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- Bremander, Ann, et al.
(author)
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Validity and reliability of functional performance tests in meniscectomized patients with or without knee osteoarthritis
- 2007
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In: Scandinavian Journal of Medicine and Science in Sports. - : Wiley. - 0905-7188 .- 1600-0838. ; 17:2, s. 120-7
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- AIMS: Reduced functional performance and muscular dysfunction after knee injury and in knee osteoarthritis (OA) is suggested to be a factor in OA development. Validated functional performance tests applicable in the clinic and large-scale studies are lacking. The aim was to study the reliability and validity of 10 functional performance tests.METHODS: Two hundred and eighty-five subjects, 15-22 years post-meniscectomy, performed 10 functional performance tests. The mean age was 54 years (SD+/-11.2) and 79% were men; 52% had radiographic OA, and 48% were categorized as symptomatic. The tests were evaluated for test-retest reliability, discriminative ability (younger vs older age, men vs women, symptom-free vs symptomatic) and floor and ceiling effects.RESULTS: Two of the 10 tests, maximum number of knee bendings in 30 s and one-leg hop for distance, had good test-retest reliability (ICC 0.92, 95% CI 0.86-0.96 and 0.93, 95% CI 0.87-0.97) and were able to discriminate with regard to age, gender and symptoms, and had acceptable floor effects (9% and 3%, respectively).CONCLUSION: This study suggests the use of two functional performance tests: knee bendings/30 s and one-leg hop for distance, easy to use for evaluation of interventions due to knee injury and knee OA and when attaining long-term data of natural disease history.
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- Dahl, Svend, 1975-
(author)
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Efter folkrörelsepartiet : Om aktivism och politisk förändring i tre svenska riksdagspartier
- 2011
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Doctoral thesis (other academic/artistic)abstract
- The relationship between a party leadership and party activists is often illustrated by the use of John May’s "Law of curvilinear opinion structures in political parties", i.e. the idea that mid-level party activists are assumed to be more radical than both party sympathisers and the party elite. This tension between party leadership and party activists can be assumed to lead to a restriction on the party leadership’s freedom of action. However, in recent years we have seen a number of examples where political parties have made major realignments of their own policies without any substantial internal conflicts. Given the role assigned to conditions for involvement in the formulation of May's Law it appears reasonable to look in that direction when trying to understand these changes. This study covers the Moderate Party, the Social Democratic Party and the Green Party in Sweden. The offer made by the parties to their members can be understood in terms of collective goods, such as ideological and political community, and selective goods, such as elected offices. This thesis shows how the political involvement for the interviewed party activists is intimately linked to selective goods. This finding can help us to understand ideological and political changes in present-day parties. If, as a party activist, one is attracted by the opportunities to become an elected representative or the opportunities to exercise political power, it is reasonable to imagine that one will be more inclined to support actions that increase the opportunity to enjoy these goods. Since both the party leadership and the party activists are attracted by the selective goods offered by the party organisation, the conflict between these groups decreases, as both groups are focused on winning elections and exercising political power. The result of this study therefore provides grounds for questioning the ideas of a tension between party activists and party leaderships.
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| 4. |
- Larsson, Christer, et al.
(author)
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Prognostic implications of the expression levels of different immunoglobulin heavy chain-encoding RNAs in early breast cancer
- 2020
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In: npj Breast Cancer. - : Springer Science and Business Media LLC. - 2374-4677. ; 6:1
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- The extent and composition of the immune response in a breast cancer is one important prognostic factor for the disease. The aim of the current work was to refine the analysis of the humoral component of an immune response in breast tumors by quantifying mRNA expression of different immunoglobulin classes and study their association with prognosis. We used RNA-Seq data from two local population-based breast cancer cohorts to determine the expression of IGJ and immunoglobulin heavy (IGH) chain-encoding RNAs. The association with prognosis was investigated and public data sets were used to corroborate the findings. Except for IGHE and IGHD, mRNAs encoding heavy chains were generally detected at substantial levels and correlated with other immune-related genes. High IGHG1 mRNA was associated with factors related to poor prognosis such as estrogen receptor negativity, HER2 amplification, and high grade, whereas high IGHA2 mRNA levels were primarily associated with lower age at diagnosis. High IGHA2 and IGJ mRNA levels were associated with a more favorable prognosis both in univariable and multivariable Cox models. When adjusting for other prognostic factors, high IGHG1 mRNA levels were positively associated with improved prognosis. To our knowledge, these results are the first to demonstrate that expression of individual Ig class types has prognostic implications in breast cancer.
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- Lohmander, Stefan, et al.
(author)
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The long-term consequence of anterior cruciate ligament and meniscus injuries: osteoarthritis.
- 2007
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In: The American journal of sports medicine. - : SAGE Publications. - 1552-3365 .- 0363-5465. ; 35:10, s. 1756-1769
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- The objectives of this study are to review the long-term consequences of injuries to the anterior cruciate ligament and menisci, the pathogenic mechanisms, and the causes. of the considerable variability in outcome. Injuries of the anterior cruciate ligament and menisci are common in both athletes and the general population. At 10 to 20 years after the diagnosis, on average, 50% of those with a diagnosed anterior cruciate ligament or meniscus tear have ostecarthritis with associated pain and functional impairment: the young patient with an old knee. These individuals make up a substantial proportion of the overall ostecarthritis population. There is a lack of evidence to support a protective role of repair or reconstructive surgery of the anterior cruciate ligament or meniscus against ostecarthritis development. A consistent finding in a review of the literature is the often poor reporting of critical study variables, precluding data pooling or a meta-analysis. Osteoarthritis development in the injured joints is caused by intra-articular pathogenic processes initiated at the time of injury, combined with long-term changes in dynamic joint loading. Variation in outcome is reinforced by additional variables associated with the individual such as age, sex, genetics, obesity, muscle strength, activity, and reinjury. A better understanding of these variables may improve future prevention and treatment strategies. In evaluating medical treatment, we now expect large randomized clinical trials complemented by postmarketing monitoring. We should strive toward a comparable level of quality of evidence in surgical treatment of knee injuries. In instances in which a randomized clinical trial is not feasible, natural history and other observational cohort studies need to be as carefully designed and reported as the classic randomized clinical trial, to yield useful information.
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- Podsiadlo, P, et al.
(author)
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Differences in trabecular bone texture between knees with and without radiographic osteoarthritis detected by fractal methods
- 2008
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In: Osteoarthritis and Cartilage. - : Elsevier BV. - 1063-4584. ; 16:3, s. 323-329
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Objective To develop an accurate method for quantifying differences in the trabecular structure in the tibial bone between subjects with and without knee osteoarthritis (OA). Methods Standard knee radiographs were taken from 26 subjects (seven women) with meniscectomy and radiographic OA Kellgren & Lawrence grade 2 or worse in the medial compartment. Each case knee was individually matched by sex, age, body mass index and medial or lateral compartment with a control knee. A newly developed augmented Hurst orientation transform (HOT) method was used to calculate texture parameters for regions selected in X-ray images of non-OA and OA tibial bones. This method produces a mean value of fractal dimensions (FDMEAN), FDs in the vertical (FDV) and horizontal (FDH) directions and along a direction of the roughest part of the tibial bone (FDSta), fractal signatures and a texture aspect ratio (Str). The ratio determines a degree of the bone texture anisotropy. Reproducibility was calculated using an intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC). Comparisons between cases and controls were made with paired t tests. The performance of the HOT method was evaluated against a benchmark fractal signature analysis (FSA) method. Results Compared with controls, trabecular bone in OA knees showed significantly lower FDMEAN, FDV, FDH and FDSta and higher Str at trabecular image sizes 0.2–1.1 mm (P < 0.05, HOT). The reproducibility of all parameters was very good (ICC > 0.8). In the medial compartment, fractal signatures calculated for OA horizontal and vertical trabeculae were significantly lower at sizes 0.3–0.55 mm (P < 0.05, HOT) and 0.3–0.65 mm (P < 0.001, FSA). In the lateral compartment, FDs calculated for OA trabeculae were lower than controls (horizontal: 0.3–0.55 mm (P < 0.05, HOT) and 0.3–0.65 mm (P < 0.001, FSA); vertical: 0.3–0.4 mm (P < 0.05, HOT) and 0.3–0.35 mm (P < 0.001, FSA). Conclusion The augmented HOT method produces fractal signatures that are comparable to those obtained from the benchmark FSA method. The HOT method provides a more detailed description of OA changes in bone anisotropy than the FSA method. This includes a degree of bone anisotropy measured using data from all possible directions and a texture roughness calculated for the roughest part of the bone. It appears that the augmented HOT method is well suited to quantify OA changes in the tibial bone structure.
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| 7. |
- Ruggeri, Kai, et al.
(author)
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The globalizability of temporal discounting
- 2022
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In: Nature Human Behaviour. - : Springer Nature. - 2397-3374. ; 6:10, s. 1386-1397
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Economic inequality is associated with preferences for smaller, immediate gains over larger, delayed ones. Such temporal discounting may feed into rising global inequality, yet it is unclear whether it is a function of choice preferences or norms, or rather the absence of sufficient resources for immediate needs. It is also not clear whether these reflect true differences in choice patterns between income groups. We tested temporal discounting and five intertemporal choice anomalies using local currencies and value standards in 61 countries (N = 13,629). Across a diverse sample, we found consistent, robust rates of choice anomalies. Lower-income groups were not significantly different, but economic inequality and broader financial circumstances were clearly correlated with population choice patterns. Ruggeri et al. find in a study of 61 countries that temporal discounting patterns are globally generalizable. Worse financial environments, greater inequality and high inflation are associated with extreme or inconsistent long-term decisions.
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| 8. |
- Sundlöv, Anna, et al.
(author)
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Pituitary function after high-dose 177Lu-DOTATATE therapy and long-term follow-up.
- 2021
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In: Neuroendocrinology. - : S. Karger AG. - 0028-3835 .- 1423-0194. ; 111:4, s. 344-353
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- The pituitary gland has a high expression of somatostatin receptors (SSTRs) and is therefore a potential organ at risk for radiation-induced toxicity after 177Lu-DOTATATE treatment.To study changes in pituitary function in patients with neuroendocrine tumors (NETs) treated with dosimetry-based 177Lu-DOTATATE to detect possible late toxicity.68 patients from a phase II clinical trial of dosimetry-based, individualized 177Lu-DOTATATE-therapy were included in this analysis. Patients had received a median of 5 (range 3-9) treatment cycles of 7.4 GBq/cycle. Median follow-up was 30 months (range 11-89). The GH/IGF1-axis, gonadotropins, adrenal and thyroid axes were analyzed from baseline and on a yearly basis thereafter. Percent changes in hormonal levels over time were analyzed statistically using a linear mixed model and described graphically using boxplots. The absorbed radiation dose to the pituitary was estimated based on post-therapeutic imaging, and the results analyzed vs % change in IGF1-levels over time.A statistically significant decrease in the levels of IGF1 was found (p<0.005), which was correlated to the number of treatment cycles (p=0.008) and absorbed radiation dose (p=0.03). A similar decrease, although non-significant, was seen in the gonadotropins in post-menopausal women, while in men there was an increase during the first years post-therapy, after which the levels returned to baseline. No change was observed in the adrenal nor thyroid axes.No signs of severe endocrine disorder were detected, although a significant decrease in the GH/IGF1-axis was found, where dosimetric analyses indicate radiation-induced damage to the pituitary gland as a probable cause.
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