| 1. |
- Allansson, Elin, et al.
(författare)
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Overweight and obese children have lower cortisol levels than normal weight children
- 2014
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Ingår i: Acta Paediatrica. - : Wiley-Blackwell. - 0803-5253 .- 1651-2227. ; 103:3, s. 295-299
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- AIM: The stress hormone cortisol is vital to survival, and a disturbed circadian rhythm can be deleterious to health. However, little is known about cortisol levels in healthy children. The aim of this study was to examine cortisol levels in relation to body mass index (BMI), age and sex. METHODS: Salivary samples were collected in early morning, late morning and evening, on four consecutive days, from 342 children aged 6-12years using Salivette((R)) tubes. Samples were analysed using a commercial enzyme immunoassay (EIA). School nurses measured the children's height and weight, and these measurements were used to calculate their BMI. RESULTS: The children displayed a circadian rhythm in cortisol secretion, with morning zeniths and evening nadirs. Average cortisol levels in early morning, late morning and evening were significantly lower in overweight and obese children than in their normal weight counterparts. Cortisol levels did not vary significantly with age or sex. CONCLUSION: Our findings may suggest cortisol suppression in overweight and obese children. We found no evidence that sex or age influences cortisol levels. These findings highlight the need for further research on the relationship between stress and obesity in children.
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| 2. |
- Carstensen, Jacob, et al.
(författare)
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Factors regulating the coastal nutrient filter in the Baltic Sea
- 2020
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Ingår i: Ambio. - : Springer Science and Business Media LLC. - 0044-7447 .- 1654-7209. ; 49:6, s. 1194-1210
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- The coastal zone of the Baltic Sea is diverse with strong regional differences in the physico-chemical setting. This diversity is also reflected in the importance of different biogeochemical processes altering nutrient and organic matter fluxes on the passage from land to sea. This review investigates the most important processes for removal of nutrients and organic matter, and the factors that regulate the efficiency of the coastal filter. Nitrogen removal through denitrification is high in lagoons receiving large inputs of nitrate and organic matter. Phosphorus burial is high in archipelagos with substantial sedimentation, but the stability of different burial forms varies across the Baltic Sea. Organic matter processes are tightly linked to the nitrogen and phosphorus cycles. Moreover, these processes are strongly modulated depending on composition of vegetation and fauna. Managing coastal ecosystems to improve the effectiveness of the coastal filter can reduce eutrophication in the open Baltic Sea.
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| 3. |
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| 4. |
- Bernhard, Iréne, 1953-, et al.
(författare)
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A digital society for all? : Meanings, practices and policies for digital diversity
- 2019
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Ingår i: Proceedings of the 52nd Hawaii International Conference on System Sciences, 2019. - Honolulu, HI, USA. - 9780998133126 ; , s. 3067-3076
-
Konferensbidrag (refereegranskat)abstract
- The concept of digital divides has been on the agenda in research and policy making for at least the last 20 years. But it is still, a challenge to grasp this concept that is so elusive and transforming. Inclusion, access and equality are still key values for democratic governance and must be addressed in particular when forming and contributing to a digital government. This paper seeks to intervene in current debates on digital divides and digital inclusion by analyzing two cases of responses among street-level public administration in relation to e-government services in Sweden. The case studies are strategically chosen and conducted in national agencies and in local public libraries. Three lines of contributions are discussed, firstly thei mportance to care for equality secondly the need to seethe non-users, and thirdly to discuss the potential of putting focus on digital diversity.
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| 5. |
- Biström, Martin, et al.
(författare)
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Epstein-Barr virus infection after adolescence and Human herpesvirus 6A as risk factors for multiple sclerosis
- 2021
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Ingår i: European Journal of Neurology. - : Blackwell Publishing. - 1351-5101 .- 1468-1331. ; 28:2, s. 579-586
-
Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Background and purpose: Infections with human herpesvirus 6A (HHV-6A) and Epstein–Barr virus (EBV) have been linked to multiple sclerosis (MS) development. For EBV, late infection has been proposed as a risk factor, but serological support is lacking. The objective of this study was to investigate how age affects the EBV and HHV-6A associated risks of developing MS.Methods: In this nested case–control study, Swedish biobanks were accessed to find pre-symptomatically collected blood samples from 670 individuals who later developed relapsing MS and 670 matched controls. A bead-based multiplex assay was used to determine serological response against EBV and HHV-6A. Conditional logistic regression was used to calculate odds ratios and 95% confidence intervals.Results: Seropositivity against EBV exhibited a pattern where associations switched from a decreased risk of developing MS in the group below 20 years of age to an increased risk amongst individuals aged 20–29 and 30–39 years (p for trend 0.020). The age of transition was estimated to be 18.8 years. In contrast, HHV-6A was associated with increased MS risk in all age groups (total cohort odds ratio 2.1, 95% confidence interval 1.6–2.7).Conclusions: This study suggests EBV infection after adolescence and age independent HHV-6A infection as risk factors for MS.
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| 6. |
- Bost, Jeremy P., et al.
(författare)
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Novel endosomolytic compounds enable highly potent delivery of antisense oligonucleotides
- 2022
-
Ingår i: Communications Biology. - : Springer Science and Business Media LLC. - 2399-3642. ; 5:1
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- The therapeutic and research potentials of oligonucleotides (ONs) have been hampered in part by their inability to effectively escape endosomal compartments to reach their cytosolic and nuclear targets. Splice-switching ONs (SSOs) can be used with endosomolytic small molecule compounds to increase functional delivery. So far, development of these compounds has been hindered by a lack of high-resolution methods that can correlate SSO trafficking with SSO activity. Here we present in-depth characterization of two novel endosomolytic compounds by using a combination of microscopic and functional assays with high spatiotemporal resolution. This system allows the visualization of SSO trafficking, evaluation of endosomal membrane rupture, and quantitates SSO functional activity on a protein level in the presence of endosomolytic compounds. We confirm that the leakage of SSO into the cytosol occurs in parallel with the physical engorgement of LAMP1-positive late endosomes and lysosomes. We conclude that the new compounds interfere with SSO trafficking to the LAMP1-positive endosomal compartments while inducing endosomal membrane rupture and concurrent ON escape into the cytosol. The efficacy of these compounds advocates their use as novel, potent, and quick-acting transfection reagents for antisense ONs.
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| 7. |
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| 8. |
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| 9. |
- Collin, Sven-Olof Yrjö, 1957-, et al.
(författare)
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Options are a CEO's best friend : executive compensation in Swedish listed corporations
- 2014
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Ingår i: IUP Journal of Corporate Governance. - : Gale Group. - 0972-6853. ; 13:3, s. 40-71
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Forskningsöversikt (refereegranskat)abstract
- Ownership influences both the level and composition of executive compensation. The present study examines this by adding identity of the owner and the owner's capacity to create a governance strategy to the traditional ownership concentration measure. Through a test on Swedish corporations listed as on 2008, it is found that the identity of the owner influences the level of compensation, and the concentration of ownership negatively influences the propensity to use options. This is interpreted as a sign that options are not so much an incentive instrument, aligning the CEO's interest with the absent owners' interest, but more of a recruitment instrument and an indication of CEO strength
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| 10. |
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| 11. |
- Elias, Kerstin, et al.
(författare)
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Governance: att styra med insikt snarare än avsikt. : en studie om flernivåstyrning och sektorssamverkan i Göteborg och Malmö
- 2011
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Rapport (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract
- Denna skrift diskuterar aktiviteter i och resultat av ett pilotprojekt inom Mistra Urban Futures, kallat Multi-level governance. Pilotprojektets fokus har varit flernivåstyrning eller, vilket kommer att diskuteras senare, kanske snarare sektorssamverkan. Mistra Urban Futures (fortsättningsvis MURF) är ett transdisciplinärt kunskapscenter, lokaliserat i Göteborg sedan 2010. Centret är ett konsortium med Mistra som huvudfinansiär, men där även SIDA, Göteborgs Stad, Chalmers, Göteborgs universitet, Västra Götalandsregionen, Länsstyrelsen Västra Götaland, Göteborgskommunens kommunalförbund och IVL Svenska Miljöinstitutet står för både finansiering och kunskapande. Kunskapscentret är således uppbyggt både av forskningsmiljöer och förvaltningar och myndigheter som på olika vis praktiskt arbetar med att genomföra hållbar urban utveckling. Centrets första år har präglats av en sökande verksamhet med olika öppna workshops och föreläsningar, med syfte att generera input till de kunskapsprojekt som skall prägla verksamheten under det kommande knappa decenniet. Pilotprojekten har varit fem stycken till antalet och har fokuserat olika problem eller möjligheter för hållbar urban utveckling, exempelvis klimatförändringar, medborgarinflytande och näringslivsfrågor. Pilotprojekten, som pågick mellan april 2010 till och med slutet av 2011, har inledningsvis tjänat som centrets huvudsakliga processer avseende input till den framtida kunskapande verksamheten.1 Varje pilotprojekt har haft ett delat ledarskap, med en forskare och en praktiker, som tillsammans lett en arbetsgrupp huvudsakligen – men inte uteslutande – bestående av representanter från konsortiets parter. Även arbetsgrupperna har varit bemannade av såväl forskare som praktiker. Utgångspunkten för detta är att Mistra Urban Futures har ett transdisciplinärt kunskapande som en grundläggande utgångspunkt.2 I MURF uttrycks detta allmänt som att alla är kunskapsbärare och att alla är kunskapsproducenter. Vetenskaplig kunskap och praktisk kunskap skall i det här sammanhanget arbeta tillsammans. Det är den förutsättningar för att skapa hållbar urban utveckling. I projektgruppen för det pilotprojekt som avrapporteras i denna skrift, har Lars Lilled (Göteborgs Stad, Social resursförvaltning/S2020), Kerstin Elias Göteborgsregionens kommunalförbund (GR) och White), Elin Johansson (Länsstyrelsen Västra Götaland och Kungsbacka kommun), Jan Gustafsson (Trafikverket), Ylva Löf (Göteborgs Stad, Stadsbyggnadskontoret och GR) och Magnus Johansson (Malmö högskola, institutionen för urbana studier och institutet för hållbar stadsutveckling (ISU)) deltagit vid sidan av projektledarna Joakim Forsemalm (Göteborgs universitet, Göteborg Research Institute och Radar Arkitektur och Planering) och Stig Montin (Göteborgs- och Örebros universitet).
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| 12. |
- Engdahl, Elin, et al.
(författare)
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Increased Serological Response Against Human Herpesvirus 6A Is Associated With Risk for Multiple Sclerosis
- 2019
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Ingår i: Frontiers in Immunology. - : Frontiers Media S.A.. - 1664-3224. ; 10
-
Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Human herpesvirus (HHV)-6A or HHV-6B involvement in multiple sclerosis (MS) etiology has remained controversial mainly due to the lack of serological methods that can distinguish the two viruses. A novel multiplex serological assay measuring IgG reactivity against the immediate-early protein 1 from HHV-6A (IE1A) and HHV-6B (IE1B) was used in a MS cohort (8,742 persons with MS and 7,215 matched controls), and a pre-MS cohort (478 individuals and 476 matched controls) to investigate this further. The IgG response against IE1A was positively associated with MS (OR = 1.55, p = 9 × 10-22), and increased risk of future MS (OR = 2.22, p = 2 × 10-5). An interaction was observed between IE1A and Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) antibody responses for MS risk (attributable proportion = 0.24, p = 6 × 10-6). In contrast, the IgG response against IE1B was negatively associated with MS (OR = 0.74, p = 6 × 10-11). The association did not differ between MS subtypes or vary with severity of disease. The genetic control of HHV-6A/B antibody responses were located to the Human Leukocyte Antigen (HLA) region and the strongest association for IE1A was the DRB1*13:01-DQA1*01:03-DQB1*06:03 haplotype while the main association for IE1B was DRB1*13:02-DQA1*01:02-DQB1*06:04. In conclusion a role for HHV-6A in MS etiology is supported by an increased serological response against HHV-6A IE1 protein, an interaction with EBV, and an association to HLA genes.
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| 13. |
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| 14. |
- Eveborn, David, 1978-, et al.
(författare)
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Phosphorus in soil treatment systems : accumulation and mobility
- 2014
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Ingår i: Water Research. - : Elsevier. - 0043-1354 .- 1879-2448. ; 64, s. 42-52
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- In several western countries, septic tanks with subsequent soil treatment systems (STS) are a common treatment technique for domestic wastewater in rural areas. However the suitability of STS (especially relatively close to surface waters) can be questioned since the discharge of phosphorus (P) from such effluents is not well known. In this study, six STS in Sweden (11 to 28 years old) were investigated by means of batch and column experiments on samples taken from the unsaturated subsoil beneath the distribution pipes. At all sites the wastewater had clearly influenced the soil. This was observed through decreased pH, increased amounts of oxalate extractable metals and altered P sorption properties. The amount of accumulated P in the STS (defined as the amount of total P in the STS samples minus the amount of total P in unused soil samples) were found to be between 0.32 and 0.87 kg m-3, which in most cases was just a small fraction of the estimated P load (< 30%). Column studies revealed that remarkably high P concentrations (up to 6 mg L-1) were leached from the material when deionized water was applied. However, the response to deionized water varied between the sites. The affinity for P in the soils was well correlated to the amount of oxalate-extractable aluminium (as evidenced by a strong relationship between oxalate-extractable Al and oxalate-extractable P) and generally soils with high content of oxalate extractable Al was also less vulnerable to P leakage.
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| 15. |
- Fjellman, Elin, et al.
(författare)
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Ungas politiska (icke-)deltagande på sociala medier – hellre offline?
- 2018
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Ingår i: Sociologisk Forskning. - : Sveriges Sociologförbund. - 0038-0342 .- 2002-066X. ; 55:2-3, s. 293-316
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- In the Swedish general election in 2018, social media is expected to play a major role for young people, since social media is their most important source for news and communication. This qualitative interview and focus group study analyses attitudes to political participation in social media of 110 Swedish young persons. Using an explorative perspective, this study offers empirical results, based on the attitudes of politically active as well as inactive participants, that partially contradict the existing body of research in the field. Results indicate that the participation divide, described in previous studies, is not as clear cut. It has been assumed that the politically confident young persons are more active in social media whereas the unconfident remain passive. However, our results indicate that such divides cut through the most confident and unconfident groups. Even some of the most active young people in the study state that they refrain from participating in social media. The study also shows that politically active individuals experience social pressure to participate in social media.
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| 16. |
- Forsemalm, Joakim, 1973, et al.
(författare)
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Governance - att styra med insikt snarare än avsikt
- 2011
-
Rapport (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract
- Denna skrift diskuterar aktiviteter i och resultat av ett pilotprojekt inom Mistra Urban Futures, kallat Multi-level governance. Pilotprojektets fokus har varit flernivåstyrning, eller snarare sektorssamverkan. Att hålla historien om samverkansprocessen levande, att den bör få ett tydligt slut och att samlas kring ett varumärke är några av de faktorer för framgångsrikt samarbete och lärande som projektet identifierat. Men hjälp av detta samt övriga identifierade faktorer hoppas man lättare kunna bemöta komplexiteten i frågorna kring hållbar stadsutveckling som är en stor utmaning för lokal och regional politik samt förvaltning eftersom olika former av samverkan ofta ses som centrala för att möta denna utmaning.
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| 17. |
- Garcia, Fredrik, 1986-
(författare)
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Lokal demokrati på distans : vem tar ordet när fullmäktige blir digitala?
- 2022
-
Licentiatavhandling (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract
- This licentiate thesis studies the differences between analogue and digital council meetings in how they are organized and how speaking times are distributed between men and women, and hard and soft issues. The study is based on Swedish municipal council meetings, which share similar features with national parliamentary meetings and seek legitimacy through meetings and debate. Perspectives on meeting sites and components are combined with a time perspective on parliamentary activity, where women's representation and formal meeting procedures are set in focus. By studying video recordings of six council meetings in three municipalities, time is used to measure components of three analogue and three digital meetings. Measures of relative speaking time or speech duration are constructed and applied to meeting structure and how women and men spend their speaking time. Findings indicate that the roles of meeting secretaries and chairmen changed when faced with new digital challenges. The meeting formality decreased in the digital meetings, which is in line with previous research. Women generally accounted for a smaller proportion of speaking time in relation to their numerical representation. They spent more of their speaking time debating soft issues, such as social care, while men spent more of their speaking time debating hard issues, such as economy and infrastructure. The findings are in line with previous research on the policy areas with which women and men most engage. In the digital meetings, differences between men and women where still observed, but less noticeable. This could be interpreted as the digital format having potential benefits for women's representation in certain circumstances. The findings have implications for the understanding on how digital parliamentary meetings strive to create legitimacy. However, more research is needed to be able to generalize beyond the specific context of this study and to understand the mechanisms that can explain differences between men's and women's speaking time. The contribution of the thesis lies primarily in the development of a new method for measuring speaking time which, in relation to previous research, presents greater robustness from a reliability and validity perspective.
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| 18. |
- Grahn, Elin, et al.
(författare)
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New crystal structures of human glutathione transferase A1-1 shed light on glutathione binding and the conformation of the C-terminal helix.
- 2006
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Ingår i: Acta Crystallogr D Biol Crystallogr. - 0907-4449. ; 62:Pt 2, s. 197-207
-
Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Human glutathione transferase A1-1 is a well studied enzyme, but despite a wealth of structural and biochemical data a number of aspects of its catalytic function are still poorly understood. Here, five new crystal structures of this enzyme are described that provide several insights. Firstly, the structure of a complex of the wild-type human enzyme with glutathione was determined for the first time at 2.0 angstroms resolution. This reveals that glutathione binds in the G site in a very similar fashion as the glutathione portion of substrate analogues in other structures and also that glutathione binding alone is sufficient to stabilize the C-terminal helix of the protein. Secondly, we have studied the complex with a decarboxylated glutathione conjugate that is known to dramatically decrease the activity of the enzyme. The T68E mutant of human glutathione transferase A1-1 recovers some of the activity that is lost with the decarboxylated glutathione, but our structures of this mutant show that none of the earlier explanations of this phenomenon are likely to be correct. Thirdly, and serendipitously, the apo structures also reveal the conformation of the crucial C-terminal region that is disordered in all previous apo structures. The C-terminal region can adopt an ordered helix-like structure even in the apo state, but shows a strong tendency to unwind. Different conformations of the C-terminal regions were observed in the apo states of the two monomers, which suggests that cooperativity could play a role in the activity of the enzyme.
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| 19. |
- Guldevall, Karolin, 1981-, et al.
(författare)
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Microchip screening platform for assessment of cytotoxic effector cells
-
Annan publikation (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract
- Here we report a screening platform for assessment of the cytotoxic potential of individual natural killer (NK) or T cells within larger populations. Human primary NK cells or human Epstein-Barr virus (EBV)- specific T cells were distributed across a silicon-glass microchip containing 32 400 individual microwells loaded with target cells. Through fluorescence screening and automated image analysis the numbers of effector and live or dead target cells in each well could be assessed at different time-points after initial mixing. Cytotoxicity was also studied by time-lapse live-cell imaging in microwells quantifying the killing potential of individual NK cells. Although most resting NK cells (≈75%) were non-cytotoxic to the leukemia cell line K562, some NK cells were able to kill several (≥3) target cells within the 12 hours long experiment. We demonstrate that this assay can be used to enumerate and characterize cytotoxic cells, something that could find clinical applications, e.g. in the selection of donors for stem cell transplantation or generation of highly specific and cytotoxic cells for adoptive immunotherapy.
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| 20. |
- Guldevall, Karolin, et al.
(författare)
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Microchip screening Platform for single cell assessment of NK cell cytotoxicity
- 2016
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Ingår i: Frontiers in Immunology. - : FRONTIERS MEDIA SA. - 1664-3224. ; 7
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Here, we report a screening platform for assessment of the cytotoxic potential of individual natural killer (NK) cells within larger populations. Human primary NK cells were distributed across a silicon-glass microchip containing 32,400 individual microwells loaded with target cells. Through fluorescence screening and automated image analysis, the numbers of NK and live or dead target cells in each well could be assessed at different time points after initial mixing. Cytotoxicity was also studied by time-lapse live-cell imaging in microwells quantifying the killing potential of individual NK cells. Although most resting NK cells (approximate to 75%) were non-cytotoxic against the leukemia cell line K562, some NK cells were able to kill several (>= 3) target cells within the 12-h long experiment. In addition, the screening approach was adapted to increase the chance to find and evaluate serial killing NK cells. Even if the cytotoxic potential varied between donors, it was evident that a small fraction of highly cytotoxic NK cells were responsible for a substantial portion of the killing. We demonstrate multiple assays where our platform can be used to enumerate and characterize cytotoxic cells, such as NK or T cells. This approach could find use in clinical applications, e.g., in the selection of donors for stem cell transplantation or generation of highly specific and cytotoxic cells for adoptive immunotherapy.
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| 21. |
- Gunnarsson, Carina, et al.
(författare)
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Utvinning av högvärdiga komponenter för förbättrad värdekedja för vall till etanol och bioolja
- 2022
-
Rapport (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract
- Grass-clover ley holds an importance role for a sustainable crop production and is mainly used as feed for ruminants. But ley also contains proteins, if extracted, suitable for monogastric animals such as pigs and poultry. If these proteins are extracted, the degree of self-sufficiency of proteins in Sweden can increase and better resource utilization is achieved. In this study we evaluated the utilization of fresh and ensiled grass-clover ley in a straw-based agricultural biorefinery for producing protein concentrate, ethanol, bio-oil and biogas.Practical lab scale tests of extraction of high value components for food and feed applications from the liquid fraction after ley pressing were carried out. Pretreatments of the solid fraction prior to ethanol fermentation, bio-oil production using HTL (hydrothermal liquefaction) and biogas production were tested. The system for production and supply of the ley was described and the potential for increased ley production in Sweden was quantified. The environmental and economic efficiency of the proposed biorefinery system was evaluated using environmental systems analysis and technoeconomic assessment.In terms of system profitability, a high protein yield in the extracted protein concentrate it is important. To achieve that, a thorough pre-treatment using mechanical biomass disintegration before fractioning is crucial. This may need to be done in several steps. Screw pressing is a common technique for fractionating ley into a liquid and solid fraction. Double pressing combined with enzymatic treatments or only water addition during the second pressing stage were found to increase the protein yield compared to single pressing. Second pressing had no effect on the amino acid profile of the protein concentrate.After pressing fresh ley, heat coagulation or isoelectric precipitation can be used to precipitate protein concentrates in one- or two-step processes to produce protein fractions with different functional properties. Tests showed that it is possible to recover chlorophyll and carotenoids from the ley using supercritical carbon dioxide extraction. which is a suitable method for food applications as toxic organic solvents can be avoided. The ensiling process degrades the protein into smaller peptides or free amino acids which makes ensiled grass less suitable for protein recovery by heat coagulation or isoelectric precipitation. Fresh and ensiled timothy and meadow fescue showed a similar amino acid profile as soybeans.The initial hypothesis that mechanical pressing may disintegrate the lignocellulosic structure of ley sufficiently to produce a sugar stream with a high concentration of sugar for further fermentation by enzymatic hydrolysis was not confirmed. The content of sugars released after the enzymatic hydrolysis was relatively low. The fibre fraction after the mechanical pressing can be suitable for ethanol production if an additional pretreatment method will be incorporated. Fermentation of pressed and steam-exploded ensiled mixed ley showed promising results. The bio-oils produced with the HTL-process were described of high quality, i.e., high carbon content and low ash content. Although, the obtained materials are not directly integrable in today's refineries, the ensiling did not seem to affect the material's potential for biofuel production. The methane potential tests that were carried out in the project of the liquid residual fraction after protein extraction and after the HTL process showed that both can be suitable for methane production, but they showed great behavior differences.The results from the environmental system analysis showed that extraction of high-quality products from ley, straw and sawdust according to the studied system reduces climate impact (CO2 eq) when the use of ethanol, bio-oil and biogas replaces fossil fuels, protein concentrate replaces soy as feed and carbon dioxide replaces fossil carbon dioxide. At present, the climate impact from extracted protein concentrate is higher than for soybean meal. Grass source for protein extraction followed by ethanol and bio-oil production as an alternative to straw-based ethanol and bio-oil production did not seem to improve the profitability of the studied biorefinery system. Profitability may be improved if protein extraction is performed the whole all year and not seasonal. Higher prices of the extracted protein concentrate may also improve profitability.The potential for increased grassland cultivation in Sweden for biorefining was estimated at approximately 3.4 million tonnes grass per year. This included incorporating grassland in the crop rotation in grain-dominated areas, intensification of existing grassland cultivation, utilization of fallow and abandoned arable land for grassland cultivation.Based on the results and the experience acquired from this project, we suggest an extraction plant for grass-clover ley that operates for both fresh and ensiled grassland all year. The plant needs to be supplemented with more advanced technologies such as membrane filtration for the extraction of amino acids from the ensiled ley during the winter season. The protein extraction plants should be located near farms. The extraction plant is also suggested to be located together with a biogas plant to enable co-digesting residual fractions with manure. Thereby, enabling plant nutrients and minerals in digestate to be returned to arable land. Utilizing the solid fiber fraction for biofuel production with fermentation and HTL in large-scale processes remains promising.
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| 22. |
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| 23. |
- Gustafsson, Elin, et al.
(författare)
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Anterograde delivery of brain-derived neurotrophic factor to striatum via nigral transduction of recombinant adeno-associated virus increases neuronal death but promotes neurogenic response following stroke.
- 2003
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Ingår i: European Journal of Neuroscience. - : Wiley. - 1460-9568 .- 0953-816X. ; 17:12, s. 2667-2678
-
Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- o explore the role of brain-derived neurotrophic factor for survival and generation of striatal neurons after stroke, recombinant adeno-associated viral vectors carrying brain-derived neurotrophic factor or green fluorescent protein genes were injected into right rat substantia nigra 4–5 weeks prior to 30 min ipsilateral of middle cerebral artery occlusion. The brain-derived neurotrophic factor–recombinant adeno-associated viral transduction markedly increased the production of brain-derived neurotrophic factor protein by nigral cells. Brain-derived neurotrophic factor was transported anterogradely to the striatum and released in biologically active form, as revealed by the hypertrophic response of striatal neuropeptide Y-positive interneurons. Animals transduced with brain-derived neurotrophic factor-recombinant adeno-associated virus also exhibited abnormalities in body posture and movements, including tilted body to the right, choreiform movements of left forelimb and head, and spontaneous, so-called 'barrel' rotation along their long axis. The continuous delivery of brain-derived neurotrophic factor had no effect on the survival of striatal projection neurons after stroke, but exaggerated the loss of cholinergic, and parvalbumin- and neuropeptide Y-positive, γ-aminobutyric acid-ergic interneurons. The high brain-derived neurotrophic factor levels in the animals subjected to stroke also gave rise to an increased number of striatal cells expressing doublecortin, a marker for migrating neuroblasts, and cells double-labelled with the mitotic marker, 5-bromo-2'-deoxyuridine-5'monophosphate, and early neuronal (Hu) or striatal neuronal (Meis2) markers. Our findings indicate that long-term anterograde delivery of high levels of brain-derived neurotrophic factor increases the vulnerability of striatal interneurons to stroke-induced damage. Concomitantly, brain-derived neurotrophic factor potentiates the stroke-induced neurogenic response, at least at early stages.
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| 24. |
- Gustafsson, Elin
(författare)
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Brain-derived neurotrophic factor in cerebral ischemia: a quantitative study on surviving and newly formed neurons
- 2002
-
Doktorsavhandling (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract
- This study explores the role of brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) for neuronal vulnerability and neurogenesis following cerebral ischemia in the rat. Cerebral ischemia results in selective neuronal cell loss in specific brain regions. We here demonstrate the rank order of vulnerability in two regions affected by global forebrain ischemia, i.e., hippocampus and striatum, by combining specific immunocytochemical markers and stereological quantification methods. Furthermore, we found that the resistant cholinergic striatal interneurons increased their expression of the neurotrophin receptors p75NTR and TrkA, indicating a role for the neurotrophins for the cholinergic interneurons high resistance. By scavenging BDNF from the tissue we demonstrate that endogenous BDNF is neuroprotective for hippocampal CA4 pyramidal cells and NPY-positive hilar interneurons, and for striatal cholinergic interneurons. In contrast, when elevating the striatal BDNF levels by increasing the continuous anterograde transport from substantia nigra, we caused an increased vulnerability of NPY- and parvalbumin-immunoreactive as well as the cholinergic striatal interneurons. To explore the role of BDNF in ischemia-induced neurogenesis in the dentate gyrus, we transduced the hilus with a viral BDNF vector. The increased levels of BDNF resulted in a halted ischemia-induced neuronal differentiation in the dentate gyrus (DG), without affecting the survival of newly formed cells. To study this further, we scavenged BDNF from the hilus. The decreased levels of endogenous BDNF caused an increased number of newly formed neurons following the ischemic insult, demonstrating that both exogenous and endogenous BDNF can counteract the neuronal differentiation step. On the contrary, increasing the levels of BDNF via induced anterograde transport from the substantia nigra promoted stroke-induced neurogenesis in the striatum. Taken together these data reveal a remarkable diversity of BDNF in hippocampal and striatal cellular plasticity following cerebral ischemia.
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| 25. |
- Gustafsson, Elin, et al.
(författare)
-
Intraventricular Infusion of TrkB-Fc Fusion Protein Promotes Ischemia-Induced Neurogenesis in Adult Rat Dentate Gyrus.
- 2003
-
Ingår i: Stroke: a journal of cerebral circulation. - 1524-4628. ; 34:11, s. 2710-2715
-
Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Background and Purpose-We have previously shown that delivery of brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) through direct intrahippocampal gene transduction with a viral vector suppresses the formation of new dentate granule cells triggered by global forebrain ischemia. Here, we investigated whether inhibition of endogenous BDNF alters ischemia-induced neurogenesis in the dentate gyrus. Methods-Rats were subjected to 30 minutes of global forebrain ischemia and then received intraventricular infusion of either the BDNF scavenger, TrkB-Fc fusion protein, or control Hu-Fc for 2 weeks. In parallel, all animals were injected intraperitoneally with the mitosis marker 5-bromo-2'-deoxyuridine-5'-monophosphate (BrdU). Animals were killed at 2 or 6 weeks after the ischemic insult, and neurogenesis was then assessed immunocytochemically with epifluorescence or confocal microscopy. Results-Infusion of TrkB-Fc fusion protein gave rise to elevated numbers of ischemia-generated new neurons, double-labeled with BrdU and the early neuronal marker Hu or the mature neuronal marker NeuN, in the dentate subgranular zone and granule cell layer at 2 and 6 weeks after the insult. Conclusions-Our findings provide evidence that endogenous BDNF counteracts neuronal differentiation, but not cell proliferation or survival, in ischemia-induced dentate gyrus neurogenesis.
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| 26. |
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| 27. |
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| 28. |
- Gustafsson, Mariana S., 1978-, et al.
(författare)
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DigidelCenter i Motala : Lärdomar för ökad digital kompetens
- 2019
-
Rapport (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract
- Digital delaktighet är en demokratisk rättighet. Därför är digitalt utanförskap ett demokratiskt problem när allt fler offentliga tjänster hanteras i digitala kanaler med allt från bankärenden till skolfrågor, bussturlistor och kommunal information. I FN:s Agenda 2030 för hållbar utveckling, som ligger till grund för en del av forskningen som presenteras i denna rapport, talas det om att ingen ska lämnas efter eller utanför – alla ska med. Vi tar denna uppmaning från global policy som ett riktmärke för studier av lokal praktik.I rapporten presenteras kommunens och bibliotekens roll i vår digitala omvärld. På biblioteket stöttar medarbetarna medborgarna med både informationsinhämtning och att lära sig att använda digital teknik. Biblioteksmedarbetarna arbetar också med yttrandefrihet, medie- och informationskunskap och hållbar utveckling. Vi beskriver arbetet på bibliotek för att kunna tillmötesgå såväl politiska förväntningar och lokala realiteter, som vilka kompetenser personalen behöver och hur arbetet kan organiseras. Ett syfte har även varit att sprida erfarenheter av de arbetssätt för digital delaktighet som utvecklas på DigidelCenter i Motala, till i första hand politiker och tjänstemän i Sverige. Karaktären på studierna har varit aktionsforskning där design och resultat kontinuerligt diskuteras med intresserade aktörer i kommunen och på bibliotek i samverkan, i Östergötland.I rapporten beskriver och analyserar vi arbetet på DigidelCenter i Motala kommun som en demokratisk arena. Motalas arbete har i flera sammanhang lyfts fram som en framgångsrik modell för att stödja digital inkludering, bland annat av digitaliseringsministern Peter Eriksson vid hans besök våren 2018. Det framhölls även när regeringen lanserade en satsning på flera DigidelCenter runt om i Sverige och sköt till medel för arbetet (Regeringen Pressmeddelande, 2018). Därför står arbetet på Motala bibliotek i fokus här.En utmaning här är svårigheterna att mäta digital kompetens, men även hur den kan studeras och beforskas. I policydokument finns många olika perspektiv som pendlar mellan uppfattningar om enskilda personers kompetens att vara aktiva medborgare (EU:s styrdokument/ EU, 2017?), till krav på tjänstemän och medarbetares digitala kompetens att kunna förklara för andra, visa och leda (OECD, 2017). I båda fallen handlar det om vad som händer i möten med digital teknik.Vi presenterar resultat från aktiviteter med besökare och deltagare i DigidelCenters verksamhet i form av observationer, en enkätstudie, och intervjuer med bibliotekspersonal och kommunala politiker. Dessa olika sammanhang visar på vad vi måste förstå för att tala om digital delaktighet i det offentliga, det vill säga det vi har för avsikt att studera inom forskargruppen DINO.Resultaten indikerar att arbetet med digital inkludering behöver fortsätta, samt att det handlar om mer än tillgång till teknik - kompetens är också viktigt. Resultaten från DigidelCenter i Motala visar även att personal som i sin tjänst möter människor med digitala frågor behöver både pedagogisk kompetens och kännedom om samhällets logik kring var olika e-tjänster ”hör hemma”. Dessa resultat kommer att bidra till att utveckla stöd för dem som arbetar med digital kompetens och inkludering.
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| 29. |
- Gustafsson, Mariana S., 1978-
(författare)
-
Reassembling Local E-Government : A study of actors’ translations of digitalisation in public administration
- 2017
-
Doktorsavhandling (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract
- The digitalisation of society decidedly affects public administration. Swedish public administration has long worked with information technologies for an effective and improved management of public services. But new and increased use of information technologies in society poses new challenges. New demands on information security are increasing, while accessibility and transparency are important priorities in policies on digitalisation in public services. However, the central government’s ambitions and expectations with regard to digitalisation face a slow and hesitant implementation in local governments. There are important differences between municipalities in priorities, local needs, and implementation mechanisms in connection with e-government. In this thesis, I argue there is a need to reconsider the role of governance mechanisms in e-government. There is a need to understand local translations of national policies and technological developments in relation to the goals of more effective and legitimate public administration. The main purpose of this thesis is to analyse tensions that emerge in the implementation of egovernment in local public administration. On the basis of a constructivist and interpretivist approach, I have undertaken two empirical studies. One focuses on municipal administration of education in Linköping. The other focuses on a governance network on digitalisation policy in Östergötland. The studies are presented in four papers. The issues addressed in the papers are further analysed with a focus on four fields of tension, using network governance theory and translation theory. This shows that the implementation of e-government in local public administration is a tension-laden process. The four fields of tension relate to: different logics and dilemmas for adoption and implementation; concerns and ambiguities in a context of unclear organisational and institutional arrangements; concerns and resistance from professional users; and a reassessment of the meaning of security as a reference for the interpretation of information security. I contend that established managerial and evolutionary models of e-government leave important process-related aspects out of the analysis of change in public administration. The contribution of this thesis lies in its description and analysis of the four identified fields of tension. One significant implication of my analysis is that reassembling current governance mechanisms in local public administration is crucial.
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| 30. |
- Gustafsson, Mariana, 1978-, et al.
(författare)
-
Safe on-line e-services building legitimacy for e- government : A case study of public e-services in education in Sweden
- 2013
-
Ingår i: eJournal of eDemocracy & Open Government. - Krems, Austria : Donau-Universitaet Krems. - 2075-9517. ; 5:2, s. 155-173
-
Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- There is an increased use of public e-services integrating citizens into public administration through electronic interfaces. On-line interaction among public organizations and citizens is one core relation in e-government that hereby becomes embedded into daily practices. A safe entry into e-governmental systems is essential for security and trust in the e-governmental systems and schools as well as public services in general. This paper addresses how electronic identification has been used for access to public e-services in schools in a Swedish municipality. This paper draws on a case study of use of ICT platforms in education administration in order to study the implementation of secure login process and factors that may have implications upon trust in-and legitimacy of public e-services at local e-government level. Besides describing the implementation process and analyzing security and organizational arrangements connected to the use of the platform, the paper address the argument that secure identification tools are essential for increased use of e-services and lead to greater legitimacy of the public (e)services. The analysis focuses on information security, organization set-up and potential development of the platforms, contributing with empirical findings and conceptual applications. A key finding was that the organization of identification and access to public e-services seemed highly dependent of the organizational structure of the public schools. The more general implication of the findings was that safe and well organized identification systems that were considered as trustworthy and useful among citizens were essential for increased use of the services and legitimate public e-services in general.
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| 31. |
- Gustafsson, Per, et al.
(författare)
-
Basinventering av trollsländor i Värmlands län 2006
- 2006
-
Rapport (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract
- Sommaren 2006 utfördes basinventering av citronfläckad kärrtrollslända (Leucorrhinia pectoralis) i Värmlands län. Syftet med basinventeringen är att kartlägga artens förekomst inom skyddade områden såsom Natura 2000-områden, nationalparker, naturreservat samt naturvårdsområden. Inventeringen syftar vidare till att fungera som underlag för uppföljningsarbete. Arten är på tillbakagång i Västeuropa och finns upptagen i bilaga två till EU:s Art- och Habitatdirektiv. Sverige bär ett stort ansvar för dess fortlevnad inom EU, då arten fortfarande anses vara relativt vanlig här. Basinventeringen bör ses som ett första steg för att öka kunskapen om artens ekologi och utbredning och kompletterande inventeringar är önskvärda. Av de 38 lokaler som inventerades påträffades citronfläckad kärrtrollslända vid 17 av dem. Fyndbilden visar att arten är starkt koncentrerad till Vänernära områden. Därutöver påträffades den endast vid två platser längs Klarälven i norr, Vid Gillbergasjön i sydväst samt kring Storfors i sydöst. Arten tycks föredra mosaikartad vattenvegetation, relativt näringsrikt vatten samt skyddade lägen. Dessa förhållanden rådde vid samtliga fyndlokaler utom en, Lungälvens myrar. Där påträffades flera exemplar vid en liten skogstjärn, en miljö som inte verkar vara särskilt vanlig för arten. För att få en mer exakt bild av artens uppträdande i länet, samt dess habitatkrav, krävs uppföljningar där fler typer av miljöer besöks. Det kan exempelvis gälla lite näringsfattigare sjöar och fler restvatten i anslutning till Klarälven och andra vattendrag. Detta blir i större utsträckning möjligt i inventeringar som inte är begränsade till enbart skyddade områden.
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| 32. |
- Gustafsson, Sara, 1974-, et al.
(författare)
-
Reflecting on Collaborative Networking and the Roles of Municipalities in Local Sustainable Development
- 2016
-
Ingår i: THE INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF SUSTAINABILITY POLICY AND PRACTICE. - : Common Ground Publishing. - 2325-1166. ; 12:2, s. 13-23
-
Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Sustainable development must be addressed locally; therefore, local governments and municipalities play acritical role in most states, having different formal responsibilities and potentials to be accountable for outcomes.However, municipalities are far from the sole owners of sustainable development. This paper considers various aspectsof actor collaboration for sustainable development by conceptualizing who has responsibilities and opportunities tocollaborate with whom, regarding what, and when. This paper synthesizes results of earlier case studies of municipalsustainability policy and praxis as well as theoretical considerations regarding networked governance andaccountability. The empirical basis is derived from interviews, surveys, observations, and document studies of Swedishcases, but has more general implications as well. This examination interprets the meanings of local resources andconstraints in the networked governance of sustainable urban development. It contributes to local actors’ reflections oneach other’s “worlds” and collaboration agendas. Our analytical conceptualization distinguishes between groups ofactors and their relationships with the local community and specifies spheres of responsibility by identifying these actors’perceptions of their action space. By providing this analytical framework, the conceptualization can encourage moresustainable collaboration and practices.
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| 33. |
- Hedrén, Sanna
(författare)
-
Fritidshemmets (mellan)mål och mening : Positioneringar i kollegialt samtalande mellan fritidshemspersonal
- 2022
-
Doktorsavhandling (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract
- IntroduktionDen här avhandlingen handlar om hur fritidshemspersonal skapar mening i kollegiala samtal. Fritidshemsarbete är organiserat som ett lagarbete där interaktioner och samarbete mellan kollegor utgör väsentliga delar av arbetet. Att många olika individer är involverade i att planera, organisera, genomföra och utvärdera vardagspraktiken innebär att många olika antaganden och övertygelser om hur arbetet borde utföras också färgar hur arbetet utförs. Den kunskap som finns om fritidshemsarbete och fritidshemspersonals organisering av vardagspraktiken utgår till stor del från hur arbetet borde genomföras och organiseras, d.v.s. utifrån styrdokumentens och fritidshemmets formella uppdragsbeskrivning. Men det är också viktigt att öka kunskapen om fritidshemspersonalens meningsskapande. Meningsskapande förstås i den här avhandlingen som kollegornas verbala förhandlingar av vad fritidshemmets vardagspraktik är och borde vara samt vem som har ansvaret för att realisera dessa målbilder.Syftet med studien är att analysera, tolka och förstå hur arbetslag i fritidshem kollektivt skapar mening i och genom kollegialt samtalande där mellanmålet diskuteras. I studien deltar två arbetslag på ett fritidshem, som utför kollegiala samtal för att försöka förbättra och utveckla mellanmålet. Mellanmålet har valts ut av de deltagande arbetslagen som en särskilt angelägen aktivitet att förändra. Mellanmålet är också en traditionellt viktig aktivitet i fritidspedagogisk utbildning.Studiens analyser visar att de två deltagande arbetslagens meningsskapande framträder som flerstämmigt respektive enstämmigt. Flerstämmigt meningsskapande innebär att flera olika tolkningar av vardagspraktiken förhandlas parallellt i de kollegiala samtalen. Enstämmigt meningsskapande innebär att förhandlingar sker utifrån en och samma tolkning av vardagspraktiken. Det kollektiva meningsskapandet framträder utifrån tre aspekter, som tar sig olika uttryck i det fler respektive enstämmiga meningsskapandet: reproduktion, ytlig enighet i arbetslaget och intersubjektivitet. Det flerstämmiga meningsskapandet reproducerar konstruktioner av att mellanmålet är problematiskt och att arbetslaget är oenigt. Det enstämmiga meningsskapandet reproducerar konstruktioner av att mellanmålet och arbetslaget är välfungerande. Slutsatsen är att de förutsättningar fritidshemspersonal har för kollektivt meningsskapande i och genom kollegiala samtal leder till reproduktion av medarbetarnas antaganden om mellanmålet och fritidshemspraktiken. För att möjliggöra produktiva kollegiala samtal, där gemensamt meningsskapande leder till ny och fördjupad förståelse för vardagspraktikens händelser, behöver arbetslagen vara stabila och ges tid för att kontinuerligt reflektera över sin praktik.
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| 34. |
- Hedström, Karin, 1967-, et al.
(författare)
-
Constructing identities : professional use of eID in public organisations
- 2015
-
Ingår i: Transforming Government. - Bingley, United Kingdom : Emerald Group Publishing Limited. - 1750-6166 .- 1750-6174. ; 9:2, s. 143-158
-
Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Purpose: The purpose of the paper is to reveal how identities are constructed when electronic identification (eIDs) cards are introduced through information systems in public organisations. Design/methodology/approach: Through two case studies, the authors generate rich data on the construction of identities through use of eID within public organisations. The author’s analysis, based on actor network theory, focusses on the translation of eIDs in these two settings. Findings: ID can be viewed as an artefact where the public and private spheres meet. The authors found at least three mixed roles in employees’ use of eID: as a purely private person; as a private person in the work place; and as a professional in the work place. Research limitations/implications– There is a need for further research on how eID is translated into organisational contexts and how institutional settings define the openings for local translation processes. However, the results are based on two small cases, meaning that broad generalisations are difficult to make. Practical implications: EID is so much more than technology. The technical framing of the identification system appears to be subordinated to organisational arrangements and cultures, making it important to apply a socio-technical perspective when working with eID. Originality/value: The empirical cases have offered a unique chance to study implementation and use of eID in two very different public service organisations. The findings illustrate how eID translated into organisational contexts, and how identity management within an organisational setting is linked to the employees’ private and professional roles.
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| 35. |
- Hjortsberg, Erik, et al.
(författare)
-
X-ray microtomography for characterisation of cracks in iron ore pellets after reduction
- 2013
-
Ingår i: Ironmaking & steelmaking. - 0301-9233 .- 1743-2812. ; 40:6, s. 399-406
-
Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- This work presents a method, based on X-ray microtomography and three-dimensional (3D) image analysis, of characterising and quantifying crack distribution in iron ore pellets. The aims have been to verify the method and to determine to what extent crack propagation contributes to the decrease in compressive strength that occurs during reduction at 500°C as haematite transforms into magnetite. Raw materials known to cause disintegration problems were selected in order to promote crack propagation. Pellets displayed crack lengths of sizes roughly corresponding to half the pellet diameter already before reduction and, during reduction, a further crack propagation of ∼50% occurred. Through estimations by finite element analysis of the crack size and the pellet geometry, it has been possible to determine that this crack growth most likely is a mechanism that contributes to the decrease in compressive strength. The decrease of ∼90% that was experimentally determined to occur after 30 min of reduction is, however, too large to be explained by crack propagation alone. The study shows that the proposed techniques allow 3D imaging of iron ore pellets and characterisation of cracks. The scans are non-destructive and can be carried out repeatedly, which allows a specific sample to be studied at different stages during a process. Through future use of the proposed method, our aim is to reach a deeper understanding of the mechanisms behind low temperature disintegration of iron ore pellets and the performance of LKAB olivine pellets inside the blast furnace.
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| 36. |
- Hrastinski, Stefan, 1980-, et al.
(författare)
-
Critical Imaginaries and Reflections on Artificial Intelligence and Robots in Postdigital K-12 Education
- 2019
-
Ingår i: Postdigital Science and Education. - : Springer Science and Business Media LLC. - 2524-485X .- 2524-4868 .- 2662-5326. ; 1:2, s. 427-445
-
Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- It is commonly suggested that emerging technologies will revolutionize education. In this paper, two such emerging technologies, artificial intelligence (AI) and educational robots (ER), are in focus. The aim of the paper is to explore how teachers, researchers and pedagogical developers critically imagine and reflect upon how AI and robots could be used in education. The empirical data were collected from discussion groups that were part of a symposium. For both AI and ERs, the need for more knowledge about these technologies, how they could preferably be used, and how the emergence of these technologies might affect the role of the teacher and the relationship between teachers and students, were outlined. Many participants saw more potential to use AI for individualization as compared with ERs. However, there were also more concerns, such as ethical issues and economic interests, when discussing AI. While the researchers/developers to a greater extent imagined ideal future technology-rich educational practices, the practitioners were more focused on imaginaries grounded in current practice.
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| 37. |
- Huoman, Johanna, et al.
(författare)
-
Combined prenatal Lactobacillus reuteri and omega-3 supplementation synergistically modulates DNA methylation in neonatal T helper cells
- 2021
-
Ingår i: Clinical Epigenetics. - : BMC. - 1868-7083 .- 1868-7075. ; 13:1
-
Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- BackgroundEnvironmental exposures may alter DNA methylation patterns of T helper cells. As T helper cells are instrumental for allergy development, changes in methylation patterns may constitute a mechanism of action for allergy preventive interventions. While epigenetic effects of separate perinatal probiotic or omega -3 fatty acid supplementation have been studied previously, the combined treatment has not been assessed. We aimed to investigate epigenome-wide DNA methylation patterns from a sub-group of children in an on-going randomised double-blind placebo-controlled allergy prevention trial using pre- and postnatal combined Lactobacillus reuteri and omega -3 fatty acid treatment. To this end,>866000 CpG sites (MethylationEPIC 850K array) in cord blood CD4+ T cells were examined in samples from all four study arms (double-treatment: n=18, single treatments: probiotics n=16, omega -3 n=15, and double placebo: n=14). Statistical and bioinformatic analyses identified treatment-associated differentially methylated CpGs and genes, which were used to identify putatively treatment-induced network modules. Pathway analyses inferred biological relevance, and comparisons were made to an independent allergy data set.ResultsComparing the active treatments to the double placebo group, most differentially methylated CpGs and genes were hypermethylated, possibly suggesting induction of transcriptional inhibition. The double-treated group showed the largest number of differentially methylated CpGs, of which many were unique, suggesting synergy between interventions. Clusters within the double-treated network module consisted of immune-related pathways, including T cell receptor signalling, and antigen processing and presentation, with similar pathways revealed for the single-treatment modules. CpGs derived from differential methylation and network module analyses were enriched in an independent allergy data set, particularly in the double-treatment group, proposing treatment-induced DNA methylation changes as relevant for allergy development.ConclusionPrenatal L. reuteri and/or omega -3 fatty acid treatment results in hypermethylation and affects immune- and allergy-related pathways in neonatal T helper cells, with potentially synergistic effects between the interventions and relevance for allergic disease. Further studies need to address these findings on a transcriptional level, and whether the results associate to allergy development in the children. Understanding the role of DNA methylation in regulating effects of perinatal probiotic and omega -3 interventions may provide essential knowledge in the development of efficacious allergy preventive strategies.Trial registration ClinicalTrials.gov, ClinicalTrials.gov-ID: NCT01542970. Registered 27th of February 2012-Retrospectively registered, https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT01542970.
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| 38. |
- Josefsson, Torbjörn, 1965-, et al.
(författare)
-
Examining the effects of the Mindfulness-Acceptance-Commitment (MAC) programme on sport-specific dispositional mindfulness, sport anxiety, and experiential acceptance in Martial Arts
- 2024
-
Ingår i: Scandinavian Journal of Sport and Exercise Psychology. - Aalborg : Dansk Idrætspsykologisk Forum. - 2596-741X. ; 6, s. 19-26
-
Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- The aim of the study was to examine effects of the Mindfulness-Acceptance-Commitment (MAC) programme on sport-specific dispositional mindfulness, sport anxiety, and experiential acceptance, compared to an inactive control group, in a population of Martial Arts (MA) athletes. Twenty-three MA athletes were subjected to the MAC intervention, and 22 MA athletes comprised the control group. To analyse potential differences in the outcome variables between the two groups, Bayesian repeated measures analysis of variance (RM-ANOVA) was used. Findings showed that the MAC-group had greater increases over time in the sport-specific mindfulness subscales awareness and acceptance and acceptance, compared to the control group. In contrast, no interaction effects were found for present moment attention (AMQ), experiential acceptance (BEAQ), and sport anxiety (SAS-2). Overall, the present study adds further information and understanding about the effectiveness and implementation of the MAC programme.
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| 39. |
- Karlsson, Elin, 1990-
(författare)
-
Assessment of everyday functioning for adults with hearing loss : Development of Hearing and Functioning in Everyday life Questionnaire (HFEQ)
- 2022
-
Doktorsavhandling (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract
- Aim: The overall aim of the current thesis was to develop a self-assessmentinstrument with a focus on everyday functioning for adults with hearingloss and to investigate its psychometric properties.Methods: Three different methods were applied in the current studies; a scoping review (Study I), two quantitative studies using two different datacollection processes (Study II and IV) and a qualitative study, including anitem-generation workshop and cognitive group interviews (Study III).Results: The scoping review (Study I) showed that the validation process ofICF Core Sets has varied between studies, including studies that used bothqualitative and quantitative methodology. Most of the validation studieshave been conducted in Western, high-income countries and have only useda single population.The validation of the Brief ICF Core Set for Hearing Loss (Study II) was conducted internationally, including four continents and both middle- and high-income countries. The results demonstrated satisfactory content validity and internal consistency. However, two ICF categories (b126 and d810) arerecommended to be specified if they are used in a future instrument. In study III HFEQ was developed by international experts in the field ofaudiology and/or ICF. The HFEQ was then validated in two studies withfocus on the content validity (Study III) and the construct validity (StudyIV). Altogether, the results showed satisfying levels of content and construct validity for the HFEQ, as well as internal consistency reliability, feasibility and comprehensibility. Minor adjustments such as rewording arerecommended in the future. The results of study II-IV strengthen the hypothesis that everyday functioning seems to be a relevant and valid phenomenon to measure within audiology. Conclusion: ICF Core sets have been validated using several methods. The Brief ICF Core Set for Hearing Loss has satisfactory validity for adults with hearing loss and is a relevant foundation for a new self-assessment instrument. The HFEQ is a valid self-assessment measure for assessing everyday functioning for adults with hearing loss.
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| 40. |
- Karlsson, Elin, 1990-, et al.
(författare)
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Hearing and Functioning in Everyday Life Questionnaire : Development and Validation of an ICF-Based Instrument
- 2023
-
Ingår i: Ear and Hearing. - : Lippincott Williams & Wilkins. - 0196-0202 .- 1538-4667. ; 44:6, s. 1498-1506
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- OBJECTIVES: Self-assessment instruments are commonly used in audiological rehabilitation. However, several studies highlight the lack of multidimensionality in existing outcome measures, with the consequence that they only partially capture aspects of functioning in everyday life for people living with hearing loss. This study aimed to develop and investigate the content validity of a self-assessment instrument based on the validated Brief International Classification of Functioning, Disability, and Health Core Set for Hearing Loss.DESIGN: The design was a two-part instrument development study. The first part focused on the item-generation process of the instrument, named the Hearing and Functioning in Everyday Life Questionnaire (HFEQ) during an experts' workshop. The second part focused on international content validation of the instrument using group interviews. Strategic sampling was used and 30 adults with hearing loss from India, South Africa, and the United States participated in the group interviews.RESULTS: The expert's workshop resulted in the first version of the HFEQ containing 30 items. The results from group interviews show that the content of the HFEQ was considered to be valid concerning its relevance, comprehensiveness, and comprehensibility. A majority (73%) of the HFEQ items were perceived by the participants as relevant and easy to comprehend. For the remaining 27% of the items, the content was perceived to be relevant in all countries, but some terms and expressions were reported to require rewording or clearer examples. These modifications will be made in the next step of the development process.CONCLUSION: Content validation of the HFEQ demonstrates promising results, with participants perceiving the content as relevant and comprehensible. Further psychometric validation is required to investigate other psychometric properties, such as construct validity and reliability. The HFEQ has the potential to become a valuable new instrument for assessing everyday functioning in people with hearing loss in audiological rehabilitation and in research.
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- Karlsson, Elin, 1990-, et al.
(författare)
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Hearing and Functioning in Everyday Life Questionnaire : Psychometric Evaluation and Revision
- 2024
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Ingår i: American Journal of Audiology. - : American Speech-Language-Hearing Association. - 1059-0889 .- 1558-9137.
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- PURPOSE: The aim of the current study was to explore the construct validity and internal consistency reliability of the International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health (ICF)-based original English version of the Hearing and Functioning in Everyday Life Questionnaire (HFEQ) and to revise the HFEQ based on the results.METHOD: This study used a cross-sectional survey design. The data were collected using an online survey. Adults with self-reported hearing disability (n = 513) from the United States were included. The ICF components of body functions, activity and participation, and environmental factors were tested as the underlying structure of the HFEQ using confirmatory factor analysis and then adjusted by triangulation with previous content validation.RESULTS: The results of the current study confirmed the ICF components of body functions, activity and participation, and environmental factors as underlying constructs of the HFEQ. However, after triangulation with previous content validation, fine adjustments were made. The revised version of the HFEQ includes two removed items and a fine-tuned factor structure.CONCLUSION: The results confirm that the structure of the HFEQ aligns with the ICF, and the overall results indicate that HFEQ has acceptable construct validity and internal consistency.
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| 45. |
- Karlsson, Elin, 1990-, et al.
(författare)
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Validation of the Brief International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health (ICF) core set for hearing loss : an international multicentre study
- 2021
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Ingår i: International Journal of Audiology. - : Routledge. - 1499-2027 .- 1708-8186. ; 60:6, s. 412-420
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Objective: Hearing loss (HL) affects the everyday functioning of millions of people worldwide. The Brief International Classification of Functioning Disability and Health (ICF) core sets for HL was developed to meet the complex health care needs of adults with HL. Because the brief core set for HL has not yet been validated internationally, this study aimed to investigate its validity from an international perspective. Design: A cross-sectional validation study based on data from structured interviews with adults with HL. Study sample: Participants (n = 571) from India, South Africa, Sweden and the US were included. Results: A six-factor solution explained 71% of the variance, focussing on issues related to communication, the social environment, participation in society, health care services, support, relationships and emotions (α = 0.915). Three ICF categories demonstrated low reliability - temperament and personality functions, seeing functions and school education.Conclusion: The Brief ICF core set for HL is valid for adults with HL internationally. However, to further increase its international validity, we recommend adding the categories d920 recreation and leisure and replacing d850 school education with the more inclusive block, d810-d839 education.
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| 46. |
- Karlsson, Elin, 1990-, et al.
(författare)
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Validation of the international classification of functioning, disability and health (ICF) core sets from 2001 to 2019 : a scoping review
- 2022
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Ingår i: Disability and Rehabilitation. - : Informa Healthcare. - 0963-8288 .- 1464-5165. ; 44:14, s. 3736-3748
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Forskningsöversikt (refereegranskat)abstract
- Objective: To investigate and summarize the literature on the validation of International classification of functioning, disability and health (ICF) core sets from 2001 to 2019 and explore what research methods have been used when validating ICF core sets.Methods: The current study is a scoping review using a structured literature search.Results: In total, 66 scientific articles were included, of which 23 ICF core sets were validated. Most validation studies were conducted in Europe using a qualitative methodology and were validated from the perspective of patients. Analysis methods differed considerably between the studies, and most ICF core sets were validated only once for a single target population or from a single perspective. The comprehensive core sets were validated more often than the brief core sets, and core sets for stroke and low back pain were validated most often.Conclusion: The results of the current study show that only 66% of the existing ICF core sets are validated. Many of the validation studies are conducted in a European context and from a single perspective. More validation studies of ICF core sets from the perspective of both patients and professionals are needed.
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| 48. |
- Labori, Knut Jørgen, et al.
(författare)
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Neoadjuvant FOLFIRINOX versus upfront surgery for resectable pancreatic head cancer (NORPACT-1) : a multicentre, randomised, phase 2 trial
- 2024
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Ingår i: The Lancet Gastroenterology & Hepatology. - : The Lancet Group. - 2468-1253. ; 9:3, s. 205-217
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- BackgroundIn patients undergoing resection for pancreatic cancer, adjuvant modified fluorouracil, leucovorin, irinotecan, and oxaliplatin (FOLFIRINOX) improves overall survival compared with alternative chemotherapy regimens. We aimed to compare the efficacy and safety of neoadjuvant FOLFIRINOX with the standard strategy of upfront surgery in patients with resectable pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma.MethodsNORPACT-1 was a multicentre, randomised, phase 2 trial done in 12 hospitals in Denmark, Finland, Norway, and Sweden. Eligible patients were aged 18 years or older, with a WHO performance status of 0 or 1, and had a resectable tumour of the pancreatic head radiologically strongly suspected to be pancreatic adenocarcinoma. Participants were randomly assigned (3:2 before October, 2018, and 1:1 after) to the neoadjuvant FOLFIRINOX group or upfront surgery group. Patients in the neoadjuvant FOLFIRINOX group received four neoadjuvant cycles of FOLFIRINOX (oxaliplatin 85 mg/m2, irinotecan 180 mg/m2, leucovorin 400 mg/m2, and fluorouracil 400 mg/m2 bolus then 2400 mg/m2 over 46 h on day 1 of each 14-day cycle), followed by surgery and adjuvant chemotherapy. Patients in the upfront surgery group underwent surgery and then received adjuvant chemotherapy. Initially, adjuvant chemotherapy was gemcitabine plus capecitabine (gemcitabine 1000 mg/m2 over 30 min on days 1, 8, and 15 of each 28-day cycle and capecitabine 830 mg/m2 twice daily for 3 weeks with 1 week of rest in each 28-day cycle; four cycles in the neoadjuvant FOLFIRINOX group, six cycles in the upfront surgery group). A protocol amendment was subsequently made to permit use of adjuvant modified FOLFIRINOX (oxaliplatin 85 mg/m2, irinotecan 150 mg/m2, leucovorin 400 mg/m2, and fluorouracil 2400 mg/m2 over 46 h on day 1 of each 14-day cycle; eight cycles in the neoadjuvant FOLFIRINOX group, 12 cycles in the upfront surgery group). Randomisation was performed with a computerised algorithm that stratified for each participating centre and used a concealed block size of two to six. Patients, investigators, and study team members were not masked to treatment allocation. The primary endpoint was overall survival at 18 months. Analyses were done in the intention-to-treat (ITT) and per-protocol populations. Safety was assessed in all patients who were randomly assigned and received at least one cycle of neoadjuvant or adjuvant therapy. This trial is registered with ClinicalTrials.gov, NCT02919787, and EudraCT, 2015-001635-21, and is ongoing.FindingsBetween Feb 8, 2017, and April 21, 2021, 77 patients were randomly assigned to receive neoadjuvant FOLFIRINOX and 63 to undergo upfront surgery. All patients were included in the ITT analysis. For the per-protocol analysis, 17 (22%) patients were excluded from the neoadjuvant FOLFIRINOX group (ten did not receive neoadjuvant therapy, four did not have pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma, and three received another neoadjuvant regimen), and eight (13%) were excluded from the upfront surgery group (seven did not have pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma and one did not undergo surgical exploration). 61 (79%) of 77 patients in the neoadjuvant FOLFIRINOX group received neoadjuvant therapy. The proportion of patients alive at 18 months by ITT was 60% (95% CI 49–71) in the neoadjuvant FOLFIRINOX group versus 73% (62–84) in the upfront surgery group (p=0·032), and median overall survival by ITT was 25·1 months (95% CI 17·2–34·9) versus 38·5 months (27·6–not reached; hazard ratio [HR] 1·52 [95% CI 1·00–2·33], log-rank p=0·050). The proportion of patients alive at 18 months in per-protocol analysis was 57% (95% CI 46–67) in the neoadjuvant FOLFIRINOX group versus 70% (55–83) in the upfront surgery group (p=0·14), and median overall survival in per-protocol population was 23·0 months (95% CI 16·2–34·9) versus 34·4 months (19·4–not reached; HR 1·46 [95% CI 0·99–2·17], log-rank p=0·058). In the safety population, 42 (58%) of 73 patients in the neoadjuvant FOLFIRINOX group and 19 (40%) of 47 patients in the upfront surgery group had at least one grade 3 or worse adverse event. 63 (82%) of 77 patients in the neoadjuvant group and 56 (89%) of 63 patients in the upfront surgery group had resection (p=0·24). One sudden death of unknown cause and one COVID-19-related death occurred after the first cycle of neoadjuvant FOLFIRINOX. Adjuvant chemotherapy was initiated in 51 (86%) of 59 patients with resected pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma in the neoadjuvant FOLFIRINOX group and 44 (90%) of 49 patients with resected pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma in the upfront surgery group (p=0·56). Adjuvant modified FOLFIRINOX was given to 13 (25%) patients in the neoadjuvant FOLFIRINOX group and 19 (43%) patients in the upfront surgery group. During adjuvant chemotherapy, neutropenia (11 [22%] patients in the neoadjuvant FOLFIRINOX group and five [11%] in the upfront surgery group) was the most common grade 3 or worse adverse event.InterpretationThis phase 2 trial did not show a survival benefit from neoadjuvant FOLFIRINOX in resectable pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma compared with upfront surgery. Implementation of neoadjuvant FOLFIRINOX was challenging. Future trials on treatment sequencing in resectable pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma should be biomarker driven.
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