite scientific progress, persistent policy action, and international cooperation. We argue thatthese dramatic figures call for novel scientific approaches and new types of data collection to integratethe two main approaches that still dominate the science underpinning DRR: the hazard paradigm and thevulnerability paradigm. Building from these two approaches, here we propose a research framework thatspecifies the scope of enquiry, concepts, and general relations among phenomena. We then discuss theessential steps to advance systematic empirical research and evidence-based DRR policy action.
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