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- Eisemann, Martin, et al.
(författare)
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Attitudes towards self-determination in health care : A general population survey in northern Sweden
- 1999
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Ingår i: European Journal of Public Health. - : Oxford University Press (OUP). - 1101-1262 .- 1464-360X. ; 9:1, s. 41-44
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Background: Today, patient self-determination has become an issue in many western countries due to the widespread availability and use of technology, which makes it possible to prolong life often in spite of severe disability and poor quality of life. Many people fear an overzealous use of modern life-saying procedures which merely serve to prolong the dying process. As a first step towards autonomy and increasing self-determination, advance directives (living wills) have been introduced in some countries. Methods: To survey a general population's attitudes towards advance directives and self-determination a questionnaire was mailed to a representative sample of 600 citizens in northern Sweden. Issues regarding importance of control, concerns about own health care, treatment preferences and support for and use of advance directives were addressed. Results: There was a response rate of 80% and the great majority of respondents reported that it was extremely or very important to have a say in decisions about their health care (79.5%). A significant number of subjects were concerned about either being treated too aggressively or not aggressively enough. There was a variability in treatment preferences, depending on the reversibility of the condition. Conclusions: The results demonstrate a vital interest among the Swedish general public for greater self-determination in health care, which is also reflected by their support of advance directives.
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| 2. |
- Ekström, Anna Mia, et al.
(författare)
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Occupational exposures and risk of gastric cancer in a population-based case-control study
- 1999
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Ingår i: Cancer Research. - 0008-5472. ; 59:23, s. 5932-5937
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Gastric cancer trends seem to follow improvements in the environment of blue-collar workers, but the etiological role of occupational exposures in gastric carcinogenesis is scantily investigated. The risk of gastric adenocarcinoma in 10 common occupational industries, and particularly the long-term effects of asbestos, organic solvents, impregnating agents, insecticides, and herbicides, were evaluated in a population-based case- control study, including data on most established risk factors. The study base included all individuals of ages 40-79, born in Sweden and living in either of two areas (total population, 1.3 million) with differing gastric cancer incidences, from February 1989 through January 1995. We interviewed 567 cases classified to site (cardia/noncardia) and histological type, and 11(15 population-based controls, frequency-matched for age and sex. Metal workers had a 46% excess gastric cancer risk [adjusted odds ratio (OR), 1.46; 95% confidence interval (CI), 1.10-1.94], increasing to 1.65 (95% CI, 1.17- 2.32) for >10 years in the industry. The elevated risk after exposure to herbicides (OR, 1.56; 95% CI, 1.13-2.15) was attributable to phenoxyacetic acids (adjusted OR, 1.70; 95% CI, 1.16-2.48), similarly across tumor subtypes, and not modified by smoking, body mass index, or Helicobacter pylori. The absence of interaction was demonstrated by the pure multiplicative effect found among those exposed to both H. pylori and phenoxyacetic acids (OR, 3.42; 95% CI, 1.41-8.26). Organic solvents, insecticides, impregnating agents, and asbestos were not associated with gastric cancer risk. Employment in the metal industry and exposure to phenoxyacetic acids were both positively and independently associated with gastric cancer risk. The fractions of all gastric cancers attributable to these job-related exposures were small but not negligible (7 and 5%, respectively) in the Swedish population.
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| 3. |
- Eriksson, Mikael, et al.
(författare)
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Inhibitory receptors alter natural killer cell interactions with target cells yet allow simultaneous killing of susceptible targets
- 1999
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Ingår i: Journal of Experimental Medicine. - : Rockefeller University Press. - 0022-1007 .- 1540-9538. ; 190:7, s. 1005-1012
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Inhibitory receptors expressed on natural killer (NK) cells abrogate positive signals upon binding corresponding major histocompatibility complex (MHC) class I molecules on various target cells. By directly micromanipulating the effector-target cell encounter using an optical tweezers system which allowed temporal and spatial control, we demonstrate that Ly49-MHC class I interactions prevent characteristic cellular responses in NK cells upon binding to target cells. Furthermore, using this system, we directly demonstrate that an NK cell already bound to a resistant target cell may simultaneously bind and kill a susceptible target cell. Thus, although Ly49-mediated inhibitory signals can prevent many types of effector responses, they do not globally inhibit cellular function, but rather the inhibitory signal is spatially restricted towards resistant targets.
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| 4. |
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| 5. |
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| 6. |
- Hardell, Lennart, et al.
(författare)
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A case-control study of non-Hodgkin lymphoma and exposure to pesticides
- 1999
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Ingår i: Cancer. - 0008-543X. ; 85:6, s. 1353-1360
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- BACKGROUND. The incidence of non-Hodgkin lymphoma (NHL) has increased in most Western countries during the last few decades. Immunodefective conditions are established risk factors. In 1981, the authors reported an increased risk for NHL following exposure to certain pesticides. The current study was designed to further elucidate the importance of phenoxyacetic acids and other pesticides in the etiology of NHL. METHODS. A population-based case-control study in northern and middle Sweden encompassing 442 cases and twice as many controls was performed. Exposure data were ascertained by comprehensive questionnaires, and the questionnaires were supplemented by telephone interviews. In total, 404 cases and 741 controls answered the questionnaire. Univariate and multivariate analyses were performed with the SAS statistical data program. RESULTS. Increased risk for NHL was found for subjects exposed to herbicides (odds ratio [OR], 1.6; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.0-2.5) and fungicides (OR, 3.7; 95% CI, 1.1-13.0). Among herbicides, the phenoxyacetic acids dominated (OR, 1.5; 95% CI, 0.9-2.4); and, when subclassified, one of these, 4-chloro-2-methyl phenoxyacetic acid (MCPA), turned out to be significantly associated with NHL (OR, 2.7; 95% CI, 1.0- 6.9). For several categories of herbicides, it was noted that only exposure during the most recent decades before diagnosis of NHL was associated with an increased risk of NHL. Exposure to impregnating agents and insecticides was, at most, only weakly related to NHL. CONCLUSIONS. Exposure to herbicides in total, including phenoxyacetic acids, during the decades before NHL diagnosis resulted in increased risk for NHL. Thus, the risk following exposure was related to the latency period. Fungicides also increased the risk for NHL when combined, but this group consisted of several different agents, and few subjects were exposed to each type of fungicide.
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| 7. |
- Liu, Li, et al.
(författare)
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Hereditary absence of complement C5 in adult mice influences Wallerian degeneration, but not retrograde responses, following injury to peripheral nerve
- 1999
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Ingår i: Journal of the peripheral nervous system. - 1085-9489 .- 1529-8027. ; 4:2, s. 123-133
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- We have examined the role of complement component 5 (C5) in peripheral nerve fiber degeneration and regeneration, as well as in glial and neuronal cell responses in the central nervous system (CNS). Adult congenic mice lacking C5 (C5(-)) and the corresponding normal strain (C5(+)) were used. Macrophage recruitment as well as axonal and myelin sheath elimination were delayed from 1 to 21 days postinjury in C5(-) mice compared to the C5(+) group after sciatic nerve crush. Despite this, recovery of motor function was not delayed. In the CNS, microglial cells and astrocytes responded in the same way from 3 to 21 days after sciatic nerve injury in C5(-) and C5(+) mice, and the extent of neuron death following hypoglossal nerve avulsion was the same in both groups. These findings suggest that C5 and/or its derivatives play an important role in initiating the recruitment of macrophages to the injured nerve and, probably indirectly, in early remyelination of regenerating axons, but does not influence the longterm functional restoration or axotomy-induced nerve cell death. C5-derived molecules do not appear to participate in central glial cell responses to peripheral nerve injury. These findings elucidate new aspects on the functional role of the complement system in the peripheral nervous system following peripheral nerve injury.
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| 8. |
- Röttorp, Jonas, et al.
(författare)
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DIKA. Driftstörningar i kommunala avloppsreningsverk - en studie av syreöverföring, ytaktiva ämnen, slamegenskaper och styrmöjligheter 1996-1998
- 1999
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Rapport (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract
- Under de senaste 5-10 åren har driftstörningarna ökat i många kommunala avloppsreningsverk. Det har främst varit problem med syresättning, slammets sedimenteringsegenskaper och skumning, med ökade utsläpp som följd. Det här projektet startade med teorin att en del av problemen hade samband med den ökade användningen av biologiskt lätt nedbrytbara tensider. En viktig del i projektet var också att testa möjligheterna till övervakning och styrning av verken med multivariata metoder. En mycket stor mängd data har samlats in från fem reningsverk (Borlänge, Gävle, Haparanda, Karlstad och Örebro). Prover har tagits varannan timme under särskilda intensivprovtagningsdygn. Förutom de vanliga variablerna har då också halten av tensider och fettsyror analyserats, liksom syreöverföringen. Dessutom har verken varje vecka sammanställt en mängd driftdata inklusive mikrobiell och fysikalisk karakterisering av bioslammet. Projektet har visat att: * Tensider och fettsyror i avloppsvattnet stör syreöverföringen. * Problemen kan minskas genom att minska slambelastningen (höja slamhalten), och/eller genom att adsorbera en del av inkommande fettsyror på överskottsslammet. * Mikroskopering av bioslammet och mätningar av dess separationsegenskaper ger värdefulla upplysningar om processens tillstånd. *Det finns möjligheter att övervaka, och styra, processen i realtid med hjälp av några extra givare och multivariata modeller. Ett exempel är modellering av halten totalfosfor i inkommande vatten, som kan beräknas utifrån andra variabler.
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| 9. |
- Schäfers, Franz, et al.
(författare)
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Soft-x-ray polarimeter with multilayer optics : Complete analysis of the polarization state of light
- 1999
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Ingår i: Applied Optics. - 1559-128X. ; 38:19, s. 4074-4088
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- The design of a versatile high-precision eight-axis ultrahigh-vacuum-compatible polarimeter is presented. This multipurpose instrument can be used as a self-calibrating polarization detector for linearly and circularly polarized UV and soft-x-ray light. It can also be used for the characterization of reflection or transmission properties (reflectometer) or polarizing and phase-retarding properties (ellipsometer) of any optical element. The polarization properties of Mo/Si, Cr/C, Cr/Sc, and Ni/Ti multilayers used in this polarimeter as polarizers in transmission and as analyzers in reflection have been investigated theoretically and experimentally. In the soft-x-ray range, close to the 2p edges of Sc, Ti, and Cr, resonantly enhanced phase retardation of the transmission polarizers of as much as 18° has been measured. With these newly developed optical elements the complete polarization analysis of soft-x-ray synchrotron radiation can be extended to the water-window range from 300 to 600 eV.
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| 10. |
- Örtegren, Jonas, et al.
(författare)
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Time-dependent nonlinear optical properties of pyroelectric liquid crystalline polymers
- 1999
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Ingår i: Macromolecular Symposia. - : Wiley. - 1022-1360 .- 1521-3900. ; 148, s. 179-195
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Highly oriented pyroelectric liquid-crystalline polymers were prepared by photopolymerization under the influence of a static electric field from binary mixtures of two acrylate monomers exhibiting chiral smectic C mesomorphism. Both monomers contained nitro groups to yield second order nonlinear optical properties (second harmonic generation) and one of the monomers had two functional groups to yield a crosslinked polymer. The room temperature second order nonlinear susceptibility of the polymers showed during the first two hours a 10 % decrease after which it remained constant during the next 48 days. At elevated temperatures there was a significant difference in the nonlinear optical properties over time between crosslinked and uncrosslinked polymers. The uncrosslinked polymer showed a pronounced loss of second order nonlinear optical activity with time at ≥38°C. The crosslinked polymer showed a much smaller and basically a temperature independent decrease rate in the second order nonlinear optical properties at all the ageing temperatures (23-130°C). Both the loss in mesogen order parameter, very evident for the uncrosslinked polymer, and conformational changes occurring within the mesogens (β mechanism), may account for the observations made.
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