| 1. |
- Bengtsson Ryberg, Johanna, et al.
(author)
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The Effects of Wind Power on Human Interests : A Synthesis
- 2013
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Reports (other academic/artistic)abstract
- PrefaceThere is a great need for knowledge concerning the impacts of wind power on humans, landscapes, the marine environment, birds, bats and other mammals.Previous studies of these environmental impacts have lacked an overall view of the effects. This has led to deficiencies in the processes surrounding the establishment of new wind farms. Vindval is a knowledge programme undertaken as a collaboration between the Swedish Energy Agency and the Swedish Environmental Protection Agency. Its aim is to gather and communicate scientific knowledge about the impacts of wind power on people and the natural environment. The programme continues until 2013.Vindval comprises some 30 individual research projects, together with four synthesis projects. Syntheses are prepared by experts, who compile and assess overall research results and experience regarding the effects of wind power in four different areas – humans, birds/bats, marine life and terrestrial mammals.The results of this research and synthesis work will provide a basis for environmental impact assessments and for the planning and permitting processes associated with wind power installations. Vindval requires high standards in the review and approval of research proposals, in order to ensure high-quality reports. The same high standards apply to the reporting, approval and publication of research results from the projects.This report was written by Johanna Bengtsson Ryberg, Gösta Bluhm, Karl Bolin, Bosse Bodén, Kristina Ek, Karin Hammarlund, Marianne Henningsson, Inga-Lena Hannukka, Carina Johansson, Sofia Jönsson, Sanna Mels, Tom Mels, Mats Nilsson, Erik Skärbäck, Patrik Söderholm, Åsa Waldo, Ingegärd Widerström, Niklas Åkerman.This report is a translation of the previous report in Swedish “Vindkraftens påverkan på människors intressen” (Naturvårdsverket report no 6497). Translated by Sofia Jönsson.The contents of the report are the responsibility of the authors.
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| 2. |
- Bremander, Ann, 1957-, et al.
(author)
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Cultural adaptation, validity, reliability and responsiveness of the Swedish version of the effective musculoskeletal consumer scale (EC-17)
- 2012
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In: Musculoskeletal Care. - Chichester : John Wiley & Sons. - 1478-2189 .- 1557-0681. ; 10:1, s. 43-50
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- BACKGROUND: Endorsed by the Outcome MEasures in Rheumatoid Arthritis in Clinical Trials (OMERACT) group, The Effective Consumer Scale (EC-17) was developed in English for patients with musculoskeletal diseases to assess the skills and perceptions important for participating in and managing health care. The objective of this study was culturally to adapt the questionnaire into Swedish and to study its psychometric properties.METHODS: After translation of the questionnaire into Swedish, two different groups of outpatients from two specialist rheumatology departments participated in the study. Face validity was assessed, together with internal consistency, test-retest and responsiveness of the questionnaire. Construct validity was assessed using the Arthritis Self-Efficacy Scale (ASES), and responsiveness to a five day educational intervention was analysed using the standardized response mean (SRM).RESULTS: Analyses were based on 124 patients with inflammatory rheumatic diseases, of whom 50 attended the intervention. Data quality met the requirements, with missing values <5%, and floor and ceiling effects <15%. Item total correlations were all >0.4, ranging from 0.49 to 0.88. Cronbach's alpha was 0.93 and 0.95 for the two groups. The test-retest correlation (ICC₂.₁) was 0.94, and there was a significant improvement as a result of the intervention, with an SRM of 0.43. However, the questionnaire had a higher construct validity with the ASES subscale 'other symptoms' than hypothesized a priori (r(s) 0.75).CONCLUSION: The Swedish version of the EC-17 met the required recommendations for face validity, internal consistency, test-retest reliability and responsiveness. Its construct validity needs to be further established, and the questionnaire needs further testing in different groups of patients and in different interventions. © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
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| 3. |
- Brorsson, Sofia, et al.
(author)
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Maximal strength in one leg squat correlates with acceleration capacity and agility
- 2010
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Conference paper (peer-reviewed)abstract
- INTRODUCTION: In many intermittent team sports capacities such as speed, agility and explosiveness are important for performance and are evaluated by sprint-, agility- and strength tests. Earlier studies have shown strong correlations between strength in the two leg squat exercise and sprint performance in various distances but not in sprint performance in agility. Studies evaluating squat strength predominantly perform tests on two legs even when they test athletes involved in intermittent sports where sprinting and agility are common features. Thus, the purpose of this study was to investigate the correlation between maximal strength in a one leg squat (Bulgarian split squat) and acceleration capacity in various sprint distances and agility.METHODS: The test group consisted of 19 men (mean age 24 ± 2 years ) with experience in intermittent team sports. Acceleration capacity was assessed by sprint tests at 5, 10 and 20 meters and agility was evaluated using the zigzag agility test. The timing was made using photocells (Muscle lab,Ergotest Technology,Norway). The Bulgarian split squat was performed in a smith machine with the barbell on the shoulders to a depth of 110 degrees between tibia and femur.RESULTS: The results show significant correlation between maximal strength in the Bulgarian split squat and sprint capacity in the 5 and 10 meter sprint test (Rp= -0,56; p<0.01) as well as the agility test. Maximal strength relative to bodyweight showed significant correlation with the 5 and 20 meter sprint (Rp=-0,62; p< 0,01) as well as the agility test. The zigzag agility test also showed significant correlation between all distances in the sprint tests (p<0.01).CONCLUSION: The results from this study show that there maximal strength in one leg correlate significantly with both acceleration capacity and agility. Implementing one leg exercises in the strength and conditioning routine can be useful for athletes in intermittent sports wanting to improve agility and short sprinting capacity. Further implications is that the Bulgarian split squat could be a more functional test for agility performance than the squat on two legs which predominantly is being used today.
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| 4. |
- Börgeson, Emma, et al.
(author)
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Lipoxin A(4) inhibits porphyromonas gingivalis-induced aggregation and reactive oxygen species production by modulating neutrophil-platelet interaction and CD11b expression
- 2011
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In: Infection and Immunity. - : American Society for Microbiology. - 0019-9567 .- 1098-5522. ; 79:4, s. 1489-1497
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Porphyromonas gingivalis is an etiological agent that is strongly associated with periodontal disease, and it correlates with numerous inflammatory disorders, such as cardiovascular disease. Circulating bacteria may contribute to atherogenesis by promoting CD11b/CD18-mediated interactions between neutrophils and platelets, causing reactive oxygen species (ROS) production and aggregation. Lipoxin A(4) (LXA(4)) is an endogenous anti-inflammatory and proresolving mediator that is protective of inflammatory disorders. The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of LXA(4) on the P. gingivalis-induced activation of neutrophils and platelets and the possible involvement of Rho GTPases and CD11b/CD18 integrins. Platelet/leukocyte aggregation and ROS production was examined by lumiaggregometry and fluorescence microscopy. Integrin activity was studied by flow cytometry, detecting the surface expression of CD11b/CD18 as well as the exposure of the high-affinity integrin epitope, whereas the activation of Rac2/Cdc42 was examined using a glutathione S-transferase pulldown assay. The study shows that P. gingivalis activates Rac2 and Cdc42 and upregulates CD11b/CD18 and its high-affinity epitope on neutrophils, and that these effects are diminished by LXA(4). Furthermore, we found that LXA(4) significantly inhibits P. gingivalis-induced aggregation and ROS generation in whole blood. However, in platelet-depleted blood and in isolated neutrophils and platelets, LXA(4) was unable to inhibit either aggregation or ROS production, respectively. In conclusion, this study suggests that LXA(4) antagonizes P. gingivalis-induced cell activation in a manner that is dependent on leukocyte-platelet interaction, likely via the inhibition of Rho GTPase signaling and the downregulation of CD11b/CD18. These findings may contribute to new strategies in the prevention and treatment of periodontitis-induced inflammatory disorders, such as atherosclerosis.
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| 5. |
- Dalemo, Sofia, et al.
(author)
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Long-term follow-up of patients with elevated serum calcium concentration in Swedish primary care
- 2013
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In: Scandinavian Journal of Primary Health Care. - : Informa UK Limited. - 0281-3432 .- 1502-7724. ; 31:4, s. 248-254
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Objective. To follow up patients with elevated calcium concentrations after 10 years. Design. Longitudinal, using medical records, questionnaires, and clinical investigation. Setting. Primary care in Tibro, Sweden, 2008–2010. Subjects. 127 patents with elevated calcium concentrations and 254 patients with normal calcium concentrations from the local community, attending the health care centre. Main outcome measures. Diagnoses and mortality in patients with elevated calcium concentrations in 1995–2000, compared with patients with normal calcium concentrations and the background population. Results. The proportion of patients for whom no underlying cause was detected decreased from 55% at baseline to 12% at follow-up. Primary hyperparathyroidism was most common in women, 23% at baseline and 36% at follow-up, and the cancer prevalence increased from 5% to 12% in patients with elevated calcium concentration. Mortality tended to be higher in men with elevated calcium concentrations compared with men with normal calcium concentrations, and was significantly higher than in the background population (SMR 2.3, 95% CI 1.3–3.8). Cancer mortality was significantly increased in men (p = 0.039). Low calcium concentrations were also associated with higher mortality (p = 0.004), compared with patients with normal calcium concentrations. Conclusion. This study underscores the importance of investigating patients with increased calcium concentrations suggesting that most of these patients – 88% in our study – will turn out to have an underlying disease associated with hypercalcaemia during a 10-year follow-up period. Elevated calcium concentrations had a different disease pattern in men and women, with men showing increased cancer mortality in this study. Read More: http://informahealthcare.com/doi/abs/10.3109/02813432.2013.861152
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| 6. |
- Dalemo, Sofia, et al.
(author)
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Quality of life and health care consumption in primary care patients with elevated serum calcium concentrations in - a prospective, case control, study
- 2014
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In: BMC Family Practice. - : Springer Science and Business Media LLC. - 1471-2296. ; 15:84
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Abstract Background Patients with elevated calcium concentrations have an increased morbidity due to various underlying illnesses. However, there is a lack of studies of quality of life and health care consumption in patients with hypercalcaemia per se. The study aims to investigate quality of life and health care consumption, as measured by, sick leave, drug prescriptions and the number of visits and admissions to health care centres and hospitals, in primary care patients with elevated calcium concentrations. Methods A prospective, case control, study in primary care centre, in Sweden. Patients with elevated, (n = 127, 28 men), and normal calcium concentrations, (n = 254, 56 men), mean age 61.4 year, were recruited in the study and followed during 10 years. Eighty-six percent of those alive at the time of follow up participated in a follow up visit. The study participants completed a quality of life survey, SF-36, which also were compared with the Swedish SF-36 national normative database. Results Patients with elevated calcium concentrations had significantly lower quality of life both compared with the control group (patients with normal calcium concentrations) and compared with age and gender-matched reference material from the Swedish SF-36 national normative database. The group with elevated calcium concentrations had significantly more hospitalisations (p = 0.017), subsequently cancer diagnoses (p < 0.003), sick leave (p = 0.007) and medication (p = 0.002) compared with patients with normal calcium concentrations. Men with elevated calcium concentrations had more contacts with the psychosocial team (p = 0.02) at the health care centre. Conclusions Elevated calcium concentrations are associated with significantly reduced quality of life and increased health care consumption and should therefore be an important warning flag that should alert the physician to further investigate and care for the patient. This is the first study in this field and the results need to be confirmed in further studies.
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| 7. |
- Dalemo, Sofia, et al.
(author)
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Variation in plasma calcium analysis in primary care in Sweden--a multilevel analysis.
- 2010
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In: BMC family practice. - : Springer Science and Business Media LLC. - 1471-2296. ; 11
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Primary hyperparathyroidism (pHPT) is a common disease that often remains undetected and causes severe disturbance especially in postmenopausal women. Therefore, national recommendations promoting early pHPT detection by plasma calcium (P-Ca) have been issued in Sweden. In this study we aimed to investigate variation of P-Ca analysis between physicians and health care centres (HCCs) in primary care in county of Skaraborg, Sweden.
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| 8. |
- Eriksson Bergström, Sofia, 1974-
(author)
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Rum, barn och pedagoger : Om möjligheter och begränsningar i förskolans fysiska miljö
- 2013
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Doctoral thesis (other academic/artistic)abstract
- In this thesis the relationship between the physical environment of preschool, children and preschool teachers is studied. Children participate in preschool from an early age and thus are expected to find themselves within an institutional framework (Eilard & Tallberg Broman, 2011) early in life. Today preschool as an institution can be seen as a place where childhood to a great extent is spent and created (Halldén, 2007e). The physical environment of preschool can consequently be regarded as a structure within which childhood is institutionalized (Kampmann, 2004). In general the thesis deals with how children are shaped by and shape the physical environment that they spend so much time in during early childhood. The purpose is clarified in the following questions: How does the physical environment of preschool structure and organise the activities of chil-dren? What activities are created in relation to the possibilities and limitations of the physical environment? In what way can the relationship between the invitations of the physical environment, the child’s scope for action, and preschool teachers be seen? To understand the empirical material in the thesis the concept of affordance (J.J.Gibson, 1986) and the activity theory (Leontiev, 1986; Engeström, 1987) has been used. The empirical evidence in the thesis is based on both video observations and interviews. The study was designed as a multiple case study (Stake, 1995), and three preschool classes each formed a case. The study was inspired by ethnography. The significance of seeing the environment as a set of affordances (J.J.Gibson, 1986) is that it, to a greater degree, can lead to children being allowed to discover the invitations to action there are and as a result freedom to act and negotiations can be created in both inside and outside environments. Through this way of thinking a free zone is created in an institutionalised childhood where children through their agency handle and redesign that which was intended to regulate and give structure. As a counterbalance to the institutionalisation of childhood this study contribute to an understanding of children’s individual and collective activities as a free zone in an otherwise controlled and regulated milieu. The contribution of this thesis consists of the study of the physical environment and the importance of the material in forming the child.
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| 9. |
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| 10. |
- Ledberg, Sofia Knöchel, 1972-
(author)
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Governing the Military : Professional Autonomy in the Chinese People's Liberation Army
- 2014
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Doctoral thesis (other academic/artistic)abstract
- The reform process that has been underway in China the past 30 years has affected most parts of Chinese society. In regard to core branches of the civilian state administration, public administration research provides evidence of far-reaching decentralization, marketization, and a relaxation of direct political control within many policy areas. Despite the fact that the military in any Marxist-Leninist state is an indispensable part of the state administration, it is rarely included in research on the Chinese state administrations. In this dissertation, it is argued that the military is intrinsically linked to the overall political stability of the Chinese state not only because it constitutes one of the most central branches of the Chinese cadre administration, but also given its close connection to the ruling communist party. Hence it deserves greater research focus.The overarching focus of this study is political control and governance vis-à-vis the Chinese military. Contrary to previous studies that have approached the issue of control by investigating military infringement on civilian policy making, the analysis here illustrates that the structures and the underlying logic of control are better captured by a study of the professional autonomy of the Chinese military officer corps. Professional autonomy is investigated within the military education system, given that education is a central undertaking for any profession.By suggesting a new approach to the study of the relationship between the political entities of the state and the military, an approach which makes use of insights from both the political science subfield of public administration and the sociology of professions, this dissertation makes important theoretical and analytical contributions to the field of civil-military relations. Yet the usefulness of the actor-centered approach put forward here, which focuses on the autonomy of the profession within the organization, reaches beyond the immediate study of the military and can be used in any analysis of power relations between the political entities of the state and its administrations. This dissertation also contributes to increase the understanding of Chinese military education, which is one of the military’s most important peace time undertakings.
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