| 1. |
- Bäcke, Olof, 1984, et al.
(author)
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Enhanced thermal stability of a polymer solar cell blend induced by electron beam irradiation in the transmission electron microscope
- 2017
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In: Ultramicroscopy. - : Elsevier BV. - 1879-2723 .- 0304-3991. ; 173, s. 16-23
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- We show by in situ microscopy that the effects of electron beam irradiation during transmission electron microscopy can be used to lock microstructural features and enhance the structural thermal stability of a nanostructured polymer:fullerene blend. Polymer:fullerene bulk-heterojunction thin films show great promise for use as active layers in organic solar cells but their low thermal stability is a hindrance. Lack of thermal stability complicates manufacturing and influences the lifetime of devices. To investigate how electron irradiation affects the thermal stability of polymer:fullerene films, a model bulk-heterojunction film based on a thiophene-quinoxaline copolymer and a fullerene derivative was heat-treated in-situ in a transmission electron microscope. In areas of the film that exposed to the electron beam the nanostructure of the film remained stable, while the nanostructure in areas not exposed to the electron beam underwent large phase separation and nucleation of fullerene crystals. UV–vis spectroscopy shows that the polymer:fullerene films are stable for electron doses up to 2000 kGy.
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| 2. |
- Bäcke, Olof, 1984, et al.
(author)
-
Enhanced thermal stability of a polymer solar cell blend induced by electron beam irradiation in the transmission electron microscope
- 2017
-
In: Ultramicroscopy. - : Elsevier BV. - 1879-2723 .- 0304-3991. ; 176:Spec. Issue, s. 23-30
-
Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- We show by in situ microscopy that the effects of electron beam irradiation during transmission electron microscopy can be used to lock microstructural features and enhance the structural thermal stability of a nanostructured polymer:fullerene blend. Polymer:fullerene bulk-heterojunction thin films show great promise for use as active layers in organic solar cells but their low thermal stability is a hindrance. Lack of thermal stability complicates manufacturing and influences the lifetime of devices. To investigate how electron irradiation affects the thermal stability of polymer:fullerene films, a model bulk-heterojunction film based on a thiophene-quinoxaline copolymer and a fullerene derivative was heat-treated in-situ in a transmission electron microscope. In areas of the film that exposed to the electron beam the nanostructure of the film remained stable, while the nanostructure in areas not exposed to the electron beam underwent large phase separation and nucleation of fullerene crystals. UV–vis spectroscopy shows that the polymer:fullerene films are stable for electron doses up to 2000 kGy.
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| 3. |
- Gustafsson-Lutz, Anna, 1981, et al.
(author)
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Therapeutic efficacy of alpha-radioimmunotherapy with different activity levels of the Bi-213-labeled monoclonal antibody MX35 in an ovarian cancer model
- 2017
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In: EJNMMI Research. - : Springer Science and Business Media LLC. - 2191-219X. ; 7
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Background: The aim of this study was to compare the therapeutic efficacy of two different activity levels of the Bi-213-labeled monoclonal antibody MX35 in an ovarian cancer model. Sixty female BALB/c (nu/nu) mice were inoculated intraperitoneally with human ovarian cancer cells (OVCAR-3). Two weeks later, 40 mice were injected intraperitoneal (i.p.) with 1 ml of Bi-213-MX35, 3 MBq/mL (n = 20), or 9 MBq/mL (n = 20). An additional 20 mice received unlabeled MX35. Incidence of tumors and ascites was investigated 8 weeks after therapy. Body weight and white blood cell counts were monitored after treatment for possible signs of toxicity. Results: The tumor-free fraction of the animals treated with 3 MBq/mL of Bi-213-MX35 was 0.55, whereas that of animals treated with 9 MBq/mL of Bi-213-MX35 was 0.78. The control group treated with unlabeled MX35 had a tumor-free fraction of 0.15. No significant reduction in white blood cell counts or weight loss was observed. Conclusions: Tumor growth after i.p. treatment with Bi-213-MX35 was significantly reduced compared to treatment with unlabeled MX35. Treatment with 9 MBq/mL of Bi-213-MX35 resulted in higher tumor-free fraction compared with 3 MBq/mL of Bi-213-MX35, but this difference was not statistically significant. No signs of toxicity were observed in the treated animals.
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| 4. |
- Gustafsson, Maria, et al.
(author)
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Constipation and laxative use among people living in nursing homes in 2007 and 2013
- 2019
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In: BMC Geriatrics. - : BMC. - 1471-2318. ; 19
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Background: Constipation is a common condition among older people, particularly among people living in nursing homes, and the use of drugs such as opioids is one of many factors that contribute to its high prevalence. The aim of this study was to compare the prevalence of constipation and the use of laxatives between 2007 and 2013, to analyze constipation and laxative use among people who are prescribed opioids, and to identify factors associated with constipation. Methods: In 2007 and 2013, two surveys were performed in the county of Vasterbotten in Northern Sweden, comprising all those living in nursing homes. The Multi-Dimensional Dementia Assessment Scale was used to collect data regarding laxative, opioid and anticholinergic drug use, functioning in activities of daily living (ADL), cognition and symptoms of constipation. A comparison was made between 2820 people from 2007 and 1902 people from 2013. Results: The prevalence of symptoms of constipation among people living in nursing homes increased from 36% in 2007 to 40% in 2013. After controlling for age, sex, ADL, cognitive impairment and use of opioid and anticholinergic drugs, this difference was found to be statistically significant. When controlled for demographic changes, there was a statistically significant difference in the regular use of laxatives between the respective years, from 46% in 2007 to 59% in 2013. People prescribed opioids and anticholinergic drugs were at increased risk of constipation, while people with a higher ADL score were at decreased risk. Further, among people prescribed opioids and rated as constipated, 35% in 2007 and 20% in 2013 were not prescribed laxatives for regular use, a difference that was found to be statistically significant. Conclusions: The prevalence of symptoms of constipation increased between 2007 and 2013. Although there was a decrease between the years, there were still a number of people being prescribed with opioids and rated as constipated who were not treated with laxatives. This study therefore indicates that constipation remains a significant problem among people in nursing homes and also indicates that those prescribed opioids could benefit from an increased awareness of the risk of constipation and treatment, if required.
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| 5. |
- Gustafsson, Per, 1981-, et al.
(author)
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Cumulative contextual and individual disadvantages over the life course and adult functional somatic symptoms in Sweden
- 2015
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In: European Journal of Public Health. - : Oxford University Press (OUP). - 1101-1262 .- 1464-360X. ; 25:4, s. 592-597
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- BACKGROUND:: Disadvantage, originating in one's residential context or in one's past life course, has been shown to impact on health in adulthood. There is however little research on the accumulated health impact of both neighbourhood and individual conditions over the life course. This study aims to examine whether the accumulation of contextual and individual disadvantages from adolescence to middle-age predicts functional somatic symptoms (FSS) in middle-age, taking baseline health into account.METHODS:: The sample is the age 16, 21, 30 and 42 surveys of the prospective Northern Swedish Cohort, with analytical sample size n = 910 (85% of the original cohort). FSS at age 16 and 42, and cumulative socioeconomic disadvantage, social adversity and material adversity between 16 and 42 years were operationalized from questionnaires, and cumulative neighbourhood disadvantage between 16 and 42 years from register data.RESULTS:: Results showed accumulation of disadvantages jointly explained 9-12% of FSS variance. In the total sample, cumulative neighbourhood and socioeconomic disadvantage significantly predicted FSS at age 42 in the total sample. In women, neighbourhood disadvantage but not socioeconomic disadvantage contributed significantly, whereas in men, socioeconomic but not neighbourhood disadvantage contributed significantly. In all analyses, associations were largely explained by the parallel accumulation of social and material adversities, but not by symptoms at baseline.CONCLUSION:: In conclusion, the accumulation of diverse forms of disadvantages together plays an important role for somatic complaints in adulthood, independently of baseline health.
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| 6. |
- Hausmair, Katharina, 1982, et al.
(author)
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Prediction of Nonlinear Distortion in Wideband Active Antenna Arrays
- 2017
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In: IEEE Transactions on Microwave Theory and Techniques. - 0018-9480 .- 1557-9670. ; 65:11, s. 4550-4563
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- In this paper we propose a technique for comprehensive analysis of nonlinear and dynamic characteristics of multi-antenna transmitters (TXs). The analysis technique is enabled by the development of a Volterra series-based dual-input model for power amplifiers (PAs), which is capable of taking into account the joint effects of PA nonlinearity, antenna crosstalk and mismatch for wideband modulated signals. By combining multiple instances of the PA model with linear dynamic antenna simulations we develop the analysis technique. The proposed method allows the prediction of the output signal of every antenna in an arbitrarily sized TX array, as well as the total far-field radiated wave of the TX for any input signal with low computational effort. A 2.12 GHz four-element TX demonstrator based on GaAs PAs is implemented to verify simulation results with measurements. The proposed technique is a powerful tool to study hardware characteristics, as for example the effects of antenna design and element spacing. It can be used in cases where experiments are not feasible, and thus aid the development of next generation wireless systems.
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| 7. |
- Kamble, Prasad G., et al.
(author)
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Genotype-based recall to study metabolic effects of genetic variation : a pilot study of PPARG Pro12Ala carriers
- 2017
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In: Upsala Journal of Medical Sciences. - : Taylor & Francis. - 0300-9734 .- 2000-1967. ; 122:4, s. 234-242
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- AIM: To assess practical implications of genotype-based recall (GBR) studies, an increasingly popular approach for in-depth characterization of genotype-phenotype relationships.METHODS: We genotyped 2500 participants from the Swedish EpiHealth cohort and considered loss-of-function and missense variants in genes with relation to cardiometabolic traits as the basis for our GBR study. Therefore, we focused on carriers and non-carriers of the PPARG Pro12Ala (rs1801282) variant, as it is a relatively common variant with a minor allele frequency (MAF) of 0.14. It has also been shown to affect ligand binding and transcription, and carriage of the minor allele (Ala12) is associated with a reduced risk of type 2 diabetes. We re-invited 39 Pro12Pro, 34 Pro12Ala, and 30 Ala12Ala carriers and performed detailed anthropometric and serological assessments.RESULTS: The participation rates in the GBR study were 31%, 44%, and 40%, and accordingly we included 12, 15, and 13 individuals with Pro12Pro, Pro12Ala, and Ala12Ala variants, respectively. There were no differences in anthropometric or metabolic variables among the different genotype groups.CONCLUSIONS: Our report highlights that from a practical perspective, GBR can be used to study genotype-phenotype relationships. This approach can prove to be a valuable tool for follow-up findings from large-scale genetic discovery studies by undertaking detailed phenotyping procedures that might not be feasible in large studies. However, our study also illustrates the need for a larger pool of genotyped or sequenced individuals to allow for selection of rare variants with larger effects that can be examined in a GBR study of the present size.
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| 8. |
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| 9. |
- Kamble, Prasad G., et al.
(author)
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Role of peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor gamma Pro12Ala polymorphism in human adipose tissue : assessment of adipogenesis and adipocyte glucose and lipid turnover.
- 2018
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In: Adipocyte. - : Informa UK Limited. - 2162-3945 .- 2162-397X. ; 7:4, s. 285-296
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Protective mechanisms of peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor gamma (PPARγ) Pro12Ala polymorphism in type 2 diabetes (T2D) are unclear. We obtained adipose tissue (AT) before and 3 h after oral glucose (OGTT) in carriers and non-carriers of the Ala allele (12 Pro/Pro, 15 Pro/Ala, and 13 Ala/Ala). Adipogenesis, adipocyte glucose uptake and lipolysis as well as PPARγ target genes expression were investigated and compared between the genotype groups. On fasting and post-OGTT, neither basal nor insulin-stimulated adipocyte glucose uptake differed between genotypes. Compared to fasting, a decreased hormone-sensitive lipase gene expression in Pro/Pro (p<0.05) also accompanied with a higher antilipolytic effect of insulin post-OGTT (p<0.01). The adipocyte size was similar across groups. Preadipocyte differentiation rates between Pro/Pro and Ala/Ala were unchanged. In conclusion, no major differences in AT differentiation, glucose uptake, lipolysis or expression of PPARγ target genes were observed between different PPARγ Pro12Ala genotypes. Albeit small, our study may suggest that other pathways in AT or effects exerted in other tissues might contribute to the Pro12Ala-mediated protection against T2D.
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| 10. |
- Lövheim, Hugo, 1981-, et al.
(author)
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Gottfries' Cognitive Scale for Staff Proxy Rating of Cognitive Function Among Nursing Home Residents
- 2019
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In: Journal of Alzheimer's Disease. - : IOS Press. - 1387-2877 .- 1875-8908. ; 72:4, s. 1251-1260
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Background: For research purposes, there is a need for tools to assess an individual's level of cognitive function. For survey-based investigations in nursing home contexts, proxy ratings allow the assessment also of individuals with severe cognitive impairment. Objective: The aim of this study was to describe the feasibility and psychometric properties of Gottfries' cognitive scale when used in a nursing home context for proxy rating of cognitive function. Method: The psychometric properties of Gottfries' cognitive scale were investigated in a sample of 8,492 nursing home residents in Vasterbotten County, Sweden, using item response theory and classic scale theory-based approaches. Results: Cognitive function could be scored in 97.1% of the assessed individuals. The scale had a negligible floor effect, it had items with a large spread in difficulties, it appeared linear, and it distributed the assessed individuals equally over the scale. Internal consistency (Cronbach's alpha) was 0.967, and an exploratory factor analysis revealed three factors of the scale - interpreted to represent orientation to time, to place, and to person. Conclusion: Gottfries' cognitive scale is a feasible tool for grading cognitive function among nursing home residents using staff proxy ratings. The scale has excellent psychometric properties with a very high internal consistency, a favorable distribution of item difficulties producing an almost rectangular distribution of scores, and a negligible floor effect. The scale thus can be recommended for use in survey-based investigations in nursing home contexts.
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