| 1. |
- Lozano, Rafael, et al.
(author)
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Measuring progress from 1990 to 2017 and projecting attainment to 2030 of the health-related Sustainable Development Goals for 195 countries and territories: a systematic analysis for the Global Burden of Disease Study 2017
- 2018
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In: The Lancet. - : Elsevier. - 1474-547X .- 0140-6736. ; 392:10159, s. 2091-2138
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Background: Efforts to establish the 2015 baseline and monitor early implementation of the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) highlight both great potential for and threats to improving health by 2030. To fully deliver on the SDG aim of “leaving no one behind”, it is increasingly important to examine the health-related SDGs beyond national-level estimates. As part of the Global Burden of Diseases, Injuries, and Risk Factors Study 2017 (GBD 2017), we measured progress on 41 of 52 health-related SDG indicators and estimated the health-related SDG index for 195 countries and territories for the period 1990–2017, projected indicators to 2030, and analysed global attainment. Methods: We measured progress on 41 health-related SDG indicators from 1990 to 2017, an increase of four indicators since GBD 2016 (new indicators were health worker density, sexual violence by non-intimate partners, population census status, and prevalence of physical and sexual violence [reported separately]). We also improved the measurement of several previously reported indicators. We constructed national-level estimates and, for a subset of health-related SDGs, examined indicator-level differences by sex and Socio-demographic Index (SDI) quintile. We also did subnational assessments of performance for selected countries. To construct the health-related SDG index, we transformed the value for each indicator on a scale of 0–100, with 0 as the 2·5th percentile and 100 as the 97·5th percentile of 1000 draws calculated from 1990 to 2030, and took the geometric mean of the scaled indicators by target. To generate projections through 2030, we used a forecasting framework that drew estimates from the broader GBD study and used weighted averages of indicator-specific and country-specific annualised rates of change from 1990 to 2017 to inform future estimates. We assessed attainment of indicators with defined targets in two ways: first, using mean values projected for 2030, and then using the probability of attainment in 2030 calculated from 1000 draws. We also did a global attainment analysis of the feasibility of attaining SDG targets on the basis of past trends. Using 2015 global averages of indicators with defined SDG targets, we calculated the global annualised rates of change required from 2015 to 2030 to meet these targets, and then identified in what percentiles the required global annualised rates of change fell in the distribution of country-level rates of change from 1990 to 2015. We took the mean of these global percentile values across indicators and applied the past rate of change at this mean global percentile to all health-related SDG indicators, irrespective of target definition, to estimate the equivalent 2030 global average value and percentage change from 2015 to 2030 for each indicator. Findings: The global median health-related SDG index in 2017 was 59·4 (IQR 35·4–67·3), ranging from a low of 11·6 (95% uncertainty interval 9·6–14·0) to a high of 84·9 (83·1–86·7). SDG index values in countries assessed at the subnational level varied substantially, particularly in China and India, although scores in Japan and the UK were more homogeneous. Indicators also varied by SDI quintile and sex, with males having worse outcomes than females for non-communicable disease (NCD) mortality, alcohol use, and smoking, among others. Most countries were projected to have a higher health-related SDG index in 2030 than in 2017, while country-level probabilities of attainment by 2030 varied widely by indicator. Under-5 mortality, neonatal mortality, maternal mortality ratio, and malaria indicators had the most countries with at least 95% probability of target attainment. Other indicators, including NCD mortality and suicide mortality, had no countries projected to meet corresponding SDG targets on the basis of projected mean values for 2030 but showed some probability of attainment by 2030. For some indicators, including child malnutrition, several infectious diseases, and most violence measures, the annualised rates of change required to meet SDG targets far exceeded the pace of progress achieved by any country in the recent past. We found that applying the mean global annualised rate of change to indicators without defined targets would equate to about 19% and 22% reductions in global smoking and alcohol consumption, respectively; a 47% decline in adolescent birth rates; and a more than 85% increase in health worker density per 1000 population by 2030. Interpretation: The GBD study offers a unique, robust platform for monitoring the health-related SDGs across demographic and geographic dimensions. Our findings underscore the importance of increased collection and analysis of disaggregated data and highlight where more deliberate design or targeting of interventions could accelerate progress in attaining the SDGs. Current projections show that many health-related SDG indicators, NCDs, NCD-related risks, and violence-related indicators will require a concerted shift away from what might have driven past gains—curative interventions in the case of NCDs—towards multisectoral, prevention-oriented policy action and investments to achieve SDG aims. Notably, several targets, if they are to be met by 2030, demand a pace of progress that no country has achieved in the recent past. The future is fundamentally uncertain, and no model can fully predict what breakthroughs or events might alter the course of the SDGs. What is clear is that our actions—or inaction—today will ultimately dictate how close the world, collectively, can get to leaving no one behind by 2030.
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| 2. |
- Abdi-Jalebi, Mojtaba, et al.
(author)
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Maximizing and stabilizing luminescence from halide perovskites with potassium passivation
- 2018
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In: Nature. - : Springer Science and Business Media LLC. - 0028-0836 .- 1476-4687. ; 555, s. 497-501
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Metal halide perovskites are of great interest for various high-performance optoelectronic applications. The ability to tune the perovskite bandgap continuously by modifying the chemical composition opens up applications for perovskites as coloured emitters, in building-integrated photovoltaics, and as components of tandem photovoltaics to increase the power conversion efficiency. Nevertheless, performance is limited by non-radiative losses, with luminescence yields in state-of-the-art perovskite solar cells still far from 100 per cent under standard solar illumination conditions. Furthermore, in mixed halide perovskite systems designed for continuous bandgap tunability2 (bandgaps of approximately 1.7 to 1.9 electronvolts), photoinduced ion segregation leads to bandgap instabilities. Here we demonstrate substantial mitigation of both non-radiative losses and photoinduced ion migration in perovskite films and interfaces by decorating the surfaces and grain boundaries with passivating potassium halide layers. We demonstrate external photoluminescence quantum yields of 66 per cent, which translate to internal yields that exceed 95 per cent. The high luminescence yields are achieved while maintaining high mobilities of more than 40 square centimetres per volt per second, providing the elusive combination of both high luminescence and excellent charge transport. When interfaced with electrodes in a solar cell device stack, the external luminescence yield—a quantity that must be maximized to obtain high efficiency—remains as high as 15 per cent, indicating very clean interfaces. We also demonstrate the inhibition of transient photoinduced ion-migration processes across a wide range of mixed halide perovskite bandgaps in materials that exhibit bandgap instabilities when unpassivated. We validate these results in fully operating solar cells. Our work represents an important advance in the construction of tunable metal halide perovskite films and interfaces that can approach the efficiency limits in tandem solar cells, coloured-light-emitting diodes and other optoelectronic applications.
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| 3. |
- Aghili, Rokhsareh, et al.
(author)
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Psychosocial factors and glycemic control in insulin-naïve and insulin-experienced people with type 2 diabetes : a path analysis model
- 2018
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In: International Journal of Diabetes in Developing Countries. - : Springer Science and Business Media LLC. - 0973-3930 .- 1998-3832. ; 38:3, s. 289-297
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- The purpose of this study was to compare the status of psychosocial factors and glycemic control in insulin-naïve and insulin-experienced people with type 2 diabetes (T2D). In this observational study on people with T2D, demographic, self-care behavior, resources, and affective variables as well as health-related quality of life were assessed and compared in insulin-naïve and insulin-experienced considering the number of oral glucose-lowering drugs (OGLDs). Measured variable path analysis was used to test the association among variables and their effect on HbA1c in both groups. In total, 215 insulin-naïve and 165 insulin-experienced patients were recruited in this study. The mean duration of diabetes was 11.7 ± 7.0 years in insulin-experienced and 6.8 ± 5.4 years in insulin-naïve (p < 0.001). The mean hemoglobin A1c (HbA1c) was significantly higher in insulin-experienced subjects irrespective of the number of OGLDs [68 ± 20 mmol/mol (8.4 ± 1.8%) vs. 56 ± 16 mmol/mol (7.3 ± 1.4%); p < 0.001]. Moreover, insulin-experienced subjects had significantly higher level of diabetes-related distress (2.2 ± 0.9 vs. 1.9 ± 0.8), depression (9.5 ± 5.5 vs. 8.1 ± 5.1), anxiety (18.3 ± 12.0 vs. 15.1 ± 10.5), and lower knowledge of insulin use considering the results of 9-item insulin-use subscale of Michigan diabetes knowledge test (mean 3.9 ± 1.8) compared to insulin-naïve subjects (p < 0.05). Higher levels of distress, depression, and anxiety are found in insulin-experienced people with T2D. Therefore, one should be aware that, at the time of insulin need/initiation, people with T2D have reached a more vulnerable state and this should be taken into consideration when implementing a complex insulin initiation plan.
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| 4. |
- Ahlmér, Anna Klara, et al.
(author)
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Soil moisture remote-sensing applications for identification of flood-prone areas along transport infrastructure
- 2018
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In: Environmental Earth Sciences. - : Springer. - 1866-6280 .- 1866-6299. ; 77:14
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- The expected increase in precipitation and temperature in Scandinavia, and especially short-time heavy precipitation, will increase the frequency of flooding. Urban areas are the most vulnerable, and specifically, the road infrastructure. The accumulation of large volumes of water and sediments on road-stream intersections gets severe consequences for the road drainage structures. This study integrates the spatial and temporal soil moisture properties into the research about flood prediction methods by a case study of two areas in Sweden, Vastra Gotaland and Varmland, which was affected by severe flooding in August 2014. Soil moisture data are derived from remote-sensing techniques, with a focus on the soil moisture-specific satellites ASCAT and SMOS. Furthermore, several physical catchments descriptors (PCDs) are analyzed and the result shows that larger slopes and drainage density, in general, mean a higher risk of flooding. The precipitation is the same; however, it can be concluded that more precipitation in most cases gives higher soil moisture values. The lack, or the dimensioning, of road drainage structures seems to have a large impact on the flood risk as more sediment and water can be accumulated at the road-stream intersection. The results show that the method implementing soil moisture satellite data is promising for improving the reliability of flooding.
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| 7. |
- Ahmadi, Zahra, 1966-, et al.
(author)
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Sustainable strategies in a declining housing market : a comparative study
- 2018
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In: International Journal of Management Practice. - 1477-9064 .- 1741-8143. ; 11:4, s. 400-421
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- The purpose of this study is first to examine and compare sustainable strategies within public and private housing companies in declining markets in central Sweden. Then, the study evaluates the impact of new legislation that requires public housing companies to act in a ‘businesslike’ way, in the same way as a long-term private company. A quantitative study was conducted based on a survey sent to 72 housing companies. The results show that public housing companies are more strategy oriented than private housing companies. The results can be viewed as an on-going interaction process, where a company’s strategies affect its profit. The study aims toincrease the understanding of activities within housing companies in adeclining market that engage the companies in sustainable strategies to improve their market knowledge and profit.
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| 8. |
- Ahmadi, Zahra, 1966-
(author)
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The role of market orientation in public housing companies: : A study of MO’s effect on construction strategies
- 2018
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Doctoral thesis (other academic/artistic)abstract
- The development of public housing companies in Sweden is strongly influenced by legal, economic, and demographic changes. The companies long tradition of taking responsibility for customer welfare in living have recently been criticized for excessive dominance over price setting, which is claimed to give them competitive advantages in the housing market. New legislation in 2011 requires financial return on investment, implying increased competition with radical changes for the companies. Because of the law, they find themselves transitioning from the role of being responsible for living conditions in Sweden to having to work in a businesslike manner with increased competition.The purpose of this dissertation is to analyze how the public housing companies’ deal with market orientation constructs and what their impact is on construction strategy choices. Theoretically, the market orientation concept is seen as a tool for companies to create superior value for the customers and influence strategic performance, which is a relationship tested and analyzed in this dissertation.The research was conducted through data collection stages using qualitative and quantitative methods. In the first stage, a qualitative pilot study was conducted with interviews of 15 managers in 11 public housing companies in central Sweden. In the second stage, two quantitative comparative studies of public and private housing companies in declining markets in central Sweden were conducted, collecting data from 23 (22 survey respondents) public and 37 private housing companies (16 respondents). In the third and final stage, two quantitative studies were conducted, collecting data from all 289 public housing companies (165 respondents) in Sweden.Results of the five studies show, firstly, that economic condition in the municipality have a major impact on the housing companies’ construction strategies, causing them to act innovatively in order to create superior customer value. Secondly, market orientation efforts contribute to competitive advantages in growing markets, while weak economic conditions limit the companies’ construction strategy choices in declining markets. After analyzing the link between market orientation constructs and construction strategy in declining markets, results showed that the public housing companies demonstrate higher responsiveness to customer demands compared to the private sector, but these have no effects on construction strategy. Thirdly, the analysis of moderating (external) and mediating (corporate social responsibility) effects on the market orientation and construction strategy relationship confirms that economic conditions in society influence construction strategy planning and decisions. The results of the mediating effects of CSR indicate that environmental and social issues have a positive influence on the market orientation and construction strategy relationship.
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| 9. |
- Bardhi, Fleura, et al.
(author)
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Global Mobilities
- 2018
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In: Consumer Culture Theory. ; , s. 225-253
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Book chapter (peer-reviewed)
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| 10. |
- Behzadi, Hadi, et al.
(author)
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Application of calculated NMR parameters, aromaticity indices and wavefunction properties for evaluation of corrosion inhibition efficiency of pyrazine inhibitors
- 2018
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In: Journal of Molecular Structure. - : Elsevier. - 0166-1280 .- 0022-2860. ; 1151, s. 34-40
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- In light of the importance of developing novel corrosion inhibitors, a series of quantum chemical calculations were carried out to evaluate 15N chemical shielding CS tensors as well as aromaticity indexes including NICS, HOMA, FLU, and PDI of three pyrazine derivatives, 2-methylpyrazine (MP), 2-aminopyrazine (AP) and 2-amino-5-bromopyrazine (ABP). The NICS parameters have been shown in previous studies to be paramount to the prediction of anti-corrosion properties, and have been combined here with HOMA, FLU and PDI and detailed wavefunction analysis to determine the effects from bromination and methylation on pyrazine. The results show that the electron density around the nitrogens, represented by CS tensors, can be good indicators of anti-corrosion efficiency. Additionally, the NICS, FLU and PDI, as aromaticity indicators of molecule, are well correlated with experimental corrosion inhibition efficiencies of the studied inhibitors. Bader sampling and detailed wavefunction analysis shows that the major effects from bromination on the pyrazine derivatives affect the Laplacian of the electron density of the ring, delocalizing the aromatic electrons of the carbon atoms into lone pairs and increasing polarization of the Laplacian values. This feature is well agreement with empirical studies, which show that ABP is the most efficient anti-corrosion compound followed by AP and MP, a property which can be attributed and predicted by derivation of the Laplacian of the electron density of the ring nuclei. This study shows the importance of devising DFT methods for development of new corrosion inhibitors, and the strength of electronic and nuclear analysis, and depicts most importantly how corrosion inhibitors composed of aromatic moieties may be modified to increase anti-corrosive properties.
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