| 1. |
- Locke, Adam E, et al.
(author)
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Genetic studies of body mass index yield new insights for obesity biology.
- 2015
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In: Nature. - : Springer Science and Business Media LLC. - 0028-0836 .- 1476-4687. ; 518:7538, s. 197-401
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Obesity is heritable and predisposes to many diseases. To understand the genetic basis of obesity better, here we conduct a genome-wide association study and Metabochip meta-analysis of body mass index (BMI), a measure commonly used to define obesity and assess adiposity, in up to 339,224 individuals. This analysis identifies 97 BMI-associated loci (P < 5 × 10(-8)), 56 of which are novel. Five loci demonstrate clear evidence of several independent association signals, and many loci have significant effects on other metabolic phenotypes. The 97 loci account for ∼2.7% of BMI variation, and genome-wide estimates suggest that common variation accounts for >20% of BMI variation. Pathway analyses provide strong support for a role of the central nervous system in obesity susceptibility and implicate new genes and pathways, including those related to synaptic function, glutamate signalling, insulin secretion/action, energy metabolism, lipid biology and adipogenesis.
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| 2. |
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| 3. |
- Andersson, Mariette, et al.
(author)
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Genome editing in potato via CRISPR-Cas9 ribonucleoprotein delivery
- 2018
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In: Physiologia Plantarum. - : Wiley. - 0031-9317 .- 1399-3054. ; 164, s. 378-384
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats and CRISPR-associated protein-9 (CRISPR-Cas9) can be used as an efficient tool for genome editing in potato (Solanum tuberosum). From both a scientific and a regulatory perspective, it is beneficial if integration of DNA in the potato genome is avoided. We have implemented a DNA-free genome editing method, using delivery of CRISPR-Cas9 ribonucleoproteins (RNPs) to potato protoplasts, by targeting the gene encoding a granule bound starch synthase (GBSS, EC 2.4.1.242). The RNP method was directly implemented using previously developed protoplast isolation, transfection and regeneration protocols without further adjustments. Cas9 protein was preassembled with RNA produced either synthetically or by in vitro transcription. RNP with synthetically produced RNA (cr-RNP) induced mutations, i.e. indels, at a frequency of up to 9%, with all mutated lines being transgene-free. A mutagenesis frequency of 25% of all regenerated shoots was found when using RNP with in vitro transcriptionally produced RNA (IVT-RNP). However, more than 80% of the shoots with confirmed mutations had unintended inserts in the cut site, which was in the same range as when using DNA delivery. The inserts originated both from DNA template remnants from the in vitro transcription, and from chromosomal potato DNA. In 2-3% of the regenerated shoots from the RNP-experiments, mutations were induced in all four alleles resulting in a complete knockout of the GBSS enzyme function.
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| 4. |
- Broomé, Per, et al.
(author)
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Self-employment : the significance of ability, desire and opportunity
- 2018
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In: International Journal of Entrepreneurial Behaviour & Research. - : Emerald Group Publishing Limited. - 1355-2554 .- 1758-6534. ; 24:2, s. 538-552
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Purpose The purpose of this paper is to examine the influence of ability, desire and opportunity on the individual's intention to be self-employed. Design/methodology/approach The authors created a database from Swedish national registers consisting of all individuals residing in Sweden sometime during the period 1997-2010 and selected all 333,001 full sibling pairs, 12,810 maternal half sibling pairs and 15,944 paternal half sibling pairs. Three types of entrepreneurs were defined based on information from the Swedish Tax Register. The authors divided the intention to be self-employed into ability and desire and defined ability as a genetic factor and desire as a common family factor. A classical twin model was used to separate the variance of the outcome variables into genetic, common and unshared environmental factors. Findings The study demonstrates that the influence from opportunity on the intention to be self-employed is generally strong and that all factors, ability, desire and opportunity, differ, both in size and content, for the three outcomes of entrepreneurs. Originality/value The authors divide self-employment into three distinct company types, which enables a sophisticated additive genetic analysis of the ability, desire and opportunity to be self-employed. The authors contribute to the understanding of why individuals become self-employed by examining the influences from internal and external factors of family on the intentions of self-employment.
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| 5. |
- Ek, Malin, et al.
(author)
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Gastrointestinal symptoms among endometriosis patients : A case-cohort study
- 2015
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In: BMC Women's Health. - : BioMed Central. - 1472-6874. ; 15
-
Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Background Women with endometriosis often experience gastrointestinal symptoms. Gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH) analogs are used to treat endometriosis; however, some patients develop gastrointestinal dysmotility following this treatment. The aims of the present study were to investigate gastrointestinal symptoms among patients with endometriosis and to examine whether symptoms were associated with menstruation, localization of endometriosis lesions, or treatment with either opioids or GnRH analogs, and if hormonal treatment affected the symptoms. Methods All patients with diagnosed endometriosis at the Department of Gynecology were invited to participate in the study. Gastrointestinal symptoms were registered using the Visual Analogue Scale for Irritable Bowel Syndrome (VAS-IBS); socioeconomic and medical histories were compiled using a clinical data survey. Data were compared to a control group from the general population. Results A total of 109 patients and 65 controls were investigated. Compared to controls, patients with endometriosis experienced significantly aggravated abdominal pain (P = 0.001), constipation (P = 0.009), bloating and flatulence (P = 0.000), defecation urgency (P = 0.010), and sensation of incomplete evacuation (P = 0.050), with impaired psychological well-being (P = 0.005) and greater intestinal symptom influence on their daily lives (P = 0.001). The symptoms were not associated with menstruation or localization of endometriosis lesions, except increased nausea and vomiting (P = 0.010) in patients with bowel-associated lesions. Half of the patients were able to differentiate between abdominal pain from endometriosis and from the gastrointestinal tract. Patients using opioids experienced more severe symptoms than patients not using opioids, and patients with current or previous use of GnRH analogs had more severe abdominal pain than the other patients (P = 0.024). Initiation of either combined oral contraceptives or progesterone for endometriosis had no effect on gastrointestinal symptoms when the patients were followed prospectively. Conclusions The majority of endometriosis patients experience more severe gastrointestinal symptoms than controls. A poor association between symptoms and lesion localization was found, indicating existing comorbidity between endometriosis and irritable bowel syndrome (IBS). Treatment with opioids or GnRH analogs is associated with aggravated gastrointestinal symptoms.
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| 6. |
- Engström, Per, et al.
(author)
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Loss evasion and tax aversion
- 2015
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In: American Economic Journal: Economic Policy. ; 7, s. 132-164
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- The objective of this paper is to study if taxpayers behave in a loss aversemanner when filing their tax returns. This is important for tax design but alsofor understanding human behavior in general. The predictions of prospecttheory can be contrasted to those of expected utility theory. We use datafor 3.6 million Swedish taxpayers for the income year 2006. Our researchmethod is quasi-experimental using a regression kink and discontinuity approach.We also use an alternative instrumental-variables approach. There isstrong evidence of loss aversion. We estimate the coefficient of loss aversionusing actual behavior and the instrument-variables approach. Our estimate isvery close to the estimates reported in the experimental literature.
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| 7. |
- Engström, Per, et al.
(author)
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Tax Compliance and Loss Aversion
- 2015
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In: American Economic Journal. - : American Economic Association. - 1945-7731 .- 1945-774X. ; 7:4, s. 132-164
-
Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- We study if taxpayers are loss averse when filing returns. Preliminary deficits might be viewed as losses assuming zero preliminary balances as reference points. Swedish taxpayers can to try to escape such losses by claiming deductions after receiving information about the preliminary balance. Using a regression kink and discontinuity approach, we study data for 3.6 million Swedish taxpayers for 2006. There are strong causal effects of preliminary tax deficits on the probability of claiming deductions. Compliance will increase and auditing costs will be reduced if preliminary taxes are calibrated so that most taxpayers receive refunds.
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| 8. |
- Forsberg, Per Ola, et al.
(author)
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Causal nature of neighborhood deprivation on individual risk of coronary heart disease or ischemic stroke : A prospective national Swedish co-relative control study in men and women
- 2018
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In: Health and Place. - : Elsevier BV. - 1353-8292. ; 50, s. 1-5
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- We studied the association between neighborhood socioeconomic status (SES) and incidence of coronary heart disease (CHD) or ischemic stroke in the total population and in full- and half-siblings to determine whether these associations are causal or a result from familial confounding. Data were retrieved from nationwide Swedish registers containing individual clinical data linked to neighborhood of residence. After adjustment for individual SES, the association between neighborhood SES and CHD showed no decrease with increasing genetic resemblance, particularly in women. This indicates that the association between neighborhood SES and CHD incidence is partially causal among women, which represents a novel finding.
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| 9. |
- Gynther, Per, 1961-
(author)
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Möjligheter och begränsningar : Om lärares arbete med montessoripedagogiken i praktiken
- 2016
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Doctoral thesis (other academic/artistic)abstract
- This study examines processes connected to teacher’s transformation of the Montessori theory and it's described application to a daily practice. The aim is to create knowledge about what constitutes possibilities and limitations for teachers in their daily work with Montessori education. This does not only refer to what constitutes opportunities and limitations in teachers' everyday work with teaching, but also to what constitutes opportunities and limitations for teachers to learn at work. The theoretical framework is based on action theory and theories on adult learning and connects to a tradition called workplace-learning in which learning is considered to take place in, but also between, individuals. This approach indicates that the contextual conditions which the teachers were imbedded in are important to identify. The study was conducted in four different Montessori-environments and involved nine Montessori teachers. The methods used were participant observation, interviews, informal conversations and review of teacher produced material and documents.Possibilities and limitations in teachers work were related to if they had access to Montessori materials or not. In work with Montessori materials teachers identified the children's abilities to a greater extent than they did when other materials were in use. This identification directed their interventions. When the teachers did not have access to Montessori material their method often appeared to be the same as “individual work” with the provided material. Furthermore, interventions of the teacher were then significantly often procedural rather than content-related, although the teachers clearly expressed that they wanted to go into a dialogue with children about the treated subject area. The survey therefore contradicts with the opinion that Montessori-teachers withdraw in favor of Montessori materials that sometimes has been brought up by interpreters of the pedagogy. Rather, teachers stepped back when other materials were in use. The study also shows how a prerequisite for a collective development-oriented learning among the teachers was dependent on whether teachers made their own private understanding of the pedagogy available to each other. At times, however, teachers took the use of the materials for granted. Some of the teachers also deliberately refrained from making their personal understanding available to others due to the fact that they then could be seen as a less competent Montessori-teacher. This maintaining of a “false” collective understanding is seen as an expression of an institutionalization of teaching practice which was maintained by sanctions from the environment if the individual didn´t recognize the institutionalization in question. Since teacher’s “space for action” in this way was limited, the institution created conditions that prevented a possible development of the working methods in use. In those cases when conditions for a collective development-oriented learning were more favorable, it was clear that the teachers did not perceive Montessori education as a given method but rather saw it as a "model" for teaching in which the teachers had to interpret and define their own method from. The teachers thus came to take advantage of a potential “space for action” which was not noticed when the pedagogy was seen as a method.
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| 10. |
- Jansson, Per-Anders, 1961, et al.
(author)
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Probiotic treatment using a mix of three Lactobacillus strains for lumbar spine bone loss in postmenopausal women: a randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled, multicentre trial
- 2019
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In: Lancet Rheumatology. - : Elsevier BV. - 2665-9913. ; 1:3
-
Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Background Postmenopausal bone loss in the spine is associated with an increased risk of vertebral fractures. Certain probiotic treatment protects rodents from ovariectomy-induced bone loss. The aim of the present study was to determine if treatment with a combination of three bacterial strains protects against the rapid spine bone loss occurring in healthy early postmenopausal women. Methods This randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled, multicentre trial was done at four study centres in Sweden. Early postmenopausal women were randomly assigned in a 1:1 ratio to receive probiotic treatment consisting of three Lactobacillus strains (Lactobacillus paracasei DSM 13434, Lactobacillus plantarum DSM 15312, and Lactobacillus plantarum DSM 15313; 1 x 10(10 )colony-forming units per capsule) or placebo once daily for 12 months. The primary outcome was the percentage change from baseline in lumbar spine bone mineral density (LS-BMD) at 12 months. The primary analysis was done in all participants with BMD measurements available both at baseline and at 12 months. Analyses of adverse events and safety included all participants who had taken at least one capsule of placebo or Lactobacillus. This trial is registered with ClinicalTrials.gov, NCT02722980, and is completed. Findings Between April 18 and Nov 11,2016,249 participants were randomly assigned to receive probiotic product or placebo, and 234 (94%) completed the analyses required for the primary outcome. Lactobacillus treatment reduced the LS-BMD loss compared with placebo (mean difference 0.71%, 95% CI 0.06 to 1.35). The LS-BMD loss was significant in the placebo group (-0.72%, -1.22 to -0.22), whereas no bone loss was observed in the Lactobacillus-treated group (-0.01%, -0.50 to 0.48). The adverse events were similar between the two groups. Interpretation Probiotic treatment using a mix of three Lactobacillus strains protects against lumbar spine bone loss in healthy postmenopausal women. Copyright (C) 2019 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
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| 11. |
- Johansson, Jan, et al.
(author)
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CLOSE-RTK 3: High-performance Real-TimeGNSS Services
- 2019
-
Reports (other academic/artistic)abstract
- This report presents the results from the third project of the CLOSE effort (Chalmers,Lantmäteriet, Onsala, RISE). The first project, CLOSE-RTK, investigated error sources inNetwork-RTK and simulated how to improve the performance. The results were used as a basisfor the densification, improvement and development of SWEPOS(https://swepos.lantmateriet.se/ ) during the last decade. The second project investigated how theionosphere effects the Network-RTK services.When the SWEPOS network are densified, the measurement uncertainty in the services arereduced. Thus, there is a need to continuously work in order to minimize effects from allsignificant error sources. Based on indications and experience from some 25 years operation ofSWEPOS, we have here focused on effects and error sources related to GNSS referencestations. Several new GNSS monuments are installed in the vicinity of the new Twin telescopesat the Onsala Space Observatory. Four good locations for permanent GNSS installations wereequipped with steel-grid masts serving as monuments for permanent GNSS installations. In twoof these, the installation has been untouched over a period extending over one year, while twohave been used to experiment with different installations of antennas, radomes, masthead, andthe environment of the receiving systems. The purpose of CLOSE-RTK III has been both toimprove the knowledge of the station-dependent effects in SWEPOS, and to quantify sucheffects by analyzing the collected observational data. Thus, the first work package has had theultimate goal to provide knowledge and recommendations when building a new GNSS stationand choosing the equipment to be used. The first work package also addresses the issue of somespecific station-dependent effects such as the monument stability as a function of airtemperature and sun radiation. The most important and significant results from these testsrelates to the effects of using different radomes and antennas. The influence of adding a tribrachbetween the antenna and the mast as well as adding a microwave-absorbing plate at the stationshas been investigated in detail. Furthermore, this study has looked in to the problem with birdslanding on the antennas in order to keep watch over the surrounding. A bird-detection algorithmhas been developed within the project.In second work package we investigate the necessity, and possibility, to develop methods forstation-dependent calibration in addition to the antenna-specific calibrations used to today.Since the performance of positioning services, e.g. Network-RTK, is steadily improved the errorsources related to the continuously operating reference stations may soon be limiting factors forfurther improvement of performance. Station dependent effects are thus important in highaccuracy GNSS positioning. Electrical coupling between the antenna and its near-fieldenvironment changes the characteristics of the antenna from what has been determined in e.g.absolute robot or chamber calibration.When using the presently available antenna models GNSS determination of the heightdifference between the SWEPOS pillar antennas and the surrounding reference antennas gave ~10 mm too low heights for the SWEPOS antennas. This error was derived from a comparisonwith conventional terrestrial surveys. The result varied significantly between days, and alsobetween different processing strategies. PCO/PCV errors derived from GNSS phase differencesshowed clear elevation-angle signatures that may cause systematic differences in the estimatedheight component and atmospheric delay, respectively. Electromagnetic coupling between theantenna and a metal plate below the antennas is probably contributing to the systematicPCO/PCV errors found.Starting already in 2008 and continued in this project we have developed methods andcarried out in-situ station calibration of the core permanent reference stations in SWEPOS. The station calibration intends to determine the electrical center of the GNSSantenna, as well as the PCV (phase center variations) when the antenna is installed at aSWEPOS station. The purpose of the calibration has been to examine the site-dependenteffects on the height determination as well as to establish site-dependent PCVs as acomplement to absolute calibrations of the antenna-radome pair.Our results have implications on a number of practical applications. To be mentioned isdetermination of the “local tie” between the GNSS reference point and the one from otherinstrumentation at fundamental geodetic stations. Usually, the L1 observable are used whileobserving the local GNSS networks in order to get as precise results as possible. But when usedin the IGS, the L3 (ionosphere-free) observable is used and also solving for troposphere delays.Thus, an error at the 1 cm level is easily introduced due to PCO/PCV errors.Since there are also other concepts emerging for precise real-time positioning, besides the so farused VRS-concept, the potential of these new concepts (MAC and PPP) are investigated inwork package three. Basically, the requirements from the infrastructure are invariant of thechosen concept if we aim for a certain level of performance. There is e.g. an ongoingdevelopment of real time methods for Precise Point Positioning (PPP) based on local or regionalaugmentation systems often referred to as PPP-RTK. The present development also includednew satellite signals and systems, thus, make available a three-frequency technique. The reportalso provides a schematic plan how such a service, based on PPP-RTK or rather Network-RTK,could be provided in the region of the Baltic Sea.Finally, the design of a high precision positioning service for the Baltic Sea are investigated.Motivation is that international vessel-traffic could be further optimized if the uncertainty ofvertical component in the navigation could be improved. The performance in the “Baltic Seanavigation service” would benefit from installation of some few off-shore GNSS referencestations that would be possible to locate to relatively shallow waters!
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| 12. |
- Johansson, Staffan, et al.
(author)
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A Novel Approach to Reduction of Frictional Losses in a Heavy-Duty Diesel Engine by Reducing the Hydrodynamic Frictional Losses
- 2017
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In: Advances in Tribology. - New York : Hindawi Publishing Corporation. - 1687-5915 .- 1687-5923. ; 2017, s. 1-17
-
Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- An important parameter in the reduction of fuel consumption of heavy-duty diesel engines is the Power Cylinder Unit (PCU); the PCU is the single largest contributor to engine frictional losses. Much attention, from both academia and industry, has been paid to reducing the frictional losses of the PCU in the boundary and mixed lubrication regime. However, previous studies have shown that a large portion of frictional losses in the PCU occur in the hydrodynamic lubrication regime. A novel texturing design with large types of surface features was experimentally analyzed using a tribometer setup. The experimental result shows a significant reduction of friction loss for the textured surfaces. Additionally, the textured surface did not exhibit wear. On the contrary, it was shown that the textured surfaces exhibited a smaller amount of abrasive scratches on the plateaus (compared to the reference plateau honed surface) due to entrapment of wear particles within the textures. The decrease in hydrodynamic friction for the textured surfaces relates to the relative increase of oil film thickness within the textures. A tentative example is given which describes a method of decreasing hydrodynamic frictional losses in the full-scale application. © 2017 Staffan Johansson et al.
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| 13. |
- Langegård, Ulrica, 1969, et al.
(author)
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Evaluation of quality of care in relation to health-related quality of life of patients diagnosed with brain tumor : a novel clinic for proton beam therapy
- 2019
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In: Supportive Care in Cancer. - : Springer. - 0941-4355 .- 1433-7339. ; 27:7, s. 2679-2691
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Purpose: Patients with brain tumors constitute a vulnerable group, and it is important that they receive the highest quality of care (QoC). The study aim was to describe the perceptions of QoC and its association with health-related quality of life in brain tumor patients undergoing proton beam therapy in a newly established clinic.Method: Data were collected at the start of treatment and after 3 and 6weeks. Adult patients (18years old) with brain tumors (n=186) completed two self-administered questionnaires: a modified Quality from the Patients' Perspective, which measures perceived reality and subjective importance of care, and the EORTC QLQ-C30. Data were analyzed using parametric and non-parametric statistical tests.Results: The perceived QoC was highest for treatment information and lowest for dietician and smoking information, whereas interaction with doctors and nurses was rated as the most important aspect of quality of care. Subjective importance ratings were significantly higher than perceived reality ratings for 60% of items. A better global health was moderately correlated with a higher perceived support for fatigue.Conclusions: A need for quality improvement was identified for several aspects of patient care. Greater symptom distress during the treatment period led to greater perceived importance of symptom support. Ensuring QoC is complex and collaboration with other health care professionals is essential.Relevance to clinical practice: The clinic could improve QoC regarding information about possible symptoms, adjust care according to patient perceptions of importance, and involve patients in care decisions.
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| 14. |
- Langegård, Ulrica, 1969, et al.
(author)
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Symptom Clusters in Patients With Brain Tumors Undergoing Proton Beam Therapy
- 2019
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In: Oncology Nursing Forum. - : Oncology Nursing Society. - 0190-535X .- 1538-0688. ; 46:3, s. 349-363
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- OBJECTIVES: To explore symptom clusters during proton beam therapy in patients with primary brain tumors and investigate associations among symptom clusters, demographic variables, and comorbidity in this patient population.SAMPLE & SETTING: Data were collected from 187 adult patients with primary brain tumors during their treatment periods in the Skandion Clinic in Uppsala, Sweden. Symptoms were assessed with the Radiotherapy-Related Symptoms Assessment Scale, and comorbidity was evaluated with the Self-Administered Comorbidity Questionnaire.METHODS & VARIABLES: The study used a quantitative and longitudinal design. Exploratory factor analysis was used to determine the underlying structure of symptom clusters.RESULTS: Three clusters were identified: mood, reduced appetite, and reduced energy. The mood cluster had the highest factor loadings (0.71-0.86). In addition, demographic and comorbidity characteristics were associated with symptom clusters in this group of patients.IMPLICATIONS FOR NURSING: Building knowledge about how these symptoms interact and are clustered will support healthcare professionals to more efficiently relieve symptom clusters during proton beam therapy.
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| 15. |
- Lidberg, Martin, 1964, et al.
(author)
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Station calibration of the SWEPOS GNSS network
- 2019
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In: Geophysica. - : Finish Environment Institute. - 0367-4231 .- 2324-0741. ; 54:1, s. 93-105
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- The performance of GNSS based positioning services is improving to the benefit of the users, and the uncertainties from densified RTK networks for construction work is approaching the sub-centimeter level also in the vertical. The error sources related to the continuously operating reference stations (CORS) may therefore soon be limiting factors for further improvement of performance. Station dependent effects are thus important in high accuracy GNSS positioning. Electrical coupling between the antenna and its near-field environment changes the characteristics of the antenna from what has been determined in e.g. absolute robot or chamber calibrations. Since the first initial tests back in 2008, Lantmäteriet together with Chalmers University of Technology and Research Institute of Sweden (RISE), has carried out in-situ station calibration of its network of permanent reference stations, SWEPOS. The station calibration intends to determine the electrical center of the GNSS antenna, as well as the PCV (phase center variations) when the antenna is installed at a SWEPOS station. One purpose of the calibration is to examine the site-dependent effects on the height determination in SWEREF 99 (the national reference frame). Another purpose is to establish PCV as a complement to absolute calibrations of the antenna-radome pair. In this paper we present both the methodology for observation procedure in the field and the method for the analysis, together with results of the station-dependent effects on heights as well as PCV from the analysis. Some strength and weakness of our method for GNSS station calibration are discussed at the end.
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| 16. |
- Ohlsson, Pelle, et al.
(author)
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Acoustic impedance matched buffers enable separation of bacteria from blood cells at high cell concentrations
- 2018
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In: Scientific Reports. - : Springer Science and Business Media LLC. - 2045-2322. ; 8:1
-
Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Sepsis is a common and often deadly systemic response to an infection, usually caused by bacteria. The gold standard for finding the causing pathogen in a blood sample is blood culture, which may take hours to days. Shortening the time to diagnosis would significantly reduce mortality. To replace the time-consuming blood culture we are developing a method to directly separate bacteria from red and white blood cells to enable faster bacteria identification. The blood cells are moved from the sample flow into a parallel stream using acoustophoresis. Due to their smaller size, the bacteria are not affected by the acoustic field and therefore remain in the blood plasma flow and can be directed to a separate outlet. When optimizing for sample throughput, 1 ml of undiluted whole blood equivalent can be processed within 12.5 min, while maintaining the bacteria recovery at 90% and the blood cell removal above 99%. That makes this the fastest label-free microfluidic continuous flow method per channel to separate bacteria from blood with high bacteria recovery (>80%). The high throughput was achieved by matching the acoustic impedance of the parallel stream to that of the blood sample, to avoid that acoustic forces relocate the fluid streams.
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| 17. |
- Ohlsson, Per
(author)
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Spelförståelse och kommunikationsförmåga : En fenomenografisk studie över hur elittränare i fotboll söker bekräftelse på om spelare har förstått andemeningen i en instruktion
- 2019
-
Doctoral thesis (other academic/artistic)abstract
- The aim of the present study is to develop knowledge about and knowledge how professional football coaches come to know that the essence of their instructions has been understood by their players, with particular focus on the theoretical aspects of the game.The background to this study is based on recent rapid developments in the game, as it changes from a strictly controlled system–oriented game to a game where the individual player is expected to perform multiple roles and change position during a match. This is a development which places increasing demands on the players' ‘game sense’ and general understanding of the game. 98% of the game of football is a game that is not played with the ball at the player’s feet. Rather, it is a game where the player’s cognitive ability (i) to read the other players’ movements and (ii) to continually shift position in response to these movements is a key factor. This development also places greater demands on the coach’s knowledge of the game, pedagogic competence, and ability to communicate not only the learning situation’s direct object but also the indirect object of the learning situation. This involves the player understanding how to act in a way that benefits the team, even when the unpredictable events that take place during a football match do not coincide with the patterns of movement which the coach may have prepared his players for.Twenty-three professional football coaches were asked two questions. The first question addresses the theoretical knowledge domain instantiated by a player's ‘game sense’, from which the second question follows:How do coaches define the concept of ‘game sense’?How do coaches look for confirmation that the players have understood the essence of their instructions?The study employs a phenomenographic approach which is broadened and deepened so as to produce a richer interpretation by the use of semiotics, somatic markers, and pattern recognition (from the field of cognitive science). A hermeneutic approach laid the foundation for the description of the respondents' everyday professional life. By applying these additional approaches, the phenomenographic approach to developed as a phenomenography of listening, thereby creating the basis for a qualitative analysis.This study argues that football is a cognitive sport, where the concept of ‘game sense’ is described as the player's ability to read, interpret, and act in a situation. The study also shows that confirmation of whether a player has understood the essence of his coach’s instructions is limited to what the coach sees in the form of the decisions and actions that can be observed during training sessions and the match. This confirmation is expressed merely as I see it. It is also apparent that across the coaches, with some exceptions, there is no conscious strategy for how a coach might confirm whether a player has actually understood the learning situation's indirect object, namely the essence of the instruction issued by the coach.
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| 18. |
- Palmqvist, Sebastian, et al.
(author)
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Detailed comparison of amyloid PET and CSF biomarkers for identifying early Alzheimer disease
- 2015
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In: Neurology. - : Lippincott Williams & Wilkins. - 1526-632X .- 0028-3878. ; 85:14, s. 1240-1249
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Objective:To compare the diagnostic accuracy of CSF biomarkers and amyloid PET for diagnosing early-stage Alzheimer disease (AD).Methods:From the prospective, longitudinal BioFINDER study, we included 122 healthy elderly and 34 patients with mild cognitive impairment who developed AD dementia within 3 years (MCI-AD). -Amyloid (A) deposition in 9 brain regions was examined with [F-18]-flutemetamol PET. CSF was analyzed with INNOTEST and EUROIMMUN ELISAs. The results were replicated in 146 controls and 64 patients with MCI-AD from the Alzheimer's Disease Neuroimaging Initiative study.Results:The best CSF measures for identifying MCI-AD were A42/total tau (t-tau) and A42/hyperphosphorylated tau (p-tau) (area under the curve [AUC] 0.93-0.94). The best PET measures performed similarly (AUC 0.92-0.93; anterior cingulate, posterior cingulate/precuneus, and global neocortical uptake). CSF A42/t-tau and A42/p-tau performed better than CSF A42 and A42/40 (AUC difference 0.03-0.12, p < 0.05). Using nonoptimized cutoffs, CSF A42/t-tau had the highest accuracy of all CSF/PET biomarkers (sensitivity 97%, specificity 83%). The combination of CSF and PET was not better than using either biomarker separately.Conclusions:Amyloid PET and CSF biomarkers can identify early AD with high accuracy. There were no differences between the best CSF and PET measures and no improvement when combining them. Regional PET measures were not better than assessing the global A deposition. The results were replicated in an independent cohort using another CSF assay and PET tracer. The choice between CSF and amyloid PET biomarkers for identifying early AD can be based on availability, costs, and doctor/patient preferences since both have equally high diagnostic accuracy.Classification of evidence:This study provides Class III evidence that amyloid PET and CSF biomarkers identify early-stage AD equally accurately.
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| 19. |
- Petersson, Klara, et al.
(author)
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Acoustofluidic hematocrit determination
- 2018
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In: Analytica Chimica Acta. - : Elsevier BV. - 0003-2670. ; 1000, s. 199-204
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Hematocrit (HCT) measurements of blood from patients, blood donors and athletes are routinely performed on a daily basis. These measurements are often performed in centralized hospital labs by whole blood analyzers, which leads to long time-to-result. On site measurements, based on centrifugation can be done, but these assays require manual handling, are slow and can just measure HCT in contrast to the central lab whole blood analyzers. In this work, we present a microfluidic based method to measure HCT in blood samples by acoustic separation of whole blood into discrete regions of plasma and red blood cells. Comparison of the areas of the red blood cell and plasma regions gives an accurate HCT value, with a linear correlation to the centrifugation-based reference method. A readout can be performed within 2 s of acoustic actuation providing a readout accuracy of approximately 3% points (pp) HCT. Additional accuracy can be achieved by extending the acoustic actuation to 20 s, yielding an error of less than 1 pp HCT. This acoustic tool is optimal for integration into a lab-on-a-chip device with in-line measurements of different clinical parameters.
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| 20. |
- Petersson, Klara, et al.
(author)
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Twenty second acoustofluidic whole blood hematocrit assay
- 2016
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In: 20th International Conference on Miniaturized Systems for Chemistry and Life Sciences, MicroTAS 2016. - 9780979806490 ; , s. 635-636
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Conference paper (peer-reviewed)abstract
- This abstract reports a novel acoustofluidic method to measure the hematocrit level of a whole blood sample within 20 seconds. The method is substantially faster than conventional centrifugation methods, has no moving parts and can be fully automated and integrated with further unit operations for analysis of blood samples at the point of care [1].
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| 21. |
- Reza Felix, Mariana, et al.
(author)
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Bone Scan Index as an Imaging Biomarker in Metastatic Castration-resistant Prostate Cancer : A Multicentre Study Based on Patients Treated with Abiraterone Acetate (Zytiga) in Clinical Practice
- 2016
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In: European Urology Focus. - : Elsevier BV. - 2405-4569. ; 2:5, s. 540-546
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Background Abiraterone acetate (AA) prolongs survival in metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer (mCRPC) patients. To measure treatment response accurately in bone, quantitative methods are needed. The Bone Scan Index (BSI), a prognostic imaging biomarker, reflects the tumour burden in bone as a percentage of the total skeletal mass calculated from bone scintigraphy. Objective To evaluate the value of BSI as a biomarker for outcome evaluation in mCRPC patients on treatment with AA according to clinical routine. Design, setting, and participants We retrospectively studied 104 mCRPC patients who received AA following disease progression after chemotherapy. All patients underwent whole-body bone scintigraphy before and during AA treatment. Baseline and follow-up BSI data were obtained using EXINI BoneBSI software (EXINI Diagnostics AB, Lund, Sweden). Outcome measurements and statistical analysis Associations between change in BSI, clinical parameters at follow-up, and overall survival (OS) were evaluated using the Cox proportional hazards regression models and Kaplan-Meier estimates. Discrimination between variables was assessed using the concordance index (C-index). Results and limitations Patients with an increase in BSI at follow-up of at most 0.30 (n = 54) had a significantly longer median survival time than those with an increase of BSI >0.30 (n = 50) (median: 16 vs 10 mo; p = 0.001). BSI change was also associated with OS in a multivariate Cox analysis including commonly used clinical parameters for prognosis (C-index = 0.7; hazard ratio: 1.1; p = 0.03). The retrospective design was a limitation. Conclusions Change in BSI was significantly associated with OS in mCRPC patients undergoing AA treatment following disease progression in a postchemotherapy setting. BSI may be a useful imaging biomarker for outcome evaluation in this group of patients, and it could be a valuable complementary tool in monitoring patients with mCRPC on second-line therapies. Patient summary Bone Scan Index (BSI) change is related to survival time in metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer (mCRPC) patients on abiraterone acetate. BSI may be a valuable complementary decision-making tool supporting physicians monitoring patients with mCRPC on second-line therapies.
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| 22. |
- Schölin, Tobias, et al.
(author)
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Self-employment : The significance of families for professional intentions and choice of company type
- 2016
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In: International Journal of Entrepreneurial Behaviour & Research. - : Emerald Group Publishing Limited. - 1355-2554 .- 1758-6534. ; 22:3, s. 329-345
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Purpose - The purpose of this paper is to examine the influence that family factors have on an individual's intention to be self-employed. Design/methodology/approach - The authors selected, from Swedish national registers, all full siblings born between 1945 and 1960 and their biological children, who were born before 1985. The authors created one family database consisting of male individuals (n = 1,204,436) and one family database consisting of female individuals (n = 1,349,904). The authors defined the outcome variable during the years 2003-2010. Separate analyses were conducted for each of the four outcome variables: all self-employed individuals, owners of limited liability companies, sole traders and hybrids. The authors used multi-level logistic analysis for this study. Findings - The study demonstrates that the influence that family factors have on an individual's choice of company type is strong; however, it varies depending on intentions transferred within the family. Originality/value - The authors divide self-employment into three distinct parts based on the company type, which enables a sophisticated analysis of self-employed individuals and of the transference of intentions to be self-employed within families. The authors contribute to the understanding of why individuals become self-employed by examining the impact of family factors on the intention of an individual to choose different types of company.
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| 23. |
- Schölin, Tobias, et al.
(author)
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The role of regions for different forms of business organizations
- 2017
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In: Entrepreneurship and Regional Development. - : Taylor & Francis. - 0898-5626 .- 1464-5114. ; 29:3-4, s. 197-214
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- The evidence for associations between area characteristics and entrepreneurship is fairly consistent in most studies. These studies, however, have disregarded the fact that the areas might be constructs that have no effect on the individual differences in entrepreneurship and, furthermore, have conflated entrepreneurship and sole proprietorship, disregarding the impact of area constructs on different forms of business organizations. Therefore, we investigate and quantify, within a multi-level framework, the importance of municipalities and regions for understanding individual differences in entrepreneurship and self employment (defined as sole proprietorship). By using register data comprising the entire Swedish population for 2000-2010, we decompose the variation for the respective form of business organization into three levels: the individual, the municipality and the region. Our results show that about 10% of the total variation in entrepreneurship can be attributed to the municipality and region level. The corresponding numbers for self employment are 3-4%. Our results indicate that regions and municipalities differ markedly in area impact for entrepreneurs compared to self employed. The results from the present study show the importance of taking into account the form of business organization in economic analysis, and they can be used when considering whether it is appropriate to focus on specific municipalities and regions for policy interventions on self-employment.
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| 24. |
- Shungin, Dmitry, et al.
(author)
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New genetic loci link adipose and insulin biology to body fat distribution.
- 2015
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In: Nature. - : Springer Science and Business Media LLC. - 0028-0836 .- 1476-4687. ; 518:7538, s. 187-378
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Body fat distribution is a heritable trait and a well-established predictor of adverse metabolic outcomes, independent of overall adiposity. To increase our understanding of the genetic basis of body fat distribution and its molecular links to cardiometabolic traits, here we conduct genome-wide association meta-analyses of traits related to waist and hip circumferences in up to 224,459 individuals. We identify 49 loci (33 new) associated with waist-to-hip ratio adjusted for body mass index (BMI), and an additional 19 loci newly associated with related waist and hip circumference measures (P < 5 × 10(-8)). In total, 20 of the 49 waist-to-hip ratio adjusted for BMI loci show significant sexual dimorphism, 19 of which display a stronger effect in women. The identified loci were enriched for genes expressed in adipose tissue and for putative regulatory elements in adipocytes. Pathway analyses implicated adipogenesis, angiogenesis, transcriptional regulation and insulin resistance as processes affecting fat distribution, providing insight into potential pathophysiological mechanisms.
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| 25. |
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| 26. |
- Smith, Ruben, et al.
(author)
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In vivo retention of (18)F-AV-1451 in corticobasal syndrome.
- 2017
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In: Neurology. - 1526-632X. ; 89:8, s. 845-853
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- To study the usefulness of (18)F-AV-1451 PET in patients with corticobasal syndrome (CBS).We recruited 8 patients with CBS, 17 controls, 31 patients with Alzheimer disease (AD), and 11 patients with progressive supranuclear palsy (PSP) from the Swedish BioFINDER study. All patients underwent clinical assessment, (18)F-AV-1451 PET, MRI, and quantification of β-amyloid pathology. A subset of participants also underwent (18)F-FDG-PET.In the 8 patients with CBS, 6 had imaging findings compatible with the corticobasal degeneration pathology and 2 with typical AD pathology. In the 6 patients with CBS without typical AD pathology, there were substantial retentions of (18)F-AV-1451 in the motor cortex, corticospinal tract, and basal ganglia contralateral to the most affected body side. These patients could be clearly distinguished from patients with AD dementia or PSP using (18)F-AV-1451. However, cortical atrophy was more widespread than the cortical retention of (18)F-AV1451 in these CBS cases, and cortical AV-1451 uptake did not correlate with cortical thickness or glucose hypometabolism. These results are in sharp contrast to AD dementia, where (18)F-AV-1451 retention was more widespread than cortical atrophy, and correlated well with cortical thickness and hypometabolism.Patients with CBS without typical AD pathology exhibited AV-1451 retention in the motor cortex, corticospinal tract, and basal ganglia contralateral to the affected body side, clearly different from controls and patients with AD dementia or PSP. However, cortical atrophy measured with MRI and decreased (18)F-fluorodeoxyglucose uptake were more widespread than (18)F-AV-1451 uptake and probably represent earlier, yet less specific, markers of CBS.This study provides Class III evidence that (18)F-AV-1451 PET distinguishes between CBS and AD or PSP.
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| 27. |
- Starzmann, Karin, 1965, et al.
(author)
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Diagnoses have the greatest impact on variation in sick-leave certification rate among primary-care patients in Sweden: A multilevel analysis including patient, physician and primary health-care centre levels
- 2015
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In: Scandinavian Journal of Public Health. - : SAGE Publications. - 1403-4948 .- 1651-1905. ; 43:7, s. 704-712
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Aims: The aims of this study were to determine and evaluate simultaneously the importance of factors known to influence sick-leave certification such as the sick leave-related diagnoses, the patients' socio-economic status, and characteristics of the physicians. Methods: Computerised medical records from 24 public primary health-care centres (PHCC) were used in a multilevel logistic regression analysis at three levels: patients (n=64,354; sex, age, socio-economic status, workplace factors and diagnoses), physicians (n=574; sex and level of experience) and PHCC (n=24). The variation of sick-leave certification at each level was the outcome. Results: Most of the variation was attributed to the patient level and only 3.5% to the physician and 1.2% to the PHCC levels. Among the patient characteristics, psychiatric diagnoses (mostly acute stress) had the highest odds ratio (OR) for sick leave (OR=16.0; 95% confidence interval [CI] 15-17.2), followed by musculoskeletal diagnoses (OR=6.1; 95% CI 5.8-6.5). Other factors with increased OR were low education (OR=1.7; 95% CI 1.6-1.8), use of social allowance (OR=1.4; 95% CI 1.2-1.7) and certain workplaces (manufacture and health and social care). Being older was not associated with increased certified sick leave. Conclusions: The greatest variation in sick-leave certification rate was seen at the patient level, specifically psychiatric diagnoses. Socio-economic factors increasing the risk for sick-leave certification were education, social allowance and occupations in manufacture and caregiving. Understanding the impact of the different factors that influence certified sick leave is important both for targeted interventions in order to facilitate patients' return to work.
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| 28. |
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| 29. |
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