| 1. |
- Bertilsson, Johan, et al.
(författare)
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Stress Levels Escalate When Repeatedly Performing Tasks Involving Threats
- 2019
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Ingår i: Frontiers in Psychology. - : Frontiers Media SA. - 1664-1078. ; 10, s. 1562-1562
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Police work may include performing repeated tasks under the influence of psychological stress, which can affect perceptual, cognitive and motor performance. However, it is largely unknown how repeatedly performing stressful tasks physically affect police officers in terms of heart rate and pupil diameter properties. Psychological stress is commonly assessed by monitoring the changes in these biomarkers. Heart rate and pupil diameter was measured in 12 male police officers when performing a sequence of four stressful tasks, each lasting between 20 and 130 s. The participants were first placed in a dimly illuminated anteroom before allowed to enter a brightly lit room where a scenario was played out. After each task was performed, the participants returned to the anteroom for about 30 s before performing the next sequential task. Performing a repeated sequence of stressful tasks caused a significant increase in heart rate (p = 0.005). The heart rate started to increase already before entering the scenario room and was significantly larger just after starting the task than just before starting the task (p < 0.001). This pattern was more marked during the first tasks (p < 0.001). Issuance of a verbal "abort" command which terminated the tasks led to a significant increase of heart rate (p = 0.002), especially when performing the first tasks (p = 0.002). The pupil diameter changed significantly during the repeated tasks during all phases but in a complex pattern where the pupil diameter reached a minimum during task 2 followed by an increase during tasks 3 and 4 (p ≤ 0.020). During the initial tasks, the pupil size (p = 0.014) increased significantly. The results suggest that being repeatedly exposed to stressful tasks can produce in itself an escalation of psychological stress, this even prior to being exposed to the task. However, the characteristics of both the heart rate and pupil diameter were complex, thus, the findings highlight the importance of studying the effects and dynamics of different stress-generating factors. Monitoring heart rate was found useful to screen for stress responses, and thus, to be a vehicle for indication if and when rotation of deployed personnel is necessary to avoid sustained high stress exposures.
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| 2. |
- Bertilsson, Ulf, 1948, et al.
(författare)
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The Kivik tomb: Bredarör enters into the digital arena - documented with OLS, SfM and RTI
- 2017
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Ingår i: New Perspectives on the Bronze Age : proceedings of the 13th Nordic Bronze Age Symposium held in Gothenburg 9th to 13th June 2015 / edited by Sophie Bergerbrant and Anna Wessman. - Oxford : Archaeopress. - 9781784915988
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Konferensbidrag (refereegranskat)abstract
- The Bredarör cairn in Kivik sparked the interest of researchers by presenting the rare combination of rock art within a burial con- text. A recent documentation project that employed the traditional tracing method has sparked a new debate about the precision of older tracings and frottages. This paper presents the results of a holistic recording of the slabs in the Bredarör cairn using three modern methods: Structure from Motion (SfM), Optical Laser Scanning (OLS) and Reflectance Transformation Imaging (RTI). In discussing SfM, OLS and RTI, the paper demonstrates the power of these tools to expand the capabilities to record rock art in an unbiased fashion and in greater detail. In contrast to older methods, the depth and texture of features on the rock are documented and human error is reduced, because everything is recorded. Some observations of the earlier documentation efforts were confirmed, and more details added, such as information on ship prows and horse design. This allowed an in-depth discussion of the dating and use of rock art in the Bredarör cairn. It is argued that although there is evidence that the slabs were transformed several times, the majority of the carving activity was carried out during Period II of the Nordic Bronze Age. It suggests that an important individual, possibly connected to long-distance trade, was interred in the cairn that subsequently served as a necropolis until the Late Bronze Age.
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| 3. |
- Akram, Shazad, et al.
(författare)
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Capacitive and optical sensing for automatic detection and characterization of cleaning sponges in fiber optic microduct installations
- 2019
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Ingår i: Proceedings - 2019 8th International Workshop on Advances in Sensors and Interfaces, IWASI 2019. - : IEEE. - 9781728105574 ; , s. 274-278
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Konferensbidrag (refereegranskat)abstract
- Optical fiber duct installation requires blowing of cleaning sponges for dirt and moisture removal before blowing the fiber cables. The traditional method requires one operator that blows the sponge and one operator in the receiving end that manually evaluate the sponges until a dry sponge is received. The proposed system eliminates the need of a second operator by introducing a solution for automatic sponge detection and characterization of moisture in sponges at the receiving end. An optical sensor is used for detection and a capacitive sensor is developed to measure the sponge's wetness. Sensor data is automatically transmitted back to the operator at the feeding end via a mobile phone. The system is characterized to work with sponges ranging from saturated with wetness to what is deemed as dry.
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| 4. |
- Akram, Shazad, et al.
(författare)
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LTspice electro-thermal model of joule heating in high density polyethylene optical fiber microducts
- 2019
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Ingår i: Electronics. - : MDPI AG. - 2079-9292. ; 8:12
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- At present, optical fiber microducts are joined together by mechanical type joints. Mechanical joints are bulky, require more space in multiple duct installations, and have poor water sealing capability. Optical fiber microducts are made of high-density polyethylene which is considered best for welding by remelting. Mechanical joints can be replaced with welded joints if the outer surface layer of the optical fiber microduct is remelted within one second and without thermal damage to the inner surface of the optical fiber duct. To fulfill these requirements, an electro-thermal model of Joule heat generation using a copper coil and heat propagation inside different layers of optical fiber microducts was developed and validated. The electro-thermal model is based on electro-thermal analogy that uses the electrical equivalent to thermal parameters. Depending upon the geometric shape and material properties of the high-density polyethylene, low-density polyethylene, and copper coil, the thermal resistance and thermal capacitance values were calculated and connected to the Cauer RC-ladder configuration. The power input to Joule heating coil and thermal convection resistance to surrounding air were also calculated and modelled. The calculated thermal model was then simulated in LTspice, and real measurements with 50 µm K-type thermocouples were conducted to check the validity of the model. Due to the non-linear transient thermal behavior of polyethylene and variations in the convection resistance values, the calculated thermal model was then optimized for best curve fitting. Optimizations were conducted for convection resistance and the power input model only. The calculated thermal parameters of the polyethylene layers were kept intact to preserve the thermal model to physical structure relationship. Simulation of the optimized electro-thermal model and actual measurements showed to be in good agreement.
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| 5. |
- Alassaad, Anna, 1977-, et al.
(författare)
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A tool for prediction of risk of rehospitalisation and mortality in the hospitalised elderly : secondary analysis of clinical trial data
- 2015
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Ingår i: BMJ Open. - : BMJ. - 2044-6055. ; 5:2
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Objectives: To construct and internally validate a risk score, the '80+ score', for revisits to hospital and mortality for older patients, incorporating aspects of pharmacotherapy. Our secondary aim was to compare the discriminatory ability of the score with that of three validated tools for measuring inappropriate prescribing: Screening Tool of Older Person's Prescriptions (STOPP), Screening Tool to Alert doctors to Right Treatment (START) and Medication Appropriateness Index (MAI). Setting: Two acute internal medicine wards at Uppsala University hospital. Patient data were used from a randomised controlled trial investigating the effects of a comprehensive clinical pharmacist intervention. Participants: Data from 368 patients, aged 80 years and older, admitted to one of the study wards. Primary outcome measure: Time to rehospitalisation or death during the year after discharge from hospital. Candidate variables were selected among a large number of clinical and drug-specific variables. After a selection process, a score for risk estimation was constructed. The 80+ score was internally validated, and the discriminatory ability of the score and of STOPP, START and MAI was assessed using C-statistics. Results: Seven variables were selected. Impaired renal function, pulmonary disease, malignant disease, living in a nursing home, being prescribed an opioid or being prescribed a drug for peptic ulcer or gastroesophageal reflux disease were associated with an increased risk, while being prescribed an antidepressant drug (tricyclic antidepressants not included) was linked to a lower risk of the outcome. These variables made up the components of the 80+ score. The C-statistics were 0.71 (80+), 0.57 (STOPP), 0.54 (START) and 0.63 (MAI). Conclusions: We developed and internally validated a score for prediction of risk of rehospitalisation and mortality in hospitalised older people. The score discriminated risk better than available tools for inappropriate prescribing. Pending external validation, this score can aid in clinical identification of high-risk patients and targeting of interventions.
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| 6. |
- Anselmsson, Johan, et al.
(författare)
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Brand Equity and the Brand Value Chain : What it is and How to Use it in Practice
- 2017. - 1
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Ingår i: Brand Theories : Perspectives on Brands and Branding - Perspectives on Brands and Branding. - 9789144116242 ; , s. 65-81
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Bokkapitel (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract
- Many brand managers have long since established the desired core values for their brand, but are still not sure whether they differentiate themselves enough from their most daunting competitors, and whether their brand actually helps to boost sales of their products. This chapter describes a basic brand equity framework for understanding how brand management can create customer value and shareholder value. The chapter starts by describing a conceptual framework and ends with four concrete issues and one case to demonstrate how the brand value chain can be used.
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| 7. |
- Anselmsson, Johan, et al.
(författare)
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Loyalty-based Brand Management
- 2017. - 1
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Ingår i: Brand Theories : Perspectives on brands and branding - Perspectives on brands and branding. - 9789144116242 ; , s. 83-105
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Bokkapitel (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract
- As was the case with brand management, the loyalty and relationship perspective first appeared in the 1970s and gained momentum in the 1990s. Loyalty and relationship building are key parts of the dominant brand management models, and in many models, loyalty is the goal of brand building and the ultimate sign of a strong brand. In addition, a customer that is loyal to the brand not only repurchases the same product, but also purchases other or new products launched under the same brand. This chapter highlights the loyalty aspect in some of the most-cited brand management and brand equity models; furthermore, it describes a normative framework for how to build true loyalty to a brand.
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| 8. |
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| 9. |
- Bertilsson, Johan
(författare)
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Human motor control, autonomic and decision processes under physical and psychological stress. Instinctive, reflexive and adaptive aspects.
- 2019
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Doktorsavhandling (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract
- The stress response is governed by automatic neurological and hormonal processes that occur before we become consciously aware of a dangerous situation. If stress ensues for 15-30 seconds, the hormonal processes may have progressed so far that recovery takes an hour or longer instead of minutes. Stress can affect our behavior and in certain professions, such as the police force and emergency services, being in stressful situations is routine. When the stress imparted on an action is low, there may be little detriment to performance. However, when the stress imparted on an action is high, performance may be reduced and viewed as unsatisfactory. This thesis has examined the situational characteristics and performance of police officers in stressful incidents where firearms and pepper spray have been used, and during training scenarios designed to induce stress. Pepper spray and firearms were often used differently in real situations, both operationally and technically, compared to the way they were used during training. When armed assailants were encountered in actual incidents, weapons were often used late on and at very short ranges. One real life event studied in detail showed that both police officers and civilian witnesses suffer from similar perceptual and memory distortions. When mimicking real situations for training through simulations, stress levels increased as evidenced by an increase in heart rate which may be used to ensure the closeness of training simulations to real events. When assessing the suitability of pupil dilation as a stress measure, the pupil underwent dilation in spite of large illumination increases, and the pupils also dilated when a threat emerged early in stress-inducing scenarios. Subjective assessments made by six experts separately, rated performance as being impaired in the simulated stress training in addition to poorer performance of a highly trained, complex, motor skill. To conclude, stress can affect police officers during interventions and training, as it impaired perception and memory, cognition, decision-making and the motor skills necessary for equipment and weapon use. Hence, the consequences of stress responses should be considered when designing tactics, training and equipment so that tasks can be carried out well when stress is heightened. An increased understanding of physiological and behavioral changes to stressful situations in police officers will contribute to rationalizing outcomes and influencing policy based on scientific empirical and physiological grounds.
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