| 1. |
- Li Zweifel, Ulla, et al.
(author)
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God havsmiljö 2020 : Marin strategi för Nordsjön och Östersjön Del 2: God miljöstatus och miljökvalitetsnormer
- 2012
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Reports (other academic/artistic)abstract
- Havsmiljöförordningens övergripande mål är att upprätthålla eller uppnå en god miljöstatus i de svenska förvaltningsområdena Nordsjön och Östersjön till år 2020. En av uppgifterna i den första förvaltningsperioden är att bestämma vad som kännetecknar god miljöstatus i respektive förvaltningsområde samt att ta fram miljökvalitetsnormer. God miljöstatus baseras på ett ramverk av så kallade deskriptorer som anges i havsmiljödirektivet, det vill säga det EU-direktiv som i Sverige genomförs genom havsmiljöförordningen. Deskriptorerna beskriver god miljöstatus på en övergripande nivå för 11 temaområden. Till varje deskriptor hör en rad kriterier som anger vad som ska ingå i en bedömning av miljöstatus. I Sverige har god miljöstatus formulerats för samtliga 29 kriterier som ska beaktas enligt direktivet. Dessa kvalitativa beskrivningar anger vad som kännetecknar god miljöstatus i Nordsjön och Östersjön. För att praktiskt bedöma om god miljöstatus har uppnåtts föreslås 37 nationella indikatorer. En uppsättning av indikatorer omfattar miljöns tillstånd och avspeglar ekosystemets komponenter i form av nyckelarter, samhällen, och livsmiljöer. En utgångspunkt vid val av indikatorer för miljöns tillstånd har varit koppling till de belastningar som i den inledande bedömningen av miljötillståndet i Nordsjön och Östersjön bedömts ha stor negativ påverkan på ekosystemet. En annan uppsättning indikatorer berör påverkan och belastning på miljön i form av tillförsel av näringsämnen och farliga ämnen, samt biologisk och fysisk störning av miljön. Tillsammans utgör indikatorerna ett verktyg för att följa utvecklingen av miljötillståndet och effekter av åtgärder i havsmiljön. Vid val av indikatorer har arbetet delvis utgått från existerande miljöövervakning och redan utvecklade indikatorer. Med denna utgångspunkt uppfylls en rad av havsmiljödirektivets krav, bland annat en god uppföljning av effekter av tillförsel av näringsämnen. Funktionella indikatorer, det vill säga indikatorer som utvärderats och för vilka god miljöstatus har definierats, saknas dock för tio av havsmiljödirektivets 29 kriterier. För uppföljning av biologisk mångfald saknas bland annat miljöövervakning och metoder för att bedöma livsmiljöers tillstånd. För att kunna bedöma fysiska skador på havsbotten saknas en övergripande sammanställning av information om aktiviteter som påverkar havsbottnar samt metodik för att bedöma effekterna. Det saknas också utvecklade indikatorer för det kriterium som berör uppföljning av storleks- och åldersstruktur hos fiskar. Brist på kunskap gör också att inga förslag på svenska indikatorer kan ges för effekter på levande organismer från marint avfall, undervattensbuller, och främmande arter samt att endast ett begränsat antal indikatorer tagits fram som speglar effekter av farliga ämnen. De indikatorer som fastställs i juli 2012 utgör således inte en slutlig lista för att följa upp havsmiljödirektivet. Bristerna kommer att beaktas i det fortsatta genomförandet av havsmiljöförordningen där nästa steg är att anpassa miljöövervakningsprogrammen till uppföljning av miljötillståndet med valda indikatorer senast år 2014 samt att ta fram åtgärdsprogram till år 2015. God miljöstatus ska uppnås genom tillämpning av miljökvalitetsnormer det vill säga rättsligt bindande regler som avspeglar den lägsta godtagbara miljökvaliteten i Nordsjön och Östersjön. För att nå god miljöstatus har elva svenska miljökvalitetsnormer formulerats. Dessa miljökvalitetsnormer omfattar belastning i form av näringsämnen, farliga ämnen, främmande arter, uttag av arter, fysisk påverkan på havsbottnar och avfall i havsmiljön. Målsättningen har varit att utforma miljökvalitetsnormer som motsvarar alla de belastningar som i den inledande bedömningen har identifierats ha en stor påverkan på miljön.
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| 2. |
- Björklund, Niklas, et al.
(author)
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Snytbaggen : åtgärder för lyckade planteringar
- 2014
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Other publication (pop. science, debate, etc.)abstract
- Barrträdsplantor som planterats efter avverkning blir ofta dödade av snytbaggens gnag. Men genom olika åtgärder kan skadorna minskas till en acceptabel nivå. Vilka metoder du bör välja beror bland annat på var i landet hygget ligger. Denna broschyr syftar till att förklara vilken effekt på plantskadorna olika åtgärder ger och hur de kan kombineras i olika delar av Sverige.
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| 3. |
- Broms, Loove, et al.
(author)
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Coffee Maker Patterns and the Design of Energy Feedback Artefacts
- 2010
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In: DIS '10 Proceedings of the 8th ACM Conference on Designing Interactive Systems. - New York, NY, USA : ACM. - 9781450301039 ; , s. 93-102
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Conference paper (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Smart electricity meters and home displays are being installed in people’s homes with the assumption that households will make the necessary efforts to reduce their electricity consumption. However, present solutions do not sufficiently account for the social implications of design. There is a potential for greater savings if we can better understand how such designs affect behaviour. In this paper, we describe our design of an energy awareness artefact – the Energy AWARE Clock – and discuss it in relation to behavioural processes in the home. A user study is carried out to study the deployment of the prototype in real domestic contexts for three months. Results indicate that the Energy AWARE Clock played a significant role in drawing households’ attention to their electricity use. It became a natural part of the household and conceptions of electricity became naturalized into informants’ everyday language.
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| 4. |
- Broms, Loove, 1977-, et al.
(author)
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Days in the life of the Energy Aware Clock
- 2011
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In: Swedish Design Research Journal. - 2000-964X. ; :1, s. 30-37
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- There is a potential for greater electricity savings if we can better understand how design affects behaviour. This paper describes om design of an energy awareness artefact - the Energy AWARE Clock- and discusses it in relation to behavioural processes in the home. The Energy AWARE Clock showed to play a significant role in drawing households' attention to their electricity use. It became a natural part of the household and conceptions of electricity became natmalized into informants' everyday language.
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| 5. |
- Elfving, Karin, 1982-
(author)
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Epidemiological and Bacteriological Aspects of Spotted Fever Rickettsioses in Humans, Vectors and Mammals in Sweden
- 2013
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Doctoral thesis (other academic/artistic)abstract
- Rickettsiae are obligate intracellular gram-negative bacteria transmitted by arthropod vectors. Rickettsiae sometimes cause disease in humans, typically with high fever, headache and occasionally an eschar.In Sweden, Rickettsia helvetica, belonging to the spotted fever group, is the only tick-transmitted rickettsia found free in nature. The pathogenic roll of R. helvetica has not been fully investigated, but it has been implicated in aneruptive fever and cardiac disease.This thesis describes parts of the transmission pathways of rickettsiae in Sweden. Rickettsia infection rates in ticks collected from birds were analysed, and the birds’ role as disseminators and reservoirs was studied. We found that more than one in ten ticks was infected with rickettsia bacteria, predominantly R. helvetica, and that migrating birds contribute not only to long-distance dispersion of bacteria, but also to an inflow of novel and potentially pathogenic rickettsia species, in this case R. monacensis and R. sp. strain Davousti-like species, into Sweden.Further, wild and domestic animals were found to have seroreactivity against R. helvetica, which shows that they are exposed and susceptible to rickettsia. Their role as reservoirs has not been determined, yet they may indirectly be involved in transmission of rickettsia to humans by infected ticks feeding on them.The seroreactivity in humans was also studied. Patients investigated for suspected Borrelioses and blood donors had detectable antibodies against Rickettsia spp., with the highest prevalence detected in the suspected Borreliosis group. This shows that humans in Sweden are exposed to and develop an immune response against rickettsia. The suspicion that R. helvetica may cause severe symptoms was verified by a patient with subacute meningitis where the bacterium was shown for the first time to cause an invasive infection with CNS involvement and where the bacterium was isolated from the patient’s cerebrospinal fluid.Growth characteristics and morphology of R. helvetica were studied to better understand invasiveness and virulence. The findings indicate that the invasiveness is comparable with other rickettsia, though R. helvetica seems to have a stable but slightly slower growth. Rickettsia helvetica is endemic in Sweden and therefore needs to be considered when investigating disease after a tick bite.
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| 6. |
- Gustafsson, Karin, et al.
(author)
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Shb deficient mice display an augmented TH2 response in peripheral CD4+ T cells
- 2011
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In: BMC Immunology. - : Springer Science and Business Media LLC. - 1471-2172. ; 12, s. 3-
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Background: Shb, a ubiquitously expressed Src homology 2 domain-containing adaptor protein has previously been implicated in the signaling of various tyrosine kinase receptors including the TCR. Shb associates with SLP76, LAT and Vav, all important components in the signaling cascade governing T cell function and develeopment. A Shb knockout mouse was recently generated and the aim of the current study was to address the importance of Shb deficiency on T cell development and function. Results: Shb knockout mice did not display any major changes in thymocyte development despite an aberrant TCR signaling pattern, including increased basal activation and reduced stimulation-induced phosphorylation. The loss of Shb expression did however affect peripheral CD4+ TH cells resulting in an increased proliferative response to TCR stimulation and an elevated IL-4 production level of naïve TH cells. This suggests a TH2 skewing of the Shb knockout immune system, seemingly caused by an altered TCR signaling pattern.Conclusion: Our results indicate that Shb appears to play an important modulating role on TCR signaling, thus regulating the peripheral CD4+ TH2 cell response.
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| 7. |
- Hjelm, Barbara, et al.
(author)
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High nuclear RBM3 expression is associated with an improved prognosis in colorectal cancer
- 2011
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In: Proteomics Clinical Applications. - : Wiley. - 1862-8354 .- 1862-8346. ; 5:11-12, s. 624-635
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Purpose: In this study, we investigated the prognostic impact of human RBM3 expression in colorectal cancer using tissue microarray-based immunohistochemical analysis. Experimental design: One polyclonal antibody and four monoclonal anti-RBM3 antibodies were generated and epitope mapped using two different methods. Bacterial display revealed five distinct epitopes for the polydonal antibody, while the four mouse monoclonal antibodies were found to bind to three of the five epitopes. A peptide suspension bead array assay confirmed the five epitopes of the polydonal antibody, while only one of the monoclonal antibodies could be mapped using this approach. Antibody specificity was confirmed by Western blotting and immunohistochemistry, including siRNA-mediated knock-down. Two of the antibodies (polydonal and monoclonal) were subsequently used to analyze RBM3 expression in tumor samples from two independent colorectal cancer cohorts, one consecutive cohort (n = 270) and one prospectively collected cohort of patients with cancer of the sigmoid colon (n = 305). RBM3-expression was detected, with high correlation between both antibodies (R = 0.81, p < 0.001). Results: In both cohorts, tumors with high nuclear RBM3 staining had significantly prolonged the overall survival. This was also confirmed in multivariate analysis, adjusted for established prognostic factors. Conclusion and clinical relevance: These data demonstrate that high tumor-specific nuclear expression of RBM3 is an independent predictor of good prognosis in colorectal cancer.
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| 8. |
- Hjelm, Karin, et al.
(author)
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A comparison of long-term effects of scarification methods on the establishment of Norway spruce
- 2013
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In: Forestry. - : Oxford University Press (OUP). - 0015-752X .- 1464-3626. ; 86, s. 91-98
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Scarification is the most common measure to improve the planting environment in Sweden. However, different scarification methods give varying results. During the early 1990s, a nation-wide experiment with 10 field installations was established in order to test the effect of several scarification methods, including two intensities of soil inversion and mounding, on growth of planted Norway spruce seedlings and in comparison with no scarification (i.e. control). Eighteen growing seasons after planting, a higher seedling survival was found following soil inversion (77 per cent for normal and 76 per cent for intensive) compared with mounding (67 per cent) and control (57 per cent). The mean height of the planted trees across all sites 18 years after planting was 413 and 430 cm following normal and intensive soil inversion, respectively, 424 cm after mounding and 346 cm in the control. The difference in height between the scarification treatments and the control corresponded to a time gain of approximate to 4 years of growth after 18 years. However, the length of the leading shoot was not affected by scarification after 1418 years, indicating that scarification did not affect growth beyond the establishment phase. Scarification reduced variation in height of the planted trees. On scarified plots, the number of naturally regenerated trees increased with more than 100 per cent to reach a mean value of 2300 stems per hectare.
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| 9. |
- Hjelm, Katarina, 1958-, et al.
(author)
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Beliefs about health and illness in Latin-American migrants with diabetes living in Sweden
- 2013
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In: Open Nursing Journal. - : Bentham Science Publishers Ltd.. - 1874-4346. ; 7, s. 57-65
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- The study explored beliefs about health and illness in Latin American migrants diagnosed with diabetes mellitus (DM) living in Sweden, and investigated the influence on health-related behavior including self-care and care-seeking behavior. Migrants are particularly affected in the diabetes pandemia. Beliefs about health and illness determine health-related behaviour and health but no studies have been found on Latin American migrants with DM. An explorative study design with focus-group interviews of nine persons aged 36-77 years from a diabetes clinic was used. Health was described from a pathogenetic or a salutogenetic perspective: 'freedom from disease or feeling of well-being', and being autonomous and able to work. Economic hardship due to expenses for medications and food for DM affected health. Individual factors such as diet, exercise and compliance with advice, and social factors with good social relations and avoidance of stress, often caused by having experienced severe events related to migrational experiences, were considered important for maintaining health and could cause DM. Disturbed relations to others (social factors), punishment by God or Fate (supernatural factors), intake of diuretics and imbalance between warmth and cold (natural factors) were also perceived as causes. A mix of biomedical and traditional explanations and active self-care behaviour with frequent use of herbs was found. It is important to assess the individual's beliefs, and health professionals, particularly nurses, should incorporate discussions of alternative treatments and other components of explanatory models and co-operate with social workers to consider influence of finances and migrational experiences on health.
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| 10. |
- Hjelm, Karin
(author)
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Effects of pre-harvest fertilization and subsequent soil scarification on the growth of planted Pinus sylvestris seedlings and ground vegetation after clear-felling
- 2013
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In: Silva Fennica. - : Finnish Society of Forest Science. - 0037-5330 .- 2242-4075. ; 47
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Fertilization and scarification are both performed to increase tree production at different stages of forest rotation periods. In this study, the effects of previous nitrogen fertilizations and scarification after clear felling on planted Pinus sylvestris L. seedlings and ground vegetation were investigated. Two fertilization experiments established around 1980 were harvested in 2006, after which the plots were scarified by disc trenching and re-planted. The plots had been repeatedly fertilized over a 20-year period before harvesting, with total N doses of 0, 450, 900 or 1800 kg N ha(-1). After five growing seasons, the growth, survival and nutrient contents of the seedlings were measured, and ground vegetation was collected to estimate its biomass and nutrient content. Pre-harvest fertilization alone had only minor effects on the results, but scarification increased both the survival and growth of the planted seedlings. However, without scarification, seedling mortality increased with increasing fertilization intensity. The ground vegetation biomass was higher in plots without scarification, but the total biomass of seedlings and ground vegetation was similar in all treatments. Scarification thus favored seedling growth at the expense of ground vegetation. Only a few effects on nutrient content were found, but there were no signs of nutrient imbalance in any of the treatments. At higher levels of fertilization, the K: N ratio in the seedlings decreased while the K content in the ground vegetation increased. Overall, scarification had a greater impact than pre-harvest fertilization on the planted seedlings and the ground vegetation.
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| 11. |
- Hjelm, Katarina, 1958-, et al.
(author)
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Gestational diabetes: prospective interview-study of the developing beliefs about health, illness and health care in migrant women.
- 2012
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In: Journal of Clinical Nursing. - Hoboken, NJ, USA : Wiley. - 0962-1067 .- 1365-2702. ; 21:21-22, s. 3244-3256
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- The aim of this study was to explore the development over time of beliefs about health, illness and health care in migrant women with gestational diabetes mellitus born in the Middle East and living in Sweden. Further to study the influence of beliefs on self-care and care seeking behaviour. There is an extensive global migration and contact with the new society and health care confronts the migrant's culture of origin with the culture of the host country. The question is whether the migrants' patterns of beliefs about health, illness and health-related behaviour change over time? A qualitative prospective exploratory study was implemented. Semi-structured interviews were held with 14 women, aged 28-44 years, in gestational weeks 34-38 and three and 14 months after delivery.The results showed a U-shaped development of beliefs, from focusing on worries about the baby's health during pregnancy and trying to comply with advice from health care staff, particularly a healthy diet, through regression to dietary habits (with intake of more sugar and less fibre) and lifestyle held before being diagnosed with gestational diabetes mellitus three months after delivery but then back to a healthy diet and lifestyle and worries focusing on their own risk, as mothers, of developing type 2 diabetes and being unable to care for the child after one year. Over time, the number of persons perceiving gestational diabetes mellitus as a transient condition decreased. Respondents lacked information about the disease, diet and follow-ups. Beliefs changed over time and influenced health-related behaviour. Beliefs about the seriousness of gestational diabetes mellitus among health professionals' influence development of patients' beliefs. Pregnancy should be used as an opportunity to provide complete information about the disease and future health risks. Continous information should be given after delivery and wishes for regular follow-ups should be met.
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| 12. |
- Nordlander, Göran, et al.
(author)
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Regeneration of European boreal forests: Effectiveness of measures against seedling mortality caused by the pine weevil Hylobius abietis
- 2011
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In: Forest Ecology and Management. - : Elsevier BV. - 0378-1127 .- 1872-7042. ; 262, s. 2354-2363
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Successful regeneration of conifer forests by planting is, in large parts of Europe, highly dependent on the effective suppression of damage caused by the pine weevil Hylobius abietis. We investigated the effectiveness of various combinations of control measures against pine weevil damage under boreal forest conditions in Sweden. In particular, we aimed to determine whether satisfactory regeneration could be obtained without the use of insecticides. The experimental study was established on ten new clear-cuts in each of three consecutive years. We studied the use of chemical and physical methods to protect seedlings directly, and investigated the influence of seedling type, age of clear-cut, and a number of soil factors as affected by preparation of the planting site, on the mortality and level of damage suffered by protected and unprotected seedlings. After two seasons, mortality due to pine weevil was 16% among unprotected seedlings, 6% for seedlings treated with the insecticides cypermethrin or imidacloprid, and less than 1% for those physically protected by a coating of Conniflex. However, the Conniflex, which consists of fine-grained sand embedded in a flexible acrylate matrix, was applied manually, and this may have enhanced its effectiveness compared to that achieved during large-scale, commercial application. Two types of containerized Norway spruce seedlings, which differed mainly in their stem diameter (average 2.6 mm and 3.5 mm), were used in the experiments. Among the unprotected seedlings, the narrower stemmed type was more frequently attacked (34% vs. 28%) and killed (19% vs. 12%) by pine weevil. Mortality caused by pine weevil among unprotected seedlings was higher on 1-year-old than on 2-year-old clear-cuts (20% vs. 12%). Soil preparation around unprotected seedlings had a substantial effect on the proportion attacked and killed by pine weevil as well as on the total mortality, with the highest level of feeding damage and mortality occurring on seedlings in undisturbed humus, and the lowest levels occurring on seedlings planted in pure mineral soil (26% vs. 7% for unprotected seedlings). This study demonstrates that acceptable levels of seedling survival can be achieved in regenerations of North European boreal forest without the use of insecticides. Mortality of unprotected seedlings can be reduced to acceptable levels if they are mostly planted in pure mineral soil. Damage can be further reduced by using seedlings with a somewhat larger stem diameter. Insecticides or a physical barrier of Conniflex alone appear to provide a sufficient level of protection. (C) 2011 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.
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