| 1. |
|
|
| 2. |
- Johansson, Å., et al.
(författare)
-
Prevalence and risk factors for self-reported odour intolerance: the Skovde population-based study
- 2005
-
Ingår i: Int Arch Occup Environ Health. ; 78:7
-
Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Objectives: The present study was performed to determine the prevalence of odour intolerance in adults with respect to both self-reported general intolerance and affective and behavioural consequences. Furthermore, we aimed to relate odour intolerance to explanatory variables and risk factors. Method: This is a cross-sectional, population-based epidemiological study. A random sample of 1900 inhabitants from the age of 20, stratified for age and gender, were recruited. Subjects were invited for clinical examinations that included questions about general odour intolerance, respiratory symptoms and smoking habits, as well as a smell identification test. The chemical sensitivity scale for sensory hyperreactivity (CSS-SHR) was used to quantify affective and behavioural consequences. Results: In total 1387 volunteers (73% of the sample) were investigated. The overall prevalence of self-reported general odour intolerance was 33% (95% confidence interval (CI): 30-36%), with problems mainly from the upper respiratory tract. The prevalence of affective and behavioural consequences of odour intolerance (CSS-SHR score >/=43) was 19% (95% CI: 15-22%). The risk for the latter condition was increased in women compared with men (odds ratio = 2.3: 95% CI: 1.5-3.6), but no increased risk was found related to current smoking or impaired sense of smell. Conclusion: This study demonstrates that intolerance to odours is a widespread problem in society, and that it is about twice as common in women than in men.
|
|
| 3. |
- Landis, Basile Nicolas, et al.
(författare)
-
"Taste Strips" - a rapid, lateralized, gustatory bedside identification test based on impregnated filter papers.
- 2009
-
Ingår i: Journal of neurology. - : Springer Science and Business Media LLC. - 1432-1459 .- 0340-5354. ; 256:2, s. 242-8
-
Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- OBJECTIVE: To elaborate normative values for a clinical psychophysical taste test ("Taste Strips"). BACKGROUND: The "Taste Strips" are a psychophysical chemical taste test. So far, no definitive normative data had been published and only a fairly small sample size has been investigated. In light of this shortcoming for this easy, reliable and quick taste testing device, we attempted to provide normative values suitable for the clinical use. SETTING: Normative value acquisition study, multicenter study. METHODS: The investigation involved 537 participants reporting a normal sense of smell and taste (318 female, 219 male, mean age 44 years, age range 18-87 years). The taste test was based on spoon-shaped filter paper strips ("Taste Strips") impregnated with the four (sweet, sour, salty, and bitter) taste qualities in four different concentrations. The strips were placed on the left or right side of the anterior third of the extended tongue, resulting in a total of 32 trials. With their tongue still extended, patients had to identify the taste from a list of four descriptors, i. e., sweet, sour, salty, and bitter (multiple forced-choice). To obtain an impression of overall gustatory function, the number of correctly identified tastes was summed up for a "taste score". RESULTS: Taste function decreased significantly with age. Women exhibited significantly higher taste scores than men which was true for all age groups. The taste score at the 10(th) percentile was selected as a cut-off value to distinguish normogeusia from hypogeusia. Results from a small series of patients with ageusia confirmed the clinical usefulness of the proposed normative values. CONCLUSION: The present data provide normative values for the "Taste Strips" based on over 500 subjects tested.
|
|
| 4. |
- Nordin, Annika, et al.
(författare)
-
Complex Biotic Interactions Drive Long-Term Vegetation Change in a Nitrogen Enriched Boreal Forest
- 2009
-
Ingår i: Ecosystems. - : Springer Science and Business Media LLC. - 1432-9840 .- 1435-0629. ; 12, s. 1204-1211
-
Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- The effects of experimental nitrogen (N) additions (0, 12.5, and 50 kg N ha(-1) y(-1)) on long-term (12 years) understorey vegetation dynamics were examined in a boreal forest. The results showed that two types of natural enemies of the dominant dwarf-shrub Vaccinium myrtillus (pathogenic fungus of the species Valdensia heterodoxa and herbivorous larvae of the genus Operophtera) influenced the vegetation dynamics. The pathogenic fungus, causing premature leaf-shed of V. myrtillus, showed a strong positive N response during the initial 5-year period. For the larvae, a relatively modest N response was overshadowed by an almost 40-fold population increase during an outbreak event that followed the initial 5-year period. This outbreak occurred irrespective of N addition, resulting in V. myrtillus decline and depriving the pathogenic fungus of its substrate. Hence our study demonstrates that vegetation dynamics in this relatively species poor and seemingly simple ecosystem are driven by complex biotic interactions. Further, we show that an important component of these interactions is the temporal alternation of the two natural enemies and, resultant regulation of the dominant plant's abundance. Finally, we emphasize that long-term data are essential to capture the complexity of this type of biotic interactions. In our case, a short-term study may have resulted in markedly different conclusions regarding effects of N enrichment and the role of biotic interactions for forest vegetation dynamics.
|
|
| 5. |
- Nordin, Annika, et al.
(författare)
-
Inactivation of Ascaris Eggs in Source-Separated Urine and Feces by Ammonia at Ambient Temperatures
- 2009
-
Ingår i: Applied and Environmental Microbiology. - 0099-2240 .- 1098-5336. ; 75, s. 662-667
-
Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Sustainable management of toilet waste must prevent disease transmission but allow reuse of plant nutrients. Inactivation of uterus-derived Ascaris suum eggs was studied in relation to ammonia in source-separated urine without additives and in human feces to which urea had been added, in order to evaluate ammonia-based sanitation for production of safe fertilizers from human excreta. Urine was used concentrated or diluted 1:1 and 1:3 with tap water at 4, 14, 24, and 34 degrees C. Fecal material, with and without ash, was treated with 1% or 2% (wt/wt) urea at 24 and 34 C. At 34 degrees C eggs were inactivated in less than 10 days in urine and in amended feces. At 24 degrees C only feces with 2% (wt/wt) urea or 1% (wt/wt) urea at high pH (10) inactivated all eggs within 1 month, and no inactivation was observed after 75 days in urine diluted 1: 3 (18 +/- 11 mM NH(3)). At temperatures of >= 24 degrees C, NH(3) proved to be an efficient sanitizing agent in urine and feces at concentrations of >= 60 mM. Treating fecal material at 34 degrees C can give a 6-log(10) egg inactivation within 1 month, whereas at 24 degrees C 6 months of treatment is necessary for the same level of egg inactivation. At temperatures of 14 degrees C and below, inactivation rates were low, with viable eggs after 6 months even in concentrated urine.
|
|
| 6. |
- Nordin, Annika, et al.
(författare)
-
Nitrogen deposition and ecosystem change
- 2007
-
Ingår i: Transboundary Air Pollution – Scientific Understanding and Environmental Policy in Europe. - 9789144004716 ; , s. 103-121
-
Bokkapitel (refereegranskat)
|
|
| 7. |
- Nordin, Annika, et al.
(författare)
-
Nitrogen deposition and the biodiversity of boreal forests : implications for the nitrogen critical load.
- 2005
-
Ingår i: Ambio. - : Royal Swedish Academy of Science. - 0044-7447 .- 1654-7209. ; 34:1, s. 20-24
-
Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- The critical load concept is used to establish the deposition levels which ecosystems can tolerate without significant harmful effects. Here we summarize work within the Swedish research program Abatement Strategies for Transboundary Air Pollution (ASTA) assessing the critical load of N for boreal forests. Results from both field experiments in an area with low background N deposition in northern Sweden, and from a large-scale monitoring study, show that important vegetational changes start to take place when adding low N doses and that recovery of the vegetation after ceasing N input is a very slow process. The data presented indicate that changes in key ecosystem components occur even at a lower rate of N input than the present recommended empirical critical load for boreal forest understorey vegetation of 10-15 kg N ha-1 yr-1. Based on the data presented, we suggest that the critical load should be lowered to 6 kg N ha-1 yr-1.
|
|
| 8. |
|
|
| 9. |
- Nordin, Steven, et al.
(författare)
-
Complaints of olfactory disorders: epidemiology, assessment and clinical implications.
- 2008
-
Ingår i: Current opinion in allergy and clinical immunology. - 1528-4050. ; 8:1, s. 10-5
-
Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Recent studies illuminate the difficulties that patients with olfactory disorder face in daily life, which underlines the need to understand its prevalence, and to diagnose and treat these patients. The purpose of the present review is to characterize olfactory disorders and describe associated complaints, present recent insights into epidemiology, suggest procedures to assess these disorders, and discuss clinical implications.
|
|
| 10. |
|
|
