| 1. |
- Anfelter, P, et al.
(författare)
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The effect of percutaneous dilatation of renal arterial stenosis on captopril renography in hypertension
- 2005
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Ingår i: Blood Pressure. - : Informa UK Limited. - 0803-7051 .- 1651-1999. ; 14:6, s. 359-365
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Background. The clinical effects of percutaneous transluminal renal artery angioplasty (PTRA) in patients with renal vascular stenosis and hypertension is controversial. Methods. We consecutively recruited all 23 patients referred for evaluation of renovascular hypertension that eventually underwent unilateral PTRA, to be investigated with captopril MAG3 renography (CR), both before and after the endovascular procedure. Data were evaluated on an intention-to-treat basis. Results. We found that the relative MAG3 clearance of the stenotic kidney increased (from 29.9 ± 14% to 35.1 ± 14%, p=0.01) and that the creatinine levels fell following the intervention (from 110 ± 19 to 99 ± 17 μmol/l, p=0.0003). Blood pressure levels were also lowered (from 173 ± 32/93 ± 17 to 158 ± 31/86 ± 15 mmHg, p<0.006) while the mean number of anti-hypertensive drugs was unchanged following PTRA (2.9 ± 1.4 before and 2.8 ± 1.3 drugs after the intervention, respectively, p-0.6). Conclusion. This prospective trial showed statistically significant improvements of individual kidney function as measured by CR and blood pressure in subjects with suspected renovascular hypertension treated with PTRA. Although the endovascular procedure was found to be safe, the magniture of the absolute improvements was rather modest. © 2005 Taylor & Francis.
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| 2. |
- Cornelissen, Johannes H C, et al.
(författare)
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Global negative vegetation feedback to climate warming responses of leaf litter decomposition rates in cold biomes
- 2007
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Ingår i: Ecology Letters. - : Wiley. - 1461-023X .- 1461-0248. ; 10:7, s. 619-627
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Whether climate change will turn cold biomes from large long-term carbon sinks into sources is hotly debated because of the great potential for ecosystem-mediated feedbacks to global climate. Critical are the direction, magnitude and generality of climate responses of plant litter decomposition. Here, we present the first quantitative analysis of the major climate-change-related drivers of litter decomposition rates in cold northern biomes worldwide.Leaf litters collected from the predominant species in 33 global change manipulation experiments in circum-arctic-alpine ecosystems were incubated simultaneously in two contrasting arctic life zones. We demonstrate that longer-term, large-scale changes to leaf litter decomposition will be driven primarily by both direct warming effects and concomitant shifts in plant growth form composition, with a much smaller role for changes in litter quality within species. Specifically, the ongoing warming-induced expansion of shrubs with recalcitrant leaf litter across cold biomes would constitute a negative feedback to global warming. Depending on the strength of other (previously reported) positive feedbacks of shrub expansion on soil carbon turnover, this may partly counteract direct warming enhancement of litter decomposition.
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| 5. |
- Magnusson, Åsa, et al.
(författare)
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C-14 in spent ion-exchange resins and process water from nuclear reactors – A method for quantitative determination of organic and inorganic fractions
- 2008
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Ingår i: Journal of Radioanalytical and Nuclear Chemistry. - : Springer Science and Business Media LLC. - 0236-5731 .- 1588-2780. ; 275:2, s. 261-273
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- A method of separately quantifying organic and inorganic 14C compounds present in spent ion-exchange resins and process water from nuclear power reactors has been developed. Extraction of carbon compounds is accomplished by means of acid stripping (inorganic 14C) and subsequent wet oxidation (organic 14C) or by N2 purging in combination with a catalytic furnace (oxidized and reduced gaseous compounds) with organic and inorganic 14C species collected separately. Recovery experiments on simulated samples spiked with 14C-labeled sodium carbonate, sodium acetate and sodium formate, showed extraction yields of 94–98%. The sample-specific procedures were also tested on authentic samples of spent resins and reactor water with good results. Validation and reliability of the procedures are presented and the method is compared to previous methods reported in the literature.
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| 7. |
- Magnusson, Åsa, et al.
(författare)
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Characterization of C-14 in Swedish light-water reactors
- 2008
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Ingår i: Health Physics. - 1538-5159. ; 95:2, s. 110-121
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- This paper presents the results of a 4-y investigation of C-14 in different waste streams of both boiling water reactors (BWRs) and pressurized water reactors (PWRs). Due to the potential impact of C-14 on human health, minimizing waste and releases from the nuclear power industry is of considerable interest. The experimental data and conclusions may be implemented to select appropriate waste management strategies and practices at reactor units and disposal facilities. Organic and inorganic C-14 in spent ion exchange resins, process water systems, ejector off-gas and replaced steam generator tubes were analyzed using a recently developed extraction method. Separate analysis of the chemical species is of importance in order to model and predict the fate of C-14 within process systems as well as in dose calculations for disposal facilities. By combining the results of this investigation with newly calculated production rates, mass balance assessments were made of the C-14 originating from production in the coolant. Of the C-14 formed in the coolant of BWRs, 0.6-0.8% was found to be accumulated in the ion exchange resins (core-specific production rate in the coolant of a 2,500 MWth BWR calculated to be 580 GB(q) GW(e)(-1) y(-1)). The corresponding value for PWRs was 6-10% (production rate in a 2,775 MWth PWR calculated to be 350 GBq GW(e)(-1) y(-1)). The C-14 released with liquid discharges was found to be insignificant, constituting less than 0.5% of the production in the coolant. The stack releases, routinely measured at the power plants, were found to correspond to 60-155% of the calculated coolant production, with large variations between the BWR units.
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| 9. |
- Owings, T. M., et al.
(författare)
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Plantar pressures in diabetic patients with foot ulcers which have remained healed
- 2009
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Ingår i: Diabetic Medicine. - : Wiley. - 1464-5491 .- 0742-3071. ; 26:11, s. 1141-1146
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Aims The recurrence of foot ulcers is a significant problem in people with diabetic neuropathy. The purpose of this study was to measure in-shoe plantar pressures and other characteristics in a group of neuropathic patients with diabetes who had prior foot ulcers which had remained healed. Methods This was an epidemiological cohort study of patients from diabetes clinics of two Swedish hospitals. From a database of 2625 eligible patients, 190 surviving patients with prior plantar ulcers of the forefoot (hallux or metatarsal heads) caused by repetitive stress were identified and 49 patients agreed to participate. Barefoot and in-shoe plantar pressures were measured during walking. Data on foot deformity, activity profiles and self-reported behaviour were also collected. Results Mean barefoot plantar peak pressure at the prior ulcer site (556 kPa) was lower than in other published series, although the range was large (107-1192 kPa). Mean in-shoe peak pressure at this location averaged 207 kPa when measured with an insole sensor. Barefoot peak pressure only predicted similar to 35% of the variance of in-shoe peak pressure, indicating variation in the efficacy of the individual footwear prescriptions (primarily extra-depth shoes with custom insoles). Conclusions We propose that the mean value for in-shoe pressures reported in these patients be used as a target in footwear prescription for patients with prior ulcers. Although plantar pressure is only one factor in a multifaceted strategy to prevent ulcer recurrence, the quantitative focus on pressure reduction in footwear is likely to have beneficial effects.
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