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- Abrahamsson, Thomas R, et al.
(författare)
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Probiotic lactobacilli in breast milk and infant stool in relation to oral intake during the first year of life
- 2009
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Ingår i: Journal of pediatric gastroenterology and nutrition. - : Lippincott Williams & Wilkins. - 1536-4801 .- 0277-2116. ; 49:3, s. 349-354
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- OBJECTIVES: This is to identify factors affecting the prevalence of Lactobacillus reuteri in maternal faeces and breast milk and infant faeces after oral supplementation with L reuteri and to assess the influence on microbial ecology, particularly Clostridium difficile and Bifidobacterium colonization. MATERIALS AND METHODS: In this double-blind trial, 232 mothers with a family history of atopic disease were randomized to a daily intake of either L reuteri American-type culture collection (ATCC) 55730 (1 x 10 colony-forming units [CFU]) or placebo for the last 4 weeks of pregnancy. Their babies then continued with the same study product daily from birth until 12 months of age. Bacterial counts and prevalence were assessed in maternal breast milk and faeces and infant faeces, using conventional cultivation methods. RESULTS: The prevalence of L reuteri was higher during the first year of life in the stool samples from infants in the active as compared with the placebo-treated group. The highest prevalence was recorded at 5 to 6 days of age (82% in the treated vs 20% in the placebo group, P < 0.001). Lactobacillus reuteri was isolated from 12% and 2%, respectively, in the colostrum samples (P < 0.05). Breast-feeding seemed to reduce faecal L reuteri counts, although antibiotics did not influence the levels of L reuteri. The administration of L reuteri did not affect bifidobacteria or C difficile colonization. CONCLUSION: Lactobacillus reuteri may be detected in breast milk after oral supplementation to the mother and in almost all infants after oral supplementation during the first year of life, as well as occasionally in many untreated infants.
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| 2. |
- Abrahamsson, Thomas R, 1968-, et al.
(författare)
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Probiotics in prevention of IgE-associated eczema : a double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled trial
- 2007
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Ingår i: Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology. - : Elsevier BV. - 0091-6749 .- 1097-6825. ; 119:5, s. 1174-1180
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- BACKGROUND: An altered microbial exposure may underlie the increase of allergic diseases in affluent societies. Probiotics may alleviate and even prevent eczema in infants. OBJECTIVE: To prevent eczema and sensitization in infants with a family history of allergic disease by oral supplementation with the probiotic Lactobacillus reuteri. METHODS: Double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled trial, which comprised 232 families with allergic disease, of whom 188 completed the study. The mothers received L reuteri ATCC 55730 (1 x 10(8) colony forming units) daily from gestational week 36 until delivery. Their babies then continued with the same product from birth until 12 months of age and were followed up for another year. Primary outcome was allergic disease, with or without positive skin prick test or circulating IgE to food allergens. RESULTS: The cumulative incidence of eczema was similar, 36% in the treated versus 34% in the placebo group. The L reuteri group had less IgE-associated eczema during the second year, 8% versus 20% (P = .02), however. Skin prick test reactivity was also less common in the treated than in the placebo group, significantly so for infants with mothers with allergies, 14% versus 31% (P = .02). Wheeze and other potentially allergic diseases were not affected. CONCLUSION: Although a preventive effect of probiotics on infant eczema was not confirmed, the treated infants had less IgE-associated eczema at 2 years of age and therefore possibly run a reduced risk to develop later respiratory allergic disease. CLINICAL IMPLICATION: Probiotics may reduce the incidence of IgE-associated eczema in infancy.
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| 3. |
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| 4. |
- Andersson, Mattias, et al.
(författare)
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Intrinsic and extrinsic influences on the temperature dependence of mobility in conjugated polymers
- 2008
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Ingår i: Organic electronics. - : Elsevier. - 1566-1199 .- 1878-5530. ; 9:5, s. 569-574
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- The temperature dependence of charge carrier mobility in conjugated polymers and their blends with fullerenes is investigated with different electrical methods, through field effect transistor (FET), space charge limited current (SCLC) and charge extraction (CELIV) measurements. Simple models, such as the Gaussian disorder model (GDM), are shown to accurately predict the temperature behavior, and a good correlation between the different measurement methods is obtained. Inconsistent charge carrier concentrations in the modeling are explained through intrinsic non-equilibrium effects, and are responsible for the limited applicability of existing numerical models. A severe extrinsic influence from water in FETs with a hydrophilic insulator interface is also demonstrated. The presence of water leads to a significant overestimate of the disorder in the materials from measurements close to room temperature and erratic behavior in the 150-350 K range. To circumvent this problem it is shown to be necessary to measure under ultra high vacuum (UHV) conditions. © 2008 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.
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| 5. |
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| 6. |
- Bergman, Mats, 1964-, et al.
(författare)
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An econometric analysis of the european commission’s merger decisions
- 2005
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Ingår i: International Journal of Industrial Organization. - : Elsevier. - 0167-7187 .- 1873-7986. ; 23:9/10, s. 717-737
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Using a sample of 96 mergers notified to the European Commission and logit regression techniques, we analyse the Commission's decision process. We find that the probability of a phase-2 investigation and of a prohibition of the merger increases with the parties' market shares. The probabilities increase also when the Commission finds high entry barriers or that the post-merger market structure is conducive to collusion. We do not find significant effects of “political” variables, such as the nationality of the merging firm.
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| 7. |
- Carlstedt, Anna, 1971-
(författare)
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La poésie oraculaire de Nostradamus : Langue, style et genre des Centuries
- 2005
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Doktorsavhandling (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract
- This dissertation is a study of the work of Michel de Nostredame (Nostradamus). Born in Provence, France in 1503, this true "Renaissance man” (astrologer, doctor of medicine and translator) achieved fame with the publication of his Centuries or “Prophecies”. This work presents 10 centuries of quatrains – almost a thousand short poems of only four rhymed lines each. The first third was published in 1555, another third in 1557 and finally the ten Centuries all together, posthumously, in 1568. The present study concentrates on the first edition, consisting of the first 353 quatrains.The main purpose of this thesis is to explore and analyse the language, the style and the genre of the Centuries, aspects rather neglected by the critics hitherto. The large number of quatrains analysed in detail provides a solid basis for accurately characterizing the distinctive features of the text. The methods applied are mainly quantitative and comparative.Initially, a short presentation of Nostradamus’ life and work sketches in the background for the creation of the Centuries. The analysis of the poetic form illustrates the stylistic as well as linguistic consequences of the use of the quatrain: it is argued that the poetical structure of the text influences its language as well as its oracular genre. The language of the Centuries is quantitatively examined, first at the sentence level and then at the phrase level. In order to define its specific nature, comparisons are made with the language of other texts from the same period, i.e. the Délie by Maurice Scève and the Pantagrueline Pronostication by François Rabelais. The results demonstrate that the most prominent differences concern what may be referred to as Nostradamus’ strategy of omission, where the restrictive metrical form of the quatrain demands that he be sparing of words.Thereafter, the dissertation concludes that the number of textual themes and motives of the Centuries is quite limited (war, catastrophe, government), the prodigy being identified as the general poetic topic that contributes to the coherence of the text. A subsequent section thoroughly investigates stylistic elements such as enumeration, repetition and onomastics. The objective of the final section is to define the genre of the Centuries. The close connection between the concepts of poetry and prophecy during the French Renaissance is well documented. It is thus suggested that the enigmatic, dark oeuvre of Nostradamus inspired several of the Pléiade poets, whose group that in many ways explored the oracular genre in the 1550s and 1560s. It is furthermore demonstrated that the concept of oracular poetry is appropriate for defining the style and the genre of the Centuries.Together, the different results of our survey lead to a discussion of the poetic qualities of the Centuries. The present study promotes the conclusion that Nostradamus is to be considered much less a prophet than an author of oracular poetry.
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| 8. |
- Fagerås Böttcher, Malin, et al.
(författare)
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Low breast milk TGF-beta2 is induced by Lactobacillus reuteri supplementation and associates with reduced risk of sensitization during infancy
- 2008
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Ingår i: Pediatric allergy and immunology : official publication of the European Society of Pediatric Allergy and Immunology. - : Wiley. - 1399-3038. ; 19:6, s. 497-504
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- The immunological composition of breast milk differs between mothers. The reasons for these differences and the consequences for the breast-fed infants are poorly understood. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of probiotic Lactobacillus reuteri supplementation on the immunological composition of breast milk in relation to sensitization and eczema in the babies. Total IgA, secretory IgA (SIgA), TGF-beta1, TGF-beta2, IL-10, TNF, soluble CD14 (sCD14), and Na/K ratios were analyzed in colostrum and mature milk obtained from women treated with L. reuteri (n = 54) or placebo (n = 55) from gestational week 36 until delivery. Bacteriological analyses of L. reuteri were performed in faecal samples of the mothers. The infants were followed prospectively for 2 yr regarding development of eczema and sensitization as defined by a positive skin prick test and/or circulating allergen-specific IgE antibodies at 6, 12, and 24 months of age. Supplementation of L. reuteri during pregnancy was associated with low levels of TGF-beta2 and slightly increased levels of IL-10 in colostrum. For TGF-beta2, this association was most pronounced in mothers with detectable L. reuteri in faeces. Infants receiving breast milk with low levels of TGF-beta2 were less likely to become sensitized during their first 2 yr of life. A similar trend was observed for development of IgE-associated eczema. The levels of total IgA, SIgA, TGF-beta1, TNF, sCD14, and Na/K ratios in breast milk were not affected by the intake of L. reuteri. None of these parameters correlated with sensitization or development of eczema in the infant, except for high Na/K ratios that associated with increased risk of sensitization. Supplementation with L. reuteri during late pregnancy reduces breast milk levels of TGF-beta2, and low levels of this cytokine are associated with less sensitization and possibly less IgE-associated eczema in breast-fed infants.
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| 9. |
- Jakobsson, Fredrik L. E., 1974-, et al.
(författare)
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Towards all-plastic flexible light emitting diodes
- 2006
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Ingår i: Chemical Physics Letters. - : Elsevier BV. - 0009-2614 .- 1873-4448. ; 433:1-3, s. 110-114
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- All-plastic light emitting diodes require the design and fabrication of low work function plastic electrodes. Here, we show that the work function of poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene)-polystyrenesulfonic acid (PEDOT-PSS) can be decreased from 4.8 eV to 3.9 eV by surface reaction with the strong electron-donor tetrakis(dimethylamino)ethylene (TDAE). The surface modification was characterized by photoelectron spectroscopy and optical spectroscopy. The low work function plastic electrode was used in a first prototype for all-plastic light emitting diodes.
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| 10. |
- Jakobsson, Fredrik, et al.
(författare)
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Tuning the Energy Levels of Photochromic Diarylethene Compounds for Opto-electronic Switch Devices
- 2009
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Ingår i: JOURNAL OF PHYSICAL CHEMISTRY C. - : American Chemical Society (ACS). - 1932-7447 .- 1932-7455. ; 113:42, s. 18396-18405
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Diarylethene molecules are photochromics (PCs) currently investigated for use in optical write/electrical read memory applications. The impact of the photoisomerization of PCs on the device behavior is analyzed with charge transport models. These results indicate that good electrical current switching can be achieved in a device when the PCs are combined with an organic semiconductor (in multilayered structures or blends). The frontier energy levels and dipole moment of a series of diarylethene compounds have been calculated using density functional theory. A good agreement is found between the calculated electronic structure and the measured ultraviolet photoelectron spectra. Shirts in the frontier energy levels and dipole moment are generated through two different approaches for chemical modification: (i) by changing the chemical nature of the aryl rings or (ii) by adding substituents on the ethylene, bridge. The frontier energy levels can be tuned by more than 2 eV via such chemical modifications. We find that, for this family of photochromic compounds, the photoinduced current switch effect in diodes is mainly due to the modulation in the frontier energy levels rather than the changes in the amplitude of the dipole moment.
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