| 1. |
- Frazier-Wood, Alexis C., et al.
(författare)
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Genetic variants associated with subjective well-being, depressive symptoms, and neuroticism identified through genome-wide analyses
- 2016
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Ingår i: Nature Genetics. - : Nature Research (part of Springer Nature). - 1061-4036 .- 1546-1718. ; 48, s. 624-
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Very few genetic variants have been associated with depression and neuroticism, likely because of limitations on sample size in previous studies. Subjective well-being, a phenotype that is genetically correlated with both of these traits, has not yet been studied with genome-wide data. We conducted genome-wide association studies of three phenotypes: subjective well-being (n = 298,420), depressive symptoms (n = 161,460), and neuroticism (n = 170,911). We identify 3 variants associated with subjective well-being, 2 variants associated with depressive symptoms, and 11 variants associated with neuroticism, including 2 inversion polymorphisms. The two loci associated with depressive symptoms replicate in an independent depression sample. Joint analyses that exploit the high genetic correlations between the phenotypes (vertical bar(p) over cap vertical bar approximate to 0.8) strengthen the overall credibility of the findings and allow us to identify additional variants. Across our phenotypes, loci regulating expression in central nervous system and adrenal or pancreas tissues are strongly enriched for association.
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| 2. |
- Smith, Jennifer A, et al.
(författare)
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Genome-wide association study identifies 74 loci associated with educational attainment
- 2016
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Ingår i: Nature (London). - : Springer Science and Business Media LLC. - 1476-4687 .- 0028-0836. ; 533:7604, s. 539-542
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Educational attainment is strongly influenced by social and other environmental factors, but genetic factors are estimated to account for at least 20% of the variation across individuals. Here we report the results of a genome-wide association study (GWAS) for educational attainment that extends our earlier discovery sample of 101,069 individuals to 293,723 individuals, and a replication study in an independent sample of 111,349 individuals from the UK Biobank. We identify 74 genome-wide significant loci associated with the number of years of schooling completed. Single-nucleotide polymorphisms associated with educational attainment are disproportionately found in genomic regions regulating gene expression in the fetal brain. Candidate genes are preferentially expressed in neural tissue, especially during the prenatal period, and enriched for biological pathways involved in neural development. Our findings demonstrate that, even for a behavioural phenotype that is mostly environmentally determined, a well-powered GWAS identifies replicable associated genetic variants that suggest biologically relevant pathways. Because educational attainment is measured in large numbers of individuals, it will continue to be useful as a proxy phenotype in efforts to characterize the genetic influences of related phenotypes, including cognition and neuropsychiatric diseases.
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| 3. |
- Sarwar, Nadeem, et al.
(författare)
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Interleukin-6 receptor pathways in coronary heart disease : a collaborative meta-analysis of 82 studies
- 2012
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Ingår i: The Lancet. - New York, NY, USA : Elsevier. - 0140-6736 .- 1474-547X. ; 379:9822, s. 1205-1213
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Background: Persistent inflammation has been proposed to contribute to various stages in the pathogenesis of cardiovascular disease. Interleukin-6 receptor (IL6R) signalling propagates downstream inflammation cascades. To assess whether this pathway is causally relevant to coronary heart disease, we studied a functional genetic variant known to affect IL6R signalling. Methods: In a collaborative meta-analysis, we studied Asp358Ala (rs2228145) in IL6R in relation to a panel of conventional risk factors and inflammation biomarkers in 125 222 participants. We also compared the frequency of Asp358Ala in 51 441 patients with coronary heart disease and in 136 226 controls. To gain insight into possible mechanisms, we assessed Asp358Ala in relation to localised gene expression and to postlipopolysaccharide stimulation of interleukin 6. Findings: The minor allele frequency of Asp358Ala was 39%. Asp358Ala was not associated with lipid concentrations, blood pressure, adiposity, dysglycaemia, or smoking (p value for association per minor allele >= 0.04 for each). By contrast, for every copy of 358Ala inherited, mean concentration of IL6R increased by 34.3% (95% CI 30.4-38.2) and of interleukin 6 by 14.6% (10.7-18.4), and mean concentration of C-reactive protein was reduced by 7.5% (5.9-9.1) and of fibrinogen by 1.0% (0.7-1.3). For every copy of 358Ala inherited, risk of coronary heart disease was reduced by 3.4% (1.8-5.0). Asp358Ala was not related to IL6R mRNA levels or interleukin-6 production in monocytes. Interpretation: Large-scale human genetic and biomarker data are consistent with a causal association between IL6R-related pathways and coronary heart disease.
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| 4. |
- Becker, Joel, et al.
(författare)
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Resource profile and user guide of the Polygenic Index Repository
- 2021
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Ingår i: Nature Human Behaviour. - : Nature Research (part of Springer Nature). - 2397-3374. ; 51:6, s. 694-695
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Polygenic indexes (PGIs) are DNA-based predictors. Their value for research in many scientific disciplines is growing rapidly. As a resource for researchers, we used a consistent methodology to construct PGIs for 47 phenotypes in 11 datasets. To maximize the PGIs’ prediction accuracies, we constructed them using genome-wide association studies—some not previously published—from multiple data sources, including 23andMe and UK Biobank. We present a theoretical framework to help interpret analyses involving PGIs. A key insight is that a PGI can be understood as an unbiased but noisy measure of a latent variable we call the ‘additive SNP factor’. Regressions in which the true regressor is this factor but the PGI is used as its proxy therefore suffer from errors-in-variables bias. We derive an estimator that corrects for the bias, illustrate the correction, and make a Python tool for implementing it publicly available. © 2021, The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer Nature Limited.
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| 5. |
- Bächle, Susanna M., et al.
(författare)
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Elevated levels of iNKT cell and NK cell activation correlate with disease progression in HIV-1 and HIV-2 infections
- 2016
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Ingår i: AIDS. - 0269-9370. ; 30:11, s. 1713-1722
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- OBJECTIVE:: In this study we aimed to investigate the frequency and activation of invariant natural killer T (iNKT) cells and natural killer (NK) cells among HIV-1, HIV-2, or dually HIV-1/HIV-2 (HIV-D)-infected individuals, in relation to markers of disease progression. DESIGN:: Whole blood samples were collected from treatment-naïve HIV-1 (n?=?23), HIV-2 (n?=?34) and HIV-D (n?=?11) infected individuals, as well as HIV-seronegative controls (n?=?25), belonging to an occupational cohort in Guinea-Bissau. METHODS:: Frequencies and activation levels of iNKT and NK cell subsets were analysed using multi-colour flow cytometry and results were related to HIV-status, CD4+ T cell levels, viral load, and T cell activation. RESULTS:: HIV-1, HIV-D, and viremic HIV-2 individuals had lower numbers of CD4+ iNKT cells in circulation compared to seronegative controls. Numbers of CD56 NK cells were also reduced in HIV-infected individuals as compared to control subjects. Notably, iNKT cell and NK cell activation levels, assessed by CD38 expression, were increased in HIV-1 and HIV-2 single, as well as dual, infections. HIV-2 viremia was associated with elevated activation levels in CD4+ iNKT cells, CD56 and CD56 NK cells, as compared to aviremic HIV-2 infection. Additionally, disease markers such as CD4+ T cell percentages, viral load, and CD4+ T cell activation were associated with CD38 expression levels of both iNKT and NK cells, which activation levels also correlated with each other. CONCLUSIONS:: Our data indicate that elevated levels of iNKT cell and NK cell activation are associated with viremia and disease progression markers in both HIV-1 and HIV-2 infections.
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| 6. |
- Christiansen, Evald H, et al.
(författare)
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Instantaneous Wave-free Ratio versus Fractional Flow Reserve to Guide PCI.
- 2017
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Ingår i: The New England journal of medicine. - : Massachussetts Medical Society. - 1533-4406 .- 0028-4793. ; 376:19, s. 1813-1823
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- The instantaneous wave-free ratio (iFR) is an index used to assess the severity of coronary-artery stenosis. The index has been tested against fractional flow reserve (FFR) in small trials, and the two measures have been found to have similar diagnostic accuracy. However, studies of clinical outcomes associated with the use of iFR are lacking. We aimed to evaluate whether iFR is noninferior to FFR with respect to the rate of subsequent major adverse cardiac events.We conducted a multicenter, randomized, controlled, open-label clinical trial using the Swedish Coronary Angiography and Angioplasty Registry for enrollment. A total of 2037 participants with stable angina or an acute coronary syndrome who had an indication for physiologically guided assessment of coronary-artery stenosis were randomly assigned to undergo revascularization guided by either iFR or FFR. The primary end point was the rate of a composite of death from any cause, nonfatal myocardial infarction, or unplanned revascularization within 12 months after the procedure.A primary end-point event occurred in 68 of 1012 patients (6.7%) in the iFR group and in 61 of 1007 (6.1%) in the FFR group (difference in event rates, 0.7 percentage points; 95% confidence interval [CI], -1.5 to 2.8; P=0.007 for noninferiority; hazard ratio, 1.12; 95% CI, 0.79 to 1.58; P=0.53); the upper limit of the 95% confidence interval for the difference in event rates fell within the prespecified noninferiority margin of 3.2 percentage points. The results were similar among major subgroups. The rates of myocardial infarction, target-lesion revascularization, restenosis, and stent thrombosis did not differ significantly between the two groups. A significantly higher proportion of patients in the FFR group than in the iFR group reported chest discomfort during the procedure.Among patients with stable angina or an acute coronary syndrome, an iFR-guided revascularization strategy was noninferior to an FFR-guided revascularization strategy with respect to the rate of major adverse cardiac events at 12 months. (Funded by Philips Volcano; iFR SWEDEHEART ClinicalTrials.gov number, NCT02166736 .).
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| 7. |
- Dobrowolski, Piotr, et al.
(författare)
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Potato fiber protects the small intestinal wall against the toxic influence of acrylamide
- 2012
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Ingår i: Nutrition. - : Elsevier BV. - 1873-1244 .- 0899-9007. ; 28:4, s. 428-435
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Objective: Acrylamide is a neurotoxic, genotoxic substance present in many commonly consumed food products and has been shown to have carcinogenic effects in rodents. The protective effects (if any) of potato fiber preparations, composed of cell wall material from potatoes, against the toxic influence of dietary acrylamide on the small intestinal wall were investigated. Methods: Male mice of the BALB/c strain were used in the study. Acrylamide was administered to the mice in their drinking water (0.5 mg/kg of body weight per day) and one of two types of potato fiber preparations (heated or raw potato fiber preparation) was added to their feed (2% addition to their feed). Histomorphometry of the small intestinal wall, hemoglobin adducts of acrylamide, animal weight, and feed and water consumption analyses were performed. Results: Acrylamide altered the morphology and histology of the small intestinal wall, decreasing proliferation, myenteron and submucosal thicknesses, villus length, fractal dimension, crypt depth, crypt number, and the small intestinal absorptive surface. Conversely, apoptosis, hemoglobin adduct levels, intensity of epithelium staining, enterocyte number, villus epithelial thickness, and crypt width and parameters associated with nerve ganglia were increased. The two potato fiber preparations that were used abolished the negative influences of acrylamide on the small intestinal wall and had no influence on the hemoglobin adduct levels of acrylamide. Conclusion: The negative impact of acrylamide on the histologic structure, regeneration, and innervation of the small intestinal wall and the absorptive function of the small intestinal mucosa can be abolished by dietary potato fiber preparations. (C) 2012 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
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| 8. |
- Edwards, Marten O. M., et al.
(författare)
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Increased photoelectron transmission in High-pressure photoelectron spectrometers using "swift acceleration"
- 2015
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Ingår i: Nuclear Instruments and Methods in Physics Research Section A. - : Elsevier BV. - 0168-9002 .- 1872-9576. ; 785, s. 191-196
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- A new operation mode of a HPXPS (high-pressure X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy) analyzer is evaluated on a HPXPS system fitted with an Al K alpha X-ray source. A variety of metal foil samples (gold, silver and copper) were measured in different sample gas environments (N-2 and H2O), and a front aperture diameter of 0.8 mm. The new design concept is based upon "swiftly" accelerating the photoelectrons to kinetic energies of several keV after they pass the analyzer front aperture. Compared to the standard mode, in which the front section between the two first apertures is field-free, this gives a wider angular collection and a lower tendency for electron losses in collisions with gas molecules within the analyzer. With the swift-acceleration mode we attain, depending on the experimental conditions, up to about 3 times higher peak intensities in vacuum and about 10 to 20 times higher peak intensities in the 6-9 mbar regime, depending on kinetic energy. These experimental findings agree well with simulated transmission functions for the analyzer. The new mode of operation enables faster data acquisition than the standard mode of operation, particularly valuable in a home laboratory environment. Further demonstrations of performance are highlighted by measurements of the valence band structure in dye sensitized solar cell photoelectrodes under a 2 mbar H2O atmosphere, a molecularly modified surface of interest in photoelectrochemical devices.
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| 9. |
- Eriksson, Susanna K, et al.
(författare)
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A versatile photoelectron spectrometer for pressures up to 30 mbar
- 2014
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Ingår i: Review of Scientific Instruments. - : American Institute of Physics (AIP). - 0034-6748 .- 1089-7623. ; 85:7, s. 075119-
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- High-pressure photoelectron spectroscopy is a rapidly developing technique with applications in a wide range of fields ranging from fundamental surface science and catalysis to energy materials, environmental science, and biology. At present the majority of the high-pressure photoelectron spectrometers are situated at synchrotron end stations, but recently a small number of laboratory-based setups have also emerged. In this paper we discuss the design and performance of a new laboratory based high pressure photoelectron spectrometer equipped with an Al Ka X-ray anode and a hemispherical electron energy analyzer combined with a differentially pumped electrostatic lens. The instrument is demonstrated to be capable of measuring core level spectra at pressures up to 30 mbar. Moreover, valence band spectra of a silver sample as well as a carbon-coated surface (graphene) recorded under a 2 mbar nitrogen atmosphere are presented, demonstrating the versatility of this laboratory-based spectrometer.
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| 10. |
- Johansson, Erik M. J., et al.
(författare)
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Photovoltaic and Interfacial Properties of Heterojunctions Containing Dye-sensitized Dense TiO2 and Triarylamine derivatives
- 2007
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Ingår i: Chemistry of Materials. - : American Chemical Society (ACS). - 0897-4756 .- 1520-5002. ; 19:8, s. 2071-2078
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- A series of solid-state heterojunctions comprising a dense TiO2 film electrode as an electron conductor, a ruthenium polypyridine complex (Ru(dcbpy)2(NCS)2) as a light-absorbing dye, and different triarylamine derivatives as hole conductors were prepared, and their photovoltaic properties as well as the molecular and electronic interfacial structures were investigated. The photovoltaic properties were compared to systems containing the hole conductors dissolved in an organic solvent as well as to a system containing a liquid electrolyte containing the iodide/tri-iodide redox couple. Two of the solid-state heterojunctions showed conversion efficiencies close to those of the system containing the iodide/tri-iodide redox couple, while one system was clearly less efficient. To explain the differences in photovoltaic properties the electronic and molecular interfacial structures of the solid-state heterojunctions were investigated by photoelectron spectroscopy (PES). By valence level PES the electronic energy levels highest in energy for the dye and the hole conductors were mapped, and the differences in energy matching partly explain the trends in photovoltaic properties. Differences in the molecular surface structure of the heterojunctions were also observed from the N Is core level measurements. Specifically it was found that the smaller hole conductor, showing low photocurrent yield, is inserted into the dye layer.
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| 11. |
- Richter, Jan Hinnerk, et al.
(författare)
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Band alignment at the ZrO2/Si(100) interface studied by photoelectron and x-ray absorption spectroscopy
- 2007
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Ingår i: Journal of Applied Physics. - : AIP Publishing. - 0021-8979 .- 1089-7550. ; 101:10
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- We present measurements of the Zr and Si core level photoelectron binding energies relative to the Fermi level and the vacuum level under a ZrO2 growth series on Si(100). It is shown that the Zr core level binding energy is most properly referenced to the local vacuum level already from the monolayer regime. This confirms the insulating properties of ZrO2. The Si core levels are referenced to the Fermi level and undergo shifts consistent with the disappearance of the mid-band-gap states originating from the (2×1) reconstruction on the clean Si(100) surface. The use of O 1s x-ray absorption spectroscopy (XAS) to determine the location of the conduction band edge of ZrO2 is discussed with the aid of ab initio calculations. It is demonstrated that the conduction band edge is located at the XAS peak position and that the position relative to the valence band can be determined by aligning the O 1s XAS spectrum to the O 1s photoelectron spectrum. The study thus establishes that photoelectron spectroscopy in conjunction with x-ray absorption spectroscopy forms a most powerful tool for studies of the band alignment at metal oxide-silicon interfaces.
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| 12. |
- Richter, Jan Hinnerk, et al.
(författare)
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Li insertion in sol-gel prepared Mn-doped TiO2 studied by electron spectroscopy in ultrahigh vacuum
- 2007
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Ingår i: The Journal of Physical Chemistry C. - : American Chemical Society (ACS). - 1932-7447 .- 1932-7455. ; 111:8, s. 3459-3466
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- The properties of a sol-gel prepared Mn-modified TiO2 film have been studied with X-ray absorption spectroscopy (XAS) and photoelectron spectroscopy (PES) using synchrotron radiation. The chemical composition and oxidation state of the elements have been determined. The manganese content estimated by PES of the Mn-modified film is about 10% and both Mn2+ and Mn3+ are observed. Addition of Mn is found to modify the valence band edge. The Mn 3d states are found to extend about 1 eV into the TiO 2 band gap region. It is demonstrated that lithium insertion into the sol-gel film can be performed in a stepwise fashion in situ under ultrahigh vacuum (UHV) conditions. Lithium is distributed evenly throughout the entire film and leads to reduction of Mn3+ to Mn2+ followed by reduction of Ti4+ to Ti3+. The XAS and PES measurements give fully consistent results regarding the amount of inserted lithium.
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| 13. |
- Sandell, Anders, et al.
(författare)
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Surface chemistry of HfI4 on Si(100)-(2x1) studied by core level photoelectron spectroscopy
- 2007
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Ingår i: Surface Science. - : Elsevier BV. - 0039-6028 .- 1879-2758. ; 601:4, s. 917-923
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- The chemistry of HfI4 adsorbed on the Si(100)-(2 x 1) surface has been studied by core level photoelectron spectroscopy in ultra-high vacuum. Two stable surface intermediates are identified: HfI3 and HfI2, both of which remain upon heating to 690 K. The dissociation of HfI4 is accompanied by the formation of SiI. In addition, HfI4 is observed up to 300 K. Complete desorption of iodine occurs in the temperature regime 690-780 K. Deposition of HfI4 at 870 K results in a layer consisting of metallic Hf, whereas deposition at 1120 K results in the formation of Hf silicide. The results indicate that the metallic Hf formed at 870 K is in the form of particles. Oxidation of this film by O2 at low pressure does not result in complete Hf oxidation. This suggests that complete oxidation of Hf is a critical step when using HfI4 as precursor in atomic layer deposition.
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| 14. |
- Åberg, Annika
(författare)
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Tjänstemötet : Interaktionens kommersiella, byråkratiska och social logik
- 2007
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Doktorsavhandling (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract
- The subject of this thesis is interaction in the service encounter. The aim is to describe and explain the service encounter interaction with a special focus on the social and organisational context. The contextual focus is related to two overriding questions: What significance does the human interaction have for the service encounter? What significance does the organisational context have for the service encounter?The result show that even though the communication consists of four discerned phases – salutation, the subject of the call, concluding the subject, and rounding off the call, each phase also displays contradictions. Consequently, there are both relational and instrumental utterances, as well as symmetrical and asymmetrical aspects of the conversations.These contradictory results of the relational-instrumental and symmetrical-asymmetrical features are explained when interaction is viewed in terms of three different sets of logic – the commercial, the bureaucratic, and the social. Every logic is constituted by a number of characteristics, each contributing to the shape of the interaction and to the relationship between the customer and the employee.Analytically speaking, the three forms of logic can be described in terms of their respective field of action and rationality, that is, what the actors talk about and what the purpose of the talk is. It is shown that the actors must prioritise between economic, administrative and personal areas within a limited time of action. It is also clear that the disparate rationalities, that is, economic, executive and recognition, all exercise influence over the service encounter, which means that acts aiming at a specific goal are restricted by the objectives of the other logics. Therefore there is a certain self-regulating function in the antagonism between the logics. The positions of the employee in relation to the customer, the organisation and the so-called collective customer mean that there are demands made from three qualitatively different directions. There is, in other words, a three-bosses dilemma for employees. The different positions of the employee also entail three different asymmetrical relationships in which either the customer or the employee has the advantage. This position constructs the hierarchy of dominance between employee and customer.To conclude, the interaction constitutes a complex relationship between the characteristics of the logics and when these combine the interaction of the service encounter is shaped. The fact that the service encounter involves human interaction means that there is a counter balance against the organisational ascendancy.
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