| 1. |
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| 2. |
- Abedi Dunia, Oscar, et al.
(author)
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Visibilising hidden realities and uncertainties : the ‘post-covid’ move towards decolonized and ethical field research practices
- 2023
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In: International Journal of Social Research Methodology. - : Routledge. - 1364-5579 .- 1464-5300. ; 26:5, s. 549-564
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- This article seeks to move beyond the Euro/North-centrism recurrent in methodological discussions on what we may learn from the COVID-19 pandemic. Such debates often centre on uncertainty and involuntary immobility – aspects which are hardly new for many researchers. In this article, we argue that the pandemic offers an opportunity to rethink research relations between what we term ‘contracting researchers’ in the Global North and ‘facilitating researchers’ in the Global South. Such relations are often marked by rampant inequalities in remuneration, working conditions, and visibility/authorship. Drawing upon experiences in DR Congo, Sierra Leone, and India, we argue that the pandemic increased the dependence on – and highlighted the invaluable contributions and skills of – facilitating researchers, in part slightly refiguring bargaining power. We also propose pathways for change, arguing for a strong collaborative approach and the need for institutional change, without discarding the responsibilities of individual researchers.
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| 3. |
- Adman, Per, et al.
(author)
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171 forskare: ”Vi vuxna bör också klimatprotestera”
- 2019
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In: Dagens nyheter (DN debatt). - Stockholm. - 1101-2447.
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Journal article (pop. science, debate, etc.)abstract
- DN DEBATT 26/9. Vuxna bör följa uppmaningen från ungdomarna i Fridays for future-rörelsen och protestera eftersom det politiska ledarskapet är otillräckligt. Omfattande och långvariga påtryckningar från hela samhället behövs för att få de politiskt ansvariga att utöva det ledarskap som klimatkrisen kräver, skriver 171 forskare i samhällsvetenskap och humaniora.
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| 4. |
- Blomberg, Anders, et al.
(author)
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Chronic Airflow Limitation, Emphysema and Impaired Diffusing Capacity in Relation to Smoking Habits in a Swedish Middle-Aged Population.
- 2024
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In: Annals of the American Thoracic Society. - 2329-6933 .- 2325-6621.
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- RATIONALE: Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) includes respiratory symptoms and chronic airflow limitation (CAL). In some cases, emphysema and impaired diffusing capacity for carbon monoxide (DLCO) are present, but characteristics and symptoms vary with smoking exposure.OBJECTIVES: To study the prevalence of CAL, emphysema and impaired DLCO in relation to smoking and respiratory symptoms in a middle-aged population.METHODS: We investigated 28,746 randomly invited individuals (52% women) aged 50-64 years across six Swedish sites. We performed spirometry, DLCO, high-resolution computed tomography (HRCT) and asked for smoking habits and respiratory symptoms. CAL was defined as post-bronchodilator forced expiratory volume in 1 second divided by forced expiratory volume (FEV1/FVC)<0.7.RESULTS: The overall prevalence was for CAL 8.8%, for impaired DLCO (DLCOCONCLUSIONS: In this large population-based study of middle-aged people, CAL and impaired DLCO were associated with common respiratory symptoms. Self-reported asthma was not associated with CAL in never-smokers. Our findings suggest that CAL in never-smokers signifies a separate clinical phenotype that may be monitored and, possibly, treated differently from smoking-related COPD. This article is open access and distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/).
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| 5. |
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| 6. |
- Malinovschi, Andrei, 1978-, et al.
(author)
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Assessment of Global Lung Function Initiative (GLI) reference equations for diffusing capacity in relation to respiratory burden in the Swedish CArdioPulmonary bioImage Study (SCAPIS)
- 2020
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In: European Respiratory Journal. - Lausanne, Switzerland : European Respiratory Society (ERS). - 0903-1936 .- 1399-3003. ; 56:2
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- The Global Lung Function Initiative (GLI) has recently published international reference values for diffusing capacity of the lung for carbon monoxide (DLCO). Lower limit of normal (LLN), i.e. the 5th percentile, usually defines impaired DLCO. We examined if the GLI LLN for DLCO differs from the LLN in a Swedish population of healthy, never-smoking individuals and how any such differences affect identification of subjects with respiratory burden.Spirometry, DLCO, chest high-resolution computed tomography (HRCT) and questionnaires were obtained from the first 15 040 participants, aged 50–64 years, of the Swedish CArdioPulmonary bioImage Study (SCAPIS). Both GLI reference values and the lambda-mu-sigma (LMS) method were used to define the LLN in asymptomatic never-smokers without respiratory disease (n=4903, of which 2329 were women).Both the median and LLN for DLCO from SCAPIS were above the median and LLN from the GLI (p<0.05). The prevalence of DLCO DLCO >GLI LLN but DLCO >GLI LLN but versus 4.5%, p<0.001), chronic airflow limitation (8.5% versus 3.9%, p<0.001) and chronic bronchitis (8.3% versus 4.4%, p<0.01) than subjects (n=13 600) with normal DLCO (>GLI LLN and >SCAPIS LLN). No differences were found with regard to physician-diagnosed asthma.The GLI LLN for DLCO is lower than the estimated LLN in healthy, never-smoking, middle-aged Swedish adults. Individuals with DLCO above the GLI LLN but below the SCAPIS LLN had, to a larger extent, an increased respiratory burden. This suggests clinical implications for choosing an adequate LLN for studied populations.
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| 7. |
- Malinovschi, Andrei, 1978-, et al.
(author)
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Consequences of Using Post- or Prebronchodilator Reference Values in Interpreting Spirometry
- 2023
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In: American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine. - : American Thoracic Society. - 1073-449X .- 1535-4970. ; 208:4, s. 461-471
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- RATIONALE: Post-bronchodilator (BD) spirometry is used for diagnosis of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). However, pre-BD reference values are used for spirometry interpretation.OBJECTIVES: To compare the resulting prevalence rates of abnormal spirometry and study the consequences of using pre- or post-BD reference values generated within the Swedish CArdioPulmonary bioImage Study (SCAPIS) when interpreting post-BD spirometry in a general population.METHODS: SCAPIS reference values for post-BD and pre-BD spirometry were based on 10,156 and 1,498 never-smoking, healthy participants, respectively. We studied the associations of abnormal spirometry, defined by using pre- or post-BD reference values, with respiratory burden in the SCAPIS general population (28,851 individuals).MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS: Bronchodilation resulted in higher predicted median and lower limit of normal (LLN) for FEV1/FVC ratio. The prevalence of post-BD FEV1/FVC < pre-bronchodilator LLN was 4.8% and that of post-BD FEV1/FVC < post-bronchodilator LLN was 9.9% for the general population. An additional 5.1% was identified as having an abnormal post-BD FEV1/FVC ratio and this group had more respiratory symptoms, emphysema (13.5% vs. 4.1%, p<0.001) and self-reported physician-diagnosed COPD (2.8% vs. 0.5%, p<0.001) than subjects with post-BD FEV1/FVC ratio > LLN for both pre- and post-bronchodilation).CONCLUSIONS: Pre- and post-bronchodilator spirometry reference values differ with regard to FEV1/FVC ratio. Use of post-bronchodilator reference values doubled the population prevalence of airflow obstruction; this was related to a higher respiratory burden. Using post-bronchodilator reference values when interpreting post-bronchodilator spirometry might enable identification of individuals with mild disease and be clinically relevant.
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| 8. |
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| 9. |
- Utas, Mats, 1968-, et al.
(author)
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Introduction : setting the stage
- 2023
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In: Facilitating researchers in insecure zones. - London : Bloomsbury Academic. - 9781350265653 - 9781350265677 ; , s. 1-24, s. 1-24
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Book chapter (other academic/artistic)
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| 10. |
- Utas, Mats, 1968-, et al.
(author)
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The need of change : what, how and who?
- 2023
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In: Facilitating Researchers in Insecure Zones. - London : Bloomsbury Academic. - 9781350265653 ; , s. 157-175, s. 157-175
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Book chapter (other academic/artistic)
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| 11. |
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| 12. |
- Alijagic, Andi, 1992-, et al.
(author)
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Immunotoxic, genotoxic, and endocrine disrupting impacts of polyamide microplastic particles and chemicals
- 2024
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In: Environment International. - : Elsevier. - 0160-4120 .- 1873-6750. ; 183
-
Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Due to their exceptional properties and cost effectiveness, polyamides or nylons have emerged as widely used materials, revolutionizing diverse industries, including industrial 3D printing or additive manufacturing (AM). Powder-based AM technologies employ tonnes of polyamide microplastics to produce complex components every year. However, the lack of comprehensive toxicity assessment of particulate polyamides and polyamide-associated chemicals, especially in the light of the global microplastics crisis, calls for urgent action. This study investigated the physicochemical properties of polyamide-12 microplastics used in AM, and assessed a number of toxicity endpoints focusing on inflammation, immunometabolism, genotoxicity, aryl hydrocarbon receptor (AhR) activation, endocrine disruption, and cell morphology. Specifically, microplastics examination by means of field emission scanning electron microscopy revealed that work flow reuse of material created a fraction of smaller particles with an average size of 1-5 µm, a size range readily available for uptake by human cells. Moreover, chemical analysis by means of gas chromatography high-resolution mass spectrometry detected several polyamide-associated chemicals including starting material, plasticizer, thermal stabilizer/antioxidant, and migrating slip additive. Even if polyamide particles and chemicals did not induce an acute inflammatory response, repeated and prolonged exposure of human primary macrophages disclosed a steady increase in the levels of proinflammatory chemokine Interleukin-8 (IL-8/CXCL-8). Moreover, targeted metabolomics disclosed that polyamide particles modulated the kynurenine pathway and some of its key metabolites. The p53-responsive luciferase reporter gene assay showed that particles per se were able to activate p53, being indicative of a genotoxic stress. Polyamide-associated chemicals triggered moderate activation of AhR and elicited anti-androgenic activity. Finally, a high-throughput and non-targeted morphological profiling by Cell Painting assay outlined major sites of bioactivity of polyamide-associated chemicals and indicated putative mechanisms of toxicity in the cells. These findings reveal that the increasing use of polyamide microplastics may pose a potential health risk for the exposed individuals, and it merits more attention.
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| 13. |
- Benrick, Anna, 1979, et al.
(author)
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A non-conservative polymorphism in the IL-6 signal transducer (IL6ST)/gp130 is associated with myocardial infarction in a hypertensive population.
- 2008
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In: Regulatory peptides. - : Elsevier BV. - 0167-0115. ; 146:1-3, s. 189-96
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Inflammation is a key component in the development of atherosclerosis, and myocardial infarction (MI); therefore we investigated the association between an interleukin-6 signal transducer (IL6ST)/gp130 polymorphism, gp130 function and risk of MI. Structural modeling suggested that a non-conservative single nucleotide polymorphism in the gp130, Gly148Arg, can change the stability and functional properties of the molecule. In vitro studies were done with BAF/3 cells lacking endogenous gp130. Cells stably transfected with the gp130 148Arg variant proliferated less and showed slightly lower STAT-3 phosphorylation in response to gp130 stimulation as compared to cells transfected with gp130 148Gly. In a prospectively followed hypertensive cohort we identified 167 patients who suffered a MI during the study and compared them to matched controls (mean age 57 years, 73% males, n=482). Carriers of the 148Arg variant (f(Arg)=0.12) of the gp130 receptor had decreased odds ratio for MI in univariate analysis (0.56, 95% CI 0.34-0.91, p=0.02). In conclusion, a genetically determined structural variant of the IL-6 receptor subunit gp130 is, independently of other known risk factors, associated with decreased risk of MI. The variant is also associated with decreased IL-6 responsiveness and could lead to a configuration change in the gp130 receptor.
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| 14. |
- Björnehed, Emma, 1978-
(author)
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Ideas in Conflict : The effect of frames in the Nepal conflict and peace process
- 2012
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Doctoral thesis (other academic/artistic)abstract
- In 1996 the state of Nepal was challenged by a Maoist insurgency, resulting in a decade-long civil war. During the course of the subsequent peace process the parliamentary parties found themselves agreeing to significant political changes, including a republican constitution. This study approaches the Nepal case on the assumption that the discursive aspect of social relations is one important factor in understanding how specific events unfold and why actors do one thing and not another.Two frames are investigated using frame analysis in terms of their representation of problem, cause and solution: a terrorism frame from the period of conflict and a peace frame from the period of conflict resolution. The terrorism frame is categorised as a negative frame and the peace frame as a positive frame. This overarching difference is found to have implications for the effects of the respective frames.In contrast to traditional frame analysis, which tends to focus on the success of a frame and the effects on a specific audience, this study investigates the effects of frames on the actors involved in the framing process in terms of their perceived manoeuvrability for action. This approach is formalised in a model of four types of logic of actor effects that is applied to the Nepal case. The analysis of frame effects is based on first-hand interviews with key actors, such as former prime ministers and top leaders of political parties and civil society. From this material, the study gives insight into how the two frames influenced the actors’ perceived manoeuvrability. This actor-centred approach shows that the frames affected the actors in both enabling and restrictive ways and thus influenced the outcome in Nepal. For example, it is shown that frames created during the conflict were considered a prerequisite for the legitimate use of military force. The study also shows the unintended effects of framing, captured in the model as the effect of self-entrapment, and highlights the coercive character of ideas in making actors perceive themselves as forced to take a certain action or position.
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| 15. |
- Cismaru, Anca Liliana, et al.
(author)
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Genome-Wide Association Study of Metamizole-Induced Agranulocytosis in European Populations
- 2020
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In: Genes. - : MDPI AG. - 2073-4425. ; 11:11
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Agranulocytosis is a rare yet severe idiosyncratic adverse drug reaction to metamizole, an analgesic widely used in countries such as Switzerland and Germany. Notably, an underlying mechanism has not yet been fully elucidated and no predictive factors are known to identify at-risk patients. With the aim to identify genetic susceptibility variants to metamizole-induced agranulocytosis (MIA) and neutropenia (MIN), we conducted a retrospective multi-center collaboration including cases and controls from three European populations. Association analyses were performed using genome-wide genotyping data from a Swiss cohort (45 cases, 191 controls) followed by replication in two independent European cohorts (41 cases, 273 controls) and a joint discovery meta-analysis. No genome-wide significant associations (p < 1 × 10−7) were observed in the Swiss cohort or in the joint meta-analysis, and no candidate genes suggesting an immune-mediated mechanism were identified. In the joint meta-analysis of MIA cases across all cohorts, two candidate loci on chromosome 9 were identified, rs55898176 (OR = 4.01, 95%CI: 2.41–6.68, p = 1.01 × 10−7) and rs4427239 (OR = 5.47, 95%CI: 2.81–10.65, p = 5.75 × 10−7), of which the latter is located in the SVEP1 gene previously implicated in hematopoiesis. This first genome-wide association study for MIA identified suggestive associations with biological plausibility that may be used as a stepping-stone for post-GWAS analyses to gain further insight into the mechanism underlying MIA.
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| 16. |
- Domellöf, Magdalena Eriksson, et al.
(author)
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Evaluating a frontostriatal working-memory updating-training paradigm in Parkinson's disease : the iPARK trial, a double-blinded randomized controlled trial
- 2020
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In: BMC Neurology. - : BMC. - 1471-2377. ; 20:1
-
Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Background: Cognitive decline and dementia are common in Parkinson's disease (PD). Cognitive deficits have been linked to the depletion of dopamine in the nigrostriatal pathway, but pharmacological treatments for PD have little evidence of improving or delaying cognitive decline. Therefore, exploring non-pharmacological treatment options is important. There have been some promising results of cognitive training interventions in PD, especially for improvements in working memory and executive functions. Yet, existing studies are often underpowered, lacking appropriate control condition, long term follow-up, a thorough description of the intervention and characteristics of the participants. Working memory updating training has previously shown to increase striatal activation in healthy young and old participants as well as dopaminergic neurotransmission in healthy young participants. In the light of dopamine dysfunction in PD, with negative effects on both motor and cognitive functions it is of interest to study if an impaired striatal system can be responsive to a non-invasive, non-pharmacological intervention. Methods and design: The iPARK trial is a double-blinded, randomized controlled trial with a parallel-group design that aims to recruit 80 patients with PD (during the period 02/2017-02/2023). Included patients need to have PD, Hoehn and Yahr staging I-III, be between 45 to 75 years of age and not have a diagnosis of dementia. All patients will undergo 30 sessions (6-8 weeks) of web-based cognitive training performed from home. The target intervention is a process-based training program targeting working memory updating. The placebo program is a low dose short-term memory program. A battery of neuropsychological tests and questionnaires will be performed before training, directly after training, and 16 weeks after training. Discussion: We expect that the iPARK trial will provide novel and clinically useful information on whether updating training is an effective cognitive training paradigm in PD. Further, it will hopefully contribute to a better understanding of cognitive function in PD and provide answers regarding cognitive plasticity as well as determining critical factors for a responsive striatal system.
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| 17. |
- Eriksson, Anna, et al.
(author)
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Reliability and criterion-related validity of the 20 yard shuttle test in competitive junior tennis players
- 2015
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In: Open Access Journal of Sports Medicine. - 1179-1543. ; 6, s. 269-276
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- PURPOSE: This study adds to the previous work in the field of sport-specific fitness testing by evaluating a tennis-specific agility test called "the 20-yard shuttle test". The aim of the study was to evaluate the test-retest reliability, the inter-rater reliability, and the criterion-related validity of the 20-yard shuttle test on competitive junior tennis players. PARTICIPANTS AND METHODS: Totally, 34 Swedish tennis players (13 girls), mean age 14±1.6 years, participated in the study. To examine test-retest reliability, the subjects performed the 20-yard shuttle test three times on the same day and then the same procedure was repeated after 3 days. To test the inter-rater reliability, the time was measured with a stopwatch simultaneously by two different raters. The time recorded manually was compared to the gold standard of digital timing to evaluate the criterion-related validity. RESULTS: Excellent test-retest reliability was found both within the same day (intraclass correlation coefficient [ICC] 0.95) and between days (ICC 0.91). Furthermore, the results showed excellent inter-rater reliability (ICC 0.99) and criterion-related validity on both test occasions (ICC 0.99). CONCLUSION: We have provided introductory support for the 20-yard shuttle test as a reliable and valid test for use in competitive junior tennis players. The ease of administration makes this test a practical alternative to evaluate physical fitness in order to optimally train the athletes.
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| 18. |
- Eriksson Baaz, Maria, 1971-, et al.
(author)
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Race and racism in narratives of insecurity : from the visceral to the global
- 2021
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In: Critical Studies on Security. - : Taylor & Francis. - 2162-4887 .- 2162-4909. ; 9:1, s. 2-6
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- This introductory text frames the contributions of this forum, bringing together, scholars who have been working for a long time to dismantle knowledge systems that sustain whiteness, Eurocentrism, and patriarchy, in the context of recent developments. It first provides a brief overview of well-established knowledges on the various ways in which racism and racial inequalities remain deeply embedded within academia. This is followed by a snapshot of all the different essays that together make up this intervention forum.
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| 19. |
- Eriksson, Jan W, et al.
(author)
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Tissue-specific glucose partitioning and fat content in prediabetes and type 2 diabetes: whole-body PET/MRI during hyperinsulinemia
- 2021
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In: European journal of endocrinology. - : Bioscientifica. - 0804-4643 .- 1479-683X. ; 184:6, s. 879-899
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Objective: To obtain direct quantifications of glucose turnover, volumes an d fat content of several tissues in the development of type 2 diabetes (T2D) using a novel integrated a pproach for whole-body imaging. Design and methods: Hyperinsulinemic-euglycemic clamps and simultaneous whole-body integrated [18F]FDG-PET/MRI with automated analyses were performed in control (n = 12), prediabetes (n = 16) and T2D (n = 13) subjects matched for age, sex and BMI. Results: Whole-body glucose uptake (Rd) was reduced by approximately 25% in T2D vs control subjects, and partitioning to brain was increased from 3.8% of total Rd in co ntrols to 7.1% in T2D. In liver, subcutaneous AT, thigh muscle, total tissue glucose metabolic rates (MRglu) and their % of total Rd were reduced in T2D compared to contr ol subjects. The prediabetes group had intermediate findings. Total MRglu in heart, visceral AT, gluteus and calf muscle was similar across groups. Whole-body insulin sensitivity asses sed as glucose infusion rate correlated with liver MR glu but inversely with brain MRglu. Liver fat content correlated with MRglu in brain but inversely with MRglu in other tissues. Calf muscle fat was inversely associated with MR glu only in the same muscle group. Conclusions: This integrated imaging approach provides detailed quantification of tissue-specific glucose metabolism. During T2D development, insulin-stimulated glucose disposal is impaired and increasingly shifted away from muscle, liver and fat toward the brain. Altered glucose handling in the brain and liver fat accumulation may aggravate insulin resistance in several organs. © 2021 BioScientifica Ltd.. All rights reserved.
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| 20. |
- Eriksson, Maria, 1976-, et al.
(author)
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Achieving shared values : Learning from Disney
- 2007
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Conference paper (other academic/artistic)abstract
- The need to achieve a strong corporate culture is one of the key questions within Total Quality Management (TQM). TQM is generally considered to be based on a number of core values; such as customer focus, decisions based on facts, process orientation, continuous improvement, everybody’s commitment and leadership, (Hellsten & Klefsjö, 2000). The core values should ideally be conformed to by all employees within a TQM organization, (ibid). Achieving these core values seems to be rewarding. Many companies that have succeeded in adapting their core values have received quality awards, e.g. Malcolm Baldridge National Quality Award and EFQM Excellence Model. These quality awards are based on values that are widely considered to be the building blocks of effective TQM implementation (Hendricks & Singhal, 1999). There are a lot of descriptions in literature about the importance of working with the ideas of TQM such as putting focus on the customer, establishing processes and also about educating the employees in using tools of improvement, but very little focus on discussing how shared values really are achieved. A common set of values within an organization is often referred to as the company or corporate culture. A strong culture implies that there is uniformity among the employees regarding, for example values (Pinder 1998). In our literature studies we came across two interesting strategies that combined together provide a tactic for working with shared values to attain a strong corporate culture. According to Chatman (1989) the best way is an integration of the strategies of selection and socialization. That implies both considering values at the selection when the organization chooses its members, by recruiting an individual with the right values and later on by maintaining or reinforcing values by socialization which can be done by training, orientation and other methods. As regards working with achieving TQM values we mostly encountered the use of socialization and feel that there is a need for broader thinking by putting greater emphasis on the selection process when recruiting new members into the organization. The purpose of this paper is to raise the discussion about how to achieve homogeneity of values, such as TQM values in order to be a successful organization. The presented theories are accompanied by an observation from the renowned Walt Disney World in Florida, providing an example of how they are working with the selection strategy.
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| 21. |
- Eriksson, Maria, 1978-
(author)
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Defining rape : emerging obligations for states under international law?
- 2010
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Doctoral thesis (other academic/artistic)abstract
- The prevalence of rape and its widespread impunity, whether committed during armed conflict or peacetime, has been firmly condemned by the UN and its prohibition has been consistently recognised in international law. This development, however, is a rather novel endeavour. The belated response is in part a consequence of rape being characterised by such myths as sexual violence representing an inevitable by-product of war or as being committed by sexual deviants. Its systematic nature has thus been ignored as has the gravity of the offence, often leading to a culture of impunity. This was evident, for example, through the failure to prosecute crimes of rape during the Nuremberg trials, in qualifying it as a harm against a woman’s honour in the 1949 Geneva Convention (IV), or in considering it a violation located in the “private sphere”, thereby beyond regulation by international law.However, substantial efforts have been made in international law to recognise obligations for states to prevent rape. A prohibition of the offence has developed both through treaty law and customary international law, requiring the prevention of rape whether committed by state agents or by a private actor. One measure to prevent such violence has been identified as the duty to enact domestic criminal laws on the matter. The flexibility for states in determining the substance of such criminal laws is increasingly circumscribed, leading to the question of whether a particular definition of rape or certain elements of the crime must be adopted in this process.Elaborations on the elements of the crime of rape have been a late concern of international law, the first efforts made by the ad hoc tribunals (the International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda and the International Criminal Tribunal for the Former Yugoslavia), followed by the regional human rights systems as well as the International Criminal Court. The principal purpose of the thesis is consequently the systematisation and analysis of provisions and emerging norms obliging states to adopt a particular definition of rape in domestic penal codes. The prohibition of rape and, subsequently, the process of defining the crime has been made in three areas of international law – international human rights law, international humanitarian law and international criminal law. Emerging norms in all three regimes are consequently examined in this thesis, bringing to the fore overarching questions on the possible harmonisation of defining rape in these distinct branches of international law. The study will thus provide a contextual approach, aiming to evince whether the definition can be harmonised or if prevailing circumstances, such as armed conflict or peace, should necessarily inform its definition. Ultimately, the advances in international law are evaluated in order to identify possible areas for further development.
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| 22. |
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| 23. |
- Eriksson, Maria, et al.
(author)
-
Spotify teardown : inside the black box of streaming music
- 2019
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Book (peer-reviewed)abstract
- An innovative investigation of the inner workings of Spotify that traces the transformation of audio files into streamed experience. Spotify provides a streaming service that has been welcomed as disrupting the world of music. Yet such disruption always comes at a price. Spotify Teardown contests the tired claim that digital culture thrives on disruption. Borrowing the notion of "teardown" from reverse-engineering processes, in this book a team of five researchers have playfully disassembled Spotify's product and the way it is commonly understood. Spotify has been hailed as the solution to illicit downloading, but it began as a partly illicit enterprise that grew out of the Swedish file-sharing community. Spotify was originally praised as an innovative digital platform but increasingly resembles a media company in need of regulation, raising questions about the ways in which such cultural content as songs, books, and films are now typically made available online. Spotify Teardown combines interviews, participant observations, and other analyses of Spotify's "front end" with experimental, covert investigations of its "back end." The authors engaged in a series of interventions, which include establishing a record label for research purposes, intercepting network traffic with packet sniffers, and web-scraping corporate materials. The authors' innovative digital methods earned them a stern letter from Spotify accusing them of violating its terms of use; the company later threatened their research funding. Thus, the book itself became an intervention into the ethics and legal frameworks of corporate behavior.
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| 24. |
- Eriksson, Maria, 1978-
(author)
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The prevention of human trafficking : regulating domestic criminal legislation through the european convention on human rights
- 2013
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In: Nordic Journal of International Law. - : Brill Academic Publishers. - 0902-7351 .- 1571-8107. ; 82:3, s. 339-368
-
Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- The article displays how human rights law is extending into the sphere of domestic criminal law, as seen through the approach to human trafficking by the European Court of Human Rights. The Court is increasingly demanding the criminalisation of harmful acts to prevent harms and to protect potential victims. The content of domestic laws is also progressively subject to evaluation of the Court, in line with its development of placing positive obligations on states to protect individuals from harm perpetrated by private actors. Human trafficking is an example where the Court has not only found the crime to fall within the ambit of Article 4 of the European Convention on Human Rights, which prohibits slavery, forced labour and servitude, but through case law has concretised various positive obligations for states. These include adopting effective criminal laws that cover the acts included in human trafficking. Such laws must be clear and not open to various interpretations. If the law is similar to that of the Palermo Protocol, it is considered effective. However, it is indicated that other constructions may also reach the required level of effectiveness. It is submitted that the methodology of the Court in delineating state obligations is flawed in that the Court demands effective laws but does not clarify what ’effectiveness’ entails. The casuistic style of the Court negates its increasingly outspoken goal of developing the rules of the Convention for all Member States. The rather broad margin of appreciation of states in formulating domestic criminal laws conflicts with the demands of ’effectiveness’ in protection.
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| 25. |
- Guglielmo, Priscilla, et al.
(author)
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Validation of automated whole-body analysis of metabolic and morphological parameters from an integrated FDG-PET/MRI acquisition
- 2020
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In: Scientific Reports. - : Springer Science and Business Media LLC. - 2045-2322. ; 10:1
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Automated quantification of tissue morphology and tracer uptake in PET/MR images could streamline the analysis compared to traditional manual methods. To validate a single atlas image segmentation approach for automated assessment of tissue volume, fat content (FF) and glucose uptake (GU) from whole-body [18F]FDG-PET/MR images. Twelve subjects underwent whole-body [18F]FDG-PET/MRI during hyperinsulinemic-euglycemic clamp. Automated analysis of tissue volumes, FF and GU were achieved using image registration to a single atlas image with reference segmentations of 18 volume of interests (VOIs). Manual segmentations by an experienced radiologist were used as reference. Quantification accuracy was assessed with Dice scores, group comparisons and correlations. VOI Dice scores ranged from 0.93 to 0.32. Muscles, brain, VAT and liver showed the highest scores. Pancreas, large and small intestines demonstrated lower segmentation accuracy and poor correlations. Estimated tissue volumes differed significantly in 8 cases. Tissue FFs were often slightly but significantly overestimated. Satisfactory agreements were observed in most tissue GUs. Automated tissue identification and characterization using a single atlas segmentation performs well compared to manual segmentation in most tissues and will be valuable in future studies. In certain tissues, alternative quantification methods or improvements to the current approach is needed.
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| 26. |
- Hedner, Margareta, et al.
(author)
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Age-Related Olfactory Decline is Associated with the BDNF Val66met Polymorphism : Evidence from a Population-Based Study
- 2010
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In: Frontiers in Aging Neuroscience. - : Frontiers Media SA. - 1663-4365. ; 2:7, s. 24-
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- The present study investigates the effect of the brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) val66met polymorphism on change in olfactory function in a large scale, longitudinal population-based sample (n = 836). The subjects were tested on a 13 item force-choice odor identification test on two test occasions over a 5-year-interval. Sex, education, health-related factors, and semantic ability were controlled for in the statistical analyses. Results showed an interaction effect of age and BDNF val66met on olfactory change, such that the magnitude of olfactory decline in the older age cohort (70–90years old at baseline) was larger for the val homozygote carriers than for the met carriers. The older met carriers did not display larger age-related decline in olfactory function compared to the younger group. The BDNF val66met polymorphism did not affect the rate of decline in the younger age cohort (45–65years). The findings are discussed in the light of the proposed roles of BDNF in neural development and maintenance.
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| 27. |
- Ingelsson, Pernilla, 1968-, et al.
(author)
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Can selecting the right values help TQM implementation? : A case study about organisational homogeneity at the Walt Disney Company
- 2012
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In: Total Quality Management and Business Excellence. - : Routledge. - 1478-3363 .- 1478-3371. ; 23:1, s. 1-11
-
Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Total Quality Management, TQM, is often referred to as a value based management philosophy, built on a set of core values. These TQM values should ideally be conformed to by all employees in order to achieve a thriving organisation. A strong organisational culture with shared core values can therefore be identified as of importance for a successful TQM implementation. This paper discusses how organisations need to act in order to achieve shared values among co-workers. In the theory two strategies appear: to select people who appear to possess the desired values in the first place and to socialize employees once hired. When working with TQM, several examples of socialization can be found in described techniques and tools, however the selection strategy seems to be both unapplied and underestimated. In order to find empirical examples a case study was conducted at an organisation which is renowned for the way in which they work with values. A conclusion of this paper is that, as a complement to the use of socialization, a selection strategy is proposed in order to achieve shared values in order to facilitate TQM implementation.
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| 28. |
- Lidman, Linda, 1978-
(author)
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Employee-driven innovation in the public sector : At the intersection of innovation support and workplace conditions
- 2023
-
Doctoral thesis (other academic/artistic)abstract
- The overall aim of this thesis is to contribute knowledge about employee-driven innovation (EDI), with a particular focus on conditions in the workplace when innovation support is introduced in municipal contexts. The thesis is based on 23 qualitative interviews with managers, employees, and innovation coaches from three municipal sites in Sweden where innovation support has been implemented. The four included studies examine how innovation support is set up, what role first-line managers play, what drives employees to engage in EDI, and the outcomes of innovation work in the studied cases.The thesis’ results show how innovation support was set up as parallel structures operating independently from regular municipal operations, which made it difficult for employees and managers to connect and integrate innovation work with everyday work. Furthermore, the results show how the studied municipalities did not define clear objectives for working with innovation, which in turn resulted in a multitude of inextricably linked negative effects for the innovation support operations, the managers, the employees, and the outcome of the innovation work. In addition, the study results demonstrate the importance of providing rich environments for learning and innovation in the workplace, to consider and support employee engagement in public sector innovation and to support the entire innovation process, including the implementation phase. The first conclusion drawn is that employee-driven innovation work happens at the intersection of innovation support and current workplace conditions. This implies that support measures need to be integrated into employees’ everyday work to create favourable conditions for EDI. The second conclusion is that it is imperative for municipal organisations intending to support EDI to define objectives for working with innovation and to anchor and communicate these objectives throughout the organisation.
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| 29. |
- Lidman, Linda, 1978-, et al.
(author)
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Innovation Support in Swedish Municipalities : Challenges on the Way to Increased Innovation Capacity in Public Organisations
- 2022
-
In: Scandinavian Journal of Public Administration. - Göteborg : Göteborg School of Public Administration. - 2001-7405 .- 2001-7413. ; 26:3, s. 25-44
-
Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Public sector innovation and innovation capacity have gained increased attention inresearch and policy in recent decades, but empirical knowledge is still limited. Thisarticle focuses on initiatives to systematically support innovation in the public sector,with the aim of exploring challenges related to the organisation of innovation support inSwedish municipalities. The study is based on three case studies of municipal innovationsupport operations and 23 qualitative interviews with participants within these operations.The findings show how different innovation support strategies were chosen, ranging fromsuggestion box setups to idea coaching and training using service design methodology.Regardless of strategy, the initiatives faced challenges related to a lack of direction onwhat to innovate and implementation phases not being part of the innovation support.Other challenges related to managers being involved too late in the innovation processesand difficulties securing a commitment to work with innovation within the organisation.These findings point to both the general challenges of supporting change in organisationsand the specific challenges of introducing innovation and setting up innovation support inpublic sector organisations.
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| 30. |
- Lidman, Linda, 1978-, et al.
(author)
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Learning and employee-driven innovation in the public sector – the interplay between employee engagement and organisational conditions
- 2023
-
In: Journal of Workplace Learning. - : Emerald Group Publishing Limited. - 1366-5626 .- 1758-7859. ; 35:9, s. 86-100
-
Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Purpose – The purpose of this study is to examine learning and employee-driven innovation (EDI) in thepublic sector, with a particular focus on the interplay between employee engagement and organisationalconditions.Design/methodology/approach – The material consists of qualitative interviews with 23 participantsfrom three municipal sites of innovation support that participated in a national programme aiming tostrengthen municipalities’ innovation work.Findings – The study found numerous constraining organisational conditions resulting in consequentialloss of employee engagement for EDI. The conclusion drawn is that employee engagement and enablingorganisational conditions are central to EDI in public sector workplaces, and that incorporating EDI intomunicipal daily operations requires paying attention to the interplay between organisational conditions andemployee engagement.Originality/value – This paper provides important guidance for supporting EDI in the public sector.Implementing EDI into operations requires employee engagement to be successful. However, employees’engagement should not be overlooked or taken for granted. A practical implication of this study is that EDI inthe workplace must be encouraged by creating a learning environment that supports innovative learning inthe workplace. In practice, measures should be taken to support employee engagement by creatingorganisational conditions that provide a more expansive learning environment to ensure the continuity andperpetuation of EDI in public sector organisations.
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| 31. |
- Lidman, Linda, 1978-, et al.
(author)
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Managers’ support for workplace innovation in the public sector: Wedged between expectations and conditions
- 2022
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In: European Journal of Workplace Innovation. - Kristiansand : University of Agder. - 2387-4570. ; 7:1, s. 84-108
-
Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Over the past few years, public policy interventions have been initiated to promote public sector innovation. These top-down initiatives have been aimed at generating bottom-up movement, and first-line managers are believed to play an important role in this transformation. However, little is known about the challenges first-line managers face in their role as agents of change. This article provides unique insight into the expectations and conditions that first-line managers face when innovation support is implemented in municipalities. The article draws on 23 interviews with participants from three Swedish cases where innovation support has been implemented in the municipal context. These three cases of innovation support are examples of conscious efforts to systematise innovation work that also affect the first-line managers in the organisation. The findings reveal that a multitude of expectations pointing towards an exploration logic are placed on first-line managers to lead, dare and support in connection with employee-driven innovation, but the conditions under which they operate point towards an exploitation logic. The managers find themselves wedged between high expectations and a lack of mandate, resources and organisational support for workplace innovation in the public sector context.
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| 32. |
- Mugion, Roberta Guglielmetti, et al.
(author)
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The Relationships between Enablers and Results in Excellence Models: Learnings From Italy And Sweden
- 2014
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In: Proceedings of 17th QMOD conference on Quality and Service Sciences ICQSS, Prague, September 3-5, 2014. Czech Republic, 2014.
-
Conference paper (peer-reviewed)abstract
- The purpose of this study is to explain possible correlations between the stated enablers and results in excellence models, and furthermore explain how different variables contribute to the enablers and results. By doing the cross-case analysis of two models, the European Common Assessment Framework (CAF) in Italy and the Swedish SIQ model (SIQ), we can contribute with learning across the two different award processes and models. The study focuses on public sector organizations. The study is expected to provide information on transversal factors between the two frameworks CAF and SIQ trough the evaluation of the assessment reports from two samples of public sector organizations. The assessment reports were analyzed with a quantitative approach in order to investigate correlations among enablers and results for the CAF and SIQ excellence models. The assigned scores to each criterion and sub-criterion in the assessment reports were considered. Canonical correlation was used for data analysis. The paper enables to identify relationship between enablers and results for both the CAF and SIQ models. In particular, it emerged that the correlation is higher for the SIQ model than for the CAF. The squared canonical loading explains which variable contribute most to the variance of the enablers respectively results for the two models. The authors focus on the identification of reasons to the fact that the enablers of the SIQ model to a larger extent explain the variance in the results. This cross-country study of assessments based on excellence models, identify relations between enablers and results of the CAF and SIQ models, highlighting differences and similarities. Further, as one model is adapted to a specific sector and one is generic, the study allows for elaborations on the feasibility of sector specific adaptations of excellence models.
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| 33. |
- Patel, Riyaz S., et al.
(author)
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Association of Chromosome 9p21 With Subsequent Coronary Heart Disease Events : A GENIUS-CHD Study of Individual Participant Data
- 2019
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In: Circulation. - 2574-8300. ; 12:4
-
Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- BACKGROUND: Genetic variation at chromosome 9p21 is a recognized risk factor for coronary heart disease (CHD). However, its effect on disease progression and subsequent events is unclear, raising questions about its value for stratification of residual risk.METHODS: A variant at chromosome 9p21 (rs1333049) was tested for association with subsequent events during follow-up in 103 357 Europeans with established CHD at baseline from the GENIUS-CHD (Genetics of Subsequent Coronary Heart Disease) Consortium (73.1% male, mean age 62.9 years). The primary outcome, subsequent CHD death or myocardial infarction (CHD death/myocardial infarction), occurred in 13 040 of the 93 115 participants with available outcome data. Effect estimates were compared with case/control risk obtained from the CARDIoGRAMplusC4D consortium (Coronary Artery Disease Genome-wide Replication and Meta-analysis [CARDIoGRAM] plus The Coronary Artery Disease [C4D] Genetics) including 47 222 CHD cases and 122 264 controls free of CHD.RESULTS: Meta-analyses revealed no significant association between chromosome 9p21 and the primary outcome of CHD death/myocardial infarction among those with established CHD at baseline (GENIUSCHD odds ratio, 1.02; 95% CI, 0.99-1.05). This contrasted with a strong association in CARDIoGRAMPlusC4D odds ratio 1.20; 95% CI, 1.18-1.22; P for interaction < 0.001 compared with the GENIUS-CHD estimate. Similarly, no clear associations were identified for additional subsequent outcomes, including all-cause death, although we found a modest positive association between chromosome 9p21 and subsequent revascularization (odds ratio, 1.07; 95% CI, 1.04-1.09).CONCLUSIONS: In contrast to studies comparing individuals with CHD to disease-free controls, we found no clear association between genetic variation at chromosome 9p21 and risk of subsequent acute CHD events when all individuals had CHD at baseline. However, the association with subsequent revascularization may support the postulated mechanism of chromosome 9p21 for promoting atheroma development.
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| 34. |
- Patel, Riyaz S., et al.
(author)
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Subsequent Event Risk in Individuals With Established Coronary Heart Disease : Design and Rationale of the GENIUS-CHD Consortium
- 2019
-
In: Circulation. - 2574-8300. ; 12:4
-
Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- BACKGROUND: The Genetics of Subsequent Coronary Heart Disease (GENIUS-CHD) consortium was established to facilitate discovery and validation of genetic variants and biomarkers for risk of subsequent CHD events, in individuals with established CHD.METHODS: The consortium currently includes 57 studies from 18 countries, recruiting 185 614 participants with either acute coronary syndrome, stable CHD, or a mixture of both at baseline. All studies collected biological samples and followed-up study participants prospectively for subsequent events.RESULTS: Enrollment into the individual studies took place between 1985 to present day with a duration of follow-up ranging from 9 months to 15 years. Within each study, participants with CHD are predominantly of self-reported European descent (38%-100%), mostly male (44%-91%) with mean ages at recruitment ranging from 40 to 75 years. Initial feasibility analyses, using a federated analysis approach, yielded expected associations between age (hazard ratio, 1.15; 95% CI, 1.14-1.16) per 5-year increase, male sex (hazard ratio, 1.17; 95% CI, 1.13-1.21) and smoking (hazard ratio, 1.43; 95% CI, 1.35-1.51) with risk of subsequent CHD death or myocardial infarction and differing associations with other individual and composite cardiovascular endpoints.CONCLUSIONS: GENIUS-CHD is a global collaboration seeking to elucidate genetic and nongenetic determinants of subsequent event risk in individuals with established CHD, to improve residual risk prediction and identify novel drug targets for secondary prevention. Initial analyses demonstrate the feasibility and reliability of a federated analysis approach. The consortium now plans to initiate and test novel hypotheses as well as supporting replication and validation analyses for other investigators.
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| 35. |
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| 36. |
- Rosestedt, Maria, et al.
(author)
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Radiolabelling and positron emission tomography imaging of a high-affinity peptide binder to collagen type 1
- 2021
-
In: Nuclear Medicine and Biology. - : Elsevier. - 0969-8051 .- 1872-9614. ; 93, s. 54-62
-
Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- IntroductionPathological formation of fibrosis, is an important feature in many diseases. Fibrosis in liver and pancreas has been associated to metabolic disease including type 1 and 2 diabetes. The current methods for detecting and diagnosing fibrosis are either invasive, or their sensitivity to detect fibrosis in early stage is limited. Therefore, it is crucial to develop non-invasive methods to detect, stage and study the molecular processes that drive the pathology of liver fibrosis. The peptide LRELHLNNN was previously identified as a selective binder to collagen type I with an affinity of 170 nM. Radiolabelled LRELHLNNN thus constitute a potential PET tracer for fibrosis.MethodLRELHLNNN was conjugated to a DOTA/NOTA moiety via a PEG2-linker. DOTA-PEG2-LRELHLNNN was labelled with Gallium-68 and NOTA- PEG2-LRELHLNNN with aluminium fluoride-18. Biodistribution of [68Ga]Ga-DOTA-PEG2-LRELHLNNN and [18F]AlF-NOTA-PEG2-LRELHLNNN was performed in healthy rats ex vivo and in vivo. The 68Ga-labelled analogue was evaluated in a mouse model of liver fibrosis by PET/MRI-imaging. The human predicted dosimetry of the tracers was extrapolated from rat ex vivo biodistribution studies at 10, 20, 40, 60, 120, 180 min (only fluoride-18) post-injection.ResultsThe peptides were successfully radiolabelled with gallium-68 and aluminium fluoride-18, respectively. The biodistribution of [68Ga]Ga-DOTA-PEG2-LRELHLNNN and [18F]AlF-NOTA-PEG2-LRELHLNNN was favorable showing rapid clearance and low background binding in organs where fibrosis may develop. Binding of [68Ga]Ga-DOTA-PEG2-LRELHLNNN to fibrotic liver was higher than surrounding tissues in mice with induced hepatic fibrosis. However, the binding was in the range of SUV 0.3, indicating limited targeting of the tracer to liver. The extrapolated human predicted dosimetric profiles of [68Ga]Ga-DOTA-PEG2-LRELHLNNN and [18F]AlF-NOTA-PEG2-LRELHLNNN were beneficial, potentially allowing at least three PET examinations annually.ConclusionsWe describe the modification, radiolabelling and evaluation of the collagen type I binding peptide LRELHLNNN. The resulting radiotracer analogues demonstrated suitable biodistribution and dosimetry. [68Ga]Ga-DOTA-PEG2-LRELHLNNN exhibited binding to hepatic fibrotic lesions and is a promising tool for PET imaging of fibrosis.Advances in knowledgeValidation of a new collagen targeting PET tracer.Implications for patient careEarly, non-invasive diagnosis and stratification of fibrosis in order to improve the diagnosis, staging and treatment of patients with diseases involving fibrosis.
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| 37. |
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| 38. |
- Semenas, Egidijus, et al.
(author)
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Analgesic effects of dexmedetomidine and remifentanil on periprocedural pain during percutaneous ablation of renal carcinoma
- 2020
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In: Upsala Journal of Medical Sciences. - : Informa UK Limited. - 0300-9734 .- 2000-1967. ; 125:1, s. 52-57
-
Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Background: Percutaneous ablation of renal carcinoma is frequently a favourable treatment alternative, especially in elderly patients suffering from co-morbidities. Also, it is less resource-demanding than conventional surgery of renal carcinoma, and one may, therefore, assume that the incidence of this procedure may increase. Analgesia is necessary during this intervention. The aim of this study was to explore the possibility of analgosedation and its relation to patient comfort and safety during percutaneous ablation of renal carcinoma.Methods: Forty-six patients, sedated with dexmedetomidine and remifentanil, supplemented with infiltration anaesthesia (lidocaine 1%), underwent percutaneous (radiofrequency or microwave) ablation of renal carcinoma in this prospective study.Results: The patients expected pain intensity around the numerical rating score (NRS) 4.5 (interquartile range [IQR] 3.5–5.5), which was slightly lower than pain experienced during the procedure NRS 5 (IQR 2–7; p = 0.49). Eight percent of the patients needed supplementary morphine during the ablation procedure. Sedation score did not differ during ablation, at arrival to or discharge from the recovery ward. Median periprocedural treatment time was 12 minutes (IQR 12–16). Treatment time did not correlate with experienced pain (R2=0.000074, p = 0.96). The median length of stay in the recovery room was 120 minutes (IQR 84–154). There were seven serious adverse events.Conclusions: This proof-of-concept study has shown that analgosedation during percutaneous ablation of renal carcinoma can be performed with a generally tolerable degree of patient satisfaction. However, pain occurs and should be managed adequately. Patient safety must be a major concern for the anaesthetic care.
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| 39. |
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| 40. |
- Stanfors, Maria, et al.
(author)
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Between voluntarism and compulsion : membership in mutual health insurance societies in Swedish manufacturing, c. 1900
- 2024
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In: Economic history review. - : John Wiley & Sons. - 0013-0117 .- 1468-0289. ; 77:1, s. 244-267
-
Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Membership in mutual health insurance societies spread among industrial workers in the late nineteenth century. We study determinants of such membership among male workers in Swedish manufacturing by using matched employer–employee data from three industries covering all workers (i.e. members and non-members, N > 12 000) and firms around 1900. We find remarkably high rates of membership overall, and especially among married workers. The association between marital status and health insurance suggests that selection into health insurance societies was ‘propitious’ rather than ‘adverse’. Many workers became members well before the age of 40 years, when their health began to deteriorate, and this coincided with the average age of first marriage for men, occurring in their late twenties. Being married and having membership was more marked in firms with voluntary membership and was important for the viability of the mix of voluntary and compulsory health insurance societies emerging in Nordic countries around 1900. Findings support the idea that health insurance can attract high levels of membership under voluntary schemes and suggest why it took so long before statutory health insurance covering sickness absence and workplace accidents was introduced in Sweden.
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| 41. |
- Torén, Kjell, et al.
(author)
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Restrictive Spirometric Pattern and Preserved Ratio Impaired Spirometry in a Population 50-64 Years.
- 2024
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In: Annals of the American Thoracic Society. - 2329-6933 .- 2325-6621.
-
Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- RATIONALE: Knowledge regarding prevalence and shared and unique characteristics of Restrictive spirometric pattern (RSP) and Preserved ratio impaired spirometry (PRISm) is lacking for a general population investigated with post-bronchodilator spirometry and computed tomography of the lungs.OBJECTIVES: To investigate shared and unique features for RSP and PRISm.METHODS: In the Swedish CArdioPulmonary bioImage Study (SCAPIS), a general population sample of 28,555 people aged 50 - 64 years (including 14,558 never-smokers) was assessed. The participants answered a questionnaire and underwent computed tomography of the lungs, post-bronchodilator spirometry, and coronary artery calcification score (CACS). Odds ratios (OR) with 95% confidence intervals (CI) were calculated using adjusted logistic regression. RSP was defined as FEV1/FVC≥0.70 and FVC<80%. PRISm was defined as FEV1/FVC≥0.70 and FEV1<80%. A local reference equation was applied.MEASUREMENTS AND RESULTS: The prevalence of RSP and PRISm were 5.1% (95% CI 4.9 - 5.4) and 5.1% (95% CI 4.8 - 5.3), respectively, with similar values seen in never-smokers. For RSP and PRISm, shared features were current smoking, dyspnea, chronic bronchitis, rheumatic disease, diabetes, ischemic heart disease (IHD), bronchial wall thickening, interstitial lung abnormalities (ILA), and bronchiectasis. Emphysema was uniquely linked to PRISm (OR 1.69, 1.36-2.10) vs 1.10 (0.84-1.43) for RSP. CACS≥300 was related to PRISm, but not among among never-smokers.CONCLUSIONS: PRISm and RSP have respiratory, cardiovascular, and metabolic conditions as shared features. Emphysema is only associated with PRISm. Coronary atherosclerosis may be associated with PRISm. Our results indicate that RSP and PRISm may share more features than not. This article is open access and distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/).
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| 42. |
- Visvanathar, Robin, et al.
(author)
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Exploration of whole-body PET/MRI and clinical variables in type 2 diabetes for data-driven hypothesis generation
-
Other publication (other academic/artistic)abstract
- Aim To explore the feasibility of using the automated holistic image analysis approach Imiomics in voxel-level association screening with clinical variables for hypothesis-generation in whole-body [18F]fluorodeoxyglucose (FDG) PET/MR images. Material and methods Three experimental groups consisting of healthy individuals (n=12), individuals with prediabetes (n=16) and individuals with type 2 diabetes (n=13) were examined with simultaneous whole-body PET/MRI during hyperinsulinemic euglycemic clamp. The Imiomics-framework was utilised to create correlation maps between the clinical biomarkers and PET/MRI data. Results Multiple significant moderate-strong associations were detected, the inflammatory biomarkers (P-CRP, B-Leukocytes and B-Neutrophils) were positively associated with visceral adipose tissue (VAT) volume and inversely associated with skeletal muscle Ki. B-monocytes were positively associated with VAT volume, and negatively associated with gluteofemoral SAT volume. Furthermore, insulin sensitivity (M-value) was shown to be negatively associated with brain Ki. Of the plasma lipids, HDL was positively associated with Ki in the liver, VAT and skeletal muscle. Several additional confirmatory and distinct findings are reported. Conclusions An Imiomics-based data-driven exploratory approach allows for rapid and holistic analysis of the massive image datasets generated.
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| 43. |
- Wikström, Malin, et al.
(author)
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Lipid-engineered Escherichia coli membranes reveal critical lipid headgroup size for protein function.
- 2009
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In: Journal of Biological Chemistry. - 0021-9258 .- 1083-351X. ; 284:2, s. 954-65
-
Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Escherichia coli membranes have a substantial bilayer curvature stress due to a large fraction of the nonbilayer-prone lipid phosphatidylethanolamine, and a mutant (AD93) lacking this lipid is severely crippled in several membrane-associated processes. Introduction of four lipid glycosyltransferases from Acholeplasma laidlawii and Arabidopsis thaliana, synthesizing large amounts of two nonbilayer-prone, and two bilayer-forming gluco- and galacto-lipids, (i) restored the curvature stress with the two nonbilayer lipids, and (ii) diluted the high negative lipid surface charge in all AD93 bilayers. Surprisingly, the bilayer-forming diglucosyl-diacylglycerol was almost as good in improving AD93 membrane processes as the two nonbilayer-prone glucosyl-diacylglycerol and galactosyl-diacylglycerol lipids, strongly suggesting that lipid surface charge dilution by these neutral lipids is very important for E. coli. Increased acyl chain length and unsaturation, plus cardiolipin (nonbilayer-prone) content, were probably also beneficial in the modified strains. However, despite a correct transmembrane topology for the transporter LacY in the diglucosyl-diacylglycerol clone, active transport failed in the absence of a nonbilayer-prone glycolipid. The corresponding digalactosyl-diacylglycerol bilayer lipid did not restore AD93 membrane processes, despite analogous acyl chain and cardiolipin contents. Chain ordering, probed by bis-pyrene lipids, was substantially lower in the digalactosyl-diacylglycerol strain lipids due to its extended headgroup. Hence, a low surface charge density of anionic lipids is important in E. coli membranes, but is inefficient if the headgroup of the diluting lipid is too large. This strongly indicates that a certain magnitude of the curvature stress is crucial for the bilayer in vivo.
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