| 1. |
- Adepu, Saritha, et al.
(författare)
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Salivary biglycan-neo-epitope-BGN262: A novel surrogate biomarker for equine osteoarthritic sub-chondral bone sclerosis and to monitor the effect of short-term training and surface arena
- 2023
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Ingår i: Osteoarthritis and Cartilage Open. - : Elsevier BV. - 2665-9131. ; 5:2
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Objective: We aimed to delineate a novel soluble Biglycan Neo-epitope-BGN262 in saliva from young reference and osteoarthritic horses in conjunction with the influence of short-term training exercise, riding surface hardness, circadian rhythm, and feeding on its soluble levels. Design: A custom-made inhibition ELISA was used for the quantification of BGN262 in saliva. Cohort 1: A cross-sectional study comprising reference (N = 19) and OA horses (N = 9) with radiographically classified subchondral bone sclerosis. Receiver operating characteristic curve analysis was performed to evaluate the robustness of BGN262. Cohorts 2 (N = 5) & 3 (N = 7): Longitudinal studies of sampling during a short-term training exercise (sand-fibre) and a cross-over design of short-training exercise on 2 different riding arenas (sand and sand-fibre), respectively. Capillary western immunoassay was used to determine the BGN262 molecular size in a selection of saliva samples collected from cohort 1. Results: Cohort 1: Salivary BGN262 levels were significantly higher in the OA group. The Receiver operating characteristic curve analysis showed an area under the curve of 0.8304 [0.6386 to 1.022], indicating a good separation from the reference group. Cohorts 2 & 3: Salivary BGN262 levels significantly changed during the exercise on sand and sand-fibre arena, with a trend towards higher levels for sand-fibre. The size of the BGN262 fragment determined by Capillary western assay was 18 kDa. Conclusions: The data presented show saliva BGN262 levels as a novel biomarker in evaluating the influence of exercise, and interaction with riding arenas alongside assessing osteoarthritis severity.
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| 2. |
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| 3. |
- Alakangas, Lena, et al.
(författare)
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StopOx : Utilization Of Industrial Residuals For Prevention Of Sulfide Oxidation In Mine Waste
- 2019
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Rapport (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract
- This report is the outcome of the SIP STRIM projectStopOx-Utilization of industrial residuals for prevention of sulfide oxidation in mine waste implemented at Applied geochemistry, Luleå University of Technology running from 2015 to 2018. Boliden Mineral has been partner and co-funder of the project. Other partners in the project were Cementa, Dragon Mining, MEROX, Nordkalk, and SP Processum. The overall aim of the project was to develop prevention technologies to reduce the sulfide oxidation in mine waste, during and after operation, and thereby reduce the generation of acid mine drainage. The StopOx project has been focusing on sulfidic mine waste from the Boliden area which were disposed of and are causing acid mine drainage or have the potential. Industrial residues/products were supplied by BillerudKorsnäs, Cementa, MEROX, and Nordkalk. The report consists of chapters based on three subprojects.Chapter 1. IntroductionChapter 2. Inhibition technology with aim to minimize waste rock oxidation during operations by using residues from other industries (passivation of sulfidic surfaces by the formation of secondary minerals)Chapter 3. The suitability of green liquor dregs as substitutes for or additives to till in a sealing layer as part of a cover systemChapter 4. Weathering of waste rock under changing chemical conditionsThe research described in chapters 2 and 3 was performed by Ph.D. students and will continue until 2021, while the subproject in chapter 2 ended in 2018.
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| 4. |
- Alger, Susanne, 1967-
(författare)
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Licence to drive : the importance of reliability for the validity of the Swedish driving licence test
- 2019
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Licentiatavhandling (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract
- Background: The Swedish driving licence test is a criterion-referenced test resulting in a pass or fail. It currently consists of two parts - a theory test with 65 multiple-choice items and a practical driving test where at least 25 minutes are spent driving in traffic. It is a high-stakes test in the sense that the results are used to determine whether the test-taker should be allowed to drive a car without supervision. As the only other requirements for obtaining a licence is a few hours of hazard education (and a short introduction if you intend to drive with a lay instructor) it is important that the test result, in terms of pass or fail, is reliable and valid. If this is not the case it could have detrimental effects on traffic safety. Examining all relevant aspects is beyond the scope of this licentiate thesis so I have focused on reliability.Methods Reliability for both the theoretical and practical test results was examined. As these are very different types of tests the types of reliability examined also differed. In order to examine inter-rater reliability of the driving test 83 examiners were accompanied by one of five selected supervising examiners for a day of tests. All in all 535 tests were conducted with two examiners assessing the same performance. At the end of the day the examiners compared notes and tried to determine the reason for any inconsistencies. Both examiners and students also filled in questionnaires with questions about background and preparation. As for studying decision consistency and decision accuracy of the theory test, three test versions (a total of around 12,000 tests) were examined with the help of methods devised by Subkoviak (Subkoviak, 1976, 1988) and Hanson & Brennan (Brennan, 2004; Hanson & Brennan, 1990).Results The results from two research studies concerning reliability were presented. Study I focused on inter-rater reliability in the driving test and in 93 per cent of cases the examiners made the same assessment. For the tests where their opinions differed there was no correlation to any of the background variables or other variables examined except for three, which had logical explanations and did not constitute a problem. Although there were cases where the differences were due to different stances on matters of interpretation the most common suggested cause was the placement in the car (back seat vs. front seat). Although the supervising examiners gave both praise and criticism as to how the test was carried out the study does not answer the question whether the tests were equal in terms of composition and difficulty.In Study II the focus was on decision consistency and decision accuracy in the theory test. Three versions of the theory tests were examined and, on the whole, found to be fairly similar in terms of item difficulty and score distribution, but the mean was so close to the cut-score (i.e. the score required to pass) that the pass rate differed somewhat between versions. Agreement coefficients were around .80 for all test versions (between .79 and .82 depending on method). Classification accuracy indicated an .87 probability of a correct classification.Conclusion It is important to examine the reliability and validity of the driving licence test since a misclassification can have serious consequences in terms of traffic safety. In the studies included here the rate of agreement between examiners is deemed as satisfactory. It would be preferable if the classification consistency and classification accuracy, as estimated by the methods used, were higher for the theory test, given its importance.While reliability in terms of agreement between raters/examiners or consistency and accuracy of classification are routinely examined in other contexts, such as large-scale educational testing, this is not often done for the driving licence tests. At the same time, the methods used here can be transferred to contexts where such properties are generally not examined. Collecting information about test-takers and examiners, like in Study I, can provide evidence concerning possible bias.Examining to what extent decisions are consistent is one important aspect of collecting evidence that shows that test results can be used to draw conclusions about driver competence. Still, regardless of outcome, validation is a process that never ends. There is always reason to examine various aspects and make further improvements. There are also many other relevant aspects to examine. A prerequisite for the validity of the score interpretation of a criterion-referenced test like this one is that the cut-score is appropriate and the content relevant. This should therefore be the subject of further research as the validation process continues.
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| 5. |
- Andersson, Susanne, 1957-, et al.
(författare)
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Experiences of a Novel Structured Foot Examination Form for Patients With Diabetes From the Perspective of Health Care Professionals : Qualitative Study
- 2023
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Ingår i: JMIR nursing. - : JMIR Publications. - 2562-7600. ; 6
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- BACKGROUND: Diabetes is a growing threat to public health, and secondary diseases like foot complications are common. Foot ulcers affect the individual's quality of life and are a great cost to society. Regular foot examinations prevent foot ulcers and are a recommended approach both in Sweden and worldwide. Despite existing guidelines, there are differences in the execution of the foot examination, which results in care inequality. A structured foot examination form based on current guidelines was developed in this study as the first step toward digitalized support in the daily routine, and was validated by diabetes health care professionals.OBJECTIVE: The study aimed to validate a structured foot examination form by assessing health care professionals' experiences of working with it "foot side" when examining patients with diabetes.METHODS: Semistructured interviews were held in a focus group and individually with 8 informants from different diabetes professions, who were interviewed regarding their experiences of working with the form in clinical practice. The users' data were analyzed inductively using qualitative content analysis. The study is part of a larger project entitled "Optimised care of persons with diabetes and foot complications," with Västra Götaland Region as the responsible health care authority, where the results will be further developed.RESULTS: Experiences of working with the form were that it simplified the foot examination by giving it an overview and a clear structure. Using the form made differences in work routines between individuals apparent. It was believed that implementing the form routinely would contribute to a more uniform execution. When patients had foot ulcers, the risk categories (established in guidelines) were perceived as contradictory. For example, there was uncertainty about the definition of chronic ulcers and callosities. The expectations were that the future digital format would simplify documentation and elucidate the foot examination, as well as contribute to the accessibility of updated and relevant data for all individuals concerned.CONCLUSIONS: The foot examination form works well as a support tool during preventive foot examination, creates a basis for decision-making, and could contribute to a uniform and safer foot examination with more care equality in agreement with current guidelines.TRIAL REGISTRATION: ClinicalTrials.gov NCT05692778; https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT05692778.
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| 6. |
- Axelsson, Susanne, et al.
(författare)
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Psychotherapy students' experiences of supervisee-centred supervision based on deliberate practice, feedback-informed treatment and self-compassion
- 2024
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Ingår i: Counselling and Psychotherapy Research. - : John Wiley & Sons. - 1473-3145 .- 1746-1405. ; 24:2, s. 719-733
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Objective: There are few methods that focus on therapists' experiences of supervision. To facilitate the development of psychologist students, a supervisee-centred supervision, based on deliberate practice, feedback informed treatment and self-compassion, was introduced.Methods: This study examines six supervisees’ experiences of a supervisee-centred supervision. A semi- structured interview was used for the collection of the data, which identified two main themes: Learning and Development and five associated sub-themes: structure and purposesfulness, prerequisites, experience-based learning, therapeutic skills and personal development.Conclusion: The experience- and feedback-based approach was perceived as efficient, structured and goal oriented. This created high-focused activity and participation, a strong group dynamic and a good alliance with the supervisors, providing a good climate for learning and development. Focusing on performance and feedback was perceived as a potential obstacle that could create stress and anxiety.
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| 7. |
- Bredenberg, Susanne, et al.
(författare)
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An automatic dose dispenser for microtablets : A new concept for individual dosage of drugs in tablet form
- 2003
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Ingår i: International Journal of Pharmaceutics. - 0378-5173. ; 261:1-2, s. 137-146
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- A new concept for individualising the dosage of drugs in solid form is presented. The principle is based on the use of standardised units (microtablets), each containing a subtherapeutic amount of the active ingredient. The required dose is fine-tuned by counting out a specific number of these units. The microtablets are counted electronically from the attached cassette by the automatic dispensing device. The individual dose is set and the dispenser counts and delivers the correct number of microtablets. The usefulness of the automatic dispenser concept and acceptability of the apparatus were evaluated in patients with Parkinson’s disease (PD). After initial instruction on use of the dispenser, 20 patients operated it themselves. All patients were generally satisfied with their management of the automatic dispenser and most would be happy to use the device again. Further technical development is required before use in clinical practice, but the current prototype may be acceptable for some patients. It is concluded that the final version of the automatic dose dispenser concept will offer potential for improvement of drug administration for patients with PD or other diseases requiring individual dosage.
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| 9. |
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| 10. |
- Bredenberg, Susanne
(författare)
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New Concepts in Administration of Drugs in Tablet Form : Formulation and Evaluation of a Sublingual Tablet for Rapid Absorption, and Presentation of an Individualised Dose Administration System
- 2003
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Doktorsavhandling (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract
- This thesis presents two new concepts in oral drug administration and the results of evaluation of some relevant formulation factors.Investigation into improving the homogeneity of mixtures for tableting indicated that it may be possible to obtain interactive dry mixtures of micronised drugs containing drug proportions as low as 0.015% w/w. By studying the relationship between disintegration time and tensile strength, it was found that the microstructure surrounding the disintegrant particles may influence the disintegration process. Therefore, avoidance of excipients which are highly deformable or very soluble in water will result in more rapid disintegration. Further, it is possible to increase the bioadhesive properties of a non-bioadhesive carrier material by forming interactive mixtures containing a fine particulate bioadhesive material.The new sublingual tablet concept presented is based on interactive mixtures consisting of a water-soluble carrier covered with fine drug particles and a bioadhesive component. With this approach, it is possible to obtain rapid dissolution in combination with bioadhesive retention of the drug in the oral cavity. Clinical data indicate that this allows rapid sublingual absorption while simultaneously avoiding intestinal absorption. An individualised dose administration system is also presented. This system is based on the use of standardised units (microtablets), each containing a sub-therapeutic amount of the active ingredient. The required dose is fine-tuned by electronically counting out a specific number of these units using an automatic dose dispenser. A patient handling study supported the suggestion that the dosage of some medications can be more easily and safely individualised for each patient with this method than by using traditional methods of mixing different standard tablet strengths or dividing tablets.
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