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| 2. |
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| 3. |
- Bergman, Becky, 1970, et al.
(författare)
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An inclusive, international learning environment?
- 2020
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Konferensbidrag (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract
- One of the Chalmers’ prioritized strategies for 2019-2021 is to reflect the diversity of society in an inclusive international learning environment. This should include developing activities that contribute to greater inclusion between international and national students and enabling global perspectives by drawing up learning objectives and activities for intercultural standards, attitudes and values. These strategies connect to national requirements for the engineering programs where students should demonstrate the capacity for teamwork and collaboration with various constellations. However, results from the International Student Barometer (2019) that show that although international students rank Chalmers highest in Europe when it comes to teaching and learning, they also rank Chalmers near the bottom when it comes to integration between home and international students. At Master’s level, approximately 35% of the students are labelled international i.e. from outside Sweden though this percentage varies quite dramatically from program to program. The main groups represented are India and China but we have students from at least 80 countries. According to the Chalmers mission statement, we should raise our level of internationalization in education to secure intellectual exchange and new stimuli. But how can this exchange take place if home and international students are not integrating with each other? This session will consist of three 10-minute presentations from three different Master programs at Chalmers. Each program has different challenges, for example in terms of the ratio between home and international students and pre knowledge required to follow courses. The presenters will provide a brief description of their individual situation in terms of their student groups. They will then describe how they have worked proactively to encourage greater inclusion, including work with both the formal and the informal curriculum (Leask, 2015). The formal curriculum is defined as the syllabus in terms of the program goals and the courses within the program. The informal curriculum covers any additional unassessed activities, for example, social activities. Finally, they will provide a future vision to work with these questions, in terms of future priorities and actions. The presentations will be followed by a panel discussion led by the session chair where questions will be taken from the audience. This session will be of particular interest to anyone who is working in an international learning environment, particularly those involved at Master program level. An inclusive environment will not only benefit all students, but has been shown to have a positive effect on results as well (De Vita, 2010). References De Vita, G. (2002). Does assessed multicultural group work really pull UK students' average down?. Assessment & Evaluation in Higher Education, 27(2), 153-161. Leask, B. (2015). Internationalizing the curriculum. Routledge.
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| 4. |
- Bernhardsson, Magnus, et al.
(författare)
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Shining dead bone-cause for cautious interpretation of [F-18]NaF PET scans
- 2018
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Ingår i: Acta Orthopaedica. - : Taylor & Francis. - 1745-3674 .- 1745-3682. ; 89:1, s. 124-127
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Background and purpose — [18F]Fluoride ([18F]NaF) PET scan is frequently used for estimation of bone healing rate and extent in cases of bone allografting and fracture healing. Some authors claim that [18F]NaF uptake is a measure of osteoblastic activity, calcium metabolism, or bone turnover. Based on the known affinity of fluoride to hydroxyapatite, we challenged this view.Methods — 10 male rats received crushed, frozen allogeneic cortical bone fragments in a pouch in the abdominal wall on the right side, and hydroxyapatite granules on left side. [18F]NaF was injected intravenously after 7 days. 60 minutes later, the rats were killed and [18F]NaF uptake was visualized in a PET/CT scanner. Specimens were retrieved for micro CT and histology.Results — MicroCT and histology showed no signs of new bone at the implant sites. Still, the implants showed a very high [18F]NaF uptake, on a par with the most actively growing and remodeling sites around the knee joint.Interpretation — [18F]NaF binds with high affinity to dead bone and calcium phosphate materials. Hence, an [18F]NaF PET/CT scan does not allow for sound conclusions about new bone ingrowth into bone allograft, healing activity in long bone shaft fractures with necrotic fragments, or remodeling around calcium phosphate coated prostheses
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| 5. |
- Bjork, Jonas, et al.
(författare)
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COVID-19 vaccine effectiveness against severe disease from the Omicron BA.1 and BA.2 subvariants: surveillance results from southern Sweden, December 2021 to March 2022
- 2022
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Annan publikation (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract
- We compared vaccine effectiveness (VE) against severe COVID-19 during calendar periods from December 2021 to March 2022 when Omicron BA.1 and BA.2, respectively, were the dominating virus variants in Scania county, Sweden. We used continuous density case-control sampling matched for sex and age, and with further adjustment for differences in comorbidities and prior infection. VE remained relatively stable after the transition from BA.1 to BA.2 among people with at least three doses but decreased markedly among those with only two doses. Protection from prior infection was also lower after the transition to BA.2. These findings suggest that booster vaccination is needed to maintain sufficient protection against severe COVID-19.Competing Interest StatementThe authors have declared no competing interest.Funding StatementThis study was supported by Swedish Research Council (VR; grant numbers 2019-00198 and 2021-04665), Sweden's Innovation Agency (Vinnova; grant number 2021-02648) and by internal grants for thematic collaboration initiatives at Lund University held by JB and MI. FK is supported by grants from the Swedish Research Council and Governmental Funds for Clinical Research (ALF), and CB is supported by Swedish Research Council for Health, Working life and Welfare (Forte; grant number 2020-00962). The funders played no role in the design of the study, data collection or analysis, decision to publish, or preparation of the manuscript.Author DeclarationsI confirm all relevant ethical guidelines have been followed, and any necessary IRB and/or ethics committee approvals have been obtained.YesThe details of the IRB/oversight body that provided approval or exemption for the research described are given below:Ethical approval was obtained from the Swedish Ethical Review Authority (2021-00059).I confirm that all necessary patient/participant consent has been obtained and the appropriate institutional forms have been archived, and that any patient/participant/sample identifiers included were not known to anyone (e.g., hospital staff, patients or participants themselves) outside the research group so cannot be used to identify individuals.YesI understand that all clinical trials and any other prospective interventional studies must be registered with an ICMJE-approved registry, such as ClinicalTrials.gov. I confirm that any such study reported in the manuscript has been registered and the trial registration ID is provided (note: if posting a prospective study registered retrospectively, please provide a statement in the trial ID field explaining why the study was not registered in advance).Yes I have followed all appropriate research reporting guidelines and uploaded the relevant EQUATOR Network research reporting checklist(s) and other pertinent material as supplementary files, if applicable.YesAggregated surveillance data from the present study are publicly available.https://sodrasjukvardsregionen.se/kliniskastudier/covid-vacciner-skyddseffekt/
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| 6. |
- Bjurshammar, N., et al.
(författare)
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The Effect of Local Phototherapy on Gingival Inflammation - A Randomized Controlled Study
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Annan publikation (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract
- Aim: To investigate if a toothbrush with incorporated 450 nm LEDs used in daily oral care can reduce dental plaque and gingival inflammation.Materials and methods: An 8-week single blinded randomized clinical trial comparing toothbrushes with and without 450 nm blue LED light emission including 48 subjects. Clinical parameters of interest were plaque index (PI), gingival index (GI) and bleeding on probing (BOP). Analyzes were also made on Interleukin-1β (IL), IL-6, IL -8, and Tumor necrosis factor alpha.Results: A significant reduction in PI, GI and BOP was detected within the groups from baseline to follow-up visit, but no statistical differences between subjects using a toothbrush with 450 nm blue light and a toothbrush without light. Significant decreases in the levels of both MMP-8 and TIMP-1 in saliva, and IL-1b and IL-8 in GCF for the blue light toothbrush groups.Conclusion: A toothbrush with 450 nm LEDs did not yield any statistical significant adjunctive effect to tooth brushing with regard to reduction in gingival inflammation. A larger decrease in PI for the blue light toothbrush compared to control was found at a significance level of p=0.058. To get an optimal phototherapeutic effect we suggest that a wavelength of 405 nm should be used in future studies.
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| 7. |
- Björk, Jonas, et al.
(författare)
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An efficient sampling strategy for selection of biobank samples using risk scores
- 2017
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Ingår i: Scandinavian Journal of Public Health. - : SAGE Publications. - 1403-4948 .- 1651-1905. ; 45:17_suppl, s. 41-44
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Aim: The aim of this study was to suggest a new sample-selection strategy based on risk scores in case-control studies with biobank data. Methods: An ongoing Swedish case-control study on fetal exposure to endocrine disruptors and overweight in early childhood was used as the empirical example. Cases were defined as children with a body mass index (BMI) ≥18 kg/m2 (n=545) at four years of age, and controls as children with a BMI of 1/217 kg/m2 (n=4472 available). The risk of being overweight was modelled using logistic regression based on available covariates from the health examination and prior to selecting samples from the biobank. A risk score was estimated for each child and categorised as low (0-5%), medium (6-13%) or high (≥14%) risk of being overweight. Results: The final risk-score model, with smoking during pregnancy (p=0.001), birth weight (p<0.001), BMI of both parents (p<0.001 for both), type of residence (p=0.04) and economic situation (p=0.12), yielded an area under the receiver operating characteristic curve of 67% (n=3945 with complete data). The case group (n=416) had the following risk-score profile: low (12%), medium (46%) and high risk (43%). Twice as many controls were selected from each risk group, with further matching on sex. Computer simulations showed that the proposed selection strategy with stratification on risk scores yielded consistent improvements in statistical precision. Conclusions: Using risk scores based on available survey or register data as a basis for sample selection may improve possibilities to study heterogeneity of exposure effects in biobank-based studies.
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| 8. |
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| 9. |
- Björk, Jonas, et al.
(författare)
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Effectiveness of the BNT162b2 vaccine in preventing COVID-19 in the working age population – first results from a cohort study in Southern Sweden
- 2021
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Annan publikation (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract
- Background Vaccine effectiveness against COVID-19 needs to be assessed in diverse real-world population settings.Methods A cohort study of 805 741 residents in Skåne county, Southern Sweden, aged 18-64 years, of whom 26 587 received at least one dose of the BNT162b2 vaccine. Incidence rates of COVID-19 were estimated in sex- and age-adjusted analysis and stratified in two-week periods with substantial community spread of the disease.Results The estimated vaccine effectiveness in preventing infection ≥7 days after second dose was 86% (95% CI 72-94%) but only 42% (95% CI 14-63%) ≥14 days after a single dose. No difference in vaccine effectiveness was observed between females and males. Having a prior positive test was associated with 91% (95% CI 85 to 94%) effectiveness against new infection among the unvaccinated.Conclusion A satisfactory effectiveness of BNT162b2 after the second dose was suggested, but with possibly substantially lower effect before the second dose.Competing Interest StatementThe authors have declared no competing interest.Funding StatementThis study was supported by an internal grant for thematic collaboration initiatives at Lund University held by JB, and by Swedish Research Council (VR; grant number 2019-00198). FK is supported by grants from the Swedish Research Council and Governmental Funds for Clinical Research (ALF). The funders played no role in the design of the study, data collection or analysis, decision to publish, or preparation of the manuscript.Author DeclarationsI confirm all relevant ethical guidelines have been followed, and any necessary IRB and/or ethics committee approvals have been obtained.YesThe details of the IRB/oversight body that provided approval or exemption for the research described are given below:Ethical approval was obtained from the Swedish Ethical Review Authority (2021-00059). As the study is register-based, individual participant consent was not necessary.All necessary patient/participant consent has been obtained and the appropriate institutional forms have been archived.YesI understand that all clinical trials and any other prospective interventional studies must be registered with an ICMJE-approved registry, such as ClinicalTrials.gov. I confirm that any such study reported in the manuscript has been registered and the trial registration ID is provided (note: if posting a prospective study registered retrospectively, please provide a statement in the trial ID field explaining why the study was not registered in advance).YesI have followed all appropriate research reporting guidelines and uploaded the relevant EQUATOR Network research reporting checklist(s) and other pertinent material as supplementary files, if applicable.YesThe dataset used in the present study is hosted by Scania county council, Sweden. Legal and ethical restrictions prevent public sharing of the dataset. Data can be made available for collaborations upon request to interested researchers but would generally require a new ethical permission.
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| 10. |
- Björk, Jonas, et al.
(författare)
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High level of protection against COVID-19 after two doses of BNT162b2 vaccine in the working age population–first results from a cohort study in Southern Sweden
- 2022
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Ingår i: Infectious Diseases. - : Informa UK Limited. - 2374-4235 .- 2374-4243. ; 54:2, s. 128-133
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Background: Vaccine effectiveness against COVID-19 needs to be assessed in diverse real-world population settings. Methods: A cohort study of 805,741 residents in Skåne county, Southern Sweden, aged 18–64 years, of whom 26,587 received at least one dose of the BNT162b2 vaccine. Incidence rates of COVID-19 were estimated in sex- and age-adjusted analysis and stratified in two-week periods with substantial community spread of the disease. Results: The estimated vaccine effectiveness in preventing infection ≥7 days after second dose was 86% (95% CI 72–94%) but only 42% (95% CI 14–63%) ≥14 days after a single dose. No difference in vaccine effectiveness was observed between females and males. Having a prior positive test was associated with 91% (95% CI 85–94%) effectiveness against new infection among the unvaccinated. Conclusion: A satisfactory effectiveness of BNT162b2 after the second dose was suggested, but with possibly substantially lower effect before the second dose.
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| 11. |
- Björk, Jonas, et al.
(författare)
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Surveillance of COVID-19 vaccine effectiveness : A real-time case-control study in southern Sweden
- 2022
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Ingår i: Epidemiology and Infection. - 0950-2688. ; 150
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- The extensive register infrastructure available for coronavirus disease 2019 surveillance in Scania county, Sweden, makes it possible to classify individual cases with respect to hospitalisation and disease severity, stratify on time since last dose and demographic factors, account for prior infection and extract data for population controls automatically. In the present study, we developed a case-control sampling design to surveil vaccine effectiveness (VE) in this ethnically and socioeconomically diverse population with more than 1.3 million inhabitants. The first surveillance results show that estimated VE against hospitalisation and severe disease 0-3 months after the last dose remained stable during the study period, but waned markedly 6 months after the last dose in persons aged 65 years or over.
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| 12. |
- Falk, Johan, et al.
(författare)
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Exponential Roadmap: Scaling 36 Solutions to Halve Emissions by 2030
- 2019
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Rapport (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract
- The 2019 Exponential Roadmap focuses on moving from incremental to exponential climate action in the next decade. It presents 36 economically- viable solutions to cut global greenhouse gas emissions 50% by 2030 and the strategies to scale this transformation. The roadmap is consistent with the Paris Agreement’s goal to keep global average temperature “well below 2°C” and aiming for 1.5°C above pre- industrial levels. The 2019 roadmap is the second in the series. Each new roadmap updates solutions that have proven potential to scale and charts progress towards exponential scaling. The roadmap, based on the carbon law (see box) is a collaboration between academia, business and civil society. The roadmap is complemented with a high-ambition narrative, Meeting the 1.5°C Ambition, that presents the case why holding global average temperature increase to just 1.5°C above pre-industrial levels is important. Since the first roadmap, the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) published its special report on 1.5°C. The report concluded that the economic and humanitarian risks of a 2°C world are significantly higher than 1.5°C. The remaining emissions budget for 1.5°C is small, and will be exceeded within ten to fifteen years at current emission rates. The window of feasibility is closing rapidly. The global economic benefit of a low-carbon future is estimated at US$26 trillion by 2030 compared with staying on the current high-carbon pathway. The scale of transformation – halving emissions by 2030 – is unprecedented but the speed is not. Some cities and companies can transform significantly faster. Developed nations with significant historic emissions have a responsibility to reduce emissions faster. Greenhouse gas emissions, and the solutions to reduce them, are grouped by six sectors: energy, industry, transport, buildings, food consumption, nature-based solutions (sources and sinks). Meeting the 1.5°C goal means implementing solutions in parallel across all sectors. The solutions must scale exponentially. The roadmap identifies four levers required to scale the transformation as well as necessary actions for each: policy, climate leadership and movements, finance and exponential technology. Implementation must be fair and just or risk deep resistance.
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| 13. |
- Hallberg, Peter, 1974-
(författare)
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On Knowledge Creation and Learning at the Intersection of Product Development and Engineering Education
- 2021
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Doktorsavhandling (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract
- Today’s demands on higher engineering education given the rapid transformation of society are, to say the least, multifaceted. Rapidly increased complexity of technology as well as adaptation to sustainability requirements are causing major transformations and mergers of whole domains of technology that strongly impact current and future engineering workforces within these domains, in particular, the need for new competencies. To adapt to industry demands for engineering competence that fits new constellations of technology domains, providers of advanced engineering training – i.e., engineering faculties – need to inventory their toolbox for ways to support knowledge creation processes. Product development theory is a central part of many types of academic engineering programs. However, as the product development process itself is a process of knowledge creation, it also has strong relations to theories of learning. This thesis explores the idea that some of the tools of engineering that are also taught at engineering faculties and therefore are familiar to their members can beneficially be applied to the development and management of engineering curricula. This thesis explores the domains of product development theory, engineering education and learning analytics in search of overlapping approaches to knowledge creation. The outcome of this search, which are also the result of this thesis, is a set of proposed tools, measures, and approaches for the development, management, content, and arrangement of engineering curriculum. The main contributions focus on the use of physical artifacts and their contribution to engineering educational frameworks, such as the Conceiving – Designing – Implementing – Operating (CDIO) initiative. For this purpose, the thesis picks up on a previously developed concept of low-cost demonstrators for the establishment of a formalized learning and enabling platform that promotes implementation and execution of the CDIO framework. Furthermore, by adopting a similar approach to product development and learning theory, additional tools are identified and developed for curriculum adaptation, enhancement, and management. In particular, by examining the curriculum from previously unexplored perspectives followed by establishment of novel measurements, this thesis demonstrates how curriculum developers and program managers can increase their insights into the outcomes of their decisions.
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| 14. |
- Hjort, Marcus, et al.
(författare)
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Increased Inflammatory Activity in Patients 3 Months after Myocardial Infarction with Nonobstructive Coronary Arteries
- 2019
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Ingår i: Clinical Chemistry. - : AMER ASSOC CLINICAL CHEMISTRY. - 0009-9147 .- 1530-8561. ; 65:8, s. 1023-1030
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- BACKGROUND: Around 5%-10% of patients with myocardial infarction (MI) present with nonobstructive coronary arteries (MINOCA). We aimed to assess pathophysiological mechanisms in MINOCA by extensively evaluating cardiovascular biomarkers in the stable phase after an event, comparing MINOCA patients with cardiovascular healthy controls and MI patients with obstructive coronary artery disease (MI-CAD).METHODS: Ninety-one biomarkers were measured with a proximity extension assay 3 months after MI in 97 MINOCA patients, 97 age-and sex-matched MI-CAD patients, and 98 controls. Lasso analyses (penalized logistic regression models) and adjusted multiple linear regression models were used for statistical analyses.RESULTS: In the Lasso analysis (MINOCA vs MI-CAD), 8 biomarkers provided discriminatory value: P-selectin glycoprotein ligand 1, C-X-C motif chemokine 1, TNF-related activation-induced cytokine, and pappalysin-1 (PAPPA) with increasing probabilities of MINOCA, and tissue-type plasminogen activator, B-type natriuretic peptide, myeloperoxidase, and interleukin-1 receptor antagonist protein with increasing probabilities of MI-CAD. Comparing MINOCA vs controls, 7 biomarkers provided discriminatory value: N-terminal pro-B-type natriuretic peptide, renin, NF-kappa-B essential modulator, PAPPA, interleukin-6, and soluble urokinase plasminogen activator surface receptor with increasing probabilities of MINOCA, and agouti-related protein with increasing probabilities of controls. Adjusted multiple linear regression analyses showed that group affiliation was associated with the concentrations of 7 of the 8 biomarkers in the comparison MINOCA vs MI-CAD and 5 of the 7 biomarkers in MINOCA vs controls.CONCLUSIONS: Three months after the MI, the biomarker concentrations indicated greater inflammatory activity in MINOCA patients than in both MI-CAD patients and healthy controls, and a varying degree of myocardial dysfunction among the 3 cohorts.
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| 15. |
- Hober, Andreas, et al.
(författare)
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Absolute Quantification of Apolipoproteins Following Treatment with Omega-3 Carboxylic Acids and Fenofibrate Using a High Precision Stable Isotope-labeled Recombinant Protein Fragments Based SRM Assay
- 2019
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Ingår i: Molecular & Cellular Proteomics. - : AMER SOC BIOCHEMISTRY MOLECULAR BIOLOGY INC. - 1535-9476 .- 1535-9484. ; 18:12, s. 2433-2446
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Stable isotope-labeled standard (SIS) peptides are used as internal standards in targeted proteomics to provide robust protein quantification, which is required in clinical settings. However, SIS peptides are typically added post trypsin digestion and, as the digestion efficiency can vary significantly between peptides within a protein, the accuracy and precision of the assay may be compromised. These drawbacks can be remedied by a new class of internal standards introduced by the Human Protein Atlas project, which are based on SIS recombinant protein fragments called SIS PrESTs. SIS PrESTs are added initially to the sample and SIS peptides are released on trypsin digestion. The SIS PrEST technology is promising for absolute quantification of protein biomarkers but has not previously been evaluated in a clinical setting. An automated and scalable solid phase extraction workflow for desalting and enrichment of plasma digests was established enabling simultaneous preparation of up to 96 samples. Robust high-precision quantification of 13 apolipoproteins was achieved using a novel multiplex SIS PrEST-based LC-SRM/MS Tier 2 assay in non-depleted human plasma. The assay exhibited inter-day coefficients of variation between 1.5% and 14.5% (median = 3.5%) and was subsequently used to investigate the effects of omega-3 carboxylic acids (OM3-CA) and fenofibrate on these 13 apolipoproteins in human plasma samples from a randomized placebo-controlled trial, EFFECT I (NCT02354976). No significant changes were observed in the OM3-CA arm, whereas treatment with fenofibrate significantly increased apoAII and reduced apoB, apoCI, apoE and apoCIV levels. The reduction in apoCIV following fenofibrate treatment is a novel finding. The study demonstrates that SIS PrESTs can facilitate the generation of robust multiplexed biomarker Tier 2 assays for absolute quantification of proteins in clinical studies. Applications of LC-SRM in clinical research are still limited. SIS PrEST are a novel class of standards added prior to trypsinization. We have developed a semi-automated sample preparation workflow and a SIS PrEST LC-SRM/MS Tier 2 assay for absolute quantification of 13 apolipoproteins in human plasma and applied it on clinical samples from the EFFECT I study. We demonstrate, for the first time, that SIS PrEST can be applied for exploratory biomarker research in clinical settings and capture drug effects.
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| 16. |
- Isaksson, Ola, 1969, et al.
(författare)
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Trends, observations and drivers for change in systems engineering design
- 2017
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Ingår i: Proceedings of the International Conference on Engineering Design, ICED. - : The Design Society. ; 3, s. 201-210
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Konferensbidrag (refereegranskat)abstract
- Manufactures, developing products, need to adapt and improve their practices taking advantage of technology advancements and simultaneously develop products and solutions to fit a new world. This paper discusses how societal and technological trends drive the need for change and evolution in what is called Systems Engineering Design (SED), indicating a systems view on engineering design. Through an analysis and selected examples it is argued that SED capabilities need to better address the width and complexity of design problem, takes advantages of increased computational power and sensing technologies to master future challenges. An important factor for successful deployment and change in industrial context, is the need for interactive and visual AIDS and easily accessible support methods. This can pave the way also for advanced SED support.
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| 17. |
- Kahn, Fredrik, et al.
(författare)
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Previous SARS-CoV-2 infections and their impact on the protection from reinfection during the Omicron BA.5 wave – a nested case-control study among vaccinated adults in Sweden
- 2024
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Ingår i: IJID Regions. - 2772-7076. ; 10, s. 235-239
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Objectives: We evaluated the protection afforded by SARS-CoV-2 infection-induced immunity against reinfection among working-age vaccinated individuals during a calendar period from June to December 2022 when Omicron BA.5 was the dominating subvariant in Scania County, Sweden. Methods: The study cohort (n = 71,592) mainly consisted of health care workers. We analyzed 4144 infected cases during the Omicron BA.5 dominance and 41,440 sex- and age-matched controls with conditional logistic regression. Results: The average protection against reinfection was marginal (16%, 95% confidence interval [CI] 7-23%) during the study period but substantially higher for recent infections. Recent infection (3-6 months) with Omicron BA.2 and BA.5 offered strong protection (86%, 95% CI 68-94% and 78%, 95% CI 69-84%), whereas more distant infection (6-12 months) with Omicron BA.1, BA.2, and the variants before Omicron offered marginal or no protection. Conclusions: These findings suggest that infection-induced immunity contributes to short-term population protection against infection with the subvariant BA.5 among working-age vaccinated individuals but wanes considerably with time, independent of the virus variant.
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| 18. |
- Kahn, Fredrik, et al.
(författare)
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Risk of severe COVID-19 from the Delta and Omicron variants in relation to vaccination status, sex, age and comorbidities - surveillance results from southern Sweden, July 2021 to January 2022
- 2022
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Ingår i: Euro surveillance : bulletin Europeen sur les maladies transmissibles = European communicable disease bulletin. - 1560-7917. ; 27:9
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- We compared the risk of severe COVID-19 during two periods 2021 and 2022 when Delta and Omicron, respectively, were the dominating virus variants in Scania county, Sweden. We adjusted for differences in sex, age, comorbidities, prior infection and vaccination. Risk of severe disease from Omicron was markedly lower among vaccinated cases. It was also lower among the unvaccinated but remained high (> 5%) for older people and middle-aged men with two or more comorbidities. Efforts to increase vaccination uptake should continue.
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| 19. |
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| 20. |
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| 21. |
- Lind, Jonas, 1988-
(författare)
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Designing a certification system for sustainable urban areas : Key considerations and their implications for the development of Citylab Post-Construction
- 2019
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Licentiatavhandling (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract
- In future development dealingwith ongoing global urbanisation and sustainability challenges,urban development is often seen asa key component. To support urban development, various certification systems that define 'sustainable'buildingsor urban areashave been developed world-wide.For a Swedishcontext, Sweden Green Building Council (SGBC) has developed Citylab as asupporttool forsustainable urban development. This tool contains several certification systems and a guiding document forthe planning and construction phasesof urban development. The intention from start has been to include also a certification systemfocusing on follow-up requirementspost-construction inurban development projects, butthe role and function of thiscertification system havenotbeenspecifiedby SGBC. Inthis licentiate thesis,Researchthrough Design (RtD) and a transdisciplinary approachwere appliedto contribute to thedevelopment ofa credibleandready-to-use certification system for sustainable urban areas in a post-construction phase, called Citylab Post-Construction.Through that process the thesis also identifieskey considerations when designing such a certification system.There is little information on how existingcertification systemsfor sustainable urban development were developed,andthere is no well-known and widely used framework for their development. To guide the development of Citylab Post-Construction,a framework of key considerations was formulated,based on a literature review. The framework defines(1) benefits a certification system should provide, (2) principles it needs to fulfil in order to provide those benefits and (3) how to handle the principlesin the developmentprocess. Using theframework in the research presentedinthis thesis madeit clearer what was at stake in each decision and thus the development process more transparent.To identify needs and ideas forCitylabPost-Construction, potential future users of the certification systemwere interviewed. No consensus was reached regarding the role and function the certification system should have,but fouralternatives wereformulated. By comparing thesealternatives with the principles in the framework, differences and shortcomingswere identified. Situationsin whichdifferent principles within the framework may conflict with each otherwere also identified, e.g.the most scientifically credible solution may not always be practically feasible. Thus,the principles cannot all be fulfilled simultaneouslyand mustbe prioritisedand balancedagainst each other. Overall, thisrevealed aneed for deliberativeand transparent decisions regardingthe role and functionofthecertification system,and which principles are prioritisedin decision-making. For the specific case of developing CitylabPost-Construction, it was decided that the system should assess how urban areasperform in terms of sustainability, i.e.assess whether implemented measures have sufficient impact in terms of sustainability. Measures implemented to achieve that performance were not to be included in the assessment.Citylab Post-Construction includes two types of indicatorsfor evaluatingthe sustainability performance of an urban area: First, general indicators that assess sustainability aspects of relevance to all urban areas,and for which the level of performance required forcertification is the same for all urban areas;second,site-specificindicatorsthatareformulatedfor each individual urban areato be certifiedandassesssustainability aspectsimportantin the local context thatare not covered by the general indicators. When choosinggeneral indicators to include in Citylab Post-Construction, indicators already used in different contextswere long-listed, including e.g. Agenda 2030, planetary boundariesand Sweden's Environmental Objectives. Thelist was then processedby working groups comprisingdifferentstakeholders and competencies. Theirsuggestionswerefurther processed by the project teamand discussedwith a reference group,resultingin15 indicators to be refinedtogetherwith experts in each subject area. The entire certification system wassent out for public consultationand underwent workshop testing,where the indicators were testedon two different urbanareas.Based on feedback fromthe public consultation and workshop testing, the certification system was finalised. The Citylab Post-Construction manual developed will be used by SGBC in future certification processes.Based on this work, some conclusions can be drawn regarding the development of certification systems. First, the workhighlighted the importance of using a design-driven and transdisciplinary way of working,starting with the needs of future users,to clarify needsthat the certification systemshould meet. This can help distinguish thetype of certification system that willbe developed from other potentialsystems.Second, the framework of important considerations helpsidentifydifferent principlesthat must be balanced, based on the type of certification system intended. The framework can also be used when analysingexisting systems,to reveal how different principles have been balanced and prioritised. This can lead toa deeper understanding of differences between certification systems,andto a discussion on what kind of assessment a certification system should implyand how they should be used in different contexts. Third,the work in this thesis indicated that development of certification systems in accordance with the framework should use a transdisciplinary approach. This helps tobalancetheprinciples in the framework and to definesustainability, as thatrequires a discussion between different actors and different competencies. To confirm whether the certification system balancesthe principlescorrectly, different types of tests can be used iteratively during the developmentprocess. In this thesis, the development ofCitylab Post-Constructionis discussed and justified in a more transparent way than for many other certification systems. Whileachievingsustainable development in society as a wholewill requiremore than certification of urban areas, Citylab Post-Construction can support urban development as a component in a sustainable society.
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| 22. |
- Lind, Jonas, 1988-, et al.
(författare)
-
Developing a certification system to evaluate the sustainability of urban areas post‑construction : the case of Citylab
-
Annan publikation (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract
- This paper describes the development of Citylab Post‑construction, a certification system for evaluating the sustainability performance of urban areas in a post-construction phase. To facilitate transparency and deliberateness, a framework of important considerations for certification systems were used throughout the development process to clarify benefits and drawbacks of different decisions. The process was characterised by collaboration with experts and practitioners within Swedish urban planning, real estate and construction. Applying the principles proved useful in achieving a transparent and deliberative process, despite conflicts between some principles. The principles may also be applicable in other similar processes. How Citylab Post‑construction will be used and its ability to drive change are questions for future work.
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| 23. |
- Lind, Jonas, 1988-, et al.
(författare)
-
Developing Citylab Post-Construction-A Swedish Certification System to Evaluate the Sustainability of Urban Areas
- 2020
-
Ingår i: Sustainability. - : MDPI AG. - 2071-1050. ; 12:11
-
Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- This paper describes the development of Citylab Post-Construction, a Swedish certification system for evaluating the sustainability performance of urban areas in a post-construction phase once the area is inhabited. The process design was based on transdisciplinary and research-through-design approaches, and involved experts and practitioners within Swedish urban planning, real estate and construction sector. This paper is not highlighting the certification system per se, but rather the process of developing it, with the aim of increasing the understanding of such design processes. A previously developed, but so far untested, framework of key considerations for certification systems was used to clarify benefits and drawbacks of different design decisions. The framework was used in all steps of the process, from defining the overall structure, to selecting indicators, formulating detailed requirements and assessing comments of the open consultation of a draft version. The framework of key considerations proved useful in supporting this process, by highlighting conflicts as well as synergies and creating transparency with respect to trade-offs needed between being e.g., scientifically credible but still practical enough. While it is difficult to separate the framework from the process in which it was put to use, we believe that the framework can be supportive also in other processes, both for developing new certification systems or for refining and evaluating existing ones.
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| 24. |
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| 25. |
- Lind, Jonas, 1988-, et al.
(författare)
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Key Considerations When Designing Certification Systems for Urban Sustainability and Implications for The Swedish Post-Construction System Citylab
- 2019
-
Ingår i: Sustainability. - : MDPI. - 2071-1050. ; 11:9
-
Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Addressing sustainability in urban planning has led to an increasing number of certification systems to support such processes. Nevertheless, there is no commonly recognised framework listing what is important to consider when developing such systems. Citylab is a certification system that is used in several Swedish urban development projects. Today, Citylab certifies the planning process of urban areas but it will be extended with a post-construction part. This paper presents a three steps analysis of the design of such a post-construction certification system. First, a literature review was performed, which allowed for identifying three principles and 11 sub-principles that make up a generic framework for the design of similar certification systems. Second, 13 semi-structured interviews were conducted in Sweden with key urban development stakeholders to better specify the scope of a post-construction extension of Citylab. As a result, four alternatives emerge for the role and function of this system. Third, crossing the results of both previous steps allowed for an understanding of important considerations and implications for the Citylab post-construction certification system design. The paper concludes on the relevance of such a reflexive procedure for the design of certification systems in general, in which the use of the framework is a key to ensure transparency and enable deliberate choices and priorities.
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| 26. |
- Lind, Lars, et al.
(författare)
-
Endothelium-dependent vasodilatation in treated and untreated hypertensive subjects
- 1999
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Ingår i: Blood Pressure. - : Informa UK Limited. - 0803-7051 .- 1651-1999. ; 8:3, s. 158-164
-
Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- It has repeatedly been shown that endothelium-dependent vasodilatation (EDV) is impaired in patients with untreated hypertension. The effect of antihypertensive treatment on EDV has, however, not been extensively investigated. In the present study, EDV and endothelium-independent vasodilatation (EIDV) were studied in 20 untreated and 41 treated hypertensive subjects and in 26 matched, normotensive controls by means of infusion of methacholine (MCh), 2 and 4 microg/min, evaluating EDV, and nitroprusside (SNP), 5 and 10 microg/min, evaluating EIDV, in the brachial artery. Forearm blood flow (FBF) was measured by venous occlusion plethysmography. The vasodilatory action of MCh was impaired in untreated hypertensives compared with controls, with the response in the treated hypertensives in between the other two groups (p < 0.01 vs both of the other groups). EIDV, on the other hand, was enhanced in the treated hypertensives (p < 0.01), so that the MCh to SNP FBF ratio, an index of endothelial function, was attenuated in both treated and untreated hypertensives (0.97 +/- 0.24 and 0.96 +/- 0.15, respectively), compared with controls (1.27 +/- 0.29, p < 0.001). Both EDV and EIDV declined with increasing number of antihypertensive drugs used in the treated hypertensives (p < 0.05). In conclusion, the endothelial function index was found to be similarly depressed in both treated and untreated hypertensive subjects compared with normotensive controls. Antihypertensive therapy seems to improve the vasodilatory capacity in general rather than enhancing endothelial function.
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| 27. |
- Malmqvist, Andreas, et al.
(författare)
-
LAVAR OCH LUFTKVALITÉ - Blekinge 2013
- 2014
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Rapport (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract
- Naturcentrum AB har under 2013 genomfört en återinventering av lavar på träd i Blekinge län. Inventeringarna har utförts på uppdrag av Blekinge läns kustvatten och luftvårdsförbund. Det huvudsakliga syftet har varit att med hjälp av lavar studera effekter och trender när det gäller luftföroreningar. En första inventering utfördes 2003 (Malmqvist 2003) med uppföljande inventering 2008 (Malmqvist 2008) och nu 2013. Under 2013 har materialet analyserats på ett nytt och mer vetenskapligt sätt vilket gör att jämförelser med andra områden ännu saknas.Lavar och luft: Många lavar är känsliga för luftföroreningar, främst svaveldioxid. Under 1960- och 70-talen var halten svaveldioxid i luften mycket hög, främst i och kring större städer, och en omfattande lavdöd kunde då observeras även i Sverige. Genom att undersöka förekomsten av lavar på en plats kan man därför få en bild av luftföroreningssituationen. Halterna av svaveldioxid är idag förhållandevis låga.Lavar – indikatorer på förorenad luft: För att kartera effekter av luftföroreningar med hjälp av lavar har indikatorvärden för känslighet och kvävepåverkan tagits fram. Utgående från dessa värden kan man få en bild av luftföroreningars effekter i olika områden. Känslighetsvärdena visar förhållandet mellan lavar som är känsliga för luftföroreningar, och de som är mer toleranta. Ett kvävetal visar inslaget av kvävegynnade lavar och är alltså ett mått på kvävepåverkan. Täckningsgraden beskriver hur stor andel av den undersökta ytan på träden som är bevuxen med lavar och kan ses som ett komplement till medelkänslighetsvärdet. Även antalet arter registreras.Mer känsliga lavar på landsbygden: Det finns en skillnad på lavfloran mellan landsbygden och den mer föroreningsbelastade miljön vid Horsaryd/Karlshamn. På landsbygden är medelkänslighetsvärdet högre vilket innebär en större andel föroreningskänsliga arter. Detta beror främst på omgivande och tämligen lokala utsläpp (industrier, båttrafik, bil och lastbilstrafik mm). Den finns också en tendens till högre kväveltal i den föroreningsbelastade miljön men underlaget är för litet för säkra slutsatser.Fler arter på landsbygden: Träden på landsbygden hyser signifikant fler arter än träden i den mer föroreningsbelastade miljön vid Horsaryd/Karlshamn. På landsbygden finns förutsättningar för både föroreningskänsliga arter och tåliga arter med många av de föroreningskänsliga arterna saknas i den mer föroreningsbelastade miljön.Inga stora skillnader över tid: För landsbygdsträden har medelkänslighetsvärdena varit tämligen stabila under perioden (2003-2013) och dessa värden signalerar en ”svagt påverkad lavflora” enligt vår skala. Det finns dock tendenser till ett ökat antal arter på landsbygdsträden över tid, något som förhoppningsvis kan säkerställas vid kommande undersökningar.
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| 28. |
- Malmqvist, Ebba, et al.
(författare)
-
Maternal Exposure to Air Pollution and Birth Outcomes.
- 2011
-
Ingår i: Environmental Health Perspectives. - : Environmental Health Perspectives. - 1552-9924 .- 0091-6765. ; 119, s. 553-558
-
Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Background: The knowledge about air pollution effects on birth weight, prematurity and small for gestational age [SGA] in low-exposure areas is insufficient. Objectives: The aim of this birth cohort study was to investigate if low-level exposure to air pollution was associated with prematurity and foetal growth and if there are gender specific effects. Method: We combined high quality registry information on 81110 births with individually modeled exposure data at residence for nitrogen oxides [NOx] and proximity to roads with differing traffic density. The data were analyzed by using logistic and linear regression with and without potential confounders. Results: An increased risk for babies being SGA was observed when highest and lowest NOx quartiles were compared, adjusting for maternal age, smoking, gender and year of birth. After additional adjustment for maternal country of origin and parity (which were highly intercorrelated), the increase was no longer statistically significant. However, in subgroup analysis when highest and lowest NOx quartiles were compared, there was still an increased risk for SGA for baby girls Odds Ratio [OR] 1.12 (95% Confidence Interval [CI] 1.01, 1.24), and also if mothers had not changed residency during pregnancy OR 1.09 (95% CI 1.01, 1.18). The confounders with the greatest impact on SGA were parity and country of origin. Concerning prematurity, the prevalence was lower in the three higher NOx exposure quartiles compared to the lowest category. Conclusion: For future studies on air pollution effects on birth outcomes careful control of confounding is crucial.
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| 29. |
- Martinsson, Matilda, et al.
(författare)
-
Intrauterine exposure to perfluorinated compounds and overweight at age 4 : A case-control study
- 2020
-
Ingår i: PLoS ONE. - : Public Library of Science (PLoS). - 1932-6203. ; 15:3
-
Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Aims The aims were to investigate the association between maternal serum levels of perfluorooctane sulfonate (PFOS), perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA), perfluorohexane sulfonate (PFHxS) and perfluorononanoic acid (PFNA) in early pregnancy and overweight in the child at 4 years and to assess potential heterogeneity in exposure effect between strata with different levels of other risk factors for overweight. Methods We used a case-control design and included 354 cases (ISO-BMI ≥ 18 kg/m2) and 2 controls per case (ISO-BMI ≤17 kg/m2) from child health care centers in Malmö, Sweden. Controls were selected stratified on risk scores for overweight in a propensity score framework. Maternal serum levels were analyzed in biobanked samples collected by routine around gestational week 14. Logistic regression was used to estimate odds ratios between quartiles of maternal serum levels and child overweight at age 4. Results There were no consistent monotonic exposure-response relationships. We found some significant odds ratios in specific quartiles but these were regarded as spurious findings. The absence of an effect was consistent over risk strata. Conclusions We did not find evidence of an association between maternal serum levels of PFOS, PFOA, PFHxS and PFNA in early pregnancy and child overweight at age 4. The level of other risk factors for overweight did not affect children’s susceptibility to prenatal PFAS exposure.
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| 30. |
- Millgård, Jonas, et al.
(författare)
-
Left ventricular hypertrophy is associated with an attenuated endothelium-dependent vasodilation in hypertensive men
- 2000
-
Ingår i: Blood Pressure. - : Informa UK Limited. - 0803-7051 .- 1651-1999. ; 9:6, s. 309-314
-
Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- To investigate the relationship between left ventricular hypertrophy (LVH) and endothelium-dependent vasodilation (EDV), 30 untreated hypertensive patients, 18 treated hypertensives (53 +/- 7 years, all males) and 26 age-and sex-matched healthy normotensive controls, underwent evaluation of EDV and endothelium-independent vasodilation (EIDV) in the forearm, by means of local intra-arterial infusions of methacholine (MCh, evaluating EDV) and sodium nitroprusside (SNP, evaluating EIDV). Forearm blood flow was measured by venous occlusion plethysmography and LVH was measured by echocardiography. The reduction in forearm vascular resistance during MCh infusion (4 microg/min) was significantly smaller in the hypertensive patients with LVH when compared to those without LVH, both in the untreated (-61 +/- 12%, n = 19 vs -72 +/- 4%, n = 11, p < 0.01) and in the treated group (-60 +/- 15%, n = 11 vs -75 +/- 5%, n = 7, p < 0.01). Thereby, EDV was significantly impaired only in the hypertensive patients with LVH when compared to controls (-77 +/- 7% at MCh 4 microg/min, p < 0.001). EIDV was not significantly different between patients with and without LVH and controls. In conclusion, the presence of LVH was related to endothelial dysfunction, both in untreated and treated hypertensive patients, suggesting either a role for endothelial function in the development of LVH, or that a dysfunctional endothelium and LVH are coexisting markers of a more severe hypertensive disease.
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| 31. |
- Moberg, Christina, et al.
(författare)
-
De unga gör helt rätt när de stämmer staten
- 2022
-
Ingår i: Aftonbladet. - 1103-9000.
-
Tidskriftsartikel (populärvet., debatt m.m.)abstract
- 1 620 forskare och lärare i forskarvärlden: Vi ställer oss bakom Auroras klimatkrav
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| 32. |
- Nero, Daniella, et al.
(författare)
-
Personality Traits in Patients with Myocardial Infarction with Nonobstructive Coronary Arteries.
- 2019
-
Ingår i: The American journal of medicine. - : Elsevier BV. - 1555-7162 .- 0002-9343. ; 132:3, s. 374-381
-
Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- The purpose of this study was to describe type A behavior pattern and trait anger in patients with myocardial infarction with nonobstructive coronary arteries (MINOCA) and compare them with patients with coronary heart disease and healthy controls. Type A behavior pattern and anger have been linked to coronary heart disease in previous studies. This is the first study to assess type A behavior pattern and trait anger in MINOCA patients.One hundred MINOCA patients, consecutively recruited during 2007-2011 at 5 coronary care units in Stockholm, were matched for sex and age to 100 coronary heart disease patients and 100 healthy controls. All participants completed the Bortner Rating Scale to quantify type A behavior pattern and the Spielberger Trait Anger Scale to quantify anger 3 months after the acute event.MINOCA patients' Bortner Rating Scale score was 70.9 ± 10.8 (mean ± SD) and Spielberger Trait Anger Scale score was 14 (12-17) (median; interquartile range). Coronary heart disease patients' Bortner Rating Scale score was 70.5 ± 10.2 and Spielberger Trait Anger Scale score was 14 (12-17). Healthy controls' Bortner Rating Scale score was 71.9 ± 9.1 and Spielberger Trait Anger Scale score was 13 (11-16).We found no significant differences in Bortner Rating Scale score and Spielberger Trait Anger Scale score among MINOCA, coronary heart disease patients, and healthy controls, regardless of whether total scores, subscales, or cutoffs were used to classify type A behavior pattern and trait anger. However, we cannot exclude the existence of an occasional episode of anger or mental stress in relation to the coronary event. This is the first study to assess type A behavior pattern and trait anger in patients with MINOCA, and future studies need to confirm the current findings before any firm conclusions can be made.
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| 33. |
- Pettersson, Jonas, et al.
(författare)
-
Muscular exercise can cause highly pathological liver function tests in healthy men.
- 2008
-
Ingår i: British Journal of Clinical Pharmacology. - : Wiley. - 1365-2125 .- 0306-5251. ; 65:2, s. 253-259
-
Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- What is already known about this subject • The occurrence of idiosyncratic drug hepatotoxicity is a major problem in all phases of clinical drug development and the leading cause of postmarketing warnings and withdrawals. • Physical exercise can result in transient elevations of liver function tests. • There is no consensus in the literature on which forms of exercise may cause changes in liver function tests and to what extent. What this study adds • Weightlifting results in profound increases in liver function tests in healthy men used to moderate physical activity, not including weightlifting. • Liver function tests are significantly increased for at least 7 days after weightlifting. • It is important to impose relevant restrictions on heavy muscular exercise prior to and during clinical studies. Aim To investigate the effect of intensive muscular exercise (weightlifting) on clinical chemistry parameters reflecting liver function in healthy men. Methods Fifteen healthy men, used to moderate physical activity not including weightlifting, performed an 1 h long weightlifting programme. Blood was sampled for clinical chemistry parameters [aspartate aminotransferase (AST), alanine aminotransferase (ALT), lactate dehydrogenase (LD), gamma-glutamyl transferase (γGT), alkaline phosphatase (ALP), bilirubin, creatine kinase (CK) and myoglobin] at repeated intervals during 7 days postexercise and at a follow-up examination 10–12 days postexercise. Results Five out of eight studied clinical chemistry parameters (AST, ALT, LD, CK and myoglobin) increased significantly after exercise (P < 0.01) and remained increased for at least 7 days postexercise. Bilirubin, γGT and ALP remained within the normal range. Conclusion The liver function parameters, AST and ALT, were significantly increased for at least 7 days after the exercise. In addition, LD and, in particular, CK and myoglobin showed highly elevated levels. These findings highlight the importance of imposing restrictions on weightlifting prior to and during clinical studies. Intensive muscular exercise, e.g. weightlifting, should also be considered as a cause of asymptomatic elevations of liver function tests in daily clinical practice.
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| 34. |
- Svenungsson, Elisabet, et al.
(författare)
-
Antiphospholipid antibodies in patients with myocardial infarction with and without obstructive coronary arteries
- 2022
-
Ingår i: Journal of Internal Medicine. - : Wiley. - 0954-6820 .- 1365-2796. ; 291:3, s. 327-337
-
Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Background: Recent studies demonstrate that prothrombotic antiphospholipid antibodies (aPL) are overrepresented in patients with myocardial infarction (MI) due to coronary artery disease (MICAD). However, it is not known whether aPL differ between the two subsets of MI: MICAD and MI with nonobstructive coronary arteries (MINOCA). Objectives: To determine whether aPL are associated with MINOCA or MICAD, or with hypercoagulability as assessed by activated protein C–protein C inhibitor (APC–PCI) complex. Methods: Well-characterized patients with MINOCA (n = 98), age- and gender-matched patients with MICAD (n = 99), and healthy controls (n = 100) were included in a cross-sectional case–control study. Autoantibodies (IgA/G/M) targeting cardiolipin and β2glycoprotein-I and specific nuclear antigens were analyzed by multiplexed bead technology. The concentration of APC–PCI was determined as a measure of hypercoagulability by an immunofluorometric sandwich assay. Results: Both prevalence and titers of aPL of the IgG isotype (anti-cardiolipin and/or anti-β2glycoprotein-I) were higher in patients with MINOCA and MICAD than in controls. aPL IgG positivity was twice as frequent among patients with MICAD than MINOCA (11% vs. 6%, nonsignificant). We observed no group differences regarding aPL IgA/M or antibodies targeting specific nuclear antigens. Levels of APC–PCI were elevated in aPL IgG-positive compared to aPL IgG-negative MICAD patients. Conclusions: aPL IgG, but not IgA/M, are enriched particularly in patients with MICAD but also in patients with MINOCA, as compared to controls. Interestingly, signs of hypercoagulability—measured by increased levels of the APC–PCI complex—were present in aPL IgG-positive MICAD patients, indicating an association with functional disturbances of the coagulation system.
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| 35. |
- Torngren, Kristina, et al.
(författare)
-
Association of coronary calcium score with endothelial dysfunction and arterial stiffness
- 2020
-
Ingår i: Atherosclerosis. - : Elsevier BV. - 0021-9150. ; 313, s. 70-75
-
Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Background and aims: The aim of the study was to determine potential associations between endothelial dysfunction and arterial stiffness, measured by peripheral arterial tonometry, and coronary artery calcium score (CACS) assessed by computed tomography (CT). Methods and results: The BIG3 study is a prospective longitudinal, non-interventional, pulmonary-cardiovascular cohort study exploring the three major smoking-induced diseases: cardiovascular disease, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, and lung cancer, in a 45–75 aged cohort (mean 62 years), enriched in smokers. Computed tomography of the chest with assessment of CACS was performed in a selected subset of the participants (n = 2080). Peripheral arterial tonometry (EndoPAT) was used to assess endothelial function and arterial stiffness measured as reactive hyperaemia index (RHI) and augmentation index (AI), respectively. We observed significant associations of CACS, endothelial dysfunction, and arterial stiffness with several risk factors for coronary heart disease including age, sex, BMI, diabetes mellitus, and blood pressure. There was significant association of CACS, classified into three levels of severity, with RHI and AI (p = 0.0005 and p = 0.0009, respectively). For groups of increasing CACS (0, 1–400 and > 400 Agatston score), RHI decreased from median 1.89 (1.58–2.39), and 1.93 (1.62–2.41) to 1.77 (1.51–2.10). AI increased from median 14.3 (5.7–25.2), and 16.4 (8.1–27.6) to 18.0 (9.1–29.2). RHI, but not AI, remained significantly associated with CACS after risk factors adjustment. Conclusions: In this large study of coronary artery calcium and vascular function, we found an association between CACS and both endothelial dysfunction and arterial stiffness, indicating that they may reflect similar mechanisms for development of cardiovascular disease.
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| 36. |
- Ågren, Magnus, 1984, et al.
(författare)
-
The Impact of Requirements on Systems Development Speed: A Multiple-Case Study in Automotive
- 2019
-
Ingår i: Requirements Engineering. - : Springer Science and Business Media LLC. - 0947-3602 .- 1432-010X. ; 24:3, s. 315-340
-
Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Automotive manufacturers have historically adopted rigid requirements engineering processes. This allowed them to meet safety-critical requirements when producing a highly complex and differentiated product out of the integration of thousands of physical and software components. Nowadays, few software-related domains are as rapidly changing as the automotive industry. In particular, the needs of improving development speed are increasingly pushing companies in this domain toward new ways of developing software. In this paper, we investigate how the goal to increase development speed impacts how requirements are managed in the automotive domain. We start from a manager perspective, which we then complement with a more general perspective. We used a qualitative multiple-case study, organized in two steps. In the first step, we had 20 semi-structured interviews, at two automotive manufacturers. Our sampling strategy focuses on manager roles, complemented with technical specialists. In the second step, we validated our results with 12 more interviews, covering nine additional respondents and three recurring from the first step. In addition to validating our qualitative model, the second step of interviews broadens our perspective with technical experts and change managers. Our respondents indicate and rank six aspects of the current requirements engineering approach that impact development speed. These aspects include the negative impact of a requirements style dominated by safety concerns as well as decomposition of requirements over many levels of abstraction. Furthermore, the use of requirements as part of legal contracts with suppliers is seen as hindering fast collaboration. Six additional suggestions for potential improvements include domain-specific tooling, model-based requirements, test automation, and a combination of lightweight upfront requirements engineering preceding development with precise specifications post-development. Out of these 12 aspects, seven can likely be addressed as part of an ongoing agile transformation. We offer an empirical account of expectations and needs for new requirements engineering approaches in the automotive domain, necessary to coordinate hundreds of collaborating organizations developing software-intensive and potentially safety-critical systems.
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| 37. |
- Ågren, Magnus, 1984, et al.
(författare)
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The manager perspective on requirements impact on automotive systems development speed
- 2018
-
Ingår i: Proceedings - 2018 IEEE 26th International Requirements Engineering Conference, RE 2018. - : IEEE. ; , s. 17-28
-
Konferensbidrag (refereegranskat)abstract
- Context: Historically, automotive manufacturers have adopted rigid requirements engineering processes, which allowed them to meet safety-critical requirements while integrating thousands of physical and software components into a highly complex and differentiated product. Nowadays, needs of improving development speed are pushing companies in this domain towards new ways of developing software. Objectives: We aim at obtaining a manager perspective on how the goal to increase development speed impacts how software intense automotive systems are developed and their requirements managed. Methods: We used a qualitative multiple-case study, based on 20 semi-structured interviews, at two automotive manufacturers. Our sampling strategy focuses on manager roles, complemented with technical specialists. Results: We found that both a requirements style dominated by safety concerns, and decomposition of requirements over many levels of abstraction impact development speed negatively. Furthermore, the use of requirements as part of legal contracts with suppliers hiders fast collaboration. Suggestions for potential improvements include domain-specific tooling, model-based requirements, test automation, and a combination of lightweight pre-development requirements engineering with precise specifications post-development. Conclusions: We offer an empirical account of expectations and needs for new requirements engineering approaches in the automotive domain, necessary to coordinate hundreds of collaborating organizations developing software-intensive and potentially safety-critical systems.
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