| 1. |
- Bombarda, F., et al.
(författare)
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Runaway electron beam control
- 2019
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Ingår i: Plasma Physics and Controlled Fusion. - : IOP Publishing. - 1361-6587 .- 0741-3335. ; 61:1
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)
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| 2. |
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- 2018
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Ingår i: Nuclear Fusion. - : IOP Publishing. - 1741-4326 .- 0029-5515. ; 58:9
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)
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| 3. |
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- 2018
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Ingår i: Nuclear Fusion. - : IOP Publishing. - 1741-4326 .- 0029-5515. ; 58:1
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Forskningsöversikt (refereegranskat)
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| 5. |
- Andersson, Johan, et al.
(författare)
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SICStus Prolog user's manual, version 2.1 #8
- 1993. - 1
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Rapport (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract
- This Manual corresponds to SICStus Prolog release 2.1. #8 Prolog is a simple but powerful programming language developed at the University of Marseilles (Prolog : Manuel de Reference et d'Utilisation by P.Roussel, Groupe d'Intelligence Artificielle, Marseille-Luminy, 1975), as a practical tool for programming in Logic (Logic for Problem Solving by R.A. Kowalski, DCL Memo 75, Dept. of Artificial Intelligence, University of Edinburgh, March, 1974.)) From a user's point of view the major attraction of the language is ease of programming. Clear, readable, concise programs can be written quickly with few errors. This manual describes a Prolog system developed at the Swedish Institute of Computer Science in collaboration with Ericsson Telecom AB, NobelTech Systems AB, Infologics AB and Televerket under the IT4 program. The system consists of a WAM emulator written in C, a library and runtime system written in C and Prolog and an interpreter and a compiler written in Prolog. The Prolog engine is a Warren Abstract Machine (WAM) emulator defined by D:H:D: Warren in An Abstract Prolog Instruction Set, Tech. Note 309, International, Menlo Park, CA, 1983. Two modes of compilation are available: in-core i.e. incremental, and file-to-file.
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| 6. |
- Andersson, Kent, 1967-, et al.
(författare)
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Förstudie angående DTAG-metodik
- 2010
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Rapport (populärvet., debatt m.m.)abstract
- Rapporten utgör slutrapport på FMV beställning ”förstudie angående DTAG-metodik”.RTO har genomfört en studie för att utröna hur NATO bäst identifierar och nyttjar eller skyddar sig mot potentialen i s.k. ”Disruptive Technology”, d.v.s. teknologi som på kort tid signifikant förändrar genomförandet av operationer. Sverige har medverkat i studien. Den tillämpning av metoden DTAG (Disruptive Technology Assessment Games) som beskrivs i RTO studierapport är utvecklad till stöd för beslutsfattning på lång sikt, d.v.s. avseende FoT, konceptutveckling, förbandsutveckling- och materielplanering. Idén bakom den här förstudien är emellertid att undersöka möjligheterna att överföra metoden till erfarenhetsanalys och planering i ett kortare tidsperspektiv - med bibehållande av de rapporterade positiva effekterna för erfarenhetsutbytet mellan personal inom försvarsfamiljen av alla kategorier.Rapporten inleds med en diskussion och beskrivning av möjliga anpassningar av DTAG för den nya föreslagna tillämpningen. Slutsatsen är att metoden har potential att effektivt återkoppla speldeltagarnas erfarenheter från uppdrag de deltagit i - dels från egen användning av tekniska system och dels från andra aktörers teknologi - till utvecklingen av de materielsystem som bedöms vara i drift inom en tidsperiod av ca fem år. En analys av identifierade styrkor, svagheter, möjligheter och risker leder sedan fram till ett förslag till implementering av metoden och förslag till fortsatt arbete. En positiv bieffekt med att arrangera en återkommande DTAG-aktivitet inom ramen för FHS, i samarbete med FMV och FM, är t.ex. en förbättrad erfarenhetsöverspridning till utbildningen av officerare.Förstudien rekommenderar en studie till FHS under 2011 med uppgifterna att:pröva och uppdatera metodramverket till förstudiens DTAG-tillämpningplanera och genomföra prov och försök med bemanning enl. förstudiens förslag till organisationgenomföra en litteraturstudie och utvärdera den tillämpade DTAG-metodenmed andra relevanta metoder och deras tillämpningar avseende: erfarenhetsåtermatning,konceptval och scenariebaserad analys, även i andra domäner än den militära.rapportera skriftligen med rekommendation om implementering av metoden i produktionsledningen av materielprocessen – inkl. lämpliga årliga återkommande tidpunkter för genomförande, m.h.t. rotationer och årliga avvägningar i materielplanen.Ett förslag till organisation, aktivitetsplan och en uppskattning av kostnaderna presenteras.
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| 15. |
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| 16. |
- Joffrin, E., et al.
(författare)
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Overview of the JET preparation for deuterium-tritium operation with the ITER like-wall
- 2019
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Ingår i: Nuclear Fusion. - : IOP Publishing. - 1741-4326 .- 0029-5515. ; 59:11
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Forskningsöversikt (refereegranskat)abstract
- For the past several years, the JET scientific programme (Pamela et al 2007 Fusion Eng. Des. 82 590) has been engaged in a multi-campaign effort, including experiments in D, H and T, leading up to 2020 and the first experiments with 50%/50% D-T mixtures since 1997 and the first ever D-T plasmas with the ITER mix of plasma-facing component materials. For this purpose, a concerted physics and technology programme was launched with a view to prepare the D-T campaign (DTE2). This paper addresses the key elements developed by the JET programme directly contributing to the D-T preparation. This intense preparation includes the review of the physics basis for the D-T operational scenarios, including the fusion power predictions through first principle and integrated modelling, and the impact of isotopes in the operation and physics of D-T plasmas (thermal and particle transport, high confinement mode (H-mode) access, Be and W erosion, fuel recovery, etc). This effort also requires improving several aspects of plasma operation for DTE2, such as real time control schemes, heat load control, disruption avoidance and a mitigation system (including the installation of a new shattered pellet injector), novel ion cyclotron resonance heating schemes (such as the three-ions scheme), new diagnostics (neutron camera and spectrometer, active Alfven eigenmode antennas, neutral gauges, radiation hard imaging systems...) and the calibration of the JET neutron diagnostics at 14 MeV for accurate fusion power measurement. The active preparation of JET for the 2020 D-T campaign provides an incomparable source of information and a basis for the future D-T operation of ITER, and it is also foreseen that a large number of key physics issues will be addressed in support of burning plasmas.
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| 17. |
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| 18. |
- Kindström-Andersson, Karl, et al.
(författare)
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Development of Scenarios as Problem-Space Descriptions in Aerospace Conceptual Design
- 2024
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Ingår i: Aerospace. - 2226-4310.
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- In the defense and security domain, scenarios are often descriptions of stakeholder needs, future events, and the environment. They are used for the elicitation of requirements in development of capabilities, organizations, and technical systems. In the conceptual design of aerospace applications, models of scenarios can also represent and communicate a problem-space, enabling trade-space exploration and system effectiveness robustness analysis, which provide valuable input to decision-makers. This study utilizes design science to develop a scenario framework for solution-agnostic representations of a problem-space for use in aerospace conceptual design- and trade-space exploration. A scenario ontology is developed, describing the constituent concepts of scenarios and their relationships, followed by a method for creating scenarios and evaluating their validity. Within the EU project COLOSSUS, it is demonstrated that the scenario framework has utility both for market-pull and technology-push conceptual design. Establishing an ontology for scenarios and a method for creating them as well as evaluating their validity is another step in improving the aerospace conceptual design phase.
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| 19. |
- Kindström Andersson, Karl, et al.
(författare)
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System of systems lessons to be learned in the development of air power for the future : a small state’s perspective
- 2022
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Konferensbidrag (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract
- Sweden, as a small alliance free state with powerful neighbors, has a military history of what we nowadays call systems of systems thinking. Since the beginning of the Cold War thishas been expressed in an air force on the forefront of exploiting military innovations, not least with regard to sensor networks, datalinks, information sharing and distributed decision making. How can this history and the lessons learned come to use when future systems and technologies are to be developed to meet the uncertain future and changing threats? How does this fit with current trends such as capability-based approach and system of systemsengineering methodology? What could this mean for the development of the next generation fighter aircraft - after the Gripen E and contemporary aircraft? These questions have been studied from both a government and industry perspective, following the trend in the defense sector of a more intertwined relationship between the two, necessitated by adopting acapability view on aircraft development. This paper presents preliminary lessons identified from a case study on the project Flygvapnet 2000 (FV2000), which preceded the Net Centric Warfare era at the turn of the millennium. The analysis was based on characteristics of best practice systems of systems engineering derived from a review of literature presenting the methodology theory on capability-based approaches for analyzing, acquiring, developing, and managing military capabilities. The findings from this project will contribute to the development of systems of systems engineering methods and will spur proposals for future research.
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| 20. |
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| 21. |
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| 22. |
- Krasilnikov, A., et al.
(författare)
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Evidence of 9 Be + p nuclear reactions during 2ω CH and hydrogen minority ICRH in JET-ILW hydrogen and deuterium plasmas
- 2018
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Ingår i: Nuclear Fusion. - : IOP Publishing. - 1741-4326 .- 0029-5515. ; 58:2
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- The intensity of 9Be + p nuclear fusion reactions was experimentally studied during second harmonic (2ω CH) ion-cyclotron resonance heating (ICRH) and further analyzed during fundamental hydrogen minority ICRH of JET-ILW hydrogen and deuterium plasmas. In relatively low-density plasmas with a high ICRH power, a population of fast H+ ions was created and measured by neutral particle analyzers. Primary and secondary nuclear reaction products, due to 9Be + p interaction, were observed with fast ion loss detectors, γ-ray spectrometers and neutron flux monitors and spectrometers. The possibility of using 9Be(p, d)2α and 9Be(p, α)6Li nuclear reactions to create a population of fast alpha particles and study their behaviour in non-active stage of ITER operation is discussed in the paper.
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| 31. |
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| 32. |
- Amouzgar, Kaveh, 1980-
(författare)
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Metamodel Based Multi-Objective Optimization with Finite-Element Applications
- 2018
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Doktorsavhandling (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract
- As a result of the increase in accessibility of computational resources and the increase of computer power during the last two decades, designers are able to create computer models to simulate the behavior of complex products. To address global competitiveness, companies are forced to optimize the design of their products and production processes. Optimizing the design and production very often need several runs of computationally expensive simulation models. Therefore, integrating metamodels, as an efficient and sufficiently accurate approximate of the simulation model, with optimization algorithms is necessary. Furthermore, in most of engineering problems, more than one objective function has to be optimized, leading to multi-objective optimization(MOO). However, the urge to employ metamodels in MOO, i.e., metamodel based MOO (MB-MOO), is more substantial.Radial basis functions (RBF) is one of the most popular metamodeling methods. In this thesis, a new approach to constructing RBF with the bias to beset a priori by using the normal equation is proposed. The performance of the suggested approach is compared to the classic RBF and four other well-known metamodeling methods, in terms of accuracy, efficiency and, most importantly, suitability for integration with MOO evolutionary algorithms. It has been found that the proposed approach is accurate in most of the test functions, and it was the fastest compared to other methods. Additionally, the new approach is the most suitable method for MB-MOO, when integrated with evolutionary algorithms. The proposed approach is integrated with the strength Pareto evolutionary algorithm (SPEA2) and applied to two real-world engineering problems: MB-MOO of the disk brake system of a heavy truck, and the metal cutting process in a turning operation. Thereafter, the Pareto-optimal fronts are obtained and the results are presented. The MB-MOO in both case studies has been found to be an efficient and effective method. To validate the results of the latter MB-MOO case study, a framework for automated finite element (FE) simulation based MOO (SB-MOO) of machining processes is developed and presented by applying it to the same metal cutting process in a turning operation. It has been proved that the framework is effective in achieving the MOO of machining processes based on actual FE simulations.
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| 33. |
- Andersson, Ann-Christine, et al.
(författare)
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Adapting a survey to evaluate quality improvements in Swedish healthcare
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Annan publikation (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract
- Quality improvement initiatives, a concept with origins in the manufacturing sector, have increased within the Swedish healthcare sector in recent decades. These efforts to improve quality can be seen as a response to demands for more cost-effectiveness and better medical results. However, studies have shown that less than 40% of these initiatives are successful (Olsson et al. 2007). The reason why specific improvement initiatives in healthcare fail or succeed is, therefore, a central question in studies of change. To be able to manage, improve and implement quality initiatives and improvements it is necessary to observe, measure and evaluate. Batalden and Davidoff (2007) point out that if there are no mechanisms to measure the changes, there is no way to know whether they actually lead to improvements. A more severe consequence, as stated by Sorian (2006), is that we sometimes accept an organizational system that not only fails to reward or encourage quality improvements but also sometimes punishes those who prioritize quality over cost-effectiveness. The need for more evidence about how to organize and manage new quality initiatives is identified as an important task within studies of healthcare improvement (Walshe 2009, Olsson et al. 2007).
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| 34. |
- Andersson, Ann-Christine, et al.
(författare)
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Evaluating a Breakthrough Series Collaborative in a Swedish Health Care Context
- 2014
-
Ingår i: Journal of Nursing Care Quality. - : Lippincott Williams & Wilkins. - 1057-3631 .- 1550-5065. ; 29:2, s. E1-E10
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- This study evaluated the use of the Breakthrough Series Collaborative methodology in a Swedish county council improvement program, comparing measurements at the beginning and after 6 months. A questionnaire was used, and improvement processes and outcomes were analyzed. The results showed an overall large engagement in improvements, although the methodology and facilitators were seen as only moderately supportive.
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| 35. |
- Andersson, Ann-Christine, et al.
(författare)
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Evaluating a Breakthrough Series Collaborative in a Swedish healthcare context
- 2013
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Annan publikation (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract
- Since the mid-1990s, increased attention has been placed on quality improvement and patient safety within the healthcare context. This study aims to evaluate the use of the Breakthrough Series Collaborative methodology in a Swedish county council improvement program, comparing measurements at the beginning and after six months. A questionnaire was used, and improvement processes and outcomes were analysed. The results showed an overall large engagement in improvements, although the methodology and the facilitators were seen as only moderately supportive. Nursing educators have highlighted the importance of improvement education amongst healthcare professions, and nurses could play an active role in improving healthcare practices and patient safety.
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| 36. |
- Andersson, Ann-Christine, et al.
(författare)
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Evaluating a questionnaire to measure improvement initiatives in Swedish healthcare
- 2013
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Ingår i: BMC Health Services Research. - : BioMed Central. - 1472-6963. ; 13:48
-
Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Background: Quality improvement initiatives have expanded recently within the healthcare sector. Studies have shown that less than 40% of these initiatives are successful, indicating the need for an instrument that can measure the progress and results of quality improvement initiatives and answer questions about how quality initiatives are conducted. The aim of the present study was to develop and test an instrument to measure improvement process and outcome in Swedish healthcare. Methods: A questionnaire, founded on the Minnesota Innovation Survey (MIS), was developed in several steps. Items were merged and answer alternatives were revised. Employees participating in a county council improvement program received the web-based questionnaire. Data was analysed by descriptive statistics and correlation analysis. The questionnaire psychometric properties were investigated and an exploratory factor analysis was conducted. Results: The Swedish Improvement Measurement Questionnaire consists of 27 items. The Improvement Effectiveness Outcome dimension consists of three items and has a Cronbach’s alpha coefficient of 0.67. The Internal Improvement Processes dimension consists of eight sub-dimensions with a total of 24 items. Cronbach’s alpha coefficient for the complete dimension was 0.72. Three significant item correlations were found. A large involvement in the improvement initiative was shown and the majority of the respondents were satisfied with their work. Conclusions: The psychometric property tests suggest initial support for the questionnaire to study and evaluate quality improvement initiatives in Swedish healthcare settings. The overall satisfaction with the quality improvement initiative correlates positively to the awareness of individual responsibilities.
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| 37. |
- Andersson, Ann-Christine, et al.
(författare)
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Five Types of Practice-Based ImprovementIdeas in Health Care Services: An EmpiricallyDefined Typology
- 2011
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Ingår i: Quality Management in Health Care. - : Lippincott Williams & Wilkins. - 1063-8628 .- 1550-5154. ; 20:2, s. 122-130
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- The aim of this study is to empirically identify and present different kinds of practice-based improvement ideas developed in health care services. The focus is on individual placement needs, problems/issues, and the ability to organize work on the development, implementation, and institutionalization of ideas for the health care sector. This study is based on a Swedish county council improvement program. Health care departments and primary health care centers in the Kalmar County Council were invited to apply for money to accomplish improvement projects. A qualitative content analysis was done of 183 proposed applications from various health care departments and primary health care centers. The following 5 types of improvement projects were identified: organizational process, evidence and quality, competence development, process technology, and proactive patient work. This illustrates the range of strategies that encourage letting individual units define their own improvement needs. These projects point to the various problems and experiences health care professionals encounter in their day-to-day work. To generalize beyond this improvement program and to validate the typology, we applied it to all articles found when searching for quality improvement projects in the journal Quality Management in Health Care during the last 2 years and found that all of them could be fitted into at least 1 of those 5 categories. This article provides valuable insights into the current state of improvemen work in Swedish health care, and will serve as a foundation for further investigations in this quality improvement program.
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| 38. |
- Andersson, Ann-Christine, et al.
(författare)
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Improvement Strategies : Forms and Consequences for Participation in Healthcare Improvement Projects
- 2013
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Annan publikation (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract
- From a management point of view there are many different approaches from which to choose in how to engage staff in initiatives to improve performance. The present study investigates how two different types of improvement strategies stimulate and encourage involvement of different professional groups in healthcare organizations. The first type, Designed Improvement Processes, is constituted of a methodologically guided collaborative program. The second type, Intrapreneurship Projects, is characterized by an “intrapreneur” working with an improvement project in a rather free manner. The data analysis was carried out through classifying the participants´ profession, position, gender and the organizational administration of which they were a part. The result showed that nurses were the largest group participating in both improvement initiatives. Physicians were also well represented, although they seemed to prefer the less structured Intrapreneurship Projects approach. Assistant nurses, being the second largest staff group, were poorly represented in both initiatives. This indicates that the benefits and support for one group may push another group aside. Managers need to give prerequisites and incentives for staff who do not participate to do so.
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| 39. |
- Andersson, Ann-Christine, et al.
(författare)
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Practice-based improvement ideas in healthcare services
- 2010
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Konferensbidrag (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract
- Objective. The present study will contribute to knowledge of how practitioners in a healthcare region engage in quality improvement initiatives. The focus is on individual placement needs, problems/issues and the ability to organize work on the development, implementation and institutionalization of ideas for the healthcare sector. Design and settings. This study is based on the Kalmar county council Improvement Program. Healthcare departments and primary healthcare centers in the county council were invited to apply for money to accomplish improvement projects. The aim is to empirically identify and present the different kinds of practice-based improvement ideas developed in healthcare services. The 202 applications received from various healthcare departments and primary healthcare centers are analyzed using qualitative content analysis. Outcome and Results. Five types of improvement projects were identified: Organizational Process; Evidence and Quality; Competence Development; Process Technology; and Proactive Patient Work. This illustrates the range of strategies that encourage letting individual units define their own improvement needs. In addition, a common characteristic among the studied project applications is to increase patient safety, effectiveness and availability of care, and education/training. Those intentions are found in many of the applications and therefore give the impression of being most important to caregivers today. Conclusions. These projects point to the various problems and experiences healthcare professionals encounter in their day-to-day work. This paper provides valuable insights into the current state of improvement work in Swedish healthcare, and will serve as a foundation for further investigations in this quality program.
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| 40. |
- Andersson, Ann-Christine
(författare)
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Practice-based Improvements in Healthcare
- 2010
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Licentiatavhandling (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract
- A central problem for the healthcare sector today is how to manage change and improvements. In recent decades the county councils in Sweden have started various improvement initiatives and programs in order to improve their healthcare services. The improvement program of the Kalmar county council, which constitutes the empirical context for this thesis, is one of those initiatives.The purpose of this thesis is to contribute to a broader understanding of large-scale improvement program in a healthcare setting. This is done by analyzing practitioner’s improvement ideas, describing participants in the improvement projects, revising and testing a survey to measure the development of improvement ideas and describing the improvement program from a theoretical perspective. The theoretical change model used looks at change from two opposing directions in six dimensions; Goals, Leadership, Focus, Process, Reward system and Use of consultants.The aims of the county council improvement program are to become a learning organization, disseminate improvement methodologies and implement continuous quality improvements in the organization. All healthcare administrations and departments in the county council were invited to apply for funds to accomplish improvement projects. Another initiative invited staff teams to work with improvement ideas in a program with support from facilitators, using the breakthrough methodology. Now almost all ongoing developments, improvements, patient safety projects, manager and leader development initiatives are put together under the county council improvement program umbrella.In the appended papers both qualitative and quantitative research approach were used. The first study (paper I) analyzed which types of improvement projects practitioners are engaged in using qualitative content analysis. Five main categories were identified: Organizational Process; Evidence and Quality; Competence Development; Process Technology; and Proactive Patient Work. Most common was a focus on organizational changes and process, while least frequent was proactive patient work. Besides these areas of focus, almost all aimed to increase patient safety and increase effectiveness and availability.Paper II described the participants in two of the initiatives, the categorized improvement projects in paper I and the team members in the methodology guided improvement programs. Strong professions like physicians and nurses were well represented, but other staff groups were not as active. Managers were responsible for a majority of the projects. The gender perspective reflected the overall mix of employees in the county council.Paper III described a revision and test of a Minnesota Innovation Survey (MIS) that will be used to follow and measure how quality improvement ideas develop and improve over time. Descriptive statistics were presented. The respondents were satisfied with their work and what they had accomplished. The most common comment was about time, not having enough time to work with the improvement idea and the difficulty of finding time because of regular tasks. This was the first test of the revised survey and the high use of the answer alternative “Do not know” showed that the survey did not fit the context very well in its present version.Trying to connect the county council improvement program and the initiatives studied in papers I and II with the change model gave rise to some considerations. The county council improvement program has an effort to combine organizational changes and a culture that encourages continuous improvements. Top-down and bottom-up management approaches are used, through setting out strategies from above and at the same time encouraging practitioners to improve their day-to-day work. Whether this will be a successful way to implement and achieve a continuous improvement culture in the whole organization is one of the main issues remaining to find out in further studies.
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| 41. |
- Andersson, Ann-Christine
(författare)
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Quality Improvement in Healthcare : Experiences from a Swedish County Council Initiative
- 2013
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Doktorsavhandling (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract
- Quality improvement (QI) has become an important issue in healthcare settings. A central question for many healthcare systems is how to manage improvement initiatives adequately. All county councils and regions managing healthcare in Sweden have started to work with QI at an organizational system level, to varied extents. The Kalmar county council improvement initiative constitutes the empirical basis of this thesis. The aim of the thesis is to provide knowledge about different aspects of a county-wide improvement initiative, and a broader understanding of factors and strategies that affect participation, management and outcomes. The overall study design is based on a case study.The first two studies illuminate the practice-based (micro level), bottom-up perspective. Inductively five different areas (categories) were identified. Factors influencing participation in improvement initiatives provided the basis for the next study. The result showed that different staff categories were attracted by different initiatives. The next two studies illuminate the top-down (macro/meso) management perspective. Managers’ views of how patients can participate were investigated and a content analysis of the written answers was made. Four main areas (categories) were identified. A survey study investigated all of the county council managers’ experiences of the whole improvement initiative. Overall the managers thought that the improvement work was worth the effort. To evaluate the Breakthrough Collaborative program, a survey was developed and tested. This survey was used to investigate process and outcome of the BC program. The majority of the respondents were satisfied with their work, but wanted more time for teams to meet and work. To find out if an improvement program can affect outcome and contribute to sustainable changes, interviews were made with project applicants (n=202). Almost half (48%) of the projects were funded, and of those 51% were sustained. Of the rejected (not funded) projects, 28% were accomplished and sustained anyway. The results in this thesis cannot show that the “golden mean” exists, or that a single best way to manage changes and improvements in a healthcare organization has been found, but the way QI initiatives are organized does affect participation and outcomes. The intention, from the management topdown system level, encouraging staff and units and letting practice-based ideas develop at all system levels, can stimulate and facilitate improvement work.
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| 42. |
- Andersson, Ann-Christine, et al.
(författare)
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Sustainable outcomes of an improvement programme: do financial incentives matter?
- 2013
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Ingår i: Total Quality Management and Business Excellence. - : Taylor and Francis (Routledge): SSH Titles. - 1478-3363 .- 1478-3371. ; 24:7-8, s. 959-969
-
Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- The purpose of this study was to evaluate whether an improvement programme can contribute to positive sustainable improvements in an organisation, and whether financial incentives are driving forces for improvements. The material was all projects (n=232) that applied for funding in a county council improvement programme between 2007 and 2010. The projects were analysed as to whether they received funding (n=98) or were rejected (n=95). In addition, a categorisation of the projects intentions was analysed. Some projects were still ongoing, but 50 projects were implemented and sustained two or more years after being finalised. Implemented improvements were on different levels, from (micro-level) units up to the entire (macro-level) organisation. In addition, 27 rejected projects were finalised without funding. Eighteen of those 27 were sustainably implemented. This study indicates that there are incentives other than financial at work if an improvement programme contributes to sustainable improvements in the organisation. To encourage practice-based improvements is one way of incentivising the intention and effort to become and perform better.
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| 43. |
- Andersson, Ann-Christine, et al.
(författare)
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Two Different Strategies to Facilitate Involvement in Healthcare Improvements : A Swedish County Council Initiative
- 2014
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Ingår i: Global Advances in Health and Medicine. - : SAGE Publications. - 2164-957X .- 2164-9561. ; 3:5, s. 22-28
-
Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Background: From a management point of view, there are many different approaches from which to choose to engage staff members in initiatives to improve performance.Objective: The present study evaluated how two different types of improvement strategies facilitate and encourage involvement of different professional groups in health-care organizations.Methods/Design: Empirical data of two different types of strategies were collected within an improvement project in a County Council in Sweden. The data analysis was carried out through classifying the participants' profession, position, gender, and the organizational administration of which they were a part, in relation to their participation.Setting: An improvement project in a County Council in Sweden.Participants: Designed Improvement Processes consisted of n=105 teams and Intrapreneurship Projects of n=202 projects.Intervention: Two different types of improvement strategies, Designed Improvement Processes and Intrapreneurship Projects.Main Outcome Measures: How two different types of improvement strategies facilitate and encourage involvement of different professional groups in healthcare organizations.Results: Nurses were the largest group participating in both improvement initiatives. Physicians were also well represented, although they seemed to prefer the less structured Intrapreneurship Projects approach. Assistant nurses, being the second largest staff group, were poorly represented in both initiatives. This indicates that the benefits and support for one group may push another group aside.Conclusions: Managers need to give prerequisites and incentives for staff who do not participate in improvements to do so. Comparisons of different types of improvement initiatives are an underused research strategy that yields interesting and thoughtful results.
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| 44. |
- Andersson, Ann-Christine, et al.
(författare)
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Who conducts quality improvement initiatives in healthcare services? An evaluation of an improvement program in acounty council in Sweden
- 2010
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Konferensbidrag (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract
- Purpose – The aim of this paper is to contribute to the knowledge of who engages in quality improvement initiatives and to describe whether staff professions or gender are relevant variables. Design/methodology/approach – This paper contains an evaluation of the participants in a specific defined strategic improvement initiative program in one county council in southeast Sweden. The improvement program was initiated by county council politicians to encourage improvement initiatives and to spread improvement skills and knowledge in the organization. The program is driven both “top down” (teaching/convincing line managers to demand improvements) and “bottom up” through improvement programs using methodology to help teams identify, plan and adopt improvements in their daily work. Data was collected from special applications (called Free Applications, FA) and from participants in the education program (called Improvement Program, IP), both of which include information about profession and 2 gender. A content analysis was made. After the first categorization of which types of improvement projects practitioners engage in, further analysis of staff disciplines, professions (hierarchy) and gender was done. The results were compared to the overall structure of staff presence in the county council. Findings – Changes in participation occurred over time. The FA (Free Applications) part (n=202) shows a higher share of leaders and managers (35%), but their participation in the IP (Improvement Program) (n=477) fluctuated (8-26%). Physicians were more represented in the FA than in the IP. The largest single group was nurses. Overall the gender perspective reflects the conditions of the county council, but in FA the representation of women was lower. Five types of improvement projects were identified: 1) Organizational process focus; 2) Evidence and quality; 3) Competence development; 4) Process Technology; and 5) Proactive patient work. Managers were most represented in the category “Organizational process”. The largest difference was seen in the category “Proactive patient work” with the highest occurrence among women (86%) and less among men (17%) and managers (21%). The patient as a contributor taking active part was not found in either the FA or the IP. Research limitations/implications – This study shows differences in participation between free applications and methodology-guided programs when it comes to professions and gender in the country council improvement drive. It may be useful for further research regarding how to successfully work for and implement improvements and change in healthcare environments. Practical implications – The study will discuss and contribute to further knowledge of whether profession, hierarchy and gender have an impact (obstructive or as an asset) in performing improvement work in healthcare settings. Originality/value - Not much has been written about who is accomplishing quality improvements in terms of profession and gender. This paper provides some valuable insights into the differences between staff categories (professions) and gender in the improvement work in Swedish healthcare.
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| 45. |
- Andersson, Anastasia, et al.
(författare)
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Complex genetic diversity patterns of cryptic, sympatric brown trout (Salmo trutta) populations in tiny mountain lakes
- 2017
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Ingår i: Conservation Genetics. - : Springer Science and Business Media LLC. - 1566-0621 .- 1572-9737. ; 18:5, s. 1213-1227
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Intraspecific genetic variation can have similar effects as species diversity on ecosystem function; understanding such variation is important, particularly for ecological key species. The brown trout plays central roles in many northern freshwater ecosystems, and several cases of sympatric brown trout populations have been detected in freshwater lakes based on apparent morphological differences. In some rare cases, sympatric, genetically distinct populations lacking visible phenotypic differences have been detected based on genetic data alone. Detecting such cryptic sympatric populations without prior grouping of individuals based on phenotypic characteristics is more difficult statistically, though. The aim of the present study is to delineate the spatial connectivity of two cryptic, sympatric genetic clusters of brown trout discovered in two interconnected, tiny subarctic Swedish lakes. The structures were detected using allozyme markers, and have been monitored over time. Here, we confirm their existence for almost three decades and report that these cryptic, sympatric populations exhibit very different connectivity patterns to brown trout of nearby lakes. One of the clusters is relatively isolated while the other one shows high genetic similarity to downstream populations. There are indications of different spawning sites as reflected in genetic structuring among parr from different creeks. We used > 3000 SNPs on a subsample and find that the SNPs largely confirm the allozyme pattern but give considerably lower F (ST) values, and potentially indicate further structuring within populations. This type of complex genetic substructuring over microgeographical scales might be more common than anticipated and needs to be considered in conservation management.
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| 46. |
- Andersson, Christer, et al.
(författare)
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Acute-phase proteins in response to tumor growth.
- 1993
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Ingår i: The Journal of surgical research. - : Elsevier BV. - 0022-4804. ; 55:6, s. 607-14
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- This study has evaluated the relationship between tumor growth and induction of acute-phase proteins. It has also determined whether an intact cellular immunity is obligatory for a fully expressed acute-phase plasma protein response in the presence of a highly antigenic tumor. Quantitatively, acute-phase responses (protein synthesis, plasma concentrations, hepatic RNA content, anorexia) were proportional to tumor burden. Anti-inflammatory drugs (indomethacin 1 micrograms/g body wt, dexamethasone 0.5 micrograms/g body wt) had no direct effect on the attenuation of the systemic acute-phase responses, but did affect them indirectly by decreasing tumor growth. Immune suppression (cyclosporine A at 20 or 60 micrograms/g body wt) had no effect on either acute-phase reactions or local tumor growth. In endotoxin-stimulated (lipopolysaccharide) normal mice, immune suppression aggravated anorexia and caused high mortality, while dexamethasone partly reversed these effects in endotoxin-stimulated mice. Plasma levels of acute-phase proteins correlated to circulating levels of IL-6 in untreated tumor-bearing mice, but this relationship was not obvious in either drug-treated tumor-bearing or endotoxin-stimulated mice. Tumor tissue induced the synthesis of different acute-phase proteins compared to endotoxin. However, disintegrated normal liver tissue induced the synthesis of serum amyloid protein to the same extent as the growing tumor. This effect was primarily associated with the mitochondrial/lysosomal and microsomal liver cell fractions. In conclusion, the overall acute-phase protein response is not a modulating factor of tumor growth.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
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| 47. |
- Andersson, Claes, et al.
(författare)
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Alcohol involvement in Swedish University freshmen related to gender, age, serious relationship and family history of alcohol problems.
- 2007
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Ingår i: Alcohol and Alcoholism. - : Oxford University Press (OUP). - 1464-3502 .- 0735-0414. ; 42, s. 448-455
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Aim: The primary aim of this study was to describe alcohol involvement in relation to gender and different age cohorts among freshmen at two Swedish universities. The secondary aim was to investigate whether the results were related to a likelihood of students being in serious relationships and/or had a first-degree relative with alcohol problems. Methods: Two complete cohorts of university freshmen at two homogeneous universities were asked to participate in an intervention study, and the results of the basic assessments are presented in this article. The following instruments were used: the Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test (AUDIT), the Estimated Blood Alcohol Concentration (eBAC) and a shortened version of the Alcohol Expectancy Questionnaire (AEQ). Results: A total of 2032 (72%) freshmen agreed to participate. The mean AUDIT score was 8.8 (4.9) for men and 6.0 (+4.0) for women, and there were high correlations between the AUDIT and other instruments. There were significant differences between different age groups for both men and women. Both genders were more likely to have AUDIT scores higher than the usual cut-off levels for high-risk interventions among those with first-degree heredity of alcohol problems, while those students in serious relationships were less likely to have AUDIT scores above the usual cut-off levels for high-risk interventions. Conclusion: This study reveals a high level of alcohol involvement among Swedish university freshmen. This is affected by age, gender, heredity of alcohol problems and serious relationships.
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| 48. |
- Andersson, Christer, et al.
(författare)
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Identification of tissue sites for increased albumin degradation in sarcoma-bearing mice.
- 1991
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Ingår i: The Journal of surgical research. - 0022-4804. ; 50:2, s. 156-62
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Plasma albumin concentration declines in both experimental and clinical cancer. Previous investigations have demonstrated that this is partly explained by increased breakdown of albumin. The present study has identified the tissue sites for increased albumin degradation in a nonmetastasizing sarcoma mouse (C57/BL6J) model. Results have been compared to nontumor-bearing animals either freely fed or food restricted (pair-weighed) so that their body composition was similar to tumor-bearing animals. Tumor-bearing mice had increased albumin degradation (0.13 +/- 0.02 mg/hr/g bw) compared to both freely fed (0.09 +/- 0.007) and pair-weighed control animals (0.05 +/- 0.008). Radioactivity from circulating [3H]raffine aldehyde labeled albumin appeared with maximum peak values in lysosomes isolated from both tumor and nontumor tissues at 48 hr following iv injection. The intralysosomal accumulation of radioactivity was two- to threefold higher in tumor tissue compared to liver tissue, although the specific activity of protease(s) for albumin degradation measured in vitro was not higher in tumor tissue (30.4 +/- 3.6 mg/hr/g tissue) compared to normal liver tissue (36.9 +/- 1.7). Accounting for the entire tumor the proteolytic capacity for albumin breakdown was however much larger in the tumor (161.6 +/- 32.6 mg/organ) compared to both normal liver (37.5 +/- 2.3) and tumor-host liver (56.4 +/- 2.8). Pepstatin inhibited 78 +/- 6% of the proteolytic activity in the tumor measured by 125I-labeled undenatured mouse albumin as the substrate. Leupeptin inhibited 49 +/- 6%. There was a significantly decreased breakdown of albumin in both skeletal muscles and the gastrointestinal tract from tumor-bearing animals.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
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| 49. |
- Andersson, Claes, et al.
(författare)
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Intervention for hazardous alcohol use and high level of stress in university freshmen A comparison between an intervention and a control University.
- 2009
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Ingår i: Brain Research. - : Elsevier BV. - 1872-6240 .- 0006-8993. ; Aug 20, s. 61-71
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- BACKGROUND: The first year of university studies is associated with increased levels of alcohol drinking and stress. This study examines the one-year outcome of both primary and secondary interventions of one alcohol programme and one stress intervention programme at an intervention university in comparison with a control university. METHODS: At the intervention university all freshmen were offered a primary prevention programme for hazardous alcohol use and stress management and, in addition, those who had high ratings for stress and/or hazardous alcohol use were offered a secondary intervention programme for alcohol consumption and/or stress management. Freshmen still attending the two universities one year later responded to follow-up questionnaires. RESULTS: The primary alcohol and stress interventions were associated with lower alcohol expectancies and mental symptoms, but no differences in AUDIT scores (-0.2, CI 95% -0.5 to 0.1), estimated blood alcohol concentrations or stress in comparison to freshmen at the control university. The secondary alcohol interventions were associated with decreased AUDIT (-1.1, CI 95% -2.0 to -0.2) as well as alcohol expectancies, blood alcohol concentrations, stress and mental symptoms in comparison to high-risk freshmen at the control university. The secondary stress interventions were associated with decreased mental symptoms and alcohol expectancies, but not stress, AUDIT scores (-0.6, CI 95% -1.4 to 0.2) and blood alcohol concentrations in comparison to high-risk freshmen at the control university. CONCLUSION: This study suggests that both primary and secondary alcohol and stress interventions have 1-year effects in university freshmen and could be implemented in university settings.
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| 50. |
- Andersson, Christer, et al.
(författare)
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Isolation of radiopure plasma and hepatic albumin in acute phase conditions.
- 1994
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Ingår i: Clinical nutrition (Edinburgh, Scotland). - 0261-5614. ; 13:1, s. 35-41
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- It is essential to obtain biochemically and radioactively pure albumin in studies on albumin metabolism and kinetics in stress and nutrition related conditions. However, published work on albumin metabolism, in both animals and man with acute phase reactions has usually been based on inadequate chemical methods for isolation of homogeneous albumin free from acute phase proteins and other contaminants. Applications of conventional antibody precipitating techniques was usually either not sufficient to give radiopure albumin, or did not allow determination of the true specific radioactivity during in vivo experiments. Thus, the lack of applicable methods to achieve radiopure albumin from small plasma and tissue samples for subsequent analyses and determination of the true specific radioactivity in albumin initiated the present method development. The combination of HPLC ionchromatography (DEAE-sepharose), affinity chromatography (Blue sepharose CL-6B, Con A sepharose) and HPLC based size exclusion chromatography (Protein PAK 300 SW, Waters) was applied. By this procedure we obtained radiopure albumin from both plasma and hepatic samples from individual mice with acute phase response as confirmed by two-dimensional electrophoresis and immune precipitation.
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