| 1. |
- Eriksson, E, et al.
(author)
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Modelling the transport of acidity in soil profiles with FRONT - A dynamic transport model
- 1995
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In: WATER AIR AND SOIL POLLUTION. - : KLUWER ACADEMIC PUBL. - 0049-6979. ; 85:3, s. 1789-1794
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Journal article (other academic/artistic)abstract
- A dynamic transport model, FRONT, that describes the downwards transport of acidity in podzolized forest soils is presented. In this model the downward transport of acidity with the soil solution is counteracted by a production of alkalinity through the w
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| 2. |
- Karltun, E., et al.
(author)
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Surface reactivity of poorly-ordered minerals in podzol B horizons
- 2000
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In: Geoderma. - 0016-7061 .- 1872-6259. ; 94:04-feb, s. 265-288
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- The surface reactivity of mineral soil horizons from three podzolised forest soils in Scandinavia was examined. The amount of accumulated C was low, between 1.8 and 2.3% in the top of the B horizons. Selective extractions in combination with infrared (IR) spectroscopy and transmission electron microscopy (TEM) indicated a predominance of poorly-ordered imogolite-type materials (ITM) in the oxalate extractable fraction in an examined B horizons. The presence of well-ordered imogolite was only indicated in the Nyanget B3 horizon. A large proportion of free Fe was removed by ammonium oxalate. Comparisons of Mossbauer spectra (both at room temperature and at 4.2 K) before and after treatment with ammonium oxalate showed that the oxalate treatment resulted in a removal of a (super)paramagnetic Fe3+ phase? probably ferrihydrite. A comparison of the Mossbauer Fe3+ parameters at room temperature and 4.2 K indicated a close intergrowth of a ferrihydrite-like oxide with a magnetically neutral matrix, e.g., allophane. The specific surface area (SSA) was determined by N-2 adsorption before and after treatment of the samples with acid ammonium oxalate. The loss of SSA after oxalate treatment was considerable in the B horizon where only between 3.8 to 13.38 of the original SSA remained after treatment. The point of zero charge salt effect (PZSE) increased with depth in the B horizon from between 4.4 and 5.1 in the upper horizons to between 5.7 and 7.7 in the lower part of the B horizon. The increased PZSE with depth paralleled a decrease in the ratio of pyrophosphate soluble C to oxalate soluble Fe + Al. The affinity for SO42-. a goad indicator of the presence of active surface hydroxyls, was measured by comparing the H+ buffering capacity of a sample titrated in 2.5 mM Na2SO4 with a sample titrated in 5 mh I NaNO3,. The buffering capacity of the soil in the Na2SO4, electrolyte was well correlated with the amount of oxalate minus pyrophosphate soluble Fe + Al (r(2) = 0.88). The sulphate exchange capacity was considerably higher than CEC, especially in lower parts of the B horizon. The calculated surface area of the oxalate soluble material (OSM) ranged between 74 and 289 m(2) g(-1) and the calculated surface site density of the same material ranged between 0.6 to 3.3 site nm(-2). It was concluded that the surface reactivity in the B horizons is dominated by the poorly-ordered variable-charge oxides resulting in a low capacity to retain cations but a high capacity for adsorption of weak acid anions like SO42- and organic acids.
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| 3. |
- Anderson, Janet E., et al.
(author)
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Translating research on quality improvement in five European countries into a reflective guide for hospital leaders : the ‘QUASER Hospital Guide’
- 2019
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In: International Journal for Quality in Health Care. - : Oxford University Press. - 1353-4505 .- 1464-3677. ; 31:8, s. G87-G96
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Objective: The aim was to translate the findings of the QUASER study into a reflective, dialogic guide to help senior hospital leaders develop an organization wide QI strategy.Design: The QUASER study involved in depth ethnographic research into QI work and practices in two hospitals in each of five European countries. Three translational stakeholder workshops were held to review research findings and advise on the design of the Guide. An extended iterative process involving researchers from each participant country was then used to populate the Guide.Setting: The research was carried out in two hospitals in each of five European countries.Participants: In total, 389 interviews with healthcare practitioners and 803 hours of observations.Intervention: None.Main outcome measure: None.Results: The QUASER Hospital Guide was designed for leadership teams to diagnose their organization’s strengths and weaknesses in the eight QI challenges. The Guide supports organizational dialogue about QI challenges, enables leaders to share perspectives, and helps teams to develop solutions to their situated problems. The Guide includes extensive examples of QI strategies drawn from the data and is published online and on paper.Conclusion: The QUASER Hospital Guide is empirically based, draws on a dialogical approach to Organizational Development and complexity science and can facilitate hospital leadership teams to identify the best solutions for their organization.
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| 4. |
- Gustafsson, Jon Petter, et al.
(author)
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Partitioning of base cations and sulphate between solid and dissolved phases in three podzolised forest soils
- 2000
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In: Geoderma. - 0016-7061 .- 1872-6259. ; 94:04-feb, s. 311-333
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- The cation and SO, adsorption properties of O and B horizons of three podzolised soils in Sweden and Finland were studied through analysing the soil solution at six different sampling occasions and through a set of batch experiments. High concentrations of dissolved organic carbon and cations were found in centrifuged soil solutions from the O horizon, especially during autumn. An analysis using the WHAM-S model suggested that most of the dissolved Ca, Mg, K and Mn were counter-ions, residing in the diffuse layers of dissolved fulvic acids. Hence, the solubility of these cations depended on the solubility of organic matter. Model exercises suggested that the solubility of humics in turn was influenced by seasonal differences in hydrophobicity and by the water content. Furthermore, the model results showed that only a low proportion of the B horizon organic matter was involved in calcium binding. This is probably due to the interaction between organic matter and oxide surfaces in this horizon. In the case of sulphate adsorption in the B horizons, a surface complexation model was tested for its ability to describe batch experiment data and temporal differences in soil water chemistry. This model was based on the diffuse-layer model and it was optimised by adjusting the surface site concentration and the point of zero charge. However. the interaction between Ca2+ and SO42- could not be modelled. Comparisons between the model and the field observations proved to be difficult due to a considerable soil heterogeneity.
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| 5. |
- Karltun, Anette, 1956-, et al.
(author)
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Knowledge management infrastructure to support quality improvement : A qualitative study of maternity services in four European hospitals
- 2020
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In: Health Policy. - : Elsevier. - 0168-8510 .- 1872-6054. ; 124:2, s. 205-215
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- The influence of multilevel healthcare system interactions on clinical quality improvement (QI) is still largely unexplored. Through the lens of knowledge management (KM) theory, this study explores how hospital managers can enhance the conditions for clinical QI given the specific multilevel and professional interactions in various healthcare systems.The research used an in-depth multilevel analysis in maternity departments in four purposively sampled European hospitals (Portugal, England, Norway and Sweden). The study combines analysis of macro-level policy documents and regulations with semi-structured interviews (96) and non-participant observations (193 hours) of hospital and clinical managers and clinical staff in maternity departments.There are four main conclusions: First, the unique multilevel configuration of national healthcare policy, hospital management and clinical professionals influence the development of clinical QI efforts. Second, these different configurations provide various and often insufficient support and guidance which affect professionals’ action strategies in QI efforts. Third, hospital managers’ opportunities and capabilities for developing a consistent KM infrastructure with reinforcing enabling conditions which merge national policies and guidelines with clinical reality is crucial for clinical QI. Fourth, understanding these interrelationships provides an opportunity for improvement of the KM infrastructure for hospital managers through tailored interventions.
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| 6. |
- Lundström, Ulla, et al.
(author)
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Advances in understanding the podzolization process resulting from a multidisciplinary study of three coniferous forest soils in the Nordic Countries
- 2000
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In: Geoderma. - 0016-7061 .- 1872-6259. ; 94:04-feb, s. 335-353
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Geochemical, mineralogical, micromorphological, microbiological, hydrochemical and hpdrological joint investigations were performed at two coniferous podzolic sites in the north of Sweden and at one in the south of Finland. Mycorrhizal fungi were found to create numerous pens (3-10-mu m diameter) in many weatherable mineral grains in the eluvial (E) horizon. During the growing season, identified low molecular weight (LMW) organic acids such as citric, shikimic, oxalic and fumaric acids comprised 0.5-5% of the DOC and 0.5-15% of the total acidity in soil solutions. Between 20% and 40% of the dissolved Al was bound to the identified LMW organic acids. Mineral dissolution via complexing LMW acids, probably exuded in part by the mycorrhiza hyphae, is likely to be a major weathering process in podzols. We found no evidence for a decreasing C/metal ratio of the migrating organo-metal complexes that could explain the precipitation of secondary Fe and AL in the illuvial (B) horizon. Instead, microbial degradation of organic ligands resulting in the release of ionic,Al and Fe to the soil solution may he an important process facilitating the formation of solid Al-SI-OH and Fe-OH phases in the podzol B horizon. However, within the B horizon transport as proto-imogilite (PI) sols might be possible. In the B horizon, the extractable,Al and Fe was predominantly inorganic. The large specific surface area (SSA) removable by oxalate extraction, the high point of zero charge salt effect (PZSE), the low cation exchange capacity (CEC) and the high sulphate exchange capacity (SEC), painted to the presence of short-range ordered variable charge phases. Imogolite type material (ITM) was indeed identified in all B horizons by IR spectroscopy and crystalline imogolite was found in the deep B horizon of one profile. Mossbauer spectroscopy indicated that Fe in the form of ferrihydrite was formed by intergrowth with an Al-Si-OH phase. The high amounts of Fe and Al transported from the O to the E horizon indicate that there could be an upward transport of these elements before they are leached to the B horizon. We hypothesize that the LMW Al complexes an transported by hyphae to the mor (O) layer, partly released and subsequently complexed by high molecular weight (HMW) acids.
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| 7. |
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| 8. |
- Nyström, Monica E, et al.
(author)
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Collaborative and partnership research for improvement of health and social services : researcher's experiences from 20 projects
- 2018
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In: Health Research Policy and Systems. - : BioMed Central. - 1478-4505. ; 16
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- BACKGROUND: Getting research into policy and practice in healthcare is a recognised, world-wide concern. As an attempt to bridge the gap between research and practice, research funders are requesting more interdisciplinary and collaborative research, while actual experiences of such processes have been less studied. Accordingly, the purpose of this study was to gain more knowledge on the interdisciplinary, collaborative and partnership research process by investigating researchers' experiences of and approaches to the process, based on their participation in an inventive national research programme. The programme aimed to boost collaborative and partnership research and build learning structures, while improving ways to lead, manage and develop practices in Swedish health and social services.METHODS: Interviews conducted with project leaders and/or lead researchers and documentation from 20 projects were analysed using directed and conventional content analysis.RESULTS: Collaborative approaches were achieved by design, e.g. action research, or by involving practitioners from several levels of the healthcare system in various parts of the research process. The use of dual roles as researcher/clinician or practitioner/PhD student or the use of education designed especially for practitioners or 'student researchers' were other approaches. The collaborative process constituted the area for the main lessons learned as well as the main problems. Difficulties concerned handling complexity and conflicts between different expectations and demands in the practitioner's and researcher's contexts, and dealing with human resource issues and group interactions when forming collaborative and interdisciplinary research teams. The handling of such challenges required time, resources, knowledge, interactive learning and skilled project management.CONCLUSIONS: Collaborative approaches are important in the study of complex phenomena. Results from this study show that allocated time, arenas for interactions and skills in project management and communication are needed during research collaboration to ensure support and build trust and understanding with involved practitioners at several levels in the healthcare system. For researchers, dealing with this complexity takes time and energy from the scientific process. For practitioners, this puts demands on understanding a research process and how it fits with on-going organisational agendas and activities and allocating time. Some of the identified factors may be overlooked by funders and involved stakeholders when designing, performing and evaluating interdisciplinary, collaborative and partnership research.
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