| 1. |
- Adamo, Nasrat, et al.
(författare)
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Agriculture and Irrigation of Al-Sawad during the Early Islamic Period and Baghdad Irrigation : The Booming Period
- 2020
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Ingår i: Journal of Earth Sciences and Geotechnical Engineering. - UK : Scientific Press International Limited. - 1792-9040 .- 1792-9660. ; 10:3, s. 159-181
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- As time progressed Iraq witnessed the transfer of power from the hands of the Umayyad dynasty in Syria to the Abbasids who established their State in Iraq. The following developments are detailed. During these days very little had happened with respect to land ownership, the question of Kharaj tax and even the agrarian relations between property owners, private farmers and the general peasantry. It may be assumed therefore, that at the start of the Abbasids period all the irrigation networks and infra structures were in good working conditions, and that all the required work force was available as the case had been in the Sassanid and Umayyad periods. The Abbasids may be credited for keeping the vast canal network of al-Sawad in good working conditions and they knew well that the major source of their revenue came from agriculture. Full description of the major canals, which had supplied the lands between the Tigris and Euphrates Rivers. The five main canals or arteries were all fed from the Euphrates and flowed in south easterly direction towards the Tigris where they poured; so naturally they were used for navigation between the two rivers in addition to irrigating all the lands here by vast networks of distributaries and branch canals and watercourses. The major part of these systems was inherited from the Sassanids and the Babylonians but they were kept in good working conditions all these centuries by good management and maintenance. These five major canals according to their sequence from upstream to downstream were called during the Islamic era as, Nahr al-Dujail off taking from the Euphrates at a short distance above Anbar, followed by Nahr Isa, Nahr Sarsar, Nahr al- Malik, and finally Nahr Kutha. The Euphrates River itself bifurcated at its downstream reach to two branches whereby its eastern branch irrigated in its turn a very extensive tract of land in the southern part of al- Sawad with a complex system of branches and tributaries. In following each of these canals great deal of details are given on the agriculture of the various districts and the towns they had served, their flourishing conditions and the prosperity they had enjoyed. Khalifah al- Mansour built the new capital of the Abbasid State, Baghdad at the heart of the Sawad region. There was a vast system of watercourses which served Baghdad and its environ that had originated mostly from Nahr Isa is also treated not failing at the same time to describe even the minute details of the various quarters of the city and the markets they had served, which were all based on the writings of contemporary Scholars. The long and deep trench called as the Shabour Trench, which had extended from Hit on the Euphrates down to nearly the Persian Gulf was given its share of detailing as it stood some waterworks, which was meant for defense rather than irrigation. This stream was carrying the major share of flow of the Euphrates during the Abbasids period before it ended indirectly into the Batyiha. It gave however very large branch from its right hand side before reaching the site of Babylon which was called Nahr Nil. This important canal flowed in southeasterly direction and poured at the end in the Tigris in the same fashion as the previous canals did and similarly spreading irrigation watercourses all the way down.
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| 2. |
- Fagrell, Per, 1969-, et al.
(författare)
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Industrial adjunct professors in Sweden: meeting many goals despite unexpressed expectations
- 2016
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Ingår i: Nordic Journal of Studies in Educational Policy. - : Taylor & Francis. - 2002-0317. ; 2016
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- This paper presents the findings from a study of industrial adjunct professors at two higher education institutions in Sweden. The aim of the study is to investigate the rationales and expectations for companies to invest time and money in the collaboration that adjunct professors represent. The study also explores the tasks adjunct professors are involved in. The study is a two-case study comprising 31 semi-structured interviews with university management, adjunct professors and their employers, the companies.The results from the study show that the stakeholders have different expectations for the adjunct professors. While the companies are oriented towards education and students as future employees, the universities’ expectations are more related to research and research training. Notably, the different expectations are rarely explicit or known to the stakeholders or the adjunct professors. The adjunct professor has to interpret the often unspoken expectations.As regards tasks, adjunct professors are involved in research, research training, advisory services and engineering education, although the latter in a limited way. They are involved in the employability agenda and educational collaboration, but except in one single case they do not develop existing, or create new, engineering curricula. The study concludes that adjunct professors could be used as a strategic resource for developing engineering curricula, provided that the expectations are expressed from all stakeholders from the beginning of the collaboration.
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| 3. |
- Mogensen, Nina, et al.
(författare)
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Parental experiences of the informed consent process in randomized clinical trials-A Nordic study
- 2023
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Ingår i: Pediatric Blood & Cancer. - : John Wiley & Sons. - 1545-5009 .- 1545-5017. ; 70:12
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- BackgroundRandomized clinical trials (RCTs) are an essential part of improving acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) treatment. This population-based questionnaire study investigated parents' experiences of the informed consent process in the RCTs within the Nordic NOPHO (Nordic Society of Paediatric Haematology and Oncology) ALL2008 trial.ProcedureParents in Sweden, Denmark, and Finland whose child was alive and in first remission after end of therapy and who were asked to participate in any RCT in the ALL2008 protocol, were asked to complete 15 questions/items regarding their experience of the RCT consent process.ResultsA total of 483 parents of 279 children met the inclusion criteria and answered the study questionnaire. Most (91%) agreed/strongly agreed to having received sufficient information to make a well-informed decision, felt confidence in the study design (86%), and thought that the process was satisfactory (86%). Those who did not consent reported a generally more negative experience of the process. More than a third of all parents and over half of parents who had refused participation felt that it was burdensome to decide. Most parents (66%) in general, and one-third of those with children 8 years or older, reported that their child was not involved in the process.ConclusionsParents were in general satisfied with the informed consent process, although many parents, particularly those who refused participation, reported it as burdensome to make the decision concerning RCT. Fewer than expected of the school-aged children were involved in the decision process, which calls for attention on how children are included in the consent procedure in clinical trials.
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| 4. |
- Pires, Cristiana F., et al.
(författare)
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Understanding and Modulating Immunity With Cell Reprogramming
- 2019
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Ingår i: Frontiers in Immunology. - : Frontiers Media SA. - 1664-3224. ; 10
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Forskningsöversikt (refereegranskat)abstract
- Cell reprogramming concepts have been classically developed in the fields of developmental and stem cell biology and are currently being explored for regenerative medicine, given its potential to generate desired cell types for replacement therapy. Cell fate can be experimentally reversed or modified by enforced expression of lineage specific transcription factors leading to pluripotency or attainment of another somatic cell type identity. The possibility to reprogram fibroblasts into induced dendritic cells (DC) competent for antigen presentation creates a paradigm shift for understanding and modulating the immune system with direct cell reprogramming. PU.1, IRF8, and BATF3 were identified as sufficient and necessary to impose DC fate in unrelated cell types, taking advantage of Clec9a, a C-type lectin receptor with restricted expression in conventional DC type 1. The identification of such minimal gene regulatory networks helps to elucidate the molecular mechanisms governing development and lineage heterogeneity along the hematopoietic hierarchy. Furthermore, the generation of patient-tailored reprogrammed immune cells provides new and exciting tools for the expanding field of cancer immunotherapy. Here, we summarize cell reprogramming concepts and experimental approaches, review current knowledge at the intersection of cell reprogramming with hematopoiesis, and propose how cell fate engineering can be merged to immunology, opening new opportunities to understand the immune system in health and disease.
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| 5. |
- Pires, Cristiana F., et al.
(författare)
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Understanding and Modulating Immunity With Cell Reprogramming
- 2019
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Ingår i: Frontiers in Immunology. - : Frontiers Media SA. - 1664-3224. ; 10
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Forskningsöversikt (refereegranskat)abstract
- Cell reprogramming concepts have been classically developed in the fields of developmental and stem cell biology and are currently being explored for regenerative medicine, given its potential to generate desired cell types for replacement therapy. Cell fate can be experimentally reversed or modified by enforced expression of lineage specific transcription factors leading to pluripotency or attainment of another somatic cell type identity. The possibility to reprogram fibroblasts into induced dendritic cells (DC) competent for antigen presentation creates a paradigm shift for understanding and modulating the immune system with direct cell reprogramming. PU.1, IRF8, and BATF3 were identified as sufficient and necessary to impose DC fate in unrelated cell types, taking advantage of Clec9a, a C-type lectin receptor with restricted expression in conventional DC type 1. The identification of such minimal gene regulatory networks helps to elucidate the molecular mechanisms governing development and lineage heterogeneity along the hematopoietic hierarchy. Furthermore, the generation of patient-tailored reprogrammed immune cells provides new and exciting tools for the expanding field of cancer immunotherapy. Here, we summarize cell reprogramming concepts and experimental approaches, review current knowledge at the intersection of cell reprogramming with hematopoiesis, and propose how cell fate engineering can be merged to immunology, opening new opportunities to understand the immune system in health and disease.
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| 6. |
- Pires, Cristiana F., et al.
(författare)
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Understanding and Modulating Immunity With Cell Reprogramming
- 2019
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Ingår i: Frontiers in Immunology. - : Frontiers Media SA. - 1664-3224. ; 10
-
Forskningsöversikt (refereegranskat)abstract
- Cell reprogramming concepts have been classically developed in the fields of developmental and stem cell biology and are currently being explored for regenerative medicine, given its potential to generate desired cell types for replacement therapy. Cell fate can be experimentally reversed or modified by enforced expression of lineage specific transcription factors leading to pluripotency or attainment of another somatic cell type identity. The possibility to reprogram fibroblasts into induced dendritic cells (DC) competent for antigen presentation creates a paradigm shift for understanding and modulating the immune system with direct cell reprogramming. PU.1, IRF8, and BATF3 were identified as sufficient and necessary to impose DC fate in unrelated cell types, taking advantage of Clec9a, a C-type lectin receptor with restricted expression in conventional DC type 1. The identification of such minimal gene regulatory networks helps to elucidate the molecular mechanisms governing development and lineage heterogeneity along the hematopoietic hierarchy. Furthermore, the generation of patient-tailored reprogrammed immune cells provides new and exciting tools for the expanding field of cancer immunotherapy. Here, we summarize cell reprogramming concepts and experimental approaches, review current knowledge at the intersection of cell reprogramming with hematopoiesis, and propose how cell fate engineering can be merged to immunology, opening new opportunities to understand the immune system in health and disease.
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| 7. |
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| 9. |
- Díaz Santana, Mary V., et al.
(författare)
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Urinary concentrations of phthalate biomarkers and weight change among postmenopausal women : a prospective cohort study
- 2019
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Ingår i: Environmental Health. - : BioMed Central (BMC). - 1476-069X. ; 18:1
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- BACKGROUND: Some phthalates are endocrine disrupting chemicals used as plasticizers in consumer products, and have been associated with obesity in cross-sectional studies, yet prospective evaluations of weight change are lacking. Our objective was to evaluate associations between phthalate biomarker concentrations and weight and weight change among postmenopausal women.METHODS: We performed cross-sectional (N = 997) and longitudinal analyses (N = 660) among postmenopausal Women's Health Initiative participants. We measured 13 phthalate metabolites and creatinine in spot urine samples provided at baseline. Participants' weight and height measured at in-person clinic visits at baseline, year 3, and year 6 were used to calculate body mass index (BMI). We fit multivariable multinomial logistic regression models to explore cross-sectional associations between each phthalate biomarker and baseline BMI category. We evaluated longitudinal associations between each biomarker and weight change using mixed effects linear regression models.RESULTS: In cross-sectional analyses, urinary concentrations of some biomarkers were positively associated with obesity prevalence (e.g. sum of di (2-ethylhexyl) phthalate metabolites [ΣDEHP] 4th vs 1st quartile OR = 3.29, 95% CI 1.80-6.03 [p trend< 0.001] vs normal). In longitudinal analyses, positive trends with weight gain between baseline and year 3 were observed for mono-(2-ethyl-5-oxohexyl) phthalate, monoethyl phthalate (MEP), mono-hydroxybutyl phthalate, and mono-hydroxyisobutyl phthalate (e.g. + 2.32 kg [95% CI 0.93-3.72] for 4th vs 1st quartile of MEP; p trend < 0.001). No statistically significant associations were observed between biomarkers and weight gain over 6 years.CONCLUSIONS: Certain phthalates may contribute to short-term weight gain among postmenopausal women.
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| 10. |
- Drobyshev, Igor
(författare)
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Stand history is more important than climate in controlling red maple (Acer rubrum L.) growth at its northern distribution limit in western Quebec, Canada
- 2015
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Ingår i: Journal of Plant Ecology. - : Oxford University Press (OUP). - 1752-9921 .- 1752-993X. ; 8, s. 368-379
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- AimsWe examined growth of red maple (Acer rubrum L.) to evaluate environmental controls of its northern distributional limit in Eastern North America and its potential response to future climate change.MethodsWe collected growth data from nine sites located along a 300-km transect (47-49 degrees N), which included frontier population of red maple and covered three bioclimatic domains in western Quebec. We analyzed three growth variables: growth rates during the first 30 years of maple lifespan, cumulative basal area increment (BA I) over the most recent decade (2000-2009) and annual growth rate over the whole tree lifespan ranging from 58 to 112 years. We also examined growth sensitivity to climate by using response function analysis.Important FindingsThree different proxies of maple absolute growth (initial growth rate, BA I during 2000-09 and mean diameter growth rate) indicated a better growth with an increase in latitude. We speculate that stand history effectively overrode the direct effects of colder climate on maple growth along the S-N gradient. Regeneration of maple in the southern sites likely occurred in canopy gaps, whereas in the north it was contingent upon large disturbances such as stand-replacing fires, which apparently provided more favorable light environment for maple growth than canopy gaps. The annual growth variability, which reflects effects of annual weather on growth and is largely independent from the absolute growth rate, was significantly affected by monthly climate, suggesting a positive effect of higher summer temperature in the northern part of the transect (48-49 degrees N) and a negative effect of summer drought in the south (47-48 degrees N). In the future, the natural and human disturbance regimes will be dominant controls of the actual biomass productivity of red maple at the northern limit of its present distribution range. Direct effects of climate on maple growth would likely be less important in this context, and will likely entail negative effect of increased summer drought in the southern part of the study area and positive effects of increased temperatures in the north.
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