| 1. |
- Ahlstedt, Carina, 1969-
(författare)
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Registered nurses' work motivation and intention to stay at the workplace
- 2024
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Doktorsavhandling (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract
- There is currently a shortage of registered nurses (RNs) and high turnover of RNs, both nationally and internationally. Work motivation is an important part of a healthy work environment and something we need to know more about from an RN perspective.The overarching aim of this thesis was to enhance our understanding of the organisational and social workplace factors that contribute to an attractive environment for RNs, by exploring factors associated with work motivation. Four research questions were posed. (i) What factors create the conditions for motivation in RNs’ daily work? (ii) What role does social support in the workplace play in RNs’ work motivation? (iii) What role does the opportunity to work with relevant tasks play in RNs’ work motivation? (iv) Are there differences between healthcare settings regarding RNs’ social support, illegitimate tasks, and associations with work motivation? Four empirical studies were performed to answer these questions. Two were qualitative studies based on an ethnographic approach and two were quantitative cross-sectional studies based on a stratified national sample of RNs. The results of the qualitative studies indicate that crucial factors for RNs' work motivation include a friendly and permissive atmosphere in daily work. Visible progress and receiving feedback from the work itself also positively contributed to motivation. Additionally, RNs' opportunities to learn and support each other through ongoing communication during daily work tended to have a positive impact on work motivation. Effective collaboration between physicians and RNs with mutual respect, understanding of each other's competencies, and creating an environment where RNs could seek clarification were also central to work motivation. The quantitative studies revealed that the opportunity for social support from the immediate manager or co-workers was significant for dimensions related to RNs’ work motivation and the willingness to stay in the workplace. The associations differed in strength between healthcare settings. Furthermore, the results indicated that a factor in RNs' work motivation was the ability to work with tasks perceived as relevant, not illegitimate. However, the results highlighted that a significant portion of RNs performed illegitimate tasks, and that illegitimate tasks were more prevalent for RNs in home healthcare than those in primary care and hospitals. This is something to consider as more complex care is being conducted outside of hospitals. The thesis adds new knowledge that can be useful to the development of attractive workplaces, which could contribute to more RNs choosing to remain in their position for a longer period.
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| 2. |
- Alexakis, Alexandros Efraim, et al.
(författare)
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Modification of cellulose through physisorption of cationic bio-based nanolatexes - comparing emulsion polymerization and RAFT-mediated polymerization-induced self-assembly
- 2021
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Ingår i: Green Chemistry. - : Royal Society of Chemistry (RSC). - 1463-9262 .- 1463-9270. ; 23:5, s. 2113-2122
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- The polymerization of a bio-based terpene-derived monomer, sobrerol methacrylate (SobMA), was evaluated in the design of polymeric nanoparticles (nanolatexes). Their synthesis was accomplished by using emulsion polymerization, either by free-radical polymerization in the presence of a cationic surfactant or a cationic macroRAFT agent by employing RAFT-mediated polymerization-induced self-assembly (PISA). By tuning the length of the hydrophobic polymer, it was possible to control the nanoparticle size between 70 and 110 nm. The average size of the latexes in both wet and dry state were investigated by microscopy imaging and dynamic light scattering (DLS). Additionally, SobMA was successfully copolymerized with butyl methacrylate (BMA) targeting soft-core nanolatexes. The comparison of the kinetic profile of the cationically stabilized nanolatexes highlighted the differences of both processes. The SobMA-based nanolatexes yielded high T-g similar to 120 degrees C, while the copolymer sample exhibited a lower T-g similar to 50 degrees C, as assessed by Differential Scanning Calorimetry (DSC). Thereafter, the nanolatexes were adsorbed onto cellulose (filter paper), where they were annealed at elevated temperatures to result in polymeric coatings. Their morphologies were analysed by Field Emission Scanning Electron Microscopy (FE-SEM) and compared to a commercial sulfate polystyrene latex (PS latex). By microscopic investigation the film formation mechanism could be unravelled. Water contact angle (CA) measurements verified the transition from a hydrophilic to a hydrophobic surface after film formation had occured. The obtained results are promising for the toolbox of bio-based building blocks, focused on sobrerol-based monomers, to be used in emulsion polymerizations either for tailored PISA-latexes or facile conventional latex formation, in order to replace methyl methacrylate or other high T-g-monomers.
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| 3. |
- Anesten, Fredrik, et al.
(författare)
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Glucagon-Like Peptide-1-, but not Growth and Differentiation Factor 15-, Receptor Activation Increases the Number of Interleukin-6-Expressing Cells in the External Lateral Parabrachial Nucleus
- 2019
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Ingår i: Neuroendocrinology. - : S. Karger AG. - 0028-3835 .- 1423-0194. ; 109:4, s. 310-321
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Interleukin (IL)-6 in the hypothalamus and hindbrain is an important downstream mediator of suppression of body weight and food intake by glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) receptor stimulation. CNS GLP-1 is produced almost exclusively in prepro-glucagon neurons in the nucleus of the solitary tract. These neurons innervate energy balance-regulating areas, such as the external lateral parabrachial nucleus (PBNel); essential for induction of anorexia. Using a validated novel IL-6-reporter mouse strain, we investigated the interactions in PBNel between GLP-1, IL-6, and calcitonin gene-related peptide (CGRP, a well-known mediator of anorexia). We show that PBNel GLP-1R-containing cells highly (to about 80%) overlap with IL-6-containing cells on both protein and mRNA level. Intraperitoneal administration of a GLP-1 analogue exendin-4 to mice increased the proportion of IL-6-containing cells in PBNel 3-fold, while there was no effect in the rest of the lateral parabrachial nucleus. In contrast, injections of an anorexigenic peptide growth and differentiation factor 15 (GDF15) markedly increased the proportion of CGRP-containing cells, while IL-6-containing cells were not affected. In summary, GLP-1R are found on IL-6-producing cells in PBNel, and GLP-1R stimulation leads to an increase in the proportion of cells with IL-6-reporter fluorescence, supporting IL-6 mediation of GLP-1 effects on energy balance.
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| 4. |
- Bao, Xue, et al.
(författare)
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Comparing the inflammatory profiles for incidence of diabetes mellitus and cardiovascular diseases : A prospective study exploring the 'common soil' hypothesis
- 2018
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Ingår i: Cardiovascular Diabetology. - : Springer Science and Business Media LLC. - 1475-2840. ; 17:1
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Background: Chronic low-grade inflammation and associated insulin resistance and metabolic abnormalities have been proposed as 'common soil' for diabetes mellitus (DM) and cardiovascular disease (CVD). This paper aimed to investigate the inflammatory profiles of DM and CVD and to distinguish their shared and specific markers. Methods: Based on the Malmö Diet and Cancer cohort, total and differential leukocyte counts were measured in 25,969 participants without previous DM or CVD and were studied in relation to incident DM (mean follow-up 17.4±5.58years) and incident CVD (i.e., coronary events, including fatal and nonfatal myocardial infarction, or stroke); mean follow-up 17.7±5.46years, using multivariable Cox regression models. Furthermore, plasma concentrations of another seven inflammatory markers were examined in relation to incident DM and incident CVD in a sub-cohort of 4658 participants. The associations of each inflammatory marker with incident DM versus incident CVD were compared using the Lunn-McNeil competing risks approach. In sensitivity analyses, those who developed both DM and CVD during follow-up were excluded. Results: After adjustment for conventional risk factors, total and differential leukocyte counts, orosomucoid, and C-reactive protein were associated with an increased risk of both DM and CVD. Neutrophil to lymphocyte ratio, ceruloplasmin, alpha1-antitrypsin and soluble urokinase plasminogen activator receptor predicted increased risk of CVD but not DM, while haptoglobin and complement C3 showed the opposite pattern. In competing risks analyses, lymphocyte count and complement C3 had stronger associations with risk of DM than with risk of CVD (p for equal associations=0.020 and 0.006). The reverse was true for neutrophil to lymphocyte ratio (p for equal associations=0.025). Results were consistent in sensitivity analyses. Conclusions: The results indicated substantial similarities in the inflammatory profiles associated with DM and CVD. However, there are also significant differences. These findings may help discriminate between individuals at elevated risk of DM and those at elevated risk of CVD, which is a prerequisite for targeted therapies.
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| 5. |
- Bartholdson, Örjan, et al.
(författare)
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Does paying pay off? : paying for ecosystem services and exploring alternative possibilities
- 2012
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Rapport (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract
- The ongoing degradation of ecosystems threaten future food production and the international community thus urgently has to plan for how to secure fundamental life-support services for the future, so called ecosystem services (ES). Examples of such ES are climate regulation, nutrient cycles, fresh water provision, etc.This report is focused on two distinct strategies to make land users in tropical rainforest areas continue to provide ecosystem services. The first approach, Payment for Ecosystem Services (PES), is an economic instrument designed at global and national levels. Several PES schemes are currently implemented in a global context where increasing human demands for food, fibre and fuel are accelerating competition for land. The overall aim of the PES projects covered by this report is to lower the emission of green house gas on national and global levels and they are especially directed towards forest areas. The PES projects specify that specific rural groups are paid if they agree to protect, manage or restore the ecosystem service provisioning system within their forest territories. This report highlights that many PES initiatives are being implemented with a ‘conservation perspective’, rather than seeing ecosystem services as integrated with production and livelihoods. There are also alternative strategies to manage ecosystem services. In this report we put an emphasis on an approach where production and conservation are planned for within the same landscape and production systems. Many smallholders already integrate and maintain ecosystem services in their agricultural/forest production systems in a long-term perspective, while producing food, fibre and fuel for the households’ own consumption as well as for sale. In such a system, the local communities are totally dependent on the ecosystem services to re-generate conditions for their agricultural production and/or forest extraction. The focus in such farming-forestry systems, using little or no inputs, which are totally dependent on renewable resources, is on how to increase agricultural/forest production by supporting local ecosystem services, such as soil fertility and structure, pollination, micro climate, biological control of crop pests, etc. The ecosystem services functions, such as carbon sequestration, then emerge as a ‘by-product’ out of these production systems. Increased soil humus in the soil and biomass accumulation are other examples of such ‘by-products’. We want to illustrate potentials and challenges with the aforementioned two approaches to secure ecosystem provisions, and how they are articulated within their specific contexts. This report explores these two approaches by examining case-studies in tropical forest areas in Peru, Brazil, Tanzania and Vietnam, as well as the experiences of EU-designed PES schemes for subsidies/support so as to achieve environmental protection in Sweden.
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| 6. |
- Berntsson, John, et al.
(författare)
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Increased vascular endothelial growth factor D is associated with atrial fibrillation and ischaemic stroke
- 2019
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Ingår i: Heart. - : BMJ. - 1355-6037 .- 1468-201X. ; 105:7, s. 553-558
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Objective: Vascular endothelial growth factor D (VEGF-D) has important functions in lymphangiogenesis and angiogenesis. High plasma levels of VEGF-D have been associated with incidence of heart failure. The association of VEGF-D with atrial fibrillation (AF) and stroke is unclear and we hypothesised that VEGF-D could also be associated with incidence of AF and ischaemic stroke. Methods: VEGF-D was measured in fasting blood samples of 4689 subjects (40% men) without a history of AF from the Malmö Diet and Cancer Study, a prospective, population-based study in Sweden. Median age was 58 years (range 46-68). Cox regression analyses, adjusted for multiple risk factors, was used to assess AF and ischaemic stroke risk in relation to VEGF-D levels. Results: During a median follow-up time of 20.6 years, there were 637 cases of incident AF and 322 cases of first ischaemic stroke. After adjustment, VEGF-D was significantly associated with AF (HR 1.13(95% CI 1.04 to 1.23) per 1 SD increase) and ischaemic stroke (HR 1.14(95% CI 1.02 to 1.28) per 1 SD). The association with ischaemic stroke was explained by an increased incidence of AF-related stroke. HRs per 1 SD were 1.34 (95% CI 1.04 to 1.71) for AF-related ischaemic stroke and 1.04 (95% CI 0.90 to 1.19) for ischaemic stroke without AF. Conclusions: Increased VEGF-D concentrations were associated with AF and ischaemic stroke. The relationship with ischaemic stroke was more pronounced in subjects with a diagnosis of AF.
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| 7. |
- Boujemaoui, Assya, et al.
(författare)
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Polycaprolactone Nanocomposites Reinforced with Cellulose Nanocrystals Surface-Modified via Covalent Grafting or Physisorption : A Comparative Study
- 2017
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Ingår i: ACS Applied Materials and Interfaces. - : American Chemical Society (ACS). - 1944-8244 .- 1944-8252. ; 9:40, s. 35305-35318
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- In the present work, cellulose nanocrystals (CNCs) have been surface-modified either via covalent grafting or through physisorption of poly(n-butyl methacrylate) (PBMA) and employed as reinforcement in PCL. Covalent grafting was achieved by surface-initiated atom transfer radical polymerization (SI-ATRP). Two approaches were utilized for the physisorption: using either micelles of poly(dimethyl aminoethyl methacrylate)-block-poly(n-butyl methacrylate) (PDMAEMA-b-PBMA) or latex nanoparticles of poly(dimethyl aminoethyl methacrylate-co-methacrylic acid)-block-poly(n-butyl methacrylate) (P(DMAEMA-co-MAA)-b-PBMA). Block copolymers (PDMAEMA-b-PBMA)s were obtained by ATRP and subsequently micellized. Latex nanoparticles were produced via reversible addition-fragmentation chain-transfer (RAFT) mediated surfactant-free emulsion polymerization, employing polymer-induced self-assembly (PISA) for the particle formation. For a reliable comparison, the amounts of micelles/latex particles adsorbed and the amount of polymer grafted onto the CNCs were kept similar. Two different chain lengths of PBMA were targeted, below and above the critical molecular weight for chain entanglement of PBMA (M-n,M-c similar to 56 000 g mo1(-1)). Poly(epsilon-caprolactone) (PCL) nanocomposites reinforced with unmodified and modified CNCs in different weight percentages (0.5, 1, and 3 wt %) were prepared via melt extrusion. The resulting composites were evaluated by UV-vis, scanning electron microscopy (SEM), thermal gravimetric analysis (TGA), and tensile testing. All materials resulted in higher transparency, greater thermal stability, and stronger mechanical properties than unfilled PCL and nanocomposites containing unmodified CNCs. The degradation temperature of PCL reinforced with grafted CNCs was higher than that of micelle-modified CNCs, and the latter was higher than that of latex-adsorbed CNCs with a long PBMA chain length. The results clearly indicate that covalent grafting is superior to physisorption with regard to thermal and mechanical properties of the final nanocomposite. This unique study is of great value for the future design of CNC-based nanocomposites with tailored properties.
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| 8. |
- Carlsson, M. S., et al.
(författare)
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Effects of mussel farms on the benthic nitrogen cycle on the Swedish west coast
- 2012
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Ingår i: Aquaculture Environment Interactions. - : Inter-Research Science Center. - 1869-215X .- 1869-7534. ; 2:2, s. 177-191
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- The biogeochemical impact of 3 long-line mussel farms (M1, M2 and M3) in Lysekil, Sweden, was investigated from before farm establishment until 1.5 yr after operation had begun. Sedimentation, benthic N flux, total oxygen uptake (TOU) and sulfate reduction rate (SRR) were all significantly increased below the mussel lines at all 3 farms. Effects of increased sedimentation rates were revealed by sediment profile imaging and were highest at Stn M2. These effects increased significantly with time of farm operation, indicating the accumulation of organic matter within sediments over time. Furthermore, more total particulate organic N deposited at farm stations was recycled into the water column compared to at reference stations (similar to 45 versus similar to 13%), indicating an increased release of dissolved inorganic N from sediment below the mussel farms. At one station (M2) with the highest increase in sedimentation rate, denitrification seemed inhibited, while at another station (M3), with a less pronounced increase in sedimentation rate, denitrification was in fact stimulated, accounting for 13% of total sediment N removal. Calculations based on estimated values of N removal through mussel harvest and direct measurements of N input through changes in sedimentation, N regeneration from sediment to the water column through benthic fluxes and changes in denitrification showed, in all cases, a net removal of N from the system, as only 26 to 40% of the total amount of harvested N had been added to the sediments during the growth period.
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| 9. |
- Chami, Nathalie, et al.
(författare)
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Exome Genotyping Identifies Pleiotropic Variants Associated with Red Blood Cell Traits
- 2016
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Ingår i: American Journal of Human Genetics. - : Elsevier BV. - 0002-9297 .- 1537-6605. ; 99:1, s. 8-21
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Red blood cell (RBC) traits are important heritable clinical biomarkers and modifiers of disease severity. To identify coding genetic variants associated with these traits, we conducted meta-analyses of seven RBC phenotypes in 130,273 multi-ethnic individuals from studies genotyped on an exome array. After conditional analyses and replication in 27,480 independent individuals, we identified 16 new RBC variants. We found low-frequency missense variants in MAP1A (rs55707100, minor allele frequency [MAF] = 3.3%, p = 2 x 10(-10) for hemoglobin [HGB]) and HNF4A (rs1800961, MAF = 2.4%, p < 3 x 10(-8) for hematocrit [HCT] and HGB). In African Americans, we identified a nonsense variant in CD36 associated with higher RBC distribution width (rs3211938, MAF = 8.7%, p = 7 x 10(-11)) and showed that it is associated with lower CD36 expression and strong allelic imbalance in ex vivo differentiated human erythroblasts. We also identified a rare missense variant in ALAS2 (rs201062903, MAF = 0.2%) associated with lower mean corpuscular volume and mean corpuscular hemoglobin (p < 8 x 10(-9)). Mendelian mutations in ALAS2 are a cause of sideroblastic anemia and erythropoietic protoporphyria. Gene-based testing highlighted three rare missense variants in PKLR, a gene mutated in Mendelian non-spherocytic hemolytic anemia, associated with HGB and HCT (SKAT p < 8 x 10(-7)). These rare, low-frequency, and common RBC variants showed pleiotropy, being also associated with platelet, white blood cell, and lipid traits. Our association results and functional annotation suggest the involvement of new genes in human erythropoiesis. We also confirm that rare and low-frequency variants play a role in the architecture of complex human traits, although their phenotypic effect is generally smaller than originally anticipated.
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| 10. |
- Dybjer, Elin, et al.
(författare)
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Type 1 diabetes, cognitive ability and incidence of cardiovascular disease and death over 60 years of follow-up time in men
- 2022
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Ingår i: Diabetic Medicine. - : Wiley. - 0742-3071 .- 1464-5491. ; 39:8
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Aims There are few cohorts of type 1 diabetes that follow individuals over more than half a century in terms of health outcomes. The aim of this study was to examine associations between type 1 diabetes, diagnosed before age 18, and long-term morbidity and mortality, and to investigate whether cognitive ability plays a role in long-term morbidity and mortality risk. Methods In a Swedish cohort, 120 men with type 1 diabetes and 469 without type 1 diabetes were followed between 18 and 77 years of age as regards morbidity and mortality outcomes, and impact of cognitive ability at military conscription for the outcomes. In Cox regression analyses and Kaplan-Meier analyses with log-rank tests, associations between diabetes and cognitive ability respectively, and outcomes (mortality, cardiovascular morbidity and diabetes complications) were investigated. Results Men with type 1 diabetes suffered from dramatically higher mortality (HR 4.62, 95% CI: 3.56-5.60), cardiovascular mortality (HR 5.60, 95% CI: 3.27-9.57), and cardiovascular events (HR 3.97, 95% CI: 2.79-5.64) compared to men without diabetes. Higher cognitive ability at military conscription was associated with lower mortality in men without diabetes, but was not associated with any outcome in men with diabetes. Conclusions In this historical cohort study with 60 years of follow-up time and a less effective treatment of diabetes than today, mortality rates and cardiovascular outcomes were high for men with type 1 diabetes. Morbidity or mortality did not differ between those that had low to normal or high cognitive ability among men with type 1 diabetes.
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| 11. |
- Economou Lundeberg, Johan, et al.
(författare)
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Ventricular tachycardia risk prediction with an abbreviated duration mobile cardiac telemetry
- 2023
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Ingår i: Heart Rhythm O2. - 2666-5018. ; 4:8, s. 500-505
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Background: Ventricular tachycardia (VT) occurs intermittently, unpredictably, and has potentially lethal consequences. Objective: Our aim was to derive a risk prediction model for VT episodes ≥10 beats detected on 30-day mobile cardiac telemetry based on the first 24 hours of the recording. Methods: We included patients who were monitored for 2 to 30 days in the United States using full-disclosure mobile cardiac telemetry, without any VT episode ≥10 beats on the first full recording day. An elastic net prediction model was derived for the outcome of VT ≥10 beats on monitoring days 2 to 30. Potential predictors included age, sex, and electrocardiographic data from the first 24 hours: heart rate; premature atrial and ventricular complexes occurring as singlets, couplets, triplets, and runs; and the fastest rate for each event. The population was randomly split into training (70%) and testing (30%) samples. Results: In a population of 19,781 patients (mean age 65.3 ± 17.1 years, 43.5% men), with a median recording time of 18.6 ± 9.6 days, 1510 patients had at least 1 VT ≥10 beats. The prediction model had good discrimination in the testing sample (area under the receiver-operating characteristic curve 0.7584, 95% confidence interval 0.7340–0.7829). A model excluding age and sex had an equally good discrimination (area under the receiver-operating characteristic curve 0.7579, 95% confidence interval 0.7332–0.7825). In the top quintile of the score, more than 1 in 5 patients had a VT ≥10 beats, while the bottom quintile had a 98.2% negative predictive value. Conclusion: Our model can predict risk of VT ≥10 beats in the near term using variables derived from 24-hour electrocardiography, and could be used to triage patients to extended monitoring.
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| 12. |
- Elander, Louise, 1980-, et al.
(författare)
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IL-1β and LPS induce anorexia by distinct mechanisms differentially dependent on microsomal prostaglandin E synthase-1
- 2007
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Ingår i: American Journal of Physiology. Regulatory Integrative and Comparative Physiology. - : American Physiological Society. - 0363-6119 .- 1522-1490. ; 292:1, s. R258-R267
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Recent work demonstrated that the febrile response to peripheral immune stimulation with proinflammatory cytokine IL-1β or bacterial wall lipopolysaccharide (LPS) is mediated by induced synthesis of prostaglandin E2 by the terminal enzyme microsomal prostaglandin E synthase-1 (mPGES-1). The present study examined whether a similar mechanism might also mediate the anorexia induced by these inflammatory agents. Transgenic mice with a deletion of the Ptges gene, which encodes mPGES-1, and wild-type controls were injected intraperitoneally with IL-1β, LPS, or saline. Mice were free fed, and food intake was continuously monitored with an automated system for 12 h. Body weight was recorded every 24 h for 4 days. The IL-1β induced anorexia in wild-type but not knock-out mice, and so it was almost completely dependent on mPGES-1. In contrast, LPS induced anorexia of the same magnitude in both phenotypes, and hence it was independent of mPGES-1. However, when the mice were prestarved for 22 h, LPS induced anorexia and concomitant body weight loss in the knock-out animals that was attenuated compared with the wildtype controls. These data suggest that IL-1β and LPS induce anorexia by distinct immune-to-brain signaling pathways and that the anorexia induced by LPS is mediated by a mechanism different from the fever induced by LPS. However, nutritional state and/or motivational factors also seem to influence the pathways for immune signaling to the brain. Furthermore, both IL-1β and LPS caused reduced meal size but not meal frequency, suggesting that both agents exerted an anhedonic effect during these experimental conditions. Copyright © 2007 the American Physiological Society.
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| 13. |
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| 14. |
- Elander, Louise, et al.
(författare)
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Inducible Prostaglandin E-2 Synthesis Interacts in a Temporally Supplementary Sequence with Constitutive Prostaglandin-Synthesizing Enzymes in Creating the Hypothalamic-Pituitary-Adrenal Axis Response to Immune Challenge
- 2009
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Ingår i: Journal of Neuroscience. - 0270-6474 .- 1529-2401. ; 29:5, s. 1404-1413
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Inflammation-induced activation of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis has been suggested to depend on prostaglandins, but the prostaglandin species and the prostaglandin-synthesizing enzymes that are responsible have not been fully identified. Here, we examined HPA axis activation in mice after genetic deletion or pharmacological inhibition of prostaglandin E-2-synthesizing enzymes, including cyclooxygenase-1 (Cox-1), Cox-2, and microsomal prostaglandin E synthase-1 (mPGES-1). After immune challenge by intraperitoneal injection of lipopolysaccharide, the rapid stress hormone responses were intact after Cox-2 inhibition and unaffected by mPGES-1 deletion, whereas unselective Cox inhibition blunted these responses, implying the involvement of Cox-1. However, mPGES-1-deficient mice showed attenuated transcriptional activation of corticotropin-releasing hormone (CRH) that was followed by attenuated plasma concentrations of adrenocorticotropic hormone and corticosterone. Cox-2 inhibition similarly blunted the delayed corticosterone response and further attenuated corticosterone release in mPGES-1 knock-out mice. The expression of the c-fos gene, an index of synaptic activation, was maintained in the paraventricular hypothalamic nucleus and its brainstem afferents both after unselective and Cox-2 selective inhibition as well as in Cox-1, Cox-2, and mPGES-1 knock-out mice. These findings point to a mechanism by which ( 1) neuronal afferent signaling via brainstem autonomic relay nuclei and downstream Cox-1-dependent prostaglandin release and ( 2) humoral, CRH transcription-dependent signaling through induced Cox-2 and mPGES-1 elicited PGE(2) synthesis, shown to occur in brain vascular cells, play distinct, but temporally supplementary roles for the stress hormone response to inflammation.
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| 15. |
- Engblom, David, 1975-, et al.
(författare)
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Microsomal prostaglandin E synthase-1 is the central switch during immune-induced pyresis
- 2003
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Ingår i: Nature Neuroscience. - : Springer Science and Business Media LLC. - 1097-6256 .- 1546-1726. ; 6:11, s. 1137-1138
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- We studied the febrile response in mice deficient in microsomal prostaglandin E synthase-1 (mPGES-1), an inducible terminal isomerase expressed in cytokine-sensitive brain endothelial cells. These animals showed no fever and no central prostaglandin (PG) E2 synthesis after peripheral injection of bacterial-wall lipopolysaccharide, but their pyretic capacity in response to centrally administered PGE2 was intact. Our findings identify mPGES-1 as the central switch during immune-induced pyresis and as a target for the treatment of fever and other PGE2-dependent acute phase reactions elicited by the brain.
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| 16. |
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| 17. |
- Engström, Gunnar, et al.
(författare)
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Cardiovagal Function Measured by the Deep Breathing Test : Relationships With Coronary Atherosclerosis
- 2022
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Ingår i: Journal of the American Heart Association. - 2047-9980. ; 11:7
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Background The cardiovagal function can be assessed by quantification of respiratory sinus arrhythmia (RSA) during a deep breathing test. However, population studies of RSA and coronary atherosclerosis are lacking. This population-based study examined the relationship between RSA during deep breathing and coronary atherosclerosis, assessed by coronary artery calcium score (CACS). Methods and Results SCAPIS (Swedish Cardiopulmonary Bioimage Study) randomly invited men and women aged 50 to 64 years from the general population. CACS was obtained from computed tomography scanning, and deep breathing tests were performed in 4654 individuals. Expiration-inspiration differences (E-Is) of heart rates were calculated, and reduced RSA was defined as E-I in the lowest decile of the population. The relationship between reduced RSA and CACS (CACS≥100 or CACS≥300) was calculated using multivariable-adjusted logistic regression. The proportion of CACS≥100 was 24% in the lowest decile of E-I and 12% in individuals with E-I above the lowest decile (P<0.001), and the proportion of CACS≥300 was 12% and 4.8%, respectively (P<0.001). The adjusted odds ratio (OR) for CACS≥100 was 1.42 (95% CI, 1.10-1.84) and the adjusted OR for CACS≥300 was 1.62 (95% CI, 1.15-2.28), when comparing the lowest E-I decile with deciles 2 to 10. Adjusted ORs per 1 SD lower E-I were 1.17 (P=0.001) for CACS≥100 and 1.28 (P=0.001) for CACS≥300. Conclusions Low RSA during deep breathing is associated with increased coronary atherosclerosis as assessed by CACS, independently of traditional cardiovascular risk factors. Cardiovagal dysfunction could be a prevalent and modifiable risk factor for coronary atherosclerosis in the general population.
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| 18. |
- Engström, Gunnar, et al.
(författare)
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Pulmonary function and atherosclerosis in the general population : causal associations and clinical implications
- 2024
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Ingår i: European Journal of Epidemiology. - : Springer Nature. - 0393-2990 .- 1573-7284. ; 39:1, s. 35-49
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Reduced lung function is associated with cardiovascular mortality, but the relationships with atherosclerosis are unclear. The population-based Swedish CArdioPulmonary BioImage study measured lung function, emphysema, coronary CT angiography, coronary calcium, carotid plaques and ankle-brachial index in 29,593 men and women aged 50–64 years. The results were confirmed using 2-sample Mendelian randomization. Lower lung function and emphysema were associated with more atherosclerosis, but these relationships were attenuated after adjustment for cardiovascular risk factors. Lung function was not associated with coronary atherosclerosis in 14,524 never-smokers. No potentially causal effect of lung function on atherosclerosis, or vice versa, was found in the 2-sample Mendelian randomization analysis. Here we show that reduced lung function and atherosclerosis are correlated in the population, but probably not causally related. Assessing lung function in addition to conventional cardiovascular risk factors to gauge risk of subclinical atherosclerosis is probably not meaningful, but low lung function found by chance should alert for atherosclerosis.
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| 19. |
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| 20. |
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| 21. |
- Engström, Linda, et al.
(författare)
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Acetaminophen reduces lipopolysaccharide-induced fever by inhibiting cyclooxygenase-2
- 2013
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Ingår i: Neuropharmacology. - : Elsevier. - 0028-3908 .- 1873-7064. ; 71, s. 124-129
-
Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Acetaminophen is one of the world's most commonly used drugs to treat fever and pain, yet its mechanism of action has remained unclear. Here we tested the hypothesis that acetaminophen blocks fever through inhibition of cyclooxygenase-2 (Cox-2), by monitoring lipopolysaccharide induced fever in mice with genetic manipulations of enzymes in the prostaglandin cascade. We exploited the fact that lowered levels of a specific enzyme make the system more sensitive to any further inhibition of the same enzyme. Mice were immune challenged by an intraperitoneal injection of bacterial wall lipopolysaccharide and their body temperature recorded by telemetry. We found that mice heterozygous for Cox-2, but not for microsomal prostaglandin E synthase-1 (mPGES-1), displayed attenuated fever, indicating a rate limiting role of Cox-2. We then titrated a dose of acetaminophen that did not inhibit the lipopolysaccharide-induced fever in wild-type mice. However, when the same dose of acetaminophen was given to Cox-2 heterozygous mice, the febrile response to lipopolysaccharide was strongly attenuated, resulting in an almost normalized temperature curve, whereas no difference was seen between wild-type and heterozygous mPGES-1 mice. Furthermore, the fever to intracerebrally injected prostaglandin E2 was unaffected by acetaminophen treatment. These findings reveal that acetaminophen, similar to aspirin and other non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, is antipyretic by inhibiting cyclooxygenase-2, and not by inhibiting mPGES-1 or signaling cascades downstream of prostaglandin E2.
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| 22. |
- Engström, Linda
(författare)
-
Between dependence and deprivation: The interlocking nature of land alienation in Tanzania
- 2018
-
Ingår i: Journal of Agrarian Change. - : Wiley. - 1471-0358 .- 1471-0366. ; 18, s. 806-830
-
Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Studies of accumulation by dispossession in the Global South tend to focus on individual sectors, for example, large-scale agriculture or nature conservation. Yet smallholder farmers and pastoralists are affected by multiple processes of land alienation. Drawing on the case of Tanzania, we illustrate the analytical purchase of a comprehensive examination of dynamics of land alienation across multiple sectors. To begin with, processes of land alienation through investments in agriculture, mining, conservation, and tourism dovetail with a growing social differentiation and class formation. These dynamics generate unequal patterns of land deprivation and accumulation that evolve in a context of continued land dependency for the vast majority of the rural population. Consequently, land alienation engenders responses by individuals and communities seeking to maintain control over their means of production. These responses include migration, land tenure formalization, and land transactions, that propagate across multiple localities and scales, interlocking with and further reinforcing the effects of land alienation. Various localized processes of primitive accumulation contribute to a scramble for land in the aggregate, providing justifications for policies that further drive land alienation.
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| 23. |
- Engström, Linda, et al.
(författare)
-
Conjuring 'Win-World' - Resilient Development Narratives in a Large-Scale Agro-Investment in Tanzania
- 2019
-
Ingår i: Journal of Development Studies. - : Informa UK Limited. - 0022-0388 .- 1743-9140. ; 55, s. 1201-1220
-
Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Through a case study of a public-private partnership (PPP) for development in which the Swedish development agency Sida supported a Swedish company trying to implement a large-scale agro-investment in sugarcane in Tanzania, we unpack the underpinnings of what we call 'win-world', a resilient development narrative maintained by actors promoting the investment. Rich empirical descriptions show that this narrative was highly resilient to accumulated academic knowledge and current real-world problems. We found that the privatisation of development increased the resilience of the narrative to evidence of its own shortcomings.
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| 24. |
- Engström, Linda
(författare)
-
Development delayed : exploring the failure of a large-scale agricultural investment in Tanzania to deliver promised outcomes
- 2018
-
Doktorsavhandling (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract
- Since the early 2000s, large-scale agricultural investment has experienced a revival on the agenda for rural development in Africa, purported to bring, for instance, efficient agricultural production, reduced import expenditures and poverty alleviation. This new wave of large-scale agricultural investment has been described as more extensive in scale than previous attempts to promote such large farms. However, closer scrutiny reveals that in many countries, the expected flood of investments has so far been only a trickle. So far, few studies have been conducted to investigate this trend of failure. The overarching aim of this thesis is to contribute to the knowledge about how and why this new wave of large-scale agricultural investment failed to deliver proposed outcomes. This is done by exploring the empirical trajectories of, and the reasons behind, the failure of a planned public private partnership, a large scale sugar-cane investment in Tanzania, to deliver promised outcomes. In interviews with project proponents and rural residents targeted by investment, the thesis shows how project proponents simplified complex contexts in order to ‘sell’ narratives of imminent success. Such simplifications interacted with context to produce delays in project implementation and subsequent failure of the project to materialise. Importantly, these delays had severe negative impacts on local communities. Despite delay being a common feature in development projects, it has been little discussed. Combined, these findings suggest that delay is an important, but overlooked, factor when understanding development failure, and that delay should not be conceived as inevitable and innocent. Through discourse analysis and drawing on the concept ‘resilient narratives’, I analyse discursive practices used by proponents to sustain the image of success, in the face of contradicting narratives and materialities. Mainly drawing on post-development and post-colonial theory, I then position my findings in debates on development narratives and development failure, and advance some reflections on the influence of close collaboration with a private actor in development assistance in relation to these findings. While the context of the case study is highly complex and to a certain extent unpredictable, I argue that proponents have a responsibility to understand this context, and address it in their policies and projects. Finally, I argue that more attention must be paid to the impacts of delayed or non-materialised projects in both academia and policy debates.
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| 25. |
- Engström, Linda
(författare)
-
Formalising village land dispossession? An aggregate analysis of the combined effects of the land formalisation and land acquisition agendas in Tanzania
- 2022
-
Ingår i: Land Use Policy. - : Elsevier BV. - 0264-8377 .- 1873-5754. ; 120
-
Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- While literature on land grabbing and land formalisation respectively has literally exploded the past decade, few studies analyse the practical processes taking place at their confluence, or provide an analysis at an aggregate level. This paper is based on 27 months of in-depth empirical investigation of thirteen large-scale agro-investments across four regions in Tanzania. It explores how four key legislative acts and policies related to land formalisation and land acquisition for large-scale agro-investments unfold on the ground, their implementation and combined effects. We show that land formalisation and acquisition are intrinsically linked: the former paving the way for investment in all thirteen cases. Moreover, rather than fulfilling development policy expectations of land tenure security for smallholder farmers, employment and poverty reduction in rural Africa, we demonstrate that, in Tanzania, these combined processes rather foster village land dispossession, investors’ land acquisitions, and a (re)centralisation of land control. Therefore, we argue that the conjoint implementation of policies associated with land formalisation and land investments have adverse consequences for rural farmers whose land is formalised and then set aside for investment ultimately leading to a formalised rural land dispossession. Our unique aggregate analysis thus provides solid support to the existing critique towards the parallel implementation of land formalisation and large-scale agro-investments, and the interlinked reform of the land legislative framework, all strongly supported by global development bodies.
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| 26. |
- Engström, Linda
(författare)
-
How can an agricultural investment that never happened affect people living in poverty?
- 2020
-
Rapport (populärvet., debatt m.m.)abstract
- The idea of promoting large-scale agricultural investment in order to achieve rural development in Africa has been strongly promoted by governments, bilateral and global development agencies since the early 2000’s. However, it is becoming widely recognized that many of these investments never materialize. So far, few studies have tried to understand this trend of failure. The main aim of my doctoral research was to contribute to the knowledge about how and why this new wave of largescale agricultural investment so far has failed to deliver proposed outcomes, through studying a Swedish sugar-cane investment in Tanzania. One of the most important findings was that stalled or failed projects can have quite serious negative impacts on people living in poverty, not least pastoralists and smallholder farmers living on or using the land leased by the investor. This brief will outline how it is possible that something that never happened can have severe impacts. It makes the point that delayed or failed investments need much more attention in development policy. Finally, it will provide some policy messages on how development practitioners can work to avoid that such “non-materialized” investment projects harm people living in poverty.
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| 27. |
- Engström, Linda, 1976-
(författare)
-
Inflammation-Induced Gene Expression in Brain and Adrenal Gland
- 2008
-
Doktorsavhandling (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract
- The autonomic nervous system serves to maintain a constant inner environment, a process termed homeostasis. Thus, in response to the homeostatic challenge posed by infectious agents, the autonomic nervous system answers to signals from the immune system and elicits adaptive physiological and behavioral reactions. These so called sickness responses include fever, anorexia, hyperalgesia, social avoidance, and the release of stress hormones.Neuropeptides, used in the communication between neurons, are because of their release properties and sustained actions likely mediators of homeostatic responses. The enkephalinergic system constitutes one of the largest neuropeptidergic systems in the brain, but its involvement in inflammatory conditions has been little studied. We first examined the immune-induced activation of the parabrachial nucleus (paper I), an enkephalinergic autonomic relay center in the brain stem. We found that intravenous injection of bacterial endotoxin, lipopolysaccharide (LPS), activated the external lateral parabrachial subnucleus, as measured in terms of Fos expression, but that the enkephalinergic cell population in this subnucleus was largely separated from the LPS-activated neurons. Because Fos may not always be a reliable activity marker, we next examined by in situ hybridization the immune-induced expression of newly transcribed preproenkephalin (ppENK) heteronuclear RNA (hnRNA), which gives a direct indication of the utilization of enkephalin in a particular neuron (paper II). We detected induced expression of ppENK hnRNA in several autonomic structures in the brain, including the paraventricular hypothalamic nucleus (PVH) but not the parabrachial nucleus, indicating increased enkephalinergic signaling activity in the positively labeled structures during inflammatory condition. We then examined the projections of the immune-induced ppENK transcribing PVH neurons by injecting rats intraperitoneally with the retrograde tracer substance Fluoro-Gold, hence labeling neurons with axonal projections outside the blood-brain barrier, followed by systemic injection of LPS (paper III). Dual-labeling histochemical and hybridization techniques showed that the vast majority of the ppENK hnRNA expressing cells were hypophysiotropic cells, hence being involved in neuroendocrine regulation. These findings suggest that centrally produced enkephalin is involved in the coordination of the sickness responses during systemic immune challenge, including the modulation of the release of stress hormones or other hypothalamic hormones during inflammatory conditions.We next turned to the role of prostaglandins in the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis response to inflammation. We injected mice deficient for the terminal prostaglandin (PG) E2 synthesizing enzyme mPGES-1 with LPS and studied their stress hormone release (paper IV). The genetically modified mice displayed attenuated plasma levels of adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH) and corticosterone during the later phases of the HPA-axis response compared with wild type mice, and this impairment did not depend on a changed activation pattern in the brain, but instead correlated to an early decrease in corticotropin-releasing hormone mRNA expression in the PVH, hence being the likely cause of the blunted ACTH and corticosterone responses at later time-points. Based on these findings we suggest that a neural, mPGES-1-independent pathway, and a humoral, mPGES-1-dependent pathway act in concert but in distinct temporal patterns to initiate and maintain the HPA-axis response during immune challenge.In addition to activating the central limb of the HPA-axis, inflammatory mediators have been suggested to act directly on the adrenal gland to induce the release of corticosterone, but little is known about the underlying mechanisms. We examined adrenal tissue isolated from rats injected with LPS or interleukin-1β (IL-1β) (paper V), and found that immune stimulation resulted in dynamic changes in the adrenal immune cell population, implying a rapid depletion of dendritic cells in the inner cortical layer and the recruitment of immature cells to the outer layers. These changes were accompanied by an induced production of IL-1β and IL-1 receptor type 1, as well as of cyclo-oxygenase-2 and mPGES-1 in these cells, implying local cytokine-mediated PGE2 production in the adrenals, which also displayed EP1 and EP3 receptors in the cortex and medulla. Additional mechanistic studies using an IL-1 receptor antagonist showed that IL-1β acts locally to affect its own synthesis, as well as that of cyclooxygenase-2. Taken together these data demonstrate a mechanism by which systemic inflammatory agents activate an intrinsically regulated local signaling circuit that may influence the adrenals’ response to immune stress and may help explain the dissociation between plasma levels of ACTH and corticosteroids during chronic immune perturbations.
|
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| 28. |
- Engström, Linda, et al.
(författare)
-
Large-scale land acquisition in Tanzania: a critical analyses of practices and dynamics
- 2014
-
Ingår i: The global land grab: beyond the hype. - 978 1 78032 895 9 ; , s. 36-53
-
Bokkapitel (refereegranskat)abstract
- This chapter presents the current status of agrofuel investments in Tanzania and uses empirical data from three cases of large-scale investments for agrofuel production in the Rufiji, Bagamoyo, and Meru districts to provide snapshots of what is happening on the ground. The chapter also describes and analyses the history and trends in large-scale agricultural investments in Tanzania and key land acquisition processes, as well as the role of the state and other actors.
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| 29. |
|
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| 30. |
- Engström, Linda, et al.
(författare)
-
Lipopolysaccharide-Induced Fever Depends on Prostaglandin E2 Production Specifically in Brain Endothelial Cells
- 2012
-
Ingår i: Endocrinology. - : Endocrine Society. - 0013-7227 .- 1945-7170. ; 153:10, s. 4849-4861
-
Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Immune-induced prostaglandin E2 (PGE2) synthesis is critical for fever and other centrally elicited disease symptoms. The production of PGE2 depends on cyclooxygenase-2 and microsomal prostaglandin E synthase-1 (mPGES-1), but the identity of the cells involved has been a matter of controversy. We generated mice expressing mPGES-1 either in cells of hematopoietic or nonhematopoietic origin. Mice lacking mPGES-1 in hematopoietic cells displayed an intact febrile response to lipopolysaccharide, associated with elevated levels of PGE2 in the cerebrospinal fluid. In contrast, mice that expressed mPGES-1 only in hematopoietic cells, although displaying elevated PGE2 levels in plasma but not in the cerebrospinal fluid, showed no febrile response to lipopolysaccharide, thus pointing to the critical role of brain-derived PGE2 for fever. Immunohistochemical stainings showed that induced cyclooxygenase-2 expression in the brain exclusively occurred in endothelial cells, and quantitative PCR analysis on brain cells isolated by flow cytometry demonstrated that mPGES-1 is induced in endothelial cells and not in vascular wall macrophages. Similar analysis on liver cells showed induced expression in macrophages and not in endothelial cells, pointing at the distinct role for brain endothelial cells in PGE2 synthesis. These results identify the brain endothelial cells as the PGE2-producing cells critical for immune-induced fever.
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| 31. |
- Engström, Linda, et al.
(författare)
-
Lipopolysaccharide induces preproenkephalin transcription in hypophysiotropic neurons of the rat paraventricular hypothalamic nucleus suggesting a neuroendocrine role for enkephalins during immune stress
- 2006
-
Ingår i: Neuroscience. - : Elsevier BV. - 0306-4522. ; 142:3, s. 781-788
-
Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Opioids have impact on stress responses and possess immune modulatory functions. We have previously shown that immune stress elevates the levels of preproenkephalin transcript in a variety of autonomic structures in the rat brain, including the paraventricular hypothalamic nucleus. By using in situ hybridization with an intronic probe recognizing the preproenkephalin heteronuclear RNA combined with retrograde tract tracing, we examined the efferent target of the enkephalinergic neurons in the paraventricular hypothalamic nucleus that display induced transcriptional activity during immune challenge. Rats were first given i.p. injections of the tracer substance Fluoro-Gold, which following this route of administration is taken up only by nerve terminals residing outside the blood–brain barrier, and were then given an i.v. injection of lipopolysaccharide. Neuronal cell bodies retrogradely labeled with Fluoro-Gold were detected by immunohistochemistry, and—using a dual-labeling approach—the same cells were then examined for their expression of preproenkephalin heteronuclear RNA. We found that over 90% of the neurons that expressed preproenkephalin heteronuclear RNA also contained Fluoro-Gold. In addition, approximately 40% of the neurons expressing preproenkephalin heteronuclear RNA co-expressed mRNA for corticotropin-releasing hormone, the main adrenocorticotropic hormone secretagogue. These data show that the paraventricular hypothalamic neurons that display induced preproenkephalin transcription following immune challenge are almost exclusively hypophysiotropic neurons, indicating a role for enkephalin in the hypothalamic control of hormone release during infectious and inflammatory conditions.
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| 32. |
- Engström, Linda
(författare)
-
Liquid biofuels opportunities and challenges in developing countries
- 2009
-
Rapport (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract
- The key drivers for the rising interest in liquid biofuels differ between countries. In general, rich countries see the outlook of rising prices for fossil fuels and the need for reducing carbon emissions. Most developing countries need increased energy security and development. While the rich countries’ needs require production for export, the developing countries might fulfil their needs more sustainably with production for domestic use. There is potential for win win solutions but there are also challenges to be aware of, as well as recommendations of what needs to be in place for the small holders, and the environment on which they depend, not to loose out on another mono crop system. Donors can play an important role when it comes to supporting these recommendations. There is rising concern about the effects of rapid expansion of biofuel investment, on the environment and people in production countries. In developing countries, biofuel production is likely to have an impact within rural development, energy security, agriculture, water management, food secu-rity and ultimately; poverty reduction. Therefore, in 2008, Sida commissioned SwedBio and the Sida Helpdesk for Environmental Assessment at the Swedish University for Agricultural Sciences in Uppsala, to produce a fact sheet to summarise the main challenges and concerns that need to be addressed. The Fact Sheet would also provide recommendations on what to consider and how, to reach a positive development for people and the environment in developing countries. This summary report forms the background material produced for the Fact Sheet.
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| 33. |
- Engström, Linda, et al.
(författare)
-
Preproenkephalin mRNA expression in rat parabrachial neurons: relation to cells activated by systemic immune challenge
- 2001
-
Ingår i: Neuroscience Letters. - : Elsevier Science B.V., Amsterdam.. - 0304-3940 .- 1872-7972. ; 316:3, s. 165-168
-
Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- By using a dual-labeling immunohistochemical/in situ hybridization technique we examined if enkephalin-expressing neurons in the pontine parabrachial nucleus, a major brain stem relay for ascending visceral and homeostatic information, were activated by systemic immune challenge. While rats subjected to intravenous injection of bacterial wall lipopolysaccharide expressed dense labeling for the immediate-early gene product FOS in parts of the parabrachial nucleus that also demonstrated dense preproenkephalin expression, only a small proportion of the enkephalin-positive neurons were FOS-positive. These data indicate that enkephalins, although implicated in a variety of autonomic responses, are not primarily involved in the transmission of immune-related information from the parabrachial nucleus to its different forebrain and brain stem targets.
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| 34. |
- Engström, Linda, et al.
(författare)
-
Producing Feedstock for Biofuels : Land-Use and Local Environmental Impacts
- 2011
-
Rapport (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract
- Feedstock production and conversion to biofuels can affect the local environment in many different ways. Given that biofuels presently mostly are produced from conventional food crops, impacts resemble those characterising the present day agriculture. These depend on the crops produced, the production systems employed, governance conditions, and local environmental conditions. In the main report, production system characteristics and current documented environmental impacts related to e.g. air and water quality and biodiversity – associated with the production of relevant biofuel crops are presented in each country land-use profile
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| 35. |
- Engström, Linda, et al.
(författare)
-
Students' Expectations of Learning Analytics in a Swedish Higher Education Institution
- 2022
-
Ingår i: Proceedings Of The 2022 Ieee Global Engineering Education Conference (Educon 2022). - : IEEE. ; , s. 1975-1980
-
Konferensbidrag (refereegranskat)abstract
- The potential of learning analytics (LA) to improve learning and teaching is high. Yet, the adoption of LA across countries still remains low. One reason behind this is that the LA services often do not adequately meet the expectations and needs of their key stakeholders, namely students and teachers. Presently, there is limited research focusing on the examination of the students' expectations of LA across countries, especially in the Nordic, largely highly digitalized context. To fill this gap, this study examines Swedish students' attitudes of LA in a higher education institution. To do so, the validated survey instrument, Student Expectations of Learning Analytics Questionnaire (SELAQ) has been used. Through the application of SELAQ, the students' ideal and predicted expectations of the LA service and their expectations regarding privacy and ethics were examined. Data were collected in spring 2021. 132 students participated in the study. The results show that the students have higher ideal expectations of LA compared to the predicted ones, especially in regards to privacy and ethics. Also, the findings illustrate that the respondents have low expectations in areas related to the instructor feedback, based on the analytics results. Further, the results demonstrate that the students have high expectations on the part of the university in matters concerning privacy and ethics. In sum, the results from the study can be used as a basis for implementing LA in the selected context.
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| 36. |
|
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| 37. |
- Engström, Linda, et al.
(författare)
-
Systemic immune challenge activates an intrinsically regulated local inflammatory circuit in the adrenal gland
- 2008
-
Ingår i: Endocrinology. - : The Endocrine Society. - 0013-7227 .- 1945-7170. ; 149:4, s. 1436-1450
-
Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- There is evidence from in vitro studies that inflammatory messengers influence the release of stress hormone via direct effects on the adrenal gland; however, the mechanisms underlying these effects in the intact organism are unknown. Here we demonstrate that systemic inflammation in rats elicited by iv injection of lipopolysaccharide results in dynamic changes in the adrenal immune cell population, implying a rapid depletion of dendritic cells in the inner cortical layer and the recruitment of immature cells to the outer layers. These changes are accompanied by an induced production of IL-1β and IL-1 receptor type 1 as well as cyclooxygenase-2 and microsomal prostaglandin E synthase-1 in these cells, implying local cytokine-mediated prostaglandin E2 production in the adrenals, which also displayed prostaglandin E2 receptors of subtypes 1 and 3 in the cortex and medulla. The IL-1β expression was also induced by systemically administrated IL-1β and was in both cases attenuated by IL-1 receptor antagonist, consistent with an autocrine signaling loop. IL-1β similarly induced expression of cyclooxygenase-2, but the cyclooxygenase-2 expression was, in contrast, further enhanced by IL-1 receptor antagonist. These data demonstrate a mechanism by which systemic inflammatory agents activate an intrinsically regulated local signaling circuit that may influence the adrenals’ response to immune stress and may help explain the dissociation between plasma levels of ACTH and corticosteroids during chronic immune perturbations.
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| 38. |
- Engström, Linda, et al.
(författare)
-
Systemic immune challenge induces preproenkephalin gene transcription in distinct autonomic structures of the rat brain
- 2003
-
Ingår i: Journal of Comparative Neurology. - : Wiley. - 0021-9967 .- 1096-9861. ; 462:4, s. 450-461
-
Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- The involvement of enkephalins in the immune response was investigated in rats injected intravenously with interleukin-1 (2 g/kg). In situ hybridization with a riboprobe complementary to intron A of the preproenkephalin (ppENK) gene showed distinct transcriptional activation within several brain regions known to be activated by immune stimuli, including the nucleus of the solitary tract, the area postrema, the paraventricular hypothalamic nucleus, and the oval nucleus of the bed nucleus of the stria terminalis, and dual labeling confirmed that a large proportion of the intron expressing neurons co-expressed c-fos mRNA. Rats injected with saline (controls) showed little or no heteronuclear transcript in these structures. The induced signal was strongest after 1 hour but was present in some structures 30 minutes after interleukin-1 injection. At 3 hours, transcriptional activity returned to basal levels. High basal expression of the heteronuclear transcript that appeared unchanged by the immune stimulus was seen in regions not primarily involved in the immune response, such as the striatum, the olfactory tubercle, and the islands of Calleja and in the immune activated central nucleus of the amygdala. The heteronuclear transcript colocalized with ppENK mRNA, demonstrating that it occurred in enkephalinergic neurons and was not the result of alternative transcription from the ppENK gene in other cells. These results demonstrated that enkephalin transcription is induced in central autonomic neurons during immune challenge, suggesting that enkephalins are involved in the centrally orchestrated response to such stimuli.
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| 39. |
|
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| 40. |
- Engström, Linda
(författare)
-
When investors leave
- 2013
-
Ingår i: Annual Report : 2012: Development Dilemmas. - : Nordiska Afrikainstitutet. - 1104-5256. ; 2012, s. 24-25
-
Tidskriftsartikel (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)
|
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| 41. |
- Engström-Ruud, Linda, et al.
(författare)
-
Activation of GFRAL+ neurons induces hypothermia and glucoregulatory responses associated with nausea and torpor.
- 2024
-
Ingår i: Cell reports. - 2211-1247. ; 43:4
-
Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- GFRAL-expressing neurons actuate aversion and nausea, are targets for obesity treatment, and may mediate metformin effects by long-term GDF15-GFRAL agonism. Whether GFRAL+ neurons acutely regulate glucose and energy homeostasis is, however, underexplored. Here, we report that cell-specific activation of GFRAL+ neurons using a variety of techniques causes a torpor-like state, including hypothermia, the release of stress hormones, a shift from glucose to lipid oxidation, and impaired insulin sensitivity, glucose tolerance, and skeletal muscle glucose uptake but augmented glucose uptake in visceral fat. Metabolomic analysis of blood and transcriptomics of muscle and fat indicate alterations in ketogenesis, insulin signaling, adipose tissue differentiation and mitogenesis, and energy fluxes. Our findings indicate that acute GFRAL+ neuron activation induces endocrine and gluco- and thermoregulatory responses associated with nausea and torpor. While chronic activation of GFRAL signaling promotes weight loss in obesity, these results show that acute activation of GFRAL+ neurons causes hypothermia and hyperglycemia.
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| 42. |
|
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| 43. |
- Flink, Ida K., 1980-, et al.
(författare)
-
Expecting the uncertain : The applicability of the intolerance of uncertainty model on fear of childbirth
- 2023
-
Ingår i: Journal of Psychosomatic Obstetrics and Gynaecology. - : Taylor & Francis. - 0167-482X .- 1743-8942. ; 44:1
-
Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- A considerable number of pregnant women experience fear of childbirth (FOC), characterized by worries and fear of the unpredictable. Despite this, the psychological processes in FOC have received notably little attention. The aim of this study was to advance the understanding by exploring the applicability of the Intolerance of Uncertainty (IU) model on FOC. Anonymous data was collected in a sample of pregnant women (N = 357) with varying levels of FOC. Analyses supported the associations between FOC and all proposed psychological processes: IU, negative problem orientation, positive beliefs about worry and avoidance of inner experiences. The exploration of potential mediators of the relation between IU and FOC revealed that, of the three processes from the model, only positive beliefs about worry were a mediator, and more specifically, a partial mediator between IU and FOC. These findings add to the theoretical understanding of FOC, by indicating that the role of IU may be similar to other conditions inflicted by worry and anxiety, which may inform treatment development. © 2023 The Author(s). Published by Informa UK Limited, trading as Taylor & Francis Group.
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| 44. |
- Gianni, Stefano, et al.
(författare)
-
Sequence-specific Long Range networks in PSD-95/Discs Large/ZO-1 (PDZ) Domains Tune Their Binding Selectivity
- 2011
-
Ingår i: Journal of Biological Chemistry. - 0021-9258 .- 1083-351X. ; 286:31, s. 27167-27175
-
Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Protein-protein interactions mediated by modular protein domains are critical for cell scaffolding, differentiation, signaling, and ultimately, evolution. Given the vast number of ligands competing for binding to a limited number of domain families, it is often puzzling how specificity can be achieved. Selectivity may be modulated by intradomain allostery, whereby a remote residue is energetically connected to the functional binding site via side chain or backbone interactions. Whereas several energetic pathways, which could mediate intradomain allostery, have been predicted in modular protein domains, there is a paucity of experimental data to validate their existence and roles. Here, we have identified such functional energetic networks in one of the most common protein-protein interaction modules, the PDZ domain. We used double mutant cycles involving site-directed mutagenesis of both the PDZ domain and the peptide ligand, in conjunction with kinetics to capture the fine energetic details of the networks involved in peptide recognition. We performed the analysis on two homologous PDZ-ligand complexes and found that the energetically coupled residues differ for these two complexes. This result demonstrates that amino acid sequence rather than topology dictates the allosteric pathways. Furthermore, our data support a mechanism whereby the whole domain and not only the binding pocket is optimized for a specific ligand. Such cross-talk between binding sites and remote residues may be used to fine tune target selectivity.
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| 45. |
|
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| 46. |
- Gustavsson, Linda, et al.
(författare)
-
Sore throat in women after intubation with 6.5 or 7.0 mm endotracheal tube : a quantitative study
- 2014
-
Ingår i: Intensive & Critical Care Nursing. - : Elsevier BV. - 0964-3397 .- 1532-4036. ; 30:6, s. 318-324
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Background: Women experience more sore throats than men after endotracheal intubation.Aim: The aim of this study was to investigate the incidence of self-rated sore throat immediately,and 2—4 hours postoperatively, in women after elective gynaecological surgery under generalanaesthesia using an endotracheal tube (ETT) size 6.5 or 7.0 mm in inner diameter.Method: Eighty-two female participants who had undergone elective gynaecological surgeryparticipated, 44 and 38 were intubated with size 6.5 mm ETT and 7.0 mm ETT respectively.They estimated the occurrence of sore throat preoperatively and postoperatively, according toa 4-point Likert scale. Statistical data were analysed using the Package for Social Science (SPSS)19.Results: Sore throat was present in 29.5% of participants who were intubated with size 6.5 mmETT immediately postoperatively and in 39.5% of those who were intubated with size 7.0 mmETT.Conclusion: Nurses specialising in the supervision of daily care specific to the intubated patientshould note and alleviate sore throat as part of their nursing care.
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| 47. |
- Hansson, Martin, et al.
(författare)
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Tunga ting med text : Sivert Grubbe och eftermälet
- 2019
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Ingår i: Tidens landskap : En vänbok till Anders Andrén - En vänbok till Anders Andrén. - 0349-4128. - 9789188909121 ; :77, s. 48-50
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Bokkapitel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Den här artikeln diskuterar den danske adelsmannen Sivert Grubbe och de tavlor med långa inskrifter på latin som han satte upp på sina herrgårdar Torup och Hovdala på 1630-talet. Tavlorna sattes upp mot slutet av hans liv och kan ses som ett försök att skapa ett minnesmärke över sig själv, att styra det egna eftermälet.
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| 48. |
- Haq, S Raza, et al.
(författare)
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Side-Chain Interactions Form Late and Cooperatively in the Binding Reaction between Disordered Peptides and PDZ Domains
- 2012
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Ingår i: Journal of the American Chemical Society. - : American Chemical Society. - 0002-7863 .- 1520-5126. ; 134:1, s. 599-605
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Intrinsically disordered proteins are very common and mediate numerous protein-protein and protein-DNA interactions. While it is clear that these interactions are instrumental for the life of the mammalian cell, there is a paucity of data regarding their molecular binding mechanisms. Here we have used short peptides as a model system for intrinsically disordered proteins. Linear free energy relationships based on rate and equilibrium constants for the binding of these peptides to ordered target proteins, PDZ domains, demonstrate that native side-chain interactions form mainly after the rate-limiting barrier for binding and in a cooperative fashion. This finding suggests that these disordered peptides first form a weak encounter complex with non-native interactions. The data do not support the recent notion that the affinities of intrinsically disordered proteins toward their targets are generally governed by their association rate constants. Instead, we observed the opposite for peptide-PDZ interactions, namely, that changes in K-d correlate with changes in k(off).
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| 49. |
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| 50. |
- Jiretorn, Linda, et al.
(författare)
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'My goal was to become normal'-A qualitative investigation of coping with stigma, body image and self-esteem long-term after bariatric surgery
- 2024
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Ingår i: CLINICAL OBESITY. - 1758-8103 .- 1758-8111.
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Improved self-esteem and body image, as well as reduced experiences of weight stigma are important patient-reported obesity treatment outcomes. However, more knowledge is needed about how individuals who have undergone metabolic and bariatric surgery (MBS) perceive themselves and their bodies and use different coping strategies in relation to body image and self-esteem long-term after MBS. In this qualitative study body image, self-esteem, weight stigma and coping strategies were explored among 18 individuals who underwent MBS more than 10 years ago when interviewed. Using reflexive thematic analysis, two primary themes were identified: 'Experiences of living with a stigmatised body' and 'Coping with weight stigma, body image and self-esteem', and eight sub-themes. Findings capture frequent experiences of weight stigma before bariatric surgery, the need for coping with stigma and body dissatisfaction before and after MBS, and how different coping strategies are related to participants' perceptions of their bodies and self-concepts. More adaptive coping strategies, such as confrontation and cognitive restructuring may facilitate more positive body image outcomes, than more ruminative and avoidant strategies. Understanding adaptive coping strategies can be useful to develop interventions to reduce negative consequences of weight stigma on body image and self-esteem.
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