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- Berg, Thomas, 1975-
(författare)
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Medical Treatment and Grading of Bell's Palsy
- 2009
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Doktorsavhandling (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract
- The main aim of this thesis was to evaluate the effect of prednisolone and valaciclovir in a large number of Bell's palsy patients. The incidence and intensity of pain around the ear, in the face or in the neck during the first two months of palsy, and its prognostic value, was also assessed. We also investigated how study design and choice of analysis method affect the rate of facial recovery. Furthermore, the agreement between the Sunnybrook, House-Brackmann and Yanagihara facial grading systems was evaluated. From May 2001 to September 2007, a prospective, randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled, multicentre trial with 12-month follow-up was performed in patients with Bell's palsy. Of 839 randomised patients, 829 were included in the intention-to-treat analysis; 206 received placebo plus placebo, 210 prednisolone plus placebo, 207 valaciclovir plus placebo, and 206 prednisolone plus valaciclovir. Time to recovery was significantly shorter in the 416 patients who received prednisolone compared with the 413 who did not (p<0.0001). At 12 months, 300 of 416 patients (72%) in the prednisolone group had recovered compared with 237 of 413 patients (57%) in the no prednisolone group (p<0.0001). Valaciclovir was not found to affect time to facial recovery or outcome at 12 months. Prednisolone and/or valaciclovir did not affect the incidence or intensity of pain. Presence of pain at day 11 to 17 indicated a worse prognosis for facial recovery at 12 months. We also found that recovery rates in a Bell's palsy trial are substantially affected by the choice of analysis method and definition of facial recovery. We used weighted Kappa statistics in 100 examinations of patients with facial palsy to assess the agreement between the Sunnybrook, House-Brackmann and Yanagihara scales. The highest agreement was found between the regional Sunnybrook and Yanagihara scales. An evaluative difference between the Sunnybrook and House-Brackmann systems was observed.
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| 3. |
- Hellström, Kristina M, 1971, et al.
(författare)
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Oxidation behaviour of a (Mo, W)Si2-based composite in dry and wet oxygen atmospheres in the temperature range 350–950◦C
- 2009
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Ingår i: Journal of the European Ceramic Society. - : Elsevier BV. - 1873-619X .- 0955-2219. ; 29:10, s. 2105-2118
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- The oxidation of a (Mo, W)Si2-based composite was investigated in the temperature range (350–950 °C). The influence of temperature and water vapour on the oxidation was examined. The kinetics was studied using a thermobalance whereas the morphology and composition of the oxides were examined using X-ray diffractometer (XRD), scanning electron microscope (SEM), transmission electron microscope (TEM) and energy dispersive X-ray (EDX). Focused ion beam (FIB) milling was performed on some of the oxide scales which allowed us to look at a non-mechanically disturbed scale/oxide in cross-section. Rapid oxidation was found to occur in the 550–750 °C temperature range. The mass gains were significantly larger in O2 than in O2 + 10%H2O. The different mass changes in the two exposure atmospheres were attributed to the higher vapour pressure of the volatile MoO2(OH)2 and WO2(OH)2 species in O2 + 10%H2O than that of (MoO3)3 and (WO3)3 in dry O2. The peak mass gain was found to occur at a temperature of about 750 °C in O2 and 650 °C in O2 + 10%H2O. At temperatures above 850 °C, especially when water vapour is present, the removal of Mo and W from the oxide scales is rapid enough to allow partial healing of the silica, causing the oxidation rate to drop. At 950 °C in O2 + 10%H2O, a protective SiO2 scale could be re-established quickly and maintained, causing the oxidation to essentially cease.
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| 4. |
- Johansson, Katarina, 1980-
(författare)
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Fatty acid methyl esters as reactive diluents in solvent-borne thermally cured coil-coatings
- 2006
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Licentiatavhandling (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract
- This work describes how a fatty acid methyl ester (FAME) derived from a vegetable oil can be introduced as reactive diluent in a solvent-borne thermally cured coil-coating system. The evaluated reactive diluent, rape seed methyl ester (RME), has been evaluated both in a fully formulated clear coat system and via model studies. A reactive diluent is a compound that acts as a solvent in the liquid paint, lowering the viscosity, and chemically reacts into the final film during cure. Introduction of a reactive diluent derived from vegetable oil give a more environmental compliant coating since a renewable material is incorporated in the coating and the amount of traditional solvent can be decreased. These positive environmental factors have increased the industrial interest. The fully formulated clear coat studies describes how addition of reactive diluent affects rheological properties of the wet paint, film formation, incorporation, and final film properties in a hydroxyl-functional polyester/melamine coil-coating system. The coating were cured under industrial coil-coating cure conditions and analyzed with Raman, carbon-14 dating, extraction, dynamic mechanical analysis, and visually observed. Viscosity measurement of the wet paint show that RME works as a diluent. RME increase the mobility in the system enhancing the film formation process and occurrence of defect-free films. The incorporation of RME could not be confirmed by Raman analysis. However, carbon-14 dating did indicate the presence of RME that could not be extracted from the films. The appearance and mechanical properties of the films were also significantly affected by addition of RME. Dynamic mechanical analysis of the free standing films showed that the final film properties were affected by oven temperature, choice of co-solvent, and flash-off period. Model studies were performed to further clarify how RME chemically can react through transesterification with the hydroxyl-groups of the polyester. RME and its two main components methyl oleate and methyl linoleate were reacted with primary alcohols with and without tertiary hydrogen both under low temperature (110, 130, 150, 170°C) and industrial cure conditions. The transesterification reaction was monitored with 1H-NMR and real time IR. Evaporation and side reactions, e.g. oxidation, are competing factors with the transesterification reaction. The fatty acid structure affects the conversion as a higher amount of unsaturations triggers higher degree of oxidation. The study also showed that reaction time and temperature affects the transesterification conversion, degree of side reactions, and catalyst choice.
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| 5. |
- Ahlstrand, Christina, 1957, et al.
(författare)
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Reliabilitetstestning av Purdue Pegboard® (finmotoriktest).
- 2009
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Rapport (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract
- I MQ-FAS studien, vars syfte var att ändra muskelspänningsmönstret hos kvinnor med kroniska nackbesvär, ingick ett besticktorkningsmoment som en standardiserad arbetsuppgift i hemmet. För validering av denna besticktorkning har en pilotstudie genomförts, 12 personer torkade bestick vid två tillfällen. I studien, som utfördes av 2 testledare, ingick även ett finmotorikstest (Purdue Pegboard), ansträngningsskattning (Borg RPE-skalan) samt ett frågeformulär. Detta test kan med vissa justeringar troligen vara användbart som ett mått på arbetsförmåga av övre extremiteter vid utförande av arbetssyssla i hemmet, och jämföra individ med sig själv, för att mäta om funktionsnedsättning eller ökning har skett. Dock skall poängteras att detta var en pilotstudie och ytterligare studie av reliabilitet och validitet rekommenderas innan testet används i stor utsträckning för att mäta om funktionsnedsättning eller ökning har skett.
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| 7. |
- Algesten, Grete, et al.
(författare)
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Contribution of sediment respiration to summer CO2 emission from boreal and subarctic lakes
- 2005
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Ingår i: Microbial Ecology. - : Springer Science and Business Media LLC. - 0095-3628 .- 1432-184X. ; 50:4, s. 529-535
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- We measured sediment production of carbon dioxide (CO(2)) and methane (CH(4)) and the net flux of CO(2) across the surfaces of 15 boreal and subarctic lakes of different humic contents. Sediment respiration measurements were made in situ under ambient light conditions. The flux of CO(2) between sediment and water varied between an uptake of 53 and an efflux of 182 mg C m(-2) day(-1) from the sediments. The mean respiration rate for sediments in contact with the upper mixed layer (SedR) was positively correlated to dissolved organic carbon (DOC) concentration in the water (r(2) = 0.61). The net flux of CO(2) across the lake surface [net ecosystem exchange (NEE)] was also closely correlated to DOC concentration in the upper mixed layer (r(2) = 0.73). The respiration in the water column was generally 10-fold higher per unit lake area compared to sediment respiration. Lakes with DOC concentrations <5.6 mg L(-1) had net consumption of CO(2) in the sediments, which we ascribe to benthic primary production. Only lakes with very low DOC concentrations were net autotrophic (<2.6 mg L(-1)) due to the dominance of dissolved allochthonous organic carbon in the water as an energy source for aquatic organisms. In addition to previous findings of allochthonous organic matter as an important driver of heterotrophic metabolism in the water column of lakes, this study suggests that sediment metabolism is also highly dependent on allochthonous carbon sources.
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| 8. |
- Algesten, Grete, et al.
(författare)
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Contribution of sediment respiration to summer CO2 emission from low productive boreal and subarctic lakes
- 2005
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Ingår i: Microbial Ecology. - : Springer Science and Business Media LLC. - 0095-3628 .- 1432-184X. ; 50:4, s. 529-535
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- We measured sediment production of carbon dioxide (CO2) and methane (CH4) and the net flux of CO2 across the surfaces of 15 boreal and subarctic lakes of different humic contents. Sediment respiration measurements were made in situ under ambient light conditions. The flux of CO2 between sediment and water varied between an uptake of 53 and an efflux of 182 mg C m−2 day−1 from the sediments. The mean respiration rate for sediments in contact with the upper mixed layer (SedR) was positively correlated to dissolved organic carbon (DOC) concentration in the water (r 2 = 0.61). The net flux of CO2 across the lake surface [net ecosystem exchange (NEE)] was also closely correlated to DOC concentration in the upper mixed layer (r 2 = 0.73). The respiration in the water column was generally 10-fold higher per unit lake area compared to sediment respiration. Lakes with DOC concentrations <5.6 mg L−1 had net consumption of CO2 in the sediments, which we ascribe to benthic primary production. Only lakes with very low DOC concentrations were net autotrophic (<2.6 mg L−1) due to the dominance of dissolved allochthonous organic carbon in the water as an energy source for aquatic organisms. In addition to previous findings of allochthonous organic matter as an important driver of heterotrophic metabolism in the water column of lakes, this study suggests that sediment metabolism is also highly dependent on allochthonous carbon sources.
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| 9. |
- Algesten, Grete, et al.
(författare)
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Organic carbon budget for the Gulf of Bothnia
- 2006
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Ingår i: Journal of Marine Systems. - : Elsevier BV. - 0924-7963 .- 1879-1573. ; 63:3-4, s. 155-161
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- We calculated input of organic carbon to the unproductive, brackish water basin of the Gulf of Bothnia from rivers, point sources and the atmosphere. We also calculated the net exchange of organic carbon between the Gulf of Bothnia and the adjacent marine system, the Baltic Proper. We compared the input with sinks for organic carbon; permanent incorporation in sediments and mineralization and subsequent evasion of CO2 to the atmosphere. The major fluxes were riverine input (1500 Gg C year(-1)), exchange with the Baltic Proper (depending on which of several possible DOC concentration differences between the basins that was used in the calculation, the flux varied between an outflow of 466 and an input of 950 Gg C year(-1)), sediment burial (1100 Gg C year) and evasion to the atmosphere (3610 Gg C year(-1)). The largest single net flux was the emission of CO2 to the atmosphere, mainly caused by bacterial mineralization of organic carbon. Input and output did not match in our budget which we ascribe uncertainties in the calculation of the exchange of organic carbon between the Gulf of Bothnia and the Baltic Proper, and the fact that CO2 emission, which in our calculation represented 1 year (2002) may have been overestimated in comparison with long-term means. We conclude that net heterotrophy of the Gulf of Bothnia was due to input of organic carbon from both the catchment and from the Baltic Proper and that the future degree of net heterotrophy will be sensible to both catchment export of organic carbon and to the ongoing eutrophication of the Baltic Proper.
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| 10. |
- Bajor, Antal, 1962, et al.
(författare)
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Normal or increased bile acid uptake in isolated mucosa from patients with bile acid malabsorption.
- 2006
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Ingår i: Eur J Gastroenterol Hepatol. - 0954-691X. ; 18:4, s. 397-403
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Introduction: Bile acid malabsorption as reflected by an abnormal 75Se-labelled homocholic acid-taurine (75SeHCAT) test is associated with diarrhoea, but the mechanisms and cause-and-effect relations are unclear. Objectives: Primarily, to determine whether there is a reduced active bile acid uptake in the terminal ileum in patients with bile acid malabsorption. Secondarily, to study the linkage between bile acid malabsorption and hepatic bile acid synthesis. Methods: Ileal biopsies were taken from patients with diarrhoea and from controls with normal bowel habits. Maximal active bile acid uptake was assessed in ileal biopsies using a previously validated technique based on uptake of 14C-labelled taurocholate. To monitor the hepatic synthesis, 7[alpha]-hydroxy-4-cholesten-3-one, a bile acid precursor, was assayed in blood. The 75SeHCAT-retention test was used to diagnose bile acid malabsorption. Results: The taurocholate uptake in specimens from diarrhoea patients was higher compared with the controls [median, 7.7 (n=53) vs 6.1 [mu]mol/g per min (n=17)] (P<0.01) but no difference was seen between those with bile acid malabsorption (n=18) versus diarrhoea with a normal 75SeHCAT test (n=23). The 75SeHCAT values and 7[alpha]-hydroxy-4-cholesten-3-one were inversely correlated. Conclusions: The data do not support bile acid malabsorption being due to a reduced active bile acid uptake capacity in the terminal ileum. (C) 2006 Lippincott Williams & Wilkins, Inc.
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