| 1. |
- Hashemi, Jamileh, et al.
(författare)
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Molecular Characterization of Acquired Tolerance of Tumor Cells to Picropodophyllin (PPP)
- 2011
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Ingår i: PLOS ONE. - : Public Library of Science (PLoS). - 1932-6203. ; 6:3, s. e14757-
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Background: Picropodophyllin (PPP) is a promising novel anti-neoplastic agent that efficiently kills tumor cells in vitro and causes tumor regression and increased survival in vivo. We have previously reported that PPP treatment induced moderate tolerance in two out of 10 cell lines only, and here report the acquired genomic and expression alterations associated with PPP selection over 1.5 years of treatment. Methodology/Principal Findings: Copy number alterations monitored using metaphase and array-based comparative genomic hybridization analyses revealed largely overlapping alterations in parental and maximally tolerant cells. Gain/amplification of the MYC and PVT1 loci in 8q24.21 were verified on the chromosome level. Abnormalities observed in connection to PPP treatment included regular gains and losses, as well as homozygous losses in 10q24.1-q24.2 and 12p12.3-p13.2 in one of the lines and amplification at 5q11.2 in the other. Abnormalities observed in both tolerant derivatives include amplification/gain of 5q11.2, gain of 11q12.1-q14.3 and gain of 13q33.3-qter. Using Nexus software analysis we combined the array-CGH data with data from gene expression profilings and identified genes that were altered in both inputs. A subset of genes identified as downregulated (ALDH1A3, ANXA1, TLR4 and RAB5A) or upregulated (COX6A1, NFIX, ME1, MAPK and TAP2) were validated by siRNA in the tolerant or parental cells to alter sensitivity to PPP and confirmed to alter sensitivity to PPP in further cell lines. Conclusions: Long-term PPP selection lead to altered gene expression in PPP tolerant cells with increase as well as decrease of genes involved in cell death such as PTEN and BCL2. In addition, acquired genomic copy number alterations were observed that were often reflected by altered mRNA expression levels for genes in the same regions.
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| 2. |
- Abbasi, Saeed, 1973-, et al.
(författare)
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A field investigation of the size, morphology and chemical composition of airborne particles in rail transport
- 2010
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Konferensbidrag (refereegranskat)abstract
- The health effects of inhalable airborne particles are well documented. In the European Union the European Council mandates that the level of airborne particles with a diameter smaller than 10 µm (PM10) must not exceed an annual average of 40 µg/m3. Examples of possible sources from rail transport are mechanical brakes, wheel rail contact, current collectors, ballast, sleepers and masonry structures. In this regard, a series of field tests have been conducted on a regular Swedish track using a regional train instrumented with: particle measurement devices, temperature sensors in brake pads and sensors to measure the magnitude of train speed and a GPS.Two sampling points for airborne particles were designated in the train under frame. One of the sampling points was near a pad to rotor disc brake contact and a second global sampling point was chosen under the frame, but not near a mechanical brake or the wheel-rail contact. The first one was highly influenced by brake pad wear debris and the other one was influenced by all of the brake pads, wheel and rail wear debris as well as re-suspension. In each sampling points, three tubes were linked to three particle measurement devices. Two sets of Ptrak, Dustrak and Grimm devices were used. The Ptrak 8525 was an optical particle measurement device which could measure particle diameter in the size interval of 20 nm up to 1 micrometer. The Dustrak was used to measure particle mass concentration. The Grimm 1.109 was an aerosol spectrometer which counted number of particles from 0.25 micrometer to 32 micrometer in 31 intervals. These two Grimm devices were equipped with Millipore filters in the devices outlets to capture particles for further studies on morphology and matter of particles.The total number and size distribution of the particles for these two sampling points were registered and evaluated in different situations such as activating and deactivating electrical brake or train curve negotiating.During braking, three peaks of 250 nm, 350 nm and 600 nm in diameter, with the 350 nm peak dominating were identified in the fine particle region. In the coarse particle region, a peak of around 3-6 µm in diameter was discovered. The brake pad temperature effects on particle size distribution were also investigated and the results showed that the peak around 250 nm increased. Furthermore, the activation of electrical braking significantly reduced the number of airborne particles.A SEM was used to capture the images from collected particles on filters. Furthermore, an ICP-Ms method was used to investigate the elemental contents of the particulates on the filter. In this case the main contribution belonged to Fe, Si, Al, Ca, Cu, Zn. The higher amount of some elements weights such as calcium, silicon, sodium and aluminum in the global sampling point filters revealed that ballast and concrete sleepers were the main sources for these particles although some of them originated from rail, wheel, brake disc and brake pad as well.
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| 3. |
- Abbasi, Saeed, et al.
(författare)
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A study of airborne wear particles generated from organic railway brake pads and brake discs
- 2011
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Ingår i: Wear. - UK : Elsevier. - 0043-1648 .- 1873-2577. ; 273:1, s. 93-99
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Brake pads on wheel-mounted disc brakes are often used in rail transport due to their good thermal properties and robustness. During braking, both the disc and the pads are worn. This wear process generates particles that may become airborne and thus affect human health. The long term purpose of ‘Airborne particles in Rail transport’ project is to gain knowledge on the wear mechanisms in order to find means of controlling the number and size distribution of airborne particles. In this regard, a series of full-scale field tests and laboratory tests with a pin-on-disc machine have been conducted. The morphology and the matter of particles, along with their size distribution and concentration, have been studied. The validity of results from the pin-on-disc simulation has been verified by the field test results. Results show an ultra-fine peak for particles with a diameter size around 100 nm in diameter, a dominant fine peak for particles with a size of around 350 nm in diameter, and a coarse peak with a size of 3-7 μm in diameter. Materials such as iron, copper, aluminium, chromium, cobalt, antimony, and zinc have been detected in the nano-sized particles.
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| 4. |
- Abbasi, Saeed, 1973-, et al.
(författare)
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A field test study of airborne wear particles from a running regional train
- 2012
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Ingår i: IMechE, Part F: Journal of Rail and Rapid Transit. - UK : Sage Publications. - 0954-4097 .- 2041-3017. ; 226:1, s. 95-109
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Inhalable airborne particles have inverse health affect. In railways, mechanical brakes, the wheel–rail contact, current collectors, ballast, sleepers, and masonry structures yield particulate matter. Field tests examined a Swedish track using a train instrumented with particle measurement devices, brake pad temperature sensors, and speed and brake sensors. The main objective of this field test was to study the characteristics of particles generated from disc brakes on a running train with an on-board measuring set-up.Two airborne particle sampling points were designated, one near a pad–rotor disc brake contact and a second under the frame, not near a mechanical brake or the wheel–rail contact; the numbers and size distributions of the particles detected were registered and evaluated under various conditions (e.g. activating/deactivating electrical brakes or negotiating curves). During braking, three speed/temperature-dependent particle peaks were identified in the fine region, representing particles 280 nm, 350 nm, and 600 nm in diameter. In the coarse region, a peak was discerned for particles 3–6 μm in diameter. Effects of brake pad temperature on particle size distribution were also investigated. Results indicate that the 280 nm peak increased with increasing temperature, and that electrical braking significantly reduced airborne particle numbers. FESEM images captured particles sizing down to 50 nm. The ICP-MS results indicated that Fe, Cu, Zn, Al, Ca, and Mg were the main elements constituting the particles.
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| 5. |
- Anderberg, Magnus, et al.
(författare)
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Robotics versus laparoscopy - an experimental study of the transfer effect in maiden users.
- 2010
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Ingår i: Annals of Surgical Innovation and Research. - : Springer Science and Business Media LLC. - 1750-1164. ; 4, s. 3-3
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- ABSTRACT: BACKGROUND: Robot-assisted laparoscopy (RL) is used in a wide range of operative interventions, but the advantage of this technique over conventional laparoscopy (CL) remains unclear. Studies comparing RL and CL are scarce. The present study was performed to test the hypothesis that maiden users master surgical tasks quicker with the robot-assisted laparoscopy technique than with the conventional laparoscopy technique. METHODS: 20 subjects, with no prior surgical experience, performed three different surgical tasks in a standardized experimental setting, repeated four times with each of the RL and CL techniques. Speed and accuracy were measured. A cross-over technique was used to eliminate gender bias and the experience gained by carrying out the first part of the study. RESULTS: The task "tie a knot" was performed faster with the RL technique than with CL. Furthermore, shorter operating times were observed when changing from CL to RL. There were no time differences for the tasks of grabbing the needle and continuous suturing between the two operating techniques. Gender did not influence the results. CONCLUSION: The more advanced task of tying a knot was performed faster using the RL technique than with CL. Simpler surgical interventions were performed equally fast with either technique. Technical skills acquired during the use of CL were transferred to the RL technique. The lack of tactile feedback in RL seemed to matter. There were no differences between males and females.
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| 6. |
- Andrada Hamar, Maria, et al.
(författare)
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Short-term results of a prospective randomized evaluator blinded multicenter study comparing TVT and TVT-Secur
- 2011
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Ingår i: International Urogynecology Journal. - : Springer. - 0937-3462 .- 1433-3023. ; 22:7, s. 781-787
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Introduction and hypothesis: The aim of this prospective randomized multicenter study was to compare TVT (tension-free vaginal tape) with TVT-Secur in terms of efficacy and safety.Methods: We set out to enrol 280 stress incontinent women with a half time interim analysis of short-term cure and a continuous registration of adverse events. Of 133 randomized women, 126 were operated and 123 (TVT n = 62, TVT-Secur n = 61) available for 2 months follow-up.Results: No significant differences were found between groups regarding demographics or grade of incontinence. At 2 months follow-up, subjective cure rate following TVT-Secur was significantly lower than for TVT (72% and 92%, respectively, p = 0.01). Three major complications occurred in the TVT-Secur group: tape erosion into the urethra, a tape inadvertently placed inside the bladder, and an immediate postoperative bleeding from the corona mortis. No major complications occurred in the TVT group. No significant differences were found between groups regarding perioperative bleeding, hospital stay, urge symptoms, or postoperative urinary tract infections. Median time for surgery was 13 and 22 min for TVT-Secur and TVT, respectively (p < 0.0001).Conclusions: In a prospective randomized controlled study, the TVT-Secur procedure had a significantly lower subjective cure rate than the retropubic TVT procedure. Due to this, in addition to three serious complications in the TVT-Secur group, we decided to stop further enrolment after the interim analysis. We discourage from further use of the TVT-Secur.
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| 7. |
- Andrada Hamer, Maria, et al.
(författare)
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One-year results of a prospective randomized, evaluator-blinded, multicenter study comparing TVT and TVT Secur.
- 2012
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Ingår i: International Urogynecology Journal. - : Springer Science and Business Media LLC. - 1433-3023 .- 0937-3462.
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- INTRODUCTION AND HYPOTHESIS: The aim of this prospective randomized multicenter study was to compare retropubic tension-free vaginal tape (TVT) with TVT Secur in terms of efficacy and safety. METHODS: We set out to enrol 280 stress urinary incontinent (SUI) women with a half-time interim analysis of short-term cure and adverse events. The short-term results have previously been published. Of the133 randomized women, 125 underwent surgery, and 121 (TVT n = 61, TVT Secur n = 60) were available for follow-up 1 year postsurgery. RESULTS: No significant differences were found between groups regarding demographics or incontinence grade. One year after surgery, both subjective and objective cure rates were significantly lower for TVT Secur than for TVT (subjective cure: TVT 98 %, TVT Secur 80 %, p = 0.03; objective cure: TVT 94 %, TVT Secur 71 % for cough test, p = 0.01; TVT 76 %, TVT Secur 58 % for pad test, p = 0.05 ). Three major complications occurred in the TVT Secur group: one tape erosion into the urethra, one tape inadvertently placed into the bladder, and one immediate postoperative bleeding due to injury to the corona mortis. No major complications occurred in the TVT group. No significant differences were found between groups regarding peroperative bleeding, hospital stay, urge symptoms, residual urinary volume, subjective bladder emptying problems, postoperative urinary tract infections, and minor complications. The TVT Secur group used more antimuscarine medication after surgery than the TVT group (p = 0.03). Median time for surgery was 13 and 22 min for TVT Secur and TVT, respectively (p < 0.0001). CONCLUSION: The TVT Secur procedure had significantly inferior subjective and objective cure rates compared with the retropubic TVT procedure. Three serious adverse events occurred in the TVT Secur group. We therefore discourage further use of TVT Secur.
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| 8. |
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| 9. |
- Beecham, Ashley H, et al.
(författare)
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Analysis of immune-related loci identifies 48 new susceptibility variants for multiple sclerosis.
- 2013
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Ingår i: Nature genetics. - : Springer Science and Business Media LLC. - 1546-1718 .- 1061-4036. ; 45:11, s. 1353-60
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Using the ImmunoChip custom genotyping array, we analyzed 14,498 subjects with multiple sclerosis and 24,091 healthy controls for 161,311 autosomal variants and identified 135 potentially associated regions (P < 1.0 × 10(-4)). In a replication phase, we combined these data with previous genome-wide association study (GWAS) data from an independent 14,802 subjects with multiple sclerosis and 26,703 healthy controls. In these 80,094 individuals of European ancestry, we identified 48 new susceptibility variants (P < 5.0 × 10(-8)), 3 of which we found after conditioning on previously identified variants. Thus, there are now 110 established multiple sclerosis risk variants at 103 discrete loci outside of the major histocompatibility complex. With high-resolution Bayesian fine mapping, we identified five regions where one variant accounted for more than 50% of the posterior probability of association. This study enhances the catalog of multiple sclerosis risk variants and illustrates the value of fine mapping in the resolution of GWAS signals.
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| 10. |
- Bredberg, Anna, et al.
(författare)
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Analysis of manganese and iron in exhaled endogenous particles
- 2014
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Ingår i: Journal of Analytical Atomic Spectrometry. - 0267-9477 .- 1364-5544. ; 29, s. 730-735
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Background: Many full-time welders experience some sort of respiratory disorder e.g., asthma, bronchitis and metal fume fever. Thus, welding aerosols are thought to cause airway inflammation. There is a need for markers of welding aerosols in exposure assessments, and as most welding aerosols contain manganese and iron, these metals may possibly be used as an indicator. We have previously developed a novel non-invasive technique to collect endogenous particles in exhaled air (PEx). This study is designed to i) develop a method for analysis of manganese and iron in PEx and ii) investigate whether the manganese and/or iron content of PEx changes after exposure to welding aerosols. Methods: Nine individuals were experimentally exposed to welding fumes. PEx was collected at three time points for each individual; before, after and 24 hour after exposure. Analyses of PEx samples were performed using Inductively Coupled Plasma Mass Spectrometry (ICP-MS). Results: Four out of nine individuals showed an increase in manganese and iron levels after exposure to welding aerosols. The mean manganese and iron concentration increased from,
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| 11. |
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| 12. |
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| 13. |
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| 14. |
- Fei, Chen, et al.
(författare)
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Detection of the human endogenous retrovirus ERV3-encoded Env-protein in human tissues using antibody-based proteomics
- 2014
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Ingår i: Journal of the Royal Society of Medicine. - : SAGE Publications. - 0141-0768 .- 1758-1095. ; 107:1, s. 22-29
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Objectives: There is growing evidence to suggest that human endogenous retroviruses (HERVs) have contributed to human evolution, being expressed in development, normal physiology and disease. A key difficulty in the scientific evaluation of this potential viral contribution is the accurate demonstration of virally expressed protein in specific human cells and tissues. In this study, we have adopted the endogenous retrovirus, ERV3, as our test model in developing a reliable high-capacity methodology for the expression of such endogenous retrovirus-coded protein. Design: Two affinity-purified polyclonal antibodies to ERV3 Env-encoded protein were generated to detect the corresponding protein expression pattern in specific human cells, tissues and organs. Participants: Sampling included normal tissues from 144 individuals ranging from childhood to old age. This included more than forty different tissues and organs and some 216 different cancer tissues representing the twenty commonest forms of human cancer. Setting: The Rudbeck Laboratory, Uppsala University and Uppsala University Hospital, Uppsala, Sweden. Main Outcome Measures: The potential expression at likely physiological level of the ERV3Env encoded protein in a wide range of human cells, tissues and organs. Results: We found that ERV3 encoded Env protein is expressed at substantive levels in placenta, testis, adrenal gland, corpus luteum, Fallopian tubes, sebaceous glands, astrocytes, bronchial epithelium and the ducts of the salivary glands. Substantive expression was also seen in a variety of epithelial cells as well as cells known to undergo fusion in inflammation and in normal physiology, including fused macrophages, myocardium and striated muscle. This contrasted strongly with the low levels expressed in other tissues types. These findings suggest that this virus plays a significant role in human physiology and may also play a possible role in disease. Conclusion: This technique can now be extended to the study of other HERV genomes within the human chromosomes that may have contributed to human evolution, physiology and disease.
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| 15. |
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| 16. |
- Fredriksson-Larsson, Ulla, 1962, et al.
(författare)
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Measuring fatigue with the multidimensional fatigue inventory (MFI-20) in persons treated for myocardial infarction
- 2012
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Ingår i: European Journal of Cardiovascular Nursing. ; 11:Suppl 1
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Konferensbidrag (refereegranskat)abstract
- Purpose: During recovery from acute myocardial infarction, about 50% of the patients report fatigue. Early identification of a person experiencing fatigue could create conditions for better support in person-centred fatigue relief strategies. In clinical assessment of post-myocardial infarction fatigue, a short instrument is preferable. Therefore, the purpose of the present study was, first, to validate the Multidimensional Fatigue Inventory (MFI-20) and, second, to test whether the subscale General Fatigue could be used in screening for fatigue in persons who have been treated for myocardial infarction. Thus far, validation studies of MFI-20 including patients with coronary heart diseases have been lacking. Method: The sample consisted of 204 consecutive patients (59 women, 145 men, mean age 64 year) who have been treated for myocardial infarction at the coronary care unit in a rural Swedish hospital. Four mounts after the acute heart attack, study participants answered the MFI-20. Data were analysed using Confirmatory factor analysis and Rasch- analysis. Results: The confirmatory factor analyses revealed that the MFI five-factor model had a mediocre fit (RMSEA = 0.091; Chi2 = 432.079, p < 0.001). However, fitting data to the Rasch model with each domain grouped as testlets gave significant item-trait interactions, supporting the five- factor model. Also, when the five MFI-20 domains were analysed separately, they worked according to the model and there was support for using at least four of five MFI subscales - General Fatigue, Physical Fatigue Mental fatigue and Reduced Activity, (PCI between 0.73–0.81) – as measures of post-myocardial infarction fatigue. Conclusion: To conclude, the MFI-20 can be used in assessment of post - myocardial infarction fatigue. If a very short instrument is needed, the subscale General Fatigue can be used as an initial screening instrument.
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| 17. |
- Gottvall, Maria, 1980-, et al.
(författare)
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Challenges and opportunities of a new HPV immunization program : Perceptions among swedish school nurses
- 2011
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Ingår i: Vaccine. - : Elsevier BV. - 0264-410X .- 1873-2518. ; 29, s. 4576-4583
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Aim To investigate school nurses’ perceptions of HPV immunization, and their task of administering the vaccine in a planned school-based program in Sweden. Method: Data were collected through five focus group interviews with school nurses (n = 30). The interviews were recorded, transcribed verbatim and analyzed using content analysis.Findings The theme Positive attitude to HPV immunization despite many identified problems and challenges summarizes the results. The school nurses saw the program as a benefit in that the free school-based HPV immunization program could balance out social inequalities. However, they questioned whether this new immunization program should be given priority given their already tight schedule. Some also expressed doubts regarding the effect of the vaccine. It was seen as challenging to obtain informed consent as well as to provide information regarding the vaccine. The nurses were unsure of whether boys and their parents should also be informed about the immunization.Conclusion Although some positive aspects of the new HPV immunization program were mentioned, the school nurses primarily identified problems and challenges; e.g. regarding priority setting, informed consent, culture and gender. In order to achieve a good work environment for the school nurses, and obtain a high coverage rate for the HPV immunization, these issues need to be taken seriously, be discussed and acted upon.
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| 18. |
- Gottvall, Maria, et al.
(författare)
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Trust versus concerns : how parents reason when they accept HPV vaccination for their young daughter
- 2013
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Ingår i: Upsala Journal of Medical Sciences. - : Uppsala Medical Society. - 0300-9734 .- 2000-1967. ; 118:4, s. 263-270
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Background. From spring of 2012, human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine against cervical cancer is offered free of charge to all girls aged 10-12 years through a school-based vaccination programme in Sweden. The aim of this study was to explore how parents reason when they accept HPV vaccination for their young daughter and also their views on HPV-related information. Methods. Individual interviews with parents (n = 27) of 11-12-year-old girls. The interviews were recorded, transcribed verbatim, and analysed using thematic content analysis. Results. Three themes emerged through the analysis: Trust versus concern, Responsibility to protect against severe disease, and Information about HPV and HPV vaccination is important. The parents expressed trust in recommendations from authorities and thought it was convenient with school-based vaccination. They believed that cervical cancer was a severe disease and felt a responsibility to protect their daughter from it. Some had certain concerns regarding side effects and vaccine safety, and wished for a dialogue with the school nurse to bridge the information gaps. Conclusions. Trust in the recommendations from authorities and a wish to protect their daughter from a severe disease outweighed concerns about side effects. A school-based vaccination programme is convenient for parents, and the school nurse has an important role in bridging information gaps. The findings from this qualitative study cannot be generalized; however, it can provide a better understanding of how parents might reason when they accept the HPV vaccination for their daughter.
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| 19. |
- Grubb, Tamara, et al.
(författare)
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Effects of pulse-delivered inhaled nitric oxide administration on pulmonary perfusion and arterial oxygenation in dorsally recumbent isoflurane-anesthetized horses
- 2014
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Ingår i: American Journal of Veterinary Research. - : American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA). - 0002-9645. ; 75, s. 949-955
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Objective-To image the spatial distribution of pulmonary blood flow by means of scintigraphy, evaluate ventilation-perfusion (V-A/Q) matching and pulmonary blood shunting (Qs/Qt) by means of the multiple inert gas elimination technique (MIGET), and measure arterial oxygenation and plasma endothelin-1 concentrations before, during, and after pulse-delivered inhaled nitric oxide (PiNO) administration to isoflurane-anesthetized horses in dorsal recumbency.Animals-3 healthy adult Standardbreds.Procedures-Nitric oxide was pulsed into the inspired gases in dorsally recumbent isoflurane-anesthetized horses. Assessment of V-A/Q matching, Qs/Qt, and PaO2 content was performed by use of the MIGET, and spatial distribution of pulmonary blood flow was measured by perfusion scintigraphy following IV injection of technetium Tc 99m-labeled macroaggregated human albumin before, during, and 30 minutes after cessation of PiNO administration.Results-During PiNO administration, significant redistribution of blood flow from the dependent regions to the nondependent regions of the lungs was found and was reflected by improvements in V-A/Q matching, decreases in Qs/Qt, and increases in PaO2 content, all of which reverted to baseline values at 30 minutes after PiNO administration.Conclusions and Clinical Relevance-Administration of PiNO in anesthetized dorsally recumbent horses resulted in redistribution of pulmonary blood flow from dependent atelectatic lung regions to nondependent aerated lung regions. Because hypoxemia is commonly the result of atelectasis in anesthetized dorsally recumbent horses, the addition of nitric oxide to inhaled gases could be used clinically to alleviate hypoxemia in horses during anesthesia.
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| 20. |
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| 21. |
- Grönwall, Christina, et al.
(författare)
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Spatial filtering for detection of partly occluded targets
- 2011
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Ingår i: Optical Engineering. - : SPIE-Intl Soc Optical Eng. - 0091-3286 .- 1560-2303. ; 50:4, s. 047201-1-047201-13
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- A Bayesian approach for data reduction based on spatial filtering is proposed that enables detection of targets partly occluded by natural forest. The framework aims at creating a synergy between terrain mapping and target detection. It is demonstrates how spatial features can be extracted and combined in order to detect target samples in cluttered environments. In particular, it is illustrated how a priori scene information and assumptions about targets can be translated into algorithms for feature extraction. We also analyze the coupling between features and assumptions because it gives knowledge about which features are general enough to be useful in other environments and which are tailored for a specific situation. Two types of features are identified, nontarget indicators and target indicators. The filtering approach is based on a combination of several features. A theoretical framework for combining the features into a maximum likelihood classification scheme is presented. The approach is evaluated using data collected with a laser-based 3-D sensor in various forest environments with vehicles as targets. Over 70% of the target points are detected at a false-alarm rate of <1%. We also demonstrate how selecting different feature subsets influence the results.
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| 22. |
- Hammarström, Anne, et al.
(författare)
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Experiences of barriers and facilitators to weight-loss in a diet intervention : a qualitative study of women in Northern Sweden
- 2014
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Ingår i: BMC Women's Health. - : BioMed Central. - 1472-6874. ; 14, s. 59-
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- BACKGROUND: There is a lack of research about the experiences of participating in weight-reducing interventions. The aim of this study was to explore barriers and facilitators to weight-loss experienced by participants in a diet intervention for middle-aged to older women in the general population in Northern Sweden.METHOD: In the intervention the women were randomised to eat either a Palaeolithic-type diet or a diet according to Nordic Nutrition recommendations for 24 months. A strategic selection was made of women from the two intervention groups as well as from the drop-outs in relation to social class, civil status and age. Thematic structured interviews were performed with twelve women and analysed with qualitative content analyses.RESULTS: The results showed that the women in the dietary intervention experienced two main barriers - struggling with self (related to difficulties in changing food habits, health problems, lack of self-control and insecurity) and struggling with implementing the diet (related to social relations and project-related difficulties) - and two main facilitators- striving for self-determination (related to having clear goals) and receiving support (from family/friends as well as from the project) - for weight-loss. There was a greater emphasis on barriers than on facilitators.CONCLUSION: It is important to also include drop-outs from diet interventions in order to fully understand barriers to weight-loss. A gender-relational approach can bring new insights into understanding experiences of barriers to weight-loss.
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| 23. |
- Hedegård, Lars, 1979-, et al.
(författare)
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Att använda dator- och filmbaserat stöd vid praktisk undervisning
- 2012
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Ingår i: PUH - Pedagogiska utvecklingsprojekt i högskolan. - Borås : Högskolan i Borås. ; , s. 193-208
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Bokkapitel (populärvet., debatt m.m.)abstract
- Konfektionskollegiet vid Textilhögskolan erhöll under läsåret 2010/11medel från Centrum för lärande undervisning (CLU) vid Högskolan iBorås för att genomföra ett pedagogiskt utvecklingsprojekt. Projektethandlade om att skapa och använda dator- och filmbaserade läromedelsom stöd till praktisk undervisning. Rapporten bygger på de två delprojektendär film- respektive datorbaserat läromedel skapats och använts,ett besök vid Heriot Watt University samt intervjuer med personer somarbetat med film och undervisning i olika former. Målet med projektetvar att skapa en vägledning för att underlätta arbetet med film- och datorbaseradeläromedel vid praktisk undervisning och bilaga I återfinns enlathund till stöd för fortsatt arbete.
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| 24. |
- Higier, Rachel G, et al.
(författare)
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Enhanced neurocognitive functioning and positive temperament in twins discordant for bipolar disorder
- 2014
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Ingår i: American Journal of Psychiatry. - : American Psychiatric Association Publishing. - 0002-953X .- 1535-7228. ; 171:11, s. 1191-1198
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- OBJECTIVE: Based on evidence linking creativity and bipolar disorder, a model has been proposed whereby factors influencing liability to bipolar disorder confer certain traits with positive effects on reproductive fitness. The authors tested this model by examining key traits known to be associated with evolutionary fitness, namely, temperament and neurocognition, in individuals carrying liability for bipolar disorder. Schizophrenia probands and their co-twins were included as psychiatric controls.METHOD: Twin pairs discordant for bipolar disorder and schizophrenia and control pairs were identified through the Swedish Twin Registry. The authors administered a neuropsychological test battery and temperament questionnaires to samples of bipolar probands, bipolar co-twins, schizophrenia probands, schizophrenia co-twins, and controls. Multivariate mixed-model analyses of variance were conducted to compare groups on temperament and neurocognitive scores.RESULTS: Bipolar co-twins showed elevated scores on a "positivity" temperament scale compared with controls and bipolar probands, while bipolar probands scored higher on a "negativity" scale compared with their co-twins and controls, who did not differ. Additionally, bipolar co-twins showed superior performance compared with controls on tests of verbal learning and fluency, while bipolar probands showed performance decrements across all neurocognitive domains. In contrast, schizophrenia co-twins showed attenuated impairments in positivity and overall neurocognitive functioning relative to their ill proband counterparts.CONCLUSIONS: These findings suggest that supra-normal levels of sociability and verbal functioning may be associated with liability for bipolar disorder. These effects were specific to liability for bipolar disorder and did not apply to schizophrenia. Such benefits may provide a partial explanation for the persistence of bipolar illness in the population.
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| 25. |
- Holter, Herborg, 1960, et al.
(författare)
-
Patient-centred quality of care in an IVF programme evaluated by men and women.
- 2014
-
Ingår i: Human reproduction (Oxford, England). - : Oxford University Press (OUP). - 1460-2350 .- 0268-1161. ; 29:12, s. 2695-2703
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Do men and women value the same aspects of quality of care during IVF treatment when measuring rates of importance by the validated instrument, quality from the patient's perspective of in vitro fertilization (QPP-IVF)?
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| 26. |
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| 27. |
- Karami, Nahid, 1959, et al.
(författare)
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Investigation of an outbreak of CTX-M-15-producing Escherichia coli of sequence types 131 and 1441 in a neonatal surgical ward: comparison of typing methods
- 2010
-
Ingår i: 20th European Congress of Clinical Microbiology and Infectious Diseases (ECCMID), Vienna, Austria.
-
Konferensbidrag (refereegranskat)abstract
- Objectives: In a surgical ward caring mainly for newborns spread of CTX-M-15-producing E.coli had been ongoing at least since September 2008 when we finally recognized the outbreak in late December. We have compared various typing methods with pulsed-field gel electrophoresis (PFGE) to verify the actual outbreak and subsequently to determine number of affected children. Methods: In addition to clinical sampling 125 children hospitalized between Sept-Dec were screened for extended-spectrum beta-lactamase (ESBL)-producing bacteria in stool during Dec-Feb. From Jan-June 2009 newly admitted children were screened at admission and twice weekly. Fifty-one E coli isolates with ESBL from 27 children were found. These isolates have been typed with PFGE, multiple-locus-variable number tandem repeat analysis (MLVA), a mini multiple-locus-sequence typing (MLST) method (dnaJ, purA and fumC genes) as well as with the Phene Plate (PhP) biochemical fingerprinting system. Results: When the outbreak was revealed five children had developed infections with ESBL-producing E. coli that were of two PFGE-types (A and B) later considered to be the outbreak strains. One or both were spread to 21 children. Six children had multiple types. Altogether 38 isolates (20 children) were of type A (ST 131), 7 isolates (5 children) of type B (ST 1441). In addition E coli of six distinct PFGE-types (C-?) were found in one child each. MLVA gave identical discriminatory results as PFGE for all isolates tested. Mini-MLST could not differentiate ST 131 isolates of to distinct PFGE-types (type A and C) but accurately predicted the ST-types of each PFGE-type when confirmed with standard MLST according to http://mlst.ucc.ie/mlst/dbs/Ecoli. By comparing resistance pattern we thus missed the outbreak by a month. PhP indicated that all initial isolates were singletons and there was hardly any correlation with PFGE. Conclusion: If transmission has been ongoing for a long time several types of ESBL-producing bacteria may be found in an outbreak and all isolates including repeat and screening isolates need to be typed to identify affected patients. Only genetic typing, gave satisfactory results in this outbreak. MLVA gave identical results to PFGE and is thus attractive being faster, cheaper and easier to communicate. Our mini-MLST was somewhat less discriminatory but despite using only three house keeping genes accurately predicted the ST-types.
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| 28. |
- Karazisi, Christina, et al.
(författare)
-
The effect of exercise on angiogenic factors in the healthy mouse heart: A short report
- 2014
-
Ingår i: Experimental and Clinical Cardiology. - : Pulsus Group Inc.. - 1205-6626. ; 20:1, s. 2332-2341
-
Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Background: Exercise increases blood levels of crucial angiogenic factors and endothelial progenitor cells (EPCs). Hypoxia inducible factor-1 (HIF-1a) and vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) are also increased in skeletal muscle in response to exercise. In the healthy heart, voluntary exercise is not expected to cause local hypoxia. We studied how voluntary exercise affects cardiac expression of HIF-1a, VEGF and stromal derived factor-1 (SDF-1), as well as EPC levels in heart and skeletal muscle. Method: Thirty-two NMRI mice were randomized to exercise in running wheels (EX) or regular activity (SED). HIF-1a, VEGF and SDF-1 mRNA levels were analyzed by reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) and EPC levels in heart and hind limb were quantified by FACS after 7 and 14 days. Results: There was no significant difference in cardiac expression of HIF-1a, VEGF or SDF-1 between EX and SED. Cardiac EPC levels were not affected by exercise, while skeletal EPC level was more than doubled. Conclusion: Voluntary exercise does not seem to induce cardiac hypoxia or stimulate the angiogenic system. In the healthy normoxic heart, there is a limited need of supporting blood supply, which might explain these findings.
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| 29. |
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| 30. |
- Larsson, Agneta
(författare)
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Identifying, describing and promoting health and work ability in a workplace context
- 2011
-
Doktorsavhandling (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract
- Det övergripande syftet med denna avhandling är att identifiera, beskriva och främja hälsa och arbetsförmåga ur ett arbetsplatsperspektiv. Tre av delarbetena är kvantitativa och en är kvalitativ. Studie I och II är baserade på samma population av anställda inom kommunal hemtjänst, vilka besvarade ett frågeformulär. Studie III omfattar anställda vid olika enheter inom kommunal service, vilka besvarade ett frågeformulär vid tre tillfällen under en 9-månaders period. Studie IV baseras på kvalitativa intervjuer med arbetsgivare inom olika branscher. Den första studien syftade till att identifiera faktorer som främjar för upplevd självtillit (eng. self-efficacy), muskuloskeletalt välbefinnande (hälsa) och arbetsförmåga hos sjukvårdbiträden respektive undersköterskor inom kommunal hemtjänst. Resultatet från multipla regressionsanalyser visade att den fysiska arbetsbelastningen och säkerhetsklimatet främjade självtilliten i båda grupperna, och för undersköterskorna hade även kön och ålder betydelse för självtilliten. Muskuloskeletalt välbefinnande hos sjukvårdsbiträden var relaterat till kön och upplevd grad av säkerhet. Främjande faktorer för arbetsförmåga hos sjukvårdsbiträden var ålder, anställningstid och säkerhetsklimat. Hos undersköterskor var kön, grad av säkerhet, självtillit och muskuloskeletalt välbefinnande främjande faktorer. Dessa skillnader bör beaktas vid planering av framtida interventioner. Hos båda professionerna kan fysisk arbetsbelastning minskas, och arbetsplatsens säkerhetsklimat och den anställdes egen självtillit stärkas. Syftet med den andra studien var att beskriva hemtjänstpersonalens upplevelse av säkerhetsklimat och arbetsförhållanden, aktiviteter för ökad säkerhet i arbetet, självtillit, hälsa och arbetsförmåga. Generellt rapporterade personalen höga fysiska belastningsnivåer och en hög frekvens av muskuloskeletala symtom. Signifikanta skillnader mellan hemtjänstgrupperna noterades avseende säkerhetsklimat, socialt stöd, inflytande över beslut, grad av säkerhet i arbetet, och grad av deltagande i arbetsplatsens säkerhetsarbete. Personalen angav ett antal faktorer som begränsade möjligheterna att utföra arbetet på ett säkert sätt. Detta betyder att hemtjänstgrupper med ’goda praktiska lösningar’ kan utgöra roll modeller för andra grupper när det gäller att utveckla fungerande lösningar i det dagliga arbetet. Arbetsgivarstöd, tydliga rutiner, intern- och extern samverkan och påverkansmöjligheter för de anställda, kan ge bättre förutsättningar att utföra arbetet med högre kvalitet och säkerhet. I den tredje studien beskrivs effekterna av två interventioner för kvinnor med muskuloskeletala symtom, anställda inom kommunal service: en ’self-efficacy utbildning’ respektive en ’ergonomisk utbildning’. Båda syftade till att stärka deltagarnas egna resurser i förhållande till sitt arbete. Båda interventionerna visade goda effekter, men på olika sätt i de båda grupperna. Den upplevda arbetsförmågan ökade i ’self-efficacy gruppen’. I den ’den ergonomiska gruppen’ ökade användningen av smärt coping strategier. Arbetsgivarnas upplevelser av hur arbetsrehabilitering kan planeras för att bli av bättre kvalitet och mer kostnadseffektiv, beskrevs i den fjärde studien. Arbetsgivarna ansåg att processen kunde förbättras genom att de arbetade utifrån ett holistiskt perspektiv, gav de sjukskrivna stöd, utvärderade deras måluppfyllelse och gav rehabiliteringsprocessen tillräckligt med tid. Proaktiva arbetsplatsinsatser och god kommunikation inom arbetsplatsen var för enligt dem förutsättningar för en lyckosam arbetsåtergång.
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| 31. |
- Larsson, Bengt, 1966-, et al.
(författare)
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Bringing environmentalism home : Children’s influence on family consumption in the Nordic countries and beyond
- 2010
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Ingår i: Childhood. - : Sage Publications. - 0907-5682 .- 1461-7013. ; 17:1, s. 129-147
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- This article discusses children as contributors to sustainable ecological development. The aim of the article is to develop a framework for researching two questions: What are the prerequisites for children to become responsible environmentalists? What actual and potential influence do children have on their family’s consumption? Three theoretical perspectives are elaborated in relation to relevant empirical research: children as cosmopolitan actors and world citizens, children as ‘subjects of responsibilization’ in relation to the discourse on sustainable development and children as actors influencing family negotiations about consumption. The article concludes by suggesting methodological implications that follow from this framework.
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| 32. |
- Larsson, Christina
(författare)
-
Short and long term effects of caesarean section and vaginal delivery
- 2010
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Doktorsavhandling (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract
- The aim of this thesis was to study short and long term effects after caesarean section (CS) and vaginal delivery. We also studied the difficulty in estimating blood loss at delivery and birth experience estimated nine months after delivery. In Study I blood loss during delivery was measured in two ways, visually, according to the routine of the hospital, and with a laboratory method, the alkaline hematin method. The visual estimation tended to over-estimate the bleeding. In vaginal deliveries there was no correlation between the two ways of measuring. Using blood loss after delivery as a quality indicator or for comparison in studies may lead to false conclusions, since visual estimation has low validity. In Study II the Swedish Hospital Discharge Registry was used to identify women with a diagnosis of pelvic organ prolapse. The data were linked to the Swedish Medical Birth Registry (MBR). 16,605 women who were diagnosed with pelvic organ prolapse (ICD9: n = 618, ICD10: n = N81) and who had deliveries during 1973-2004 were identified. Stratification was made by the women's year of birth (2 year intervals), the year of the last delivery (1 year interval), and the parity at the last delivery. Among women who had only had vaginal deliveries, a strong and almost linear association between parity and the risk of surgery/in hospital care of pelvic organ prolapse was found. Women delivered by CS only, had a five-fold lower risk of being admitted to hospital for pelvic organ prolapse. In Study III healthy primiparae with planned CS were investigated in a prospective cohort study. The indication for planned CS was breech presentation or maternal request. For every woman scheduled for a planned CS, one to two women from the same antenatal clinic planning a vaginal birth were asked to participate. Questionnaires were answered at inclusion (gestational week 37-39), two days, three and nine months after delivery. Details about the delivery were retrieved from the medical records. The outcome of delivery and complications were investigated and data were analysed as intended mode of delivery. In this group of healthy Swedish primiparae collected prospectively, we could not show any difference in short term medical complications like blood loss and infections. There was a longer in hospital stay in the planned CS group. Study IV: The Karolinska Scales of Personality (KSP), the Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale (EPDS), Wijma Delivery Expectancy Questionnaire (W-DEQ A), and Wijma Delivery Experience Questionnaire (W-DEQ B) were added to the data in Study III. The experience of delivery was measured with a Visual Analogue Scale (VAS) in order to get a global rating of the delivery. The logistic regression analysis yielded odds ratios for those variables that were independently related to the experience of delivery. There was no correlation to planned mode of delivery. Confidence in the midwife as well as adequate pain relief seems to be more important than mode of delivery for a positive birth experience. W-DEQ B was correlated to VAS at nine months after delivery, and even though the correlation was moderate, VAS could be a simple method to estimate birth experience. These studies on healthy Swedish primiparae show that improving outcome in planned vaginal deliveries by support and coping with pain are important issues, but also that risks with one planned CS are few.
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| 33. |
- Larsson, Johan
(författare)
-
Mapping the concept of industrialized bridge construction : potentials and obstacles
- 2013
-
Licentiatavhandling (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract
- Improving productivity is a central challenge in most industries and so also in construction. In many countries, such as Great Britain and US (Egan, 1998; Huang et al., 2009; Teichholz, 2001), governmental reports and research publications have highlighted the slow growth of productivity in the construction industry. In Sweden the urgency of improving productivity and client satisfaction in the construction industry have initiated a number of government investigations (SOU, 2002; SOU, 2009; SOU, 2012).A recent investigation of government clients' actions to improve productivity and innovation in infrastructure projects have recommended better planning regarding the procurements of projects, increased amount of turnkey contracts and that the sector must become more industrialized. As a response, the Swedish Transportation Administration has launched a research and innovation program where an increased industrial mindset and standardization of products is on the agenda. With the exception of the process-based housing sector, increased industrialization has however been difficult to achieve in the project-based construction industry.The aim of the research is to find the most important parts and processes that can be industrialized to make bridge construction projects more efficient. Empirical data has been collected through questionnaire surveys, workshop and case studies. The data has resulted in four appended papers with focus on mapping the concept of industrialization. Each paper contributes to the aim, but focuses on different aspects of the concept.An interesting aspect of the empirical results from the research is the multi-facetted view practitioners and industry experts have on industrialization, a concept involving elements like prefabrication, standardization and processes. Many of the identified core elements of industrialization focus on processes (long-term) rather than projects (short-term). Some major barriers for industrialization are identified involving: lack of repetition possibilities, strict norms and rules, Design-bid-build contracts, government regulations, and the existing conservatism in the infrastructure sector. Interesting is that out of the five largest barriers, three could be traced back to the client role. As such, the clients (i.e. STA in Sweden) must address these barriers in order to enhance increased industrialization. Launch of the long-term research and innovation program by STA, where increased industrialization throughout the value chain and standardization of products are on the agenda, is a first step toward breaking down barriers, hence possibilities for increased productivity. Standardization of parts and products is shown to be a possible way of decreasing complexity related to on-site construction. Case studies have shown that massive saving in terms of time can be achieved utilizing prefabrication instead of traditional on-site construction. But standardization and prefabrication will not be more common as long as identified barriers like aesthetics issues and assumptions that quality is decreasing are available among practitioners. Also the small chances for large-scale production and repetitiveness are hindering standardized parts and products to be more commonly used.The general conclusion of this research is that massive savings in terms of time can be achieved when utilizing more industrialized methods and techniques during construction of concrete bridges, but barriers have to be dealt with before long-term productivity increases can be achieved.
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| 34. |
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| 35. |
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| 36. |
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| 37. |
- Ljungqvist, Göran, et al.
(författare)
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Biomarker for welding exposure in exhaled endogenous particles
- 2014
-
Ingår i: The European respiratory journal. Supplement. - 0904-1850.
-
Konferensbidrag (refereegranskat)abstract
- More than two million workers are exposed to pneumotoxic welding aerosols and there is a need for target organ specific biomarkers of exposure. Manganese is a common constituent of iron alloys, its occupational exposure limit is low and other biomarkers are poor, which makes it a good model substance. We hypothesize that metal particles are deposited in the small airways and are incorporated into endogenous particles formed during respiration. A subsequent analysis of these particles in exhaled air (PEx) can serve as a biomarker for metals in welding fumes. We have recently developed a method for the collection of PEx (Almstrand, A.-C. et al. Anal Chem 2008; 81:662-668), based on counting of the exhaled particles and subsequent collection by impaction on a filter. Here we developed a method for analysis of trace metal content, i.e. manganese and iron in PEx. The method involved desorption of the filter in 5% nitric acid and analysis of the metal content by ICP-MS. To test our hypothesis, we exposed 9 healthy non-smokers (4F/5M, 29-63 years) to welding aerosol in an exposure chamber (Isaxon, C. et al. Aerosol Sci Tech 2012; 47:52-59) for two hours. Manganese and iron was analysed in PEx samples collected before, immediately after and 24 h after exposure. The results showed that 4 out of 9 persons had substantially increased levels of both manganese and iron in PEx immediately after exposure. Before exposure two samples had an iron content above limit of detection and none of the samples collected after 24 h. Manganese was below LOD in all samples collected before and 24 h after exposure. The study showed that the analysis of metals in PEx is a promising biomarker for metal aerosol exposure.
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| 38. |
- Moen, Bente E, et al.
(författare)
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Respiratory Inflammation Among Workers Exposed to Airborne Dust With Endotoxins in a Coffee Curing Factory.
- 2012
-
Ingår i: Journal of Occupational and Environmental Medicine. - 1536-5948. ; 54:7, s. 847-850
-
Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- OBJECTIVE: To study dust exposure and inflammatory reactions in the respiratory tract among coffee curing workers in Tanzania. METHODS: A cross-sectional study was conducted in a Tanzanian coffee curing factory. Coffee workers (n = 15) were compared with unexposed controls (n = 18); all workers were nonsmokers. Exhaled nitric oxide was examined using an electrochemistry-based NIOX MINO device. Personal air samples were analyzed for total dust and endotoxins, using gravimetric analysis and the chromogenic Limulus amebocyte lysate endpoint assay, respectively. RESULTS: Total dust levels ranged from 0.2 to 27.9 mg/m, and endotoxin levels ranged from 42 to 75,083 endotoxin units/m. Concentrations of exhaled nitric oxide, analyzed by linear regression and adjusted for age (β = 0.57; 95% confidence interval, 0.08 to 1.06; P = 0.02), was higher among coffee workers than among the control group. CONCLUSION: The results indicate a relationship between the coffee dust and signs of respiratory inflammation.
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| 39. |
- Nilsson, Jan, 1963-, et al.
(författare)
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Development and validation of a new tool measuring nurses self-reported professional competence — The nurse professional competence (NPC) Scale
- 2014
-
Ingår i: Nurse Education Today. - Midlothian, Scotland : Elsevier BV. - 0260-6917 .- 1532-2793. ; 34:4, s. 574-580
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Objectives: To develop and validate a new tool intended for measuring self-reported professional competence among both nurse students prior to graduation and among practicing nurses. The new tool is based on formal competence requirements from the Swedish Board of Health and Welfare, which in turn are based on WHO guidelines. Design: A methodological study including construction of a new scale and evaluation of its psychometric properties. Participants and settings: 1086 newly graduated nurse students from 11 universities/university colleges. Results: The analyses resulted in a scale named the NPC (Nurse Professional Competence) Scale, consisting of 88 items and covering eight factors: “Nursing care”, “Value-based nursing care”, “Medical/technical care”, “Teaching/ learning and support”, “Documentation and information technology”, “Legislation in nursing and safety planning”, “Leadership in and development of nursing care” and “Education and supervision of staff/students”. All factors achieved Cronbach's alpha values greater than 0.70. A second-order exploratory analysis resulted in two main themes: “Patient-related nursing” and “Nursing care organisation and development”. In addition, evidence of known-group validity for the NPC Scale was obtained.
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| 40. |
- Nilsson, Jan, 1963-, et al.
(författare)
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Nursing in a globalized world : Nursing students with international study experience report higher competence at graduation
- 2014
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Ingår i: Open Journal of Nursing. - : Scientific Research Publishing, Inc.. - 2162-5336 .- 2162-5344. ; :4, s. 848-858
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Due to globalization, there is a need for nurses with skills and competence in providing safe, competent and culturally appropriate care. The aim of the study was to investigate whether International Study Experiences (ISE) in other countries during basic nursing education had an impact on newly graduated nurses as regards to self-reported competence. Moreover, a second aim was to explore what background factors that facilitated or constituted a hindrance for nursing students to choose to conduct part of their basic nursing education abroad. At 11 Universities/University Colleges (henceforth called Higher Education Institutions [HEIs]) in Sweden, 565 nursing students responded to the Nurse Professional Competence (NPC) Scale. Students with ISE rated their competence significantly higher on three NPC competence areas; “Legislation in nursing and safety planning”, “Leadership and development of nursing” and “Education and supervision of staff/students”. Background factors that significantly seemed to enhance ISE were; living alone, not having children or other commitments, international focus at the HEI and previous international experience. Lack of financial means was reported to prevent students from choosing ISE. The study implies that several background factors are of importance whether students choose ISE or not. ISE during basic nursing education might result in better self-reported competence in leading and developing nursing care, including education of future nurses, and in providing safe care.
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| 41. |
- Olsson, Bengt Erik, et al.
(författare)
-
Analog electrical phase noise compensation for coherent optical receivers
- 2012
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Ingår i: European Conference and Exhibition on Optical Communication, ECEOC 2012.
-
Konferensbidrag (refereegranskat)abstract
- The applicability of optical phase noise compensation in the analog electrical domain is presented and experimentally investigated. Frequency noise power density can be reduced two orders of magnitude, enabling the use of low-cost DFB lasers for advanced modulation formats like 16-QAM.
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| 42. |
- Olsson, Bengt Erik, et al.
(författare)
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Experimental demonstration of electro-optical mid-span spectrum inversion for mitigation of non-linear fiber effects
- 2012
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Ingår i: European Conference and Exhibition on Optical Communication, ECEOC 2012.
-
Konferensbidrag (refereegranskat)abstract
- An opto-electric implementation of an optical spectrum inverter is proposed and experimentally demonstrated in a 561 km transmission link. 3dB increase in span launch power was enabled by the inverter for a 112 Gbit/s DP-16QAM channel and error free operation (BER<10-12) of 10G OOK transmission was obtained with no optical dispersion compensation.
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| 43. |
- Olsson, Bengt Erik, et al.
(författare)
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WDM Transmission of 112 Gbit/s RF-Assisted DP-16QAM Over 1200 km ULL Fiber
- 2013
-
Ingår i: IEEE Photonics Technology Letters. - 1041-1135 .- 1941-0174. ; 25:1, s. 29-32
-
Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Transmission of 86 dense wavelength division multiplexed channels on a 50-GHz grid, carrying 112-Gb/s radio-frequency-assisted dual-channel dual-polarization 16-QAM (8.6-Tb/s), was successfully demonstrated in a straight-line transmission link. Required bit-error rate before forward error correction was obtained after 1200 km of ultralow-loss G.652 fiber (0.17-dB/km attenuation) and after 881 km of conventional G.652 fiber (0.21-dB/km attenuation).
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| 44. |
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| 45. |
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| 46. |
- Roos, Vendela, et al.
(författare)
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Prioritising pharmaceuticals for environmental risk assessment: Towards adequate and feasible first-tier selection.
- 2012
-
Ingår i: The Science of the total environment. - Amsterdam : Elsevier BV. - 1879-1026 .- 0048-9697. ; 421-422, s. 102-10
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- The presence of pharmaceuticals in the aquatic environment, and the concerns for negative effects on aquatic organisms, has gained increasing attention over the last years. As ecotoxicity data are lacking for most active pharmaceutical ingredients (APIs), it is important to identify strategies to prioritise APIs for ecotoxicity testing and environmental monitoring. We have used nine previously proposed prioritisation schemes, both risk- and hazard-based, to rank 582 APIs. The similarities and differences in overall ranking results and input data were compared. Moreover, we analysed how well the methods ranked seven relatively well-studied APIs. It is concluded that the hazard-based methods were more successful in correctly ranking the well-studied APIs, but the fish plasma model, which includes human pharmacological data, also showed a high success rate. The results of the analyses show that the input data availability vary significantly; some data, such as logP, are available for most API while information about environmental concentrations and bioconcentration are still scarce. The results also suggest that the exposure estimates in risk-based methods need to be improved and that the inclusion of effect measures at first-tier prioritisation might underestimate risks. It is proposed that in order to develop an adequate prioritisation scheme, improved data on exposure such as degradation and sewage treatment removal and bioconcentration ability should be further considered. The use of ATC codes may also be useful for the development of a prioritisation scheme that includes the mode of action of pharmaceuticals and, to some extent, mixture effects.
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| 47. |
- Sakwari, Gloria, et al.
(författare)
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Personal Exposure to Dust and Endotoxin in Robusta and Arabica Coffee Processing Factories in Tanzania
- 2013
-
Ingår i: Annals of Occupational Hygiene. - : Oxford University Press (OUP). - 1475-3162. ; 57:2, s. 173-183
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Endotoxin exposure associated with organic dust exposure has been studied in several industries. Coffee cherries that are dried directly after harvest may differ in dust and endotoxin emissions to those that are peeled and washed before drying. The aim of this study was to measure personal total dust and endotoxin levels and to evaluate their determinants of exposure in coffee processing factories. Using Sidekick Casella pumps at a flow rate of 2l/min, total dust levels were measured in the workers' breathing zone throughout the shift. Endotoxin was analyzed using the kinetic chromogenic Limulus amebocyte lysate assay. Separate linear mixed-effects models were used to evaluate exposure determinants for dust and endotoxin. Total dust and endotoxin exposure were significantly higher in Robusta than in Arabica coffee factories (geometric mean 3.41mg/m(3) and 10 800 EU/m(3) versus 2.10mg/m(3) and 1400 EU/m(3), respectively). Dry pre-processed coffee and differences in work tasks explained 30% of the total variance for total dust and 71% of the variance for endotoxin exposure. High exposure in Robusta processing is associated with the dry pre-processing method used after harvest. Dust and endotoxin exposure is high, in particular when processing dry pre-processed coffee. Minimization of dust emissions and use of efficient dust exhaust systems are important to prevent the development of respiratory system impairment in workers.
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| 48. |
- Sandin, Sven, et al.
(författare)
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The familial risk of autism
- 2014
-
Ingår i: Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA). - Chicago, USA : American Medical Association. - 0098-7484 .- 1538-3598. ; 311:17, s. 1770-1777
-
Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Importance: Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) aggregates in families, but the individual risk and to what extent this is caused by genetic factors or shared or nonshared environmental factors remains unresolved.Objective: To provide estimates of familial aggregation and heritability of ASD.Design, setting and participants: A population-based cohort including 2,049,973 Swedish children born 1982 through 2006. We identified 37,570 twin pairs, 2,642,064 full sibling pairs, 432,281 maternal and 445,531 paternal half sibling pairs, and 5,799,875 cousin pairs. Diagnoses of ASD to December 31, 2009 were ascertained.Main outcomes and measures: The relative recurrence risk (RRR) measures familial aggregation of disease. The RRR is the relative risk of autism in a participant with a sibling or cousin who has the diagnosis (exposed) compared with the risk in a participant with no diagnosed family member (unexposed). We calculated RRR for both ASD and autistic disorder adjusting for age, birth year, sex, parental psychiatric history, and parental age. We estimated how much of the probability of developing ASD can be related to genetic (additive and dominant) and environmental (shared and nonshared) factors.Results: In the sample, 14,516 children were diagnosed with ASD, of whom 5689 had autistic disorder. The RRR and rate per 100,000 person-years for ASD among monozygotic twins was estimated to be 153.0 (95% CI, 56.7-412.8; rate, 6274 for exposed vs 27 for unexposed ); for dizygotic twins, 8.2 (95% CI, 3.7-18.1; rate, 805 for exposed vs 55 for unexposed); for full siblings, 10.3 (95% CI, 9.4-11.3; rate, 829 for exposed vs 49 for unexposed); for maternal half siblings, 3.3 (95% CI, 2.6-4.2; rate, 492 for exposed vs 94 for unexposed); for paternal half siblings, 2.9 (95% CI, 2.2-3.7; rate, 371 for exposed vs 85 for unexposed); and for cousins, 2.0 (95% CI, 1.8-2.2; rate, 155 for exposed vs 49 for unexposed). The RRR pattern was similar for autistic disorder but of slightly higher magnitude.We found support for a disease etiology including only additive genetic and nonshared environmental effects. The ASD heritability was estimated to be 0.50 (95% CI, 0.45-0.56) and the autistic disorder heritability was estimated to 0.54 (95% CI, 0.44-0.64).Conclusions and relevance: Among children born in Sweden, the individual risk of ASD and autistic disorder increased with increasing genetic relatedness. Heritability of ASD and autistic disorder were estimated to be approximately 50%. These findings may inform the counseling of families with affected children.
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| 49. |
- Segnestam Larsson, Ola, 1971-
(författare)
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Standardizing Civil Society : Interpreting Organizational Development in the Tension Between Instrumentalism and Expressivism
- 2011
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Doktorsavhandling (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract
- This book focuses on empirical phenomenon of organizational development, which seems to be trusted as the solution to many problems in civil society and the key to ‘the good society’. But can organizational development fulfil such expectations?As civil society becomes increasingly prominent in local struggles, national debates, and international politics, scholars are paying attention to how it should be promoted and developed. One approach deployed to foster a vibrant civil society is organizational development. In addition to improved project and organizational performance, it is believed that more and better organizing will promote desirable qualities inherent in civil society and therefore the development of a good society.In this book the author questions if organizational development within civil society can fulfil such expectations. Drawing on institutional theory and studies of cooperation among trade unions, faith-based organizations, and organizations of people with disabilities, he argues that organizational development of civil society organizations was never meant for implementa- tion. Instead it serves more as a legitimacy device for the involved actors in addition to protecting organizational praxis from conflicting internal and external demands.
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- Sjöbeck, Martin, et al.
(författare)
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Alzheimer's disease (AD) and executive dysfunction. A case-control study on the significance of frontal white matter changes detected by diffusion tensor imaging (DTI).
- 2010
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Ingår i: Archives of Gerontology and Geriatrics. - : Elsevier BV. - 1872-6976 .- 0167-4943. ; 50, s. 260-266
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- White matter (WM) changes are frequently seen on structural imaging in AD but the clinical relevance of these changes is uncertain. Frontal WM pathology is often observed upon neuropathological examination in AD. Since frontal cortical/sub-cortical pathology is known to relate to executive dysfunction, the aim was to elucidate if frontal WM changes in AD correlated with executive dysfunction. In all, 15 AD patients and 15 age-matched control cases were investigated in the study, which covered conventional magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), DTI, neuropsychiatric and neuropsychological examinations. Reduced performance on neuropsychological testing of executive function correlated significantly with an increasing degree of frontal WM changes detected by DTI in the AD group, while no such correlation was observed for the controls. Conventional semi-quantitative MRI assessment did not correlate with results on neuropsychological testing of executive function in any of the groups. The structural correlate to certain dimensions of executive dysfunction in AD patients could be related to changes in the deep frontal WM. DTI appears to be more sensitive in the detection of clinically significant WM alterations than conventional semi-quantitative MRI.
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