| 1. |
- Bansal, Manisha, et al.
(författare)
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Influence of pozzolanic addition on strength and microstructure of metakaolin-based concrete
- 2024
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Ingår i: PLOS ONE. - : PLoS. - 1932-6203. ; 19:4
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- The intent of this study is to explore the physical properties and long-term performance of concrete made with metakaolin (MK) as a binder, using microsilica (MS) and nanosilica (NS) as substitutes for a portion of the ordinary Portland cement (OPC) content. The dosage of MS was varied from 5% to 15% for OPC-MK-MS blends, and the dosage of NS was varied from 0.5% to 1.5% for OPC-MK-NS blends. Incorporation of these pozzolans accelerated the hardening process and reduced the flowability, consistency, and setting time of the cement paste. In addition, it produced a denser matrix, improving the strength of the concrete matrix, as confirmed by scanning electron microscopy and X-ray diffraction analysis. The use of MS enhanced the strength by 10.37%, and the utilization of NS increased the strength by 11.48% at 28 days. It also reduced the penetrability of the matrix with a maximum reduction in the water absorption (35.82%) and improved the resistance to the sulfate attack for specimens containing 1% NS in the presence of 10% MK. Based on these results, NS in the presence of MK can be used to obtain cementitious structures with the enhanced strength and durability.
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| 2. |
- Bergsten, Eva L., 1969-, et al.
(författare)
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Implementation of an ergonomics intervention in a Swedish flight baggage handling company : a process evaluation
- 2018
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Ingår i: PLOS ONE. - : Public Library of Science (PLoS). - 1932-6203. ; 13:3
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Objective: To conduct a process evaluation of the implementation of an ergonomics training program aimed at increasing the use of loading assist devices in flight baggage handling.Methods: Feasibility (recruitment, reach, context, dose delivered, dose received, satisfaction); intermediate outcomes (skills, confidence and behaviors); and barriers and facilitators of the training intervention were assessed by qualitative and quantitative methods.Results: Implementation proved feasible regarding dose delivered, dose received and satisfaction. Confidence among participants in the training program in using and talking about devices, observed use of devices among colleagues, and internal feedback on work behavior increased significantly (p<0.01). Main facilitators were self-efficacy, motivation, and perceived utility of training among the trainees. Barriers included lack of peer support, opportunities to observe and practice behaviors, and follow-up activities; as well as staff reduction and job insecurity.Conclusions: In identifying important barriers and facilitators for a successful outcome, our study can help supporting the effectiveness of future interventions. Our results show that barriers caused by organizational changes may likely be alleviated by recruiting motivated trainees and securing strong organizational support for the implementation.
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| 3. |
- Birgisdóttir, Dröfn, et al.
(författare)
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Family cohesion predicts long-term health and well-being after losing a parent to cancer as a teenager : :A nationwide population-based study
- 2023
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Ingår i: PLoS ONE. - : PLOS. - 1932-6203. ; 18:4
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Background:Parentally bereaved children are at increased risk of negative consequences, and the mediating factors most consistently identified are found to be related to family function after the loss, including cohesion. However, existing evidence is limited, especially with respect to children and youths’ own perception of family cohesion and its long-term effects on health and well-being. Therefore, the aim of this study was to investigate self-reported family cohesion the first year after the loss of a parent to cancer and its association to long-term psychological health and well-being among young adults that were bereaved during their teenage years.Method and participants:In this nationwide population-based study, 622 of 851 (73%) young adults (aged 18–26) responded to a study-specific questionnaire six to nine years after losing a parent to cancer at the age of 13 to 16. Associations were assessed with modified Poisson regression.Results:Bereaved youth that reported poor family cohesion the first year after losing a parent to cancer had a higher risk of reporting symptoms of moderate to severe depression six to nine years after the loss compared to those reporting good family cohesion. They also had a higher risk of reporting low levels of well-being, symptoms of anxiety, problematic sleeping and emotional numbness once a week or more at the time of the survey. These results remained statistically significant after adjusting for a variety of possible confounding factors.Conclusion:Self-reported poor family cohesion the first year after the loss of a parent to cancer was strongly associated with long-term negative psychological health-related outcomes among bereaved youth. To pay attention to family cohesion and, if needed, to provide support to strengthen family cohesion in families facing bereavement might prevent long-term suffering for their teenage children.
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| 4. |
- Calamnius, Linda, et al.
(författare)
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Pontoon trap for salmon and trout equipped with a seal exclusion device catches larger salmons
- 2018
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Ingår i: PLOS ONE. - : PLoS. - 1932-6203. ; 13:7
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- The growing seal populations of the Baltic have led to more frequent interactions with coastal fisheries. The motivation for seals to interact with fishing gear is high. It provides high densities of fish. A successful means of mitigating the conflict is the pontoon trap. Seal visits here have been frequent. Seals have access to most parts of the trap system including the middle chamber, which is an overhead environment. Concerns have been raised about seals possible entanglement in this specific part of the trap. As a means of keeping seals from entering the middle chamber, two different Seal Exclusion Devices (SEDs) were tested. A diamond mesh SED and a square mesh SED, which was rotated 45. The aim was to compare the functionality of the different SEDs with respect to seal deterrent abilities and catch composition. The hypothesis tested were (i) that seals would not be able to enter the middle chamber, (ii) that the catch would increase and (iii) that the SED would deter larger fish from swimming into the middle chamber. Catch data and underwater film were collected. Larger salmons were caught in traps equipped with SEDs. The SEDs did not affect the number of caught fish or the total catch per soak day. © 2018 Calamnius et al. This is an open access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited.
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| 5. |
- Elcadi, Guilherme H., 1966-, et al.
(författare)
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Oxygenation and Hemodynamics Do Not Underlie Early Muscle Fatigue for Patients with Work-Related Muscle Pain
- 2014
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Ingår i: PLOS ONE. - : PLOS (Public library of science). - 1932-6203. ; 9:4
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Patients suffering from work-related muscle pain (WRMP) fatigue earlier during exercise than healthy controls. Inadequate oxygen consumption and/ or inadequate blood supply can influence the ability of the muscles to withstand fatigue. However, it remains unknown if oxygenation and hemodynamics are associated with early fatigue in muscles of WRMP patients. In the present study we applied near-infrared spectroscopy (NIRS) on the extensor carpi radialis (ECR) and trapezius (TD) muscles of patients with WRMP (n = 18) and healthy controls (n = 17). Our objective was to determine if there were group differences in endurance times for a low-level contraction of 15% maximal voluntary contraction (MVC) -sustained for 12-13 min, and to see if these differences were associated with differences in muscle oxygenation and hemodynamics. At baseline, oxygen saturation (StO(2)%) was similar between groups for the ECR, but StO2% was significantly lower for TD for the WRMP patients (76%) compared to controls (85%) (P < 0.01). Also, baseline ECR blood flow was similar in the two groups. For both muscles there were a larger number of patients, compared to controls, that did not maintain the 15% MVC for the allotted time. Consequently, the endurance times were significantly shorter for the WRMP patients than controls (medians, ECR: 347 s vs. 582 s; TD: 430 s vs. 723 s respectively). Responses in StO(2)% during the contractions were not significantly different between groups for either muscle, i.e. no apparent difference in oxygen consumption. Overall, we interpret our findings to indicate that the early fatigue for our WRMP patients was not associated with muscle oxygenation and hemodynamics.
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| 6. |
- Eslami, Bahareh, et al.
(författare)
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Lifetime abuse and somatic symptoms among older women and men in Europe
- 2019
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Ingår i: PLOS ONE. - : Public Library of Science. - 1932-6203. ; 14:8
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Background: Research suggests that survivors of interpersonal violence have an increasing experience of bodily symptoms. This study aims to scrutinise the association between lifetime abuse and somatic symptoms among older women and men, considering demographics/socio-economic, social support and health variables. Methods: A sample of 4,467 community-dwelling persons aged 60–84 years (57.3% women) living in seven European countries (Germany, Greece, Italy, Lithuania, Portugal, Spain, Sweden) was recruited for this cross-sectional study. Lifetime abuse (psychological, physical, sexual, financial and injury) was assessed on the basis of the UK study of elder abuse and the Conflict Tactics Scale-2, while somatic symptoms were assessed by the Giessen Complaint List short version. Results: Women reported somatic symptoms more frequently than men. Multiple regression analyses revealed that lifetime exposure to psychological abuse was associated with higher levels of somatic symptoms among both women and men, while experiencing lifetime sexual abuse was associated with somatic symptoms only among older women, after adjusting for other demographic and socio-economic variables. Country of residence, older age, and low socio-economic status were other independent factors contributing to a higher level of somatic symptoms. Conclusions: The positive association between the experience of abuse during lifetime and the reporting of higher levels of somatic symptoms, in particular among older women, seems to suggest that such complaints in later life might also be related to the experience of mistreatment and not only to ageing and related diseases. Violence prevention throughout lifetime could help to prevent somatic symptoms in later life.
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| 7. |
- Forinder, Ulla, et al.
(författare)
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Exploring the Content of Post-Traumatic Stress Symptoms among Parents after Paediatric Stem Cell Transplant
- 2015
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Ingår i: PLOS ONE. - : Public Library of Science (PLoS). - 1932-6203. ; 10:5
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- In the present study the aim was to explore the content in a trauma reported in a self-report questionnaire by parents of children with a life threatening illness. Semi-structured interviews were performed, with the aim to explore the specific cognitive and behavioral content of the trauma related symptoms reported by the individual informant. The transcripts of the interviews were analyzed with content analysis using a direct approach with a-priori categories according to the B and C categories of the DSM-IV diagnostic criteria for PTSD. The results give us the picture of a complex situation, where the self-report instrument PCL captured a spectrum of qualitatively different cognitions. The parents described traumatic thoughts and images relating not only to experiences in the past (i.e., truly post-traumatic), but also to current stressors and expected future events.
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| 8. |
- Giusti, Matteo
(författare)
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Human-nature relationships in context. Experiential, psychological, and contextual dimensions that shape children’s desire to protect nature
- 2019
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Ingår i: PLOS ONE. - : PLOS. - 1932-6203. ; 14:12
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- What relationship with nature shapes children’s desire to protect the environment? This study crosses conventional disciplinary boundaries to explore this question. I use qualitative and quantitative methods to analyse experiential, psychological, and contextual dimensions of Human-Nature Connection (HNC) before and after children participate in a project of nature conservation. The results from the interviews (N=25) suggest that experiential aspects of saving animals enhance children’s appreciation and understanding for animals, nature, and nature conservation. However, the analysis of children’s psychological HNC (N=158) shows no statistical difference before and after children participate in the project. Analysing the third dimension – children’s contextual HNC – provides further insights. Including children’s contextual relations with home, nature, and city, not only improves the prediction of their desire to work for nature, but also exposes a form of Human-Nature Disconnection (HND) shaped by children’s closeness to cities that negatively influence it. Overall, combining experiential, psychological, and contextual dimensions of HNC provides rich insights to advance the conceptualisation and assessment of human-nature relationships. People’s relationship with nature is better conceived and analysed as systems of relations between mind, body, culture, and environment, which progress through complex dynamics. Future assessments of HNC and HND would benefit from short-term qualitative and long-term quantitative evaluations that explicitly acknowledge their spatial and cultural contexts. This approach would offer novel and valuable insights to promote the psychological and social determinants of resilient sustainable society.
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| 9. |
- Giusti, Matteo, et al.
(författare)
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The regenerative compatibility: a synergy between healthy ecosystems, environmental attitudes, and restorative experiences
- 2020
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Ingår i: PLOS ONE. - : PLoS. - 1932-6203. ; 15:1
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Urban nature is and will be the most common provider of nature interactions for humankind. The restorative benefits of nature exposure are renown and creating human habitats that simultaneously support people’s wellbeing and ecological sustainability is an urgent priority. In this study, we investigate how the relationship between environmental attitudes and healthy ecosystems influences restorative experiences combining a place-based online survey with geographical data on ecosystem health in Stockholm (Sweden). Using spatial regression, we predict the 544 restorative experiences (from 325 respondents), with people’s environmental attitudes, natural land covers, ecosystem health, and the statistical interactions among these variables as predictors. Our results show that restorative experiences can happen anywhere in the urban landscape, but when they occur in natural environments, the combined levels of biodiversity and ecological connectivity are better predicting factor than the mere presence of nature. That is, healthy ecosystems seem to be more important than just any nature for restorative experiences. Moreover, the statistical interaction between one’s environmental attitudes and natural environments predict almost all restorative experiences better than when these variables are independent predictors. This suggests that there is synergistic compatibility between environmental attitudes and healthy ecosystems that triggers restorative processes. We call this synergy regenerative compatibility. Regenerative compatibility is an unexploited potential that emerges when people’s attitudes and ecosystems are aligned in sustainability. We consider regenerative compatibility a valuable leverage point to transform towards ecologically sustainable and healthy urban systems. To this end, we encourage multifaceted policy interventions that regenerate human-nature relationships holistically rather than implement atomistic solutions.
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| 10. |
- Gupta, Nidhi, et al.
(författare)
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Is Objectively Measured Sitting Time Associated with Low Back Pain? : A Cross-Sectional Investigation in the NOMAD study
- 2015
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Ingår i: PLOS ONE. - : Public Library of Science (PLoS). - 1932-6203. ; 10:3
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Background: Studies on the association between sitting time and low back pain (LBP) have found contrasting results. This may be due to the lack of objectively measured sitting time or because socioeconomic confounders were not considered in the analysis.Objectives: To investigate the association between objectively measured sitting time (daily total, and occupational and leisure-time periods) and LBP among blue-collar workers.Methods: Two-hundred-and-one blue-collar workers wore two accelerometers (GT3X+ Actigraph) for up to four consecutive working days to obtain objective measures of sitting time, estimated via Acti4 software. Workers reported their LBP intensity the past month on a scale from 0 (no pain) to 9 (worst imaginable pain) and were categorized into either low (≤5) or high (>5) LBP intensity groups. In the multivariate-adjusted binary logistic regression analysis, total sitting time, occupational and leisure-time sitting were both modeled as continuous (hours/day) and categorical variables (i.e. low, moderate and high sitting time).Results: The multivariate logistic regression analysis showed a significant positive association between total sitting time (hours) and high LBP intensity (odds ratio; OR=1.43, 95%CI=1.15-1.77, P=0.01). Similar results were obtained for leisure-time sitting (OR=1.45, 95%CI= 1.10-1.91, P=0.01), and a similar but non-significant trend was obtained for occupational sitting time (OR=1.34, 95%CI 0.99-1.82, P=0.06). In the analysis on categorized sitting time, high sitting time was positively associated with high LBP for total (OR=3.31, 95%CI= 1.18-9.28, P=0.03), leisure (OR=5.31, 95%CI= 1.57-17.90, P=0.01), and occupational (OR=3.26, 95%CI= 0.89-11.98, P=0.08) sitting time, referencing those with low sitting time.Conclusion: Sitting time is positively associated with LBP intensity among blue-collar workers. Future studies using a prospective design with objective measures of occupational sitting time are recommended.
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