| 1. |
- Sjöberg, Mats, 1965-, et al.
(author)
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Infliximab or cyclosporine as rescue therapy in hospitalized patients with steroid-refractory ulcerative colitis : a retrospective observational study
- 2012
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In: Inflammatory Bowel Diseases. - : John Wiley & Sons. - 1078-0998 .- 1536-4844. ; 18:2, s. 212-218
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Background: Cyclosporine (CsA) or infliximab (IFX) are used as rescue therapies in steroid-refractory, severe attacks of ulcerative colitis (UC). There are no data comparing the efficacy of these two alternatives. Methods: Outcome of rescue therapy was retrospectively studied in two cohorts of patients hospitalized due to steroid-refractory moderate to severe UC: 1) a Swedish-Danish cohort (n 49) treated with a single infusion of IFX; 2) an Austrian cohort (n 43) treated with intravenous CsA. After successful rescue therapy, maintenance immunomodulator treatment was given to 27/33 (82%) of IFX patients and to 31/40 (78%) of CsA patients. Endpoints were colectomy-free survival at 3 and 12 months. Kaplan-Meier and Cox regression models were used to evaluate the association between treatment groups and colectomy. Results: At 15 days, colectomy-free survival in the IFX cohort was 36/49 (73%) versus 41/43 (95%) in the CsA cohort (P = 0.005), at 3 months 33/49 (67%) versus 40/43 (93%) (P = 0.002), and at 12 months 28/49 (57%) versus 33/43 (77%) (P = 0.034). After adjusting for potential confounding factors, Cox regression analysis yielded adjusted hazard ratios for risk of colectomy in IFX-treated patients of 11.2 (95% confidence interval [CI] 2.4-53.1, P = 0.002) at 3 months and of 3.0 (95% CI 1.1-8.2, P = 0.030) at 12 months in comparison with CsA-treated patients. There were no opportunistic infections or mortality. Conclusions: Colectomy frequencies were significantly lower after rescue therapy with CsA than with a single infusion of IFX both at 3 and 12 months' follow-up. The superiority of CsA was seen principally during the first 15 days.
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| 2. |
- Margolin, Sara, et al.
(author)
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A randomised feasibility/phase II study (SBG 2004-1) with dose-dense/tailored epirubicin, cyclophoshamide (EC) followed by docetaxel (T) or fixed dosed dose-dense EC/T versus T, doxorubicin and C (TAC) in node-positive breast cancer.
- 2011
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In: Acta Oncologica. - : Informa Healthcare. - 0284-186X .- 1651-226X. ; 50:1, s. 35-41
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- The aim of the study was to evaluate the feasibility of tailored and dose-dense epirubicin and cyclophosphamide followed by docetaxel as adjuvant breast cancer therapy. Material and methods. Patients with node-positive breast cancer received either four cycles of biweekly and tailored EC (epirubicin 38-60-75-90-105-120 mg/m(2), cyclophosphamide 450-600-900-1200 mg/m(2)) followed by four cycles of docetaxel (60-75-85-100 mg/m(2)) (arm A) or the same regimen with fixed doses (E(90)C(600) + 4 → T(75) + 4) (arm B) or docetaxel, doxorubicin and cyclophosphamide (T(75)A(50)C(500)) every three weeks for six cycles (arm C). All patients received G-CSF support and prophylactic ciprofloxacin. Results. One-hundred and twenty-four patients were randomised in the study. In the A, B and C arm, 17% 19% and 3% of the patients had one or more cycles delayed due to side-effects whereas 24%, 5% and 15% experienced a grade 3 infection or febrile neutropenia. After the introduction of an extra week between the EC and T parts in the A and B arms, grade 3 hand-foot-skin reactions were reduced from 5 to 0.2%. Twenty-nine percent (A and B) and 20% (C) of the patients were hospitalised due to side-effects. Discussion. Dose-dense and tailored EC/T can be given with manageable toxicity and is after adjustment presently studied in the phase III Panther trial.
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| 3. |
- Austeng, Dordi, et al.
(author)
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Incidence of and risk factors for neonatal morbidity after active perinatal care : extremely preterm infants study in Sweden (EXPRESS)
- 2010
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In: Acta Paediatrica. - : Wiley. - 0803-5253 .- 1651-2227. ; 99:7, s. 978-992
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Aims: The aim of this study was to determine the incidence of neonatal morbidity in extremely preterm infants and to identify associated risk factors. Methods: Population based study of infants born before 27 gestational weeks and admitted for neonatal intensive care in Sweden during 2004-2007. Results: Of 638 admitted infants, 141 died. Among these, life support was withdrawn in 55 infants because of anticipation of poor long-term outcome. Of 497 surviving infants, 10% developed severe intraventricular haemorrhage (IVH), 5.7% cystic periventricular leucomalacia (cPVL), 41% septicaemia and 5.8% necrotizing enterocolitis (NEC); 61% had patent ductus arteriosus (PDA) and 34% developed retinopathy of prematurity (ROP) stage >= 3. Eighty-five per cent needed mechanical ventilation and 25% developed severe bronchopulmonary dysplasia (BPD). Forty-seven per cent survived to one year of age without any severe IVH, cPVL, severe ROP, severe BPD or NEC. Tocolysis increased and prolonged mechanical ventilation decreased the chances of survival without these morbidities. Maternal smoking and higher gestational duration were associated with lower risk of severe ROP, whereas PDA and poor growth increased this risk. Conclusion: Half of the infants surviving extremely preterm birth suffered from severe neonatal morbidities. Studies on how to reduce these morbidities and on the long-term health of survivors are warranted.
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| 4. |
- Engstrand, Per, 1955-, et al.
(author)
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Method for producing and processing wood chips [Förfarande för framställning av flis]
- 2012
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Patent (pop. science, debate, etc.)abstract
- This patent application describes a method to produce wood chips with the intention of reducing the energy consumption in the subsequent process steps for pulp production. With the present method wood chipping is done in a wood chipper where the chipping tool (3) has an angle γ (4) within the interval of 75° to 105° between the fibre direction of the log and the side of the tool which faces the chip (2). Angles in this interval will cause an axially directed compression of the chip which will cause a cracking of the wood during chipping.
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| 5. |
- Hellström, Lisbeth, 1969-, et al.
(author)
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Collimated chipping technology in order to reduce the energy consumption in mechanical pulping
- 2011
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In: Proceeding for International Mechanical Pulping Conference, Xi'an, P.R. of China. - 9787501982516 ; , s. 457-460
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Conference paper (other academic/artistic)abstract
- It has recently been shown that it is possible to improve the energy efficiency during first stage TMP (thermomechanical pulp) refining by utilizing a modified chipping method (collimated chipping). A patent application regarding this method has been filed and is pending. The modification consists in that the spout angle i.e. the angle between the fibre direction of the wood specimen and the cutting plane, is increased. This paper reports the differences in properties of IMP refined from chips produced at two different spout angles i.e. 30 and 50 with and without the addition of sodium bisulphite (NaHSO3) to the dilution water. It was found that the specific energy input for a certain CSF (Canadian Standard Freeness) value was lower for chips produced at spout 50 but that the addition of chemicals to the dilution water had no influence on the specific energy value for a given CSF value. However, the tensile index and specific light scattering coefficient was substantially higher for handsheets made of the pulp refined from chips produced at spout angle 50 and with NaHSO3 added compared to handsheets from pulp made from 30 and 50 chips without chemicals added.
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| 6. |
- Hellström, Lisbeth, 1969-, et al.
(author)
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Evaluation Of Collimated Chipping Technology For Reducing Energy Consumption In Mechanical Pulping
- 2012
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In: Journal of Science & Technology for Forest Products and Processes. - 1927-6311 .- 1927-632X. ; 2:3, s. 6-9
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- It has recently been shown that the energy efficiency during first-stage TMP (thermo-mechanical pulp) refining can be improved using amodified chipping method (collimated chipping), where the angle between the fibre direction of the wood specimen and the cutting plane is increased. This paper reports the differences in properties of TMP refined from wood chips produced at two different spout angles, 30° and 50°, with and without the addition of sodium bisulphite (NaHSO3) to the dilution water. It was found that the specific energy input for a certain CSF (Canadian Standard Freeness) value was lower for chips produced at spout 50°, but that the addition of chemicals to the dilution water had no influence on the specific energy value for a given CSF value. However, the tensile index and specific light-scattering coefficient were substantially higher for handsheets made from the pulp refined from chips produced at spout angle 50° and with NaHSO3 added compared to handsheets from pulp made from 30° and 50° chips without chemicals added.
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| 7. |
- Hellström, Lisbeth, 1969-, et al.
(author)
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Properties of wood chips for thermomechanical pulp (TMP) production as a function of spout angle
- 2011
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In: Holzforschung. - : Walter de Gruyter. - 0018-3830 .- 1437-434X. ; 65:6, s. 805-809
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Spruce woodchipswere produced under well-controlled conditions in a laboratory woodchipper at spout angles of 30°, 40°, and 50° at a cutting rate of 20 m s-1 and with a nominalchip length of 25 mm. Thechips were then refined under thermomechanical pulp (TMP) conditions in a pilot refiner plant. The pulpproperties such as freeness, average fiber length, and shives content were determined and evaluated as a function of specific energy consumption. For a first stage refining and for a freeness value of 350 ml, a decrease in specific electrical energy consumption could be achieved by performing thewood chipping at a spout angle of 50° as compared to 30° which is the spout angle commonly used. A patent application regarding this method has been filed and is pending. It is realized that a freeness value is not directly indicative of any quality measure, such as, for example tensile index and light scattering coefficient but the obtained results can be interpreted to be promising. Further studies are needed regarding the impact of the modified chipping process.
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| 8. |
- Isaksson, Per, et al.
(author)
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A numerical and experimental study regarding the influence of some process parameters on the damage state in wood chips
- 2013
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In: Holzforschung. - : Walter de Gruyter GmbH. - 0018-3830 .- 1437-434X. ; 67:6, s. 691-696
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- The specific energy consumption during mechanical refining operation can be reduced by choosing the optimal process parameters in the wood chipping process such that a beneficial pretreatment is obtained. In the case of the utilization of a larger knife-edge angle, which is one such process parameter, the energy reduction is presumably due to the increased compressive loading parallel to the wood fibers. In the present article, a chip damage parameter D of spruce is in focus, which is relevant for cracking parallel to the fibers. D is defined and its dependence on the chip length and edge angle of the chipping knife is analyzed numerically by means of finite element analyses (FEA). The cutting force was measured in a pilot wood chipper for a number of knife-edge angles. There is a good correlation between the experimental results and those of FEA.
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| 9. |
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| 10. |
- Witte, Anne-Barbara, et al.
(author)
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Involvement of endogenous glucagon-like peptide-1 in regulation of gastric motility and pancreatic endocrine secretion
- 2011
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In: Scandinavian Journal of Gastroenterology. - : Informa UK Limited. - 0036-5521 .- 1502-7708. ; 46:4, s. 428-435
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Objective. To study the role of endogenous glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) on gastric emptying rates of a solid meal as well as postprandial hormone secretion and glucose disposal. Material and methods. In nine healthy subjects, gastric emptying of a 310-kcal radio-labelled solid meal and plasma concentrations of insulin, glucagon and glucose were measured during infusion of saline or the GLP-1 receptor antagonist exendin(9-39)amide (Ex(9-39)) at 300 pmol·kg−1·min−1. Results. Ex(9-39) infusion had no effect on the total gastric emptying curve, but changed the intra-gastric distribution of the meal. During infusion of Ex(9-39), more content stayed in the upper stomach (79.1 ± 2.5% of total during Ex(9-39) compared to 66.6 ± 5.7% during saline at 5 min). During Ex(9-39) infusion, higher concentrations of plasma glucagon were measured both before (after 40 min of Ex(9-39) infusion the glucagon level was 15.1 ± 0.7 pmol·L−1 compared to 5.4 ± 1.4 during saline) and after the meal, and postprandial GLP-1 levels increased. Basal insulin and glucose levels were not affected by Ex(9-39), but the postprandial rise of insulin and glucose enhanced during Ex(9-39). Conclusions. Endogenous GLP-1 is involved in the regulation of gastric motility in relation to meal intake and also in the regulation of postprandial insulin and glucose levels. Furthermore, endogenous GLP-1 seems to tonically restrain glucagon secretion.
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