Effect of multizone refractive multifocal contact lenses on standard automated perimetry.

PubMed

Madrid-Costa, David; Ruiz-Alcocer, Javier; García-Lázaro, Santiago; Albarrán-Diego, César; Ferrer-Blasco, Teresa

2012-09-01

The aim of this study was to evaluate whether the creation of 2 foci (distance and near) provided by multizone refractive multifocal contact lenses (CLs) for presbyopia correction affects the measurements on Humphreys 24-2 Swedish interactive threshold algorithm (SITA) standard automated perimetry (SAP). In this crossover study, 30 subjects were fitted in random order with either a multifocal CL or a monofocal CL. After 1 month, a Humphrey 24-2 SITA standard strategy was performed. The visual field global indices (the mean deviation [MD] and pattern standard deviation [PSD]), reliability indices, test duration, and number of depressed points deviating at P<5%, P<2%, P<1%, and P<0.5% on pattern deviation probability plots were determined and compared between multifocal and monofocal CLs. Thirty eyes of 30 subjects were included in this study. There were no statistically significant differences in reliability indices or test duration. There was a statistically significant reduction in the MD with the multifocal CL compared with monfocal CL (P=0.001). Differences were not found in PSD nor in the number of depressed points deviating at P<5%, P<2%, P<1%, and P<0.5% in the pattern deviation probability maps studied. The results of this study suggest that the multizone refractive lens produces a generalized depression in threshold sensitivity as measured by the Humphreys 24-2 SITA SAP.

High quality cord blood banking is feasible with delayed clamping practices. The eight-year experience and current status of the national Swedish Cord Blood Bank.

PubMed

Frändberg, Sofia; Waldner, Berit; Konar, Jan; Rydberg, Lennart; Fasth, Anders; Holgersson, Jan

2016-09-01

The National Swedish Cord Blood Bank (NS-CBB) is altruistic and publicly funded. Herein we describe the status of the bank and the impact of delayed versus early clamping on cell number and volume. Cord Blood Units (CBUs) were collected at two University Hospitals in Sweden. Collected volume and nucleated cell content (TNC) were investigated in 146 consecutive Cord Blood (CB) collections sampled during the first quarter of 2012 and in 162 consecutive CB collections done in the first quarter of 2013, before and after clamping practices were changed from immediate to late (60 s) clamping. NS-CBB now holds close to 5000 units whereof 30 % are from non-Caucasian or mixed origins. Delayed clamping had no major effect on collection efficiency. The volume collected was slightly reduced (mean difference, 8.1 ml; 95 % CI, 1.3-15.0 ml; p = 0.02), while cell recovery was not (p = 0.1). The proportion of CBUs that met initial total TNC banking criteria was 60 % using a TNC threshold of 12.5 × 10(8), and 47 % using a threshold of 15 × 10(8) for the early clamping group and 52 and 37 % in the late clamping group. Following implementation of delayed clamping practices at NS-CBB; close to 40 % of the collections in the late clamping group still met the high TNC banking threshold and were eligible for banking, implicating that that cord blood banking is feasible with delayed clamping practices.

Creating a medical English-Swedish dictionary using interactive word alignment.

PubMed

Nyström, Mikael; Merkel, Magnus; Ahrenberg, Lars; Zweigenbaum, Pierre; Petersson, Håkan; Ahlfeldt, Hans

2006-10-12

This paper reports on a parallel collection of rubrics from the medical terminology systems ICD-10, ICF, MeSH, NCSP and KSH97-P and its use for semi-automatic creation of an English-Swedish dictionary of medical terminology. The methods presented are relevant for many other West European language pairs than English-Swedish. The medical terminology systems were collected in electronic format in both English and Swedish and the rubrics were extracted in parallel language pairs. Initially, interactive word alignment was used to create training data from a sample. Then the training data were utilised in automatic word alignment in order to generate candidate term pairs. The last step was manual verification of the term pair candidates. A dictionary of 31,000 verified entries has been created in less than three man weeks, thus with considerably less time and effort needed compared to a manual approach, and without compromising quality. As a side effect of our work we found 40 different translation problems in the terminology systems and these results indicate the power of the method for finding inconsistencies in terminology translations. We also report on some factors that may contribute to making the process of dictionary creation with similar tools even more expedient. Finally, the contribution is discussed in relation to other ongoing efforts in constructing medical lexicons for non-English languages. In three man weeks we were able to produce a medical English-Swedish dictionary consisting of 31,000 entries and also found hidden translation errors in the utilized medical terminology systems.

Creating a medical English-Swedish dictionary using interactive word alignment

PubMed Central

Nyström, Mikael; Merkel, Magnus; Ahrenberg, Lars; Zweigenbaum, Pierre; Petersson, Håkan; Åhlfeldt, Hans

2006-01-01

Background This paper reports on a parallel collection of rubrics from the medical terminology systems ICD-10, ICF, MeSH, NCSP and KSH97-P and its use for semi-automatic creation of an English-Swedish dictionary of medical terminology. The methods presented are relevant for many other West European language pairs than English-Swedish. Methods The medical terminology systems were collected in electronic format in both English and Swedish and the rubrics were extracted in parallel language pairs. Initially, interactive word alignment was used to create training data from a sample. Then the training data were utilised in automatic word alignment in order to generate candidate term pairs. The last step was manual verification of the term pair candidates. Results A dictionary of 31,000 verified entries has been created in less than three man weeks, thus with considerably less time and effort needed compared to a manual approach, and without compromising quality. As a side effect of our work we found 40 different translation problems in the terminology systems and these results indicate the power of the method for finding inconsistencies in terminology translations. We also report on some factors that may contribute to making the process of dictionary creation with similar tools even more expedient. Finally, the contribution is discussed in relation to other ongoing efforts in constructing medical lexicons for non-English languages. Conclusion In three man weeks we were able to produce a medical English-Swedish dictionary consisting of 31,000 entries and also found hidden translation errors in the utilized medical terminology systems. PMID:17034649

High red meat intake and all-cause cardiovascular and cancer mortality: is the risk modified by fruit and vegetable intake?

PubMed

Bellavia, Andrea; Stilling, Frej; Wolk, Alicja

2016-10-01

High red meat consumption is associated with a shorter survival and higher risk of cardiovascular disease (CVD), cancer, and all-cause mortality. Fruit and vegetable (FV) consumption is associated with a longer survival and lower mortality risk. Whether high FV consumption can counterbalance the negative impact of high red meat consumption is unknown. We evaluated 2 large prospective cohorts of Swedish men and women (the Swedish Mammography Cohort and the Cohort of Swedish Men) to determine whether the association between red meat consumption and the risk of all-cause, CVD, and cancer-specific mortality differs across amounts of FV intake. The study population included 74,645 Swedish men and women. Red meat and FV consumption were assessed through a self-administered questionnaire. We estimated HRs of all-cause, CVD, and cancer mortality according to quintiles of total red meat consumption. We next investigated possible interactions between red meat and FV consumption and evaluated the dose-response associations at low, medium, and high FV intake. Compared with participants in the lowest quintile of total red meat consumption, those in the highest quintile had a 21% increased risk of all-cause mortality (HR: 1.21; 95% CI: 1.13, 1.29), a 29% increased risk of CVD mortality (HR: 1.29; 95% CI: 1.14, 1.46), and no increase in the risk of cancer mortality (HR: 1.00; 95% CI: 0.88, 1.43). Results were remarkably similar across amounts of FV consumption, and no interaction between red meat and FV consumption was detected. High intakes of red meat were associated with a higher risk of all-cause and CVD mortality. The increased risks were consistently observed in participants with low, medium, and high FV consumption. The Swedish Mammography Cohort and the Cohort of Swedish Men were registered at clinicaltrials.gov as NCT01127698 and NCT01127711, respectively. © 2016 American Society for Nutrition.

Hearing thresholds, tinnitus, and headphone listening habits in nine-year-old children.

PubMed

Båsjö, Sara; Möller, Claes; Widén, Stephen; Jutengren, Göran; Kähäri, Kim

2016-10-01

Investigate hearing function and headphone listening habits in nine-year-old Swedish children. A cross-sectional study was conducted and included otoscopy, tympanometry, pure-tone audiometry, and spontaneous otoacoustic emissions (SOAE). A questionnaire was used to evaluate headphone listening habits, tinnitus, and hyperacusis. A total of 415 children aged nine years. The prevalence of a hearing threshold ≥20 dB HL at one or several frequencies was 53%, and the hearing thresholds at 6 and 8 kHz were higher than those at the low and mid frequencies. SOAEs were observed in 35% of the children, and the prevalence of tinnitus was 5.3%. No significant relationship between SOAE and tinnitus was found. Pure-tone audiometry showed poorer hearing thresholds in children with tinnitus and in children who regularly listened with headphones. The present study of hearing, listening habits, and tinnitus in nine-year old children is, to our knowledge, the largest study so far. The main findings were that hearing thresholds in the right ear were poorer in children who used headphones than in children not using them, which could be interpreted as headphone listening may have negative consequences to children's hearing. Children with tinnitus showed poorer hearing thresholds compared to children without tinnitus.

Integration of Interactive Whiteboard in Swedish Preschool Practices

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bourbour, Maryam; Vigmo, Sylvi; Samuelsson, Ingrid Pramling

2015-01-01

This paper aims at exploring the roles preschool teachers give technologies in mathematics education and the ways they structure their mathematics learning activities using interactive whiteboard (IWB) as a technological artefact. Data collected from observations of three preschool teachers embedding IWB in a preschool practice in Sweden provided…

Practise What You Preach: The Interactive Whiteboard in Preschool Mathematics Education

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bourbour, Maryam; Masoumi, Davoud

2017-01-01

The Interactive Whiteboard (IWB) is now a common technological artefact in Swedish preschools and schools. This study examines preschool teachers' thinking behind the embedding of IWB in the early years' mathematics classroom and how preschool teachers structure their mathematical activities when using IWB. Two complementary empirical studies,…

Effects of reducing the frequency and duration criteria for binge eating on lifetime prevalence of bulimia nervosa and binge eating disorder: implications for DSM-5.

PubMed

Trace, Sara E; Thornton, Laura M; Root, Tammy L; Mazzeo, Suzanne E; Lichtenstein, Paul; Pedersen, Nancy L; Bulik, Cynthia M

2012-05-01

We assessed the impact of reducing the binge eating frequency and duration thresholds on the diagnostic criteria for bulimia nervosa (BN) and binge eating disorder (BED). We estimated the lifetime population prevalence of BN and BED in 13,295 female twins from the Swedish Twin study of Adults: Genes and Environment employing a range of frequency and duration thresholds. External validation (risk to cotwin) was used to investigate empirical evidence for an optimal binge eating frequency threshold. The lifetime prevalence estimates of BN and BED increased linearly as the frequency criterion decreased. As the required duration increased, the prevalence of BED decreased slightly. Discontinuity in cotwin risk was observed in BN between at least four times per month and at least five times per month. This model could not be fit for BED. The proposed changes to the DSM-5 binge eating frequency and duration criteria would allow for better detection of binge eating pathology without resulting in a markedly higher lifetime prevalence of BN or BED. Copyright © 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Threshold and variability properties of matrix frequency-doubling technology and standard automated perimetry in glaucoma.

PubMed

Artes, Paul H; Hutchison, Donna M; Nicolela, Marcelo T; LeBlanc, Raymond P; Chauhan, Balwantray C

2005-07-01

To compare test results from second-generation Frequency-Doubling Technology perimetry (FDT2, Humphrey Matrix; Carl-Zeiss Meditec, Dublin, CA) and standard automated perimetry (SAP) in patients with glaucoma. Specifically, to examine the relationship between visual field sensitivity and test-retest variability and to compare total and pattern deviation probability maps between both techniques. Fifteen patients with glaucoma who had early to moderately advanced visual field loss with SAP (mean MD, -4.0 dB; range, +0.2 to -16.1) were enrolled in the study. Patients attended three sessions. During each session, one eye was examined twice with FDT2 (24-2 threshold test) and twice with SAP (Swedish Interactive Threshold Algorithm [SITA] Standard 24-2 test), in random order. We compared threshold values between FDT2 and SAP at test locations with similar visual field coordinates. Test-retest variability, established in terms of test-retest intervals and standard deviations (SDs), was investigated as a function of visual field sensitivity (estimated by baseline threshold and mean threshold, respectively). The magnitude of visual field defects apparent in total and pattern deviation probability maps were compared between both techniques by ordinal scoring. The global visual field indices mean deviation (MD) and pattern standard deviation (PSD) of FDT2 and SAP correlated highly (r > 0.8; P < 0.001). At test locations with high sensitivity (>25 dB with SAP), threshold estimates from FDT2 and SAP exhibited a close, linear relationship, with a slope of approximately 2.0. However, at test locations with lower sensitivity, the relationship was much weaker and ceased to be linear. In comparison with FDT2, SAP showed a slightly larger proportion of test locations with absolute defects (3.0% vs. 2.2% with SAP and FDT2, respectively, P < 0.001). Whereas SAP showed a significant increase in test-retest variability at test locations with lower sensitivity (P < 0.001), there was no relationship between variability and sensitivity with FDT2 (P = 0.46). In comparison with SAP, FDT2 exhibited narrower test-retest intervals at test locations with lower sensitivity (SAP thresholds <25 dB). A comparison of the total and pattern deviation maps between both techniques showed that the total deviation analyses of FDT2 may slightly underestimate the visual field loss apparent with SAP. However, the pattern-deviation maps of both instruments agreed well with each other. The test-retest variability of FDT2 is uniform over the measurement range of the instrument. These properties may provide advantages for the monitoring of patients with glaucoma that should be investigated in longitudinal studies.

Microscopic theory of vortex interaction in two-band superconductors and type-1.5 superconductivity

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Silaev, Mihail; Babaev, Egor

2011-03-01

In the framework of self-consistent microscopic theory we study the structure and interaction of vortices in two-gap superconductor taking into account the interband Josephson coupling. The asymptotical behavior of order parameter densities and magnetic field is studied analytically within the microscopic theory at low temperature. At higher temperatures, results consistent with Ginzburg-Landau theory are obtained. It is shown that under quite general conditions and in a wide temperature ranges (in particular outside the validity of the Ginzburg-Landau theory) there can exist an additional characteristic length scale of the order parameter density variation which exceeds the London penetration length of magnetic field due to the multi-component nature of superconducting state. Such behavior of order parameter density variation leads to the attractive long-range and repulsive short-range interaction between vortices. Supported by NSF CAREER Award DMR-0955902, Knut and Alice Wallenberg Foundation through the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences and Swedish Research Council, ''Dynasty'' foundation and Russian Foundation for Basic Research.

Expansion and retrenchment of the Swedish welfare state: a long-term approach.

PubMed

Buendía, Luis

2015-01-01

In this article, we will undertake a long-term analysis of the evolution of the Swedish welfare state, seeking to explain that evolution through the use of a systemic approach. That is, our approach will consider the interrelations between economic growth (EG), the sociopolitical institutional framework (IF), and the welfare state (WS)-understood as a set of institutions embracing the labor market and its regulation, the tax system, and the so-called social wage-in order to find the main variables that elucidate its evolution. We will show that the expansive phase of the Swedish welfare state can be explained by the symbiotic relationships developed in the WS-EG-IF interaction, whereas the period of welfare state retrenchment is one result of changes operating within the sociopolitical IF and EG bases. © The Author(s) 2015 Reprints and permissions:]br]sagepub.co.uk/journalsPermissions.nav.

International education and reflection: transition of Swedish and American nursing students to authenticity.

PubMed

Lepp, Margret; Zorn, CeCelia R; Duffy, Patricia R; Dickson, Rana J

2003-01-01

Reflection, a process grounded in distancing from the self to enhance self-awareness, can be used as a pedagogic activity to promote students' transition to a greater authenticity and professionalism and, therefore, improve patient care and nursing practice. In this international educational project (implemented in 2001) using interactive videoconferencing technology (IVC), Swedish and U.S. nursing students and faculty incorporated reflective journaling, drama in education, photolanguage, and off-air meeting discussions to enhance personal and professional development. Highlights from the literature, a description of the project, and student and faculty appraisals are presented.

Modelling the cost-effectiveness of impact-absorbing flooring in Swedish residential care facilities.

PubMed

Ryen, Linda; Svensson, Mikael

2016-06-01

Fall-related injuries among the elderly, specifically hip fractures, cause significant morbidity and mortality as well as imposing a substantial financial cost on the health care system. Impact-absorbing flooring has been advocated as an effective method for preventing hip fractures resulting from falls. This study identifies the cost-effectiveness of impact-absorbing flooring compared to standard flooring in residential care facilities for the elderly in a Swedish setting. An incremental cost-effectiveness analysis was performed comparing impact-absorbing flooring to standard flooring using a Markov decision model. A societal perspective was adopted and incremental costs were compared to incremental gains in quality-adjusted life years (QALYs). Data on costs, probability transitions and health-related quality of life measures were retrieved from the published literature and from Swedish register data. Probabilistic sensitivity analysis was performed through a Monte Carlo simulation. The base-case analysis indicates that the impact-absorbing flooring reduces costs and increases QALYs. When allowing for uncertainty we find that 60% of the simulations indicate that impact-absorbing flooring is cost-saving compared to standard flooring and an additional 20% that it has a cost per QALY below a commonly used threshold value : Using a modelling approach, we find that impact-absorbing flooring is a dominant strategy at the societal level considering that it can save resources and improve health in a vulnerable population. © The Author 2015. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the European Public Health Association. All rights reserved.

[Uniform analyzes of drugs in urine needed for rule of law].

PubMed

Hansson, Therese; Helander, Anders; Beck, Olof; Elmgren, Anders; Kugelberg, Fredrik; Kronstrand, Robert

2015-09-22

Drugs of abuse testing is used in various areas of society for detection and follow-up of drug use. In routine laboratory drug testing, immunoassays are employed for initial screening of specimens to indicate the presence of drugs. To confirm a positive screening test, a secondary analysis by mass spectrometry is performed. The "cut-off" is the pre-defined concentration threshold of a drug or drug metabolite above which the sample is considered positive. A reading below this level implies a negative test result. Swedish drug testing laboratories currently employ varying cut-offs to distinguish between a positive and a negative test result. Because a positive drug test may have serious legal consequences to the individual, it is of importance that testing is performed and judged equally, regardless of where it is performed. A national harmonization of cut-offs is therefore warranted. Based on data from four major Swedish drug testing laboratories, and considering the recommendations in international guidelines, a proposal for national harmonization of urine cut-offs for the most common set of drugs of abuse is presented.

Interaction Processes as a Mediating Factor between Children's Externalized Behaviour Difficulties and Engagement in Preschool

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Sjöman, Madeleine; Granlund, Mats; Almqvist, Lena

2016-01-01

This study examined social interaction as a mediator between externalized behaviour difficulties and children's engagement in preschool. Data from 663 children (340 boys), aged 18-71 months, were collected at 81 Swedish preschool units in six municipalities to test a path model that included child, teacher, and child groups. The results indicated…

Does simultaneous bilingualism aggravate children's specific language problems?

PubMed

Korkman, Marit; Stenroos, Maria; Mickos, Annika; Westman, Martin; Ekholm, Pia; Byring, Roger

2012-09-01

There is little data on whether or not a bilingual upbringing may aggravate specific language problems in children. This study analysed whether there was an interaction of such problems and simultaneous bilingualism. Participants were 5- to 7-year-old children with specific language problems (LANG group, N = 56) or who were typically developing (CONTR group, N = 60). Seventy-three children were Swedish-Finnish bilingual and 43 were Swedish-speaking monolingual. Assessments (in Swedish) included tests of expressive language, comprehension, repetition and verbal memory. Per definition, the LANG group had lower scores than the CONTR group on all language tests. The bilingual group had lower scores than the monolingual group only on a test of body part naming. Importantly, the interaction of group (LANG or CONTR) and bilingualism was not significant on any of the language scores. Simultaneous bilingualism does not aggravate specific language problems but may result in a slower development of vocabulary both in children with and without specific language problems. Considering also advantages, a bilingual upbringing is an option also for children with specific language problems. In assessment, tests of vocabulary may be sensitive to bilingualism, instead tests assessing comprehension, syntax and nonword repetition may provide less biased methods. © 2012 The Author(s)/Acta Paediatrica © 2012 Foundation Acta Paediatrica.

Swedish attitudes towards persons with mental illness.

PubMed

Högberg, Torbjörn; Magnusson, Annabella; Lützén, Kim; Ewalds-Kvist, Béatrice

2012-04-01

Negative and stigmatizing attitudes towards persons with mental illness must be dealt with to facilitate the sufferers' social acceptance. The present study aimed at survey Swedish attitudes towards persons with mental illness related to factors impacting these attitudes. New CAMI-S based on the questionnaire "Community Attitudes to Mental Illness in Sweden" ([CAMI] Taylor & Dear, 1981) was developed with nine behavioral-intention items and thus comprised a total of 29 items. Of 5000 Swedish people, 2391 agreed to complete the questionnaire. Principal component analysis rendered four factors reflecting attitudes towards the mentally ill: Intention to Interact, Fearful and Avoidant, Open-minded and Pro-Integration, as well as Community Mental Health Ideology. The factors were analyzed for trends in attitudes. By MANOVA, the experience of mental illness effects on mind-set towards the sufferers was assessed. By means of logistic regression, demographic factors contributing to positive attitudes towards persons with mental illness residing in the neighborhood were assessed. By New CAMI-S, the Swedish attitudes towards the mentally ill were surveyed and trends in agreement with living next to a person with mental illness were revealed in three out of four factors derived by principal component analysis. Aspects impacting the Swedish attitudes towards persons with mental illness and willingness to have him/her residing in the neighborhood comprised experience of mental illness, female gender, age (31-50 years), born in Scandinavia or outside Europe, only 9 years of compulsory school and accommodation in flat. The New CAMI-S came out as a useful tool to screen Swedish attitudes towards persons with mental illness. Most Swedes were prepared to live next to the mentally ill.

No association between adherence to the healthy Nordic food index and cardiovascular disease amongst Swedish women: a cohort study.

PubMed

Roswall, N; Sandin, S; Scragg, R; Löf, M; Skeie, G; Olsen, A; Adami, H-O; Weiderpass, E

2015-11-01

In several intervention trials, a healthy Nordic diet showed beneficial effects on markers of cardiovascular disease. We investigated the association between a healthy Nordic diet and clinical diagnosis of cardiovascular disease. Our aim was first to examine the association between a healthy Nordic food index (wholegrain bread, oatmeal, apples/pears, root vegetables, cabbages and fish) and the incidence of overall cardiovascular disease (ischaemic heart disease, stroke, arrhythmia, thrombosis and hypertensive disease), and secondly to test for possible effect modification by smoking, body mass index (BMI), alcohol consumption and age. We conducted an analysis of data from the prospective Swedish Women's Lifestyle and Health cohort, including 43 310 women who completed a food frequency questionnaire in 1991-1992, and followed up until 31 December 2012 through Swedish registries. Hazard ratios (HRs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were calculated using Cox proportional hazards models. During follow-up, 8383 women developed cardiovascular disease. We found no association between the healthy Nordic food index and overall cardiovascular disease risk or any of the subgroups investigated. There was a statistically significant interaction with smoking status (P = 0.02), with a beneficial effect only amongst former smokers (HR 0.96, 95% CI 0.94-0.99 per 1-point increment). The present results do not support an association between a healthy Nordic food index and risk of cardiovascular disease in Swedish women. There was also no effect modification by alcohol intake, BMI or age. Our finding of an interaction with smoking status requires reproduction. © 2015 The Association for the Publication of the Journal of Internal Medicine.

Neurosensory findings among electricians with self-reported remaining symptoms after an electrical injury: A case series.

PubMed

Rådman, Lisa; Gunnarsson, Lars-Gunnar; Nilsagård, Ylva; Nilsson, Tohr

2016-12-01

Symptoms described in previous studies indicate that electrical injury can cause longstanding injuries to the neurosensory nerves. The aim of the present case series was to objectively assess the profile of neurosensory dysfunction in electricians in relation to high voltage or low voltage electrical injury and the "no-let-go phenomenon". Twenty-three Swedish male electricians exposed to electrical injury were studied by using a battery of clinical instruments, including quantitative sensory testing (QST). The clinical test followed a predetermined order of assessments: thermal perceptions thresholds, vibration perception thresholds, tactile gnosis (the Shape and Texture Identification test), manual dexterity (Purdue Pegboard Test), and grip strength. In addition, pain was studied by means of a questionnaire, and a colour chart was used for estimation of white fingers. The main findings in the present case series were reduced thermal perceptions thresholds, where half of the group showed abnormal values for warm thermal perception and/or cold thermal perception. Also, the tactile gnosis and manual dexterity were reduced. High voltage injury was associated with more reduced sensibility compared to those with low voltage. Neurosensory injury can be objectively assessed after an electrical injury by using QST with thermal perception thresholds. The findings are consistent with injuries to small nerve fibres. In the clinical setting thermal perception threshold is therefore recommended, in addition to tests of tactile gnosis and manual dexterity (Purdue Pegboard). Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd and ISBI. All rights reserved.

Educational Process Reflection (EPR): An Evaluation of a Model for Professional Development Concerning Social Interaction and Educational Climate in the Swedish Preschool

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bygdeson-Larsson, Kerstin

2006-01-01

Educational process reflection (EPR) is a professional development model aimed at supporting preschool teachers reflecting on and changing their practice. A particular focus is on interaction between practitioners and children, and between the children themselves. In this article, I first describe the theoretical frameworks that helped shape EPR,…

Effects of Reducing the Frequency and Duration Criteria for Binge Eating on Lifetime Prevalence of Bulimia Nervosa and Binge Eating Disorder: Implications for DSM-5

PubMed Central

Trace, Sara E.; Thornton, Laura M.; Root, Tammy L.; Mazzeo, Suzanne E.; Lichtenstein, Paul; Pedersen, Nancy L.; Bulik, Cynthia M.

2011-01-01

Objective We assessed the impact of reducing the binge eating frequency and duration thresholds on the diagnostic criteria for bulimia nervosa (BN) and binge eating disorder (BED). Method We estimated the lifetime population prevalence of BN and BED in 13,295 female twins from the Swedish Twin study of Adults: Genes and Environment employing a range of frequency and duration thresholds. External validation (risk to co-twin) was used to investigate empirical evidence for an optimal binge eating frequency threshold. Results The lifetime prevalence estimates of BN and BED increased linearly as the frequency criterion decreased. As the required duration increased, the prevalence of BED decreased slightly. Discontinuity in co-twin risk was observed in BN between at least four times per month and at least five times per month. This model could not be fit for BED. Discussion The proposed changes to the DSM-5 binge eating frequency and duration criteria would allow for better detection of binge eating pathology without resulting in a markedly higher lifetime prevalence of BN or BED. PMID:21882218

Options to Improve Rain Snow Parameterization in Surface Based Models

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Feiccabrino, J. M.

2017-12-01

Precipitation phase determination is of upmost importance in a number of surface based hydrological, ecological, and safety models. However, precipitation phase at Earth's surface is a result of cloud and atmospheric properties not measured by surface weather stations. Nonetheless, they can be inferred from the available surface datum. This study uses 681,620 weather observations with air temperatures between -3 and 5°C and identified precipitation occurring at the time of the observation to determine simple, yet accurate, thresholds for precipitation phase determination schemes (PPDS). This dataset represents 38% and 42% of precipitation observations over a 16 year period for 85 Swedish, and 84 Norwegian weather stations. The misclassified precipitation (error) from PPDS using AT, dew-point temperature (DT) and wet-bulb temperature (WB) thresholds were compared using a single threshold PPDS. The Norwegian observations between -3 and 5°C resulted in 11.64%, 11.21%, and 8.42% error for DT (-0.2°C), AT (1.2°C), and WB (0.3°C) thresholds respectively. Individual station thresholds had a range of -0.7 to 1.2°C, -1.2 to 0.9°C, and -0.1 to 2.5°C for WB, DP, and AT respectively. To address threshold variance while decreasing error, weather stations were grouped into nine landscape categories; windward (WW) ocean, WW coast, WW fjord, WW hill, WW mountain, leeward (LW) mountain, LW hill, LW rolling hills, and LW coast. Landscape classification was based on location relative to the Scandinavian Mountains, and the % water or range of elevation within 15KM. Within landscapes, stations share similar land atmosphere exchanges which differ from other landscapes. These differences change optimal thresholds for PPDS between landscapes. Also tested were threshold temperature affects based on assumed atmospheric differences for the following observation groups; 1.) occurring before and after an air mass boundary, 2.) with different water temperatures and/or NAO phases, 3.) with snow cover, 4.) coupled with higher elevation stations and 5.) with different cloud heights. For example, in Norway, as the unsaturated layer depth beneath clouds increased, AT thresholds warmed. Cloud height adjusted AT thresholds reduced error by 5% before threshold adjustments for landscapes.

The Cost-Effectiveness of the Kiva Antibullying Program: Results from a Decision-Analytic Model.

PubMed

Persson, Mattias; Wennberg, Linn; Beckman, Linda; Salmivalli, Christina; Svensson, Mikael

2018-05-04

Bullying causes substantial suffering for children and adolescents. A number of bullying prevention programs have been advocated as effective methods for counteracting school bullying. However, there is a lack of economic evaluations of bullying prevention programs assessing the "value for money." The aim of this study was to assess the cost-effectiveness of the Finnish bullying prevention program KiVa in comparison to "status quo" (treatment as usual) in a Swedish elementary school setting (grades 1 to 9). The cost-effectiveness analysis was carried out using a payer perspective based on a Markov cohort model. The costs of the program were measured in Swedish kronor and Euros, and the benefits were measured using two different metrics: (1) the number of victim-free years and (2) the number of quality adjusted life years (QALYs). Data on costs, probability transitions, and health-related quality of life measures were retrieved from published literature. Deterministic and probabilistic sensitivity analyses were carried out to establish the uncertainty of the cost-effectiveness results. The base-case analysis indicated that KiVa leads to an increased cost of €829 for a gain of 0.47 victim-free years per student. In terms of the cost per gained QALY, the results indicated a base-case estimate of €13,823, which may be seen as cost-effective given that it is lower than the typically accepted threshold value in Swedish health policy of around €50,000. Further research is needed to confirm the conclusions of this study, especially regarding the treatment effects of KiVa in different school contexts.

Using Speech Recall in Hearing Aid Fitting and Outcome Evaluation Under Ecological Test Conditions.

PubMed

Lunner, Thomas; Rudner, Mary; Rosenbom, Tove; Ågren, Jessica; Ng, Elaine Hoi Ning

2016-01-01

In adaptive Speech Reception Threshold (SRT) tests used in the audiological clinic, speech is presented at signal to noise ratios (SNRs) that are lower than those generally encountered in real-life communication situations. At higher, ecologically valid SNRs, however, SRTs are insensitive to changes in hearing aid signal processing that may be of benefit to listeners who are hard of hearing. Previous studies conducted in Swedish using the Sentence-final Word Identification and Recall test (SWIR) have indicated that at such SNRs, the ability to recall spoken words may be a more informative measure. In the present study, a Danish version of SWIR, known as the Sentence-final Word Identification and Recall Test in a New Language (SWIRL) was introduced and evaluated in two experiments. The objective of experiment 1 was to determine if the Swedish results demonstrating benefit from noise reduction signal processing for hearing aid wearers could be replicated in 25 Danish participants with mild to moderate symmetrical sensorineural hearing loss. The objective of experiment 2 was to compare direct-drive and skin-drive transmission in 16 Danish users of bone-anchored hearing aids with conductive hearing loss or mixed sensorineural and conductive hearing loss. In experiment 1, performance on SWIRL improved when hearing aid noise reduction was used, replicating the Swedish results and generalizing them across languages. In experiment 2, performance on SWIRL was better for direct-drive compared with skin-drive transmission conditions. These findings indicate that spoken word recall can be used to identify benefits from hearing aid signal processing at ecologically valid, positive SNRs where SRTs are insensitive.

“It is a thin line to walk on”: Challenges of staff working at Swedish immigration detention centres

PubMed Central

Puthoopparambil, Soorej J.; Ahlberg, Beth M.; Bjerneld, Magdalena

2015-01-01

Detention of irregular migrants awaiting deportation is widely practiced in many countries and has been shown to have profound negative impact on health and well-being of detainees. Detention staff, an integral part of the detention environment, affect and are affected by detainees’ health and well-being. The objective of the study was to explore experiences of staff working at Swedish immigration detention centres. Fifteen semi-structured interviews were conducted with staff in three Swedish detention centres and were analysed using thematic analysis. The results indicate that the main challenge for the staff was to manage the emotional dilemma entailed in working as migration officers and simultaneously fellow human beings whose task was to implement deportation decisions while being expected to provide humane service to detainees. They tried to manage their dilemma by balancing the two roles, but still found it challenging. Among the staff, there was a high perception of fear of physical threat from detainees that made detention a stressful environment. Limited interaction between the staff and detainees was a reason for this. There is thus a need to support detention staff to improve their interaction with detainees in order to decrease their fear, manage their emotional dilemma, and provide better service to detainees. It is important to address staff challenges in order to ensure better health and well-being for both staff and detainees. PMID:25833827

Social Capital, Human Capital and Parent-Child Relation Quality: Interacting for Children's Educational Achievement?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

von Otter, Cecilia; Stenberg, Sten-Åke

2015-01-01

We analyse the utility of social capital for children's achievement, and if this utility interacts with family human capital and the quality of the parent-child relationship. Our focus is on parental activities directly related to children's school work. Our data stem from a Swedish cohort born in 1953 and consist of both survey and register data.…

Musical Learning in a Cross-Cultural Setting: A Case Study of Gambian and Swedish Adolescents in Interaction

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Mars, Annette; Saether, Eva; Folkestad, Göran

2015-01-01

This article presents a study investigating how adolescents from Sweden and the Gambia learned music while interacting with each other in a concert project conducted in the Gambia. The main aim is to explore in what ways adolescents acquire music and to analyse it in a context of cultural identity. A sociocultural and ethnomusicological approach…

Conceptions of learning research: variations amongst French and Swedish nurses. A phenomenographic study.

PubMed

Dupin, Cécile Marie; Larsson, Maria; Dariel, Odessa; Debout, Christophe; Rothan-Tondeur, Monique

2015-01-01

The development of nursing research capacity and interactions with cultural and structural issues is at various stages throughout Europe. This process appears to be remarkably similar irrespective of the country. Sweden has developed this capacity since the 1990s, whereas France is experiencing a transition. Nevertheless, knowledge about how nurses conceive their learning about nursing research and transitioning toward being researchers is scarce. The aim of this study was to explore French and Swedish RNs' conceptions of research education and educational passage toward research and to describe how learning research contributes to the understanding of their norms and practices. A phenomenographic approach was used to understand and describe the qualitatively different ways in which French and Swedish RNs conceive research and its apprenticeship. A purposive maximum variation sampling of five French and five Swedish Nurse Researchers with PhDs. Individual in-depth interviews conducted in France and Sweden between November 2012 and March 2013 were analysed using phenomenography. The analysis revealed one main category, "Organisational factors to sustain individual apprenticeship". Three descriptive categories have emerged from the data and its variations amongst French and Swedish nurses: (1) entrance into research--modes of commitment; (2) nurses' engagement--the need for dedicated support; and (3) research as the means to resolve nursing situations. This study demonstrates how registered nurses have integrated nursing and researcher roles following different efficient paths. Education in nursing research is part of the strategy needed for the development of nursing research and is supported by the integration of research and practice. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Threshold and channel interaction in cochlear implant users: evaluation of the tripolar electrode configuration.

PubMed

Bierer, Julie Arenberg

2007-03-01

The efficacy of cochlear implants is limited by spatial and temporal interactions among channels. This study explores the spatially restricted tripolar electrode configuration and compares it to bipolar and monopolar stimulation. Measures of threshold and channel interaction were obtained from nine subjects implanted with the Clarion HiFocus-I electrode array. Stimuli were biphasic pulses delivered at 1020 pulses/s. Threshold increased from monopolar to bipolar to tripolar stimulation and was most variable across channels with the tripolar configuration. Channel interaction, quantified by the shift in threshold between single- and two-channel stimulation, occurred for all three configurations but was largest for the monopolar and simultaneous conditions. The threshold shifts with simultaneous tripolar stimulation were slightly smaller than with bipolar and were not as strongly affected by the timing of the two channel stimulation as was monopolar. The subjects' performances on clinical speech tests were correlated with channel-to-channel variability in tripolar threshold, such that greater variability was related to poorer performance. The data suggest that tripolar channels with high thresholds may reveal cochlear regions of low neuron survival or poor electrode placement.

Suberythemal Sun Exposures at Swedish Schools Depend on Sky Views of the Outdoor Environments - Possible Implications for Pupils' Health.

PubMed

Pagels, Peter; Wester, Ulf; Söderström, Margareta; Lindelöf, Bernt; Boldemann, Cecilia

2016-01-01

More scheduled outdoor stay is increasingly advocated for school children. This study measured 2(nd) , 5(th) and 8(th) graders' erythemal UV-exposure in September, March and May at four Swedish schools. We related those exposures, as fractions of total available ambient radiation, to the schools outdoor environments differing in amount of shade, vegetation, and peripheral city-scape quantified as percentage of free sky view calculated from fish-eye photographs. Exposures correlated with the sky views (with exceptions in May) and were suberythemal. The exposures were also below the threshold limit of the International Commission on Non-Ionizing Radiation Protection (ICNIRP) for hazard evaluation of UVR but were potentially enough for adequate vitamin D formation according to a cited model calculation - as illustrated in the results and discussed. The school environments, typical in southern and middle Sweden, offer enough shade to protect children from overexposure during seasons with potentially harmful solar UV radiation. Pupils' outdoor stay may be extended during September and March. In May extended outdoor stay of the youngest pupils requires a more UVR-protective environment. © 2015 The American Society of Photobiology.

A gap between the intention of the Swedish law and interactions between nurses and children of patients in the field of palliative oncology - The perspective of nurses.

PubMed

Karidar, Hakima; Åkesson, Helene; Glasdam, Stinne

2016-06-01

Children who have a parent with incurable cancer are in a vulnerable situation and the Swedish law tries to protect them. This article aims to explore the interactions between nurses and children of patients with incurable cancer from the nurses' perspective. Semi-structured interviews with nine nurses in palliative oncology in Southern Sweden. Latent content analysis was carried out, inspired by Lundmann and Graneheim. Parents are gatekeepers to the children's involvement and meetings with the healthcare professionals. Therefore the nurses were dependent on the parents for contact with their children. Additionally, nurses were subject to the structural frame of their working environment in terms of time, economy, resources and the medical logic ruling the priorities for nursing during their daily working day. The opportunities to pay attention to the children of patients were limited, despite good intentions, willingness and a favourable legal framework. Teenagers were regarded as a challenge, and per se they challenged the nurses' opportunities to gain control of the meetings and situations around the families. Often nurses did not see and acknowledge the children of the palliative patient. They knew that the children were there and that it was important that they were there, but they challenged the order in the working environment in relation to time-allocated tasks and working flow. In the working environment patients were prioritised over relatives. From the perspective of nurses, there is a gap between the intentions of the Swedish law and the interactions between nurses and children. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

An ocean of stress? The relationship between psychosocial workload and mental strain among engine officers in the Swedish merchant fleet.

PubMed

Rydstedt, Leif W; Lundh, Monica

2010-01-01

The first purpose of this study was to compare the psychosocial working conditions and mental health of our sample of maritime engine officers with a sample of British shore-based professional engineers. The second purpose was to analyse the relationship between the psychosocial working conditions onboard and mental strain for the Swedish maritime engine officers. There were a total of 731 engine officers in the Swedish merchant fleet, almost all males with higher education. The British comparison sample consisted of 312 professional shore-based engineers. A questionnaire was distributed to the Swedish engine officers with a modified version of the JCQ for the DC-S model, the Role conflict and Ambiguity scale, and two items on family-work inter-role conflicts (WFI/FWI), as workload indicators. The General Health Questionnaire (GHQ12) and Perceived Stress Scale (PSS10) were used as strain indicators. There were no significant differences in perceived job stain or in WFI/FWI between the Swedish engine officers and the British professional engineers in perceived job strain. While the British shore-based engineers reported significantly higher role ambiguity the Swedish engine officers perceived a significantly higher degree of role conflict and higher perceived stress. Hierarchic linear regression analysis showed that the Role Stress was strongly related to perceived stress (R(2) = 0.319) as well as to mental health (R(2) = 0.222). When introduced in the second step the DC-S model was significantly related to the outcome measures, as was WFI/FWI when finally introduced. The main source of the high degree of perceived stress among the engine officers does not seem to be the job content but may rather be understood from an interactional perspective, where conflicting requirements are directed towards the individual officer. It can be assumed that the fast technological and organizational changes and the increased pressure for economic profitability that characterize the shipping industry have attenuated these role conflicts.

Interaction thresholds in Er:YAG laser ablation of organic tissue

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lukac, Matjaz; Marincek, Marko; Poberaj, Gorazd; Grad, Ladislav; Mozina, Janez I.; Sustercic, Dusan; Funduk, Nenad; Skaleric, Uros

1996-01-01

Because of their unique properties with regard to the absorption in organic tissue, pulsed Er:YAG lasers are of interest for various applications in medicine, such as dentistry, dermatology, and cosmetic surgery. The relatively low thermal side effects, and surgical precision of erbium medical lasers have been attributed to the micro-explosive nature of their interaction with organic tissue. In this paper, we report on preliminary results of our study of the thresholds for tissue ablation, using an opto-acoustic technique. Two laser energy thresholds for the interaction are observed. The lower energy threshold is attributed to surface water vaporization, and the higher energy threshold to explosive ablation of thin tissue layers.

Interaction Effects of Social Isolation and Peripheral Work Position on Risk of Disability Pension: A Prospective Study of Swedish Women and Men.

PubMed

Gustafsson, Klas; Marklund, Staffan; Aronsson, Gunnar; Wikman, Anders; Floderus, Birgitta

2015-01-01

The study examines various combinations of levels of social isolation in private life and peripheral work position as predictors of disability pension (DP). A second aim was to test the potential interaction effects (above additivity) of social isolation and peripheral work position on the future risk of DP, and to provide results for men and women by age. The study was based on a sample of 45567 women and men from the Swedish population who had been interviewed between 1992 and 2007. Further information on DP and diagnoses was obtained from the Swedish Social Insurance Agency's database (1993-2011). The studied predictors were related to DP using Cox's proportional hazard regression. The analyses were stratified on sex and age (20-39 years, 40-64 years), with control for selected confounders. Increased risks of DP were found for most combinations of social isolation and peripheral work position in all strata. The hazard ratios (HRs) for joint exposure to high degree of social isolation and a peripheral work position were particularly strong among men aged 20-39 (HR 5.70; CI 95% 3.74-8.69) and women aged 20-39 (HR 4.07; CI 2.99-5.56). An interaction effect from combined exposure was found for women in both age groups as well as a tendency in the same direction among young men. However, after confounder control the effects did not reach significance. Individuals who were socially isolated and in a peripheral work position had an increased risk of future DP. The fact that an interaction effect was found among women indicates that a combination of social isolation and peripheral work position may reinforce adverse health effects. There was no evidence that a peripheral work position can be compensated by a high degree of social intergration in private life.

Sugar-sweetened beverage consumption and genetic predisposition to obesity in 2 Swedish cohorts.

PubMed

Brunkwall, Louise; Chen, Yan; Hindy, George; Rukh, Gull; Ericson, Ulrika; Barroso, Inês; Johansson, Ingegerd; Franks, Paul W; Orho-Melander, Marju; Renström, Frida

2016-09-01

The consumption of sugar-sweetened beverages (SSBs), which has increased substantially during the last decades, has been associated with obesity and weight gain. Common genetic susceptibility to obesity has been shown to modify the association between SSB intake and obesity risk in 3 prospective cohorts from the United States. We aimed to replicate these findings in 2 large Swedish cohorts. Data were available for 21,824 healthy participants from the Malmö Diet and Cancer study and 4902 healthy participants from the Gene-Lifestyle Interactions and Complex Traits Involved in Elevated Disease Risk Study. Self-reported SSB intake was categorized into 4 levels (seldom, low, medium, and high). Unweighted and weighted genetic risk scores (GRSs) were constructed based on 30 body mass index [(BMI) in kg/m(2)]-associated loci, and effect modification was assessed in linear regression equations by modeling the product and marginal effects of the GRS and SSB intake adjusted for age-, sex-, and cohort-specific covariates, with BMI as the outcome. In a secondary analysis, models were additionally adjusted for putative confounders (total energy intake, alcohol consumption, smoking status, and physical activity). In an inverse variance-weighted fixed-effects meta-analysis, each SSB intake category increment was associated with a 0.18 higher BMI (SE = 0.02; P = 1.7 × 10(-20); n = 26,726). In the fully adjusted model, a nominal significant interaction between SSB intake category and the unweighted GRS was observed (P-interaction = 0.03). Comparing the participants within the top and bottom quartiles of the GRS to each increment in SSB intake was associated with 0.24 (SE = 0.04; P = 2.9 × 10(-8); n = 6766) and 0.15 (SE = 0.04; P = 1.3 × 10(-4); n = 6835) higher BMIs, respectively. The interaction observed in the Swedish cohorts is similar in magnitude to the previous analysis in US cohorts and indicates that the relation of SSB intake and BMI is stronger in people genetically predisposed to obesity.

Att Tolka Barns Signaler: Gravt utvecklingsstorda flerhandikappade barns lek och kommunikation (To Interpret Childrens' Signals: Play and Communication in Profoundly Mentally Retarded and Multiply Handicapped Children).

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Brodin, Jane

Written in Swedish with an English-language summary, this report describes a study which examined the interaction between mothers or caregivers and their children with profound mental retardation and multiple disabilities, particularly looking at the function of play in communicative interaction. The six children all had five or six handicaps in…

Food and habitat resource partitioning between three estuarine fish species on the Swedish west coast

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Thorman, Staffan

1983-12-01

In 1978 the food and habitat resource partitioning of three small and common fish species, viz. Pomatoschistus microps (Krøyer), Gasterosteus aculeatus (L.) and Pungitius pungitius (L.) were studied in river Broälven estuary on the Swedish west coast (58°22'N, 11°29'E). The area was divided into three habitats, based on environmental features. In July, September, and October stomach contents and size distribution of each species present were analysed. In July there was high food and habitat overlap between the species. Interference interactions probably occurred between some size classes of P. microps and the other two species. P. pungitius was exposed to both intra- and interspecific interactions. In September the food and habitat overlaps between G. aculeatus and P. pungitius were high, while both had low food and habitat overlaps in relation to P. microps. Interactions between G. aculeatus and P. pungitius were probably influenced by more severe abiotic conditions in one habitat, which caused lower abundances there, and higher abundances in the other two habitats. In October no interactions were observed. These results indicate that competition for food at least temporarily determines the species distribution in a temperate estuary, and that estuarine fish populations are sometimes food limited.

Effects of cochlear-implant pulse rate and inter-channel timing on channel interactions and thresholds

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Middlebrooks, John C.

2004-07-01

Interactions among the multiple channels of a cochlear prosthesis limit the number of channels of information that can be transmitted to the brain. This study explored the influence on channel interactions of electrical pulse rates and temporal offsets between channels. Anesthetized guinea pigs were implanted with 2-channel scala-tympani electrode arrays, and spike activity was recorded from the auditory cortex. Channel interactions were quantified as the reduction of the threshold for pulse-train stimulation of the apical channel by sub-threshold stimulation of the basal channel. Pulse rates were 254 or 4069 pulses per second (pps) per channel. Maximum threshold reductions averaged 9.6 dB when channels were stimulated simultaneously. Among nonsimultaneous conditions, threshold reductions at the 254-pps rate were entirely eliminated by a 1966-μs inter-channel offset. When offsets were only 41 to 123 μs, however, maximum threshold shifts averaged 3.1 dB, which was comparable to the dynamic ranges of cortical neurons in this experimental preparation. Threshold reductions at 4069 pps averaged up to 1.3 dB greater than at 254 pps, which raises some concern in regard to high-pulse-rate speech processors. Thresholds for various paired-pulse stimuli, pulse rates, and pulse-train durations were measured to test possible mechanisms of temporal integration.

Optimal Design for the Precise Estimation of an Interaction Threshold: The Impact of Exposure to a Mixture of 18 Polyhalogenated Aromatic Hydrocarbons

PubMed Central

Yeatts, Sharon D.; Gennings, Chris; Crofton, Kevin M.

2014-01-01

Traditional additivity models provide little flexibility in modeling the dose–response relationships of the single agents in a mixture. While the flexible single chemical required (FSCR) methods allow greater flexibility, its implicit nature is an obstacle in the formation of the parameter covariance matrix, which forms the basis for many statistical optimality design criteria. The goal of this effort is to develop a method for constructing the parameter covariance matrix for the FSCR models, so that (local) alphabetic optimality criteria can be applied. Data from Crofton et al. are provided as motivation; in an experiment designed to determine the effect of 18 polyhalogenated aromatic hydrocarbons on serum total thyroxine (T4), the interaction among the chemicals was statistically significant. Gennings et al. fit the FSCR interaction threshold model to the data. The resulting estimate of the interaction threshold was positive and within the observed dose region, providing evidence of a dose-dependent interaction. However, the corresponding likelihood-ratio-based confidence interval was wide and included zero. In order to more precisely estimate the location of the interaction threshold, supplemental data are required. Using the available data as the first stage, the Ds-optimal second-stage design criterion was applied to minimize the variance of the hypothesized interaction threshold. Practical concerns associated with the resulting design are discussed and addressed using the penalized optimality criterion. Results demonstrate that the penalized Ds-optimal second-stage design can be used to more precisely define the interaction threshold while maintaining the characteristics deemed important in practice. PMID:22640366

Participation and Gender in Circle-Time Situations in Preschool

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Emilson, Anette; Johansson, Eva

2013-01-01

This study sought to investigate participatory values in relation to gender, as expressed in interactions between teachers and children in circle-time situations in Swedish and Norwegian preschools. This paper reports evidence from three research questions: How is children's participation conditioned in circle-time situations? How are…

Instructional Responsibility in Mathematics Education: Modelling Classroom Teaching Using Swedish Data

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hansson, Ase

2010-01-01

There is an international trend in mathematics education of antiauthoritarianism, emphasising cooperative learning and students' autonomous search for knowledge. In Sweden, this is framed by "students' independent work", characterised by only limited amounts of teacher-student and student-student interaction and communication and a low…

Student Participation and Parental Involvement in Relation to Academic Achievement

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Niia, Anna; Almqvist, Lena; Brunnberg, Elinor; Granlund, Mats

2015-01-01

This study shows that students, teachers, and parents in Swedish schools ascribe differing meanings and significance to students' participation in school in relation to academic achievement. Students see participation as mainly related to social interaction and not academic achievement, whilst teachers view students' participation as more closely…

Correlations between self-assessed hearing handicap and standard audiometric tests in elderly persons.

PubMed

Pedersen, K; Rosenhall, U

1991-01-01

The relationship between self-assessed hearing handicap and audiometric measures using pure-tone and speech audiometry was studied in a group of elderly persons representative of an urban Swedish population. The study population consisted of two cohorts, one of which was followed longitudinally. Significant correlations between measured and self-assessed hearing were found. Speech discrimination scores showed lower correlations with the self-estimated hearing than pure-tone averages and speech reception threshold. Questions concerning conversation with one person and concerning difficulty in hearing the doorbell showed lower correlations with measured hearing than the other questions. The discrimination score test is an inadequate tool for measuring hearing handicap.

The Nurse Watch: Design and Evaluation of a Smart Watch Application with Vital Sign Monitoring and Checklist Reminders

PubMed Central

Bang, Magnus; Solnevik, Katarina; Eriksson, Henrik

2015-01-01

Computerized wearable devices such as smart watches will become valuable nursing tools. This paper describes a smart-watch system developed in close collaboration with a team of nurses working in a Swedish ICU. The smart-watch system provides real-time vital-sign monitoring, threshold alarms, and to-do reminders. Additionally, a Kanban board, visualized on a multitouch screen provides an overview of completed and upcoming tasks. We describe an approach to implement automated checklist systems with smart watches and discuss aspects of importance when implementing such memory and attention support. The paper is finalized with an in-development formative evaluation of the system. PMID:26958162

The Nurse Watch: Design and Evaluation of a Smart Watch Application with Vital Sign Monitoring and Checklist Reminders.

PubMed

Bang, Magnus; Solnevik, Katarina; Eriksson, Henrik

Computerized wearable devices such as smart watches will become valuable nursing tools. This paper describes a smart-watch system developed in close collaboration with a team of nurses working in a Swedish ICU. The smart-watch system provides real-time vital-sign monitoring, threshold alarms, and to-do reminders. Additionally, a Kanban board, visualized on a multitouch screen provides an overview of completed and upcoming tasks. We describe an approach to implement automated checklist systems with smart watches and discuss aspects of importance when implementing such memory and attention support. The paper is finalized with an in-development formative evaluation of the system.

Differences in the Spectrum of Anti-Citrullinated Protein Antibody Fine Specificities Between Malaysian and Swedish Patients With Rheumatoid Arthritis: Implications for Disease Pathogenesis.

PubMed

Too, Chun Lai; Murad, Shahnaz; Hansson, Monika; Alm, Linda Mathsson; Dhaliwal, Jasbir Singh; Holmdahl, Rikard; Jakobsson, Per-Johan; Alfredsson, Lars; Klareskog, Lars; Rönnelid, Johan; Padyukov, Leonid

2017-01-01

Antibodies to the citrullinated protein antigens (ACPAs) are important in the diagnosis and pathogenesis of rheumatoid arthritis (RA). However, the prevalence of ACPAs with different fine specificities in different populations is unclear. This study sought to examine the fine specificity of the antibody responses toward citrullinated proteins in RA patients from Malaysia, an area where genetic and environmental determinants of RA are different from those in more frequently studied cohorts of Caucasian subjects. A multiplex analytic microarray system was used to analyze the occurrence of antibodies to 10 different citrullinated peptides (filaggrin [fil307-324], vimentin [Vim2-17, Vim60-75], fibrinogen [Fibα563-583, Fibα580-600, Fibβ36-52, Fibβ62-81a, Fibβ62-81b], enolase [Eno5-21], and type II collagen [CitCII355-378]) in serum samples from 4,089 RA patients (1,231 Malaysian and 2,858 Swedish) and 827 healthy control subjects (249 Malaysian and 578 Swedish). The positive reaction threshold for each peptide was set separately for each population based on a specificity of 98%. Distinct differences in the frequencies of 5 ACPA fine specificities (Vim60-75, Vim2-17, Fibβ62-81b, Eno5-21, and CitCII355-378) were found between the Malaysian and Swedish RA populations, despite a nearly identical percentage of patients in each population who were positive for anti-cyclic citrullinated peptide 2 antibodies. In Malaysian RA patients compared with Swedish RA patients, the frequencies of antibodies to Vim60-75 (54% versus 44%, corrected P [P corr ] = 1.06 × 10 -8 ) and CitCII355-378 (17% versus 13%, P corr  = 0.02) were significantly higher, while the frequencies of antibodies to Vim2-17 (25% versus 32%, P corr  = 1.91 × 10 -4 ), Fibβ62-81b (15% versus 30%, P corr  = 2.47 × 10 -22 ), and Eno5-21 (23% versus 50%, P corr  = 3.64 × 10 -57 ) were significantly lower. Serum ACPA fine specificities differ between RA patients in different populations, although the total proportions of individuals positive for ACPAs are similar. Differing patterns of ACPA fine specificity could be attributed to variations in genetic and/or environmental factors. © 2016 The Authors. Arthritis & Rheumatology published by Wiley Periodicals, Inc. on behalf of the American College of Rheumatology.

A derivation of the stable cavitation threshold accounting for bubble-bubble interactions.

PubMed

Guédra, Matthieu; Cornu, Corentin; Inserra, Claude

2017-09-01

The subharmonic emission of sound coming from the nonlinear response of a bubble population is the most used indicator for stable cavitation. When driven at twice their resonance frequency, bubbles can exhibit subharmonic spherical oscillations if the acoustic pressure amplitude exceeds a threshold value. Although various theoretical derivations exist for the subharmonic emission by free or coated bubbles, they all rest on the single bubble model. In this paper, we propose an analytical expression of the subharmonic threshold for interacting bubbles in a homogeneous, monodisperse cloud. This theory predicts a shift of the subharmonic resonance frequency and a decrease of the corresponding pressure threshold due to the interactions. For a given sonication frequency, these results show that an optimal value of the interaction strength (i.e. the number density of bubbles) can be found for which the subharmonic threshold is minimum, which is consistent with recently published experiments conducted on ultrasound contrast agents. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Factor solutions of the Social Phobia Scale (SPS) and the Social Interaction Anxiety Scale (SIAS) in a Swedish population.

PubMed

Mörtberg, Ewa; Reuterskiöld, Lena; Tillfors, Maria; Furmark, Tomas; Öst, Lars-Göran

2017-06-01

Culturally validated rating scales for social anxiety disorder (SAD) are of significant importance when screening for the disorder, as well as for evaluating treatment efficacy. This study examined construct validity and additional psychometric properties of two commonly used scales, the Social Phobia Scale and the Social Interaction Anxiety Scale, in a clinical SAD population (n = 180) and in a normal population (n = 614) in Sweden. Confirmatory factor analyses of previously reported factor solutions were tested but did not reveal acceptable fit. Exploratory factor analyses (EFA) of the joint structure of the scales in the total population yielded a two-factor model (performance anxiety and social interaction anxiety), whereas EFA in the clinical sample revealed a three-factor solution, a social interaction anxiety factor and two performance anxiety factors. The SPS and SIAS showed good to excellent internal consistency, and discriminated well between patients with SAD and a normal population sample. Both scales showed good convergent validity with an established measure of SAD, whereas the discriminant validity of symptoms of social anxiety and depression could not be confirmed. The optimal cut-off score for SPS and SIAS were 18 and 22 points, respectively. It is concluded that the factor structure and the additional psychometric properties of SPS and SIAS support the use of the scales for assessment in a Swedish population.

Threshold effect under nonlinear limitation of the intensity of high-power light

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Tereshchenko, S A; Podgaetskii, V M; Gerasimenko, A Yu

2015-04-30

A model is proposed to describe the properties of limiters of high-power laser radiation, which takes into account the threshold character of nonlinear interaction of radiation with the working medium of the limiter. The generally accepted non-threshold model is a particular case of the threshold model if the threshold radiation intensity is zero. Experimental z-scan data are used to determine the nonlinear optical characteristics of media with carbon nanotubes, polymethine and pyran dyes, zinc selenide, porphyrin-graphene and fullerene-graphene. A threshold effect of nonlinear interaction between laser radiation and some of investigated working media of limiters is revealed. It is shownmore » that the threshold model more adequately describes experimental z-scan data. (nonlinear optical phenomena)« less

Language profiles of monolingual and bilingual Finnish preschool children at risk for language impairment.

PubMed

Westman, Martin; Korkman, Marit; Mickos, Annika; Byring, Roger

2008-01-01

A large proportion of children are exposed to more than one language, yet research on simultaneous bilingualism has been relatively sparse. Traditionally, there has been concern that bilingualism may aggravate language difficulties of children with language impairment. However, recent studies have not found specific language impairment (SLI) or language-related problems to be increased by bilingualism. The topic of bilingualism and its effects has high actuality in Finland, where increasing numbers of children in the country's 6% Swedish-speaking minority grow up in bilingual families, where one parent's primary language is Swedish and the other's Finnish. The present study aimed at exploring the influence of such bilingualism on the language profiles of children from this population at risk for language impairment (LI). Participants were recruited from a language screening of 339 children from kindergartens with instruction only in Swedish, from the Swedish-speaking parts of Finland. Of these children, 33 (9.7%) were defined as a Risk Group for LI, whereas 48 non-risk children were randomly selected to form a control group. When subdividing the children according to home language, 35 were found to be monolingual, Swedish-speaking, and 46 were Swedish-Finnish bilingual. The children underwent neuropsychological assessment during their preschool year. Assessment methods included subtests from the Wechsler Primary and Preschool Scale of Intelligence - Revised and the NEPSY Developmental Neuropsychological Assessment. A repeated-measures multiple analysis of covariance (MANCOVA) showed a significant effect of risk of LI on the NEPSY language scores. The effect of home language was not significant and there was no interaction between home language and risk for LI. Non-verbal IQ was controlled for. Across groups, bilingual children scored lower than monolingual children only on measures of vocabulary and sentence repetition. Although a slight general cost of bilingualism was found in the language profile of the six-year olds in this study, a bilingual background was not associated with more severe language problems in the LI Risk Group. Thus, there would seem to be no need to shield language-impaired children from opportunities for dual language learning.

The Teaching and Societal Services Nexus: Academics' Experiences in Three Disciplines

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Holmén, Magnus; Ljungberg, Daniel

2015-01-01

In this paper, we investigate the perception of academics regarding how their experiences from societal interaction (third mission) inform their teaching and vice versa. We report on a phone survey of Swedish academics in three engineering-related disciplines. The findings show that there is a perceived positive and bidirectional relationship…

Co-Producing Children's Sociality in Parent-Teacher Conferences

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Närvänen, Anna-Liisa; Markström, Ann-Marie

2015-01-01

The aim of this article is to describe how parents and preschool teachers talk about children's interactional skills in parent-teacher conferences in the Swedish preschool and how this can be related to socialization processes. The analyses show that children's communicative skills, such as turn-taking in conversation and co-operation, are…

Taking Advantage of the "Big Mo"--Momentum in Everyday English and Swedish and in Physics Teaching

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Haglund, Jesper; Jeppsson, Fredrik; Ahrenberg, Lars

2015-01-01

Science education research suggests that our everyday intuitions of motion and interaction of physical objects fit well with how physicists use the term "momentum". Corpus linguistics provides an easily accessible approach to study language in different domains, including everyday language. Analysis of language samples from English text…

Communication with Deaf Pre-School Children Using Cochlear Implants.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Tvingstedt, A. L.; Preisler, G.; Ahlstrom, M.

This study evaluated the communicative, social, and emotional development of 22 deaf Swedish pre-school children with cochlear implants over a 2-year period. Video-recordings (every 3 months) and observations of the children in natural interactional settings at home and school as well as interviews with parents and teachers provided the study…

Cost-effectiveness of natalizumab vs fingolimod for the treatment of relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis: analyses in Sweden.

PubMed

O'Day, Ken; Meyer, Kellie; Stafkey-Mailey, Dana; Watson, Crystal

2015-04-01

To assess the cost-effectiveness of natalizumab vs fingolimod over 2 years in relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis (RRMS) patients and patients with rapidly evolving severe disease in Sweden. A decision analytic model was developed to estimate the incremental cost per relapse avoided of natalizumab and fingolimod from the perspective of the Swedish healthcare system. Modeled 2-year costs in Swedish kronor of treating RRMS patients included drug acquisition costs, administration and monitoring costs, and costs of treating MS relapses. Effectiveness was measured in terms of MS relapses avoided using data from the AFFIRM and FREEDOMS trials for all patients with RRMS and from post-hoc sub-group analyses for patients with rapidly evolving severe disease. Probabilistic sensitivity analyses were conducted to assess uncertainty. The analysis showed that, in all patients with MS, treatment with fingolimod costs less (440,463 Kr vs 444,324 Kr), but treatment with natalizumab results in more relapses avoided (0.74 vs 0.59), resulting in an incremental cost-effectiveness ratio (ICER) of 25,448 Kr per relapse avoided. In patients with rapidly evolving severe disease, natalizumab dominated fingolimod. Results of the sensitivity analysis demonstrate the robustness of the model results. At a willingness-to-pay (WTP) threshold of 500,000 Kr per relapse avoided, natalizumab is cost-effective in >80% of simulations in both patient populations. Limitations include absence of data from direct head-to-head studies comparing natalizumab and fingolimod, use of relapse rate reduction rather than sustained disability progression as the primary model outcome, assumption of 100% adherence to MS treatment, and exclusion of adverse event costs in the model. Natalizumab remains a cost-effective treatment option for patients with MS in Sweden. In the RRMS patient population, the incremental cost per relapse avoided is well below a 500,000 Kr WTP threshold per relapse avoided. In the rapidly evolving severe disease patient population, natalizumab dominates fingolimod.

A Cost-Effectiveness Analysis of the Swedish Universal Parenting Program All Children in Focus.

PubMed

Ulfsdotter, Malin; Lindberg, Lene; Månsdotter, Anna

2015-01-01

There are few health economic evaluations of parenting programs with quality-adjusted life-years (QALYs) as the outcome measure. The objective of this study was, therefore, to conduct a cost-effectiveness analysis of the universal parenting program All Children in Focus (ABC). The goals were to estimate the costs of program implementation, investigate the health effects of the program, and examine its cost-effectiveness. A cost-effectiveness analysis was conducted. Costs included setup costs and operating costs. A parent proxy Visual Analog Scale was used to measure QALYs in children, whereas the General Health Questionnaire-12 was used for parents. A societal perspective was adopted, and the incremental cost-effectiveness ratio was calculated. To account for uncertainty in the estimate, the probability of cost-effectiveness was investigated, and sensitivity analyses were used to account for the uncertainty in cost data. The cost was € 326.3 per parent, of which € 53.7 represented setup costs under the assumption that group leaders on average run 10 groups, and € 272.6 was the operating costs. For health effects, the QALY gain was 0.0042 per child and 0.0027 per parent. These gains resulted in an incremental cost-effectiveness ratio for the base case of € 47 290 per gained QALY. The sensitivity analyses resulted in ratios from € 41 739 to € 55 072. With the common Swedish threshold value of € 55 000 per QALY, the probability of the ABC program being cost-effective was 50.8 percent. Our analysis of the ABC program demonstrates cost-effectiveness ratios below or just above the QALY threshold in Sweden. However, due to great uncertainty about the data, the health economic rationale for implementation should be further studied considering a longer time perspective, effects on siblings, and validated measuring techniques, before full scale implementation.

A Cost-Effectiveness Analysis of the Swedish Universal Parenting Program All Children in Focus

PubMed Central

Ulfsdotter, Malin

2015-01-01

Objective There are few health economic evaluations of parenting programs with quality-adjusted life-years (QALYs) as the outcome measure. The objective of this study was, therefore, to conduct a cost-effectiveness analysis of the universal parenting program All Children in Focus (ABC). The goals were to estimate the costs of program implementation, investigate the health effects of the program, and examine its cost-effectiveness. Methods A cost-effectiveness analysis was conducted. Costs included setup costs and operating costs. A parent proxy Visual Analog Scale was used to measure QALYs in children, whereas the General Health Questionnaire-12 was used for parents. A societal perspective was adopted, and the incremental cost-effectiveness ratio was calculated. To account for uncertainty in the estimate, the probability of cost-effectiveness was investigated, and sensitivity analyses were used to account for the uncertainty in cost data. Results The cost was €326.3 per parent, of which €53.7 represented setup costs under the assumption that group leaders on average run 10 groups, and €272.6 was the operating costs. For health effects, the QALY gain was 0.0042 per child and 0.0027 per parent. These gains resulted in an incremental cost-effectiveness ratio for the base case of €47 290 per gained QALY. The sensitivity analyses resulted in ratios from €41 739 to €55 072. With the common Swedish threshold value of €55 000 per QALY, the probability of the ABC program being cost-effective was 50.8 percent. Conclusion Our analysis of the ABC program demonstrates cost-effectiveness ratios below or just above the QALY threshold in Sweden. However, due to great uncertainty about the data, the health economic rationale for implementation should be further studied considering a longer time perspective, effects on siblings, and validated measuring techniques, before full scale implementation. PMID:26681349

Paradigms in Swedish as a Second Language--Curricula for Primary School and Secondary School in Swedish as a Second Language

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Magnusson, Ulrika

2013-01-01

This article analyzes and compares the curricula of Swedish and Swedish as a second language for primary and secondary school. The school subject of Swedish as a second language is young, and its ideological foundation has not been debated to any large extent, in contrast to Swedish. This article analyzes the curricula of both subjects in terms of…

Interactions with soil biota shift from negative to positive when a tree species is moved outside its native range.

PubMed

Gundale, Michael J; Kardol, Paul; Nilsson, Marie-Charlotte; Nilsson, Urban; Lucas, Richard W; Wardle, David A

2014-04-01

Studies evaluating plant-soil biota interactions in both native and introduced plant ranges are rare, and thus far have lacked robust experimental designs to account for several potential confounding factors. Here, we investigated the effects of soil biota on growth of Pinus contorta, which has been introduced from Canada to Sweden. Using Swedish and Canadian soils, we conducted two glasshouse experiments. The first experiment utilized unsterilized soil from each country, with a full-factorial cross of soil origin, tree provenance, and fertilizer addition. The second experiment utilized gamma-irradiated sterile soil from each country, with a full-factorial cross of soil origin, soil biota inoculation treatments, tree provenance, and fertilizer addition. The first experiment showed higher seedling growth on Swedish soil relative to Canadian soil. The second experiment showed this effect was due to differences in soil biotic communities between the two countries, and occurred independently of all other experimental factors. Our results provide strong evidence that plant interactions with soil biota can shift from negative to positive following introduction to a new region, and are relevant for understanding the success of some exotic forest plantations, and invasive and range-expanding native species. © 2014 The Authors. New Phytologist © 2014 New Phytologist Trust.

Variation in Swedish Address Practices

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Norrby, Catrin

2006-01-01

This article explores variation in address in contemporary Swedish in Sweden-Swedish and Finland-Swedish. The research is part of a large-scale Australian project on changes in the address systems of French, German and Swedish. The present article focuses on results from 72 social network interviews conducted in Sweden (Gothenburg) and Finland…

Implementing a Swedish regionalized medical program supported by digital technologies: possibilities and challenges from a management perspective.

PubMed

Pettersson, Fanny L M

2013-01-01

In 2011, Umeå University in Sweden was facing its first attempt to transform the existing medical program into a regionalized medical program (RMP), supported by the use of digital technologies. The Swedish RMP means that students are distributed in geographically separated groups while doing their five clinical clerkship semesters. To provide medical students with ways of undertaking their theoretical studies when geographically distributed, digital technologies are used for educational and administrative purposes. In this article, the Swedish RMP will be described and related to previous international research on educating medical students in rural settings. The aim of this article was, from a management perspective, to understand if and how contradictions arise during the implementation process of the Swedish RMP, supported by digital technologies. Based on this analysis, a further aim was to discuss, from a management perspective, the possibilities and challenges for improvement of this medical educational practice, as well as to provide implications for other similar changes in medical programs internationally. To identify possible contradictions during the implementation process, ethnographically inspired observations were made during management work meetings, before and during the first regionalized semester. In addition, in-depth follow-up interviews were held in May and June 2011 with six management executives of the Swedish RMP, concerning their expectations and experiences of the implementation process. The qualitative and activity theory (AT)-inspired analysis resulted in the emergence of two main themes and seven sub-themes. The analysis suggests that a number of contradictions arose during the implementation process of the Swedish RMP. For instance, a contradiction constituted as a conflict between the university management and some teachers concerning how digital technologies and technology enhanced learning (TEL) could and should be used when educating medical students. In addition, due to the use of digital technologies the implementation process helped to reveal existing problems and tensions in educational practice, not previously visible to management. These included contradictions such as a lack of alignment in how course goals, teaching practices, and examinations should be carried out. Further, obsolete course content and overlap between courses and subjects were identified, leading to an overhaul of all semesters, not only those regionalized. This study showed how contradictions in educational practice arose when the Swedish RMP, supported by digital technologies, was implemented. These contradictions involve both possibilities and challenges for management to improve how and with what quality the Swedish RMP is conducted. A challenge for management is to find the most effective way to enhance up-take and use of the more interactive and innovative TEL-solutions. However, a possibility is that the regionalization process and implemented improvements may also influence non-regionalized semesters, with the potential to eventually increase the quality of the entire program.

Taking Advantage of the "Big Mo"—Momentum in Everyday English and Swedish and in Physics Teaching

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Haglund, Jesper; Jeppsson, Fredrik; Ahrenberg, Lars

2015-06-01

Science education research suggests that our everyday intuitions of motion and interaction of physical objects fit well with how physicists use the term "momentum". Corpus linguistics provides an easily accessible approach to study language in different domains, including everyday language. Analysis of language samples from English text corpora reveals a trend of increasing metaphorical use of "momentum" in non-science domains, and through conceptual metaphor analysis, we show that the use of the word in everyday language, as opposed to for instance "force", is largely adequate from a physics point of view. In addition, "momentum" has recently been borrowed into Swedish as a metaphor in domains such as sports, politics and finance, with meanings similar to those in physics. As an implication for educational practice, we find support for the suggestion to introduce the term "momentum" to English-speaking pupils at an earlier age than what is typically done in the educational system today, thereby capitalising on their intuitions and experiences of everyday language. For Swedish-speaking pupils, and possibly also relevant to other languages, the parallel between "momentum" and the corresponding physics term in the students' mother tongue could be made explicit..

Double Photoionization Near Threshold

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Wehlitz, Ralf

2007-01-01

The threshold region of the double-photoionization cross section is of particular interest because both ejected electrons move slowly in the Coulomb field of the residual ion. Near threshold both electrons have time to interact with each other and with the residual ion. Also, different theoretical models compete to describe the double-photoionization cross section in the threshold region. We have investigated that cross section for lithium and beryllium and have analyzed our data with respect to the latest results in the Coulomb-dipole theory. We find that our data support the idea of a Coulomb-dipole interaction.

Dental fear among children and adolescents in a multicultural population--a cross-sectional study.

PubMed

Fägerstad, Anida; Lundgren, Jesper; Arnrup, Kristina

2015-01-01

The aim of this study was to explore dental fear in a multicultural population of child and adolescent dental patients, with background, gender, age, and socioeconomic status taken into account. A specific aim was to investigate whether the level of DF differed between patients with a non- Swedish background and patients with a Swedish background. In conjunction with a routine visit to the dental clinic, 301 patients (8-19 years old) assessed their dental fear on the Children's Fear Survey Schedule - Dental Subscale, using self-ratings. Following an interview protocol, patients' and their parents' country of birth, and parents' education and occupation/employment were registered. An interpreter was present when needed. Self-rated dental fear was almost equal among patients coming from a non-Swedish background and patients with a Swedish background. Girls scored higher than boys and younger children scored slightly higher compared to older children, but the pattern of dental fear variation was inconsistent. Socioeconomic status differed between the groups with a non-Swedish vs. a Swedish background, but no impact on dental fear was revealed. When children and adolescents with a non-Swedish vs. a Swedish background were modelled separately, female gender and younger age had an impact on dental fear only in the group with a Swedish background. No differences in dental fear were found between children and adolescents from non-Swedish vs. Swedish backgrounds. Dental fear variations according to gender and age were more pronounced in the group with a Swedish background compared to the group with a non-Swedish background. No impact of socioeconomic status could be revealed.

Quality improvement in coronary care: analysis of sustainability and impact on adjacent clinical measures after a Swedish controlled, multicenter quality improvement collaborative.

PubMed

Carlhed, Rickard; Bellman, Christina; Bojestig, Mats; Bojö, Leif; Peterson, Anette; Lindahl, Bertil

2012-08-01

Quality Improvement in Coronary Care, a Swedish multicenter, controlled quality-improvement (QI) collaborative, has shown significant improvements in adherence to national guidelines for acute myocardial infarction, as well as improved clinical outcome. The objectives of this report were to describe the sustainability of the improvements after withdrawal of study support and a consolidation period of 3 months and to report whether improvements were disseminated to treatments and diagnostic procedures other than those primarily targeted. Multidisciplinary teams from 19 Swedish hospitals were educated in basic QI methodologies. Another 19 matched hospitals were included as blinded controls. All evaluations were made on the hospital level, and data were obtained from a national quality registry, Swedish Register of Information and Knowledge About Swedish Heart Intensive Care Admissions (RIKS-HIA). Sustainability indicators consisted of use of angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors, lipid-lowering therapy, clopidogrel, low-molecular weight heparin, and coronary angiography. Dissemination indicators were use of echocardiography, stress tests, and reperfusion therapy; time delays; and length of stay. At the reevaluation period of 6 months, the improvements at the QI intervention hospitals were sustained in all indicators but 1 (angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitor). Between the 2 measurements, the control group improved significantly in all but 1 indicator (angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitor). However, at the second measurement, the absolute adherence rates of the intervention hospitals were still numerically higher in all 5 indicators, and significantly so in 1 (clopidogrel). No significant changes were observed for the dissemination indicators. The combination of a systematic QI collaborative with a national, interactive quality registry might lead to substantial and sustained improvements in the quality of acute myocardial infarction care. However, to achieve disseminated improvements in adjacent clinical measures, those adjacent measures probably should be made explicit before any QI intervention. (J Am Heart Assoc. 2012;1:e000737 doi: 10.1161/JAHA.112.000737.).

My Competence, Your Competence, and the Language We Use: The Moderating Effect of Interlocutor Language Constraint in Bilingual Accommodation

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Vincze, László; Gasiorek, Jessica

2018-01-01

This paper examines the interactive effects of motives and contextual constraints predicting linguistic convergence with Finnish speakers among a small group of Swedish-speaking Finns. The data were collected among university students in Helsinki (N = 82). A moderated mediation analysis demonstrated the primacy of speakers' competence motive for…

Applying Dynamic Assessment Principles to Online Peer Revisions in Written English for Specific Purposes

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Thouësny, Sylvie; Bradley, Linda

2014-01-01

The aim of this paper is to explore the extent of the applicability of dynamic assessment with respect to peer written student online revisions. More specifically, it observes how groups of Swedish computer engineering students learning English for Specific Purposes engage in cooperative interactions and negotiations with their peers as they work…

Culture in the Swedish Preschool. Current Sweden No. 324.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Almerud, Peter

Serious discussion of the status of children's culture in Sweden began 15 to 20 years ago. Today, it is increasingly realized that children need and have a right to personal artistic experiences. A report presented in the spring of 1983 by the National Council for Cultural Affairs on interaction between preschools and local cultural life prompted…

The Relationship between Classroom Quality-Related Variables and Engagement Levels in Swedish Preschool Classrooms: A Longitudinal Study

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Castro, Susana; Granlund, Mats; Almqvist, Lena

2017-01-01

Child engagement has been defined as active participation in classroom routines, appropriate interactions with the environment and it also predicts academic achievement. Therefore, it is necessary to identify predictors of engagement over time. Moreover, cross-cultural data is needed to provide a global picture of the quality of Early Childhood…

Computer Assisted Instruction. Papers Presented at the Association for Educational Data Systems Annual Convention (Phoenix, Arizona, May 3-7, 1976).

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Association for Educational Data Systems, Washington, DC.

Two abstracts and seventeen articles on computer assisted instruction (CAI) presented at the 1976 Association for Educational Data Systems (AEDS) convention are included here. Four new computer programs are described: Author System for Education and Training (ASET); GNOSIS, a Swedish/English CAI package; Statistical Interactive Programming System…

Literacy-Related Play Activities and Preschool Staffs' Strategies to Support Children's Concept Development

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Norling, Martina; Lillvist, Anne

2016-01-01

This study investigates language-promoting strategies and support of concept development displayed by preschool staffs' when interacting with preschool children in literacy-related play activities. The data analysed consisted of 39 minutes of video, selected systematically from a total of 11 hours of video material from six Swedish preschool…

Exploring Interconnections between Local Ecological Knowledge, Professional Identity and Sense of Place among Swedish Fishers

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Garavito-Bermúdez, Diana; Lundholm, Cecilia

2017-01-01

The ecological knowledge of those who interact with ecosystems in everyday-life is situated in social and cultural contexts, as well as accumulated, transferred and adjusted through work practices. For them, ecosystems represent not only places for living but also places for working and defining themselves. This paper explores psychological…

Experimenting with ecosystem interaction networks in search of threshold potentials in real-world marine ecosystems.

PubMed

Thrush, Simon F; Hewitt, Judi E; Parkes, Samantha; Lohrer, Andrew M; Pilditch, Conrad; Woodin, Sarah A; Wethey, David S; Chiantore, Mariachiara; Asnaghi, Valentina; De Juan, Silvia; Kraan, Casper; Rodil, Ivan; Savage, Candida; Van Colen, Carl

2014-06-01

Thresholds profoundly affect our understanding and management of ecosystem dynamics, but we have yet to develop practical techniques to assess the risk that thresholds will be crossed. Combining ecological knowledge of critical system interdependencies with a large-scale experiment, we tested for breaks in the ecosystem interaction network to identify threshold potential in real-world ecosystem dynamics. Our experiment with the bivalves Macomona liliana and Austrovenus stutchburyi on marine sandflats in New Zealand demonstrated that reductions in incident sunlight changed the interaction network between sediment biogeochemical fluxes, productivity, and macrofauna. By demonstrating loss of positive feedbacks and changes in the architecture of the network, we provide mechanistic evidence that stressors lead to break points in dynamics, which theory predicts predispose a system to a critical transition.

Effects of noise and confidence thresholds in nominal and metric Axelrod dynamics of social influence

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

de Sanctis, Luca; Galla, Tobias

2009-04-01

We study the effects of bounded confidence thresholds and of interaction and external noise on Axelrod’s model of social influence. Our study is based on a combination of numerical simulations and an integration of the mean-field master equation describing the system in the thermodynamic limit. We find that interaction thresholds affect the system only quantitatively, but that they do not alter the basic phase structure. The known crossover between an ordered and a disordered state in finite systems subject to external noise persists in models with general confidence threshold. Interaction noise here facilitates the dynamics and reduces relaxation times. We also study Axelrod systems with metric features and point out similarities and differences compared to models with nominal features.

National indicators for quality of drug therapy in older persons: the Swedish experience from the first 10 years.

PubMed

Fastbom, Johan; Johnell, Kristina

2015-03-01

Inappropriate drug use is an important health problem in elderly persons. Beginning with the Beers' criteria in the early 1990s, explicit criteria have been extensively used to measure and improve quality of drug use in older people. This article describes the Swedish indicators for quality of drug therapy in the elderly, introduced in 2004 and updated in 2010. These indicators were designed to be applied to people aged 75 years and over, regardless of residence and other characteristics. The indicators are divided into drug specific, covering choice, indication and dosage of drugs, polypharmacy, drug-drug interactions (DDIs), drug use in decreased renal function and in some symptoms; and diagnosis specific, covering the rational, irrational and hazardous drug use in common disorders in elderly people. During the 10 years since introduction, the Swedish indicators have several applications. They form the basis for recommendations for drug therapy in older people, are implemented in prescribing supports and drug utilisation reviews, are used in national benchmarking of the quality of Swedish healthcare and have contributed to initiatives from pensioner organisations. The indicators have also been used in several pharmacoepidemiological studies. Since 2005, there have been signs of improvement of the quality of drug prescribing to elderly persons in Sweden. For example, the prescribing of drugs that should be avoided in older persons decreased by 36 % between 2006 and 2012 in persons aged 80 years and older. Similarly, drug combinations that may cause DDIs decreased by 26 % and antipsychotics by 41 %. The indicators have likely contributed to this.

Health promoting interactive technology: Finnish, Norwegian, Russian and Swedish students' reflections.

PubMed

Kostenius, Catrine; Hertting, Krister

2016-09-01

The aim of this study was to elucidate Finnish, Norwegian, Russian and Swedish students' reflections and ideas on how interactive technology can be used to promote health in school. The data were collected in the northern part of these four countries, and 630 students aged 13-15 filled out the World Health Organization's 'Health Behavior in School-Aged Children' self-completion questionnaire with one additional open question, which is analyzed in this article (n = 419). The phenomenological analysis resulted in four themes: A sense of control, Balancing enjoyable options, Sharing with others and Learning made easier. The students point out that interactive technology promotes empowerment and independence, reduces stress and makes learning easier. They argue for a healthy balance of Internet use for it to be health promoting. According to the students, good relationships increase well-being; and interactive technology can offer a way to socialize, provide a tool for meeting and making new friends, help when not feeling well and give support when encouraging classmates. We argue, based on the findings of the present study and previous research, that students need a combination of freedom and meaningful relationships with adults who have an empowered child perspective, to fully take advantage of the empowering effects of interactive technology. We suggest, as implications for practice, that teachers, school leaders and health care professionals find ways to act as partners using an appreciative process, asking questions on what works well, to make interactive technology an enabling technology to increase health literacy, thus improving health and well-being in students. © The Author 2015. Published by Oxford University Press. All rights reserved. For Permissions, please email: journals.permissions@oup.com.

Comparison of Matrix Frequency-Doubling Technology (FDT) Perimetry with the SWEDISH Interactive Thresholding Algorithm (SITA) Standard Automated Perimetry (SAP) in Mild Glaucoma.

PubMed

Doozandeh, Azadeh; Irandoost, Farnoosh; Mirzajani, Ali; Yazdani, Shahin; Pakravan, Mohammad; Esfandiari, Hamed

2017-01-01

This study aimed to compare second-generation frequency-doubling technology (FDT) perimetry with standard automated perimetry (SAP) in mild glaucoma. Forty-seven eyes of 47 participants who had mild visual field defect by SAP were included in this study. All participants were examined using SITA 24-2 (SITA-SAP) and matrix 24-2 (Matrix-FDT). The correlations of global indices and the number of defects on pattern deviation (PD) plots were determined. Agreement between two sets regarding the stage of visual field damage was assessed. Pearson's correlation, intra-cluster comparison, paired t-test, and 95% limit of agreement were calculated. Although there was no significant difference between global indices, the agreement between the two devices regarding the global indices was weak (the limit of agreement for mean deviation was -6.08 to 6.08 and that for pattern standard deviation was -4.42 to 3.42). The agreement between SITA-SAP and Matrix-FDT regarding the Glaucoma Hemifield Test (GHT) and the number of defective points in each quadrant and staging of the visual field damage was also weak. Because the correlation between SITA-SAP and Matrix-FDT regarding global indices, GHT, number of defective points, and stage of the visual field damage in mild glaucoma is weak, Matrix-FDT cannot be used interchangeably with SITA-SAP in the early stages of glaucoma.

Linearity can account for the similarity among conventional, frequency-doubling, and gabor-based perimetric tests in the glaucomatous macula.

PubMed

Sun, Hao; Dul, Mitchell W; Swanson, William H

2006-07-01

The purposes of this study are to compare macular perimetric sensitivities for conventional size III, frequency-doubling, and Gabor stimuli in terms of Weber contrast and to provide a theoretical interpretation of the results. Twenty-two patients with glaucoma performed four perimetric tests: a conventional Swedish Interactive Threshold Algorithm (SITA) 10-2 test with Goldmann size III stimuli, two frequency-doubling tests (FDT 10-2, FDT Macula) with counterphase-modulated grating stimuli, and a laboratory-designed test with Gabor stimuli. Perimetric sensitivities were converted to the reciprocal of Weber contrast and sensitivities from different tests were compared using the Bland-Altman method. Effects of ganglion cell loss on perimetric sensitivities were then simulated with a two-stage neural model. The average perimetric loss was similar for all stimuli until advanced stages of ganglion cell loss, in which perimetric loss tended to be greater for size III stimuli than for frequency-doubling and Gabor stimuli. Comparison of the experimental data and model simulation suggests that, in the macula, linear relations between ganglion cell loss and perimetric sensitivity loss hold for all three stimuli. Linear relations between perimetric loss and ganglion cell loss for all three stimuli can account for the similarity in perimetric loss until advanced stages. The results do not support the hypothesis that redundancy for frequency-doubling stimuli is lower than redundancy for size III stimuli.

Contextual Interactions in Grating Plaid Configurations Are Explained by Natural Image Statistics and Neural Modeling

PubMed Central

Ernst, Udo A.; Schiffer, Alina; Persike, Malte; Meinhardt, Günter

2016-01-01

Processing natural scenes requires the visual system to integrate local features into global object descriptions. To achieve coherent representations, the human brain uses statistical dependencies to guide weighting of local feature conjunctions. Pairwise interactions among feature detectors in early visual areas may form the early substrate of these local feature bindings. To investigate local interaction structures in visual cortex, we combined psychophysical experiments with computational modeling and natural scene analysis. We first measured contrast thresholds for 2 × 2 grating patch arrangements (plaids), which differed in spatial frequency composition (low, high, or mixed), number of grating patch co-alignments (0, 1, or 2), and inter-patch distances (1° and 2° of visual angle). Contrast thresholds for the different configurations were compared to the prediction of probability summation (PS) among detector families tuned to the four retinal positions. For 1° distance the thresholds for all configurations were larger than predicted by PS, indicating inhibitory interactions. For 2° distance, thresholds were significantly lower compared to PS when the plaids were homogeneous in spatial frequency and orientation, but not when spatial frequencies were mixed or there was at least one misalignment. Next, we constructed a neural population model with horizontal laminar structure, which reproduced the detection thresholds after adaptation of connection weights. Consistent with prior work, contextual interactions were medium-range inhibition and long-range, orientation-specific excitation. However, inclusion of orientation-specific, inhibitory interactions between populations with different spatial frequency preferences were crucial for explaining detection thresholds. Finally, for all plaid configurations we computed their likelihood of occurrence in natural images. The likelihoods turned out to be inversely related to the detection thresholds obtained at larger inter-patch distances. However, likelihoods were almost independent of inter-patch distance, implying that natural image statistics could not explain the crowding-like results at short distances. This failure of natural image statistics to resolve the patch distance modulation of plaid visibility remains a challenge to the approach. PMID:27757076

Evaluation of acquired color vision deficiency in glaucoma using the Rabin cone contrast test.

PubMed

Niwa, Yuichi; Muraki, Sanae; Naito, Fumiyuki; Minamikawa, Takayuki; Ohji, Masahito

2014-08-28

To evaluate acquired color vision deficiency in glaucoma by using the Rabin cone contrast test (RCCT). Twenty-seven eyes of 27 patients with glaucoma (glaucoma group) and 27 eyes of 27 normal subjects (control group) were included in this study. Long (L), medium (M), and short (S) CCT scores (L CCTs, M CCTs, and S CCTs, respectively) were measured using the RCCT in both groups. Visual field examinations were performed with Humphrey automated perimetry using the Swedish interactive thresholding algorithm 30-2, and the mean deviation (MD) was evaluated. The macular ganglion cell/inner plexiform layer (GCIPL) thickness was measured using high-definition optical coherence tomography in the glaucoma group. The mean M CCTs and S CCTs in the glaucoma group were significantly lower (P<0.05 for both comparisons) than in the control group (M CCTs, 80.7±16.8 vs. 91.9±8.22; S CCTs, 83.9±19.5 vs. 97.4±3.77, respectively); the L CCTs did not differ significantly (P=0.065) from those of the controls (91.8±12.8 vs. 97.4±3.50, respectively). The M CCTs and S CCTs were correlated significantly with those of MD (M CCTs, r=0.47; S CCTs, r=0.44; P<0.05 for both comparisons) and GCIPL thickness (M CCTs, r=0.70; P<0.0001; S CCTs, r=0.57; P<0.01). The chromatic discrimination thresholds measured by RCCT in the glaucoma group were significantly different from those measured in the control group and were correlated with the MD and GCIPL thickness. The RCCT may be useful for evaluating acquired color vision deficiency in glaucoma and may help advance current understanding of the pathophysiology of glaucomatous damage. Copyright 2014 The Association for Research in Vision and Ophthalmology, Inc.

Comparison of standard automated perimetry with matrix frequency-doubling technology in patients with resolved optic neuritis.

PubMed

Sakai, Tsutomu; Matsushima, Masato; Shikishima, Keigo; Kitahara, Kenji

2007-05-01

To examine performance characteristics of frequency-doubling perimetry (FDP) in comparison with standard automated perimetry (SAP) in patients with resolved optic neuritis in a short-term follow-up study. Comparative consecutive case series. Twenty patients with resolved optic neuritis and 20 healthy volunteers participated in this study. The subjects were patients who recovered normal vision (1.0 or better) after optic neuritis. The Swedish interactive thresholding algorithm 30-2 program was used for SAP and a full-threshold 30-2 program was used for FDP. Using both forms of perimetry, the mean deviation (MD), pattern standard deviation (PSD), and the percentage of abnormal points significantly depressed <0.5% in the total deviation probability plot were compared. The visual fields were divided into 5 zones, and the mean sensitivity in each zone in affected eyes was compared with that in healthy eyes of the volunteers within 2 weeks of vision recovery and in follow-up after 2 weeks and 2 and 5 months. Standard automated perimetry and FDP showed general depression in the fovea and extrafoveal areas. Correlations between SAP and FDP were statistically significant for MD (Pearson r>0.75; P<0.001) and PSD (r>0.6; P<0.005). Defects detected with FDP were larger than with SAP in 14 eyes (70 %). In follow-up after 2 weeks and again after 2 and 5 months, FDP indicated slower improvement in visual field defects in the fovea and extrafoveal areas, whereas SAP indicated rapid improvement in these defects. Frequency-doubling perimetry is at least comparable with and potentially more sensitive than SAP in detecting visual field defects in resolved optic neuritis. This short-term follow-up study in patients with resolved optic neuritis suggests that FDP detects characteristics of slower recovery more effectively than SAP in the fovea and extrafoveal areas. These properties may allow more accurate detection of visual field defects and may prove advantageous for monitoring of patients with resolved optic neuritis.

Comparison of visual field test results obtained through Humphrey matrix frequency doubling technology perimetry versus standard automated perimetry in healthy children.

PubMed

Kocabeyoglu, Sibel; Uzun, Salih; Mocan, Mehmet Cem; Bozkurt, Banu; Irkec, Murat; Orhan, Mehmet

2013-10-01

The aim of this study was to compare the visual field test results in healthy children obtained via the Humphrey matrix 24-2 threshold program and standard automated perimetry (SAP) using the Swedish interactive threshold algorithm (SITA)-Standard 24-2 test. This prospective study included 55 healthy children without ocular or systemic disorders who underwent both SAP and frequency doubling technology (FDT) perimetry visual field testing. Visual field test reliability indices, test duration, global indices (mean deviation [MD], and pattern standard deviation [PSD]) were compared between the 2 tests using the Wilcoxon signed-rank test and paired t-test. The performance of the Humphrey field analyzer (HFA) 24-2 SITA-standard and frequency-doubling technology Matrix 24-2 tests between genders were compared with Mann-Whitney U-test. Fifty-five healthy children with a mean age of 12.2 ± 1.9 years (range from 8 years to 16 years) were included in this prospective study. The test durations of SAP and FDT were similar (5.2 ± 0.5 and 5.1 ± 0.2 min, respectively, P = 0.651). MD and the PSD values obtained via FDT Matrix were significantly higher than those obtained via SAP (P < 0.001), and fixation losses and false negative errors were significantly less with SAP (P < 0.05). A weak positive correlation between the two tests in terms of MD (r = 0.352, P = 0.008) and PSD (r = 0.329, P = 0.014) was observed. Children were able to complete both the visual test algorithms successfully within 6 min. However, SAP testing appears to be associated with less depression of the visual field indices of healthy children. FDT Matrix and SAP should not be used interchangeably in the follow-up of children.

Ambassadors of the Swedish Nation: National Images in the Teaching of the Swedish Lecturers in Germany 1918-1945

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Åkerlund, Andreas

2015-01-01

This article analyses the teaching of Swedish language lecturers active in Germany during the first half of the twentieth century. It shows the centrality of literature and literary constructions and analyses images of Swedishness and the Swedish nation present in the teaching material of that time in relation to the national image present in…

Variable Trends in High Peak Flow Generation Across the Swedish Sub-Arctic

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Matti, B.; Dahlke, H. E.; Lyon, S. W.

2015-12-01

There is growing concern about increased frequency and severity of floods and droughts globally in recent years. Improving knowledge on the complexity of hydrological systems and their interactions with climate is essential to be able to determine drivers of these extreme events and to predict changes in these drivers under altered climate conditions. This is particularly true in cold regions such as the Swedish Sub-Arctic where independent shifts in both precipitation and temperature can have significant influence on extremes. This study explores changes in the magnitude and timing of the annual maximum daily flows in 18 Swedish sub-arctic catchments. The Mann-Kendall trend test was used to estimate changes in selected hydrological signatures. Further, a flood frequency analysis was conducted by fitting a Gumbel (Extreme Value type I) distribution whereby selected flood percentiles were tested for stationarity using a generalized least squares regression approach. Our results showed that hydrological systems in cold climates have complex, heterogeneous interactions with climate. Shifts from a snowmelt-dominated to a rainfall-dominated flow regime were evident with all significant trends pointing towards (1) lower flood magnitudes in the spring flood; (2) earlier flood occurrence; (3) earlier snowmelt onset; and (4) decreasing mean summer flows. Decreasing trends in flood magnitude and mean summer flows suggest permafrost thawing and are in agreement with the increasing trends in annual minimum flows. Trends in the selected flood percentiles showed an increase in extreme events over the entire period of record, while trends were variable under shorter periods. A thorough uncertainty analysis emphasized that the applied trend test is highly sensitive to the period of record considered. As such, no clear overall regional pattern could be determined suggesting that how catchments are responding to changes in climatic drivers is strongly influenced by their physical characteristics.

Excusing exclusion: Accounting for rule-breaking and sanctions in a Swedish methadone clinic.

PubMed

Petersson, Frida J M

2013-11-01

Methadone maintenance treatment has been subjected to much debate and controversy in Sweden during the last decades. Thresholds for getting access are high and control policies strict within the programmes. This article analyses how professionals working in a Swedish methadone clinic discuss and decide on appropriate responses to clients' rule-breaking behaviour. The research data consist of field notes from observations of three interprofessional team meetings where different clients' illicit drug use is discussed. A micro-sociological approach and accounts analysis was applied to the data. During their decision-oriented talk at the meetings, the professionals account for: (1) sanctions, (2) nonsanction, (3) mildness. In accounting for (2) and (3), they also account for clients' rule-breaking behaviour. Analysis shows how these ways of accounting are concerned with locating blame and responsibility for the act in question, as well as with constructing excuses and justifications for the clients and for the professionals themselves. In general, these results demonstrate that maintenance treatment in everyday professional decision-making, far from being a neutral evidence-based practice, involves a substantial amount of professional discretion and moral judgements. Sanctions are chosen according to the way in which a deviance from the rules is explained and, in doing so, a certain behaviour is deemed to be serious, dangerous and unacceptable - or excusable. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Multidimensional fatigue inventory and post-polio syndrome - a Rasch analysis.

PubMed

Dencker, Anna; Sunnerhagen, Katharina S; Taft, Charles; Lundgren-Nilsson, Åsa

2015-02-12

Fatigue is a common symptom in post-polio syndrome (PPS) and can have a substantial impact on patients. There is a need for validated questionnaires to assess fatigue in PPS for use in clinical practice and research. The aim with this study was to assess the validity and reliability of the Swedish version of Multidimensional Fatigue Inventory (MFI-20) in patients with PPS using the Rasch model. A total of 231 patients diagnosed with PPS completed the Swedish MFI-20 questionnaire at post-polio out-patient clinics in Sweden. The mean age of participants was 62 years and 61% were females. Data were tested against assumptions of the Rasch measurement model (i.e. unidimensionality of the scale, good item fit, independency of items and absence of differential item functioning). Reliability was tested with the person separation index (PSI). A transformation of the ordinal total scale scores into an interval scale for use in parametric analysis was performed. Dummy cases with minimum and maximum scoring were used for the transformation table to achieve interval scores between 20 and 100, which are comprehensive limits for the MFI-20 scale. An initial Rasch analysis of the full scale with 20 items showed misfit to the Rasch model (p < 0.001). Seven items showed slightly disordered thresholds and person estimates were not significantly improved by rescoring items. Analysis of MFI-20 scale with the 5 MFI-20 subscales as testlets showed good fit with a non-significant x (2) value (p = 0.089). PSI for the testlet solution was 0.86. Local dependency was present in all subscales and fit to the Rasch model was solved with testlets within each subscale. PSI ranged from 0.52 to 0.82 in the subscales. This study shows that the Swedish MFI-20 total scale and subscale scores yield valid and reliable measures of fatigue in persons with post-polio syndrome. The Rasch transformed total scores can be used for parametric statistical analyses in future clinical studies.

Commonly used reference values underestimate oxygen uptake in healthy, 50-year-old Swedish women.

PubMed

Genberg, M; Andrén, B; Lind, L; Hedenström, H; Malinovschi, A

2018-01-01

Cardiopulmonary exercise testing (CPET) is the gold standard among clinical exercise tests. It combines a conventional stress test with measurement of oxygen uptake (V O 2 ) and CO 2 production. No validated Swedish reference values exist, and reference values in women are generally understudied. Moreover, the importance of achieved respiratory exchange ratio (RER) and the significance of breathing reserve (BR) at peak exercise in healthy individuals are poorly understood. We compared V O 2 at maximal load (peakV O 2 ) and anaerobic threshold (V O 2@ AT ) in healthy Swedish individuals with commonly used reference values, taking gender into account. Further, we analysed maximal workload and peakV O 2 with regard to peak RER and BR. In all, 181 healthy, 50-year-old individuals (91 women) performed CPET. PeakV O 2 was best predicted using Jones et al. (100·5%), while SHIP reference values underestimated peakV O 2 most: 112·5%. Furthermore, underestimation of peakV O 2 in women was found for all studied reference values (P<0·001) and was largest for SHIP: women had 128% of predicted peakV O 2 , while men had 104%. PeakV O 2 was similar in subjects with peak RER of 1-1·1 and RER > 1·1 (2 328·7 versus 2 176·7 ml min -1 , P = 0·11). Lower BR (≤30%) related to significantly higher peakV O 2 (P<0·001). In conclusion, peakV O 2 was best predicted by Jones. All studied reference values underestimated oxygen uptake in women. No evidence for demanding RER > 1·1 in healthy individuals was found. A lowered BR is probably a normal response to higher workloads in healthy individuals. © 2016 Scandinavian Society of Clinical Physiology and Nuclear Medicine. Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Research Planning from a Micro-Ecological Perspective: Summary of Interview Study. Educational and Psychological Interactions No. 60.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bierschenk, Bernhard

Empirical information is presented on how researchers at Swedish institutes of education perceive, structure, and define educational and psychological problems. The collection, evaluation, and presentation of the results of the study were made on the basis of system theoretic assumptions in that the description and analysis of the initial phase of…

Zooming in on the Partnership of a Successful Teaching Team: Examining Cooperation, Action and Recognition

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Henning Loeb, Ingrid

2016-01-01

This article investigates the cooperation of a teaching team in Swedish upper secondary education over a period of five years. The data collection builds on field studies and partly on a collaborative research approach. Three areas of cooperation have been identified: collaboration among the staff; interactions between the staff and the students;…

The Temporality of Participation in School Science: Coordination of Teacher Control and the Pace of Students' Participation

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Rocksén, Miranda

2017-01-01

This study investigates classroom organisation and interaction focusing on phases of activity. The detailed in-depth case study is based on video recordings of 1 science unit consisting of 11 lessons about biological evolution in a Swedish ninth-grade class (aged 15). The study illuminates the temporality of student participation as a fundamental…

Musical Make-Believe Playing: Three Preschoolers Collaboratively Initiating Play "In-Between"

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lagerlöf, Pernilla

2015-01-01

This study presents an analysis of a video observation of three six-year-olds interacting in front of a synthesizer in a Swedish preschool and using a new music technology ("MIROR-Impro"). It investigates how a musical role-play unfolds as an intermediate activity when there is a malfunction with the set-up of the technology and how it…

Fractal Approach to Erosion Threshold of Bentonites

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Xu, Y. F.; Li, X. Y.

Bentonite has been considered as a candidate buffer material for the disposal of high-level radioactive waste (HLW) because of its low permeability, high sorption capacity, self-sealing characteristics and durability in a natural environment. Bentonite erosion caused by groundwater flow may take place at the interface of the compacted bentonite and fractured granite. Surface erosion of bentonite flocs is represented typically as an erosion threshold. Predicting the erosion threshold of bentonite flocs requires taking into account cohesion, which results from interactions between clay particles. Beyond the usual dependence on grain size, a significant correlation between erosion threshold and porosity measurements is confirmed for bentonite flocs. A fractal model for erosion threshold of bentonite flocs is proposed. Cohesion forces, the long-range van der Waals interaction between two clay particles are taken as the resource of the erosion threshold. The model verification is conducted by the comparison with experiments published in the literature. The results show that the proposed model for erosion threshold is in good agreement with the experimental data.

Present-Day Influence of English on Swedish as Found in Swedish Job Advertisements.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Larson, Ben E.

1990-01-01

A brief analysis of job advertisements in Swedish newspapers notes the increasing trend toward the use of English rather than Swedish words for certain terms, attributing such use to the wish to show an international labor perspective. (five references) (CB)

Reading Comprehension in Quiet and in Noise: Effects on Immediate and Delayed Recall in Relation to Tinnitus and High-Frequency Hearing Thresholds.

PubMed

Brännström, K Jonas; Waechter, Sebastian

2018-06-01

A common complaint by people with tinnitus is that they experience that the tinnitus causes attention and concentration problems. Previous studies have examined how tinnitus influences cognitive performance on short and intensive cognitive tasks but without proper control of hearing status. To examine the impact tinnitus and high-frequency hearing thresholds have on reading comprehension in quiet and in background noise. A between-group design with matched control participants. One group of participants with tinnitus (n = 20) and an age and gender matched control group without tinnitus (n = 20) participated. Both groups had normal hearing thresholds (20 dB HL at frequencies 0.125 to 8 kHz). Measurements were made assessing hearing thresholds and immediate and delayed recall using a reading comprehension test in quiet and in noise. All participants completed the Swedish version of the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale, and participants with tinnitus also completed the Tinnitus Questionnaire. The groups did not differ in immediate nor delayed recall. Accounting for the effect of age, a significant positive correlation was found between best ear high-frequency pure tone average (HF-PTA; 10000, 12500, and 14000 Hz) and the difference score between immediate and delayed recall in noise. Tinnitus seems to have no effect on immediate and delayed recall in quiet or in background noise when hearing status is controlled for. The detrimental effect of background noise on the processes utilized for efficient encoding into long-term memory is larger in participants with better HF-PTA. More specifically, when reading in noise, participants with better HF-PTA seem to recall less information than participants with poorer HF-PTA. American Academy of Audiology.

Identifying thresholds in pattern-process relationships: a new cross-scale interactions experiment at the Jornada Basin LTER

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Interactions among ecological patterns and processes at multiple scales play a significant role in threshold behaviors in arid systems. Black grama grasslands and mesquite shrublands are hypothesized to operate under unique sets of feedbacks: grasslands are maintained by fine-scale biotic feedbacks ...

Water's Interfacial Hydrogen Bonding Structure Reveals the Effective Strength of Surface-Water Interactions.

PubMed

Shin, Sucheol; Willard, Adam P

2018-06-05

We combine all-atom molecular dynamics simulations with a mean field model of interfacial hydrogen bonding to analyze the effect of surface-water interactions on the structural and energetic properties of the liquid water interface. We show that the molecular structure of water at a weakly interacting ( i.e., hydrophobic) surface is resistant to change unless the strength of surface-water interactions are above a certain threshold. We find that below this threshold water's interfacial structure is homogeneous and insensitive to the details of the disordered surface, however, above this threshold water's interfacial structure is heterogeneous. Despite this heterogeneity, we demonstrate that the equilibrium distribution of molecular orientations can be used to quantify the energetic component of the surface-water interactions that contribute specifically to modifying the interfacial hydrogen bonding network. We identify this specific energetic component as a new measure of hydrophilicity, which we refer to as the intrinsic hydropathy.

Processing of Inflected Nouns in Late Bilinguals

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Portin, Marja; Lehtonen, Minna; Laine, Matti

2007-01-01

This study investigated the recognition of Swedish inflected nouns in two participant groups. Both groups were Finnish-speaking late learners of Swedish, but the groups differed in regard to their Swedish language proficiency. In a visual lexical decision task, inflected Swedish nouns from three frequency ranges were contrasted with corresponding…

Coexposure to toluene and p-xylene in man: central nervous functions.

PubMed Central

Olson, B A; Gamberale, F; Iregren, A

1985-01-01

Sixteen men were studied in an exposure chamber to assess the effect of four hours' exposure to toluene (3.25 mmol/m3), xylene (2.84 mmol/m3), a mixture of toluene and xylene (2.20 + 0.94 mmol/m3), and a control condition. With the aid of microcomputers, subjects performed tests of simple reaction time, short term memory, and choice reaction time immediately after entering the chamber, after two, and after four hours' exposure. The results indicate that the performance on the tests was unaffected by exposure. In the light of this result the risk of an acute effect on central nervous functions after exposure for four hours at concentrations that do not exceed the Swedish threshold limit values was considered to be minimal. PMID:3970870

Genotype effects on body temperature in dairy cows under grazing conditions in a hot climate including evidence for heterosis

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dikmen, S.; Martins, L.; Pontes, E.; Hansen, P. J.

2009-07-01

We compared diurnal patterns of vaginal temperature in lactating cows under grazing conditions to evaluate genotype effects on body temperature regulation. Genotypes evaluated were Holstein, Jersey, Jersey × Holstein and Swedish Red × Holstein. The comparison of Holstein and Jersey versus Jersey × Holstein provided a test of whether heterosis effects body temperature regulation. Cows were fitted with intravaginal temperature recording devices that measured vaginal temperature every 15 min for 7 days. Vaginal temperature was affected by time of day ( P < 0.0001) and genotype × time ( P < 0.0001) regardless of whether days in milk and milk yield were used as covariates. Additional analyses indicated that the Swedish Red × Holstein had a different pattern of vaginal temperatures than the other three genotypes (Swedish Red × Holstein vs others × time; P < 0.0001) and that Holstein and Jersey had a different pattern than Jersey × Holstein [(Holstein + Jersey vs Jersey × Holstein) × time, P < 0.0001]. However, Holstein had a similar pattern to Jersey [(Holstein vs Jersey) × time, P > 0.10]. These genotype × time interactions reflect two effects. First, Swedish Red × Holstein had higher vaginal temperatures than the other genotypes in the late morning and afternoon but not after the evening milking. Secondly, Jersey × Holstein had lower vaginal temperatures than other genotypes in the late morning and afternoon and again in the late night and early morning. Results point out that there are effects of specific genotypes and evidence for heterosis on regulation of body temperature of lactating cows maintained under grazing conditions and suggest that genetic improvement for thermotolerance through breed choice or genetic selection is possible.

Do You Believe It? Verbal Suggestions Influence the Clinical and Neural Effects of Escitalopram in Social Anxiety Disorder: A Randomized Trial.

PubMed

Faria, Vanda; Gingnell, Malin; Hoppe, Johanna M; Hjorth, Olof; Alaie, Iman; Frick, Andreas; Hultberg, Sara; Wahlstedt, Kurt; Engman, Jonas; Månsson, Kristoffer N T; Carlbring, Per; Andersson, Gerhard; Reis, Margareta; Larsson, Elna-Marie; Fredrikson, Mats; Furmark, Tomas

2017-10-01

Selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) are commonly prescribed for depression and anxiety, but their efficacy relative to placebo has been questioned. We aimed to test how manipulation of verbally induced expectancies, central for placebo, influences SSRI treatment outcome and brain activity in patients with social anxiety disorder (SAD). We did a randomized clinical trial, within an academic medical center (Uppsala, Sweden), of individuals fulfilling the DSM-IV criteria for SAD, recruited through media advertising. Participants were 18years or older and randomized in blocks, through a computer-generated sequence by an independent party, to nine weeks of overt or covert treatment with escitalopram (20mg daily). The overt group received correct treatment information whereas the covert group was treated deceptively with the SSRI described, by the psychiatrist, as active placebo. The treating psychiatrist was necessarily unmasked while the research staff was masked from intervention assignment. Treatment efficacy was assessed primarily with the self-rated Liebowitz Social Anxiety Scale (LSAS-SR), administered at week 0, 1, 3, 6 and 9, also yielding a dichotomous estimate of responder status (clinically significant improvement). Before and at the last week of treatment, brain activity during an emotional face-matching task was assessed with functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) and during fMRI sessions, anticipatory speech anxiety was also assessed with the Spielberger State-Trait Anxiety Inventory - State version (STAI-S). Analyses included all randomized patients with outcome data at posttreatment. This study is registered at ISRCTN, number 98890605. Between March 17th 2014 and May 22nd 2015, 47 patients were recruited. One patient in the covert group dropped out after a few days of treatment and did not provide fMRI data, leaving 46 patients with complete outcome data. After nine weeks of treatment, overt (n=24) as compared to covert (n=22) SSRI administration yielded significantly better outcome on the LSAS-SR (adjusted difference 21.17, 95% CI 10.69-31.65, p<0.0001) with more than three times higher response rate (50% vs. 14%; χ 2 (1)=6.91, p=0.009) and twice the effect size (d=2.24 vs. d=1.13) from pre-to posttreatment. There was no significant between-group difference on anticipatory speech anxiety (STAI-S), both groups improving with treatment. No serious adverse reactions were recorded. On fMRI outcomes, there was suggestive evidence for a differential neural response to treatment between groups in the posterior cingulate, superior temporal and inferior frontal gyri (all z thresholds exceeding 3.68, p≤0.001). Reduced social anxiety with treatment correlated significantly with enhanced posterior cingulate (z threshold 3.24, p=0.0006) and attenuated amygdala (z threshold 2.70, p=0.003) activity. The clinical and neural effects of escitalopram were markedly influenced by verbal suggestions. This points to a pronounced placebo component in SSRI-treatment of SAD and favors a biopsychosocial over a biomedical explanatory model for SSRI efficacy. The Swedish Research Council for Working Life and Social Research (grant 2011-1368), the Swedish Research Council (grant 421-2013-1366), Riksbankens Jubileumsfond - the Swedish Foundation for Humanities and Social Sciences (grant P13-1270:1). Copyright © 2017 The Authors. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

E-assessment of prior learning: a pilot study of interactive assessment of staff with no formal education who are working in Swedish elderly care

PubMed Central

2014-01-01

Background The current paper presents a pilot study of interactive assessment using information and communication technology (ICT) to evaluate the knowledge, skills and abilities of staff with no formal education who are working in Swedish elderly care. Methods Theoretical and practical assessment methods were developed and used with simulated patients and computer-based tests to identify strengths and areas for personal development among staff with no formal education. Results Of the 157 staff with no formal education, 87 began the practical and/or theoretical assessments, and 63 completed both assessments. Several of the staff passed the practical assessments, except the morning hygiene assessment, where several failed. Other areas for staff development, i.e. where several failed (>50%), were the theoretical assessment of the learning objectives: Health, Oral care, Ergonomics, hygiene, esthetic, environmental, Rehabilitation, Assistive technology, Basic healthcare and Laws and organization. None of the staff passed all assessments. Number of years working in elderly care and staff age were not statistically significantly related to the total score of grades on the various learning objectives. Conclusion The interactive assessments were useful in assessing staff members’ practical and theoretical knowledge, skills, and abilities and in identifying areas in need of development. It is important that personnel who lack formal qualifications be clearly identified and given a chance to develop their competence through training, both theoretical and practical. The interactive e-assessment approach analyzed in the present pilot study could serve as a starting point. PMID:24742168

Swedish Theatre in the United States.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Harvey, Anne-Charlotte Hanes

The Swedish ethnic theatre in the United States flourished and provided a vigorous cultural expression among Swedish immigrants for over five decades beginning in San Francisco in 1863. Swedes in Chicago alone produced between 9 and 24 plays per season from 1888 to 1915. All over the United States, Swedish settlements had their own Swedish…

Initial analyses of the relationship between 'Thresholds' of toxicity for individual chemicals and 'Interaction Thresholds' for chemical mixtures

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Yang, Raymond S.H.; Dennison, James E.

2007-09-01

The inter-relationship of 'Thresholds' between chemical mixtures and their respective component single chemicals was studied using three sets of data and two types of analyses. Two in vitro data sets involve cytotoxicity in human keratinocytes from treatment of metals and a metal mixture [Bae, D.S., Gennings, C., Carter, Jr., W.H., Yang, R.S.H., Campain, J.A., 2001. Toxicological interactions among arsenic, cadmium, chromium, and lead in human keratinocytes. Toxicol. Sci. 63, 132-142; Gennings, C., Carter, Jr., W.H., Campain, J.A., Bae, D.S., Yang, R.S.H., 2002. Statistical analysis of interactive cytotoxicity in human epidermal keratinocytes following exposure to a mixture of four metals. J.more » Agric. Biol. Environ. Stat. 7, 58-73], and induction of estrogen receptor alpha (ER-{alpha}) reporter gene in MCF-7 human breast cancer cells by estrogenic xenobiotics [Gennings, C., Carter, Jr., W.H., Carney, E.W., Charles, G.D., Gollapudi, B.B., Carchman, R.A., 2004. A novel flexible approach for evaluating fixed ratio mixtures of full and partial agonists. Toxicol. Sci. 80, 134-150]. The third data set came from PBPK modeling of gasoline and its components in the human. For in vitro cellular responses, we employed Benchmark Dose Software (BMDS) to obtain BMD{sub 01}, BMD{sub 05}, and BMD{sub 10}. We then plotted these BMDs against exposure concentrations for the chemical mixture and its components to assess the ranges and slopes of these BMD-concentration lines. In doing so, we consider certain BMDs to be 'Interaction Thresholds' or 'Thresholds' for mixtures and their component single chemicals and the slope of the line must be a reflection of the potency of the biological effects. For in vivo PBPK modeling, we used 0.1x TLVs, TLVs, and 10x TLVs for gasoline and six component markers as input dosing for PBPK modeling. In this case, the venous blood levels under the hypothetical exposure conditions become our designated 'Interaction Thresholds' or 'Thresholds' for gasoline and its component single chemicals. Our analyses revealed that the mixture 'Interaction Thresholds' appear to stay within the bounds of the 'Thresholds' of its respective component single chemicals. Although such a trend appears to be emerging, nevertheless, it should be emphasized that our analyses are based on limited data sets and further analyses on data sets, preferably the more comprehensive experimental data sets, are needed before a definitive conclusion can be drawn.« less

About Collaboration, Interaction, and the Negotiation of Meaning in Synchronous Written Chats in L2-German

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Fredriksson, Christine

2012-01-01

In this paper I will show the preliminary findings from my study of the discourse in synchronous written chats performed by students who study modern German literature within their first term of German studies. The focus of the study is on learning strategies and discourse strategies and how the Swedish learners make use of them when chatting with…

Drop-Out in Schools in India: Minor Field Studies in Orissa 1990. Educational and Psychological Interactions. No. 112.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ekstrand, Gudrun, Ed.

This document consists of a report on the Minor Field Studies (MFS) program of the Swedish International Development Authority (SIDA) and contains two MFS papers by teacher trainees at the Malmo School of Education in Sweden. The papers presented are "Drop-outs in Orissa," by Elisabeth Rosen, and "Education in India: A Study of…

Auditory enhancement of visual perception at threshold depends on visual abilities.

PubMed

Caclin, Anne; Bouchet, Patrick; Djoulah, Farida; Pirat, Elodie; Pernier, Jacques; Giard, Marie-Hélène

2011-06-17

Whether or not multisensory interactions can improve detection thresholds, and thus widen the range of perceptible events is a long-standing debate. Here we revisit this question, by testing the influence of auditory stimuli on visual detection threshold, in subjects exhibiting a wide range of visual-only performance. Above the perceptual threshold, crossmodal interactions have indeed been reported to depend on the subject's performance when the modalities are presented in isolation. We thus tested normal-seeing subjects and short-sighted subjects wearing their usual glasses. We used a paradigm limiting potential shortcomings of previous studies: we chose a criterion-free threshold measurement procedure and precluded exogenous cueing effects by systematically presenting a visual cue whenever a visual target (a faint Gabor patch) might occur. Using this carefully controlled procedure, we found that concurrent sounds only improved visual detection thresholds in the sub-group of subjects exhibiting the poorest performance in the visual-only conditions. In these subjects, for oblique orientations of the visual stimuli (but not for vertical or horizontal targets), the auditory improvement was still present when visual detection was already helped with flanking visual stimuli generating a collinear facilitation effect. These findings highlight that crossmodal interactions are most efficient to improve perceptual performance when an isolated modality is deficient. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

The Swedish Institute for the Handicapped--A Survey.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Swedish Inst. for the Handicapped, Bromma.

Briefly described are the financing, function, and organization of the Swedish Institute for the Handicapped established in 1968. Reported are increased funding by the Swedish government from 3.5 million Swedish kronas (Skr) in 1950/51 to over 200 million Skr (equivalent to 45 million U.S. dollars) in 1972/73 for technical aids and improved…

Swedish Art Song: A Singer's Handbook to Diction and Repertoire

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hersey, Anna Christine

2012-01-01

This essay is a guide to Swedish lyric diction for American singers. An overview of the linguistic traits and basic grammar of the Swedish language prepares the reader for a detailed description of Swedish phonemes and their occurrence in the language. Differences in pronunciation conventions as they pertain to classical singing, particularly the…

The intensive care delirium screening checklist: translation and reliability testing in a Swedish ICU.

PubMed

Neziraj, M; Sarac Kart, N; Samuelson, Karin

2011-08-01

The view of delirium has changed considerably over the last decade, and delirium is now a very topical issue within the intensive care unit (ICU) setting. Delirium has proved to be common in critically ill patients and is manifested as acute changes in mental status with reduced cognitive ability, incoherent thought patterns, impaired consciousness, agitation and acute confusion. In order to be able to prevent, identify and alleviate problems related to delirium it is important that validated instruments for delirium screening are implemented and evaluated. The aim of this study was to translate the Intensive Care Delirium Screening Checklist (ICDSC) into Swedish and test the inter-rater reliability in a Swedish general ICU setting. The study was carried out during 2009 in a general Swedish ICU. A translation of the scale from English into Swedish was made, including back-translation, critical review and pilot testing. A total of 49 paired ratings were carried out using the Swedish version of the ICDSC scale. The inter-rater reliability was tested using weighted kappa (κ) statistics (linear weighting). The ICDSC scale was successfully translated into Swedish and the inter-rater reliability testing of the Swedish version resulted in a weighted k value of 0.92. The result of this study indicates that the Swedish version of the ICDSC scale has a very good inter-rater reliability. The high inter-rater reliability and the ease of administration make the ICDSC scale applicable for delirium screening in a Swedish ICU setting. © 2011 The Authors. Acta Anaesthesiologica Scandinavica © 2011 The Acta Anaesthesiologica Scandinavica Foundation.

Positioning true coincidences that undergo inter-and intra-crystal scatter for a sub-mm resolution cadmium zinc telluride-based PET system

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Abbaszadeh, Shiva; Chinn, Garry; Levin, Craig S.

2018-01-01

The kinematics of Compton scatter can be used to estimate the interaction sequence of inter-crystal scatter interactions in 3D position-sensitive cadmium zinc telluride (CZT) detectors. However, in the case of intra-crystal scatter in a ‘cross-strip’ CZT detector slab, multiple anode and cathode strips may be triggered, creating position ambiguity due to uncertainty in possible combinations of anode-cathode pairings. As a consequence, methods such as energy-weighted centroid are not applicable to position the interactions. In practice, since the event position is uncertain, these intra-crystal scatters events are discarded. In this work, we studied using Compton kinematics and a ‘direction difference angle’ to provide a method to correctly identify the anode-cathode pair corresponding to the first interaction position in an intra-crystal scatter event. GATE simulation studies of a NEMA NU4 image quality phantom in a small animal positron emission tomography under development composed of 192, 40~mm×40~mm×5 mm CZT crystals shows that 47% of total numbers of multiple-interaction photon events (MIPEs) are intra-crystal scatter with a 100 keV lower energy threshold per interaction. The sensitivity of the system increases from 0.6 to 4.10 (using 10 keV as system lower energy threshold) by including rather than discarding inter- and intra-crystal scatter. The contrast-to-noise ratio (CNR) also increases from 5.81+/-0.3 to 12.53+/-0.37 . It was shown that a higher energy threshold limits the capability of the system to detect MIPEs and reduces CNR. Results indicate a sensitivity increase (4.1 to 5.88) when raising the lower energy threshold (10 keV to 100 keV) for the case of only two-interaction events. In order to detect MIPEs accurately, a low noise system capable of a low energy threshold (10 keV) per interaction is desired.

Enhancing the European Union’s Development Strategy in Afghanistan

DTIC Science & Technology

2010-06-01

REE Rare Earth Element SCA Swedish Committee for Afghanistan SIDA Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency SIGAR Special Inspector...member states such as Ireland’s Development Cooperation Ireland (DCI), Sweden’s Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency ( SIDA ), and the...Command and General Staff College, June 2008.) 71. 142 Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency, “Afghanistan Sida Country Report 2005

From National Policy-Making to Global Edu-Business: Swedish Edu-Preneurs on the Move

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Rönnberg, Linda

2017-01-01

This study explores the movements of some Swedish former education policy-makers that are currently active as commercial edu-business actors with the ambition to expand in the Global Education Industry (GEI). The aim is to map and analyze how a selection of Swedish edu-preneurs affiliated with a particular Swedish school chain enter the GEI and…

Extraction of hadron interactions above inelastic threshold in lattice QCD.

PubMed

Aoki, Sinya; Ishii, Noriyoshi; Doi, Takumi; Hatsuda, Tetsuo; Ikeda, Yoichi; Inoue, Takashi; Murano, Keiko; Nemura, Hidekatsu; Sasaki, Kenji

2011-01-01

We propose a new method to extract hadron interactions above inelastic threshold from the Nambu-Bethe-Salpeter amplitude in lattice QCD. We consider the scattering such as A + B → C + D, where A, B, C, D are names of different 1-particle states. An extension to cases where particle productions occur during scatterings is also discussed.

STR data for the AmpFlSTR Identifiler loci from Swedish population in comparison to European, as well as with non-European population.

PubMed

Montelius, Kerstin; Karlsson, Andreas O; Holmlund, Gunilla

2008-06-01

The modern Swedish population is a mixture of people that originate from different parts of the world. This is also the truth for the clients participating in the paternity cases investigated at the department. Calculations based on a Swedish frequency database only, could give us overestimated figures of probability and power of exclusion in cases including clients with a genetic background other than Swedish. Here, we describe allele frequencies regarding the markers in the Identifiler-kit. We have compared three sets of population samples; Swedish, European and non-European to investigate how these three groups of population samples differ. Also, all three population sets were compared to data reported from other European and non-European populations. Swedish allele frequencies for the 15 autosomal STRs included in the Identifiler kit were obtained from unrelated blood donors with Swedish names. The European and non-European frequencies were based on DNA-profiles of alleged fathers from our paternity cases in 2005 and 2006.

Interactions between auditory 'what' and 'where' pathways revealed by enhanced near-threshold discrimination of frequency and position.

PubMed

Tardif, Eric; Spierer, Lucas; Clarke, Stephanie; Murray, Micah M

2008-03-07

Partially segregated neuronal pathways ("what" and "where" pathways, respectively) are thought to mediate sound recognition and localization. Less studied are interactions between these pathways. In two experiments, we investigated whether near-threshold pitch discrimination sensitivity (d') is altered by supra-threshold task-irrelevant position differences and likewise whether near-threshold position discrimination sensitivity is altered by supra-threshold task-irrelevant pitch differences. Each experiment followed a 2 x 2 within-subjects design regarding changes/no change in the task-relevant and task-irrelevant stimulus dimensions. In Experiment 1, subjects discriminated between 750 Hz and 752 Hz pure tones, and d' for this near-threshold pitch change significantly increased by a factor of 1.09 when accompanied by a task-irrelevant position change of 65 micros interaural time difference (ITD). No response bias was induced by the task-irrelevant position change. In Experiment 2, subjects discriminated between 385 micros and 431 micros ITDs, and d' for this near-threshold position change significantly increased by a factor of 0.73 when accompanied by task-irrelevant pitch changes (6 Hz). In contrast to Experiment 1, task-irrelevant pitch changes induced a response criterion bias toward responding that the two stimuli differed. The collective results are indicative of facilitative interactions between "what" and "where" pathways. By demonstrating how these pathways may cooperate under impoverished listening conditions, our results bear implications for possible neuro-rehabilitation strategies. We discuss our results in terms of the dual-pathway model of auditory processing.

Active and passive distraction using a head-mounted display helmet: effects on cold pressor pain in children.

PubMed

Dahlquist, Lynnda M; McKenna, Kristine D; Jones, Katia K; Dillinger, Lindsay; Weiss, Karen E; Ackerman, Claire Sonntag

2007-11-01

The current study tested the effectiveness of interactive versus passive distraction that was delivered via a virtual reality type head-mounted display helmet for children experiencing cold pressor pain. Forty children, aged 5 to 13 years, underwent 1 or 2 baseline cold pressor trials followed by interactive distraction and passive distraction trials in counterbalanced order. Pain threshold and pain tolerance. Children who experienced either passive or interactive distraction demonstrated significant improvements in both pain tolerance and pain threshold relative to their baseline scores. In contrast, children who underwent a second cold pressor trial without distraction showed no significant improvements in pain tolerance or threshold. Although both distraction conditions were effective, the interactive distraction condition was significantly more effective. Implications for the treatment of children's distress during painful medical procedures are discussed. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2007 APA, all rights reserved).

Linearity Can Account for the Similarity Among Conventional, Frequency-Doubling, and Gabor-Based Perimetric Tests in the Glaucomatous Macula

PubMed Central

DUL, MITCHELL W.; SWANSON, WILLIAM H.

2006-01-01

Purposes The purposes of this study are to compare macular perimetric sensitivities for conventional size III, frequency-doubling, and Gabor stimuli in terms of Weber contrast and to provide a theoretical interpretation of the results. Methods Twenty-two patients with glaucoma performed four perimetric tests: a conventional Swedish Interactive Threshold Algorithm (SITA) 10-2 test with Goldmann size III stimuli, two frequency-doubling tests (FDT 10-2, FDT Macula) with counterphase-modulated grating stimuli, and a laboratory-designed test with Gabor stimuli. Perimetric sensitivities were converted to the reciprocal of Weber contrast and sensitivities from different tests were compared using the Bland-Altman method. Effects of ganglion cell loss on perimetric sensitivities were then simulated with a two-stage neural model. Results The average perimetric loss was similar for all stimuli until advanced stages of ganglion cell loss, in which perimetric loss tended to be greater for size III stimuli than for frequency-doubling and Gabor stimuli. Comparison of the experimental data and model simulation suggests that, in the macula, linear relations between ganglion cell loss and perimetric sensitivity loss hold for all three stimuli. Conclusions Linear relations between perimetric loss and ganglion cell loss for all three stimuli can account for the similarity in perimetric loss until advanced stages. The results do not support the hypothesis that redundancy for frequency-doubling stimuli is lower than redundancy for size III stimuli. PMID:16840860

Are all intertidal wetlands naturally created equal? Bottlenecks, thresholds and knowledge gaps to mangrove and saltmarsh ecosystems

USGS Publications Warehouse

Friess, Daniel A.; Krauss, Ken W.; Horstman, Erik M.; Balke, Thorsten; Bouma, Tjeerd J.; Galli, Demis; Webb, Edward L.

2011-01-01

Intertidal wetlands such as saltmarshes and mangroves provide numerous important ecological functions, though they are in rapid and global decline. To better conserve and restore these wetland ecosystems, we need an understanding of the fundamental natural bottlenecks and thresholds to their establishment and long-term ecological maintenance. Despite inhabiting similar intertidal positions, the biological traits of these systems differ markedly in structure, phenology, life history, phylogeny and dispersal, suggesting large differences in biophysical interactions. By providing the first systematic comparison between saltmarshes and mangroves, we unravel how the interplay between species-specific life-history traits, biophysical interactions and biogeomorphological feedback processes determine where, when and what wetland can establish, the thresholds to long-term ecosystem stability, and constraints to genetic connectivity between intertidal wetland populations at the landscape level. To understand these process interactions, research into the constraints to wetland development, and biological adaptations to overcome these critical bottlenecks and thresholds requires a truly interdisciplinary approach.

Pollutant threshold concentration determination in marine ecosystems using an ecological interaction endpoint.

PubMed

Wang, Changyou; Liang, Shengkang; Guo, Wenting; Yu, Hua; Xing, Wenhui

2015-09-01

The threshold concentrations of pollutants are determined by extrapolating single-species effect data to community-level effects. This assumes the most sensitive endpoint of the life cycle of individuals and the species sensitivity distribution from single-species toxic effect tests, thus, ignoring the ecological interactions. The uncertainties due to this extrapolation can be partially overcome using the equilibrium point of a customized ecosystem. This method incorporates ecological interactions and integrates the effects on growth, survival, and ingestion into a single effect measure, the equilibrium point excursion in the customized ecosystem, in order to describe the toxic effects on plankton. A case study showed that the threshold concentration of copper calculated with the endpoint of the equilibrium point was 10 μg L(-1), which is significantly different from the threshold calculated with a single-species endpoint. The endpoint calculated using this method provides a more relevant measure of the ecological impact than any single individual-level endpoint. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Oral contraceptives, breastfeeding and the risk of developing rheumatoid arthritis: results from the Swedish EIRA study.

PubMed

Orellana, Cecilia; Saevarsdottir, Saedis; Klareskog, Lars; Karlson, Elizabeth W; Alfredsson, Lars; Bengtsson, Camilla

2017-11-01

To study whether oral contraceptive (OC) use or breastfeeding (BF) influence the risk of rheumatoid arthritis (RA), stratifying the cases by presence/absence of anticitrullinated protein antibodies (ACPA), and whether these factors interact with known risk factors in the development of ACPA-positive RA. Women aged ≥18 years, participants in the population-based case-control Swedish Epidemiological Investigation of RA study (2641 cases/4251 controls), completed an extensive questionnaire regarding OC, BF and potential confounders. We calculated ORs, with 95% CIs, adjusted for age, residential area, smoking and alcohol consumption. Attributable proportion due to interaction (AP) was estimated to evaluate presence of interaction. Compared with never users, ever and past OC users had a decreased risk of ACPA-positive RA (OR=0.84 (95% CI 0.74 to 0.96); OR=0.83 (95% CI 0.73 to 0.95), respectively). No significant associations were found for ACPA-negative RA. Long duration of OC use (>7 years vs never use) decreased the risk of both ACPA-positive (p=0.0037) and ACPA-negative RA (p=0.0356).A history of long BF decreased the risk only of ACPA-positive RA in a dose-dependent manner (p=0.0086), but this trend did not remain after adjustments. A significant interaction was observed between the lack of OC use and smoking (AP=0.28 (95% CI 0.14-0.42)) on the risk of ACPA-positive RA. No interactions were found for BF. OC decreased the risk of RA, especially ACPA-positive RA, where an interaction with smoking was observed. A long duration of OC use decreased the risk of both disease subsets. We could not confirm an association between BF and a decreased risk of either ACPA-positive or ACPA-negative RA. © Article author(s) (or their employer(s) unless otherwise stated in the text of the article) 2017. All rights reserved. No commercial use is permitted unless otherwise expressly granted.

Effectiveness of different styles of massage therapy in fibromyalgia: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

PubMed

Yuan, Susan Lee King; Matsutani, Luciana Akemi; Marques, Amélia Pasqual

2015-04-01

The systematic review aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of massage in fibromyalgia. An electronic search was conducted at MEDLINE, SCiELO, EMBASE, ISI, PEDro, SPORTDiscus, CINAHL, Cochrane CENTRAL and LILACS (Jan 1990-May 2013). Ten randomized and non-randomized controlled trials investigating the effects of massage alone on symptoms and health-related quality of life of adult patients with fibromyalgia were included. Two reviewers independently screened records, examined full-text reports for compliance with the eligibility criteria, and extracted data. Meta-analysis (pooled from 145 participants) shows that myofascial release had large, positive effects on pain and medium effects on anxiety and depression at the end of treatment, in contrast with placebo; effects on pain and depression were maintained in the medium and short term, respectively. Narrative analysis suggests that: myofascial release also improves fatigue, stiffness and quality of life; connective tissue massage improves depression and quality of life; manual lymphatic drainage is superior to connective tissue massage regarding stiffness, depression and quality of life; Shiatsu improves pain, pressure pain threshold, fatigue, sleep and quality of life; and Swedish massage does not improve outcomes. There is moderate evidence that myofascial release is beneficial for fibromyalgia symptoms. Limited evidence supports the application of connective tissue massage and Shiatsu. Manual lymphatic drainage may be superior to connective tissue massage, and Swedish massage may have no effects. Overall, most styles of massage therapy consistently improved the quality of life of fibromyalgia patients. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Martin Award Paper: Development of Interactive Virtual Laboratories to Help Students Learn Difficult Concepts in Thermodynamics

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bowen, Alec S.; Reid, Daniel R.; Koretsky, Milo D.

2015-01-01

In this project, we explore the use of threshold concept theory as a design basis for development of Interactive Virtual Laboratories in thermodynamics. Thermodynamics is a difficult subject for chemical and biological engineering students to master. One reason for the difficulty is the diverse and challenging set of threshold concepts that they…

Extraction of hadron interactions above inelastic threshold in lattice QCD

PubMed Central

AOKI, Sinya; ISHII, Noriyoshi; DOI, Takumi; HATSUDA, Tetsuo; IKEDA, Yoichi; INOUE, Takashi; MURANO, Keiko; NEMURA, Hidekatsu; SASAKI, Kenji

2011-01-01

We propose a new method to extract hadron interactions above inelastic threshold from the Nambu–Bethe–Salpeter amplitude in lattice QCD. We consider the scattering such as A + B → C + D, where A, B, C, D are names of different 1-particle states. An extension to cases where particle productions occur during scatterings is also discussed. PMID:21986314

Youth and Music in Sweden. Results from a Longitudinal Study of Teenagers' Media Use. Media Panel Report No. 32.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Roe, Keith

This empirical review of the relationship between Swedish youth and music begins with a brief overview of the place of music as a communications medium in Swedish society in general, and among Swedish youth in particular. An analysis of the findings of a large-scale, longitudinal study of media use by Swedish adolescents, the Media Panel study, is…

Development of an Alert System to Detect Drug Interactions with Herbal Supplements using Medical Record Data.

PubMed

Archer, Melissa; Proulx, Joshua; Shane-McWhorter, Laura; Bray, Bruce E; Zeng-Treitler, Qing

2014-01-01

While potential medication-to-medication interaction alerting engines exist in many clinical applications, few systems exist to automatically alert on potential medication to herbal supplement interactions. We have developed a preliminary knowledge base and rules alerting engine that detects 259 potential interactions between 9 supplements, 62 cardiac medications, and 19 drug classes. The rules engine takes into consideration 12 patient risk factors and 30 interaction warning signs to help determine which of three different alert levels to categorize each potential interaction. A formative evaluation was conducted with two clinicians to set initial thresholds for each alert level. Additional work is planned add more supplement interactions, risk factors, and warning signs as well as to continue to set and adjust the inputs and thresholds for each potential interaction.

Comparison of milk protein composition and rennet coagulation properties in native Swedish dairy cow breeds and high-yielding Swedish Red cows.

PubMed

Poulsen, Nina A; Glantz, Maria; Rosengaard, Anette K; Paulsson, Marie; Larsen, Lotte B

2017-11-01

Recent studies have reported a very high frequency of noncoagulating milk in Swedish Red cows. The underlying factors are not fully understood. In this study, we explored rennet-induced coagulation properties and relative protein profiles in milk from native Swedish Mountain and Swedish Red Polled cows and compared them with a subset of noncoagulating (NC) and well-coagulating (WC) milk samples from modern Swedish Red cows. The native breeds displayed a very low prevalence of NC milk and superior milk coagulation properties compared with Swedish Red cows. The predominant variants in both native breeds were α S1 -casein (α S1 -CN) B, β-CN A 2 and β-lactoglobulin (β-LG) B. For κ-CN, the B variant was predominant in the Swedish Mountain cows, whereas the A variant was the most frequent in the Swedish Red Polled. The native breeds displayed similar protein composition, but varied in content of α S1 -CN with 9 phosphorylated serines (9P) form. Within the Swedish Mountain cows, we observed a strong inverse correlation between the relative concentration of κ-CN and micelle size and a positive correlation between ionic calcium and gel firmness. For comparison, we investigated a subset of 29 NC and 28 WC milk samples, representing the extremes with regard to coagulation properties based on an initial screening of 395 Swedish Red cows. In Swedish Red, NC milk properties were found to be related to higher frequencies of β-CN A 2 , κ-CN E and A variants, as well as β-LG B, and the predominant composite genotype of β- and κ-CN in the NC group was A 2 A 2 /AA. Generally, the A 2 A 2 /AA composite genotype was related to lower relative concentrations of κ-CN isoforms and higher relative concentrations of α S1 -, α S2 -, and β-CN. Compared with the group of WC milk samples, NC milk contained a higher fraction of α S2 -CN and α-lactalbumin (α-LA) but a lower fraction of α S1 -CN 9P. In conclusion, milk from native Swedish breeds has good characteristics for cheese milk, which could be exploited in niche dairy products. In milk from Swedish Mountain cows, levels of ionic calcium seemed to be more important for rennet-induced gel firmness than variation in the relative protein profile. In Swedish Red, lower protein content as well as higher fraction of α S2 -CN and lower fraction of α S1 -CN 9P were related to NC milk. Further, a decrease in the frequency of the composite β-κ-CN genotype A 2 A 2 /AA through selective breeding could have a positive effect on milk coagulation properties. Copyright © 2017 American Dairy Science Association. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Collective and individualistic coping with stress at work.

PubMed

Muhonen, Tuija; Torkelson, Eva

2008-04-01

In the present study, coping was viewed as both an individualistic and a collective phenomenon, and the investigation assessed how use of collective and individualistic coping strategies was related to sex of respondent and organizational level. These strategies were measured by responses to Swedish versions of the Strategic Approach to Coping Scale and the COPE Inventory. Data were collected by means of an Internet-based questionnaire completed by 950 female (n = 502) and male (n = 448) employees at both the managerial (n = 171) and nonmanagerial (n = 764) levels, working in customer service in a Swedish telecom company. The mean age of the participants was 47 yr. (SD = 9.7). Analysis showed women more often used collective strategies, but so also did both women and men managers. Men did not use problem-focused individualistic coping strategies more often than women. No interactions between sex and organizational level were found. Separate analyses for women and men indicated that coping was more related to organizational level than to sex.

"My greatest dream is to be normal": the impact of gender on the depression narratives of young Swedish men and women.

PubMed

Danielsson, Ulla E; Bengs, Carita; Samuelsson, Eva; Johansson, Eva E

2011-05-01

Depression is common among young people. Gender differences in diagnosing depression appear during adolescence. The study aim was to explore the impact of gender on depression in young Swedish men and women. Grounded theory was used to analyze interviews with 23 young people aged 17 to 25 years who had been diagnosed with depression. Their narratives were marked by a striving to be normal and disclosed strong gender stereotypes, constructed in interaction with parents, friends, and the media. Gender norms were upheld by feelings of shame, and restricted the acting space of our informants. However, we also found transgressions of these gender norms. Primary health care workers could encourage young men to open up emotionally and communicate their personal distress, and young women to be daring and assertive of their own strengths, so that both genders might gain access to the positive coping strategies practiced respectively by each.

Establishing conversation spaces in hastily formed networks: the worst fire in modern Swedish history.

PubMed

Lundberg, Jonas; Törnqvist, Eva K; Nadjm-Tehrani, Simin

2014-10-01

In presenting examples from the most extensive and demanding fire in modern Swedish history, this paper describes challenges facing hastily formed networks in exceptional situations. Two concepts that have been used in the analysis of the socio-technical systems that make up a response are conversation space and sensemaking. This paper argues that a framework designed to promote understanding of the sensemaking process must take into consideration the time and the location at which an individual is engaged in an event. In hastily formed networks, location is partly mediated through physical systems that form conversation spaces of players and their interaction practices. This paper identifies and discusses four challenges to the formation of shared conversation spaces. It is based on the case study of the 2006 Bodträskfors forest fire in Sweden and draws on the experiences of organised volunteers and firefighters who participated in a hastily formed network created to combat the fire. © 2014 The Author(s). Disasters © Overseas Development Institute, 2014.

Opinions of American and Swedish orthodontists about the role of erupting third molars as a cause of dental crowding.

PubMed

Tüfekçi, E; Svensk, D; Kallunki, J; Huggare, J; Lindauer, S J; Laskin, D M

2009-11-01

To compare the opinions of Swedish orthodontists and American orthodontists regarding the association between third molar eruption and dental crowding. A survey was distributed to Swedish orthodontists (n = 230) asking their views on the force exerted by erupting third molars, its relationship to crowding, and their recommendations for prophylactic removal. Results were compared with those from a similar study conducted in the United States. Chi square analysis was used to determine differences in responses to questions between Swedish and American orthodontists. P < or = .05 was considered significant. Both Swedish and American orthodontists believed that lower third molars were more likely than upper third molars to cause force (65% and 58% for Swedish and American orthodontists, respectively) and crowding (42% and 40%, respectively). No statistically significant differences were seen between the answers of American and Swedish orthodontists regarding the role of upper and lower third molars in causing crowding. Although only 18% of Swedish orthodontists "generally" or "sometimes" recommended prophylactic removal of mandibular third molars, 36% of American orthodontists "generally" or "sometimes" recommended removal (P < .0001). Most orthodontists in the United States and Sweden do believe that erupting lower third molars exert an anterior force; however, they also believe that these teeth "rarely" or "never" cause crowding of the dentition. The reason that more American orthodontists recommend prophylactic removal of mandibular third molars remains unexplained.

Challenges in Utilising Key Leader Engagement in Civil-Military Operations

DTIC Science & Technology

2011-06-01

experience from Afghanistan represented different organisations: Swedish Armed Forces (SwAF), Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency ( Sida ...with Swedish civil and military personnel • Extensive experience from several missions, focus on Afghanistan • Organisations: SwAF, Sida , SAK and

International Workshop at the Nobel Forum, Karolinska Institutet on G protein-coupled receptors: finding the words to describe monomers, oligomers, and their molecular mechanisms and defining their meaning. Can a consensus be reached?

PubMed

Kenakin, Terry; Agnati, Luigi F; Caron, Marc; Fredholm, Bertil; Guidoli, Diego; Kobilka, Brian; Lefkowitz, Robert W; Lohse, Martin; Woods, Amina; Fuxe, Kjell

2010-10-01

A meeting was held May 19, 2010 at the Karolinski Institute on Nomenclature in Pharmacology. This meeting occurred in conjunction with the Symposium The Changing World of G Protein Coupled Receptors: From Monomers to Dimers and Receptor Mosaics (Higher-order Oligomers) held the previous day at the Royal Swedish Academy of Science. Two broad topics of nomenclature were discussed; ligand nomenclature and the definition of 'receptor-receptor' interactions. This paper summarizes discussions on these topics along with a consensus definition of the term 'receptor-receptor' interaction.

New Results from the Search for Low-Mass Weakly Interacting Massive Particles with the CDMS Low Ionization Threshold Experiment

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Agnese, R.; Anderson, A. J.; Aramaki, T.

2016-02-01

The CDMS low ionization threshold experiment (CDMSlite) uses cryogenic germanium detectors operated at a relatively high bias voltage to amplify the phonon signal in the search for weakly interacting massive particles (WIMPs). Results are presented from the second CDMSlite run with an exposure of 70 kg day, which reached an energy threshold for electron recoils as low as 56 eV. A fiducialization cut reduces backgrounds below those previously reported by CDMSlite. New parameter space for the WIMP-nucleon spin-independent cross section is excluded for WIMP masses between 1.6 and 5.5 GeV/c^2.

Pesticide mixtures in the Swedish streams: Environmental risks, contributions of individual compounds and consequences of single-substance oriented risk mitigation.

PubMed

Gustavsson, Mikael; Kreuger, Jenny; Bundschuh, Mirco; Backhaus, Thomas

2017-11-15

This paper presents the ecotoxicological assessment and environmental risk evaluation of complex pesticide mixtures occurring in freshwater ecosystems in southern Sweden. The evaluation is based on exposure data collected between 2002 and 2013 by the Swedish pesticide monitoring program and includes 1308 individual samples, detecting mixtures of up to 53 pesticides (modal=8). Pesticide mixture risks were evaluated using three different scenarios for non-detects (best-case, worst-case and using the Kaplan-Meier method). The risk of each scenario was analyzed using Swedish Water Quality Objectives (WQO) and trophic-level specific environmental thresholds. Using the Kaplan-Meier method the environmental risk of 73% of the samples exceeded acceptable levels, based on an assessment using Concentration-Addition and WQOs for the individual pesticides. Algae were the most sensitive organism group. However, analytical detection limits, especially for insecticides, were insufficient to analyze concentrations at or near their WQO's. Thus, the risk of the analyzed pesticide mixtures to crustaceans and fish is systematically underestimated. Treating non-detects as being present at their individual limit of detection increased the estimated risk by a factor 100 or more, compared to the best-case or the Kaplan-Meier scenario. Pesticide mixture risks are often driven by only 1-3 compounds. However, the risk-drivers (i.e., individual pesticides explaining the largest share of potential effects) differ substantially between sites and samples, and 83 of the 141 monitored pesticides need to be included in the assessment to account for 95% of the risk at all sites and years. Single-substance oriented risk mitigation measures that would ensure that each individual pesticide is present at a maximum of 95% of its individual WQO, would also reduce the mixture risk, but only from a median risk quotient of 2.1 to a median risk quotient of 1.8. Also, acceptable total risk levels would still be exceeded in more than 70% of the samples. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Psychometric Properties and Normative Data for a Swedish Version of the Modern Health Worries Scale.

PubMed

Palmquist, Eva; Petrie, Keith J; Nordin, Steven

2017-02-01

The modern health worries (MHW) scale was developed to assess individuals' worries about aspects of modernity and technology affecting personal health. The aim of this study was to psychometrically evaluate a Swedish version of the MHW scale and to provide Swedish normative data. Data were collected as part of the Västerbotten Environmental Health Study, which has a random sample of 3406 Swedish adults (18-79 years). The Swedish version of the MHW scale showed excellent internal consistency and satisfactory convergent validity. A four-factor structure consistent with the original version was confirmed. The model showed invariance across age and sex. A slightly positively skewed and platykurtic distribution was found. Normative data for the general population and for combinations of specific age groups (young, middle aged, and elderly) and sex are presented. The psychometric properties of the Swedish version of the MHW scale suggest that use of this instrument is appropriate for assessing worries about modernity in Swedish-speaking and similar populations. The scale now has the advantage of good normative data being available. MHW may hold importance for understanding and predicting the development of functional disorders, such as idiopathic environmental intolerance and other medically unexplained conditions.

Analytical and Experimental Study of Near-Threshold Interactions Between Crack Closure Mechanisms

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Newman, John A.; Riddell, William T.; Piascik, Robert S.

2003-01-01

The results of an analytical closure model that considers contributions and interactions between plasticity-, roughness-, and oxide-induced crack closure mechanisms are presented and compared with experimental data. The analytical model is shown to provide a good description of the combined influences of crack roughness, oxide debris, and plasticity in the near-threshold regime. Furthermore, analytical results indicate that closure mechanisms interact in a non-linear manner such that the total amount of closure is not the sum of closure contributions for each mechanism.

Danish-Swedish windpower company founded in Denmark

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Holmstrom, M.

1982-04-01

The Swedish General Electric Co. (ASEA) has founded a windpower company in cooperation with the Danish state and a Danish company. They expect to build 250 windpower plants through 1984. If a Swedish market opens a similar partner company is planned in Sweden.

COMPUTING MEDIUM USING THRESHOLD ELEMENTS WITH COMBINED FUNCTIONS,

DTIC Science & Technology

by grouping a number of elements to perform the desired functions. In the pulsed threshold system, a refractory period exists when the elements do not...disjunction, storage, and interaction. The level threshold elements, on the other hand do not have a refractory property but nevertheless they are able to perform signal branching, NOR operation, negation, and storage. (Author)

SFINX-a drug-drug interaction database designed for clinical decision support systems.

PubMed

Böttiger, Ylva; Laine, Kari; Andersson, Marine L; Korhonen, Tuomas; Molin, Björn; Ovesjö, Marie-Louise; Tirkkonen, Tuire; Rane, Anders; Gustafsson, Lars L; Eiermann, Birgit

2009-06-01

The aim was to develop a drug-drug interaction database (SFINX) to be integrated into decision support systems or to be used in website solutions for clinical evaluation of interactions. Key elements such as substance properties and names, drug formulations, text structures and references were defined before development of the database. Standard operating procedures for literature searches, text writing rules and a classification system for clinical relevance and documentation level were determined. ATC codes, CAS numbers and country-specific codes for substances were identified and quality assured to ensure safe integration of SFINX into other data systems. Much effort was put into giving short and practical advice regarding clinically relevant drug-drug interactions. SFINX includes over 8,000 interaction pairs and is integrated into Swedish and Finnish computerised decision support systems. Over 31,000 physicians and pharmacists are receiving interaction alerts through SFINX. User feedback is collected for continuous improvement of the content. SFINX is a potentially valuable tool delivering instant information on drug interactions during prescribing and dispensing.

Immersion freezing of birch pollen washing water

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Augustin, S.; Wex, H.; Niedermeier, D.; Pummer, B.; Grothe, H.; Hartmann, S.; Tomsche, L.; Clauss, T.; Voigtländer, J.; Ignatius, K.; Stratmann, F.

2013-11-01

Birch pollen grains are known to be ice nucleating active biological particles. The ice nucleating activity has previously been tracked down to biological macromolecules that can be easily extracted from the pollen grains in water. In the present study, we investigated the immersion freezing behavior of these ice nucleating active (INA) macromolecules. Therefore we measured the frozen fractions of particles generated from birch pollen washing water as a function of temperature at the Leipzig Aerosol Cloud Interaction Simulator (LACIS). Two different birch pollen samples were considered, with one originating from Sweden and one from the Czech Republic. For the Czech and Swedish birch pollen samples, freezing was observed to start at -19 and -17 °C, respectively. The fraction of frozen droplets increased for both samples down to -24 °C. Further cooling did not increase the frozen fractions any more. Instead, a plateau formed at frozen fractions below 1. This fact could be used to determine the amount of INA macromolecules in the droplets examined here, which in turn allowed for the determination of nucleation rates for single INA macromolecules. The main differences between the Swedish birch pollen and the Czech birch pollen were obvious in the temperature range between -17 and -24 °C. In this range, a second plateau region could be seen for Swedish birch pollen. As we assume INA macromolecules to be the reason for the ice nucleation, we concluded that birch pollen is able to produce at least two different types of INA macromolecules. We were able to derive parameterizations for the heterogeneous nucleation rates for both INA macromolecule types, using two different methods: a simple exponential fit and the Soccer ball model. With these parameterization methods we were able to describe the ice nucleation behavior of single INA macromolecules from both the Czech and the Swedish birch pollen.

Psychosocial working conditions and self-reported long-term illness: a population-based study of Swedish-born and foreign-born employed persons.

PubMed

Sundquist, Jan; Ostergren, Per-Olof; Sundquist, Kristina; Johansson, Sven-Erik

2003-11-01

Knowledge pertaining to the relationship between migration status and psychosocial job characteristics and long-term illness is not readily available in the international literature. The aim of this study is to analyse the cross-sectional associations between high psychological job demands and low decision latitude (high job strain), work-related social support and long-term illness among foreign-born and Swedish-born people. The present study combines four annual simple random samples covering 1994-97 from the Swedish Annual Level of Living Survey (SALLS). A sub-sample, including only employed persons and consisting of 10,072 Swedish-born persons, 710 labour migrants and 333 refugees aged 25-64 years, was analysed using logistic regression. Refugees had a higher risk (OR=1.33; 95% CI: 1.05-1.69) of long-term illness than Swedes. Moreover, those experiencing both high job demands and a low decision latitude ran an increased risk (OR=1.74; 95% CI: 1.42-2.13) of long-term illness. About 63% of the refugees among the unskilled/skilled manual workers had low decision latitudes in comparison with 17% of the intermediate and senior salaried employees. There were only small differences in job demands between labour immigrants, refugees and Swedes. There was no interaction between migration status and high job strain. However, refugees with low social support had nearly twice as high a risk of long-term illness as Swedes with high-level work-related social support. Refugees ran a higher risk of long-term illness than Swedes. Although there were no differences in risk between labour immigrants, refugees and Swedes under job strain, refugees with low work-related social support had a high risk of long-term illness. Unskilled/skilled refugee workers had lower decision latitudes than Swedes.

Evolutionary dynamics of general group interactions in structured populations

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Li, Aming; Broom, Mark; Du, Jinming; Wang, Long

2016-02-01

The evolution of populations is influenced by many factors, and the simple classical models have been developed in a number of important ways. Both population structure and multiplayer interactions have been shown to significantly affect the evolution of important properties, such as the level of cooperation or of aggressive behavior. Here we combine these two key factors and develop the evolutionary dynamics of general group interactions in structured populations represented by regular graphs. The traditional linear and threshold public goods games are adopted as models to address the dynamics. We show that for linear group interactions, population structure can favor the evolution of cooperation compared to the well-mixed case, and we see that the more neighbors there are, the harder it is for cooperators to persist in structured populations. We further show that threshold group interactions could lead to the emergence of cooperation even in well-mixed populations. Here population structure sometimes inhibits cooperation for the threshold public goods game, where depending on the benefit to cost ratio, the outcomes are bistability or a monomorphic population of defectors or cooperators. Our results suggest, counterintuitively, that structured populations are not always beneficial for the evolution of cooperation for nonlinear group interactions.

The Swedish duty hour enigma.

PubMed

Sundberg, Kristina; Frydén, Hanna; Kihlström, Lars; Nordquist, Jonas

2014-01-01

The Swedish resident duty hour limit is regulated by Swedish and European legal frameworks. With a maximum average of 40 working hours per week, the Swedish duty hour regulation is one of the most restrictive in the world. At the same time, the effects of resident duty hour limits have been neither debated nor researched in the Swedish context. As a result, little is known about the Swedish conceptual framework for resident duty hours, their restriction, or their outcomes: we call this "the Swedish duty hour enigma." This situation poses a further question: How do Swedish residents themselves construct a conceptual framework for duty hour restrictions? A case study was conducted at Karolinska University Hospital, Stockholm--an urban, research-intensive hospital setting. Semi-structured interviews were carried out with 34 residents currently in training in 6 specialties. The empirical data analysis relied on theoretical propositions and was conducted thematically using a pattern-matching technique. The interview guide was based on four main topics: the perceived effect of duty hour restrictions on (1) patient care, (2) resident education, (3) resident well-being, and (4) research. The residents did not perceive the volume of duty hours to be the main determinant of success or failure in the four contextual domains of patient care, resident education, resident well-being, and research. Instead, they emphasized resident well-being and a desire for flexibility. According to Swedish residents' conceptual framework on duty hours, the amount of time spent on duty is not a proxy for the quality of resident training. Instead, flexibility, organization, and scheduling of duty hours are considered to be the factors that have the greatest influence on resident well-being, quality of learning, and opportunities to attain the competence needed for independent practice.

Emotional, physical, and sexual abuse and the association with symptoms of depression and posttraumatic stress in a multi-ethnic pregnant population in southern Sweden.

PubMed

Wangel, Anne-Marie; Ryding, Elsa Lena; Schei, Berit; Östman, Margareta; Lukasse, Mirjam

2016-10-01

This study aims to describe the prevalence of emotional, physical, and sexual abuse and analyze associations with symptoms of depression and posttraumatic stress (PTS) in pregnancy, by ethnic background. This is a cross-sectional study of the Swedish data from the Bidens cohort study. Ethnicity was categorized as native and non-native Swedish-speakers. Women completed a questionnaire while attending routine antenatal care. The NorVold Abuse Questionnaire (NorAQ) assessed a history of emotional, physical or sexual abuse. The Edinburgh Depression Scale-5 measured symptoms of depression. Symptoms of Posttraumatic Stress (PTS) included intrusion, avoidance and numbness. Of 1003 women, 78.6% were native and 21.4% were non-native Swedish-speakers. Native and non-native Swedish-speakers experienced a similar proportion of lifetime abuse. Moderate emotional and physical abuse in childhood was significantly more common among non-native Swedish-speakers. Sexual abuse in adulthood was significantly more prevalent among native Swedish-speakers. Emotional and sexual abuse were significantly associated with symptoms of depression for both natives and non-natives. Physical abuse was significantly associated with symptoms of depression for non-natives only. All types of abuse were significantly associated with symptoms of PTS for both native and non-native Swedish-speakers. Adding ethnicity to the multiple binary regression analyses did not really alter the association between the different types of abuse and symptoms of depression and PTS. The prevalence of lifetime abuse did not differ significantly for native and non-native Swedish-speakers but there were significant differences on a more detailed level. Abuse was associated with symptoms of depression and PTS. Being a non-native Swedish-speaker did not influence the association much. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

The Swedish duty hour enigma

PubMed Central

2014-01-01

Background The Swedish resident duty hour limit is regulated by Swedish and European legal frameworks. With a maximum average of 40 working hours per week, the Swedish duty hour regulation is one of the most restrictive in the world. At the same time, the effects of resident duty hour limits have been neither debated nor researched in the Swedish context. As a result, little is known about the Swedish conceptual framework for resident duty hours, their restriction, or their outcomes: we call this “the Swedish duty hour enigma.” This situation poses a further question: How do Swedish residents themselves construct a conceptual framework for duty hour restrictions? Methods A case study was conducted at Karolinska University Hospital, Stockholm – an urban, research-intensive hospital setting. Semi-structured interviews were carried out with 34 residents currently in training in 6 specialties. The empirical data analysis relied on theoretical propositions and was conducted thematically using a pattern-matching technique. The interview guide was based on four main topics: the perceived effect of duty hour restrictions on (1) patient care, (2) resident education, (3) resident well-being, and (4) research. Results The residents did not perceive the volume of duty hours to be the main determinant of success or failure in the four contextual domains of patient care, resident education, resident well-being, and research. Instead, they emphasized resident well-being and a desire for flexibility. Conclusions According to Swedish residents’ conceptual framework on duty hours, the amount of time spent on duty is not a proxy for the quality of resident training. Instead, flexibility, organization, and scheduling of duty hours are considered to be the factors that have the greatest influence on resident well-being, quality of learning, and opportunities to attain the competence needed for independent practice. PMID:25559074

Adding "Circle of Security - Parenting" to treatment as usual in three Swedish infant mental health clinics. Effects on parents' internal representations and quality of parent-infant interaction.

PubMed

Risholm Mothander, Pia; Furmark, Catarina; Neander, Kerstin

2018-06-01

This study presents effects of adding Circle of Security-Parenting (COS-P) to an already established comprehensive therapeutic model for early parent-child intervention in three Swedish infant mental health (IMH) clinics. Parents' internal representations and quality of parent-infant interaction were studied in a clinical sample comprised of 52 parent-infant dyads randomly allocated to two comparable groups. One group consisted of 28 dyads receiving treatment as usual (TAU) supplemented with COS-P in a small group format, and another group of 24 dyads receiving TAU only. Assessments were made at baseline (T1), 6 months after inclusion (T2) and 12 months after inclusion (T3). Changes over time were explored in 42 dyads. In the COS-P group, the proportion of balanced representations, as assessed with Working Model of the Child Interview (WMCI), significantly increased between T1 and T3. Further, the proportion of emotionally available interactions, as assessed with Emotional Availability scales (EA), significantly increased over time in the COS-P group. Improvements in the TAU-group were close to significant. Limitations of the study are mainly related to the small sample size. Strength is the real world character of the study, where COS-P was implemented in a clinical context not otherwise adapted to research. We conclude by discussing the value of supplementing TAU with COS-P in IMH treatment. © 2017 The Authors. Scandinavian Journal of Psychology published by Scandinavian Psychological Associations and John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Environmental Management at Swedish Universities

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Arvidsson, Karin

2004-01-01

Since 1996, all Swedish public authorities, which includes most universities, have been made responsible for contributing to the sustainable development of the society. Swedish universities are thus required to submit annual environmental reports about their policies, structures and actions. This study provides a review of the activities that…

Mortality among Swedish Journalists.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Furhoff, Anna-Karin; Furhoff, Lars

1987-01-01

Charts the various environmental factors that might influence the mortality rate of Swedish journalists. Concludes that, although there may be a slightly higher death rate among Swedish journalists in the 50-59 age group, the death rate for journalists is the same as for the population in general. (MM)

Report on the Swedish Broadcasting Corporation.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lindgren, Olle

The operation of the Swedish Broadcasting Corporation is almost exclusively based upon "instructional television" programing and production. The corporation operates one of the two Swedish television channels and is state-sponsored; thus, its failure to develop high quality programing is particularly distressing. Reasons for dull and…

Nonlinear threshold effect in the Z-scan method of characterizing limiters for high-intensity laser light

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Tereshchenko, S. A., E-mail: tsa@miee.ru; Savelyev, M. S.; Podgaetsky, V. M.

A threshold model is described which permits one to determine the properties of limiters for high-powered laser light. It takes into account the threshold characteristics of the nonlinear optical interaction between the laser beam and the limiter working material. The traditional non-threshold model is a particular case of the threshold model when the limiting threshold is zero. The nonlinear characteristics of carbon nanotubes in liquid and solid media are obtained from experimental Z-scan data. Specifically, the nonlinear threshold effect was observed for aqueous dispersions of nanotubes, but not for nanotubes in solid polymethylmethacrylate. The threshold model fits the experimental Z-scanmore » data better than the non-threshold model. Output characteristics were obtained that integrally describe the nonlinear properties of the optical limiters.« less

Psychological predictors of injury occurrence: a prospective investigation of professional Swedish soccer players.

PubMed

Ivarsson, Andreas; Johnson, Urban; Podlog, Leslie

2013-02-01

Athletes participating in sport are exposed to a high injury risk. Previous research has found a great number of risk factors (both physiological and psychological) that could increase injury risk. One limitation in previous studies is that few have considered the complex interaction between psychological factors in their research design. To study whether personality, stress, and coping predicted injury occurrence in an elite soccer population based on a hypothesized model. Prospective. 56 (n = 38 male, n = 18 female) Swedish Premiere League soccer players were selected based on convenience sampling. Participants completed 4 questionnaires including the Swedish Universities Scales of Personality, Life Events Survey for Collegiate Athletes, and Brief COPE during the initial questionnaire administration. Subsequent to the first meeting, participants also completed the Hassle and Uplift Scale5 once per wk for a 13-wk period throughout the competitive season. A path analysis was conducted examining the influence of personality traits (ie, trait anxiety), state-level stressors (ie, negative-life-event stress and daily hassles), and coping on injury frequency. Results of the path analysis indicated that trait anxiety, negative-life-event stress, and daily hassle were significant predictors of injury among professional soccer players, accounting for 24% of the variance. The findings highlight the need for athletes, coaches, and medical practitioners to attempt to reduce state-level stressors, especially daily hassles, in minimizing injury risk. Educating and training athletes and coaches in proactive stress-management techniques appears warranted.

ESBL-producing Escherichia coli in Swedish gulls-A case of environmental pollution from humans?

PubMed

Atterby, Clara; Börjesson, Stefan; Ny, Sofia; Järhult, Josef D; Byfors, Sara; Bonnedahl, Jonas

2017-01-01

ESBL-producing bacteria are present in wildlife and the environment might serve as a resistance reservoir. Wild gulls have been described as frequent carriers of ESBL-producing E. coli strains with genotypic characteristics similar to strains found in humans. Therefore, potential dissemination of antibiotic resistance genes and bacteria between the human population and wildlife need to be further investigated. Occurrence and characterization of ESBL-producing E. coli in Swedish wild gulls were assessed and compared to isolates from humans, livestock and surface water collected in the same country and similar time-period. Occurrence of ESBL-producing E. coli in Swedish gulls is about three times higher in gulls compared to Swedish community carriers (17% versus 5%) and the genetic characteristics of the ESBL-producing E. coli population in Swedish wild gulls and Swedish human are similar. ESBL-plasmids IncF- and IncI1-type carrying ESBL-genes blaCTX-M-15 or blaCTX-M-14 were most common in isolates from both gulls and humans, but there was limited evidence of clonal transmission. Isolates from Swedish surface water harbored similar genetic characteristics, which highlights surface waters as potential dissemination routes between wildlife and the human population. Even in a low-prevalence country such as Sweden, the occurrence of ESBL producing E. coli in wild gulls and the human population appears to be connected and the occurrence of ESBL-producing E. coli in Swedish gulls is likely a case of environmental pollution.

ESBL-producing Escherichia coli in Swedish gulls—A case of environmental pollution from humans?

PubMed Central

Atterby, Clara; Ny, Sofia; Järhult, Josef D.; Byfors, Sara; Bonnedahl, Jonas

2017-01-01

ESBL-producing bacteria are present in wildlife and the environment might serve as a resistance reservoir. Wild gulls have been described as frequent carriers of ESBL-producing E. coli strains with genotypic characteristics similar to strains found in humans. Therefore, potential dissemination of antibiotic resistance genes and bacteria between the human population and wildlife need to be further investigated. Occurrence and characterization of ESBL-producing E. coli in Swedish wild gulls were assessed and compared to isolates from humans, livestock and surface water collected in the same country and similar time-period. Occurrence of ESBL-producing E. coli in Swedish gulls is about three times higher in gulls compared to Swedish community carriers (17% versus 5%) and the genetic characteristics of the ESBL-producing E. coli population in Swedish wild gulls and Swedish human are similar. ESBL-plasmids IncF- and IncI1-type carrying ESBL-genes blaCTX-M-15 or blaCTX-M-14 were most common in isolates from both gulls and humans, but there was limited evidence of clonal transmission. Isolates from Swedish surface water harbored similar genetic characteristics, which highlights surface waters as potential dissemination routes between wildlife and the human population. Even in a low-prevalence country such as Sweden, the occurrence of ESBL producing E. coli in wild gulls and the human population appears to be connected and the occurrence of ESBL-producing E. coli in Swedish gulls is likely a case of environmental pollution. PMID:29284053

Attack rates of dengue fever in Swedish travellers.

PubMed

Rocklöv, Joacim; Lohr, Wolfgang; Hjertqvist, Marika; Wilder-Smith, Annelies

2014-06-01

Dengue is endemic in many countries visited by Swedish travellers. We aimed to determine the attack rate of dengue in Swedish travellers and analyse the trends over time and the geographical variation. We obtained the following data from the Swedish Institute for Communicable Disease Control for the y 1995-2010: number of Swedish residents with confirmed dengue, the country and year of infection. We also obtained registers on the Swedish annual air traveller arrivals to dengue endemic areas from the United Nations World Tourist Organization for the time period. We estimated attack rates with 95% confidence intervals (CI). In total, 925 Swedish travellers with confirmed dengue were reported. We found an increasing trend over time for most destinations. The majority of the dengue cases were acquired in Thailand (492 out of 925 travellers; 53%), with an attack rate of 13.6 (95% CI 12.7, 14.4) per 100,000 travellers. However, the 2 highest attack rates per 100,000 travellers were found for Sri Lanka (45.3, 95% CI 34.3, 56.4) and Bangladesh (42.6, 95% CI 23.8, 61.5). Information on attack rates in travellers is more helpful in guiding travel medicine practitioners than reports of absolute numbers, as the latter reflect travel preferences rather than the true risk. Although the majority of dengue infections in Swedish travellers were acquired in Thailand, the attack rates for dengue in travellers to Sri Lanka and Bangladesh were much higher. These data aid in refining information on the risk of dengue in travellers.

Short-term effects of meteorological factors on hand, foot and mouth disease among children in Shenzhen, China: Non-linearity, threshold and interaction.

PubMed

Zhang, Zhen; Xie, Xu; Chen, Xiliang; Li, Yuan; Lu, Yan; Mei, Shujiang; Liao, Yuxue; Lin, Hualiang

2016-01-01

Various meteorological factors have been associated with hand, foot and mouth disease (HFMD) among children; however, fewer studies have examined the non-linearity and interaction among the meteorological factors. A generalized additive model with a log link allowing Poisson auto-regression and over-dispersion was applied to investigate the short-term effects daily meteorological factors on children HFMD with adjustment of potential confounding factors. We found positive effects of mean temperature and wind speed, the excess relative risk (ERR) was 2.75% (95% CI: 1.98%, 3.53%) for one degree increase in daily mean temperature on lag day 6, and 3.93% (95% CI: 2.16% to 5.73%) for 1m/s increase in wind speed on lag day 3. We found a non-linear effect of relative humidity with thresholds with the low threshold at 45% and high threshold at 85%, within which there was positive effect, the ERR was 1.06% (95% CI: 0.85% to 1.27%) for 1 percent increase in relative humidity on lag day 5. No significant effect was observed for rainfall and sunshine duration. For the interactive effects, we found a weak additive interaction between mean temperature and relative humidity, and slightly antagonistic interaction between mean temperature and wind speed, and between relative humidity and wind speed in the additive models, but the interactions were not statistically significant. This study suggests that mean temperature, relative humidity and wind speed might be risk factors of children HFMD in Shenzhen, and the interaction analysis indicates that these meteorological factors might have played their roles individually. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Introduction to Svenska.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Simonsen, Reidar G.

This Swedish language unit is intended to introduce high school students in the United States to modern spoken Swedish and to Swedish culture. The document is presented in 18 chapters. Topics include greetings, family, daily life, conversational openers, the alphabet, ordering food in a restaurant, football, sports, skiing, politics, travels, and…

Deactivating stimulation sites based on low-rate thresholds improves spectral ripple and speech reception thresholds in cochlear implant users.

PubMed

Zhou, Ning

2017-03-01

The study examined whether the benefit of deactivating stimulation sites estimated to have broad neural excitation was attributed to improved spectral resolution in cochlear implant users. The subjects' spatial neural excitation pattern was estimated by measuring low-rate detection thresholds across the array [see Zhou (2016). PLoS One 11, e0165476]. Spectral resolution, as assessed by spectral-ripple discrimination thresholds, significantly improved after deactivation of five high-threshold sites. The magnitude of improvement in spectral-ripple discrimination thresholds predicted the magnitude of improvement in speech reception thresholds after deactivation. Results suggested that a smaller number of relatively independent channels provide a better outcome than using all channels that might interact.

The understanding of core pharmacological concepts among health care students in their final semester.

PubMed

Aronsson, Patrik; Booth, Shirley; Hägg, Staffan; Kjellgren, Karin; Zetterqvist, Ann; Tobin, Gunnar; Reis, Margareta

2015-12-29

The overall aim of the study was to explore health care students´ understanding of core concepts in pharmacology. An interview study was conducted among twelve students in their final semester of the medical program (n = 4), the nursing program (n = 4), and the specialist nursing program in primary health care (n = 4) from two Swedish universities. The participants were individually presented with two pharmacological clinically relevant written patient cases, which they were to analyze and propose a solution to. Participants were allowed to use the Swedish national drug formulary. Immediately thereafter the students were interviewed about their assessments. The interviews were audio-recorded and transcribed verbatim. A thematic analysis was used to identify units of meaning in each interview. The units were organized into three clusters: pharmacodynamics, pharmacokinetics, and drug interactions. Subsequent procedure consisted of scoring the quality of students´ understanding of core concepts. Non-parametric statistics were employed. The study participants were in general able to define pharmacological concepts, but showed less ability to discuss the meaning of the concepts in depth and to implement these in a clinical context. The participants found it easier to grasp concepts related to pharmacodynamics than pharmacokinetics and drug interactions. These results indicate that education aiming to prepare future health care professionals for understanding of more complex pharmacological reasoning and decision-making needs to be more focused and effective.

Swedish Support to Non-Formal Adult Education Programmes.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Swedish International Development Authority (SIDA).

This document presents an overview of support for economic development provided by the Swedish government to a variety of nonformal adult education programs in developing nations (mostly in Africa). The four sections of the report provide details of the following: (1) scope, objectives, and methods of Swedish development cooperation; (2) the…

Teachers' Pedagogical Mathematical Awareness in Swedish Early Childhood Education

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Björklund, Camilla; Barendregt, Wolmet

2016-01-01

Revised guidelines for Swedish early childhood education that emphasize mathematics content and competencies in more detail than before raise the question of the status of pedagogical mathematical awareness among Swedish early childhood teachers. The purpose of this study is to give an overview of teachers' current pedagogical mathematical…

English and Swedish in CLIL Student Texts

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Falk, Maria Lim

2015-01-01

This study investigates Swedish students' ability to produce the discourse of the subject history, in a situation where they had to demonstrate historical knowledge in written explanations, and where both English and Swedish are involved. The students attend a content and language integrated learning (CLIL) programme at the upper secondary school…

[Physicians see both pros and cons of health care financial management. Questionnaire study provides more insights--with starting point in controversial DN-article series].

PubMed

Björk, Joar; Petersson, Christer

2015-05-12

In the spring of 2013, the Swedish journalist Maciej Zaremba wrote a series of articles criticizing the impact of NPM (New Public Management) on Swedish health care. The present study examines the views of experienced Swedish physicians (general practitioners and internal medicine speclialists) on the problems focused in Mr Zaremba's article series. The respondents (51 general practitioners and 61 internal medicine specialists) mention advantages as well as disadvantages with NPM in Swedish health care. The majority agrees that with NPM, physicians loose influence over health care governance to other professional groups. The majority disagree with the charge made by Mr Zaremba that NPM has had the effect of manipulating Swedish physicians away from the standards of good medical care.

Rainfall thresholds for the initiation of debris flows at La Honda, California

USGS Publications Warehouse

Wilson, R.C.; Wieczorek, G.F.

1995-01-01

A simple numerical model, based on the physical analogy of a leaky barrel, can simulate significant features of the interaction between rainfall and shallow-hillslope pore pressures. The leaky-barrel-model threshold is consistent with, but slightly higher than, an earlier, purely empirical, threshold. The number of debris flows triggered by a storm can be related to the time and amount by which the leaky-barrel-model response exceeded the threshold during the storm. -from Authors

New results from the search for low-mass weakly interacting massive particles with the CDMS low ionization threshold experiment

DOE PAGES

Agnese, R.

2016-02-17

The CDMS low ionization threshold experiment (CDMSlite) uses cryogenic germanium detectors operated at a relatively high bias voltage to amplify the phonon signal in the search for weakly interacting massive particles (WIMPs). Our results are presented from the second CDMSlite run with an exposure of 70 kg days, which reached an energy threshold for electron recoils as low as 56 eV. Furthermore, a fiducialization cut reduces backgrounds below those previously reported by CDMSlite. Lastly, new parameter space for the WIMP-nucleon spin-independent cross section is excluded forWIMP masses between 1.6 and 5.5 GeV/c 2.

Indacaterol/glycopyrronium is cost-effective compared to salmeterol/fluticasone in COPD: FLAME-based modelling in a Swedish population.

PubMed

Bjermer, Leif; van Boven, Job F M; Costa-Scharplatz, Madlaina; Keininger, Dorothy L; Gutzwiller, Florian S; Lisspers, Karin; Mahon, Ronan; Olsson, Petter; Roche, Nicolas

2017-12-11

This study assessed the cost-effectiveness of indacaterol/glycopyrronium (IND/GLY) versus salmeterol/fluticasone (SFC) in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) patients with moderate to very severe airflow limitation and ≥1 exacerbation in the preceding year. A previously published and validated patient-level simulation model was adapted using clinical data from the FLAME trial and real-world cost data from the ARCTIC study. Costs (total monetary costs comprising drug, maintenance, exacerbation, and pneumonia costs) and health outcomes (life-years (LYs), quality-adjusted life-years (QALYs)) were projected over various time horizons (1, 5, 10 years, and lifetime) from the Swedish payer's perspective and were discounted at 3% annually. Uncertainty in model input values was studied through one-way and probabilistic sensitivity analyses. Subgroup analyses were also performed. IND/GLY was associated with lower costs and better outcomes compared with SFC over all the analysed time horizons. Use of IND/GLY resulted in additional 0.192 LYs and 0.134 QALYs with cost savings of €1211 compared with SFC over lifetime. The net monetary benefit (NMB) was estimated to be €8560 based on a willingness-to-pay threshold of €55,000/QALY. The NMB was higher in the following subgroups: severe (GOLD 3), high risk and more symptoms (GOLD D), females, and current smokers. IND/GLY is a cost-effective treatment compared with SFC in COPD patients with mMRC dyspnea grade ≥ 2, moderate to very severe airflow limitation, and ≥1 exacerbation in the preceding year.

Swedish women's perceptions of and conformity to feminine norms.

PubMed

Kling, Johanna; Holmqvist Gattario, Kristina; Frisén, Ann

2017-06-01

The relatively high gender equality in the Swedish society is likely to exert an influence on gender role construction. Hence, the present research aimed to investigate Swedish women's perceptions of and conformity to feminine norms. A mixed methods approach with two studies was used. In Study 1, young Swedish women's gender role conformity, as measured by the Conformity to Feminine Norms Inventory 45 (CFNI-45), was compared to the results from previously published studies in Canada, the United States, and Slovakia. Overall, Swedish women displayed less conformity than their foreign counterparts, with the largest difference on the subscale Sexual fidelity. In Study 2, focus group interviews with young Swedish women added a more complex picture of feminine norms in the Swedish society. For instance the results indicated that Swedish women, while living in a society with a strong gender equality discourse, are torn between the perceived need to invest in their appearances and the risk of being viewed as non-equal when doing so. In sum, despite the fact that traditional gender roles are less pronounced in Sweden, gender role conformity is still a pressing issue. Since attending to the potential roles of feminine norms in women's lives previously has been proposed to be useful in counseling and therapeutic work, the present research also offers valuable information for both researchers and practitioners. [Correction added on 5 May 2017, after first online publication in April 2017: An incorrect Abstract was inadvertently captured in the published article and has been corrected in this current version.]. © 2017 Scandinavian Psychological Associations and John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Drought survival is a threshold function of habitat size and population density in a fish metapopulation.

PubMed

White, Richard S A; McHugh, Peter A; McIntosh, Angus R

2016-10-01

Because smaller habitats dry more frequently and severely during droughts, habitat size is likely a key driver of survival in populations during climate change and associated increased extreme drought frequency. Here, we show that survival in populations during droughts is a threshold function of habitat size driven by an interaction with population density in metapopulations of the forest pool dwelling fish, Neochanna apoda. A mark-recapture study involving 830 N. apoda individuals during a one-in-seventy-year extreme drought revealed that survival during droughts was high for populations occupying pools deeper than 139 mm, but declined steeply in shallower pools. This threshold was caused by an interaction between increasing population density and drought magnitude associated with decreasing habitat size, which acted synergistically to increase physiological stress and mortality. This confirmed two long-held hypotheses, firstly concerning the interactive role of population density and physiological stress, herein driven by habitat size, and secondly, the occurrence of drought survival thresholds. Our results demonstrate how survival in populations during droughts will depend strongly on habitat size and highlight that minimum habitat size thresholds will likely be required to maximize survival as the frequency and intensity of droughts are projected to increase as a result of global climate change. © 2016 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Gender and Prestige in Swedish Academia: Exploring Senior Management in Universities and University Colleges

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Peterson, Helen

2017-01-01

This article highlights the multifaceted character of the Swedish higher education sector and investigates senior academic management positions from a gender perspective using theories about an academic prestige economy and academic capitalism. The focus is on an aspect often overseen in research on Swedish academia: the distinction between…

Swedish or English? Migrants' Experiences of the Exchangeability of Language Resources

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Henry, Alastair

2016-01-01

Patterns of transmigration emerging as a consequence of globalization are creating new and complex markets for communicative resources in which languages and language varieties are differently valued. In a Swedish context, where lingua franca English can facilitate communication but where monolingual norms prevail and Swedish is positioned as the…

The Swedish Schools Inspectorate's View of Swedish Schools

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lindström, Lisbeth; Perdahl, Solange

2014-01-01

The purpose of this article is to shed some light on and give some examples of how the Swedish schools have interpreted their mission of educating young people and preparing them for the role of active citizens. More specifically, we are interested in how the "good" or "aspirational" school is presented in the reports published…

The Psychometric Properties of the Swedish Version of the EB Process Assessment Scale

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Nyström, Siv; Åhsberg, Elizabeth

2016-01-01

Objective: This study examines whether the psychometric properties of the short version of the Evidence-Based Practice Process Assessment Scale (EBPPAS) remain satisfactory when translated and transferred to the context of Swedish welfare services. Method: The Swedish version of EBPPAS was tested on a sample of community-based professionals in…

Entrepreneurial Learning in Swedish Preschools: Possibilities for and Constraints on Children's Active Participation

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Insulander, Eva; Ehrlin, Anna; Sandberg, Anette

2015-01-01

The website of the Swedish National Agency for Education states that preschools are to promote entrepreneurial learning. Many Swedish preschools, therefore, have started to work consciously with entrepreneurial learning as a way of fostering pupils' creativity and ability to make their own decisions. This article investigates whether and how…

Standards-Based Curricula in a Denationalised Conception of Education: The Case of Sweden

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Sundberg, Daniel; Wahlstrom, Ninni

2012-01-01

In this article, the authors examine the development of the Swedish educational reform of 1991 from an international and European perspective, and from the perspective of what counts as knowledge in a recently implemented Swedish curriculum reform. With effect from 2011, the Swedish Government has significantly reshaped the curricula for…

Lingual Electromyography Related to Tongue Movements in Swedish Vowel Production.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hirose, Hajime; And Others

1979-01-01

In order to investigate the articulatory dynamics of the tongue in the production of Swedish vowels, electromyographic (EMG) and X-ray microbeam studies were performed on a native Swedish subject. The EMG signals were used to obtain average indication of the muscle activity of the tongue as a function of time. (NCR)

Problem Solving in Swedish Mathematics Textbooks for Upper Secondary School

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Brehmer, Daniel; Ryve, Andreas; Van Steenbrugge, Hendrik

2016-01-01

The aim of this study is to analyse how mathematical problem solving is represented in mathematical textbooks for Swedish upper secondary school. The analysis comprises dominating Swedish textbook series, and relates to uncovering (a) the quantity of tasks that are actually mathematical problems, (b) their location in the chapter, (c) their…

Parental Expectations of the Swedish Municipal School of Arts

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lilliedahl, Jonathan; Georgii-Hemming, Eva

2009-01-01

This article draws on a study designed to analyse parental expectations of the Swedish municipal school of arts (hereafter MSA) (in Swedish: kommunal musik- och kulturskola). The study is based on in-depth interviews conducted and informed by grounded theory. Although parental expectations are scarcely uniform, the study reveals a hope that the…

Education, Labour Market and Human Capital Models: Swedish Experiences and Theoretical Analyses.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Sohlman, Asa

An empirical study concerning development of the Swedish educational system from a labor market point of view, and a theoretical study on human capital models are discussed. In "Education and Labour Market; The Swedish Experience 1900-1975," attention is directed to the following concerns: the official educational policy regarding…

Imperatives for "Right" Educational Choices in Swedish Educational Policy

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Puaca, Goran

2014-01-01

The present article is based on a critical semiotic investigation of the Swedish Long-Term Survey on economic development. It aims to examine how recent Swedish policy trends bring specific economic, political and social processes together to form a system of meaning for both motivation and regulation over individuals' educational choices. What is…

Environmental Influence on Language Acquisition: Comparing Second and Foreign Language Acquisition of Swedish

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hakansson, Gisela; Norrby, Catrin

2010-01-01

This article explores the influence of the learning environment on the second language acquisition of Swedish. Data were collected longitudinally over 1 year from 35 university students studying Swedish in Malmo, Sweden, and in Melbourne, Australia. Three areas were investigated: grammar, pragmatics, and lexicon. The development of grammar was…

Picking up the Threads. Languaging in a Swedish Mainstream Preschool

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Puskás, Tünde

2017-01-01

This paper examines the strategies monolingual teachers use to scaffold meaning and encourage and enhance verbal communication with emergent bilingual children in a Swedish mainstream preschool. The study is based on ethnographic fieldwork in a preschool group in which seven of twelve children spoke Swedish as their second, additional language.…

Cross-Cultural Patterns in College Student Drinking and its Consequences—A Comparison between the USA and Sweden

PubMed Central

Ståhlbrandt, Henriettæ; Andersson, Claes; Johnsson, Kent O.; Tollison, Sean J.; Berglund, Mats; Larimer, Mary E.

2008-01-01

Aims: The aim of the study was to compare alcohol use, consequences and common risk factors between American and Swedish college students. Methods: A secondary comparative analysis from one American and two Swedish studies in college settings. Results: Swedish freshmen report higher alcohol use than US freshmen students. Swedish residence hall students report higher alcohol use than US residence hall students, but lower than American fraternity/sorority members. US students were less likely to be drinkers. Controlling for age, country moderated the relationship between family history and harmful drinking scores for women (stronger in the USA), and between expectancies and harmful drinking scores for men (stronger in Sweden), though in both cases this represented a small effect and patterns were similar overall. Conclusions: Swedish students are at higher risk for alcohol use than US students, but similar patterns between aetiological predictors and outcomes in both countries suggest that research from the USA is generalizable to Swedish students and vice versa. More research is needed to better understand unique relationships associated with age and family history. PMID:18593864

Relationship between progression of visual field defect and intraocular pressure in primary open-angle glaucoma.

PubMed

Naito, Tomoko; Yoshikawa, Keiji; Mizoue, Shiro; Nanno, Mami; Kimura, Tairo; Suzumura, Hirotaka; Shiraga, Fumio

2015-01-01

To analyze the relationship between intraocular pressure (IOP) and the progression of visual field defects in Japanese primary open-angle glaucoma (POAG) and normal-tension glaucoma (NTG) patients. The subjects of the study were patients undergoing treatment for POAG or NTG who had performed visual field tests at least ten times with a Humphrey field analyzer (Swedish interactive thresholding algorithm standard, C30-2 program). The progression of visual field defects was defined by a significantly negative value of the mean deviation slope at the final visual field test during the follow-up period. The relationships between the progression of visual field defects and IOP, as well as other clinical factors, were retrospectively analyzed. A total of 156 eyes of 156 patients were included in the analysis. Significant progression of visual field defects was observed in 70 eyes of 70 patients (44.9%), while no significant progression was evident in 86 eyes of 86 patients (55.1%). The eyes with visual field defect progression had significantly lower baseline IOP (P<0.05), as well as significantly lower IOP reduction rate (P<0.01). The standard deviation of IOP values during follow-up was significantly greater in the eyes with visual field defect progression than in eyes without (P<0.05). Reducing IOP is thought to be useful for Japanese POAG or NTG patients to suppress the progression of visual field defects. In NTG, IOP management should take into account not only achieving the target IOP, but also minimizing the fluctuation of IOP during follow-up period.

Factors that influence standard automated perimetry test results in glaucoma: test reliability, technician experience, time of day, and season.

PubMed

Junoy Montolio, Francisco G; Wesselink, Christiaan; Gordijn, Marijke; Jansonius, Nomdo M

2012-10-09

To determine the influence of several factors on standard automated perimetry test results in glaucoma. Longitudinal Humphrey field analyzer 30-2 Swedish interactive threshold algorithm data from 160 eyes of 160 glaucoma patients were used. The influence of technician experience, time of day, and season on the mean deviation (MD) was determined by performing linear regression analysis of MD against time on a series of visual fields and subsequently performing a multiple linear regression analysis with the MD residuals as dependent variable and the factors mentioned above as independent variables. Analyses were performed with and without adjustment for the test reliability (fixation losses and false-positive and false-negative answers) and with and without stratification according to disease stage (baseline MD). Mean follow-up was 9.4 years, with on average 10.8 tests per patient. Technician experience, time of day, and season were associated with the MD. Approximately 0.2 dB lower MD values were found for inexperienced technicians (P < 0.001), tests performed after lunch (P < 0.001), and tests performed in the summer or autumn (P < 0.001). The effects of time of day and season appeared to depend on disease stage. Independent of these effects, the percentage of false-positive answers strongly influenced the MD with a 1 dB increase in MD per 10% increase in false-positive answers. Technician experience, time of day, season, and the percentage of false-positive answers have a significant influence on the MD of standard automated perimetry.

Typhoid fever among Swedish visitors to Kos in 1983.

PubMed

Christenson, B; Andersson, Y

1985-05-01

Seven cases of confirmed typhoid fever were discovered among 26 Swedish visitors to the Greek island of Kos in 1983. They had all stayed at the same hotel during the last week of June and the first week of July. During the same period 32 British visitors and 16 visitors from other Scandinavian countries who stayed at the implicated hotel also developed typhoid fever. By analysing questionnaires and by personally interviewing the Swedish visitors, a close association with the eating of salad at dinner on the 4th of July was found. As soon as the first Swedish case was discovered, a carrier among the hotel staff was suspected because it was known that one Swedish and one Finnish case of typhoid fever had been reported in 1981 and 1982 respectively, both patients having stayed at the implicated hotel.

Ethnic Swedish parents' experiences of minority ethnic nurses' cultural competence in Swedish paediatric care.

PubMed

Tavallali, Azar G; Kabir, Zarina Nahar; Jirwe, Maria

2014-06-01

Sweden has a population of a little more than 9.4 million. The rapid growth of immigration in Sweden has resulted in an increased number of minority ethnic patients and minority ethnic nurses in the Swedish healthcare system. This also applies to paediatric care. The purpose of this study was to explore how parents with ethnic Swedish backgrounds experience minority ethnic nurses' cultural competence and the care the nurses provide in a Swedish paediatric care context. This exploratory qualitative study is of 14 parents with an ethnic Swedish background whose child was in a ward at a children's hospital in Stockholm County Council. Data were collected using semi-structured interviews to identify parents' perceptions and experiences of minority ethnic nurses' cultural competence. The interviews were analysed by qualitative content analysis. The analyses of the interviews led to four main categories: influence of nurses' ethnicity; significance of cross-cultural communication; cross-cultural skills; and the importance of nursing education. Nurses' ethnicity did not have much impact on parents' satisfaction with their child's care. The parents attached importance to nurses' language skills and to their adaptation and awareness of Swedish culture. They also attached weight to nurses' professional knowledge and personal attributes. The role of nursing education to increase nurses' cultural awareness was highlighted too. © 2013 Nordic College of Caring Science.

The Rock Band Context as Discursive Governance in Music Education in Swedish Schools

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lindgren, Monica; Ericsson, Claes

2010-01-01

In this article, based on the results of a larger research project funded by the Swedish Research Council (Ericsson and Lindgren 2010), the authors discuss and problematize the rock band context in music education in Swedish compulsory schools in relation to governance and knowledge formation. The empirical material on which the study is based…

How Are Notions of Childcare Similar or Different among American, Chinese, Japanese and Swedish Teachers?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Izumi-Taylor, Satomi; Lee, Yu-Yuan; Franceschini, Louis

2011-01-01

The purpose of this study was to examine similarities and differences in the perceptions of childcare among American, Chinese, Japanese and Swedish early childhood teachers. Participants consisted of 78 American teachers, 156 Chinese teachers, 158 Japanese teachers, and 157 Swedish teachers. The results of quantitative analysis revealed that these…

Cultivating Swedishness? Examples of Imagined Kinship during the First Half of the 20th Century

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Thomasson, Adrian

2015-01-01

Different representations of "Swedishness," as expressions of altered kinds of imagined kinship in the Swedish educational system during the first half of the 20th century, are discussed. It is argued that even though the curriculum changed, from a more religious one focusing on fostering loyalty and moral commitment to "God, the…

Class-Size Effects on Adolescents' Mental Health and Well-Being in Swedish Schools

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Jakobsson, Niklas; Persson, Mattias; Svensson, Mikael

2013-01-01

This paper analyzes whether class size has an effect on the prevalence of mental health problems and well-being among adolescents in Swedish schools. We use cross-sectional data collected in year 2008 covering 2755 Swedish adolescents in ninth grade from 40 schools and 159 classes. We utilize different econometric approaches to address potential…

The Swedish Experiment with Localised Control of Time Schedules: Policy Problem Representations

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ronnberg, Linda

2007-01-01

Swedish compulsory schools are the most autonomous in Europe regarding time allocation and time management. Still, the Swedish state decided to take this even further, when introducing an experiment that permits some compulsory schools to abandon the regulations of the national time schedule. The aim of this study is to explore and analyse the…

Chemistry inside an Epistemological Community Box! Discursive Exclusions and Inclusions in Swedish National Tests in Chemistry

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ståhl, Marie; Hussénius, Anita

2017-01-01

This study examined the Swedish national tests in chemistry for implicit and explicit values. The chemistry subject is understudied compared to biology and physics and students view chemistry as their least interesting science subject. The Swedish national science assessments aim to support equitable and fair evaluation of students, to concretize…

Introducing National Tests in Swedish Primary Education: Implications for Test Anxiety

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Nyroos, Mikaela; Wiklund-Hornqvist, Carola

2011-01-01

Introduction: The Swedish government has decided to introduce national tests in primary education. Swedish pupils in general have few tests and a recognised possible adverse effect of testing is test anxiety among pupils, which may have a negative impact on examination performance. However, there has been little research on effects of testing on…

The Position of the Deaf in the Swedish Labor Market

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Rydberg, Emelie; Gellerstedt, Lotta Coniavitis; Danermark, Berth

2010-01-01

The position of deaf people in the Swedish labor market is described and analyzed. A population of 2,144 people born from 1941 to 1980 who attended special education programs for the deaf was compared to 100,000 randomly chosen individuals from the total Swedish population born during the same period. Data on these individuals consisted of…

Reports on Swedish Projects Relevant to the Study of Impromptu Speech: FUMS.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Nordberg, Bengt

The Unit for Advanced Studies in Modern Swedish (FUMS) at Uppsala University has one of the largest collections of spontaneous present-day spoken Swedish and has housed many sociolinguistic research projects since the 1960s. The four studies generating the most empirical data are on: The Urban Dialect of Eskilstuna; The Child's Linguistic…

The Irresistible Rise and Hegemony of a Linguistic Fortress: English Teaching in Sweden

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Cabau, Beatrice

2009-01-01

English has been compulsory for all Swedish pupils since 1962. At the same time, Swedish society has, for decades, been experiencing the phenomenon of an overwhelming Anglicization. Nowadays, the situation has gone so far that English may be considered as a second language in the Swedish daily living environment. This article mainly aims at…

A Critical Mapping of Practice-Based Research as Evidenced by Swedish Architectural Theses

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Buchler, Daniela; Biggs, Michael A. R.; Stahl, Lars-Henrik

2011-01-01

This article presents an investigation that was funded by the Swedish Institute into the role of creative practice in architectural research as evidenced in Swedish doctoral theses. The sample was mapped and analysed in terms of clusters of interest, approaches, cultures of knowledge and uses of creative practice. This allowed the identification…

The Swedish Principal: Leadership Style, Decision-Making Style, and Motivation Profile

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hansson, Per H.; Andersen, Jon Aarum

2007-01-01

The Swedish schools have been under pressure for change for several decades. How leaders behave can be of vital importance in times of change. The principal is responsible for both the educational program and for the school budget. Two hundred Swedish principals (male and female) responded to questionnaires concerning their leadership style,…

Bilingual Education for Deaf Children in Sweden

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Svartholm, Kristina

2010-01-01

In 1981, Swedish Sign Language gained recognition by the Swedish Parliament as the language of deaf people, a decision that made Sweden the first country in the world to give a sign language the status of a language. Swedish was designated as a second language for deaf people, and the need for bilingualism among them was officially asserted. This…

Environmental Management in Swedish Higher Education: Directives, Driving Forces, Hindrances, Environmental Aspects and Environmental Co-Ordinators in Swedish Universities

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Sammalisto, Kaisu; Arvidsson, Karin

2005-01-01

Purpose: This study of environment management systems implementation in Swedish universities contributes to the dialogue about the role of management systems as tools in developing sustainability in higher education. Design/methodology/approach: The empirical study is based on Government directives that make environmental management systems…

Canal–Otolith Interactions and Detection Thresholds of Linear and Angular Components During Curved-Path Self-Motion

PubMed Central

MacNeilage, Paul R.; Turner, Amanda H.

2010-01-01

Gravitational signals arising from the otolith organs and vertical plane rotational signals arising from the semicircular canals interact extensively for accurate estimation of tilt and inertial acceleration. Here we used a classical signal detection paradigm to examine perceptual interactions between otolith and horizontal semicircular canal signals during simultaneous rotation and translation on a curved path. In a rotation detection experiment, blindfolded subjects were asked to detect the presence of angular motion in blocks where half of the trials were pure nasooccipital translation and half were simultaneous translation and yaw rotation (curved-path motion). In separate, translation detection experiments, subjects were also asked to detect either the presence or the absence of nasooccipital linear motion in blocks, in which half of the trials were pure yaw rotation and half were curved path. Rotation thresholds increased slightly, but not significantly, with concurrent linear velocity magnitude. Yaw rotation detection threshold, averaged across all conditions, was 1.45 ± 0.81°/s (3.49 ± 1.95°/s2). Translation thresholds, on the other hand, increased significantly with increasing magnitude of concurrent angular velocity. Absolute nasooccipital translation detection threshold, averaged across all conditions, was 2.93 ± 2.10 cm/s (7.07 ± 5.05 cm/s2). These findings suggest that conscious perception might not have independent access to separate estimates of linear and angular movement parameters during curved-path motion. Estimates of linear (and perhaps angular) components might instead rely on integrated information from canals and otoliths. Such interaction may underlie previously reported perceptual errors during curved-path motion and may originate from mechanisms that are specialized for tilt-translation processing during vertical plane rotation. PMID:20554843

Occupational stress among Swedish audiologists in clinical practice: Reasons for being stressed.

PubMed

Brännström, K Jonas; Holm, Lucas; Larsson, Josefina; Lood, Sofie; Notsten, Margareta; Turunen Taheri, Satu

2016-08-01

The present study reports on the application of a Swedish translation of the audiologist occupational stress questionnaire (AOSQ) on audiologists working in Sweden. The relations between AOSQ scores and perceived effort, perceived rewards, coping strategies at work, demographic variables such as salary, education length, practise length, and practice type were tested. A cross-sectional e-mail survey using the AOSQ, effort-reward imbalance questionnaire, and demographic questions. Four-hundred and four Swedish licensed audiologists working with clients. The Swedish AOSQ translation demonstrated high inter-item correlations and high internal consistency. Several stress factors were identified: time spent at work, accountability, leadership at the workplace, paperwork and practice demands, equipment and clinical protocols, own health concerns, and job control. The outcome on the complete AOSQ questionnaire was related to perceived effort, perceived rewards, coping strategies at work, and age. The Swedish AOSQ translation seems to provide a valid measure of occupational stress among audiologists.

Dieting behaviors, body shape perceptions, and body satisfaction: cross-cultural differences in Argentinean and Swedish 13-year-olds.

PubMed

Holmqvist, Kristina; Lunde, Carolina; Frisén, Ann

2007-06-01

This exploratory study represents a cross-cultural effort to examine differences in dieting practices and weight loss attempts, perceived body shape, and body satisfaction between young Argentinean and Swedish adolescents. The study group consisted of 358 Argentinean (193 girls, 165 boys) and 874 Swedish (474 girls, 400 boys) 13-year-olds. A main finding was that Argentinean and Swedish adolescents did not differ on body satisfaction, although girls in both countries displayed greater body dissatisfaction than did boys. Dieting and weight loss attempts were more prevalent among the Argentinean adolescents, especially among girls, and did not appear to depend on overweight or perception of body shape. The samples also differed in their perceptions of body shape and the effect those perceptions had on their body satisfaction, with Swedish adolescents suffering more from negative body shape perceptions.

Translation and Testing of the Swedish Version of Iceland-Family Perceived Support Questionnaire With Parents of Children With Congenital Heart Defects.

PubMed

Bruce, Elisabeth; Dorell, Åsa; Lindh, Viveca; Erlingsson, Christen; Lindkvist, Marie; Sundin, Karin

2016-08-01

There is a need for a suitable instrument for the Swedish context that could measure family members' perceptions of cognitive and emotional support received from nurses. The purpose of this study was to translate and test the psychometric properties of the Swedish version of the Iceland-Family Perceived Support Questionnaire (ICE-FPSQ) and, further, to report perceptions of support from nurses by family members of children with congenital heart defects (CHDs). A sample of 97 parents of children with CHD, living in Sweden, completed the Swedish translation of ICE-FPSQ. The Swedish version of ICE-FPSQ was found to be reliable and valid in this context. Parents scored perceived family support provided by nurses working in pediatric outpatient clinics as low, which suggests that nurses in these outpatient contexts in Sweden offered family nursing only sparingly. © The Author(s) 2016.

IQ and Schizophrenia in a Swedish National Sample: Their Causal Relationship and the Interaction of IQ with Genetic Risk

PubMed Central

Kendler, Kenneth S.; Ohlsson, Henrik; Sundquist, Jan; Sundquist, Kristina

2015-01-01

Objective To clarify the relationship between IQ and subsequent risk for schizophrenia. Method IQ was assessed at ages 18-20 in 1,204,983 Swedish males born 1951-1975. Schizophrenia was assessed by hospital diagnosis through 2010. Results IQ had a monotonic relationship with schizophrenia risk across the IQ range with a mean change of 3.8% in risk per IQ point. This association, stronger in the lower versus higher IQ range, was similar if onsets within five years of testing were censored. No increased risk for schizophrenia was seen in those with highest intelligence. Co-relative control analyses showed a similar IQ-schizophrenia association in the general population and in cousin, half-sibling and full-sibling pairs. A robust interaction was seen between genetic liability to schizophrenia and IQ in predicting schizophrenia risk. Genetic susceptibility for schizophrenia had a much stronger impact on risk of illness for those with low versus high intelligence. The IQ-genetic liability interaction arose largely from IQ differences between close relatives. Conclusions IQ assessed in late adolescence is a robust risk factor for subsequent onset of schizophrenia. This association is not the result of a declining IQ associated with insidious onset. In this large, representative sample, we found no evidence for a link between genius and schizophrenia. Co-relative control analyses show that the association between lower IQ and schizophrenia is not the result of shared familial risk factors and may be causal. The strongest effect was seen with IQ differences within families. High intelligence substantially attenuates the impact of genetic liability on the risk for schizophrenia. PMID:25727538

Dynamical stabilization of grazing systems: An interplay among plant-water interaction, overgrazing and a threshold management policy.

PubMed

Costa, Michel Iskin da Silveira; Meza, Magno Enrique Mendoza

2006-12-01

In a plant-herbivore system, a management strategy called threshold policy is proposed to control grazing intensity where the vegetation dynamics is described by a plant-water interaction model. It is shown that this policy can lead the vegetation density to a previously chosen level under an overgrazing regime. This result is obtained despite both the potential occurrence of vegetation collapse due to overgrazing and the possibility of complex dynamics sensitive to vegetation initial densities and parameter uncertainties.

Adapting forest health assessments to changing perspectives on threats--a case example from Sweden.

PubMed

Wulff, Sören; Lindelöw, Åke; Lundin, Lars; Hansson, Per; Axelsson, Anna-Lena; Barklund, Pia; Wijk, Sture; Ståhl, Göran

2012-04-01

A revised Swedish forest health assessment system is presented. The assessment system is composed of several interacting components which target information needs for strategic and operational decision making and accommodate a continuously expanding knowledge base. The main motivation for separating information for strategic and operational decision making is that major damage outbreaks are often scattered throughout the landscape. Generally, large-scale inventories (such as national forest inventories) cannot provide adequate information for mitigation measures. In addition to broad monitoring programs that provide time-series information on known damaging agents and their effects, there is also a need for local and regional inventories adapted to specific damage events. While information for decision making is the major focus of the health assessment system, the system also contributes to expanding the knowledge base of forest conditions. For example, the integrated monitoring programs provide a better understanding of ecological processes linked to forest health. The new health assessment system should be able to respond to the need for quick and reliable information and thus will be an important part of the future monitoring of Swedish forests.

Novel approaches for inspiring students and electrifying the public

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lidström, Suzy; Read, Alex; Parke, Stephen; Allen, Roland; Goldfarb, Steven; Mehlhase, Sascha; Ekelöf, Tord; Walker, Alan

2014-03-01

We will briefly summarize a wide variety of innovative approaches for inspiring students and stimulating broad public interest in fundamental physics research, as exemplified by recent activities related to the Higgs boson discovery and Higgs-Englert Nobel Prize on behalf of the Swedish Academy, CERN, Fermilab, and the Niels Bohr Institute. Personal interactions with the scientists themselves can be particularly electrifying, and these were encouraged by the wearing of ``Higgs Boson? Ask Me!'' badges, which will be made available to those attending this talk. At CERN, activities include Virtual Visits, (Google) Hangout with CERN, initiatives to grab attention (LEGO models, music videos, art programs, pins, etc.), substantive communication (lab visits and events, museum exhibits, traveling exhibits, local visits, Masterclasses, etc.), and educational activities (summer student programs, semester abroad programs, internships, graduate programs, etc.). For serious students and their teachers, or scientists in other areas, tutorial articles are appropriate. These are most effective if they also incorporate innovative approaches - for example, attractive figures that immediately illustrate the concepts, analogies that will resonate with the reader, and a broadening of perspective. Physica Scripta, Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences.

Personality characteristics and affective status related to cognitive test performance and gender in patients with memory complaints.

PubMed

Vestberg, Susanna; Passant, Ulla; Risberg, Jarl; Elfgren, Christina

2007-11-01

The aims are to study personality characteristics of patients with memory complaints and to assess the presence of objective (OMI) versus subjective (SMI) memory impairment, the affective status, as well as potential gender differences. The patients were assessed by means of a neuropsychiatric examination and a neuropsychological test-battery. The Swedish version of the revised NEO Personality Inventory (NEO PI-R) and the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS) were used. The 57 patients (38 women, 19 men, mean age 56.9) differed from the Swedish normative group in three of the five personality factors: neuroticism, extraversion and agreeableness. This was mainly because of the scores of the female patients. Approximately half of the patients had OMI. No differences regarding personality factors or affective status were found between OMI and SMI patients. The female patients scored significantly higher than the male patients on symptoms of anxiety and depression. Neuroticism and symptoms of depression interacted with memory performance and gender. Our findings demonstrate the importance of applying an objective assessment of memory functions and a gender perspective when studying patients with memory complaints.

GEOMORPHIC THRESHOLDS AND CHANNEL MORPHOLOGY IN LARGE RIVERS

EPA Science Inventory

Systematic changes in channel morphology occur as channel gradient, streamflow, and sediment character change and interact. Geomorphic thresholds of various kinds are useful metrics to define these changes along the river network, as they are based on in-channel processes that d...

Swedish nurses' perceptions of influencers on patient advocacy: a phenomenographic study.

PubMed

Josse-Eklund, Anna; Jossebo, Marie; Sandin-Bojö, Ann-Kristin; Wilde-Larsson, Bodil; Petzäll, Kerstin

2014-09-01

A limited number of studies have shown that patient advocacy can be influenced by both facilitators and barriers which can encourage and discourage nurses to act as patient advocates. This study's aim was to describe Swedish nurses' perceptions of influencers on patient advocacy. Interviews with 18 registered nurses from different Swedish clinical contexts were analysed using the phenomenographic method. Ethical revisions were made in accordance with national legislation and guidelines by committees for research ethics at Karlstad University. Three levels of hierarchically related influencers on patient advocacy were found in the descriptive categories. The fundamental influencer, the nurse's character traits, was described in the perceptions that advocacy is influenced by nurse's having a moral compass, having control over the care situation, being protective and feeling secure as a nurse. The second most vital influencer, the nurse's bond with the patient, was expressed in the perceptions of knowing the patient and feeling empathy for the patient. The third level of influencers, the organisational conditions, was described in the perceptions that the organisational structures and organisational culture influence patient advocacy. The results correspond with findings from earlier research but add an understanding that influencers on patient advocacy exist at three hierarchically related levels. The nurse's character traits are the fundamental influencer to patient advocacy, but in order to be comfortable and secure when advocating for patients, nurses also need to be familiar with both the patient and the situation. A supposition could be that all influencers interact, which needs to be further addressed in future studies. © The Author(s) 2014.

Further Education and Training in Swedish Working Life: A Discussion of Trends and Issues.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Tuijnman, Albert

Written mainly for a non-Swedish audience, this document has a twofold purpose: (1) to examine how and to what extent the further education and training of the labor force is both presently and prospectively dealt with in collective bargaining agreements and other workplace negotiation processes in the Swedish labor market; and (2) to examine the…

The Changing Nature of Autonomy: Transformations of the Late Swedish Teaching Profession

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Wermke, Wieland; Forsberg, Eva

2017-01-01

This article discusses teacher autonomy in the case of the Swedish teaching profession since the 1980s. It is argued that deregulation, decentralization, and marketization reforms of the 1990s have indeed increased teacher autonomy, but in some respects also led to a increase of complexity in the Swedish school system. In order to handle this…

In Praise of the Present: The Pupil at Centre in Swedish Educational Politics in the Post-War Period

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Wedin, Tomas

2017-01-01

According to an influential narrative in Swedish educational historiography, the Swedish educational system underwent a drastic change during the 1990s, moving towards a more individualistic and marketised system. Without denying the relevance of this perspective, this article argues that we can trace antecedents to the reforms undertaken in the…

A Unified Approach toward the Development of Swedish as L2: A Processability Account.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Pienemann, Manfred; Hakansson, Gisela

1999-01-01

Aims to put the body of research on Swedish as a second language (SSL) into one coherent framework and to test the predictions deriving from processability theory for Swedish against this empirical database. Surveys the 14 most prominent research projects on SSL, covering wide areas of syntax and morphology in longitudinal and cross-sectional…

English Proficiency and Attitude Formation in a Merged Corporation with a Swedish-English Profile

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Mobarg, Mats

2012-01-01

This study investigates the relationship between proficiency in English and language-related attitudes among Swedish professionals at the English-speaking AstraZeneca R&D site in Molndal, Sweden. AstraZeneca is the result of a merger between a Swedish and a British pharmaceutical company, and the aim of the study is to see to what extent their…

A Recent Swedish Attempt to Weaken State Control and Strengthen School Autonomy: The Experiment with Local Time Schedules

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ronnberg, Linda

2007-01-01

In 1999, after a series of far-reaching reforms aiming at decentralisation, deregulation and increased local autonomy in Swedish education, the Government decided to introduce a five-year experiment, which would develop these reform efforts even further. Even though Swedish compulsory schools already were the most autonomous in Europe with regard…

Gender and Technology in Free Play in Swedish Early Childhood Education

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hallström, Jonas; Elvstrand, Helene; Hellberg, Kristina

2015-01-01

In the new Swedish curriculum for the preschool (2010) technology education is emphasized as one of the most significant pedagogical areas to work with. The aim of this article is to investigate how girls and boys explore and learn technology as well as how their teachers frame this in free play in two Swedish preschools. The study is inspired by…

Information and Experience: Audio-Visual Observations of Reading Activities in Swedish Comprehensive School Classrooms 1967-1969

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Dolatkhah, Mats; Hampson Lundh, Anna

2016-01-01

This study investigates reading activities in Swedish primary school classrooms during the late 1960s. Sound and video recordings of 223 Swedish lessons held between 1967 and 1969 are used to analyse the activity of reading as taught and performed. The results indicate that the practice of informational reading, often based on finding…

School Principals' Perceptions of "Basic Values" in the Swedish Compulsory School System in Regard to Bronfenbrenner's Ecological Systems Theory

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Drakenberg, Margareth; Malmgren, Therese Vincenti

2013-01-01

The purpose of this study is to compare how Swedish school principals understand basic values that are important in fulfilling the Swedish national curriculum, Curriculum 1994 (a new curriculum, Curriculum 2011, which came into operation in autumn 2011, has only minor differences compared to the common text in Curriculum 1994), considering…

"Why Do We Celebrate …?" Filling Traditions with Meaning in an Ethnically Diverse Swedish Preschool

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Puskás, Tünde; Andersson, Anita

2017-01-01

The Swedish preschool is an important socializing agent because the great majority of children aged, from 1 to 5 years, are enrolled in an early childhood education program. This paper explores how preschool teachers and children, in an ethnically diverse preschool, negotiate the meaning of cultural traditions celebrated in Swedish preschools.…

"Doesn't Everyone Want That? It's Just a Given": Swedish Emerging Adults' Expectations on Future Parenthood and Work/Family Priorities

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Frisén, Ann; Carlsson, Johanna; Wängqvist, Maria

2014-01-01

This study investigated Swedish emerging adults' expectations on future parenthood through interviews with 124 Swedish emerging adults who were not yet parents. Thematic analysis showed that most participants were sure they wanted to become parents, but not right now. First, they wanted a stable financial situation, a romantic relationship, and…

Swedish Delegation Visits NASA Goddard

NASA Image and Video Library

2017-12-08

Swedish Delegation Visits GSFC – May 3, 2017 –Goddard Space Flight Center senior management and members of the Royal Swedish Academy walk towards Building 29 as part of the Swedish delegation’s tour of the center. Photo Credit: NASA/Goddard/Rebecca Roth Read more: go.nasa.gov/2p1rP0h NASA image use policy. NASA Goddard Space Flight Center enables NASA’s mission through four scientific endeavors: Earth Science, Heliophysics, Solar System Exploration, and Astrophysics. Goddard plays a leading role in NASA’s accomplishments by contributing compelling scientific knowledge to advance the Agency’s mission. Follow us on Twitter Like us on Facebook Find us on Instagram

Swedish Delegation Visits NASA Goddard

NASA Image and Video Library

2017-12-08

Swedish Delegation Visits GSFC – May 3, 2017 –Goddard Space Flight Center senior management and members of the Royal Swedish Academy walk towards Building 29 as part of the Swedish delegation’s tour of the center. Credit: NASA/Goddard/Bill Hrybyk Read more: go.nasa.gov/2p1rP0h NASA image use policy. NASA Goddard Space Flight Center enables NASA’s mission through four scientific endeavors: Earth Science, Heliophysics, Solar System Exploration, and Astrophysics. Goddard plays a leading role in NASA’s accomplishments by contributing compelling scientific knowledge to advance the Agency’s mission. Follow us on Twitter Like us on Facebook Find us on Instagram

Reflexology versus Swedish Massage to Reduce Physiologic Stress and Pain and Improve Mood in Nursing Home Residents with Cancer: A Pilot Trial

PubMed Central

Hodgson, Nancy A.; Lafferty, Doreen

2012-01-01

Objective. The purpose of this pilot study was to investigate and compare the effects of reflexology and Swedish massage therapy on physiologic stress, pain, and mood in older cancer survivors residing in nursing homes. Methods. An experimental, repeated-measures, crossover design study of 18 nursing home residents aged 75 or over and diagnosed with solid tumor in the past 5 years and following completion of cancer treatments. The intervention tested was 20 minutes of Swedish Massage Therapy to the lower extremities, versus 20 minute Reflexology, using highly specified protocols. Pre- and post-intervention levels of salivary cortisol, observed affect, and pain were compared in the Swedish Massage Therapy and Reflexology conditions. Results. Both Reflexology and Swedish Massage resulted in significant declines in salivary cortisol and pain and improvements in mood. Conclusions. Preliminary data suggest that studies of Swedish Massage Therapy and Reflexology are feasible in this population of cancer survivors typically excluded from trials. Both interventions were well tolerated and produced measurable improvements in outcomes. Further research is needed to explore the mechanisms underlying the potential benefits of these CAM modalities in this patient population. PMID:22888364

The Swedish space programme

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Helger, Arne

The Swedish National Space Board (SNSB) under the Ministry of Industry is the central governmental agency responsible for the goverment-funded Swedish national and international space and remote sensing activities. The technical implementation is mainly contracted by the Board to the state-owned Swedish Space Corporation (SSC). International cooperation is a cornerstone in the Swedish space activities, absorbing more than 80% of the total national budget. Within ESA, Sweden participates in practically all infrastructure and applications programs. Basic research, mainly concentrated to the near earth space physics, microgravity and remote sensing are important elements in the Swedish space program. Sweden participates in the French Spot program. At Esrange, data reception, and satellite control, and tracking, telemetry command (TT&C) are performed for many international satellite projects. An SSC subsidiary, SATELLITBILD, is archiving, processing and distributing remote sensing data worldwide. The National Space Development Agency of Japan (NASDA) has established a portable TT&C station for JERS-1 at Esrange, Kiruna. A center for international research on the ozone problem has been established at Esrange and Kiruna. A new sounding rocket for 15 minutes of microgravity research, MAXUS, has been developed by SSC in cooperation with Germany. A national scientific satellite, FREJA, is planned to be launched late 1992.

Incidence of end-stage renal disease following bariatric surgery in the Swedish Obese Subjects Study.

PubMed

Shulman, A; Peltonen, M; Sjöström, C D; Andersson-Assarsson, J C; Taube, M; Sjöholm, K; le Roux, C W; Carlsson, L M S; Svensson, P-A

2018-02-26

Obesity is a major public health problem leading to co-morbidities such as diabetes, hypertension and kidney failure. Bariatric surgery results in pronounced and maintained weight loss and prevention of obesity-related diseases and their complications. Most studies of bariatric surgery on kidney disease show improvements after surgery. However, long-term studies analyzing hard end-points are lacking. Here we report on the long-term effects of bariatric surgery compared to usual obesity care on incidence of end-stage renal disease (ESRD) alone and in combination with chronic kidney disease stage 4 (CKD4/ESRD). 4047 patients were included in the Swedish Obese Subjects (SOS) study. Inclusion criteria were age 37-60 years and BMI ≥ 34 in men and BMI ≥ 38 in women. Patients in the bariatric surgery group (N = 2010) underwent banding (18%), vertical banded gastroplasty (69%), or gastric bypass (13%); controls (N = 2037) received usual obesity care. In this analysis, patients were followed up for a median time of 18 years. The incidence of ESRD and CKD4 was obtained by crosschecking the SOS database with the Swedish National Patient Register. During follow-up, ESRD occurred in 13 patients in the surgery group and in 26 patients in the control group (adjusted hazard ratio (HR) = 0.27; 95% CI 0.12-0.60; p = 0.001). The number of CKD4/ESRD events was 23 in the surgery group and 39 in the control group (adjusted HR = 0.33; 95% CI 0.18-0.62; p < 0.001). In both analyses, bariatric surgery had a more favorable effect in patients with baseline serum insulin levels above median compared to those with lower insulin levels (interaction p = 0.010). Treatment benefit of bariatric surgery was also greater in patients with macroalbuminuria at baseline compared to those without macroalbuminuria (interaction p < 0.001). Our study showed for the first time that bariatric surgery is associated with a long-term protection against ESRD and CKD4/ESRD.

IQ and schizophrenia in a Swedish national sample: their causal relationship and the interaction of IQ with genetic risk.

PubMed

Kendler, Kenneth S; Ohlsson, Henrik; Sundquist, Jan; Sundquist, Kristina

2015-03-01

The authors sought to clarify the relationship between IQ and subsequent risk for schizophrenia. IQ was assessed at ages 18-20 in 1,204,983 Swedish males born between 1951 and 1975. Schizophrenia was assessed by hospital diagnosis through 2010. Cox proportional hazards models were used to investigate future risk for schizophrenia in individuals as a function of their IQ score, and then stratified models using pairs of relatives were used to adjust for familial cluster. Finally, regression models were used to examine the interaction between IQ and genetic liability on risk for schizophrenia. IQ had a monotonic relationship with schizophrenia risk across the IQ range, with a mean increase in risk of 3.8% per 1-point decrease in IQ; this association was stronger in the lower than the higher IQ range. Co-relative control analyses showed a similar association between IQ and schizophrenia in the general population and in cousin, half-sibling, and full-sibling pairs. A robust interaction was seen between genetic liability to schizophrenia and IQ in predicting schizophrenia risk. Genetic susceptibility for schizophrenia had a much stronger impact on risk of illness for those with low than high intelligence. The IQ-genetic liability interaction arose largely from IQ differences between close relatives. IQ assessed in late adolescence is a robust risk factor for subsequent onset of schizophrenia. This association is not the result of a declining IQ associated with insidious onset. In this large, representative sample, we found no evidence for a link between genius and schizophrenia. Co-relative control analyses showed that the association between lower IQ and schizophrenia is not the result of shared familial risk factors and may be causal. The strongest effect was seen with IQ differences within families. High intelligence substantially attenuates the impact of genetic liability on the risk for schizophrenia.

Vibrotactile Sensitivity of the Head

DTIC Science & Technology

2009-01-01

Frequency interaction, F (12, 120) = .82, p = .63. Post hoc comparisons ( LSD ) revealed that PZ (M = –8.04 dB) was significantly more sensitive to...Post hoc comparisons ( LSD ) also revealed that thresholds at 45 and 63 Hz were significantly higher than thresholds at 32 Hz (M = –3.56), p ɘ.05...B.; Shaw , J.; Walsh, N.; Nguyen, V. Effects of Aging on Vibration Detection Thresholds at Various Body Regions. BMC Geriatrics. 3(1). http://www

Teachers' Access to and Use of ICT: An Indicator of Growing Inequity in Swedish Schools

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Thunman, Elin; Persson, Marcus

2013-01-01

In light of how the knowledge society may give rise to new forms of inequity in schools, the purpose of this article is to examine the stratification of Swedish schoolteachers' access to and use of ICT. The empirical data consist of a nationwide survey conducted in 2010, involving 6000 Swedish teachers in all grades (except pre-school and…

Academic Stress as a Health Measure and Its Relationship to Patterns of Emotion in Collectivist and Individualist Cultures: Similarities and Differences

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kormi-Nouri, Reza; MacDonald, Shane; Farahani, Mohammad-Naghy; Trost, Kari; Shokri, Omid

2015-01-01

The present study investigates academic stress in two different cultures, the Iranian as a collectivist culture, and the Swedish as an individualist culture. A total of 616 university students (312 Iranian and 304 Swedish) participated in the study. The results show that Swedish students experience more academic stress than Iranian students.…

Discursive Mechanisms and Human Agency in Language Policy Formation: Negotiating Bilingualism and Parallel Language Use at a Swedish University

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Källkvist, Marie; Hult, Francis M.

2016-01-01

In the wake of the enactment of Sweden's Language Act in 2009 and in the face of the growing presence of English, Swedish universities have been called upon by the Swedish Higher Education Authority to craft their own language policy documents. This study focuses on the discursive negotiation of institutional bilingualism by a language policy…

A Case Study of Swedish Scholars' Experiences with and Perceptions of the Use of English in Academic Publishing

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Olsson, Anna; Sheridan, Vera

2012-01-01

This empirical study surveyed academic staff at a Swedish university about their experiences and perceptions of the use of English in their academic fields. The objective was to examine how the influence of English in disciplinary domains might affect the viability of Swedish in the academic sphere and to investigate how it might disadvantage…

"To Hold the Subject's Territory": The Swedish Association of Biology Teachers and Two Curricular Reforms, 1960-1965

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hallstrom, Jonas

2010-01-01

The aim of this article is to investigate and analyse the cultural boundaries of school biology, and to a certain extent the natural science subjects in general, in two Swedish curriculum reforms, from the viewpoint of the Swedish Association of Biology Teachers (ABT). Thomas Gieryn's concept of boundary-work is thus used in analysing how the ABT…

Integration of Refugee Children and Their Families in the Swedish Preschool: Strategies, Objectives and Standards

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lunneblad, Johannes

2017-01-01

This article is from a study about the integration of refugee children (aged one to five) and their families in Sweden. Refugee children and parents who have received a residence permit are entitled to be introduced into the Swedish society. One of the first encounters refugee children and families have with Swedish society is with the preschool.…

Reaching Agreement in Uncertain Circumstances: The Practice of Evidence-Based Policy in the Case of the Swedish National Guidelines for Heart Diseases

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Eckard, Nathalie; Nedlund, Ann-Charlotte; Janzon, Magnus; Levin, Lars-Åke

2017-01-01

This paper explores the practice of evidence-based policy in a Swedish healthcare context. The study focused on how policymakers in the specific working group, the Priority-Setting Group (PSG), handled the various forms of evidence and values and their competing rationalities, when producing the Swedish National Guidelines for heart diseases that…

A National Hero or a Wily Politician? Students' Ideas about the Origins of the Nation in Sweden

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Samuelsson, Johan; Wendell, Joakim

2017-01-01

The topic of this article is how primary school students express ideas about the "origins of the nation." The study is based on texts written by Swedish students aged 12-13 about a historical event well embedded in Swedish national mythology, the rise to power of Swedish "founding father" Gustav Vasa. The analysis is inspired…

The Swedish translation and cross-cultural adaptation of the Functional Assessment of Chronic Illness Therapy - Cervical Dysplasia (FACIT-CD): linguistic validity and reliability of the Swedish version.

PubMed

Rask, Marie; Oscarsson, Marie; Ludwig, Neil; Swahnberg, Katarina

2017-04-04

Cervical dysplasia is a precancerous condition, which has been shown to create anxiety in women. To be able to investigate these women's health-related quality of life, a disease-specific instrument is required. There does not seem to be a Swedish version of an instrument to screen for this specific disease. Therefore, this study aims to translate and cross-culturally adapt the Functional Assessment of Chronic Illness Therapy - Cervical Dysplasia (FACIT-CD) into a Swedish context and evaluate its linguistic validity and reliability. The Functional Assessment of Chronic Illness Therapy (FACIT) translation methodology was used, which consists of several steps including pilot testing of the FACIT-CD instrument through cognitive debriefing interviews. Ten women diagnosed with cervical dysplasia participated in the cognitive debriefing interviews. The internal consistency reliability of the Swedish FACIT-CD was estimated by Cronbach's alpha coefficient. Homogeneity of the items was evaluated by corrected item-total correlations. The sample consists of 34 women who were diagnosed with cervical dysplasia. The translation and cross-cultural adaptation went smoothly without any problems for the majority of the items. The cognitive debriefing interviews indicated that the Swedish FACIT-CD consists of relevant items, is easy to understand and complete, and has unambiguous and comprehensive response categories. The translation and cross-cultural adaptation resulted in a Swedish FACIT-CD, which is conceptually and semantically equivalent to the English version and linguistically valid. The total scale of the Swedish FACIT-CD exhibited good internal consistency reliability with a Cronbach's alpha coefficient of 0.84, and all of the subscales exhibited acceptable value between 0.71 and 0.81 except the Relationships subscale, which had a value of 0.67. Finally, all but four items exceeded the acceptable level for the corrected item-total correlations of ≥ 0.20. The Swedish FACIT-CD is conceptually and semantically equivalent to the English version and linguistically valid; further, it exhibits good internal consistency reliability.

Quantum threshold reflection is not a consequence of a region of the long-range attractive potential with rapidly varying de Broglie wavelength

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Petersen, Jakob; Pollak, Eli; Miret-Artes, Salvador

2018-04-01

Quantum threshold reflection is a well-known quantum phenomenon which prescribes that at threshold, except for special circumstances, a quantum particle scattering from any potential, even if attractive at long range, will be reflected with unit probability. In the past, this property had been associated with the so-called badlands region of the potential, where the semiclassical description of the scattering fails due to a rapid spatial variation of the de Broglie wavelength. This badlands region occurs far from the strong interaction region of the potential and has therefore been used to "explain" the quantum reflection phenomenon. In this paper we show that the badlands region of the interaction potential is immaterial. The extremely long wavelength of the scattered particle at threshold is much longer than the spatial extension of the badlands region, which therefore does not affect the scattering. For this purpose, we review and generalize the proof for the existence of quantum threshold reflection to stress that it is only a consequence of continuity and boundary conditions. The nonlocal character of the scattering implies that the whole interaction potential is involved in the phenomenon. We then provide a detailed numerical study of the threshold scattering of a particle by a Morse potential and an Eckart potential, especially in the time domain. We compare exact quantum computations with incoherent results obtained from a classical Wigner approximation. This study shows that close to threshold the time-dependent amplitude of the scattered particle is negligible in the badlands region and is the same whether the potential has a reflecting wall as in the Morse potential or a steplike structure as in the Eckart smooth step potential. The mean flight time of the particle is not shortened due to a local reflection from the badlands region or due to the lower density of the wave function at short distances. This study should serve to definitely rule out the badlands region as a qualitative guide to the properties of quantum threshold reflection.

Interactions across spatial scales among forest dieback, fire, and erosion in northern New Mexico landscapes

USGS Publications Warehouse

Allen, Craig D.

2007-01-01

Ecosystem patterns and disturbance processes at one spatial scale often interact with processes at another scale, and the result of such cross-scale interactions can be nonlinear dynamics with thresholds. Examples of cross-scale pattern-process relationships and interactions among forest dieback, fire, and erosion are illustrated from northern New Mexico (USA) landscapes, where long-term studies have recently documented all of these disturbance processes. For example, environmental stress, operating on individual trees, can cause tree death that is amplified by insect mortality agents to propagate to patch and then landscape or even regional-scale forest dieback. Severe drought and unusual warmth in the southwestern USA since the late 1990s apparently exceeded species-specific physiological thresholds for multiple tree species, resulting in substantial vegetation mortality across millions of hectares of woodlands and forests in recent years. Predictions of forest dieback across spatial scales are constrained by uncertainties associated with: limited knowledge of species-specific physiological thresholds; individual and site-specific variation in these mortality thresholds; and positive feedback loops between rapidly-responding insect herbivore populations and their stressed plant hosts, sometimes resulting in nonlinear “pest” outbreak dynamics. Fire behavior also exhibits nonlinearities across spatial scales, illustrated by changes in historic fire regimes where patch-scale grazing disturbance led to regional-scale collapse of surface fire activity and subsequent recent increases in the scale of extreme fire events in New Mexico. Vegetation dieback interacts with fire activity by modifying fuel amounts and configurations at multiple spatial scales. Runoff and erosion processes are also subject to scale-dependent threshold behaviors, exemplified by ecohydrological work in semiarid New Mexico watersheds showing how declines in ground surface cover lead to non-linear increases in bare patch connectivity and thereby accelerated runoff and erosion at hillslope and watershed scales. Vegetation dieback, grazing, and fire can change land surface properties and cross-scale hydrologic connectivities, directly altering ecohydrological patterns of runoff and erosion. The interactions among disturbance processes across spatial scales can be key drivers in ecosystem dynamics, as illustrated by these studies of recent landscape changes in northern New Mexico. To better anticipate and mitigate accelerating human impacts to the planetary ecosystem at all spatial scales, improvements are needed in our conceptual and quantitative understanding of cross-scale interactions among disturbance processes.

Diet Quality and Change in Blood Lipids during 16 Years of Follow-up and Their Interaction with Genetic Risk for Dyslipidemia.

PubMed

Sonestedt, Emily; Hellstrand, Sophie; Drake, Isabel; Schulz, Christina-Alexandra; Ericson, Ulrika; Hlebowicz, Joanna; Persson, Margaretha M; Gullberg, Bo; Hedblad, Bo; Engström, Gunnar; Orho-Melander, Marju

2016-05-09

A high diet quality according to the Swedish nutrition recommendations is associated with a reduced risk of cardiovascular disease in the population-based Malmö Diet and Cancer cohort. To further clarify this protective association, we examined the association between high diet quality and change in triglycerides, high density lipoprotein-cholesterol (HDL-C), and low density lipoprotein-cholesterol (LDL-C) after 16 years of follow-up in 3152 individuals (61% women; 46-68 years at baseline). In addition, we examined if genetic risk scores composed of 80 lipid-associated genetic variants modify these associations. A diet quality index based on intakes of saturated fat, polyunsaturated fat, sucrose, fiber, fruit and vegetables, and fish was constructed. A high diet quality was associated with lower risk of developing high triglycerides (p = 0.02) and high LDL-C (p = 0.03) during follow-up compared with a low diet quality. We found an association between diet quality and long-term change in HDL-C only among those with lower genetic risk for low HDL-C as opposed to those with higher genetic risk (p-interaction = 0.04). Among those with lower genetic risk for low HDL-C, low diet quality was associated with decreased HDL-C during follow-up (p = 0.05). In conclusion, individuals with high adherence to the Swedish nutrition recommendation had lower risk of developing high triglycerides and LDL-C during 16 years of follow-up.

Threshold models for genome-enabled prediction of ordinal categorical traits in plant breeding.

PubMed

Montesinos-López, Osval A; Montesinos-López, Abelardo; Pérez-Rodríguez, Paulino; de Los Campos, Gustavo; Eskridge, Kent; Crossa, José

2014-12-23

Categorical scores for disease susceptibility or resistance often are recorded in plant breeding. The aim of this study was to introduce genomic models for analyzing ordinal characters and to assess the predictive ability of genomic predictions for ordered categorical phenotypes using a threshold model counterpart of the Genomic Best Linear Unbiased Predictor (i.e., TGBLUP). The threshold model was used to relate a hypothetical underlying scale to the outward categorical response. We present an empirical application where a total of nine models, five without interaction and four with genomic × environment interaction (G×E) and genomic additive × additive × environment interaction (G×G×E), were used. We assessed the proposed models using data consisting of 278 maize lines genotyped with 46,347 single-nucleotide polymorphisms and evaluated for disease resistance [with ordinal scores from 1 (no disease) to 5 (complete infection)] in three environments (Colombia, Zimbabwe, and Mexico). Models with G×E captured a sizeable proportion of the total variability, which indicates the importance of introducing interaction to improve prediction accuracy. Relative to models based on main effects only, the models that included G×E achieved 9-14% gains in prediction accuracy; adding additive × additive interactions did not increase prediction accuracy consistently across locations. Copyright © 2015 Montesinos-López et al.

Noise in Neural Networks: Thresholds, Hysteresis, and Neuromodulation of Signal-To-Noise

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Keeler, James D.; Pichler, Elgar E.; Ross, John

1989-03-01

We study a neural-network model including Gaussian noise, higher-order neuronal interactions, and neuromodulation. For a first-order network, there is a threshold in the noise level (phase transition) above which the network displays only disorganized behavior and critical slowing down near the noise threshold. The network can tolerate more noise if it has higher-order feedback interactions, which also lead to hysteresis and multistability in the network dynamics. The signal-to-noise ratio can be adjusted in a biological neural network by neuromodulators such as norepinephrine. Comparisons are made to experimental results and further investigations are suggested to test the effects of hysteresis and neuromodulation in pattern recognition and learning. We propose that norepinephrine may ``quench'' the neural patterns of activity to enhance the ability to learn details.

Threshold law for positron-atom impact ionisation

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Temkin, A.

1982-01-01

The threshold law for ionisation of atoms by positron impact is adduced in analogy with our approach to the electron-atom ionization. It is concluded the Coulomb-dipole region of the potential gives the essential part of the interaction in both cases and leads to the same kind of result: a modulated linear law. An additional process which enters positron ionization is positronium formation in the continuum, but that will not dominate the threshold yield. The result is in sharp contrast to the positron threshold law as recently derived by Klar on the basis of a Wannier-type analysis.

LASER PLASMA: Experimental confirmation of the erosion origin of pulsed low-threshold surface optical breakdown of air

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Min'ko, L. Ya; Chumakou, A. N.; Chivel', Yu A.

1988-08-01

Nanosecond kinetic spectroscopy techniques were used to identify the erosion origin of pulsed low-threshold surface optical breakdown of air as a result of interaction of microsecond neodymium and CO2 laser pulses with some metals (indium, lead).

Aspects of studies on the functional impairment electrohypersensitivity

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Johansson, Olle

2010-04-01

Persons, claiming to suffer from exposure to electromagnetic fields, have been described in the literature. In Sweden, electrohypersensitivity (EHS) is an officially fully recognized functional impairment (i.e., it is not regarded as a disease). Survey studies show that somewhere between 230,000 - 290,000 Swedish men and women - out of a population of 9,000,000 - report a variety of symptoms when being in contact with electromagnetic field (EMF) sources. Swedish electrohypersensitive people have their own handicap organization, The Swedish Association for the Electrohypersensitive, which has its own website in both Swedish and English. This organization is included in the Swedish Disability Federation (Handikappförbundens SamarbetsOrgan; HSO). One aim of our studies has been to investigate possible alterations, in the cellular and neuronal systems of these persons' skin. In summary, it is evident from our preliminary data that various alterations are present in the electrohypersensitive persons' skin that are not indicated in the skin of normal healthy volunteers.

Swedish Delegation Visits NASA Goddard

NASA Image and Video Library

2017-12-08

Swedish Delegation Visits GSFC – May 3, 2017 – Goddard Center Director Chris Scolese greets His Majesty Carl XVI Gustaf, King of Sweden outside the entrance to Building 28 at GSFC. The king’s visit came as part his participation in a large delegation that also included the Swedish Ambassador to the United States, both the chairman and president of the Royal Swedish Academy of Engineering Sciences, as well as distinguished members of Sweden’s industrial, academia and professional organizations. For the arrival, approximately 60 children from the Goddard Child Development Center were on hand to greet the Swedish delegation. Credit: NASA/Goddard/Debbie Mccallum Read more: go.nasa.gov/2p1rP0h NASA image use policy. NASA Goddard Space Flight Center enables NASA’s mission through four scientific endeavors: Earth Science, Heliophysics, Solar System Exploration, and Astrophysics. Goddard plays a leading role in NASA’s accomplishments by contributing compelling scientific knowledge to advance the Agency’s mission. Follow us on Twitter Like us on Facebook Find us on Instagram

Swedish Delegation Visits NASA Goddard

NASA Image and Video Library

2017-12-08

Swedish Delegation Visits GSFC – May 3, 2017 – Goddard Center Director Chris Scolese greets His Majesty Carl XVI Gustaf, King of Sweden outside the entrance to Building 28 at GSFC. The king’s visit came as part his participation in a large delegation that also included the Swedish Ambassador to the United States, both the chairman and president of the Royal Swedish Academy of Engineering Sciences, as well as distinguished members of Sweden’s industrial, academia and professional organizations. For the arrival, approximately 60 children from the Goddard Child Development Center were on hand to greet the Swedish delegation. Photo Credit: NASA/Goddard/Rebecca Roth Read more: go.nasa.gov/2p1rP0h NASA image use policy. NASA Goddard Space Flight Center enables NASA’s mission through four scientific endeavors: Earth Science, Heliophysics, Solar System Exploration, and Astrophysics. Goddard plays a leading role in NASA’s accomplishments by contributing compelling scientific knowledge to advance the Agency’s mission. Follow us on Twitter Like us on Facebook Find us on Instagram

Explaining the Third Reich: Swedish Students' Causal Reasoning about the Nazi Seizure of Power in Germany

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Wendell, Joakim

2018-01-01

The topic of this study is how Swedish students aged 15-16 use causal reasoning in history when given a high-stakes task about explaining a historically significant event, the rise of the Nazi regime in Germany. The study is based on student texts from the Swedish national test in history. The student texts are mainly analysed with regards to how…

L'experience suedoise en matiere d'enseignement des languages-cultures d'origine (The Swedish Experience in the Field of Language and Culture Education for Migrants.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Cabau-Lampa, Beatrice

2000-01-01

Examines the constituent features of the Swedish educational mileau, and the different issues surrounding the implementation of education in language and culture for migrants. Expounds the new perspectives according to which this education was conceived in the Swedish context of the 1990s, that is the reorganization of the teaching and learning…

From Cultivation to Education: A Study of the Development of the Swedish Universities from a Traditional Cultural Institution to a Rational Educational Institution. R&D for Higher Education, 1980:9.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Svensson, Lennart

The history of the Swedish universities and their roots in various traditions are traced. Attention is directed to the historico-sociological theory concerning the development and transformation of the Swedish universities from a traditional cultural institution to a rational educational institution. Six themes are covered: a general historical…

Perceptual precision of passive body tilt is consistent with statistically optimal cue integration

PubMed Central

Karmali, Faisal; Nicoucar, Keyvan; Merfeld, Daniel M.

2017-01-01

When making perceptual decisions, humans have been shown to optimally integrate independent noisy multisensory information, matching maximum-likelihood (ML) limits. Such ML estimators provide a theoretic limit to perceptual precision (i.e., minimal thresholds). However, how the brain combines two interacting (i.e., not independent) sensory cues remains an open question. To study the precision achieved when combining interacting sensory signals, we measured perceptual roll tilt and roll rotation thresholds between 0 and 5 Hz in six normal human subjects. Primary results show that roll tilt thresholds between 0.2 and 0.5 Hz were significantly lower than predicted by a ML estimator that includes only vestibular contributions that do not interact. In this paper, we show how other cues (e.g., somatosensation) and an internal representation of sensory and body dynamics might independently contribute to the observed performance enhancement. In short, a Kalman filter was combined with an ML estimator to match human performance, whereas the potential contribution of nonvestibular cues was assessed using published bilateral loss patient data. Our results show that a Kalman filter model including previously proven canal-otolith interactions alone (without nonvestibular cues) can explain the observed performance enhancements as can a model that includes nonvestibular contributions. NEW & NOTEWORTHY We found that human whole body self-motion direction-recognition thresholds measured during dynamic roll tilts were significantly lower than those predicted by a conventional maximum-likelihood weighting of the roll angular velocity and quasistatic roll tilt cues. Here, we show that two models can each match this “apparent” better-than-optimal performance: 1) inclusion of a somatosensory contribution and 2) inclusion of a dynamic sensory interaction between canal and otolith cues via a Kalman filter model. PMID:28179477

Association of blood pressure in late adolescence with subsequent mortality: cohort study of Swedish male conscripts

PubMed Central

Neovius, Martin; Tynelius, Per; Rasmussen, Finn

2011-01-01

Objective To investigate the nature and magnitude of relations of systolic and diastolic blood pressures in late adolescence to mortality. Design Nationwide cohort study. Setting General community in Sweden. Participants Swedish men (n=1 207 141) who had military conscription examinations between 1969 and 1995 at a mean age of 18.4 years, followed up for a median of 24 (range 0-37) years. Main outcome measures Total mortality, cardiovascular mortality, and non-cardiovascular mortality. Results During follow-up, 28 934 (2.4%) men died. The relation of systolic blood pressure to total mortality was U shaped, with the lowest risk at a systolic blood pressure of about 130 mm Hg. This pattern was driven by the relation to non-cardiovascular mortality, whereas the relation to cardiovascular mortality was monotonically increasing (higher risk with higher blood pressure). The relation of diastolic blood pressure to mortality risk was monotonically increasing and stronger than that of systolic blood pressure, in terms of both relative risk and population attributable fraction (deaths that could be avoided if blood pressure was in the optimal range). Relations to cardiovascular and non-cardiovascular mortality were similar, with an apparent risk threshold at a diastolic blood pressure of about 90 mm Hg, below which diastolic blood pressure and mortality were unrelated, and above which risk increased steeply with higher diastolic blood pressures. Conclusions In adolescent men, the relation of diastolic blood pressure to mortality was more consistent than that of systolic blood pressure. Considering current efforts for earlier detection and prevention of risk, these observations emphasise the risk associated with high diastolic blood pressure in young adulthood. PMID:21343202

Evaluation of temperature sum models and timing of Quassia amara (Simaroubaceae) wood-chip extract to control apple sawfly (Hoplocampa testudinea Klug) in Sweden.

PubMed

Sjöberg, P; Swiergiel, W; Neupane, D; Lennartsson, E; Thierfelder, T; Tasin, M; Rämert, B

Apple sawfly ( Hoplocampa testudinea Klug) is a serious pest in European organic apple production. They hatch during a short period only, making correct timing of control measures crucial. Swedish organic growers have requested a strategy for optimal timing of the Quassia amara (Simaroubaceae) extract against the apple sawfly. The aim of this study was, therefore, to develop methods to predict the timing of Q. amara control in Sweden. A temperature sum model for timely placement of monitoring or mass-trapping sticky traps was validated for Swedish conditions. The average emergence of sawflies occurred at 169 degree days (SD = 20) counted from March 15 (threshold temperature 4 °C). The difference in emergence from existing first flight model of average and maximum 9 and 39 degree days (1 and 9 calendar days) was found acceptable. Accumulated oviposition of 85 % at full bloom (BBCH 65) suggests that mass trapping and monitoring could stop at this time. This is supported by a tendency of decreased trap catches during that period. Three application times for Q. amara were compared: (A) at petal fall (BBCH 67), (B) at a date calculated using female trap catch numbers and temperature sums, and (C) prior to peak egg hatch observed in the field. All treatments resulted in significantly lower percentage of damaged apples compared to the unsprayed control, with significantly less damage (1.3 %) in plots treated according to method (B). The results provide information on adult phenology and methods that could be used to determine timing of mass trapping and insecticide application against the apple sawfly.

Animal source food intake and association with blood cholesterol, glycerophospholipids and sphingolipids in a northern Swedish population.

PubMed

Igl, Wilmar; Kamal-Eldin, Afaf; Johansson, Asa; Liebisch, Gerhard; Gnewuch, Carsten; Schmitz, Gerd; Gyllensten, Ulf

2013-01-01

The high intake of game meat in populations with a subsistence-based diet may affect their blood lipids and health status. To examine the association between diet and circulating levels of blood lipid levels in a northern Swedish population. We compared a group with traditional lifestyle (TLS) based on reindeer herding (TLS group) with those from the same area with a non-traditional lifestyle (NTLS) typical of more industrialized regions of Sweden (NTLS group). The analysis was based on self-reported intake of animal source food (i.e. non-game meat, game meat, fish, dairy products and eggs) and the serum blood level of a number of lipids [total cholesterol (TC), low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL), high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL), triglycerides (TG), glycerophospholipids and sphingolipids]. The TLS group had higher cholesterol, LDL and HDL levels than the reference group. Of the TLS group, 65% had cholesterol levels above the threshold for increased risk of coronary heart disease (≥ 240 mg/dl), as compared to 38% of the NTLS group. Self-reported consumption of game meat was positively associated with TC and LDL. The high game meat consumption of the TLS group is associated with increased cholesterol levels. High intake of animal protein and fat and low fibre is known to increase the risk of cardiovascular disease, but other studies of the TLS in northern Sweden have shown comparable incidences of cardiovascular disease to the reference (NTLS) group from the same geographical area. This indicates that factors other than TC influence disease risk. One such possible factor is dietary phospholipids, which are also found in high amounts specifically in game meat and have been shown to inhibit cholesterol absorption.

Individual- and Family-Level Determinants of Risky Sexual Behavior Among Swedish- and Foreign-Born Young Adults 18-30 Years of Age, Residing in Skåne, Sweden.

PubMed

Asamoah, Benedict Oppong; Agardh, Anette

2018-02-01

In Sweden, various public health interventions have been performed to reduce risky sexual behaviors among young people and promote safer and positive approaches to sexuality, while attempting to bridge the gap between the less privileged or more vulnerable young people and their more privileged peers. This study aimed to compare the individual- and familial-level determinants of risky sexual behavior among foreign-born and Swedish-born young adults 18-30 years of age residing in Skåne, the south of Sweden. This was a cross-sectional study that used a questionnaire to collect data from 2968 randomly selected respondents between 18 and 30 years between January and March 2013. The associations were analyzed using chi-square tests, and simple and multiple logistic regression analyses. Younger age, i.e., individual-level factor, and living with only one parent or another person while growing up, i.e., familial-level factor, increased the risk of engaging in sexual risk taking for both Swedish- and foreign-born youth. Male gender was related to a higher risk of engaging in sexual risk-taking behaviors among foreign-born youth but was not as important as influence on sexual risk taking among Swedish-born youth. Parental education level, on the other hand, was significantly associated with sexual intercourse on the "first night" and early sexual debut solely among Swedish-born youth. Condom use was not associated with any family-level factor among both Swedish-born and foreign-born youth. The design of sexual reproductive health and rights messages and interventions to target risky sexual behavior among Swedish youth should take into consideration immigration status (for example, being Swedish-born or foreign-born), individual- and family-level characteristics, as well as the type of behavioral change or outcome desired.

Identification of a new variant of Chlamydia trachomatis in Mexico.

PubMed

Escobedo-Guerra, Marcos R; Katoku-Herrera, Mitzuko; Lopez-Hurtado, Marcela; Villagrana-Zesati, Jesus Roberto; de Haro-Cruz, María de J; Guerra-Infante, Fernando M

2018-04-07

Chlamydia trachomatis is one of the main etiological agents of sexually transmitted infections worldwide. In 2006, a Swedish variant of C. trachomatis (Swedish-nvCT), which has a deletion of 377bp in the plasmid, was reported. In Latin America, Swedish-nvCT infections have not been reported. We investigated the presence of Swedish-nvCT in women with infertility in Mexico. Swedish-nvCT was searched in 69C. trachomatis positive samples from 2339 endocervical specimens. We designed PCR primers to identify the deletion in the plasmid in the ORF1, and the presence of a repeated 44bp in the ORF3. The sample with the deletion was genotyped with the genes of the major outer membrane protein A (ompA) and the polymorphic membrane protein (pmpH). The deletion was detected in one of the 69 samples positive C. trachomatis of 2339 endocervical exudates. The nucleotide sequence analysis of the ompA shows a high degree of similarity with the Swedish nvCT (98%), however the variant found belongs to serovar D. The nucleotide sequence of the pmpH gene associates to the variant found in the genitourinary pathotype of the Swedish-nvCT but in different clusters. Our results revealed the presence of a new variant of C. trachomatis in Mexican patients. This variant found in Mexico belongs to serovar D based on the in silico analysis of the ompA and pmpH genes and differs to the Swedish-nvCT (serovars E). For these variants of C. trachomatis that have been found it is necessary to carry out a more detailed analysis, although the role of this mutation has not been demonstrated in the pathogenesis. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier España, S.L.U. and Sociedad Española de Enfermedades Infecciosas y Microbiología Clínica. All rights reserved.

Final state interactions at the threshold of Higgs boson pair production

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhang, Zhentao

2015-11-01

We study the effect of final state interactions at the threshold of Higgs boson pair production in the Glashow-Weinberg-Salam model. We consider three major processes of the pair production in the model: lepton pair annihilation, ZZ fusion, and WW fusion. We find that the corrections caused by the effect for these processes are markedly different. According to our results, the effect can cause non-negligible corrections to the cross sections for lepton pair annihilation and small corrections for ZZ fusion, and this effect is negligible for WW fusion.

Threshold resummation S factor in QCD: The case of unequal masses

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Solovtsova, O. P., E-mail: olsol@theor.jinr.r; Chernichenko, Yu. D., E-mail: chern@gstu.gomel.b

A new relativistic Coulomb-like threshold resummation S factor in quantum chromodynamics is obtained. The analysis in question is performed within the quantum-field-theory quasipotential approach formulated in the relativistic configuration representation for the case of interaction between two relativistic particles that have unequal masses.

"I Think I Would Have Learnt More if They Had Tried to Teach Us More"--Performativity, Learning and Identities in a Swedish Transport Programme

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Korp, Helena

2012-01-01

This study is based on an ethnography that was carried out in the Transport Programme (TP) in a Swedish upper secondary school (in this paper referred to as Rockmeadows High). The research is part of a larger project focusing on discourses on Intelligence in Swedish upper secondary school, and how these are produced and used in different…

[Internship-test reveals increased knowledge gaps].

PubMed

Östgren, Carl-Johan; Krook-Brandt, Margareta; Carlborg, Andreas

2016-04-08

We present the results of the medical knowledge test after fulfilled internship for Swedish medical authorization during the years 2009 to the spring of 2015. A total of 7,613 tests were analyzed. Interns graduated from Swedish universities failed in 2.7% to 3.8% of the test moments. Interns who graduated from countries within the European Union (EU) failed in 21.2% and interns graduated from a non-EU country failed in 41.6%. The results from those who graduated from EU and non-EU countries have worsened compared to an earlier study in 2009. Proper measures have now to be implemented for doctors graduated from a non-Swedish university to improve the outcome and introduction to the Swedish health care system.

[The health differences between Swedish and Finnish speakers in Finland Swedish-speaking people in Finland (circa 5 %) are somewhat healthier].

PubMed

Suominen, Sakari

2014-01-01

The health differences between Swedish and Finnish speakers in Finland Swedish-speaking people in Finland (circa 5 %) are somewhat healthier than Finnish-speaking people. This systematic review presents research results on this topic, mostly published in international journals. The differences apply more to men, and although not great, they can be observed on many levels, such as mortality, disability pensions and perceived health. The differences cannot be attributed to mere socioeconomic factors. Concomitant long-term social, cultural and biomedical mechanisms have probably been involved in the formation of the health differences. The significance of the findings would be higher if they could be applied in health promotion in a more general manner.

Manipulating molecule-substrate exchange interactions via graphene

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bhandary, Sumanta; Eriksson, Olle; Sanyal, Biplab

2013-03-01

Organometallic molecules with a 3d metal center carrying a spin offers many interesting properties, e.g., existence of multiple spin states. A recent interest has been in understanding the magnetic exchange interaction between these organometallic molecules and magnetic substrates both from experiments and theory. In this work, we will show by calculations based on density functional theory how the exchange interaction is mediated via graphene in a geometry containing iron porphyrin(FeP)/graphene/Ni(111). The exchange interaction varies from a ferromagnetic to an antiferromagnetic one depending on the lattice site and type of defect in the graphene lattice along with the switching of spin state of Fe in FeP between S=1 and S=2, which should be detectable by x-ray magnetic circular dichroism experiments. This scenario of complex magnetic couplings with large magnetic moments may offer a unique spintronic logic device. We acknowledge financial support from the Swedish Research Council, KAW foundation and the ERC(project 247062 - ASD).

Modeling the Interactions Between Multiple Crack Closure Mechanisms at Threshold

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Newman, John A.; Riddell, William T.; Piascik, Robert S.

2003-01-01

A fatigue crack closure model is developed that includes interactions between the three closure mechanisms most likely to occur at threshold; plasticity, roughness, and oxide. This model, herein referred to as the CROP model (for Closure, Roughness, Oxide, and Plasticity), also includes the effects of out-of plane cracking and multi-axial loading. These features make the CROP closure model uniquely suited for, but not limited to, threshold applications. Rough cracks are idealized here as two-dimensional sawtooths, whose geometry induces mixed-mode crack- tip stresses. Continuum mechanics and crack-tip dislocation concepts are combined to relate crack face displacements to crack-tip loads. Geometric criteria are used to determine closure loads from crack-face displacements. Finite element results, used to verify model predictions, provide critical information about the locations where crack closure occurs.

Differential reconstructed gene interaction networks for deriving toxicity threshold in chemical risk assessment.

PubMed

Yang, Yi; Maxwell, Andrew; Zhang, Xiaowei; Wang, Nan; Perkins, Edward J; Zhang, Chaoyang; Gong, Ping

2013-01-01

Pathway alterations reflected as changes in gene expression regulation and gene interaction can result from cellular exposure to toxicants. Such information is often used to elucidate toxicological modes of action. From a risk assessment perspective, alterations in biological pathways are a rich resource for setting toxicant thresholds, which may be more sensitive and mechanism-informed than traditional toxicity endpoints. Here we developed a novel differential networks (DNs) approach to connect pathway perturbation with toxicity threshold setting. Our DNs approach consists of 6 steps: time-series gene expression data collection, identification of altered genes, gene interaction network reconstruction, differential edge inference, mapping of genes with differential edges to pathways, and establishment of causal relationships between chemical concentration and perturbed pathways. A one-sample Gaussian process model and a linear regression model were used to identify genes that exhibited significant profile changes across an entire time course and between treatments, respectively. Interaction networks of differentially expressed (DE) genes were reconstructed for different treatments using a state space model and then compared to infer differential edges/interactions. DE genes possessing differential edges were mapped to biological pathways in databases such as KEGG pathways. Using the DNs approach, we analyzed a time-series Escherichia coli live cell gene expression dataset consisting of 4 treatments (control, 10, 100, 1000 mg/L naphthenic acids, NAs) and 18 time points. Through comparison of reconstructed networks and construction of differential networks, 80 genes were identified as DE genes with a significant number of differential edges, and 22 KEGG pathways were altered in a concentration-dependent manner. Some of these pathways were perturbed to a degree as high as 70% even at the lowest exposure concentration, implying a high sensitivity of our DNs approach. Findings from this proof-of-concept study suggest that our approach has a great potential in providing a novel and sensitive tool for threshold setting in chemical risk assessment. In future work, we plan to analyze more time-series datasets with a full spectrum of concentrations and sufficient replications per treatment. The pathway alteration-derived thresholds will also be compared with those derived from apical endpoints such as cell growth rate.

GOTHiC, a probabilistic model to resolve complex biases and to identify real interactions in Hi-C data.

PubMed

Mifsud, Borbala; Martincorena, Inigo; Darbo, Elodie; Sugar, Robert; Schoenfelder, Stefan; Fraser, Peter; Luscombe, Nicholas M

2017-01-01

Hi-C is one of the main methods for investigating spatial co-localisation of DNA in the nucleus. However, the raw sequencing data obtained from Hi-C experiments suffer from large biases and spurious contacts, making it difficult to identify true interactions. Existing methods use complex models to account for biases and do not provide a significance threshold for detecting interactions. Here we introduce a simple binomial probabilistic model that resolves complex biases and distinguishes between true and false interactions. The model corrects biases of known and unknown origin and yields a p-value for each interaction, providing a reliable threshold based on significance. We demonstrate this experimentally by testing the method against a random ligation dataset. Our method outperforms previous methods and provides a statistical framework for further data analysis, such as comparisons of Hi-C interactions between different conditions. GOTHiC is available as a BioConductor package (http://www.bioconductor.org/packages/release/bioc/html/GOTHiC.html).

Dilemmas in providing resilience-enhancing social services to long-term social assistance clients. A qualitative study of Swedish social workers.

PubMed

Marttila, Anneli; Johansson, Eva; Whitehead, Margaret; Burström, Bo

2012-07-12

Long-term recipients of social assistance face barriers to social and economic inclusion, and have poorer health and more limited opportunities for improving their health than many other groups in the population. During recent decades there have been changes in Swedish social policy, with cutbacks in public benefits and a re-emphasis on means-tested policies. In this context, it is important to investigate the necessary conditions for social workers to offer social assistance and services, as well as the mediating role of social workers between public policies and their clients. Swedish social services aim to promote social inclusion by strengthening the individual's own resources. We investigated the issues that arise when providing social services to long-term social assistance clients within the framework of resilience, which focuses on the processes leading to positive functioning in adverse conditions. Interviews were conducted with 23 social workers in Stockholm and analysed by qualitative content analysis. The main theme to emerge from the interviews concerned the constraints that the social workers faced in providing social services to social assistance clients. The first subtheme focused on dilemmas in the interaction between social workers and clients resulting from the dual role of exercising authority and supporting and building trust with clients. Working conditions of social workers also played a crucial role. The second subtheme addressed the impact of the societal context, such as labour market opportunities and coordination between authorities. Overall, we found that social workers to a great extent tried to find individual solutions to structural problems. To provide resilience-enhancing social services to long-term social assistance clients with varying obstacles and needs requires a constructive working environment, supportive societal structures and inter-sectoral cooperation between different authorities.

Cigarette- and snus-modified association between unprotected exposure to noise from hunting rifle caliber weapons and high frequency hearing loss. A cross-sectional study among swedish hunters.

PubMed

Honeth, Louise; Ström, Peter; Ploner, Alexander; Bagger-Sjöbäck, Dan; Rosenhall, Ulf; Nyrén, Olof

2016-01-01

To investigate in this cross-sectional study among Swedish hunters if tobacco use modifies the previously observed association, expressed as prevalence ratio (PR), between unprotected exposure to impulse noise from hunting rifle caliber (HRC) weapons and high-frequency hearing impairment (HFHI). A nationwide cross-sectional epidemiologic study was conducted among Swedish sport hunters in 2012. The study was Internet-based and consisted of a questionnaire and an Internet-based audiometry test. In all, 202 hunters completed a questionnaire regarding the hearing test. Associations were modeled using Poisson regression. Current, daily use of tobacco was reported by 61 hunters (19 used cigarettes, 47 moist snuff, and 5 both). Tobacco users tended to be younger, fire more shots with HRC weapons, and report more hunting days. Their adjusted PR (1-6 unprotected HRC shots versus 0) was 3.2 (1.4-6.7), P < 0.01. Among the nonusers of tobacco, the corresponding PR was 1.3 (0.9-1.8), P = 0.18. P value for the interaction was 0.01. The importance of ear protection could not be quantified among hunters with HRC weapons because our data suggested that the HFHI outcome had led to changes in the use of such protection. Among hunters using weapons with less sound energy, however, no or sporadic use of hearing protection was linked to a 60% higher prevalence of HFHI, relative to habitual use. Tobacco use modifies the association between exposure to unprotected impulse noise from HRC weapons and the probability of having HFHI among susceptible hunters. The mechanisms remain to be clarified, but because the effect modification was apparent also among the users of smokeless tobacco, combustion products may not be critical for this effect.

NEGOTIATING HEALTH: patients' and guardians' perspective on "failed" patient-professional interactions in the context of the Swedish health care system.

PubMed

Koch, Roland; Joos, Stefanie; Ryding, Elsa-Lena

2018-05-11

Sweden has a largely tax-funded health care system that aims at providing equal access for everyone. However, the individual's perception and experience of the health care system remains a relevant topic for researchers. The aim of this study is to learn the patient's perspective on how patients and professionals negotiate in the social context of the Swedish health care system. Eight essays that had spontaneously been contributed to a medical writing contest were analyzed using narrative methods. Narratives were defined as a sequence of clauses that correspond to an order of events in the narrator's biography. The analysis comprised a three-step process. First, the essays were read and narratives were extracted. Second, an agency analysis was performed. Third, an analysis of social positioning was employed. The Swedish health care system provides the social context and background for negotiations between patients and professionals. The narrators position the protagonists of the illness narratives as either patients or guardians of underage patients. The protagonists meet health care representatives in negotiation situations. Due to the lack of emotional connection between the negotiating parties, impossible situations arise. False promises are made which ultimately result in the patients' suffering. Thus, all negotiations failed from the narrators' perspective. The narrators invited their audience to solve negotiation situations differently. This study discusses some actions that may help navigate negotiation situations: Health care providers should acknowledge the patient's or guardian's social position and dilemma, allow emotions, involve all parties in the decision-making process and manage expectations. Writing competitions may provide a tool for experience-based assessment of health care systems.

Long-Term Incidence of Female-Specific Cancer after Bariatric Surgery or Usual Care in the Swedish Obese Subjects Study

PubMed Central

Anveden, Åsa; Taube, Magdalena; Peltonen, Markku; Jacobson, Peter; Andersson-Assarsson, Johanna C.; Sjöholm, Kajsa; Svensson, Per-Arne; Carlsson, Lena M.S.

2017-01-01

Summary Objective To examine the long-term effects of bariatric surgery on female-specific cancer in women with obesity. Methods The prospective, matched Swedish Obese Subjects (SOS) study was designed to examine outcomes after bariatric surgery. This study includes 1420 women from the SOS cohort that underwent bariatric surgery and 1447 contemporaneously matched controls who received conventional obesity treatment. Age was 37–60 years and BMI was ≥38 kg/m2. Information on cancer events was obtained from the Swedish National Cancer Registry. Median follow-up time was 18.1 years (interquartile range 14.8–20.9 years, maximum 26 years). This study is registered with ClinicalTrials.gov, NCT01479452. Results Bariatric surgery was associated with reduced risk of overall cancer (hazard ratio=0.71; 95% CI 0.59–0.85; p<0.001). About half of the observed cancers were female-specific, and the incidence of these were lower in the surgery group compared with the control group (hazard ratio=0.68; 95% CI 0.52–0·88; p=0.004). The surgical treatment benefit with respect to female-specific cancer was significantly associated with baseline serum insulin (interaction p value=0.022), with greater relative treatment benefit in patients with medium or high insulin levels. Separate analyses of different types of female-specific cancers showed that bariatric surgery was associated with reduced risk of endometrial cancer (hazard ratio=0.56: 95% CI 0.35–0.89; p=0.014). Conclusions In this long-term study, bariatric surgery was associated with reduced risk of female-specific cancer, especially in women with hyperinsulinemia at baseline. PMID:28259424

Adolescent Perceptions of Parenting Styles in Sweden, Italy and Greece: An Exploratory Study

PubMed Central

Olivari, Maria Giulia; Hertfelt Wahn, Elisabeth; Maridaki-Kassotaki, Katerina; Antonopoulou, Katerina; Confalonieri, Emanuela

2015-01-01

Comparative research on parenting styles among Nordic and Mediterranean countries is still missing, despite the increasing number of studies on parenting styles in adolescence. This study explores similarities and differences in adolescents’ retrospective perceptions of parenting styles, for both parents, in Sweden, Italy and Greece, using the Parenting Styles and Dimensions Questionnaire. In particular, it examines the relation between parental role, adolescent gender, country of origin, SES and these perceptions. Swedish, Italian and Greek adolescents (N = 702; 30.9% Swedish, 39.6% Italian and 29.5% Greek) participated in the study. To test the principal effects three mixed 2(parent; mother and father)*2(gender; girl and boy)*3(countries; Sweden, Italy and Greece)*3(SES; low, medium and high) ANOVAs were conducted separately for each parenting style. To verify the interaction effects, a mixed 2(parent; mother and father)*3(countries; Sweden, Italy and Greece)*3(SES; low, medium and high) ANOVA was tested on authoritative style. Regarding authoritarian and permissive two mixed 2(parent; mother and father)*2(gender; girl and boy)*3(countries; Sweden, Italy and Greece) ANOVAs were tested. Mothers, as compared to fathers, were perceived as more authoritative, authoritarian and permissive. Moreover, boys perceived their parents as more authoritarian and more permissive than girls. Swedish parents were perceived as significantly less authoritarian than Italian and Greek parents and more permissive than Italian parents; Greek parents were perceived as less authoritarian and more permissive than Italian parents. The study provides an interesting contribution to parenting styles literature, showing how country legislation concerning family matters and SES are related the perception of parenting behaviours. PMID:27247655

Swedish dairy farmers' perceptions of animal-related injuries.

PubMed

Lindahl, Cecilia; Lundqvist, Peter; Norberg, Annika Lindahl

2012-01-01

Animal-related injuries are among the most common occupational injuries in agriculture. Despite the large number of documented animal-related injuries in dairy farming, the issue has received relatively limited attention in the scientific literature. The farmers' own perspectives and views on risks and safety during livestock handling and what they think are effective ways of preventing injuries are valuable for the future design of effective interventions. This paper presents results from a qualitative study with the aim to investigate Swedish dairy farmers' own experience of animal-related occupational injuries, as well as their perceptions of and attitudes towards them, including risk and safety issues, and prevention measures. A total of 12 dairy farmers with loose housing systems participated in the study. Data collection was conducted by means of semistructured in-depth interviews. Three main themes with an impact on risks and safety when handling cattle were identified: the handler, the cattle, and the facilities. They all interact with each other, influencing the potential risks of any work task. Most of the farmers believed that a majority of the injuries can be prevented, but there are always some incidents that are impossible to foresee. In conclusion, this study indicates that Swedish dairy farmers are aware of the dangers from working with cattle. However, even though safety is acknowledged by the farmers as an important and relevant issue, in the end safety is often forgotten or not prioritized. One concern is that farmers are willing to take calculated risks to save money or time. In situations where they work alone with high stress levels and under economic distress, safety issues are easily given low priority.

Adolescent Perceptions of Parenting Styles in Sweden, Italy and Greece: An Exploratory Study.

PubMed

Olivari, Maria Giulia; Hertfelt Wahn, Elisabeth; Maridaki-Kassotaki, Katerina; Antonopoulou, Katerina; Confalonieri, Emanuela

2015-05-01

Comparative research on parenting styles among Nordic and Mediterranean countries is still missing, despite the increasing number of studies on parenting styles in adolescence. This study explores similarities and differences in adolescents' retrospective perceptions of parenting styles, for both parents, in Sweden, Italy and Greece, using the Parenting Styles and Dimensions Questionnaire. In particular, it examines the relation between parental role, adolescent gender, country of origin, SES and these perceptions. Swedish, Italian and Greek adolescents (N = 702; 30.9% Swedish, 39.6% Italian and 29.5% Greek) participated in the study. To test the principal effects three mixed 2(parent; mother and father)*2(gender; girl and boy)*3(countries; Sweden, Italy and Greece)*3(SES; low, medium and high) ANOVAs were conducted separately for each parenting style. To verify the interaction effects, a mixed 2(parent; mother and father)*3(countries; Sweden, Italy and Greece)*3(SES; low, medium and high) ANOVA was tested on authoritative style. Regarding authoritarian and permissive two mixed 2(parent; mother and father)*2(gender; girl and boy)*3(countries; Sweden, Italy and Greece) ANOVAs were tested. Mothers, as compared to fathers, were perceived as more authoritative, authoritarian and permissive. Moreover, boys perceived their parents as more authoritarian and more permissive than girls. Swedish parents were perceived as significantly less authoritarian than Italian and Greek parents and more permissive than Italian parents; Greek parents were perceived as less authoritarian and more permissive than Italian parents. The study provides an interesting contribution to parenting styles literature, showing how country legislation concerning family matters and SES are related the perception of parenting behaviours.

Beauty and charm production in fixed target experiments

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Kidonakis, Nikolaos; Vogt, Ramona

We present calculations of NNLO threshold corrections for beauty and charm production in {pi}{sup -} p and pp interactions at fixed-target experiments. Recent calculations for heavy quark hadroproduction have included next-to-next-to-leading-order (NNLO) soft-gluon corrections [1] to the double differential cross section from threshold resummation techniques [2]. These corrections are important for near-threshold beauty and charm production at fixed-target experiments, including HERA-B and some of the current and future heavy ion experiments.

Translating and culturally adapting the shortened version of the Hospital Ethical Climate Survey (HECS-S) - retaining or modifying validated instruments.

PubMed

Pergert, Pernilla; Bartholdson, Cecilia; Wenemark, Marika; Lützén, Kim; Af Sandeberg, Margareta

2018-05-10

The Hospital Ethical Climate Survey (HECS) was developed in the USA and later shortened (HECS-S). HECS has previously been translated into Swedish and the aim of this study was to describe a process of translating and culturally adapting HECS-S and to develop a Swedish multi-professional version, relevant for paediatrics. Another aim was to describe decisions about retaining versus modifying the questionnaire in order to keep the Swedish version as close as possible to the original while achieving a good functional level and trustworthiness. In HECS-S, the respondents are asked to indicate the veracity of statements. In HECS and HECS-S the labels of the scale range from 'almost never true' to 'almost always true'; while the Swedish HECS labels range from 'never' to 'always'. The procedure of translating and culturally adapting the Swedish version followed the scientific structure of guidelines. Three focus group interviews and three cognitive interviews were conducted with healthcare professionals. Furthermore, descriptive data were used from a previous study with healthcare professionals (n = 89), employing a modified Swedish HECS. Decisions on retaining or modifying items were made in a review group. The Swedish HECS-S consists of 21 items including all 14 items from HECS-S and items added to develop a multi-professional version, relevant for paediatrics. The descriptive data showed that few respondents selected 'never' and 'always'. To obtain a more even distribution of responses and keep Swedish HECS-S close to HECS-S, the original labels were retained. Linguistic adjustments were made to retain the intended meaning of the original items. The word 'respect' was used in HECS-S with two different meanings and was replaced in one of these because participants were concerned that respecting patients' wishes implied always complying with them. The process of developing a Swedish HECS-S included decisions on whether to retain or modify. Only minor adjustments were needed to achieve a good functional level and trustworthiness although some items needed to be added. Adjustments made could be used to also improve the English HECS-S. The results shed further light on the need to continuously evaluate even validated instruments and adapt them before use.

Structure and function in patients with glaucomatous defects near fixation.

PubMed

Shafi, Asifa; Swanson, William H; Dul, Mitchell W

2011-01-01

To assess relations between perimetric sensitivity and neuroretinal rim area using high-resolution perimetric mapping in patients with glaucomatous defects within 10° of fixation. One eye was tested in each of 31 patients with open-angle glaucoma enrolled in a prospective study of perimetric defects within 10° of fixation. Norms were derived from 110 control subjects free of eye disease, aged 21 to 81 years. Perimetric sensitivity was measured using the 10-2 test pattern with the Swedish Interactive Threshold Algorithm (SITA) standard algorithm on the Humphrey Field Analyzer (HFA) II-i; Carl Zeiss Meditec), stimulus size III. Area of the temporal neuroretinal rim was measured using the Heidelberg retina tomograph 3. Decibel values were converted into linear units of contrast sensitivity averaged across locations corresponding to the temporal rim sector. Both measures were expressed as percent of mean normal, and the Bland-Altman method was used to assess agreement. Perimetric locations corresponding to the temporal sector were determined for six different optic nerve maps. Contrast sensitivity was moderately correlated with temporal rim area (r2 >30%, p < 0.005). For all six optic nerve maps, Bland-Altman analysis found good agreement between perimetric sensitivity and rim area with both measures expressed as fraction of mean normal and confidence limits for agreement that were consistent with normal between-subject variability in control eyes. By using high-resolution perimetric mapping in patients with scotomas within 10° of fixation, we confirmed findings of linear relations between perimetric sensitivity and area of temporal neuroretinal rim and showed that the confidence limits for agreement in patients with glaucoma were consistent with normal between-subject variability.

Diagnostic capability of scanning laser polarimetry with variable cornea compensator in Indian patients with early primary open-angle glaucoma.

PubMed

Parikh, Rajul S; Parikh, Shefali R; Kumar, Rajesh S; Prabakaran, S; Babu, J Gansesh; Thomas, Ravi

2008-07-01

To evaluate the diagnostic ability of scanning laser polarimetry (GDx variable corneal compensator [VCC]) for early glaucoma in Asian Indian eyes. Cross-sectional observational study. Two groups of patients (early glaucoma and normal) who satisfied the inclusion and exclusion criteria were included. Early glaucoma was diagnosed in presence of open angles, characteristic glaucomatous optic disc changes correlating with the visual field (VF) on automated perimetry (VF defect fulfilling at least 2 of 3 Anderson and Patella's criteria with mean deviation >or= -6 decibels). Normal subjects had visual acuity >or= 20/30 and intraocular pressure < 22 mmHg, with a normal optic disc and fields and no ocular abnormality. All patients underwent complete ophthalmic evaluation, including VF examination (24-2/30-2 Swedish interactive threshold algorithm standard program) and imaging with GDx VCC. Sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value and negative predictive value, area under the receiving operating characteristic curve, and likelihood ratios (LRs) were calculated for various GDx VCC parameters. Seventy-four eyes (74 patients) with early glaucoma and 104 eyes (104 normal subjects) were enrolled. TSNIT Std Dev (temporal-superior-nasal-inferior-temporal standard deviation) had the best combination of sensitivity and specificity-61.3 and 95.2, respectively-followed by nerve fiber index score > 50 (sensitivity, 52.7%; specificity, 99%). Nerve fiber index score > 50 had positive and negative predictive values of 74.3% and 97.6%, respectively, for an assumed glaucoma prevalence of 5%. Nerve fiber index score > 50 had a positive LR (+LR) of 54.8 for early glaucoma. GDx VCC has moderate sensitivity, with high specificity, in the diagnosis of early glaucoma. The high +LR for the nerve fiber index score can provide valuable diagnostic information for individual patients.

Comparison of Pattern Electroretinography and Optical Coherence Tomography Parameters in Patients with Primary Open-Angle Glaucoma and Ocular Hypertension

PubMed Central

Tiryaki Demir, Semra; Oba, Mehmet Ersin; Erdoğan, Ezgi Tuna; Odabaşı, Mahmut; Dirim, Ayşe Burcu; Demir, Mehmet; Can, Efe; Kara, Orhan; Yekta Şendül, Selam

2015-01-01

Objectives: To investigate the correlation of visual field (VF), pattern electroretinography (PERG) and Fourier domain optical coherence tomography (FD-OCT) results in patients with ocular hypertension (OHT) and early primary open-angle glaucoma (POAG). Materials and Methods: The study included 72 eyes of 37 patients with early POAG, 76 eyes of 38 patients with OHT, and 60 eyes of 30 controls. All subjects underwent full ophthalmologic examination, VF assessment with 24-2 Humphrey standard automated perimetry (Swedish Interactive Thresholding Algorithm (SITA)-Standard), retinal nerve fiber layer (RNFL) and ganglion cell complex (GCC) thickness measurement with FD-OCT, and PERG P50 and N95 wave latency and amplitude measurements with electroretinography (Nihon Kohden). Results: With the exception of the nasal quadrant, all GCC parameters and RNFL results were significantly lower in the POAG group compared to the OHT and control groups. There was no statistically significant difference between the OHT and control group. PERG amplitudes were lower in the POAG and OHT groups than in the control group. Reduction in N95 amplitude was greater than that of P50 amplitude. No difference was detected in PERG latencies among groups. GCC was significantly correlated with VF and RNFL in the POAG group. Conclusion: Significant thinning of the GCC and RNFL occurs in addition to VF pathologies in patients with early POAG, and these examinations should be concomitantly evaluated. During diagnostic assessment of patients with early POAG, GCC and RNFL analysis by FD-OCT are highly effective. GCC is as reliable as RNLF in the early diagnosis of glaucoma and there is a highly significant correlation between them. Dysfunction of ganglion cells in patients with OHT may be detected earlier using PERG amplitude analysis. PMID:27800239

Olfactory threshold increase in trigeminal neuralgia after balloon compression.

PubMed

Siqueira, S R D T; Nóbrega, J C M; Teixeira, M J; Siqueira, J T T

2006-12-01

Idiopathic trigeminal neuralgia (ITN) is a well-known disease often treated with neurosurgical procedures, which may produce sensorial abnormalities, such as numbness, dysesthesia and taste complaints. We studied 12 patients that underwent this technique, in order to verify pain, gustative and olfactory thresholds abnormalities, with a follow-up of 120 days. We compared the patients with a matched control group of 12 patients. Our results found a significant difference in the olfactory threshold at the immediate post-operative period (p=0.048). We concluded that injured trigeminal fibers are probably associated with the increase in the olfactory threshold after the surgery, supporting the sensorial interaction theory.

Chocolate consumption and risk of myocardial infarction: a prospective study and meta-analysis.

PubMed

Larsson, Susanna C; Åkesson, Agneta; Gigante, Bruna; Wolk, Alicja

2016-07-01

To examine whether chocolate consumption is associated with a reduced risk of ischaemic heart disease, we used data from a prospective study of Swedish adults and we performed a meta-analysis of available prospective data. The Swedish prospective study included 67 640 women and men from the Cohort of Swedish Men and the Swedish Mammography Cohort who had completed a food-frequency questionnaire and were free of cardiovascular disease at baseline. Myocardial infarction (MI) cases were ascertained through linkage with the Swedish National Patient and Cause of Death Registers. PubMed and EMBASE databases were searched from inception until 4 February 2016 to identify prospective studies on chocolate consumption and risk of ischaemic heart disease. The results from eligible studies were combined using a random-effects model. During follow-up (1998-2010), 4417 MI cases were ascertained in the Swedish study. Chocolate consumption was inversely associated with MI risk. Compared with non-consumers, the multivariable relative risk for those who consumed ≥3-4 servings/week of chocolate was 0.87 (95% CI 0.77 to 0.98; p for trend =0.04). Five prospective studies on chocolate consumption and ischaemic heart disease were identified. Together with the Swedish study, the meta-analysis included six studies with a total of 6851 ischaemic heart disease cases. The overall relative risk for the highest versus lowest category of chocolate consumption was 0.90 (95% CI 0.82 to 0.97), with little heterogeneity among studies (I(2)=24.3%). Chocolate consumption is associated with lower risk of MI and ischaemic heart disease. Published by the BMJ Publishing Group Limited. For permission to use (where not already granted under a licence) please go to http://www.bmj.com/company/products-services/rights-and-licensing/

Health-related quality of life of irritable bowel syndrome patients in different cultural settings.

PubMed

Faresjö, Ashild; Anastasiou, Foteini; Lionis, Christos; Johansson, Saga; Wallander, Mari-Ann; Faresjö, Tomas

2006-03-27

Persons with Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) are seriously affected in their everyday life. The effect across different cultural settings of IBS on their quality of life has been little studied. The aim was to compare health-related quality of life (HRQOL) of individuals suffering from IBS in two different cultural settings; Crete, Greece and Linköping, Sweden. This study is a sex and age-matched case-control study, with n = 30 Cretan IBS cases and n = 90 Swedish IBS cases and a Swedish control group (n = 300) randomly selected from the general population. Health-related quality of life, measured by SF-36 and demographics, life style indicators and co-morbidity, was measured. Cretan IBS cases reported lower HRQOL on most dimensions of SF-36 in comparison to the Swedish IBS cases. Significant differences were found for the dimensions mental health (p < 0.0001) and general health (p = 0.05) even after adjustments for educational level and co-morbidity. Women from Crete with IBS scored especially low on the dimensions general health (p = 0.009) and mental health (p < 0.0001) in comparison with Swedish women with IBS. The IBS cases, from both sites, reported significantly lower scores on all HRQOL dimensions in comparison with the Swedish control group. The results from this study tentatively support that the claim that similar individuals having the same disease, e.g. IBS, but living in different cultural environments could perceive their disease differently and that the disease might affect their everyday life and quality of life in a different way. The Cretan population, and especially women, are more seriously affected mentally by their disease than Swedish IBS cases. Coping with IBS in everyday life might be more problematic in the Cretan environment than in the Swedish setting.

Swedish Religious Education at the End of the 1960s: Classroom Observations, Early Video Ethnography and the National Curriculum of 1962

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Flensner, K. Kittelmann; Larsson, G.

2014-01-01

The aim of this article is to present a unique corpus of film-recorded classroom observations of sixth-grade classes (age 12-13) in the Swedish cities of Gothenburg, Partille and Trollhättan in the late 1960s. The material documents how RE could be taught in Swedish schools in line with the curriculum of Lgr 62 which internationally was an early…

Paleohydrological methods and some examples from Swedish fluvial environments. II - River meanders.

USGS Publications Warehouse

Williams, G.P.

1984-01-01

Empirical relations are developed between river-meander features and water-discharge characteristics for 19 reaches along Swedish rivers. In these relations, either average channel width or average radius of curvature of meander arcs can be used to estimate average annual peak discharge and average daily discharge. By accepting certain assumptions, the relations can be applied to other meandering Swedish rivers, present or ancient. The Oster-Dalalven River near Mora is used as an example.-Author

Promoting the Swedish method of physical education throughout France for the benefit of public health (1868-1954).

PubMed

Bazoge, N; Saint-Martin, J; Attali, M

2013-03-01

This article examines the cultural and public health challenges associated with the dissemination of the Swedish approach and methods of physical education throughout France and illustrates the two main methods of influence, both direct through research and study visits and indirect through the creation of an international network entitled the International Federation of Physical Education. More particularly, it studies the roles of Philippe Tissié in 1898 and Pierre Seurin in 1946, and shows how these two major players of French physical education contributed actively to strengthening Swedish influence throughout France. It also highlights their equally essential role in the successful implementation of a pro-Swedish network in France, intended to serve their public health aims. This analysis forms part of the geopolitical and socio-cultural history of foreign physical education models, whose exemplarity was mainly dependent on Franco-Swedish relations and the models' social representations. Using archives from the French Physical Education League, travel logs and the Revue des jeux scolaires et d'hygiène sociale (Journal for School Games and Social Hygiene), it has been shown why the myth of the Swedish Eldorado contributed to creating, in France, "a work of art and of science that was, at the same time, both national and practical." © 2011 John Wiley & Sons A/S.

The Swedish version of the Acceptance of Chronic Health Conditions Scale for people with multiple sclerosis: Translation, cultural adaptation and psychometric properties.

PubMed

Forslin, Mia; Kottorp, Anders; Kierkegaard, Marie; Johansson, Sverker

2016-11-11

To translate and culturally adapt the Acceptance of Chronic Health Conditions (ACHC) Scale for people with multiple sclerosis into Swedish, and to analyse the psychometric properties of the Swedish version. Ten people with multiple sclerosis participated in translation and cultural adaptation of the ACHC Scale; 148 people with multiple sclerosis were included in evaluation of the psychometric properties of the scale. Translation and cultural adaptation were carried out through translation and back-translation, by expert committee evaluation and pre-test with cognitive interviews in people with multiple sclerosis. The psychometric properties of the Swedish version were evaluated using Rasch analysis. The Swedish version of the ACHC Scale was an acceptable equivalent to the original version. Seven of the original 10 items fitted the Rasch model and demonstrated ability to separate between groups. A 5-item version, including 2 items and 3 super-items, demonstrated better psychometric properties, but lower ability to separate between groups. The Swedish version of the ACHC Scale with the original 10 items did not fit the Rasch model. Two solutions, either with 7 items (ACHC-7) or with 2 items and 3 super-items (ACHC-5), demonstrated acceptable psychometric properties. Use of the ACHC-5 Scale with super-items is recommended, since this solution adjusts for local dependency among items.

The development of a vocabulary for PEEPS-SE-profiles of early expressive phonological skills for Swedish.

PubMed

Marklund, Ulrika; Lacerda, Francisco; Persson, Anna; Lohmander, Anette

2018-04-10

This paper describes the development of a vocabulary for Profiles of Early Expressive Phonological Skills for Swedish (PEEPS-SE), a tool for assessment of expressive phonology in Swedish-learning children in the age range of 18-36 months. PEEPS-SE is the Swedish version of the original PEEPS, Profiles of Early Expressive Phonological Skills, which uses two age-adequate word lists-a basic word list (BWL) for the assessment of 18-24-month-old children, to which an expanded word list (EWL) is added for assessment of 24-36-month-old children, or children with more than 250 words in their expressive vocabulary. The selection of words in PEEPS-SE is based on two types of criteria: age of acquisition and phonological complexity. The words also need to be easy to elicit in a natural way in test situations. Vocabulary data previously collected with the Swedish Early Communicative Development Inventory are used for selection of age-adequate words, where the BWL contains words acquired earlier compared to the additional words in the EWL. The latter also contains words that are more phonologically complex compared to those in the BWL. Word complexity was determined by the Swedish version of word complexity measure. PEEPS-SE has made an attempt to match the original version of PEEPS in terms of both assessment method and word selection.

Evaluations of the effects of Sweden's spanking ban on physical child abuse rates: a literature review.

PubMed

Larzelere, R E; Johnson, B

1999-10-01

Sweden's 1979 law banning corporal punishment by parents was welcomed by many as a needed policy to help reduce physical abuse of children. This study reviews the published empirical evidence relevant to that goal. Only seven journal articles with pertinent data were located. One study reported that the rate of physical child abuse was 49% higher in Sweden than in the USA, comparing its 1980 Swedish national survey with the average rates from two national surveys in the United States in 1975 and 1985. In contrast, a 1981 retrospective survey of university students suggested that the Swedish abuse rate had been 79% less than the American rate prior to the Swedish spanking ban. Some unpublished evidence suggests that Swedish rates of physical child abuse have remained high, although child abuse mortality rates have stayed low there. A recent Swedish report suggested that the spanking ban has made little change in problematic forms of physical punishment. The conclusion calls for more timely and rigorous evaluations of similar social experiments in the future.

Institutional profile: the national Swedish academic drug discovery & development platform at SciLifeLab

PubMed Central

Arvidsson, Per I; Sandberg, Kristian; Sakariassen, Kjell S

2017-01-01

The Science for Life Laboratory Drug Discovery and Development Platform (SciLifeLab DDD) was established in Stockholm and Uppsala, Sweden, in 2014. It is one of ten platforms of the Swedish national SciLifeLab which support projects run by Swedish academic researchers with large-scale technologies for molecular biosciences with a focus on health and environment. SciLifeLab was created by the coordinated effort of four universities in Stockholm and Uppsala: Stockholm University, Karolinska Institutet, KTH Royal Institute of Technology and Uppsala University, and has recently expanded to other Swedish university locations. The primary goal of the SciLifeLab DDD is to support selected academic discovery and development research projects with tools and resources to discover novel lead therapeutics, either molecules or human antibodies. Intellectual property developed with the help of SciLifeLab DDD is wholly owned by the academic research group. The bulk of SciLifeLab DDD's research and service activities are funded from the Swedish state, with only consumables paid by the academic research group through individual grants. PMID:28670468

Protective Nursing Advocacy: Translation and Psychometric Evaluation of an Instrument and a Descriptive Study of Swedish Registered Nurse Anesthetists' Beliefs and Actions.

PubMed

Sundqvist, Ann-Sofie; Anderzén-Carlsson, Agneta; Nilsson, Ulrica; Holmefur, Marie

2018-02-01

To translate and adapt the Protective Nursing Advocacy Scale (PNAS) into a Swedish version (PNAS-Swe), evaluate its psychometric properties, and describe registered nurse anesthetists' (RNAs) advocacy beliefs and actions from a protective perspective. A cross-sectional design was used. First, the PNAS was translated into Swedish. Next, the content and construct validity of the PNAS four subscales was evaluated. Finally, the PNAS-Swe was used to describe Swedish RNA beliefs and actions regarding protective nursing advocacy. The final PNAS-Swe has 29 items in four subscales. The RNAs reported that they feel that they should provide protective nursing advocacy for their patients. There were no differences in gender, or associations with age, or work experience regarding their advocacy beliefs or actions. The PNAS-Swe is valid for use in a Swedish context. Protective nursing advocacy is important to the RNAs, which is in congruence with earlier qualitative studies. Copyright © 2016 American Society of PeriAnesthesia Nurses. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Institutional profile: the national Swedish academic drug discovery & development platform at SciLifeLab.

PubMed

Arvidsson, Per I; Sandberg, Kristian; Sakariassen, Kjell S

2017-06-01

The Science for Life Laboratory Drug Discovery and Development Platform (SciLifeLab DDD) was established in Stockholm and Uppsala, Sweden, in 2014. It is one of ten platforms of the Swedish national SciLifeLab which support projects run by Swedish academic researchers with large-scale technologies for molecular biosciences with a focus on health and environment. SciLifeLab was created by the coordinated effort of four universities in Stockholm and Uppsala: Stockholm University, Karolinska Institutet, KTH Royal Institute of Technology and Uppsala University, and has recently expanded to other Swedish university locations. The primary goal of the SciLifeLab DDD is to support selected academic discovery and development research projects with tools and resources to discover novel lead therapeutics, either molecules or human antibodies. Intellectual property developed with the help of SciLifeLab DDD is wholly owned by the academic research group. The bulk of SciLifeLab DDD's research and service activities are funded from the Swedish state, with only consumables paid by the academic research group through individual grants.

Interactions and thresholds of limonin and nomilin in bitterness perception in orange juice and other matrices

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Limonin and nomilin are two bitter compounds present in citrus and are thought to cause the bitter off-flavor of Huanglongbing-infected fruit/juice. This study determined the thresholds of limonin, nomilin, and their combination in a simple matrix (sucrose and citric acid), a complex matrix (sucrose...

Nonlinear dynamics in ecosystem response to climatic change: case studies and policy implications.

Treesearch

Virginia R. Burkett; Douglas A. Wilcox; Robert Stottlemeyer; Wylie Barrow; Dan Fagre; Jill Baron; Jeff Price; Jennifer L. Nielsen; Craig D. Allen; David L. Peterson; Greg Ruggerone; Thomas Doyle

2005-01-01

Many biological, hydrological, and geological processes are interactively linked in ecosystems. These ecological phenomena normally vary within bounded ranges, but rapid, nonlinear changes to markedly different conditions can be triggered by even small differences if threshold values are exceeded. Intrinsic and extrinsic ecological thresholds can lead to effects that...

Photosynthetically active radiation (PAR) x ultraviolet radiation (UV) interact to initiate solar injury in apple

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Sunburn or solar injury (SI) in apple is associated with high temperature, high visible light and ultraviolet radiation (UV). Fruit surface temperature (FST) thresholds for SI related disorders have been developed but there are no thresholds established for solar radiation. The objectives of the s...

Plague epizootic cycles in Central Asia.

PubMed

Reijniers, Jonas; Begon, Mike; Ageyev, Vladimir S; Leirs, Herwig

2014-06-01

Infection thresholds, widely used in disease epidemiology, may operate on host abundance and, if present, on vector abundance. For wildlife populations, host and vector abundances often vary greatly across years and consequently the threshold may be crossed regularly, both up- and downward. Moreover, vector and host abundances may be interdependent, which may affect the infection dynamics. Theory predicts that if the relevant abundance, or combination of abundances, is above the threshold, then the infection is able to spread; if not, it is bound to fade out. In practice, though, the observed level of infection may depend more on past than on current abundances. Here, we study the temporal dynamics of plague (Yersinia pestis infection), its vector (flea) and its host (great gerbil) in the PreBalkhash region in Kazakhstan. We describe how host and vector abundances interact over time and how this interaction drives the dynamics of the system around the infection threshold, consequently affecting the proportion of plague-infected sectors. We also explore the importance of the interplay between biological and detectability delays in generating the observed dynamics.

Cross-modal interaction between visual and olfactory learning in Apis cerana.

PubMed

Zhang, Li-Zhen; Zhang, Shao-Wu; Wang, Zi-Long; Yan, Wei-Yu; Zeng, Zhi-Jiang

2014-10-01

The power of the small honeybee brain carrying out behavioral and cognitive tasks has been shown repeatedly to be highly impressive. The present study investigates, for the first time, the cross-modal interaction between visual and olfactory learning in Apis cerana. To explore the role and molecular mechanisms of cross-modal learning in A. cerana, the honeybees were trained and tested in a modified Y-maze with seven visual and five olfactory stimulus, where a robust visual threshold for black/white grating (period of 2.8°-3.8°) and relatively olfactory threshold (concentration of 50-25%) was obtained. Meanwhile, the expression levels of five genes (AcCREB, Acdop1, Acdop2, Acdop3, Actyr1) related to learning and memory were analyzed under different training conditions by real-time RT-PCR. The experimental results indicate that A. cerana could exhibit cross-modal interactions between visual and olfactory learning by reducing the threshold level of the conditioning stimuli, and that these genes may play important roles in the learning process of honeybees.

Poor self-reported health and sleeping difficulties among Kurdish immigrant men in Sweden.

PubMed

Taloyan, Marina; Johansson, Leena Maria; Johansson, Sven-Erik; Sundquist, Jan; Koctürk, Tahire O

2006-09-01

This study explores the association between ethnicity and poor self-reported health and psychological distress, sleeping difficulties, and use of psychotropic drugs among immigrant Kurdish men and native Swedish men, based on data from the first Swedish National Survey of Immigrants and the Swedish Level-of-Living Surveys collected in 1996 by Statistics Sweden. The age-adjusted odds of poor self-reported health and sleeping difficulties among Kurdish men was about 3.5 times higher than among Swedish men. The odds ratio decreased to 2.1 and 2.7 respectively in a model adjusted for age and the other explanatory variables. Yearning for the home country, perceived discrimination and unemployment in the host country seem to be possible explanations for the higher levels of distress among Kurdish immigrants to Sweden.

Structural patterns in Swedish health policy: a 30-year perspective.

PubMed

Saltman, Richard B

2015-04-01

This perspective reviews key institutional and organizational patterns in Swedish health care over the last 30 years, probing the roots of several complicated policy questions that concern present-day Swedish decision-makers. It explores in particular the ongoing structural tension between stability, on the one hand, and the necessary levels of innovation and dynamism demanded by the current period of major clinical, technological, economic, social and supranational (EU) change. Where useful, the article compares Swedish developments with those in the other three European Nordic countries as well as other northern European health systems. Sweden's health sector evolution can provide valuable insight for other countries into the complexity involved in re-thinking tradeoffs between policies that emphasize stability as against those that encourage innovation in health sector governance and provision.

Redistributive effects of Swedish health care finance.

PubMed

Gerdtham, U G; Sundberg, G

1998-01-01

This paper investigates the redistributive effects of the Swedish health care financing system in 1980 and 1990 for four different financial sources: county council taxes, payroll taxes, direct payments and state grants. The redistributive effects are decomposed into vertical, horizontal and 'reranking' segments for each of the four financial sources. The data used are based on probability samples of the Swedish population, from the Level of Living Survey (LNU) from 1981 and 1991. The paper concludes that the Swedish health care financing system is weakly progressive, although direct payments are regressive. There is some horizontal inequity and 'reranking', which mainly comes from the county council taxes, since those tax rates vary for each county council. The implication is that, to some extent, people with equal incomes are treated unequally.

Aerospect operations criteria for Mercury thresholds

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Katz, S.

1979-01-01

The hazards anticipated from a large scale mercury spill during a possible failure in the preflight and early flight stages of the Space Shuttle were studied. Toxicity thresholds were investigated as well as other consequences of mercury interacting with the environment. Three sites of mercury spill were investigated: land, water, and atmosphere. A laboratory study of interactions between mercury vapor and ozone in a low pressure, high ultraviolet radiation environment approximated the conditions of a mercury vapor release in the ozone layer region of the stratosphere. Clear evidence of an interaction leading to the destruction of ozone by conversion to oxygen was obtained. The impact of a spill on the Earth's environment and methods of early detection of a developing hazard wave of primary concern in the study.

A Cyfip2-Dependent Excitatory Interneuron Pathway Establishes the Innate Startle Threshold.

PubMed

Marsden, Kurt C; Jain, Roshan A; Wolman, Marc A; Echeverry, Fabio A; Nelson, Jessica C; Hayer, Katharina E; Miltenberg, Ben; Pereda, Alberto E; Granato, Michael

2018-04-17

Sensory experiences dynamically modify whether animals respond to a given stimulus, but it is unclear how innate behavioral thresholds are established. Here, we identify molecular and circuit-level mechanisms underlying the innate threshold of the zebrafish startle response. From a forward genetic screen, we isolated five mutant lines with reduced innate startle thresholds. Using whole-genome sequencing, we identify the causative mutation for one line to be in the fragile X mental retardation protein (FMRP)-interacting protein cyfip2. We show that cyfip2 acts independently of FMRP and that reactivation of cyfip2 restores the baseline threshold after phenotype onset. Finally, we show that cyfip2 regulates the innate startle threshold by reducing neural activity in a small group of excitatory hindbrain interneurons. Thus, we identify a selective set of genes critical to establishing an innate behavioral threshold and uncover a circuit-level role for cyfip2 in this process. Copyright © 2018 The Author(s). Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Wave Energy from the North Sea: Experiences from the Lysekil Research Site

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Leijon, Mats; Boström, Cecilia; Danielsson, Oskar; Gustafsson, Stefan; Haikonen, Kalle; Langhamer, Olivia; Strömstedt, Erland; Stålberg, Magnus; Sundberg, Jan; Svensson, Olle; Tyrberg, Simon; Waters, Rafael

2008-05-01

This paper provides a status update on the development of the Swedish wave energy research area located close to Lysekil on the Swedish West coast. The Lysekil project is run by the Centre for Renewable Electric Energy Conversion at Uppsala University. The project was started in 2004 and currently has permission to run until the end of 2013. During this time period 10 grid-connected wave energy converters, 30 buoys for studies on environmental impact, and a surveillance tower for monitoring the interaction between waves and converters will be installed and studied. To date the research area holds one complete wave energy converter connected to a measuring station on shore via a sea cable, a Wave Rider™ buoy for wave measurements, 25 buoys for studies on environmental impact, and a surveillance tower. The wave energy converter is based on a linear synchronous generator which is placed on the sea bed and driven by a heaving point absorber at the ocean surface. The converter is directly driven, i.e. it has no gearbox or other mechanical or hydraulic conversion system. This results in a simple and robust mechanical system, but also in a somewhat more complicated electrical system.

Relative health effects of education, socioeconomic status and domestic gender inequity in Sweden: a cohort study.

PubMed

Phillips, Susan P; Hammarström, Anne

2011-01-01

Limited existing research on gender inequities suggests that for men workplace atmosphere shapes wellbeing while women are less susceptible to socioeconomic or work status but vulnerable to home inequities. Using the 2007 Northern Swedish Cohort (n = 773) we identified relative contributions of perceived gender inequities in relationships, financial strain, and education to self-reported health to determine whether controlling for sex, examining interactions between sex and other social variables, or sex-disaggregating data yielded most information about sex differences. Men had lower education but also less financial strain, and experienced less gender inequity. Overall, low education and financial strain detracted from health. However, sex-disaggregated data showed this to be true for women, whereas for men only gender inequity at home affected health. In the relatively egalitarian Swedish environment where women more readily enter all work arenas and men often provide parenting, traditional primacy of the home environment (for women) and the work environment (for men) in shaping health is reversing such that perceived domestic gender inequity has a significant health impact on men, while for women only education and financial strain are contributory. These outcomes were identified only when data were sex-disaggregated.

The Staff Nurse Clinical Leader at the Bedside: Swedish Registered Nurses' Perceptions.

PubMed

Larsson, Inga E; Sahlsten, Monika J M

2016-01-01

Registered nurses at the bedside are accountable for and oversee completion of patient care as well as directly leading and managing the provision of safe patient care. These nurses have an informal leadership role that is not associated with any given position. Leadership is a complex and multifaceted concept and its meaning is unclear, especially in the staff nurse context. The aim was to describe registered nurses' perceptions of what it entails to be the leader at the bedside in inpatient physical care. A phenomenographic approach was employed. Interviews were performed with Swedish registered nurses ( n = 15). Five descriptive categories were identified: demonstrating clinical knowledge, establishing a good atmosphere of collaboration, consciously structuring the work in order to ensure patients' best possible nursing care, customized presence in the practical work with patients according to predetermined prerequisites, and monitoring coworkers' professional practice. Registered nurses informal role as leader necessitates a social process of deliberate effort to attain and maintain leader status and authority. Participants used deliberate communicative approaches and interactive procedures. Leader principles grounded in the core values of the nursing profession that ensure nursing values and person-centered attributes were a key aspect.

Mother's postnatal stress: an investigation of links to various factors during pregnancy and post-partum.

PubMed

Andersson, Ewa; Hildingsson, Ingegerd

2016-12-01

Higher levels of parental stress have long-term effects on children's health and could lead to dysfunction in the parent-child interaction. Different background factors can be predictors of high parental stress. The aim of this study was to examine parental stress among Swedish women and identify different factors linked to women's parental stress. About 702 women were recruited to a clinical study and followed up six months after birth. Data were collected by two questionnaires, and 279 women completed the Swedish Parental Stress Questionnaire (SPSQ). Less than very good mental health and depressive symptoms after birth were strongly associated with parental stress, and the strongest association was found between post-partum depressive symptoms and high levels of stress in the subscale Incompetence. Multiparity was associated with high stress in two subscales, and lower level of education was a protective factor for stress in nearly all subscales. Depressive symptoms and perceived poor mental health post-partum are the most important factors related to high parental stress. The results point to the importance of identifying and supporting mothers with depressive symptoms, since these women have both mental illness and increased stress. © 2015 Nordic College of Caring Science.

Cooperative spreading processes in multiplex networks.

PubMed

Wei, Xiang; Chen, Shihua; Wu, Xiaoqun; Ning, Di; Lu, Jun-An

2016-06-01

This study is concerned with the dynamic behaviors of epidemic spreading in multiplex networks. A model composed of two interacting complex networks is proposed to describe cooperative spreading processes, wherein the virus spreading in one layer can penetrate into the other to promote the spreading process. The global epidemic threshold of the model is smaller than the epidemic thresholds of the corresponding isolated networks. Thus, global epidemic onset arises in the interacting networks even though an epidemic onset does not arise in each isolated network. Simulations verify the analysis results and indicate that cooperative spreading processes in multiplex networks enhance the final infection fraction.

Raised visual detection thresholds depend on the level of complexity of cognitive foveal loading.

PubMed

Plainis, S; Murray, I J; Chauhan, K

2001-01-01

The objective of the study was to measure the interactions between visual thresholds for a simple light (the secondary task) presented peripherally and a simultaneously performed cognitive task (the primary task) presented foveally The primary task was highly visible but varied according to its cognitive complexity. Interactions between the tasks were determined by measuring detection thresholds for the peripheral task and accuracy of performance of the foveal task. Effects were measured for 5, 10, 20, and 30 deg eccentricity of the peripherally presented light and for three levels of cognitive complexity. Mesopic conditions (0.5 lx) were used. As expected, the concurrent presentation of the foveal cognitive task reduced peripheral sensitivity. Moreover, performance of the foveal task was adversely affected when conducting the peripheral task. Performance on both tasks was reduced as the level of complexity of the cognitive task increased. There were qualitative differences in task interactions between the central 10 deg and at greater eccentricities. Within 10 deg there was a disproportionate effect of eccentricity, previously interpreted as the 'tunnel-vision' model of visual field narrowing. Interactions outside 10 deg were less affected by eccentricity. These results are discussed in terms of the known neurophysiological characteristics of the primary visual pathway.

GSFC_20170503_2017-4309_126

NASA Image and Video Library

2017-05-03

Swedish Delegation visit Goddard on May 3, 2017. Members of the Royal Swedish Academy of Engineering Sciences listen as Wide Field Infrared Survey Telescope (WFIRST) project personnel give an overview of the mission

Interactional justice at work is related to sickness absence: a study using repeated measures in the Swedish working population.

PubMed

Leineweber, Constanze; Bernhard-Oettel, Claudia; Peristera, Paraskevi; Eib, Constanze; Nyberg, Anna; Westerlund, Hugo

2017-12-08

Research has shown that perceived unfairness contributes to higher rates of sickness absence. While shorter, but more frequent periods of sickness absence might be a possibility for the individual to get relief from high strain, long-term sickness absence might be a sign of more serious health problems. The Uncertainty Management Model suggests that justice is particularly important in times of uncertainty, e.g. perceived job insecurity. The present study investigated the association between interpersonal and informational justice at work with long and frequent sickness absence respectively, under conditions of job insecurity. Data were derived from the 2010, 2012, and 2014 biennial waves of the Swedish Longitudinal Occupational Survey of Health (SLOSH). The final analytic sample consisted of 19,493 individuals. We applied repeated measures regression analyses through generalized estimating equations (GEE), a method for longitudinal data that simultaneously analyses variables at different time points. We calculated risk of long and frequent sickness absence, respectively in relation to interpersonal and informational justice taking perceptions of job insecurity into account. We found informational and interpersonal justice to be associated with risk of long and frequent sickness absence independently of job insecurity and demographic variables. Results from autoregressive GEE provided some support for a causal relationship between justice perceptions and sickness absence. Contrary to expectations, we found no interaction between justice and job insecurity. Our results underline the need for fair and just treatment of employees irrespective of perceived job insecurity in order to keep the workforce healthy and to minimize lost work days due to sickness absence.

Social relations in women with coronary heart disease: the effects of work and marital stress.

PubMed

Blom, May; Janszky, Imre; Balog, Piroska; Orth-Gomér, Kristina; Wamala, Sarah P

2003-06-01

Studies have previously shown that psychosocial stress, related to both work and family, is associated with the increased risk of coronary heart disease (CHD) morbidity and mortality. The objective of this study was to examine how social relations are affected by marital stress and work stress in a population-based sample of Swedish women with CHD. Data was obtained from the Stockholm Female Coronary Risk Study, comprising 292 women aged 65 years or younger, with a mean age of 56 (SD=7) years admitted for an acute event of CHD and examined 3-6 months after hospitalization. Marital and work stress was assessed using the Stockholm Marital Stress Scale and the Swedish version of the Karasek demand-control questionnaire, respectively. Condensed versions of the Interview Schedule for Social Interaction (ISSI) and of Interpersonal Support Evaluation List (ISEL) were used to assess social relations and social support. Marital stress was associated with less social integration (P<0.001), less appraisal support (P<0.001), a lower sense of belonging (P<0.01) and less tangible support (P<0.01) even after controlling for work stress. Adjustment for age, socioeconomic status (education and occupational status) did not alter these results significantly. Work stress did not show statistically significant effects on any of the measured social relations. The present study showed that marital stress influenced women's social relations. These results suggest that marital stress needs to be further investigated not only as an independent but also as an interactive risk factor for women with CHD.

Einstein-Podolsky-Rosen paradox and quantum steering in a three-mode optomechanical system

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

He, Qiongyi; Ficek, Zbigniew

2014-02-01

We study multipartite entanglement, the generation of Einstein-Podolsky-Rosen (EPR) states, and quantum steering in a three-mode optomechanical system composed of an atomic ensemble located inside a single-mode cavity with a movable mirror. The cavity mode is driven by a short laser pulse, has a nonlinear parametric-type interaction with the mirror and a linear beam-splitter-type interaction with the atomic ensemble. There is no direct interaction of the mirror with the atomic ensemble. A threshold effect for the dynamics of the system is found, above which the system works as an amplifier and below which as an attenuator of the output fields. The threshold is determined by the ratio of the coupling strengths of the cavity mode to the mirror and to the atomic ensemble. It is shown that above the threshold, the system effectively behaves as a two-mode system in which a perfect bipartite EPR state can be generated, while it is impossible below the threshold. Furthermore, a fully inseparable tripartite entanglement and even further a genuine tripartite entanglement can be produced above and below the threshold. In addition, we consider quantum steering and examine the monogamy relations that quantify the amount of bipartite steering that can be shared between different modes. It is found that the mirror is more capable for steering of entanglement than the cavity mode. The two-way steering is found between the mirror and the atomic ensemble despite the fact that they are not directly coupled to each other, while it is impossible between the output of cavity mode and the ensemble which are directly coupled to each other.

The role of morphology and coupling of gold nanoparticles in optical breakdown during picosecond pulse exposures

PubMed Central

Davletshin, Yevgeniy R

2016-01-01

Summary This paper presents a theoretical study of the interaction of a 6 ps laser pulse with uncoupled and plasmon-coupled gold nanoparticles. We show how the one-dimensional assembly of particles affects the optical breakdown threshold of its surroundings. For this purpose we used a fully coupled electromagnetic, thermodynamic and plasma dynamics model for a laser pulse interaction with gold nanospheres, nanorods and assemblies, which was solved using the finite element method. The thresholds of optical breakdown for off- and on-resonance irradiated gold nanosphere monomers were compared against nanosphere dimers, trimers, and gold nanorods with the same overall size and aspect ratio. The optical breakdown thresholds had a stronger dependence on the optical near-field enhancement than on the mass or absorption cross-section of the nanostructure. These findings can be used to advance the nanoparticle-based nanoscale manipulation of matter. PMID:27547604

Investigation of ultrashort pulse laser ablation of the cornea and hydrogels for eye microsurgery

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Girard, Guillaume; Zhou, Sheng; Bigaouette, Nicolas; Brunette, Isabelle; Chaker, Mohamed; Germain, Lucie; Lavertu, Pierre-Luc; Martin, François; Olivié, Gilles; Ozaki, Tsuneyuki; Parent, Mireille; Vidal, François; Kieffer, Jean-Claude

2004-10-01

The Femtosecond laser is a very promising tool for performing accurate dissection in various cornea layers. Clearly, the development of this application requires basic knowledge about laser-tissue interaction. One of the most significant parameter in laser applications is the ablation threshold, defined as the minimal laser energy per unit surface required for ablation. This paper investigates the ablation threshold as a function of the laser pulse duration for two corneal layers (endothelium and epithelium) as well as for hydrogel with different hydration degrees. The measured ablation thresholds prove to behave very differently as a function of the pulse duration for the various materials investigated, although the values obtained for the shortest laser pulses are quite similar. Our experimental results are fitted with a simple model for laser-matter interaction in order to determine some intrinsic physical parameters characterizing each target.

Propensity and stickiness in the naming game: Tipping fractions of minorities

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Thompson, Andrew M.; Szymanski, Boleslaw K.; Lim, Chjan C.

2014-10-01

Agent-based models of the binary naming game are generalized here to represent a family of models parameterized by the introduction of two continuous parameters. These parameters define varying listener-speaker interactions on the individual level with one parameter controlling the speaker and the other controlling the listener of each interaction. The major finding presented here is that the generalized naming game preserves the existence of critical thresholds for the size of committed minorities. Above such threshold, a committed minority causes a fast (in time logarithmic in size of the network) convergence to consensus, even when there are other parameters influencing the system. Below such threshold, reaching consensus requires time exponential in the size of the network. Moreover, the two introduced parameters cause bifurcations in the stabilities of the system's fixed points and may lead to changes in the system's consensus.

Initial-state-independent equilibration at the breakdown of the eigenstate thermalization hypothesis

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Khodja, Abdellah; Schmidtke, Daniel; Gemmer, Jochen

2016-04-01

This work aims at understanding the interplay between the eigenstate thermalization hypothesis (ETH), initial state independent equilibration, and quantum chaos in systems that do not have a direct classical counterpart. It is based on numerical investigations of asymmetric Heisenberg spin ladders with varied interaction strengths between the legs, i.e., along the rungs. The relaxation of the energy difference between the legs is investigated. Two different parameters, both intended to quantify the degree of accordance with the ETH, are computed. Both indicate violation of the ETH at large interaction strengths but at different thresholds. Indeed, the energy difference is found not to relax independently of its initial value above some critical interaction strength, which coincides with one of the thresholds. At the same point the level statistics shift from Poisson-type to Wigner-type. Hence, the system may be considered to become integrable again in the strong interaction limit.

Modular analysis of the probabilistic genetic interaction network.

PubMed

Hou, Lin; Wang, Lin; Qian, Minping; Li, Dong; Tang, Chao; Zhu, Yunping; Deng, Minghua; Li, Fangting

2011-03-15

Epistatic Miniarray Profiles (EMAP) has enabled the mapping of large-scale genetic interaction networks; however, the quantitative information gained from EMAP cannot be fully exploited since the data are usually interpreted as a discrete network based on an arbitrary hard threshold. To address such limitations, we adopted a mixture modeling procedure to construct a probabilistic genetic interaction network and then implemented a Bayesian approach to identify densely interacting modules in the probabilistic network. Mixture modeling has been demonstrated as an effective soft-threshold technique of EMAP measures. The Bayesian approach was applied to an EMAP dataset studying the early secretory pathway in Saccharomyces cerevisiae. Twenty-seven modules were identified, and 14 of those were enriched by gold standard functional gene sets. We also conducted a detailed comparison with state-of-the-art algorithms, hierarchical cluster and Markov clustering. The experimental results show that the Bayesian approach outperforms others in efficiently recovering biologically significant modules.

OPTOELECTRONICS, FIBER OPTICS, AND OTHER ASPECTS OF QUANTUM ELECTRONICS: Interference-threshold storage of optical data

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Efimkov, V. F.; Zubarev, I. G.; Kolobrodov, V. V.; Sobolev, V. B.

1989-08-01

A method for the determination of the spatial characteristics of a laser beam is proposed and implemented. This method is based on the interaction of an interference field of two laser beams, which are spatially similar to the one being investigated, with a light-sensitive material characterized by a sensitivity threshold.

Paying Attention to Attention Allocation in Second-Language Learning: Some Insights into the Nature of Linguistic Thresholds.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hawson, Anne

1997-01-01

Three threshold hypotheses proposed by Cummins (1976) and Diaz (1985) as explanations of data on the cognitive consequences of bilingualism are examined in depth and compared to one another. A neuroscientifically updated information-processing perspective on the interaction of second-language comprehension and visual-processing ability is…

Physical protection philosophy and techniques in Sweden

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Dufva, B.

1988-01-01

The circumstances for the protection of nuclear power plants are special in Sweden. A very important factor is that armed guards at the facilities are alien to the Swedish society. They do not use them. The Swedish concept of physical protection accepts that the aggressor will get into the facility. With this in mind, the Swedish Nuclear Power Inspectorate (SKI) has established the policy that administrative, technical, and organizational measures will be directed toward preventing an aggressor from damaging the reactor, even if he has occupied the facility. In addition, the best conditions possible shall be established for the operatormore » and the police to reoccupy the plant. The author believes this policy is different from that of many other countries. Therefore, he focusses on the Swedish philosophy and techniques for the physical protection of nuclear power plants.« less

GPs opinions and perceptions of chiropractic in Sweden and Norway: a descriptive survey

PubMed Central

2013-01-01

Background In Sweden, chiropractic is not included in mainstream health care. In Norway chiropractic is a recognized health care profession. The aim of this study was to explore the perceptions of chiropractic among Swedish and Norwegian General Practitioners (GPs). Methods Eight hundred surveys in each country were distributed randomly by post to Swedish and Norwegian GPs offices. The survey contained two main sections: Experiences and opinions about chiropractic and referral patterns. The data were then described and compared between the countries. Results In Sweden the response rate was 44.8% and in Norway 45.3%. More than half of the Swedish GPs participating in this study stated that they had poor knowledge about chiropractic, while just a tenth of Norwegian GPs stated the same. Nearly all Norwegian GPs had some experience of chiropractic treatment whilst a fairly large number of the Swedish GPs said that they had no experience at all of chiropractic. It was twice as common for GPs in Norway to refer patients to a chiropractor as compared to Sweden. However, Swedish and Norwegian GPs agreed that chiropractors were competent to treat musculo-skeletal conditions with an adequate education to be part of mainstream medicine. Conclusions Swedish and Norwegian GPs agree that chiropractors are competent to treat musculoskeletal conditions. However, there are many differences in GPs perceptions of chiropractic between the two countries and the overall picture indicates that chiropractic is more accepted and recognised as a health care profession in Norway. PMID:24128386

Assessment of the Effect of Swedish Massage and Acupressure in Rehabilitation of Patients with Low Back Pain. Preliminary Report.

PubMed

Boguszewski, Dariusz; Krupiński, Mateusz; Białoszewski, Dariusz

2017-12-30

Low-back pain is a common problem in developed societies. The quest for methods to reduce this com-plaint may contribute to improving the quality of life for many people. The aim of the study was to compare the effect of Swedish massage combined with acupressure vs. Swedish massage alone in patients with low back pain. The study involved 20 women and 20 men with lumbosacral pain. The group was clinically ho-mo-geneous. The participants were randomized into two groups: Group 1, which received Swedish massage with acu-pressure techniques, and Group 2, treated with Swedish massage only. The research tools comprised the Laitinen Pain Score, the International Physical Activity Questionnaire, the Roland-Morris Ques-tion-naire, the Thomayer test, and the measurement of lumbar spine extension. Differences between the mea-surements were evaluated with the Wilcoxon test, with the minimum significance level set at p≤0.05. Both groups demonstrated a significant (p<0.05) decrease in pain intensity, improvement in quality of life and increase in physical activity. Increased segmental mobility of the spine was also observed in all patients, with significant changes (p<0.05) noted only in Group 1. In Group 2, the differences tended towards significance. In selected cases, Swedish massage combined with acupressure techniques may be more effective as a mo-notherapy in patients with non-specific low back pain than massage alone.

Novel and differential accumulation of mitochondrial DNA deletions in Swedish and vietnamese patients with colorectal cancer.

PubMed

Dimberg, Jan; Hong, Thai Trinh; Skarstedt, Marita; Löfgren, Sture; Zar, Niklas; Matussek, Andreas

2014-01-01

Mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) has been proposed to be involved in carcinogenesis and aging. The mtDNA 4977 bp deletion is one of the most frequently observed mtDNA mutations in human tissues and may play a role in colorectal cancer (CRC). In the present study, we aimed to evaluate the frequency of mtDNA 4977 bp deletion in CRC tissues and its association with clinical factors. We determined the presence of the 4977 bp common deletion in cancer and normal paired tissue samples from 105 Swedish and 88 Vietnamese patients with CRC using polymerase chain reaction (PCR) assays. The mtDNA 4977 bp deletion was shown to be significantly more frequent in normal tissues in comparison with paired cancer tissues in both Swedish and Vietnamese patients. The 4977 bp common deletion was significantly more frequent in cancer tissues of the Vietnamese patients compared to the Swedish patients, and in Vietnamese cancer tissues, the 4977 bp deletion was significantly over represented in those with localized disease compared to those with disseminated disease. Moreover, we detected nine novel mtDNA deletions and found a significantly higher rate of these in CRC tissues in Swedish in comparison to Vietnamese patients. The mtDNA 4977 bp deletion seems to have an impact on the clinical outcome of CRC in Vietnamese patients, that the Swedish patients accumulate more of the detected novel deletions in CRC tissue compared to Vietnamese patients probably indicates divergent mechanisms in colorectal carcinogenesis.

Evidence of an association between sign language phonological awareness and word reading in deaf and hard-of-hearing children.

PubMed

Holmer, Emil; Heimann, Mikael; Rudner, Mary

2016-01-01

Children with good phonological awareness (PA) are often good word readers. Here, we asked whether Swedish deaf and hard-of-hearing (DHH) children who are more aware of the phonology of Swedish Sign Language, a language with no orthography, are better at reading words in Swedish. We developed the Cross-modal Phonological Awareness Test (C-PhAT) that can be used to assess PA in both Swedish Sign Language (C-PhAT-SSL) and Swedish (C-PhAT-Swed), and investigated how C-PhAT performance was related to word reading as well as linguistic and cognitive skills. We validated C-PhAT-Swed and administered C-PhAT-Swed and C-PhAT-SSL to DHH children who attended Swedish deaf schools with a bilingual curriculum and were at an early stage of reading. C-PhAT-SSL correlated significantly with word reading for DHH children. They performed poorly on C-PhAT-Swed and their scores did not correlate significantly either with C-PhAT-SSL or word reading, although they did correlate significantly with cognitive measures. These results provide preliminary evidence that DHH children with good sign language PA are better at reading words and show that measures of spoken language PA in DHH children may be confounded by individual differences in cognitive skills. Copyright © 2015 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ltd.. All rights reserved.

Self-reported infections during international travel and notifiable infections among returning international travellers, Sweden, 2009-2013.

PubMed

Dahl, Viktor; Wallensten, Anders

2017-01-01

We studied food and water-borne diseases (FWDs), sexually transmitted diseases (STDs), vector-borne diseases (VBDs) and diseases vaccinated against in the Swedish childhood vaccination programme among Swedish international travellers, in order to identify countries associated with a high number of infections. We used the national database for notifiable infections to estimate the number of FWDs (campylobacteriosis, salmonellosis, giardiasis, shigellosis, EHEC, Entamoeba histolytica, yersinosis, hepatitis A, paratyphoid fever, typhoid fever, hepatitis E, listeriosis, cholera), STIs (chlamydia, gonorrhoea and acute hepatitis B), VBDs (dengue fever, malaria, West Nile fever, Japanese encephalitis and yellow fever) and diseases vaccinated against in the Swedish childhood vaccination programme (pertussis, measles, mumps, rubella, diphtheria) acquired abroad 2009-2013. We obtained number and duration of trips to each country from a database that monthly collects travel data from a randomly selected proportion of the Swedish population. We calculated number of infections per country 2009-2013 and incidence/million travel days for the five countries with the highest number of infections. Thailand had the highest number of FWDs (7,697, incidence 191/million travel days), STIs (1,388, incidence 34/million travel days) and VBDs (358, incidence 9/million travel days). France had the highest number of cases of diseases vaccinated against in the Swedish childhood vaccination programme (8, 0.4/million travel days). Swedish travellers contracted most infections in Thailand. Special focus should be placed on giving advice to travellers to this destination.

Self-reported infections during international travel and notifiable infections among returning international travellers, Sweden, 2009-2013

PubMed Central

Wallensten, Anders

2017-01-01

We studied food and water-borne diseases (FWDs), sexually transmitted diseases (STDs), vector-borne diseases (VBDs) and diseases vaccinated against in the Swedish childhood vaccination programme among Swedish international travellers, in order to identify countries associated with a high number of infections. We used the national database for notifiable infections to estimate the number of FWDs (campylobacteriosis, salmonellosis, giardiasis, shigellosis, EHEC, Entamoeba histolytica, yersinosis, hepatitis A, paratyphoid fever, typhoid fever, hepatitis E, listeriosis, cholera), STIs (chlamydia, gonorrhoea and acute hepatitis B), VBDs (dengue fever, malaria, West Nile fever, Japanese encephalitis and yellow fever) and diseases vaccinated against in the Swedish childhood vaccination programme (pertussis, measles, mumps, rubella, diphtheria) acquired abroad 2009–2013. We obtained number and duration of trips to each country from a database that monthly collects travel data from a randomly selected proportion of the Swedish population. We calculated number of infections per country 2009–2013 and incidence/million travel days for the five countries with the highest number of infections. Thailand had the highest number of FWDs (7,697, incidence 191/million travel days), STIs (1,388, incidence 34/million travel days) and VBDs (358, incidence 9/million travel days). France had the highest number of cases of diseases vaccinated against in the Swedish childhood vaccination programme (8, 0.4/million travel days). Swedish travellers contracted most infections in Thailand. Special focus should be placed on giving advice to travellers to this destination. PMID:28753671

Translation and testing of measurement properties of the Swedish version of the IKDC subjective knee form.

PubMed

Tigerstrand Grevnerts, H; Grävare Silbernagel, K; Sonesson, S; Ardern, C; Österberg, A; Gauffin, H; Kvist, J

2017-05-01

To translate to Swedish language and cross-culturally adapt the IKDC-SKF and to test the measurement properties of the Swedish version of IKDC-SKF in ACL-injured patients undergoing reconstruction surgery.The translation and cross-cultural adaption was performed according to guidelines. Seventy-six patients with an ACL injury filled out the IKDC-SKF and other questionnaires before ACL reconstruction and at 4, 6, and 12 months after surgery. A total of 203 patients from the Swedish ACL Registry participated at 8 months post-operative. Measurement properties were tested according to the COnsensus-based Standards for the selection of health Measurement INstruments (COSMIN) guidelines.The Swedish IKDC-SKF had high internal consistency (Cronbach's alpha=0.90) and test-retest reliability (ICC 2,1 =0.92, CI 95%: 0.81-0.97, P<.001). A single factor solution accounted for 46.1% of the variance in IKDC-SKF scores. Criterion validity was moderate to high. All ten predefined hypotheses for hypothesis testing were confirmed. The six hypotheses for responsiveness testing were confirmed. The effect size was 1.8, the standardized response mean was 1.9, the and minimal clinically important difference was 13.9 points.The Swedish version of the IKDC-SKF had good measurement properties and can be recommended for use in a population of ACL-deficient patients undergoing ACL reconstruction. © 2017 John Wiley & Sons A/S. Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Reality check of socio-hydrological interactions in water quality and ecosystem management

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Destouni, Georgia; Fischer, Ida; Prieto, Carmen

2017-04-01

Socio-hydrological interactions in water management for improving water quality and ecosystem status include as key components both (i) the societal measures taken for mitigation and control, and (ii) the societal characterization and monitoring efforts made for choosing management targets and checking the effects of measures taken to reach the targets. This study investigates such monitoring, characterization and management efforts and effects over the first six-year management cycle of the EU Water Framework Directive (WFD). The investigation uses Sweden and the WFD-regulated management of its stream and lake waters as a concrete quantification example, with focus on the nutrient and eutrophication conditions that determine the most prominent water quality and ecosystem problems in need of mitigation in the Swedish waters. The case results show a relatively small available monitoring base for determination of these nutrient and eutrophication conditions, even though they constitute key parts in the overall WFD-based approach to classification and management of ecosystem status. Specifically, actual nutrient monitoring exists in only around 1% (down to 0.2% for nutrient loads) of the Swedish stream and lake water bodies; modeling is used to fill the gaps for the remaining unmonitored fraction of classified and managed waters. The available data show that the hydro-climatically driven stream water discharge is a primary explanatory variable for the resulting societal classification of ecosystem status in Swedish waters; this may be due to the discharge magnitude being dominant in determining nutrient loading to these waters. At any rate, with such a hydro-climatically related, rather than human-pressure related, determinant of the societal ecosystem-status classification, the main human-driven causes and effects of eutrophication may not be appropriately identified, and the measures taken for mitigating these may not be well chosen. The available monitoring data from Swedish waters support this hypothesis, by showing that the first WFD management cycle 2009-2015 has led to only slight changes in measured nutrient concentrations, with moderate-to-bad status waters mostly undergoing concentration increases. These management results are in direct contrast to the WFD management goals that ecosystem status in all member-state waters must be improved to at least good level, and in any case not be allowed to further deteriorate. In general, the present results show that societal approaches to ecosystem status classification, monitoring and improvement may need a focus shift for improved identification and quantification of the human-driven components of nutrient inputs, concentrations and loads in water environments. Dominant hydro-climatic change drivers and effects must of course also be understood and accounted for. However, adaptation to hydro-climatic changes should be additional to and aligned with, rather than instead of, necessary mitigation of human-driven eutrophication. The present case results call for further science-based testing and evidence of societal water quality and ecosystem management actually targeting and following up the potential achievement of such mitigation.

DTFP-Growth: Dynamic Threshold-Based FP-Growth Rule Mining Algorithm Through Integrating Gene Expression, Methylation, and Protein-Protein Interaction Profiles.

PubMed

Mallik, Saurav; Bhadra, Tapas; Mukherji, Ayan; Mallik, Saurav; Bhadra, Tapas; Mukherji, Ayan; Mallik, Saurav; Bhadra, Tapas; Mukherji, Ayan

2018-04-01

Association rule mining is an important technique for identifying interesting relationships between gene pairs in a biological data set. Earlier methods basically work for a single biological data set, and, in maximum cases, a single minimum support cutoff can be applied globally, i.e., across all genesets/itemsets. To overcome this limitation, in this paper, we propose dynamic threshold-based FP-growth rule mining algorithm that integrates gene expression, methylation and protein-protein interaction profiles based on weighted shortest distance to find the novel associations among different pairs of genes in multi-view data sets. For this purpose, we introduce three new thresholds, namely, Distance-based Variable/Dynamic Supports (DVS), Distance-based Variable Confidences (DVC), and Distance-based Variable Lifts (DVL) for each rule by integrating co-expression, co-methylation, and protein-protein interactions existed in the multi-omics data set. We develop the proposed algorithm utilizing these three novel multiple threshold measures. In the proposed algorithm, the values of , , and are computed for each rule separately, and subsequently it is verified whether the support, confidence, and lift of each evolved rule are greater than or equal to the corresponding individual , , and values, respectively, or not. If all these three conditions for a rule are found to be true, the rule is treated as a resultant rule. One of the major advantages of the proposed method compared with other related state-of-the-art methods is that it considers both the quantitative and interactive significance among all pairwise genes belonging to each rule. Moreover, the proposed method generates fewer rules, takes less running time, and provides greater biological significance for the resultant top-ranking rules compared to previous methods.

Correspondence between evoked vocal responses and auditory thresholds in Pleurodema thaul (Amphibia; Leptodactylidae).

PubMed

Penna, Mario; Velásquez, Nelson; Solís, Rigoberto

2008-04-01

Thresholds for evoked vocal responses and thresholds of multiunit midbrain auditory responses to pure tones and synthetic calls were investigated in males of Pleurodema thaul, as behavioral thresholds well above auditory sensitivity have been reported for other anurans. Thresholds for evoked vocal responses to synthetic advertisement calls played back at increasing intensity averaged 43 dB RMS SPL (range 31-52 dB RMS SPL), measured at the subjects' position. Number of pulses increased with stimulus intensities, reaching a plateau at about 18-39 dB above threshold and decreased at higher intensities. Latency to call followed inverse trends relative to number of pulses. Neural audiograms yielded an average best threshold in the high frequency range of 46.6 dB RMS SPL (range 41-51 dB RMS SPL) and a center frequency of 1.9 kHz (range 1.7-2.6 kHz). Auditory thresholds for a synthetic call having a carrier frequency of 2.1 kHz averaged 44 dB RMS SPL (range 39-47 dB RMS SPL). The similarity between thresholds for advertisement calling and auditory thresholds for the advertisement call indicates that male P. thaul use the full extent of their auditory sensitivity in acoustic interactions, likely an evolutionary adaptation allowing chorusing activity in low-density aggregations.

Swedish strategies for health and safety in agriculture: a coordinated multiagency approach.

PubMed

Lundqvist, Peter; Alwall Svennefelt, Catharina

2014-01-01

Occupational injuries are a major problem in agriculture world-wide. Sweden is developing a national approach to scoordinate different stakeholders with the common goal of reducing injuries in the agricultural sector. The Swedish strategy involves important factors, such as: 1) Collaboration between all stakeholders involved in health and safety in agriculture, 2) A national programme on injury prevention, 3) Coordination of actions and 4) Knowledge, attitude and behaviour in focus. This approach is being coordinated through the Swedish Committee on Working Environment (LAMK), a network acting to achieve a good, healthy and safe working environment in Swedish agriculture. The Committee consists of representatives of authorities, institutions, companies, research and education institutions and organisations working in the green sector. The Swedish model will be evaluated as a whole concept on its effect on the frequency of injuries in the agricultural industry in the beginning of 2014. Promising results has been shown in evaluations of minor parts. This coordinated approach has been applied in others countries (United States and New Zealand) as well and seems like an efficient way of using limited resources to achieve higher impact on a specific problems such as occupational injuries in agriculture.

Dentists' use of digital radiographic techniques: Part I - intraoral X-ray: a questionnaire study of Swedish dentists.

PubMed

Svenson, Björn; Ståhlnacke, Katri; Karlsson, Reet; Fält, Anna

2018-03-01

The present study aims to gain knowledge about the dentist's use and choice of digital intraoral imaging methods. A questionnaire sent to 2481 dentists within the Swedish Dental Society contained questions about the type of X-ray technique used, problems experienced with digital radiography, and reasons for choosing digital technology, and about indications, clinic size and type of service. Response rate was 53%. Ninety-eight percent of the dentists had made the transition to digital radiography; only 2% used film technique, and solid-state detector (SSD) was the most used digital technique. More years in service decreases the likelihood of applying individual indications for performing a full mouth examination. More retakes were done with SSDs compared to storage phosphor plates. Reasons for choosing digital techniques were that work was easier and communication with the patients improved. However, dentists also experienced problems with digital techniques, such as exposure and projection errors and inadequate image quality. The Swedish Radiation Safety Authority states that all radiological examinations should be justified, something not always followed. This study showed that 98% of the respondents, Swedish dentists within the Swedish Dental Society, used digital techniques, and the most used was the solid-state technique.

Comparison of Membrane Filtration and Multiple-Tube Fermentation by the Colilert and Enterolert Methods for Detection of Waterborne Coliform Bacteria, Escherichia coli, and Enterococci Used in Drinking and Bathing Water Quality Monitoring in Southern Sweden

PubMed Central

Eckner, Karl F.

1998-01-01

A total of 338 water samples, 261 drinking water samples and 77 bathing water samples, obtained for routine testing were analyzed in duplicate by Swedish standard methods using multiple-tube fermentation or membrane filtration and by the Colilert and/or Enterolert methods. Water samples came from a wide variety of sources in southern Sweden (Skåne). The Colilert method was found to be more sensitive than Swedish standard methods for detecting coliform bacteria and of equal sensitivity for detecting Escherichia coli when all drinking water samples were grouped together. Based on these results, Swedac, the Swedish laboratory accreditation body, approved for the first time in Sweden use of the Colilert method at this laboratory for the analysis of all water sources not falling under public water regulations (A-krav). The coliform detection study of bathing water yielded anomalous results due to confirmation difficulties. E. coli detection in bathing water was similar by both the Colilert and Swedish standard methods as was fecal streptococcus and enterococcus detection by both the Enterolert and Swedish standard methods. PMID:9687478

Effects of stimulation parameters and electrode location on thresholds for epidural stimulation of cat motor cortex

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wongsarnpigoon, Amorn; Grill, Warren M.

2011-12-01

Epidural electrical stimulation (ECS) of the motor cortex is a developing therapy for neurological disorders. Both placement and programming of ECS systems may affect the therapeutic outcome, but the treatment parameters that will maximize therapeutic outcomes and minimize side effects are not known. We delivered ECS to the motor cortex of anesthetized cats and investigated the effects of electrode placement and stimulation parameters on thresholds for evoking motor responses in the contralateral forelimb. Thresholds were inversely related to stimulation frequency and the number of pulses per stimulus train. Thresholds were lower over the forelimb representation in motor cortex (primary site) than surrounding sites (secondary sites), and thresholds at sites <4 mm away from the primary site were significantly lower than at sites >4 mm away. Electrode location and montage influenced the effects of polarity on thresholds: monopolar anodic and cathodic thresholds were not significantly different over the primary site, cathodic thresholds were significantly lower than anodic thresholds over secondary sites and bipolar thresholds were significantly lower with the anode over the primary site than with the cathode over the primary site. A majority of bipolar thresholds were either between or equal to the respective monopolar thresholds, but several bipolar thresholds were greater than or less than the monopolar thresholds of both the anode and cathode. During bipolar stimulation, thresholds were influenced by both electric field superposition and indirect, synaptically mediated interactions. These results demonstrate the influence of stimulation parameters and electrode location during cortical stimulation, and these effects should be considered during the programming of systems for therapeutic cortical stimulation.

Electrophysiological channel interactions using focused multipolar stimulation for cochlear implants

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

George, Shefin S.; Shivdasani, Mohit N.; Wise, Andrew K.; Shepherd, Robert K.; Fallon, James B.

2015-12-01

Objective. Speech intelligibility with existing multichannel cochlear implants (CIs) is thought to be limited by poor spatial selectivity and interactions between CI channels caused by overlapping activation with monopolar (MP) stimulation. Our previous studies have shown that focused multipolar (FMP) and tripolar (TP) stimulation produce more restricted neural activation in the inferior colliculus (IC), compared to MP stimulation. Approach. This study explored interactions in the IC produced by simultaneous stimulation of two CI channels. We recorded multi-unit neural activity in the IC of anaesthetized cats with normal and severely degenerated spiral ganglion neuron populations in response to FMP, TP and MP stimulation from a 14 channel CI. Stimuli were applied to a ‘fixed’ CI channel, chosen toward the middle of the cochlear electrode array, and the effects of simultaneously stimulating a more apical ‘test’ CI channel were measured as a function of spatial separation between the two stimulation channels and stimulus level of the fixed channel. Channel interactions were quantified by changes in neural responses and IC threshold (i.e., threshold shift) elicited by simultaneous stimulation of two CI channels, compared to stimulation of the test channel alone. Main results. Channel interactions were significantly lower for FMP and TP than for MP stimulation (p < 0.001), whereas no significant difference was observed between FMP and TP stimulation. With MP stimulation, threshold shifts increased with decreased inter-electrode spacing and increased stimulus levels of the fixed channel. For FMP and TP stimulation, channel interactions were found to be similar for different inter-electrode spacing and stimulus levels of the fixed channel. Significance. The present study demonstrates how the degree of channel interactions in a CI can be controlled using stimulation configurations such as FMP and TP; such knowledge is essential in enhancing CI function in complex acoustic environments.

The nationalization of the Swedish pharmacies.

PubMed

Lilja, J

1987-01-01

The first Swedish parliamentary bill suggesting government-owned pharmacies was introduced in 1907 and was rejected. A number of official proposals were put forward until 1970 when the government decided to nationalize the Swedish pharmacies. The process leading to nationalization was influenced by background and by more specific 'release' factors operating in the 1960s. The opposition in parliament to nationalization was only minor. The new organization formed, Apoteksbolaget AB, was given a drug selling monopoly and was organized as a limited company regulated by an agreement between the government and Apoteksbolaget.

Stability and phase transition of localized modes in Bose–Einstein condensates with both two- and three-body interactions

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Bai, Xiao-Dong; Ai, Qing; Zhang, Mei

We investigate the stability and phase transition of localized modes in Bose–Einstein Condensates (BECs) in an optical lattice with the discrete nonlinear Schrödinger model by considering both two- and three-body interactions. We find that there are three types of localized modes, bright discrete breather (DB), discrete kink (DK), and multi-breather (MUB). Moreover, both two- and three-body on-site repulsive interactions can stabilize DB, while on-site attractive three-body interactions destabilize it. There is a critical value for the three-body interaction with which both DK and MUB become the most stable ones. We give analytically the energy thresholds for the destabilization of localizedmore » states and find that they are unstable (stable) when the total energy of the system is higher (lower) than the thresholds. The stability and dynamics characters of DB and MUB are general for extended lattice systems. Our result is useful for the blocking, filtering, and transfer of the norm in nonlinear lattices for BECs with both two- and three-body interactions.« less

Mortality attributable to tobacco among men in Sweden and other European countries: an analysis of data in a WHO report.

PubMed

Ramström, Lars; Wikmans, Tom

2014-01-01

It is well known that Swedish men have lower tobacco-related mortality than men in other European countries, but there are questions that need further investigation to what extent this is related to the specific patterns of tobacco use in Sweden, where use of snus, the Swedish low-nitrosamine oral tobacco, dominates over smoking in men but not in women. The recent WHO Global Report: Mortality Attributable to Tobacco provides a unique set of estimates of the health burden of tobacco in all countries of the world in the year 2004, and these data can help elucidating the above-mentioned questions. For Sweden and all other European Union Member States mortality data for a number of tobacco-related causes of death were extracted from the WHO Report. The size of the mortality advantage for selected causes of death in different age groups of Swedish men compared to men of the same age in Europe as a whole was calculated in terms of ratios of death rates attributable to tobacco. Differences between age groups with respect to tobacco-related mortality were analyzed with respect to differences in terms of development and status of smoking and snus use. The analyses also paid attention to differences between countries regarding tobacco control regulations. Among men in the European Union Member States the lowest level of mortality attributable to tobacco was consistently found in Sweden, while Swedish women showed levels similar to European average. A strong co-variation was found between the mortality advantage and the degree of dominance of snus use in the different age groups of Swedish men. Among Swedish women there are no age groups with dominant use of snus, and similar observations were therefore not possible for women. The above findings support the assumption that the widespread use of snus instead of cigarettes among Swedish men may be a major part of the explanation behind their position with Europe's lowest mortality attributable to tobacco.

Health-related quality of life of irritable bowel syndrome patients in different cultural settings

PubMed Central

Faresjö, Åshild; Anastasiou, Foteini; Lionis, Christos; Johansson, Saga; Wallander, Mari-Ann; Faresjö, Tomas

2006-01-01

Background Persons with Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) are seriously affected in their everyday life. The effect across different cultural settings of IBS on their quality of life has been little studied. The aim was to compare health-related quality of life (HRQOL) of individuals suffering from IBS in two different cultural settings; Crete, Greece and Linköping, Sweden. Methods This study is a sex and age-matched case-control study, with n = 30 Cretan IBS cases and n = 90 Swedish IBS cases and a Swedish control group (n = 300) randomly selected from the general population. Health-related quality of life, measured by SF-36 and demographics, life style indicators and co-morbidity, was measured. Results Cretan IBS cases reported lower HRQOL on most dimensions of SF-36 in comparison to the Swedish IBS cases. Significant differences were found for the dimensions mental health (p < 0.0001) and general health (p = 0.05) even after adjustments for educational level and co-morbidity. Women from Crete with IBS scored especially low on the dimensions general health (p = 0.009) and mental health (p < 0.0001) in comparison with Swedish women with IBS. The IBS cases, from both sites, reported significantly lower scores on all HRQOL dimensions in comparison with the Swedish control group. Conclusion The results from this study tentatively support that the claim that similar individuals having the same disease, e.g. IBS, but living in different cultural environments could perceive their disease differently and that the disease might affect their everyday life and quality of life in a different way. The Cretan population, and especially women, are more seriously affected mentally by their disease than Swedish IBS cases. Coping with IBS in everyday life might be more problematic in the Cretan environment than in the Swedish setting. PMID:16566821

Mortality inequality in two native population groups.

PubMed

Saarela, Jan; Finnäs, Fjalar

2005-11-01

A sample of people aged 40-67 years, taken from a longitudinal register compiled by Statistics Finland, is used to analyse mortality differences between Swedish speakers and Finnish speakers in Finland. Finnish speakers are known to have higher death rates than Swedish speakers. The purpose is to explore whether labour-market experience and partnership status, treated as proxies for measures of variation in health-related characteristics, are related to the mortality differential. Persons who are single, disability pensioners, and those having experienced unemployment are found to have substantially higher death rates than those with a partner and employed persons. Swedish speakers have a more favourable distribution on both variables, which thus notably helps to reduce the Finnish-Swedish mortality gradient. A conclusion from this study is that future analyses on the topic should focus on mechanisms that bring a greater proportion of Finnish speakers into the groups with poor health or supposed unhealthy behaviour.

Ambivalent spaces--the emergence of a new gay male norm situated between notions of the commercial and the political in the Swedish gay press, 1969-1986.

PubMed

Bertilsdotter Rosqvist, Hanna; Arnberg, Klara

2015-01-01

Within sexual geographies, sexual struggles over urban public spaces are frequently explored. Less common is research on sexual struggles within sexually shared spaces and gay spaces. The aim of the article is to examine discursive struggles of meanings of gay male identity enacted in discussions of commodification/capitalism, disclosure, and space in Swedish gay press during 1969-1986. We trace the ambivalent feelings or the emergence of a new gay male norm situated between commercialism and non-commercialism within the Swedish gay press back to the 1970s. In the article we show how a monosexualization process was taking place in both the Swedish gay press as well as within sexual spaces. We explore rhetorical struggles between two competing discursive meanings of (ideal homonormative) male homosexuality, gay culture, and space: one wider (inclusive) and one narrower (exclusive).

Local fisheries management at the Swedish coast: biological and social preconditions.

PubMed

Bruckmeier, Karl; Neuman, Erik

2005-03-01

Most of the Swedish coastal fisheries are not sustainable from either a social, economic or ecological point of view. We propose the introduction of local fisheries management (LFM) as a tool for restructuring the present large-scale management system in order to achieve sustainability. To implement LFM two questions need to be answered: How to distribute the resource fish among different resource user groups? How to restructure present fisheries management to meet the criteria of sustainability? Starting from these questions we describe possible forms of LFM for Swedish coastal fishery supported by recent research. The biological and social preconditions for restructuring fisheries management are derived from an analysis of the ecological and managerial situation in Swedish fishery. Three types of LFM--owner based, user based, and community based management--are analyzed with regard to the tasks to be carried outin LFM, the roles of management groups, and the definition and optimal size of management areas.

Sense of mastery differences between working-age Swedish- and Finnish-speaking Finns: a population-based study.

PubMed

Reini, Kaarina; Nyqvist, Fredrica

2017-06-01

To examine the probability of a high sense of mastery in a population-representative sample of working-age people and to study the differences in mastery between Finnish-speaking and Swedish-speaking Finns in particular. The data originates from the Western Finland Mental Health Surveys (2008-2014). Associations between sense of mastery and language groups were analyzed with logistic regressions. Swedish-speaking Finns have a higher sense of mastery and the association is mediated by social support. Moreover, a difference in a high sense of mastery is found between Swedish- and Finnish-speaking married women that are outside the labor market. Our findings imply that Finnish-speaking women that are outside the labor market, e.g. on maternity leave or taking care of the household, should be recognized in health and social care services as a group that can benefit from additional support.

Self-reported assertiveness in Swedish and Turkish adolescents: a cross-cultural comparison.

PubMed

Eskin, Mehmet

2003-02-01

The present cross-cultural study compared self-reported assertiveness in 652 Swedish and 654 Turkish high school students by using a multi-dimensional measure called the Scale for Interpersonal Behavior (SIB). Four hypotheses were tested in the study. First, the hypothesis that Swedish adolescents would be more assertive than their Turkish counterparts was supported by the data. Second, the expectation that Turkish boys would be more assertive than Turkish girls, while there would be no differences between Swedish girls and boys, was not confirmed. In general, girls were found to be more skilled than boys in expressing and dealing with personal limitations. Third, as expected, more assertive adolescents in both Sweden and Turkey reported having more friends and receiving more social support than their less assertive peers. Finally, the data supported the expectation that older adolescents would be more assertive than younger ones. The results are discussed in terms of cultural and gender differences.

Applying and adapting the Swedish regulatory system for decommissioning to nuclear power reactors - The regulator's perspective.

PubMed

Amft, Martin; Leisvik, Mathias; Carroll, Simon

2017-03-16

Half of the original 13 Swedish nuclear power reactors will be shut down by 2020. The decommissioning of these reactors is a challenge for all parties involved, including the licensees, the waste management system, the financing system, and the Swedish Radiation Safety Authority (SSM). This paper presents an overview of the Swedish regulations for decommissioning of nuclear facilities. It describes some of the experiences that SSM has gained from the application of these regulations. The focus of the present paper is on administrative aspects of decommissioning, such as SSM's guidelines, the definition of fundamental concepts in the regulatory framework, and a proposed revision of the licensing process according to the Environmental Act. These improvements will help to streamline the administration of the commercial nuclear power plant decommissioning projects that are anticipated to commence in Sweden in the near future. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Rearing of Swedish, Norwegian, and Norwegian Sami children.

PubMed

Larsson, E; Ogaard, B; Lindsten, R

1993-12-01

A total of 362 3-yr-old Swedish, Norwegian, and Norwegian Sami (Lapp) children were examined, and their parents were asked about their children's present and previous sucking habits and how long they had been breast-fed and bottle-fed. They were also asked what the children's age was when porridge or puréed food or food with a soft chewing resistance was introduced, and when more ordinary foods such as well-diced meat and potatoes were introduced. The study revealed that breast-feeding has increased greatly both in prevalence and in duration in Sweden during the last decades. Despite this, Swedish children were breast-fed for a significantly shorter time than Norwegian children. The longest breast-feeding times were noted for Sami children. Swedish children were bottle-fed two to three times longer than Norwegian children. Sucking habits were correlated to breast-feeding only for Sami children.

Impact of muon detection thresholds on the separability of primary cosmic rays

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Müller, S.; Engel, R.; Pierog, T.; Roth, M.

2018-01-01

Knowledge of the mass composition of cosmic rays in the transition region of galactic to extragalactic cosmic rays is needed to discriminate different astrophysical models on their origin, acceleration, and propagation. An important observable to separate different mass groups of cosmic rays is the number of muons in extensive air showers. We performed a CORSIKA simulation study to analyze the impact of the detection threshold of muons on the separation quality of different primary cosmic rays in the energy region of the ankle. Using only the number of muons as the composition-sensitive observable, we find a clear dependence of the separation power on the detection threshold for ideal measurements. Although the number of detected muons increases when lowering the threshold, the discrimination power is reduced. If statistical fluctuations for muon detectors of limited size are taken into account, the threshold dependence remains qualitatively the same for small distances to the shower core but is reduced for large core distances. We interpret the impact of the detection threshold of muons on the composition sensitivity in terms of a change of the correlation of the number of muons nμ with the shower maximum Xmax as function of the muon energy as a result of the underlying hadronic interactions and the shower geometry. We further investigate the role of muons produced in a shower by photon-air interactions and conclude that, in addition to the effect of the nμ -Xmax correlation, the separability of primaries is reduced as a consequence of the presence of more muons from photonuclear reactions in proton than in iron showers.

Prediction of Antibacterial Activity from Physicochemical Properties of Antimicrobial Peptides

PubMed Central

Melo, Manuel N.; Ferre, Rafael; Feliu, Lídia; Bardají, Eduard; Planas, Marta; Castanho, Miguel A. R. B.

2011-01-01

Consensus is gathering that antimicrobial peptides that exert their antibacterial action at the membrane level must reach a local concentration threshold to become active. Studies of peptide interaction with model membranes do identify such disruptive thresholds but demonstrations of the possible correlation of these with the in vivo onset of activity have only recently been proposed. In addition, such thresholds observed in model membranes occur at local peptide concentrations close to full membrane coverage. In this work we fully develop an interaction model of antimicrobial peptides with biological membranes; by exploring the consequences of the underlying partition formalism we arrive at a relationship that provides antibacterial activity prediction from two biophysical parameters: the affinity of the peptide to the membrane and the critical bound peptide to lipid ratio. A straightforward and robust method to implement this relationship, with potential application to high-throughput screening approaches, is presented and tested. In addition, disruptive thresholds in model membranes and the onset of antibacterial peptide activity are shown to occur over the same range of locally bound peptide concentrations (10 to 100 mM), which conciliates the two types of observations. PMID:22194847

Structural diversity effects of multilayer networks on the threshold of interacting epidemics

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wang, Weihong; Chen, MingMing; Min, Yong; Jin, Xiaogang

2016-02-01

Foodborne diseases always spread through multiple vectors (e.g. fresh vegetables and fruits) and reveal that multilayer network could spread fatal pathogen with complex interactions. In this paper, first, we use a "top-down analysis framework that depends on only two distributions to describe a random multilayer network with any number of layers. These two distributions are the overlaid degree distribution and the edge-type distribution of the multilayer network. Second, based on the two distributions, we adopt three indicators of multilayer network diversity to measure the correlation between network layers, including network richness, likeness, and evenness. The network richness is the number of layers forming the multilayer network. The network likeness is the degree of different layers sharing the same edge. The network evenness is the variance of the number of edges in every layer. Third, based on a simple epidemic model, we analyze the influence of network diversity on the threshold of interacting epidemics with the coexistence of collaboration and competition. Our work extends the "top-down" analysis framework to deal with the more complex epidemic situation and more diversity indicators and quantifies the trade-off between thresholds of inter-layer collaboration and intra-layer transmission.

Haplotype analysis suggest that the MLH1 c.2059C > T mutation is a Swedish founder mutation.

PubMed

von Salomé, Jenny; Liu, Tao; Keihäs, Markku; Morak, Moni; Holinski-Feder, Elke; Berry, Ian R; Moilanen, Jukka S; Baert-Desurmont, Stéphanie; Lindblom, Annika; Lagerstedt-Robinson, Kristina

2017-12-29

Lynch syndrome (LS) predisposes to a spectrum of cancers and increases the lifetime risk of developing colorectal- or endometrial cancer to over 50%. Lynch syndrome is dominantly inherited and is caused by defects in DNA mismatch-repair genes MLH1, MSH2, MSH6 or PMS2, with the vast majority detected in MLH1 and MSH2. Recurrent LS-associated variants observed in apparently unrelated individuals, have either arisen de novo in different families due to mutation hotspots, or are inherited from a founder (a common ancestor) that lived several generations back. There are variants that recur in some populations while also acting as founders in other ethnic groups. Testing for founder mutations can facilitate molecular diagnosis of Lynch Syndrome more efficiently and more cost effective than screening for all possible mutations. Here we report a study of the missense mutation MLH1 c.2059C > T (p.Arg687Trp), a potential founder mutation identified in eight Swedish families and one Finnish family with Swedish ancestors. Haplotype analysis confirmed that the Finnish and Swedish families shared a haplotype of between 0.9 and 2.8 Mb. While MLH1 c.2059C > T exists worldwide, the Swedish haplotype was not found among mutation carriers from Germany or France, which indicates a common founder in the Swedish population. The geographic distribution of MLH1 c.2059C > T in Sweden suggests a single, ancient mutational event in the northern part of Sweden.

Eating Disorder Inventory-3, validation in Swedish patients with eating disorders, psychiatric outpatients and a normal control sample.

PubMed

Nyman-Carlsson, Erika; Engström, Ingemar; Norring, Claes; Nevonen, Lauri

2015-02-01

The Eating Disorder Inventory-3 (EDI-3) is designed to assess eating disorder psychopathology and the associated psychological symptoms. The instrument has been revised and has not yet been validated for Swedish conditions in its current form. The aim of this study was to investigate the validity and reliability of this inventory and present national norms for Swedish females. Data from patients with eating disorders (n = 292), psychiatric outpatients (n = 140) and normal controls (n = 648), all females, were used to study the internal consistency, the discriminative ability, and the sensitivity and specificity of the inventory using preliminary cut-offs for each subscale and diagnosis separately. Swedish norms were compared with those from Denmark, USA, Canada, Europe and Australian samples. The reliability was acceptable for all subscales except Asceticism among normal controls. Analysis of variance showed that the EDI-3 discriminates significantly between eating disorders and normal controls. Anorexia nervosa was significantly discriminated from bulimia nervosa and eating disorder not otherwise specified on the Eating Disorder Risk Scales. Swedish patients scored significantly lower than patients from other countries on the majority of the subscales. Drive for Thinness is the second best predictor for an eating disorder. The best predictor for anorexia nervosa was Interoceptive Deficits and Bulimia for the other diagnoses. Conclusions/clinical implications: The EDI-3 is valid for use with Swedish patients as a clinical assessment tool for the treatment planning and evaluation of patients with eating-related problems. However, it still exist some uncertainty regarding its use as a screening tool.

Professional reinventions: Swedish psychologists, 1990-2010.

PubMed

Skagius, Peter; Münger, Ann-Charlotte

2016-11-01

Since the early 20th century, the Swedish psychology profession has undergone several changes in its essential tasks, epistemological foundations, and social roles. These changes occurred through an ongoing "tuning" with Swedish society, in which the profession strove to appear relevant to society's concerns and problems as well as enroll others to share the profession's goals and aims. Studying the history of the profession can thus shed light on the changing definitions and contours of the psychology profession itself as well as on the organization of the society in which it acts. This article examines the history of the Swedish psychology profession from 1990 to 2010, through an analysis of the discussions and debates taking place in the Swedish Psychological Association's journal. The analytical framework used draws on work done within actor-network theory and science studies. We argue that the profession's institutional connections, defining tasks, epistemological underpinnings, and social position have changed in major ways during these 2 decades. Overall, as a result of an increasingly felt insecurity, the profession has turned outward and tried to find new ways to legitimize itself to politicians, the media, patients, and customers through means such as a more economized vocabulary and novel forms of empirical research. These changes have led to a more socialized profession, now more closely tuned to other actors in Swedish society, leading to conflicts within the profession over whether this is an opportunity to better control their own destiny or if it will lead to a loss of autonomy. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2016 APA, all rights reserved).

Risk of schizophrenia and minority status: a comparison of the Swedish-speaking minority and the Finnish-speaking majority in Finland

PubMed Central

Suvisaari, Jaana; Opler, Mark; Lindbohm, Marja-Liisa; Sallmén, Markku

2014-01-01

Approximately five percent of the Finnish population are Swedish-speaking and have higher socioeconomic position and longer life expectancy than the Finnish-speaking majority. Previous studies have not investigated whether Swedish-speaking Finns have lower risk of schizophrenia spectrum disorders (SSD) than Finnish-speaking Finns. We investigated this in a representative sample of 47 445 Finns born in 1972–1984. Hazard ratios of SSD between language groups were assessed with conditional proportional hazards regression. Sex, parental ages at birth, paternal employment around conception, parental psychosis and place and residence in the capital area were used as other explanatory variables. The prevalence of SSD was 0.7% in the Swedish-speaking minority and 1.5% in the Finnish-speaking majority. In the adjusted regression model, belonging to the Swedish-speaking minority was associated with lower risk of SSD (hazard ratio (HR) 0.41, 95% confidence interval (CI) 0.24–0.69). In a subset analysis by gender, the protective effect was evident among Swedish-speaking males (HR 0.32, 95% CI 0.15–0.68) but marginal in females (HR 0.75, 95% CI 0.41–1.37). Parental psychosis and place of birth in the capital area were associated with higher risk of SSD, whereas paternal employment at the time of conception was associated with lower risk of SSD. Our results support the role of social factors in the etiology of schizophrenia. Belonging to a minority with high socioeconomic status and social capital may be protective against schizophrenia, especially for males. PMID:25263996

The role of social capital in explaining mental health inequalities between immigrants and Swedish-born: a population-based cross-sectional study.

PubMed

Johnson, Charisse M; Rostila, Mikael; Svensson, Anna C; Engström, Karin

2017-01-25

Social capital may theoretically explain health inequalities between social groups, but empirical evidence is lacking. Some studies indicate that social capital may be particularly important for immigrant health. Nearly 16% of Sweden's population are foreign-born immigrants and research has shown them to be susceptible to psychological distress, though significant variation has been found between groups. In this study, we investigate the following hypotheses: 1) if non-refugees have better mental health than Swedish-born, and refugees experience worse mental health than Swedish-born; 2) if mental health status converges with that of Swedish-born with longer duration of residence; and 3) if social capital mediates the effect of immigrant status on psychological distress for different immigrant groups as compared to Swedish-born. This cross-sectional study uses baseline data from the Stockholm Public Health Cohort and includes 50,498 randomly-selected individuals from Stockholm County in 2002, 2006, and 2010. Mental health was measured as psychological distress, using the 12-item General Health Questionnaire. Social capital was measured using indicators of bonding, bridging, and linking social capital. Both cognitive and structural aspects were measured for the latter two indicators. Mediation was tested using logistic regression and the Sobel test. The results show that refugees generally had greater odds of psychological distress than non-refugees compared to their respective Swedish-born counterparts. Among immigrant men, both refugees and non-refugees had significantly greater odds of psychological distress than Swedish-born men. Only refugee women in Sweden 10 years or more had significantly greater odds of psychological distress compared to Swedish-born women. The mediation analysis demonstrated that indicators of social capital mediated the association for all immigrant men (except non-refugees in Sweden 3-9 years) and for refugee women in Sweden 10 years or more. While bonding social capital showed the greatest mediatory role among the three social capital types, adding them together had the strongest explanatory effect. Social capital explains differences in mental health for some immigrant groups, highlighting its role as a potentially important post-migration factor. Increased investment from policy-makers regarding how social capital can be promoted among new arrivals may be important for preventing psychological distress.

Effects of pump recycling technique on stimulated Brillouin scattering threshold: a theoretical model.

PubMed

Al-Asadi, H A; Al-Mansoori, M H; Ajiya, M; Hitam, S; Saripan, M I; Mahdi, M A

2010-10-11

We develop a theoretical model that can be used to predict stimulated Brillouin scattering (SBS) threshold in optical fibers that arises through the effect of Brillouin pump recycling technique. Obtained simulation results from our model are in close agreement with our experimental results. The developed model utilizes single mode optical fiber of different lengths as the Brillouin gain media. For 5-km long single mode fiber, the calculated threshold power for SBS is about 16 mW for conventional technique. This value is reduced to about 8 mW when the residual Brillouin pump is recycled at the end of the fiber. The decrement of SBS threshold is due to longer interaction lengths between Brillouin pump and Stokes wave.

Determining lower threshold concentrations for synergistic effects.

PubMed

Bjergager, Maj-Britt Andersen; Dalhoff, Kristoffer; Kretschmann, Andreas; Nørgaard, Katrine Banke; Mayer, Philipp; Cedergreen, Nina

2017-01-01

Though only occurring rarely, synergistic interactions between chemicals in mixtures have long been a point of focus. Most studies analyzing synergistic interactions used unrealistically high chemical concentrations. The aim of the present study is to determine the threshold concentration below which proven synergists cease to act as synergists towards the aquatic crustacean Daphnia magna. To do this, we compared several approaches and test-setups to evaluate which approach gives the most conservative estimate for the lower threshold for synergy for three known azole synergists. We focus on synergistic interactions between the pyrethroid insecticide, alpha-cypermethrin, and one of the three azole fungicides prochloraz, propiconazole or epoxiconazole measured on Daphnia magna immobilization. Three different experimental setups were applied: A standard 48h acute toxicity test, an adapted 48h test using passive dosing for constant chemical exposure concentrations, and a 14-day test. Synergy was defined as occuring in mixtures where either EC 50 values decreased more than two-fold below what was predicted by concentration addition (horizontal assessment) or as mixtures where the fraction of immobile organisms increased more than two-fold above what was predicted by independent action (vertical assessment). All three tests confirmed the hypothesis of the existence of a lower azole threshold concentration below which no synergistic interaction was observed. The lower threshold concentration, however, decreased with increasing test duration from 0.026±0.013μM (9.794±4.897μgL -1 ), 0.425±0.089μM (145.435±30.46μgL -1 ) and 0.757±0.253μM (249.659±83.44μgL -1 ) for prochloraz, propiconazole and epoxiconazole in standard 48h toxicity tests to 0.015±0.004μM (5.651±1.507μgL -1 ), 0.145±0.025μM (49.619±8.555μgL -1 ) and 0.122±0.0417μM (40.236±13.75μgL -1 ), respectively, in the 14-days tests. Testing synergy in relation to concentration addition provided the most conservative values. The threshold values for the vertical assessments in tests where the two could be compared were in general 1.2 to 4.7 fold higher than the horizontal assessments. Using passive dosing rather than dilution series or spiking did not lower the threshold significantly. Below the threshold for synergy, slight antagony could often be observed. This is most likely due to induction of enzymes active in metabolization of alpha-cypermethrin. The results emphasize the importance of test duration when assessing synergy, but also show that azole concentrations within the typically monitored range of up to 0.5μgL -1 are not likely to cause severe synergy concerning Daphnia magna immobilization. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Working under pressure: a pilot study of nurse work in a postoperative setting.

PubMed

Willis, Karen; Brown, Claire R; Sahlin, Ingrid; Svensson, Björn; Arnetz, Bengt B; Arnetz, Judith E

2005-01-01

Postoperative services provide an excellent setting to study nursing work due to the patients' needing highly technical, yet highly comforting, care. The current study examined nursing work in postoperative services in an attempt to discern how nursing work is structured. Observations of nursing interactions in a 14-bed postoperative unit of a large Swedish university hospital found that nursing work in this setting is highly intensive and multidimensional. The need to provide nursing interactions that are caring and respectful of patients, while at the same time ensuring a high level of technical capacity, was obvious throughout all stages of patient stays in this unit. Furthermore, although each interaction is necessarily time-limited there is a caring relationship sustained with each patient. There is a pattern of caring that emerges that can be encapsulated as a "contingent routine." Nursing work cannot be broken down into "dimensions of caring." The work is high-pressure and involves, by necessity, multitasking. There are many dimensions of nursing care, but, usually, these are supplied simultaneously.

Pocket facts 2010 : the Swedish Transport Administration, railways, roads, traffic and transports

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2010-06-01

The Swedish Transport Administration is responsible : for the long-term planning of the transport : system for road, rail, shipping and aviation. : Our task is to develop an efficient and sustainable : transport system from a perspective that : encom...

Evaluation of IMS - Swedish Laser road tester : final report.

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

1990-09-01

A test of the IMS - Swedish Laser road tester was conducted in September 1988. The vehicle mounted laser equipment was used to survey pavement conditions on sections of Oregon's Interstate and non-interstate highway system. : The IMS laser equipment ...

Language Acquisition in the Swedish-Speaking Minority in Finland.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Brunell, A. Viking

1991-01-01

Documents the differences in language acquisition and school achievement between Finnish- and Swedish-speaking students in Finland's comprehensive school systems. Discusses the need for language maintenance and enrichment measures in both out-of-school and in-school environments. (SR)

Swedish austerity: benefits at risk.

PubMed

Carroll, E

1993-01-01

The Swedish welfare state is facing the greatest threat since its inception. Attacks stem from the country's sharp economic downturn since 1989 and the related currency crisis of September 1992. Politicians of the right and left have responded to the economic crisis by initiating cutbacks in social welfare programs and supporting policies that will lead to a massive transfer of income from working people to corporations. The focus on cutting social programs is misplaced. The Swedish economy flourished for decades with the network of social service programs in place; the welfare state cannot be blamed for economic problems that have only recently arisen.

The heritable basis of gene-environment interactions in cardiometabolic traits.

PubMed

Poveda, Alaitz; Chen, Yan; Brändström, Anders; Engberg, Elisabeth; Hallmans, Göran; Johansson, Ingegerd; Renström, Frida; Kurbasic, Azra; Franks, Paul W

2017-03-01

Little is known about the heritable basis of gene-environment interactions in humans. We therefore screened multiple cardiometabolic traits to assess the probability that they are influenced by genotype-environment interactions. Fourteen established environmental risk exposures and 11 cardiometabolic traits were analysed in the VIKING study, a cohort of 16,430 Swedish adults from 1682 extended pedigrees with available detailed genealogical, phenotypic and demographic information, using a maximum likelihood variance decomposition method in Sequential Oligogenic Linkage Analysis Routines software. All cardiometabolic traits had statistically significant heritability estimates, with narrow-sense heritabilities (h 2 ) ranging from 24% to 47%. Genotype-environment interactions were detected for age and sex (for the majority of traits), physical activity (for triacylglycerols, 2 h glucose and diastolic BP), smoking (for weight), alcohol intake (for weight, BMI and 2 h glucose) and diet pattern (for weight, BMI, glycaemic traits and systolic BP). Genotype-age interactions for weight and systolic BP, genotype-sex interactions for BMI and triacylglycerols and genotype-alcohol intake interactions for weight remained significant after multiple test correction. Age, sex and alcohol intake are likely to be major modifiers of genetic effects for a range of cardiometabolic traits. This information may prove valuable for studies that seek to identify specific loci that modify the effects of lifestyle in cardiometabolic disease.

Dyspnoea-12: a translation and linguistic validation study in a Swedish setting

PubMed Central

Ekström, Magnus

2017-01-01

Background Dyspnoea consists of multiple dimensions including the intensity, unpleasantness, sensory qualities and emotional responses which may differ between patient groups, settings and in relation to treatment. The Dyspnoea-12 is a validated and convenient instrument for multidimensional measurement in English. We aimed to take forward a Swedish version of the Dyspnoea-12. Methods The linguistic validation of the Dyspnoea-12 was performed (Mapi Language Services, Lyon, France). The standardised procedure involved forward and backward translations by three independent certified translators and revisions after feedback from an in-country linguistic consultant, the developerand three native physicians. The understanding and convenience of the translated version was evaluated using qualitative in-depth interviews with five patients with dyspnoea. Results A Swedish version of the Dyspnoea-12 was elaborated and evaluated carefully according to international guidelines. The Swedish version, ‘Dyspné−12’, has the same layout as the original version, including 12 items distributed on seven physical and five affective items. The Dyspnoea-12 is copyrighted by the developer but can be used free of charge after permission for not industry-funded research. Conclusion A Swedish version of the Dyspnoea-12 is now available for clinical validation and multidimensional measurement across diseases and settings with the aim of improved evaluation and management of dyspnoea. PMID:28592574

Higgs boson gluon–fusion production at threshold in N 3LO QCD

DOE PAGES

Anastasiou, Charalampos; Duhr, Claude; Dulat, Falko; ...

2014-09-02

We present the cross-section for the threshold production of the Higgs boson at hadron-colliders at next-to-next-to-next-to-leading order (N 3LO) in perturbative QCD. Furthermore, we present an analytic expression for the partonic cross-section at threshold and the impact of these corrections on the numerical estimates for the hadronic cross-section at the LHC. With this result we achieve a major milestone towards a complete evaluation of the cross-section at N 3LO which will reduce the theoretical uncertainty in the determination of the strengths of the Higgs boson interactions.

Spinal cord, hypothalamic, and air temperature: interaction with arousal states in the marmot.

PubMed

Miller, V M; South, F E

1979-01-01

Yellow-bellied marmots, Marmota flaviventris, prepared with U-shaped thermodes in the epidural space of the thoracic vertebral canal, a thermode in the preoptic hypothalamus, and cortical surface and hippocampal electrodes, were used to investigate the interaction of arousal states with temperature regulation. It was found that arousal state of the animal influences the thermoregulatory responses initiated in either the spinal cord or hypothalamus. Further, changes in ambient temperature affected both the gain and the threshold of these responses. The interaction of the hypothalamus and spinal cord was not an additive function, however the threshold for shivering of each could be altered by temperature manipulation of the other. Future studies in modeling of temperature regulation should consider the contributions of temperature receptors of the spinal cord and the arousal state of the animal during the stimulation period.

Quantum correlations across two octaves from combined up- and down-conversion

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Li, Jingyan; Olsen, M. K.

2018-04-01

We propose and analyze a cascaded optical parametric system which involves three interacting modes across two octaves of frequency difference. Our system, combining degenerate optical parametric oscillation (OPO) with second harmonic generation (SHG), promises to be a useful source of squeezed and entangled light at three differing frequencies. We show how changes in damping rates and the ratio of the two concurrent nonlinearities affect the quantum correlations in the output fields. We analyze the threshold behavior, showing how the normal OPO threshold is changed by the addition of the SHG interactions. We also find that the inclusion of the OPO interaction removes the self-pulsing behavior found in normal SHG. Finally, we show how the Einstein-Podolsky-Rosen correlations can be controlled by the injection of a coherent seed field at the lower frequency.

Theory and Experimental and Chemical Instabilities

DTIC Science & Technology

1989-01-31

Thresholds, Hysteresis, and Neuromodulation of Signal-to-Noise; and Statistical-Mechanical Theory of Many-body Effects in Reaction Rates. T Ic 2 UL3...submitted to the Journal of Physical Chemistry. 6. Noise in Neural Networks: Thresholds, Hysteresis, and Neuromodulation of Signal-to-Noise. We study a...neural-network model including Gaussian noise, higher-order neuronal interactions, and neuromodulation . For a first-order network, there is a

Production of Charmonium at Threshold in Hall A and C at Jefferson Lab

DOE PAGES

Hafidi, K.; Joosten, S.; Meziani, Z. -E.; ...

2017-05-27

Here, we describe in this paper two approved experiments in Hall A and Hall C at Jefferson Lab that will investigate the pure gluonic component of the strong interaction of Quantum ChromoDynamics by measuring the elastic J/ψ electro and photo-production cross section in the threshold region as well as explore the nature of the recently discovered LHCb charmed pentaquarks.

FTO genotype, physical activity, and coronary heart disease risk in Swedish men and women.

PubMed

Gustavsson, Jaana; Mehlig, Kirsten; Leander, Karin; Lissner, Lauren; Björck, Lena; Rosengren, Annika; Nyberg, Fredrik

2014-04-01

Variants in the fat mass- and obesity-associated gene (FTO) predisposing to obesity and diabetes mellitus have also been associated with cardiovascular disease. Physical activity has been suggested to attenuate the FTO effect on obesity, but it is unknown whether this is also true for cardiovascular disease. Therefore, we explored whether physical activity modifies the FTO association with coronary heart disease (CHD). FTO rs9939609 (T>A) polymorphism was genotyped in 2 Swedish population-based case-control studies with 1743 CHD cases and 4402 population controls (25-74 years of age; 41% women). Leisure time physical activity was assessed by questionnaires, and 3 levels were defined: low, medium, and high. Overall, carriers of the FTO A allele had an increased risk of CHD (odds ratio, 1.20; 95% confidence interval, 1.06-1.37) adjusted for age, sex, study, and body mass index. Although A-allele carriers with low physical activity had the highest CHD risk (odds ratio, 3.30; 95% confidence interval, 2.44-4.46) compared with those with TT genotype and high activity, the effects of FTO genotype and physical activity on CHD risk were approximately additive, indicating the absence of additive interaction. The stratum-specific relative risks of CHD from the A allele in subjects with low, medium, and high physical activity were odds ratio 1.11 (95% confidence interval, 0.77-1.60), 1.22 (1.04-1.44), and 1.38 (1.06-1.80), respectively, but the suggested multiplicative interaction was not significant. FTO rs9939609 A-allele carriers have an increased CHD risk, and the association is not counteracted by increased physical activity.

The Deglacial to Holocene Paleoceanography of Bering Strait: Results From the SWERUS-C3 Program

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jakobsson, M.; Anderson, L. G.; Backman, J.; Barrientos, N.; Björk, G. M.; Coxall, H.; Cronin, T. M.; De Boer, A. M.; Gemery, L.; Jerram, K.; Johansson, C.; Kirchner, N.; Mayer, L. A.; Mörth, C. M.; Nilsson, J.; Noormets, R. R. N. N.; O'Regan, M.; Pearce, C.; Semiletov, I. P.; Stranne, C.

2017-12-01

The climate-carbon-cryosphere (C3) interactions in the East Siberian Arctic Ocean and related ocean, river and land areas of the Arctic have been the focus for the SWERUS-C3 Program (Swedish - Russian - US Arctic Ocean Investigation of Climate-Cryosphere-Carbon Interactions). This multi-investigator, multi-disciplinary program was carried out on a two-leg 90-day long expedition in 2014 with Swedish icebreaker Oden. One component of the expedition consisted of geophysical mapping and coring of Herald Canyon, located on the Chukchi Sea shelf north of the Bering Strait in the western Arctic Ocean. Herald Canyon is strategically placed to capture the history of the Pacific-Arctic Ocean connection and related changes in Arctic Ocean paleoceanography. Here we present a summary of key results from analyses of the marine geophysical mapping data and cores collected from Herald Canyon on the shelf and slope that proved to be particularly well suited for paleoceanographic reconstruction. For example, we provide a new age constraint of 11 cal ka BP on sediments from the uppermost slope for the initial flooding of the Bering Land Bridge and reestablishment of the Pacific-Arctic Ocean connection following the last glaciation. This age corresponds to meltwater pulse 1b (MWP1b) known as a post-Younger Dryas warming in many sea level and paleoclimate records. In addition, high late Holocene sedimentation rates that range between about 100 and 300 cm kyr-1, in Herald Canyon permitted paleoceanographic reconstructions of ocean circulation and sea ice cover at centennial scales throughout the late Holocene. Evidence suggests varying influence from inflowing Pacific water into the western Arctic Ocean including some evidence for quasi-cyclic variability in several paleoceanographic parameters, e.g. micropaleontological assemblages, isotope geochemistry and sediment physical properties.

Social risk or genetic liability for psychosis? A study of children born in Sweden and reared by adoptive parents.

PubMed

Wicks, Susanne; Hjern, Anders; Dalman, Christina

2010-10-01

Recent studies suggest a role for social factors during childhood in the later development of schizophrenia. Since social conditions in childhood are closely related to parental psychiatric illness, there is a need to disentangle how genes and social environmental factors interact. A total of 13,163 children born in Sweden between 1955 and 1984 and reared in Swedish adoptive families were linked to the National Patient Register until 2006 regarding admissions for non-affective psychoses, including schizophrenia. Hazard ratios for nonaffective psychoses were estimated in relation to three indicators of socioeconomic position in childhood (household data of the rearing family obtained via linkage to the National Censuses of 1960-1985) and in relation to indicator of genetic liability (biological parental inpatient care for psychosis). In addition, the total Swedish-born population was investigated. Increased risks for nonaffective psychosis were found among adoptees (without biological parental history of psychosis) reared in families with disadvantaged socioeconomic position, which consisted of adoptive parental unemployment (hazard ratio=2.0), single-parent household (hazard ratio=1.2), and living in apartments (hazard ratio=1.3). The risk was also increased among persons with genetic liability for psychosis alone (hazard ratio=4.7). Among those exposed to both genetic liability and a disadvantaged socioeconomic situation in childhood, the risk was considerably higher (hazard ratio=15.0, 10.3, and 5.7 for parental unemployment, single-parent household, and apartment living, respectively). Analyses in the larger population supported these results. The results indicate that children reared in families with a disadvantaged socioeconomic position have an increased risk for psychosis. There was also some support for an interaction effect, suggesting that social disadvantage increases this risk more in children with genetic liability for psychosis.

Fish introductions reveal the temperature dependence of species interactions

PubMed Central

Hein, Catherine L.; Öhlund, Gunnar; Englund, Göran

2014-01-01

A major area of current research is to understand how climate change will impact species interactions and ultimately biodiversity. A variety of environmental conditions are rapidly changing owing to climate warming, and these conditions often affect both the strength and outcome of species interactions. We used fish distributions and replicated fish introductions to investigate environmental conditions influencing the coexistence of two fishes in Swedish lakes: brown trout (Salmo trutta) and pike (Esox lucius). A logistic regression model of brown trout and pike coexistence showed that these species coexist in large lakes (more than 4.5 km2), but not in small, warm lakes (annual air temperature more than 0.9–1.5°C). We then explored how climate change will alter coexistence by substituting climate scenarios for 2091–2100 into our model. The model predicts that brown trout will be extirpated from approximately half of the lakes where they presently coexist with pike and from nearly all 9100 lakes where pike are predicted to invade. Context dependency was critical for understanding pike–brown trout interactions, and, given the widespread occurrence of context-dependent species interactions, this aspect will probably be critical for accurately predicting climate impacts on biodiversity. PMID:24307673

GSFC_20170503_2017-4309_104

NASA Image and Video Library

2017-05-03

Swedish Delegation visited Goddard on May 3, 2017. Center Director Chris Scolese greets His Majesty Carl XVI Gustaf, King of Sweden at Bldg 28. Goddard Child Development Center was on hand with children bearing flags, flowers and a painting of Swedish Linnea flower as a gift.

Independence between implicit and explicit processing as revealed by the Simon effect.

PubMed

Lo, Shih-Yu; Yeh, Su-Ling

2011-09-01

Studies showing human behavior influenced by subliminal stimuli mainly focus on implicit processing per se, and little is known about its interaction with explicit processing. We examined this by using the Simon effect, wherein a task-irrelevant spatial distracter interferes with lateralized response. Lo and Yeh (2008) found that the visual Simon effect, although it occurred when participants were aware of the visual distracters, did not occur with subliminal visual distracters. We used the same paradigm and examined whether subliminal and supra-threshold stimuli are processed independently by adding a supra-threshold auditory distracter to ascertain whether it would interact with the subliminal visual distracter. Results showed auditory Simon effect, but there was still no visual Simon effect, indicating that supra-threshold and subliminal stimuli are processed separately in independent streams. In contrast to the traditional view that implicit processing precedes explicit processing, our results suggest that they operate independently in a parallel fashion. Copyright © 2010 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Whose job is it anyway? Swedish general practitioners' perception of their responsibility for the patient's drug list.

PubMed

Rahmner, Pia Bastholm; Gustafsson, Lars L; Holmström, Inger; Rosenqvist, Urban; Tomson, Göran

2010-01-01

Information about the patient's current drug list is a prerequisite for safe drug prescribing. The aim of this study was to explore general practitioners' (GPs) understandings of who is responsible for the patient's drug list so that drugs prescribed by different physicians do not interact negatively or even cause harm. The study also sought to clarify how this responsibility was managed. We conducted a descriptive qualitative study among 20 Swedish physicians. We recruited the informants purposively and captured their view on responsibility by semistructured interviews. Data were analyzed using a phenomenographic approach. We found variation in understandings about who is responsible for the patient's drug list and, in particular, how the GPs use different strategies to manage this responsibility. Five categories emerged: (1) imposed responsibility, (2) responsible for own prescriptions, (3) responsible for all drugs, (4) different but shared responsibility, and (5) patient responsible for transferring drug information. The relation between categories is illustrated in an outcome space, which displays how the GPs reason in relation to managing drug lists. The understanding of the GP's responsibility for the patient's drug list varied, which may be a threat to safe patient care. We propose that GPs are made aware of variations in understanding responsibility so that health care quality can be improved.

Relative Health Effects of Education, Socioeconomic Status and Domestic Gender Inequity in Sweden: A Cohort Study

PubMed Central

Phillips, Susan P.; Hammarström, Anne

2011-01-01

Introduction Limited existing research on gender inequities suggests that for men workplace atmosphere shapes wellbeing while women are less susceptible to socioeconomic or work status but vulnerable to home inequities. Methods Using the 2007 Northern Swedish Cohort (n = 773) we identified relative contributions of perceived gender inequities in relationships, financial strain, and education to self-reported health to determine whether controlling for sex, examining interactions between sex and other social variables, or sex-disaggregating data yielded most information about sex differences. Results and Discussion Men had lower education but also less financial strain, and experienced less gender inequity. Overall, low education and financial strain detracted from health. However, sex-disaggregated data showed this to be true for women, whereas for men only gender inequity at home affected health. In the relatively egalitarian Swedish environment where women more readily enter all work arenas and men often provide parenting, traditional primacy of the home environment (for women) and the work environment (for men) in shaping health is reversing such that perceived domestic gender inequity has a significant health impact on men, while for women only education and financial strain are contributory. These outcomes were identified only when data were sex-disaggregated. PMID:21747922

Dietary patterns in Swedish adults; results from a national dietary survey.

PubMed

Ax, Erika; Warensjö Lemming, Eva; Becker, Wulf; Andersson, Agneta; Lindroos, Anna Karin; Cederholm, Tommy; Sjögren, Per; Fung, Teresa T

2016-01-14

Dietary patterns derived by statistical procedures is a way to identify overall dietary habits in specific populations. The aim of this study was to identify and characterise dietary patterns in Swedish adults using data from the national dietary survey Riksmaten adults 2010-11 (952 women, 788 men). Principal component analyses were used and two patterns were identified in both sexes: a healthy pattern loading positively on vegetables, fruits, fish and seafood, and vegetable oils, and negatively on refined bread and fast food, and a Swedish traditional pattern loading positively on potatoes, meat and processed meat, full-fat milk products, sweet bakery products, sweet condiments and margarine. In addition, a light-meal pattern was identified in women with positive loadings on fibre-rich bread, cheese, rice, pasta and food grain dishes, substitute products for meat and dairy products, candies and tea. The healthy pattern was positively correlated to dietary fibre (r 0·51-0·58) and n-3 (r 0·25-0·31) (all P<0·0001), and had a higher nutrient density of folate, vitamin D and Se. The Swedish traditional and the light-meal pattern were positively correlated to added sugar (r 0·20-0·25) and the Swedish traditional also to SFA (r 0·13-0·21) (all P<0·0001); both patterns were in general negatively correlated to micronutrients. Dietary pattern scores were associated with, for example, age, physical activity, education and income. In conclusion, we identified three major dietary patterns among Swedish adults. The patterns can be further used for examining the association between whole diet and health outcomes.

Cue-based assertion classification for Swedish clinical text – developing a lexicon for pyConTextSwe

PubMed Central

Velupillai, Sumithra; Skeppstedt, Maria; Kvist, Maria; Mowery, Danielle; Chapman, Brian E.; Dalianis, Hercules; Chapman, Wendy W.

2014-01-01

Objective The ability of a cue-based system to accurately assert whether a disorder is affirmed, negated, or uncertain is dependent, in part, on its cue lexicon. In this paper, we continue our study of porting an assertion system (pyConTextNLP) from English to Swedish (pyConTextSwe) by creating an optimized assertion lexicon for clinical Swedish. Methods and material We integrated cues from four external lexicons, along with generated inflections and combinations. We used subsets of a clinical corpus in Swedish. We applied four assertion classes (definite existence, probable existence, probable negated existence and definite negated existence) and two binary classes (existence yes/no and uncertainty yes/no) to pyConTextSwe. We compared pyConTextSwe’s performance with and without the added cues on a development set, and improved the lexicon further after an error analysis. On a separate evaluation set, we calculated the system’s final performance. Results Following integration steps, we added 454 cues to pyConTextSwe. The optimized lexicon developed after an error analysis resulted in statistically significant improvements on the development set (83% F-score, overall). The system’s final F-scores on an evaluation set were 81% (overall). For the individual assertion classes, F-score results were 88% (definite existence), 81% (probable existence), 55% (probable negated existence), and 63% (definite negated existence). For the binary classifications existence yes/no and uncertainty yes/no, final system performance was 97%/87% and 78%/86% F-score, respectively. Conclusions We have successfully ported pyConTextNLP to Swedish (pyConTextSwe). We have created an extensive and useful assertion lexicon for Swedish clinical text, which could form a valuable resource for similar studies, and which is publicly available. PMID:24556644

The impact of the Swedish massage on the kinesthetic differentiation in healthy individuals.

PubMed

Mustafa, Kamil; Furmanek, Mariusz Pawel; Knapik, Aleksandra; Bacik, Bogdan; Juras, Grzegorz

2015-03-01

Swedish massage is one of the common treatments to provide optimal start and readiness of athletes. The ability of kinesthetic differentiation (KD) is crucial in sport performance. This skill allows to adapt demanded muscle forces to optimize the motor tasks, and it is responsible for the precision. In the literature, there is no evidence how Swedish massage influences the kinesthetic differentiation. The objective of the study was to evaluate the impact of Swedish massage on the kinesthetic differentiation and muscle strength of hand grip. Thirty participants took part in this investigation (17 women and 13 men). The assessment consisted of KD tests conducted on the dominant (DH) and nondominant hand (NDH) after 15 minutes of hand and forearm Swedish massage. The procedure consisted of 13 trials for each extremity. The first three were done for 100% of the participants' capabilities (Fmax), the next five trials were done using 50% of maximum force (50% of Fmax), and in the last five trials, the participants tried to use only 50% of their previous force (1/2 of 50%). Finally, the absolute force production error (FPE) was calculated for 50% (FPE_50%) and 25% (FPE_25%). The two-way repeated measure analysis of variance ANOVA did not reveal any statistically significant changes in maximal strength grip and KD between pre- and postmassage intervention in both DH and NDH hand. Correlations showed strong relationship between pre- and postmassage for maximum force (r = 0.92, p = .01 for DH, and r = 0.94, p = .01 for NDH), and only for the FPE_50% (r = 0.67, p = .01 for DH, and r = 0.71, p = .01 for NDH). The results obtained indicated that the application of the Swedish massage did not affect the kinesthetic differentiation in this particular young adult group.

Haemoglobin A1c as a screening tool for type 2 diabetes and prediabetes in populations of Swedish and Middle-East ancestry.

PubMed

Hellgren, Margareta; Hjörleifsdottir Steiner, Kristin; Bennet, Louise

2017-08-01

To explore and compare sensitivity and specificity for HbA1c ≥48mmol/mol as a predictor for type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) in two populations with different ethnicity and to examine the predictive value of two levels of HbA1c (≥42mmol/mol, ≥39mmol/mol) for prediabetes in these populations. Four cohorts were examined with an oral glucose tolerance test. (1) The MEDIM Study (n=1991 individuals of Swedish and Iraqi ancestry); (2) The Skaraborg Project (n=1327 individuals of Swedish ancestry); (3) The 4-D study (n=424 individuals of Swedish, Iraqi and Turkish ancestry); (4) The Flemingsberg study (n=212 participants of Turkish ancestry). HbA1c ≥48mmol/mol had a sensitivity for T2DM of 31% and 25% respectively in individuals of Middle-East and Swedish ancestry. The positive and negative predictive value was high in both populations (70.3, 96.4 and 96.2, 97.6 respectively). Using HbA1c ≥42mmol/mol and ≥39mmol/mol as a predictor for prediabetes gave a sensitivity of 17% and 36% in individuals of Middle-East and 15% and 34% in individuals of Swedish ancestry. Even if HbA1c ≥48mmol/mol is a valuable diagnostic tool, it is a blunt and insensitive tool for screening and would exclude most people with T2DM, independent of ancestry and age. HbA1c is an inefficient way to detect individuals with prediabetes. Copyright © 2017 Primary Care Diabetes Europe. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Psychometric properties of the Swedish childbirth self-efficacy inventory (Swe-CBSEI)

PubMed Central

2014-01-01

Background Previous research has reported that women who are admitted to delivery wards in early labour process before an active stage of labour has started run an increased risk of instrumental deliveries. Therefore, it is essential to focus on factors such as self-efficacy that can enhance a woman’s own ability to cope with the first stage of labour. However, there was no Swedish instrument measuring childbirth self-efficacy available. Thus, the aim of the study was to translate the Childbirth Self-efficacy Inventory and to psychometrically test the Swedish version on first- time mothers within the Swedish culture. Methods The method included a forward-backward translation with face and content validity. The psychometric properties were evaluated using a Principal Component Analysis and by using Cronbach’s alpha coefficient and inter-item correlations. Descriptive statistics and non-parametric tests were used to describe and compare the scales. All data were collected from January 2011 to June 2012, from 406 pregnant women during the gestational week 35-42. Results The Swedish version of the Childbirth Self-Efficacy Inventory indicated good reliability and the Principal Component Analysis showed a three-component structure. The Wilcoxon Signed-Ranks Test indicated that the women could differentiate between the concepts outcome expectancy and self-efficacy expectatancy and between the two labour stages, active stage and the second stage of labour. Conclusions The Swedish version of Childbirth Self-efficacy Inventory is a reliable and valid instrument. The inventory can act as a tool to identify those women who need extra support and to evaluate the efforts of improving women’s self-efficacy during pregnancy. PMID:24383788

Risk of schizophrenia and minority status: a comparison of the Swedish-speaking minority and the Finnish-speaking majority in Finland.

PubMed

Suvisaari, Jaana; Opler, Mark; Lindbohm, Marja-Liisa; Sallmén, Markku

2014-11-01

Approximately five percent of the Finnish population are Swedish-speaking and have higher socioeconomic position and longer life expectancy than the Finnish-speaking majority. Previous studies have not investigated whether Swedish-speaking Finns have lower risk of schizophrenia spectrum disorders (SSD) than Finnish-speaking Finns. We investigated this in a representative sample of 47 445 Finns born in 1972-1984. Hazard ratios of SSD between language groups were assessed with conditional proportional hazards regression. Sex, parental ages at birth, paternal employment around conception, parental psychosis and place and residence in the capital area were used as other explanatory variables. The prevalence of SSD was 0.7% in the Swedish-speaking minority and 1.5% in the Finnish-speaking majority. In the adjusted regression model, belonging to the Swedish-speaking minority was associated with lower risk of SSD (hazard ratio (HR) 0.41, 95% confidence interval (CI) 0.24-0.69). In a subset analysis by gender, the protective effect was evident among Swedish-speaking males (HR 0.32, 95% CI 0.15-0.68) but marginal in females (HR 0.75, 95% CI 0.41-1.37). Parental psychosis and place of birth in the capital area were associated with higher risk of SSD, whereas paternal employment at the time of conception was associated with lower risk of SSD. Our results support the role of social factors in the etiology of schizophrenia. Belonging to a minority with high socioeconomic status and social capital may be protective against schizophrenia, especially for males. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Swedish snus and the GothiaTek® standard

PubMed Central

2011-01-01

Some smokeless tobacco products, such as Swedish snus, are today considered to be associated with substantially fewer health hazards than cigarettes. This risk differential has contributed to the scientific debate about the possibilities of harm reduction within the tobacco area. Although current manufacturing methods for snus build on those that were introduced more than a century ago, the low levels of unwanted substances in modern Swedish snus are largely due to improvements in production techniques and selection of raw materials in combination with several programs for quality assurance and quality control. These measures have been successively introduced during the past 30-40 years. In the late 1990s they formed the basis for a voluntary quality standard for Swedish snus named GothiaTek®. In recent years the standard has been accepted by the members of the trade organization European Smokeless Tobacco Council (ESTOC) so it has now evolved into an industrial standard for all smokeless tobacco products in Europe. The initial impetus for the mentioned changes of the production was quality problems related to microbial activity and formation of ammonia and nitrite in the finished products. Other contributing factors were that snus came under the jurisdiction of the Swedish Food Act in 1971, and concerns that emerged in the 1960s and 1970s about health effects of tobacco, and the significance of agrochemical residues and other potential toxicants in food stuffs. This paper summarizes the historical development of the manufacture of Swedish snus, describes the chemical composition of modern snus, and gives the background and rationale for the GothiaTek® standard, including the selection of constituents for which the standard sets limits. The paper also discusses the potential future of this voluntary standard in relation to current discussions about tobacco harm reduction and regulatory science in tobacco control. PMID:21575206

The Swedish version of the Frommelt Attitude Toward Care of the Dying scale: aspects of validity and factors influencing nurses' and nursing students' attitudes.

PubMed

Henoch, Ingela; Browall, Maria; Melin-Johansson, Christina; Danielson, Ella; Udo, Camilla; Johansson Sundler, Annelie; Björk, Maria; Ek, Kristina; Hammarlund, Kina; Bergh, Ingrid; Strang, Susann

2014-01-01

Nurses' attitudes toward caring for dying persons need to be explored. The Frommelt Attitude Toward Care of the Dying (FATCOD) scale has not previously been used in Swedish language. The objectives of this study were to compare FATCOD scores among Swedish nurses and nursing students with those from other languages, to explore the existence of 2 subscales, and to evaluate influences of experiences on attitudes toward care of dying patients. A descriptive, cross-sectional, and predictive design was used. The FATCOD scores of Swedish nurses from hospice, oncology, surgery clinics, and palliative home care and nursing students were compared with published scores from the United States, Israel, and Japan. Descriptive statistics, t tests, and factor and regression analyses were used. The sample consisted of 213 persons: 71 registered nurses, 42 enrolled nurses, and 100 nursing students. Swedish FATCOD mean scores did not differ from published means from the United States and Israel, but were significantly more positive than Japanese means. In line with Japanese studies, factor analyses yielded a 2-factor solution. Total FATCOD and subscales had low Cronbach α's. Hospice and palliative team nurses were more positive than oncology and surgery nurses to care for dying patients. Although our results suggest that the Swedish FATCOD may comprise 2 distinct scales, the total scale may be the most adequate and applicable for use in Sweden. Professional experience was associated with nurses' attitudes toward caring for dying patients. Care culture might influence nurses' attitudes toward caring for dying patients; the benefits of education need to be explored.

D-optimal experimental designs to test for departure from additivity in a fixed-ratio mixture ray.

PubMed

Coffey, Todd; Gennings, Chris; Simmons, Jane Ellen; Herr, David W

2005-12-01

Traditional factorial designs for evaluating interactions among chemicals in a mixture may be prohibitive when the number of chemicals is large. Using a mixture of chemicals with a fixed ratio (mixture ray) results in an economical design that allows estimation of additivity or nonadditive interaction for a mixture of interest. This methodology is extended easily to a mixture with a large number of chemicals. Optimal experimental conditions can be chosen that result in increased power to detect departures from additivity. Although these designs are used widely for linear models, optimal designs for nonlinear threshold models are less well known. In the present work, the use of D-optimal designs is demonstrated for nonlinear threshold models applied to a fixed-ratio mixture ray. For a fixed sample size, this design criterion selects the experimental doses and number of subjects per dose level that result in minimum variance of the model parameters and thus increased power to detect departures from additivity. An optimal design is illustrated for a 2:1 ratio (chlorpyrifos:carbaryl) mixture experiment. For this example, and in general, the optimal designs for the nonlinear threshold model depend on prior specification of the slope and dose threshold parameters. Use of a D-optimal criterion produces experimental designs with increased power, whereas standard nonoptimal designs with equally spaced dose groups may result in low power if the active range or threshold is missed.

On the Disappearance of Kilohertz Quasi-periodic Oscillations at a High Mass Accretion Rate in Low-Mass X-Ray Binaries

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cui, Wei

2000-05-01

For all sources in which the phenomenon of kilohertz quasi-periodic oscillation (kHz QPO) is observed, the QPOs disappear abruptly when the inferred mass accretion rate exceeds a certain threshold. Although the threshold cannot at present be accurately determined (or even quantified) observationally, it is clearly higher for bright Z sources than for faint atoll sources. Here we propose that the observational manifestation of kHz QPOs requires direct interaction between the neutron star magnetosphere and the Keplerian accretion disk and that the cessation of kHz QPOs at a high accretion rate is due to the lack of such an interaction when the Keplerian disk terminates at the last stable orbit and yet the magnetosphere is pushed farther inward. The threshold is therefore dependent on the magnetic field strength-the stronger the magnetic field, the higher the threshold. This is certainly in agreement with the atoll/Z paradigm, but we argue that it is also generally true, even for individual sources within each (atoll or Z) category. For atoll sources, the kHz QPOs also seem to vanish at a low accretion rate. Perhaps the ``disengagement'' between the magnetosphere and the Keplerian disk also takes place under such circumstances because of, for instance, the presence of quasi-spherical advection-dominated accretion flow (ADAF) close to the neutron star. Unfortunately, in this case, the estimation of the accretion rate threshold would require a knowledge of the physical mechanisms that cause the disengagement. If the ADAF is responsible, the threshold is likely dependent on the magnetic field of the neutron star.

Career Interruptions and Subsequent Earnings: A Reexamination Using Swedish Data.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Albrecht, James W.; Edin, Per-Anders; Sundstrom, Marianne; Vroman, Susan B.

1999-01-01

Cross-sectional and panel estimations of Swedish data reveal that different types of career interruptions have different effects on wages, varying by gender. Therefore, human capital depreciation does not entirely account for the negative effect of career interruptions on subsequent wages. (SK)

Discussions on Some Educational Issues IV. Research Report 121.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kansanen, Pertti, Ed.

This research report presents five papers offering Finnish, Swedish, Norwegian, and Australian views of educational issues. The first paper, "Nursery School Leadership--A Forgotten Leadership" (Margareth Drakenberg), discusses societal changes in Sweden, characteristics of Swedish Child Care Service, literature on leadership styles and…

LANDSAT language at our reach. First Swedish satellite. Civilization detectors

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Wayne, D. L.; Bravo, V.

1981-01-01

Information on the use of LANDSAT data by Argentina is presented. Details on a Swedish satellite to be completed in 1984 and to be called VIKING are reported. Attempts to contact other civilizations in space by the use of radiotelescopes are discussed.

GSFc_20170503_2017-4309_102

NASA Image and Video Library

2017-05-03

Swedish Delegation visited Goddard on May 3, 2017. Center Director Chris Scolese greets His Majesty Carl XVI Gustaf, King of Sweden at Bldg 28. For arrival children from the Goddard Child Development Center greeted him with flag, flowers and a painting of Swedish Linnea flower as a gift.

Swedish Orienteers: A Survey Study.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ottosson, Torgny

1995-01-01

A survey questionnaire was sent to 1,200 members of Swedish orienteering clubs. Some common beliefs about orienteers were verified. Respondents identifying themselves as active orienteers were often well educated and in the upper middle class, had a healthy lifestyle, and tended to participate as families. (Author/TD)

Calculation of fully differential cross sections for the near threshold double ionization of helium atoms

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Singh, Prithvi; Purohit, Ghanshyam; Dorn, Alexander; Ren, Xueguang; Patidar, Vinod

2016-01-01

Fully differential cross sectional (FDCS) results are reported for the electron-impact double ionization of helium atoms at 5 and 27 eV excess energy. The present attempt to calculate the FDCS in the second Born approximation and treating the postcollision interaction is helpful to analyze the measurements of Ren et al (2008 Phys. Rev. Lett. 101 093201) and Durr et al (2007 Phys. Rev. Lett. 98 193201). The second-order processes and postcollision interaction have been found to be significant in describing the trends of the FDCS. More theoretical effort is required to describe the collision dynamics of electron-impact double ionization of helium atoms at near threshold.

Influence of nonlinear detuning at plasma wavebreaking threshold on backward Raman compression of non-relativistic laser pulses

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Balakin, A. A.; Fraiman, G. M.; Jia, Q.; Fisch, N. J.

2018-06-01

Taking into account the nonlinear dispersion of the plasma wave, the fluid equations for the three-wave (Raman) interaction in plasmas are derived. It is found that, in some parameter regimes, the nonlinear detuning resulting from the plasma wave dispersion during Raman compression limits the plasma wave amplitude to noticeably below the generally recognized wavebreaking threshold. Particle-in-cell simulations confirm the theoretical estimates. For weakly nonlinear dispersion, the detuning effect can be counteracted by pump chirping or, equivalently, by upshifting slightly the pump frequency, so that the frequency-upshifted pump interacts with the seed at the point where the plasma wave enters the nonlinear stage.

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Corvellec, Herve, E-mail: herve.corvellec@ism.lu.se; Bramryd, Torleif

Highlights: Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer Swedish municipally owned waste management companies are active on political, material, technical, and commercial markets. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer These markets differ in kind and their demands follow different logics. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer These markets affect the public service, processing, and marketing of Swedish waste management. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer Articulating these markets is a strategic challenge for Swedish municipally owned waste management. - Abstract: This paper describes how the business model of two leading Swedish municipally owned solid waste management companies exposes them to four different but related markets: a political market in which their legitimacy as an organization is determined; a waste-as-material market thatmore » determines their access to waste as a process input; a technical market in which these companies choose what waste processing technique to use; and a commercial market in which they market their products. Each of these markets has a logic of its own. Managing these logics and articulating the interrelationships between these markets is a key strategic challenge for these companies.« less

The Emergence of Genetic Counseling in Sweden: Examples from Eugenics and Medical Genetics.

PubMed

Björkman, Maria

2015-09-01

This paper examines the intertwined relations between eugenics and medical genetics from a Swedish perspective in the 1940s and 1950s. The Swedish case shows that a rudimentary form of genetic counseling emerged within eugenic practices in the applications of the Swedish Sterilization Act of 1941, here analyzed from the phenomenon of "heredophobia" (ärftlighetsskräck). At the same time genetic counseling also existed outside eugenic practices, within the discipline of medical genetics. The paper argues that a demand for genetic counseling increased in the 1940s and 1950s in response to a sense of reproductive responsibility engendered by earlier eugenic discourse. The paper also questions the claim made by theoreticians of biopolitics that biological citizens have emerged only during the last decades, especially in neoliberal societies. From the Swedish case it is possible to argue that this had already happened earlier in relation to the proliferation of various aspects of eugenics to the public.

The monopolistic integrated model and health care reform: the Swedish experience.

PubMed

Anell, A

1996-07-01

This article reviews recent reforms geared to creating internal markets in the Swedish health-care sector. The main purpose is to describe driving forces behind reforms, and to analyse the limitations of reforms oriented towards internal markets within a monopolistic integrated health-care model. The principal part of the article is devoted to a discussion of incentives within Swedish county councils, and of how these incentives have influenced reforms in the direction of more choices for consumers and a separation between purchasers and providers. It is argued that the current incentives, in combination with criticism against county council activities in the early 1990's, account for the present inconsistencies as regards reforms. Furthermore, the article maintains that a weak form of separation between purchasers and providers will lead to distorted incentives, restricting innovative behaviour and structural change. In conclusion, the process of reforming the Swedish monopolistic integrated health-care model in the direction of some form of internal market is said to rest on shaky ground.

The Microbiome in Populations with a Low and High Prevalence of Caries.

PubMed

Johansson, I; Witkowska, E; Kaveh, B; Lif Holgerson, P; Tanner, A C R

2016-01-01

The oral microbiota was compared between Romanian adolescents with a high prevalence of caries and no dental care and Swedish caries-active and caries-free adolescents in caries prevention programs and with a low prevalence of caries. Biofilm samples were analyzed by FLX+ pyrosequencing of the V1 to V4 hypervariable regions of the 16S rRNA gene and polymerase chain reaction (PCR)/quantitative PCR (qPCR) for Streptococcus mutans and Streptococcus sobrinus. Sequences obtained blasted to 9 phyla, 66 genera, and 401 human oral taxa (HOT) in the 16S rRNA Human Oral Microbiome Database, of which 295 were represented by ≥20 sequences. The Romanian adolescents had more sequences in Firmicutes and fewer in Actinobacteria phyla and more sequences in the genera Bacteroidetes [G-3], Porphyromonas, Abiotrophia, Filifactor, Peptostreptococcaceae [11][G-4], Pseudoramibacter, Streptococcus, and Neisseria and fewer in Actinomyces, Selenomonas, Veillonella, Campylobacter, and TM7 [G-1] than the Swedish groups. Multivariate modeling employing HOT, S. sobrinus and S. mutans (PCR/qPCR), and sugar snacks separated Romanian from Swedish adolescents. The Romanian adolescents' microbiota was characterized by a panel of streptococci, including S. mutans, S. sobrinus, and Streptococcus australis, and Alloprevotella, Leptotrichia, Neisseria, Porphyromonas, and Prevotella. The Swedish adolescents were characterized by sweet snacks, and those with caries activity were also characterized by Prevotella, Actinomyces, and Capnocytophaga species and those free of caries by Actinomyces, Prevotella, Selenomonas, Streptococcus, and Mycoplasma. Eight species including Streptococcus mitis and Streptococcus species HOT070 were prevalent in Romanian and Swedish caries-active subjects but not caries-free subjects. In conclusion, S. mutans and S. sobrinus correlated with Romanian adolescents with caries and with limited access to dental care, whereas S. mutans and S. sobrinus were detected infrequently in Swedish adolescents in dental care programs. Swedish caries-active adolescents were typically colonized by Actinomyces, Selenomonas, Prevotella, and Capnocytophaga. Hence, the role of mutans streptococci as a primary caries pathogen appears less pronounced in populations with prevention programs compared to populations lacking caries treatment and prevention strategies. © International & American Associations for Dental Research 2015.

Changes in ice-margin processes and sediment routing during ice-sheet advance across a marginal moraine

USGS Publications Warehouse

Knight, P.G.; Jennings, C.E.; Waller, R.I.; Robinson, Z.P.

2007-01-01

Advance of part of the margin of the Greenland ice sheet across a proglacial moraine ridge between 1968 and 2002 caused progressive changes in moraine morphology, basal ice formation, debris release, ice-marginal sediment storage, and sediment transfer to the distal proglacial zone. When the ice margin is behind the moraine, most of the sediment released from the glacier is stored close to the ice margin. As the margin advances across the moraine the potential for ice-proximal sediment storage decreases and distal sediment flux is augmented by reactivation of moraine sediment. For six stages of advance associated with distinctive glacial and sedimentary processes we describe the ice margin, the debris-rich basal ice, debris release from the glacier, sediment routing into the proglacial zone, and geomorphic processes on the moraine. The overtopping of a moraine ridge is a significant glaciological, geomorphological and sedimentological threshold in glacier advance, likely to cause a distinctive pulse in distal sediment accumulation rates that should be taken into account when glacial sediments are interpreted to reconstruct glacier fluctuations. ?? 2007 Swedish Society for Anthropology and Geography.

Effect of Pulse Polarity on Thresholds and on Non-monotonic Loudness Growth in Cochlear Implant Users.

PubMed

Macherey, Olivier; Carlyon, Robert P; Chatron, Jacques; Roman, Stéphane

2017-06-01

Most cochlear implants (CIs) activate their electrodes non-simultaneously in order to eliminate electrical field interactions. However, the membrane of auditory nerve fibers needs time to return to its resting state, causing the probability of firing to a pulse to be affected by previous pulses. Here, we provide new evidence on the effect of pulse polarity and current level on these interactions. In experiment 1, detection thresholds and most comfortable levels (MCLs) were measured in CI users for 100-Hz pulse trains consisting of two consecutive biphasic pulses of the same or of opposite polarity. All combinations of polarities were studied: anodic-cathodic-anodic-cathodic (ACAC), CACA, ACCA, and CAAC. Thresholds were lower when the adjacent phases of the two pulses had the same polarity (ACCA and CAAC) than when they were different (ACAC and CACA). Some subjects showed a lower threshold for ACCA than for CAAC while others showed the opposite trend demonstrating that polarity sensitivity at threshold is genuine and subject- or electrode-dependent. In contrast, anodic (CAAC) pulses always showed a lower MCL than cathodic (ACCA) pulses, confirming previous reports. In experiments 2 and 3, the subjects compared the loudness of several pulse trains differing in current level separately for ACCA and CAAC. For 40 % of the electrodes tested, loudness grew non-monotonically as a function of current level for ACCA but never for CAAC. This finding may relate to a conduction block of the action potentials along the fibers induced by a strong hyperpolarization of their central processes. Further analysis showed that the electrodes showing a lower threshold for ACCA than for CAAC were more likely to yield a non-monotonic loudness growth. It is proposed that polarity sensitivity at threshold reflects the local neural health and that anodic asymmetric pulses should preferably be used to convey sound information while avoiding abnormal loudness percepts.

The ability of criminal law to produce gender equality: judicial discourses in the Swedish criminal legal system.

PubMed

Burman, Monica

2010-02-01

The main aim of the Swedish Women's Peace reform in 1998 was to enhance criminal legal protection for women exposed to violence in heterosexual relationships and to promote gender equality. However, these ambitions risk being contravened in a masculinist criminal legal system. One problem concerns how the victim is constructed in criminal legal cases. The author argues that moral balancing and discourses of responsibility and guilt in Swedish cases constrain the agency possible for women and suggest that a more comprehensive policy in Sweden must be developed to include violent men, their agency, and their responsibility for the violence.

Cigarette- and Snus-Modified Association Between Unprotected Exposure to Noise from Hunting Rifle Caliber Weapons and High Frequency Hearing Loss. A Cross-Sectional Study Among Swedish Hunters

PubMed Central

Honeth, Louise; Ström, Peter; Ploner, Alexander; Bagger-Sjöbäck, Dan; Rosenhall, Ulf; Nyrén, Olof

2016-01-01

Aim: To investigate in this cross-sectional study among Swedish hunters if tobacco use modifies the previously observed association, expressed as prevalence ratio (PR), between unprotected exposure to impulse noise from hunting rifle caliber (HRC) weapons and high-frequency hearing impairment (HFHI). Settings and Design: A nationwide cross-sectional epidemiologic study was conducted among Swedish sport hunters in 2012. Materials and Methods: The study was Internet-based and consisted of a questionnaire and an Internet-based audiometry test. Results: In all, 202 hunters completed a questionnaire regarding the hearing test. Associations were modeled using Poisson regression. Current, daily use of tobacco was reported by 61 hunters (19 used cigarettes, 47 moist snuff, and 5 both). Tobacco users tended to be younger, fire more shots with HRC weapons, and report more hunting days. Their adjusted PR (1–6 unprotected HRC shots versus 0) was 3.2 (1.4–6.7), P = 0.01. Among the nonusers of tobacco, the corresponding PR was 1.3 (0.9–1.8), P = 0.18. P value for the interaction was 0.01. The importance of ear protection could not be quantified among hunters with HRC weapons because our data suggested that the HFHI outcome had led to changes in the use of such protection. Among hunters using weapons with less sound energy, however, no or sporadic use of hearing protection was linked to a 60% higher prevalence of HFHI, relative to habitual use. Conclusion: Tobacco use modifies the association between exposure to unprotected impulse noise from HRC weapons and the probability of having HFHI among susceptible hunters. The mechanisms remain to be clarified, but because the effect modification was apparent also among the users of smokeless tobacco, combustion products may not be critical for this effect. PMID:27991471

Dilemmas in providing resilience-enhancing social services to long-term social assistance clients. A qualitative study of Swedish social workers

PubMed Central

2012-01-01

Background Long-term recipients of social assistance face barriers to social and economic inclusion, and have poorer health and more limited opportunities for improving their health than many other groups in the population. During recent decades there have been changes in Swedish social policy, with cutbacks in public benefits and a re-emphasis on means-tested policies. In this context, it is important to investigate the necessary conditions for social workers to offer social assistance and services, as well as the mediating role of social workers between public policies and their clients. Swedish social services aim to promote social inclusion by strengthening the individual´s own resources. We investigated the issues that arise when providing social services to long-term social assistance clients within the framework of resilience, which focuses on the processes leading to positive functioning in adverse conditions. Methods Interviews were conducted with 23 social workers in Stockholm and analysed by qualitative content analysis. Results The main theme to emerge from the interviews concerned the constraints that the social workers faced in providing social services to social assistance clients. The first subtheme focused on dilemmas in the interaction between social workers and clients resulting from the dual role of exercising authority and supporting and building trust with clients. Working conditions of social workers also played a crucial role. The second subtheme addressed the impact of the societal context, such as labour market opportunities and coordination between authorities. Conclusions Overall, we found that social workers to a great extent tried to find individual solutions to structural problems. To provide resilience-enhancing social services to long-term social assistance clients with varying obstacles and needs requires a constructive working environment, supportive societal structures and inter-sectoral cooperation between different authorities. PMID:22789127

From calling to a scheduled vocation: Swedish male and female students' reflections on being a doctor.

PubMed

Johansson, Eva E; Hamberg, Katarina

2007-02-01

All over the world an increasing number of women are entering medical schools. Soon women will constitute half of the physician workforce in Scandinavia. However, specialty segregation persists. Reports have shown different motives among male and female doctors to be, but the impact of gender, i.e. how ongoing social constructions of femininity and masculinity influence the development of professionalism, is not fully described. The purpose of this study was to explore views and visions among second-year students at a Swedish Medical School, and to identify challenges for education and workforce planning. After receiving research ethics board approval, all students participating in the course 'Professional development', including a task to write a free-text essay on the theme 'to be a doctor', were invited to share their essays for analysis. Of 138 (40% men) students in 2002, 104 (39% men) accepted. The texts were analysed according to grounded theory. Students held 'doctorship' to be an outstanding profession of commitment, authority and duty. Fears were exposed, especially among women, regarding how to fit demands of self-sacrifices and balancing a private life. Belonging to a new generation, they conceived gender equity as self-evident. Actual working conditions were met with disapproval, as did an all-embracing calling. A scheduled vocation was hoped for. They relied on the mass of women to implement change. Women's 'other' values, alluding to family orientation, were expected to alter working conditions and also give men more leisure time. Despite equity conviction, segregating gender patterns in students' representations, interactions with tutors and future prospects were disclosed. Students' arguments raise challenges for medical educators and planners regarding professional values, medical socialization and specialty recruitment. The new generation requires a renewed Hippocratic Oath, gender-aware role models and practice sites. Swedish students' arguments are compared with current international literature.

Cost-Effectiveness of School-Based Prevention of Cannabis Use.

PubMed

Deogan, Charlotte; Zarabi, Natalie; Stenström, Nils; Högberg, Pi; Skärstrand, Eva; Manrique-Garcia, Edison; Neovius, Kristian; Månsdotter, Anna

2015-10-01

Cannabis is the most frequently used illicit drug globally. Despite increasing evidence that cannabis use is associated with adverse health effects, the knowledge on preventative strategies is still limited. This study stemmed from a systematic review of effective prevention in which school-based programmes were identified as promising. The primary objective was to evaluate the cost effectiveness of Project ALERT (Adolescent, Learning, Experiences, Resistance, and Training), compared with ordinary ATOD (Alcohol, Tobacco, and Other Drug) education, among Swedish students in the eighth grade of compulsory school. The cost-effectiveness analysis was performed from the societal perspective with quality-adjusted life-years (QALYs) as an outcome (willingness-to-pay threshold €50,000) and follow-up periods from 1 year to a lifetime, considering a discounting rate of 3%, and with costs inflated to 2013 levels. A Markov model was constructed on the basis of the 'states' of single use, regular use, daily use and use of other illicit drugs, which were associated with 'complications' of psychosis, schizophrenia, traffic accidents, depression and amotivational syndrome. Health and cost consequences were linked to both states and complications. The programme was cost saving on the basis of evidence from the USA (ratio 1:1.1), and was cost effective (incremental cost-effectiveness ratio €22,384 per QALY) after reasonable adjustment for the Swedish context and with 20 years of follow-up. When the target group was restricted to boys who were neither studying nor working/doing work experience, the programme was cost effective after 9 years and cost saving (ratio 1:3.2) after 20 years. School-based prevention such as Project ALERT has the potential to be cost effective and to be cost saving if implemented in deprived areas. In the light of the shifting landscape regarding legalization of cannabis, it seems rational to continue the health economic analysis of prevention initiated here.

Prediction of prostate cancer in unscreened men: external validation of a risk calculator.

PubMed

van Vugt, Heidi A; Roobol, Monique J; Kranse, Ries; Määttänen, Liisa; Finne, Patrik; Hugosson, Jonas; Bangma, Chris H; Schröder, Fritz H; Steyerberg, Ewout W

2011-04-01

Prediction models need external validation to assess their value beyond the setting where the model was derived from. To assess the external validity of the European Randomized study of Screening for Prostate Cancer (ERSPC) risk calculator (www.prostatecancer-riskcalculator.com) for the probability of having a positive prostate biopsy (P(posb)). The ERSPC risk calculator was based on data of the initial screening round of the ERSPC section Rotterdam and validated in 1825 and 531 men biopsied at the initial screening round in the Finnish and Swedish sections of the ERSPC respectively. P(posb) was calculated using serum prostate specific antigen (PSA), outcome of digital rectal examination (DRE), transrectal ultrasound and ultrasound assessed prostate volume. The external validity was assessed for the presence of cancer at biopsy by calibration (agreement between observed and predicted outcomes), discrimination (separation of those with and without cancer), and decision curves (for clinical usefulness). Prostate cancer was detected in 469 men (26%) of the Finnish cohort and in 124 men (23%) of the Swedish cohort. Systematic miscalibration was present in both cohorts (mean predicted probability 34% versus 26% observed, and 29% versus 23% observed, both p<0.001). The areas under the curves were 0.76 and 0.78, and substantially lower for the model with PSA only (0.64 and 0.68 respectively). The model proved clinically useful for any decision threshold compared with a model with PSA only, PSA and DRE, or biopsying all men. A limitation is that the model is based on sextant biopsies results. The ERSPC risk calculator discriminated well between those with and without prostate cancer among initially screened men, but overestimated the risk of a positive biopsy. Further research is necessary to assess the performance and applicability of the ERSPC risk calculator when a clinical setting is considered rather than a screening setting. Copyright © 2010 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Intensity fluctuations in bimodal micropillar lasers enhanced by quantum-dot gain competition

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Leymann, H. A. M.; Hopfmann, C.; Albert, F.; Foerster, A.; Khanbekyan, M.; Schneider, C.; Höfling, S.; Forchel, A.; Kamp, M.; Wiersig, J.; Reitzenstein, S.

2013-05-01

We investigate correlations between orthogonally polarized cavity modes of a bimodal micropillar laser with a single layer of self-assembled quantum dots in the active region. While one emission mode of the microlaser demonstrates a characteristic S-shaped input-output curve, the output intensity of the second mode saturates and even decreases with increasing injection current above threshold. Measuring the photon autocorrelation function g(2)(τ) of the light emission confirms the onset of lasing in the first mode with g(2)(0) approaching unity above threshold. In contrast, strong photon bunching associated with superthermal values of g(2)(0) is detected for the other mode for currents above threshold. This behavior is attributed to gain competition of the two modes induced by the common gain material, which is confirmed by photon cross-correlation measurements revealing a clear anticorrelation between emission events of the two modes. The experimental studies are in qualitative agreement with theoretical studies based on a microscopic semiconductor theory, which we extend to the case of two modes interacting with the common gain medium. Moreover, we treat the problem by a phenomenological birth-death model extended to two interacting modes, which reveals that the photon probability distribution of each mode has a double-peak structure, indicating switching behavior of the modes for pump rates around threshold.

Challenges in devising economic spray thresholds for a major pest of Australian canola, the redlegged earth mite (Halotydeus destructor).

PubMed

Arthur, Aston L; Hoffmann, Ary A; Umina, Paul A

2015-10-01

A key component for spray decision-making in IPM programmes is the establishment of economic injury levels (EILs) and economic thresholds (ETs). We aimed to establish an EIL for the redlegged earth mite (Halotydeus destructor Tucker) on canola. Complex interactions between mite numbers, feeding damage and plant recovery were found, highlighting the challenges in linking H. destructor numbers to yield. A guide of 10 mites plant(-1) was established at the first-true-leaf stage; however, simple relationships were not evident at other crop development stages, making it difficult to establish reliable EILs based on mite number. Yield was, however, strongly associated with plant damage and plant densities, reflecting the impact of mite feeding damage and indicating a plant-based alternative for establishing thresholds for H. destructor. Drawing on data from multiple field trials, we show that plant densities below 30-40 plants m(-2) could be used as a proxy for mite damage when reliable estimates of mite densities are not possible. This plant-based threshold provides a practical tool that avoids the difficulties of accurately estimating mite densities. The approach may be applicable to other situations where production conditions are unpredictable and interactions between pests and plant hosts are complex. © 2015 Society of Chemical Industry.

Education and Assessment in Sweden

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Wikstrom, Christina

2006-01-01

Education and assessment in Swedish schools have been affected by several reforms during the last two decades. The educational system has moved from centralization to decentralization and a goal-oriented approach has been introduced on all educational levels. This paper provides an historical overview of the Swedish educational system, educational…

Swedish Lower Secondary School Teachers' Perceptions and Experiences Regarding Homework

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Gu, Limin; Kristoffersson, Margaretha

2015-01-01

This study investigates homework in Swedish lower secondary schools: teachers' perceptions and experiences about it and their understanding of its potentials and challenges for students' learning and development. Data collected through an online survey (N = 201) mixed standardized questions and open questions. Descriptive statistics and…

Gender Equality Policies and Higher Education Careers

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Berggren, Caroline

2011-01-01

Gender equality policies regulate the Swedish labour market, including higher education. This study analyses and discusses the career development of postgraduate students in the light of labour market influences. The principle of gender separation is used to understand these effects. Swedish register data encompassing information on 585…

Successful Principalship: The Swedish Case

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hoog, Jonas; Johansson, Olof; Olofsson, Anders

2005-01-01

Purpose: This paper seeks to describe the Swedish compulsory school system and explore a hypothesis about the relationship between structure, culture and leadership as preconditions for successful principalship. Design/methodology/approach: On the basis of earlier research, argues that a principal's success depends on how he or she alters school…

Training Entrepreneurship at Universities: A Swedish Case.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Klofsten, Magnus

2000-01-01

The Entrepreneurship and New Business Development Program trains Swedish individuals in the startup of technology- or knowledge-based enterprises. Built on the characteristics of entrepreneurial behavior, the program features a holistic outlook, a network of established entrepreneurs, mentoring, a mix of theory and practice, and focus on the…

Measuring Syntactic Complexity in Spontaneous Spoken Swedish

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Roll, Mikael; Frid, Johan; Horne, Merle

2007-01-01

Hesitation disfluencies after phonetically prominent stranded function words are thought to reflect the cognitive coding of complex structures. Speech fragments following the Swedish function word "att" "that" were analyzed syntactically, and divided into two groups: one with "att" in disfluent contexts, and the other with "att" in fluent…

Foreign Language Learning in Sweden.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Orpet, Brian R.

1984-01-01

Describes a visit made to Sweden to ascertain why Swedish citizens speak such excellent English. Motivation was a key factor. Describes observations of the methods of teaching English as a second language in Swedish schools. Makes recommendations for foreign language teaching in Great Britain based on these observations. (SED)

Swedish Speakers' Literacy in the Finnish Society.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Brunell, Viking; Linnakyla, Pirjo

1994-01-01

Discusses the International Association for the Evaluation of Educational Achievement's reading literacy study in Finland. Shows that, although language-minority students are often expected to have lower achievement in school, students from Swedish-speaking homes in Finland scored almost as well as their Finnish-speaking counterparts on extensive…

Social Status and Sociopolitical Ideology among Swedish Youth.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Sidanius, Jim; And Others

1983-01-01

Among Swedish youth, (1) higher social status was associated with more conservative political party preferences and greater capitalist orientation, punitiveness, support of social inequality, and racism; (2) economic inequality and social conservatism emerged as discriminators of social class categories; and (3) Lipset's theory that working class…

Probing Sub-GeV Mass Strongly Interacting Dark Matter with a Low-Threshold Surface Experiment.

PubMed

Davis, Jonathan H

2017-11-24

Using data from the ν-cleus detector, based on the surface of Earth, we place constraints on dark matter in the form of strongly interacting massive particles (SIMPs) which interact with nucleons via nuclear-scale cross sections. For large SIMP-nucleon cross sections, the sensitivity of traditional direct dark matter searches using underground experiments is limited by the energy loss experienced by SIMPs, due to scattering with the rock overburden and experimental shielding on their way to the detector apparatus. Hence, a surface-based experiment is ideal for a SIMP search, despite the much larger background resulting from the lack of shielding. We show using data from a recent surface run of a low-threshold cryogenic detector that values of the SIMP-nucleon cross section up to approximately 10^{-27}  cm^{2} can be excluded for SIMPs with masses above 100 MeV.

Initiation of Insensitive High Explosives Using Multiple Wave Interactions

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Francois, Elizabeth

Insensitive High Explosives (IHEs) increase safety in many types of weapons. However, the safety comes at the cost of performance. Initiation of IHE requires large boosters and powerful detonators as well. Multipoint initiation is being utilized to exploit explosive wave interactions to create overdriven states, greatly facilitating the initiation of IHEs. This presentation will focus on recent explosive experiments where the minimum spot size for single-point initiation in PBX 9502 was determined. Below this threshold, PBX 9502 could not be initiated. This was then expanded to three initiation points, which were smaller this threshold. Measurements of the velocity and pressure of the wave interactions were measured using Photon Doppler Velocimetry (PDV). Initiation was observed, and the resulting pressures at the double and triple points were found to be above the CJ state for PBX 9502. Further testing will be performed using cutback experiments to isolate the overdriven state, and quantify the duration of the phenomenon.

Theory of Raman scattering in coupled electron-phonon systems

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Itai, K.

1992-01-01

The Raman spectrum is calculated for a coupled conduction-electron-phonon system in the zero-momentum-transfer limit. The Raman scattering is due to electron-hole excitations and phonons as well. The phonons of those branches that contribute to the electron self-energy and the correction of the electron-phonon vertex are assumed to have flat energy dispersion (the Einstein phonons). The effect of electron-impurity scattering is also incorporated. Both the electron-phonon interaction and the electron-impurity interaction cause the fluctuation of the electron distribution between different parts of the Fermi surface, which results in overdamped zero-sound modes of various symmetries. The scattering cross section is obtained by solving the Bethe-Salpeter equation. The spectrum shows a lower threshold at the smallest Einstein phonon energy when only the electron-phonon interaction is taken into consideration. When impurities are also taken into consideration, the threshold disappears.

Electrophoresis in ice surface grooves for probing protein affinity to a specific plane of ice crystal.

PubMed

Inagawa, Arinori; Okada, Yusuke; Okada, Tetsuo

2018-06-01

Channel-like grooves are formed on the surface of frozen aqueous sucrose. They are filled with a freeze concentrated solution (FCS) and act as an efficient size-tunable separation field for micro and nanoparticles. The width of the channel can be easily varied by changing the temperature. Because the channel width decreases with decreasing temperature, particles become immobilized due to physical interference from the ice wall when the temperature reaches a threshold point specific to the particle size. Surface modification of particles can add a factor of chemical interaction between the particles and ice walls. In this study, anti-freeze proteins (AFPs) are anchored on 1µm-polystyrene (PS) particles, and their behavior in the surface grooves on the ice is studied. The threshold temperature is an effective criterion for evaluating chemical interactions between particles and ice walls. The AFP binding on 1µm PS particles lowers the threshold temperature by 2.5°C, indicating interactions between AFPs on the PS particles and the ice wall. Because the AFPs studied here show selectivity towards the prism plane, it is critical that the prism plane of the ice crystal is in contact with the FCS in the surface grooves. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Swedish Acceptance and Action Questionnaire (SAAQ): a psychometric evaluation.

PubMed

Lundgren, Tobias; Parling, Thomas

2017-06-01

Psychological inflexibility and experiential avoidance are equivalent (with somewhat different connotations) concepts and refer to an unwillingness to remain in contact with particular private events. This concept is most often measured by the Acceptance and Action Questionnaire (AAQ-II) and is strongly related to psychopathology and behavioral effectiveness. In this study, the preliminary psychometric properties of the Swedish version of the AAQ-II (Swedish Acceptance and Action Questionnaire-SAAQ) are presented. The study is done in two steps. In the first step, the 10-item version of the AAQ-II is investigated through principal component analysis (n = 147). Secondly, due to problems with the component structure, the instrument is reduced to a six-item version and its validity and internal consistency are investigated (n = 154). The six-item version shows good concurrent and convergent validity as well as satisfying internal consistency (α = .85). Furthermore, the Swedish six-item version of the AAQ-II showed one strong component. Test-retest reliability was satisfactory (r = .80; n = 228). In future research, predictive and external validity would be important to investigate in order to further ensure that the SAAQ is a useful measure for clinical research. In conclusion, the SAAQ has satisfactory psychometric properties, but more data need to be gathered to further explore the possibilities for the instruments in Swedish contexts.

Drug prescription patterns in patients with Addison's disease: a Swedish population-based cohort study.

PubMed

Björnsdottir, Sigridur; Sundström, Anders; Ludvigsson, Jonas F; Blomqvist, Paul; Kämpe, Olle; Bensing, Sophie

2013-05-01

There are no published data on drug prescription in patients with Addison's disease (AD). Our objective was to describe the drug prescription patterns in Swedish AD patients before and after diagnosis compared with population controls. We conducted a population-based cohort study in Sweden. Through the Swedish National Patient Register and the Swedish Prescribed Drug Register, we identified 1305 patients with both a diagnosis of AD and on combination treatment with hydrocortisone/cortisone acetate and fludrocortisone. Direct evidence of the AD diagnosis from patient charts was not available. We identified 11 996 matched controls by the Register of Population. We determined the ratio of observed to expected number of patients treated with prescribed drugs. Overall, Swedish AD patients received more prescribed drugs than controls, and 59.3% of the AD patients had medications indicating concomitant autoimmune disease. Interestingly, both before and after the diagnosis of AD, patients used more gastrointestinal medications, antianemic preparations, lipid-modifying agents, antibiotics for systemic use, hypnotics and sedatives, and drugs for obstructive airway disease (all P values < .05). Notably, an increased prescription of several antihypertensive drugs and high-ceiling diuretics was observed after the diagnosis of AD. Gastrointestinal symptoms and anemia, especially in conjunction with autoimmune disorders, should alert the physician about the possibility of AD. The higher use of drugs for cardiovascular disorders after diagnosis in patients with AD raises concerns about the replacement therapy.

Adaptation and resiliency in Swedish families.

PubMed

Kiehl, Ermalynn M; Carson, David K; Dykes, Anna-Karin

2007-09-01

A longitudinal research project began in 1993 of Norwegian, Swedish and American mothers' perception of her family's dynamics and adaptation during childbearing and childrearing. Results indicated that Swedish mothers adapted better than other mothers. In 2003, a mixed design study was conducted with original Swedish mothers that aimed to describe the experience of motherhood, the meaning mothers attached to events in their lives that made adaptation necessary, and ways in which they achieved adaptation. Fourteen mothers completed quantitative instruments and 13 of those mothers were interviewed. Audiotaped interviews were transcribed and analysed for themes using a protocol based on a model of family resiliency. Quantitative findings revealed statistically significant findings in areas of children, mother's work outside the home and families in which a major illness had occurred. Qualitative findings revealed that protective factors far outweighed vulnerability and risk factors. Mothers' satisfaction with life manifested itself in love of home, contentment with employment, fulfillment from an active and healthy life and support from a society that provides a wide range of social benefits for the family. Vulnerability occurred primarily when mothers were tired, lacked personal time or someone in the family was experiencing a serious illness. Results of this study enhance the scholarly scientific knowledge about the uniqueness of Swedish mothers, and increased understanding of family dynamics and adaptation. Many of the findings relate in some way to overall social benefits and supports available for families.

Using different growth references to measure thinness and overweight among Swedish primary school children showed considerable variations.

PubMed

Nilsen, Bente B; Yngve, Agneta; Sjöberg, Agneta; Moraeus, Lotta; Lissner, Lauren; Werner, Bo

2016-10-01

The study compared how four different growth references determined the prevalence of thinness and overweight, based on height and weight measurements from a nationally representative sample of Swedish children from seven to nine years of age. The height and weight measurements of 4518 Swedish schoolchildren aged seven to nine years were carried out in 2008 using a standardised protocol. The prevalence of different degrees of thinness and overweight was calculated using international growth references from the World Health Organization, the International Obesity Task Force and two Swedish growth references from Werner and Karlberg. Depending on which growth reference we used, the prevalence of different degrees of thinness varied from 7.5% to 16.9% for the boys and 6.9% to 13.7% for the girls, while the prevalence of overweight, including obesity and severe obesity, varied from 16.5% to 25.7% for the boys and 18.2 to 25.2% for the girls. There were also significant gender differences depending on the growth reference we used. Using four different growth references, two international and two Swedish, produced wide variations in the prevalence of thinness and overweight, together with significant gender differences. In the absence of a global definition, we need both national and international growth references. ©2016 Foundation Acta Paediatrica. Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Experimental integrative muscular movement technique enhances cervical range of motion in patients with chronic neck pain: a pilot study.

PubMed

Rohe, Benjamin G; Carter, Ronald; Thompson, William R; Duncan, Randall L; Cooper, Carlton R

2015-04-01

Neck pain presents a tremendous physical and financial burden. This study compared the efficacy of the complementary and alternative medical treatments of integrative muscular movement technique (IMMT) and Swedish massage on neck pain in women of occupation age, the largest demographic group with neck pain. A total of 38 women were assigned to IMMT (n=28) or Swedish massage (n=10) in a blinded manner. Both groups received eight 30-minute treatments over 4 weeks. Cervical range of motion (ROM) in flexion, extension, sidebending, and rotation was measured before and after treatment. Each patient's pain was assessed by using an analogue pain scale of 0-10. Compared with the Swedish massage group, patients receiving IMMT experienced a significant increase in ROM in cervical flexion (p<0.001), extension (p<0.001), sidebending (p<0.05), and rotation (p<0.001). Absolute change in pain for IMMT was -1.75 units compared with -0.3 units for Swedish massage (p<0.05). Patients receiving the IMMT demonstrated significantly improved cervical ROM in every movement measured compared with Swedish massage. Inclusion of the IMMT in a treatment regimen for chronic neck pain may lead to decreased pain and increased cervical ROM. These positive effects of the IMMT intervention may have a role in enhancing functional outcomes in patients with neck pain.

A psychometric evaluation of the Swedish version of the Responses to Positive Affect questionnaire.

PubMed

Olofsson, Malin Elisabeth; Boersma, Katja; Engh, Johannes; Wurm, Matilda

2014-11-01

Previous research mainly focused on responses to negative affect in relation to depression, and less on responses to positive affect. Cognitive responses to positive affect are interesting in the context of emotion regulation and emotion disorders: positive rumination is associated to hypomania risk and bipolar disorder. There is to date no questionnaire in Swedish that captures the phenomena of cognitive response styles. The aim of this study was to investigate the replicability of the Responses to Positive Affect questionnaire (RPA) in a newly translated Swedish version and to test its psychometric properties. Swedish undergraduates (n = 111) completed a set of self-report questionnaires in a fixed order. The hypothesized three-factor model was largely replicated in the subscales Self-focused positive rumination, Emotion-focused positive rumination and Dampening. The two positive rumination subscales were strongly associated with each other and current positive affect. The subscales showed acceptable convergent and incremental validity with concurrent measures of depression, hypomania, anxiety, repetitive negative thinking, and positive and negative affect. The model explained 25% of the variance in hypomania, but fell short in the explanation of depression. The Swedish version of the RPA shows satisfactory reliability and initial findings from a student sample indicate that it is a valid measure comparable with the original RPA questionnaire. RESULTS give emphasis to the importance of further exploration of cognitive response styles in relation to psychopathology.

Economic valuation for sustainable development in the Swedish coastal zone.

PubMed

Söderqvist, Tore; Eggert, Håkan; Olsson, Björn; Soutukorva, Asa

2005-03-01

The Swedish coastal zone is a scene of conflicting interests about various goods and services provided by nature. Open-access conditions and the public nature of many services increase the difficulty in resolving these conflicts. "Sustainability" is a vague but widely accepted guideline for finding reasonable trade-offs between different interests. The UN view of sustainable development suggests that coastal zone management should aim at a sustainable ecological, economic, and social-cultural development. Looking closer at economic sustainability, it is observed that economic analyses about whether changes in society imply a gain or a loss should take into account the economic value of the environment. Methods used for making such economic valuation in the context of the Swedish coastal zone are briefly reviewed. It is noted that the property rights context matters for the results of a valuation study. This general background is followed by a concise presentation of the design and results of four valuation studies on Swedish coastal zone issues. One study is on the economic value of an improved bathing water quality in the Stockholm archipelago. The other studies are a travel cost study about the economic value of improved recreational fisheries in the Stockholm archipelago, a replacement cost study on the value of restoring habitats for sea trout, and a choice experiment study on the economic value of improved water quality along the Swedish westcoast.

A Computational Approach to Finding Novel Targets for Existing Drugs

PubMed Central

Li, Yvonne Y.; An, Jianghong; Jones, Steven J. M.

2011-01-01

Repositioning existing drugs for new therapeutic uses is an efficient approach to drug discovery. We have developed a computational drug repositioning pipeline to perform large-scale molecular docking of small molecule drugs against protein drug targets, in order to map the drug-target interaction space and find novel interactions. Our method emphasizes removing false positive interaction predictions using criteria from known interaction docking, consensus scoring, and specificity. In all, our database contains 252 human protein drug targets that we classify as reliable-for-docking as well as 4621 approved and experimental small molecule drugs from DrugBank. These were cross-docked, then filtered through stringent scoring criteria to select top drug-target interactions. In particular, we used MAPK14 and the kinase inhibitor BIM-8 as examples where our stringent thresholds enriched the predicted drug-target interactions with known interactions up to 20 times compared to standard score thresholds. We validated nilotinib as a potent MAPK14 inhibitor in vitro (IC50 40 nM), suggesting a potential use for this drug in treating inflammatory diseases. The published literature indicated experimental evidence for 31 of the top predicted interactions, highlighting the promising nature of our approach. Novel interactions discovered may lead to the drug being repositioned as a therapeutic treatment for its off-target's associated disease, added insight into the drug's mechanism of action, and added insight into the drug's side effects. PMID:21909252

Electric-acoustic interactions in the hearing cochlea: single fiber recordings.

PubMed

Tillein, J; Hartmann, R; Kral, A

2015-04-01

The present study investigates interactions of simultaneous electric and acoustic stimulation in single auditory nerve fibers in normal hearing cats. First, the auditory nerve was accessed with a microelectrode and response areas of single nerve fibers were determined for acoustic stimulation. Second, response thresholds to extracochlear sinusoidal electric stimulation using ball electrodes positioned at the round window were measured. Third, interactions that occurred with combined electric-acoustic stimulation were investigated in two areas: (1) the spectral domain (frequency response areas) and (2) the temporal domain (phase-locking to each stimulus) at moderate stimulus intensities (electric: 6 dB re threshold, acoustic: 20-40 dB re threshold at the characteristic frequency, CF). For fibers responding to both modalities responses to both electric and acoustic stimulation could be clearly identified. CFs, thresholds, and bandwidth (Q10dB) of acoustic responses were not significantly affected by simultaneous electric stimulation. Phase-locking of electric responses decreased in the presence of acoustic stimulation. Indication for electric stimulation of inner hair cells with 125 and 250 Hz were observed. However, these did not disturb the acoustic receptive fields of auditory nerve fibers. There was a trade-off between these responses when the intensities of the stimulation were varied: Relatively more intense stimulation dominated less intense stimulation. The scarcity of interaction between the different stimulus modalities demonstrates the ability of electric-acoustic stimulation to transfer useful information through both stimulation channels at the same time despite cochlear electrophonic effects. Application of 30 Hz electric stimulation resulted in a strong suppression of acoustic activity in the anodic phase of the stimulus. An electric stimulation like this might thus be used to control acoustic responses. This article is part of a Special Issue entitled . Copyright © 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

The School's Democratic Mission and Conflict Resolution: Voices of Swedish Educators

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hakvoort, Ilse; Olsson, Elizabeth

2014-01-01

Swedish educational policy mandates have given schools a double mission: the development of content-based knowledge as well as the promotion of democratic values and competencies. While detailed learning outcomes are specified for content domains, the democratic mission is imprecisely described and unsupported by practical measures. This leaves…

Working with Gender Pedagogics at 14 Swedish Preschools

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Sandstrom, Margareta; Stier, Jonas; Sandberg, Anette

2013-01-01

In Sweden, gender pedagogics has been on the political agenda the last decade. Consequently, gender matters have been given much attention in Swedish preschools, and specialized pedagogues have also been trained to counteract socially constructed gender distinctions. Therefore, we have explored the enactment of gender pedagogics. We asked 17…

Institutional Response to the Swedish Model of Quality Assurance.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Nilsson, Karl-Axel; Wahlen, Staffan

2000-01-01

Evaluates the Swedish model of quality assurance of higher education by examining the response of institutions to 27 quality audits and 19 follow-up interviews. Discusses the relationship between top-down and bottom-up approaches to internal quality assurance and suggests that, with growing professionalization, more limited result-oriented audits…

Doctrinal Imbalance: A Study of Swedish Army Doctrine

DTIC Science & Technology

2014-06-13

the Swedish National Defense College (SNDC), both to provide vital source material and also to assure me that the study is relevant and had a valid......interpretation of the simulation data. Furthermore, a CGSC tactics instructor, Mr. Steve Scholtz, checked the red and blue battle plans to assure that

The Widening Gap--A Swedish Perspective

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Brandell, Gerd; Hemmi, Kristi; Thunberg, Hans

2008-01-01

Transition problems from secondary to tertiary level in mathematics have been a recurrent issue in Sweden. This paper summarises the development during the last decades. Results from two recent research studies that illuminate the transition problem are presented. The first one, based on empirical data from a major Swedish technical university,…

Complex Values in Different Cultures: Some Research Results of Psycholinguistic Experiments with Russian and Swedish Students

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Shabes, Vladimir; Troshchenkova, Ekaterina; Potapova, Tamara; Ivarsson, Lena; Damber, Ulla; Bostedt, Goran

2012-01-01

In the article on the basis of the psycholinguistic experimental data obtained in 2009-2010 from Russian and Swedish students, we consider internal features of several complex values ("Harmony", "Freedom", "Democracy", "Tolerance" and "Patriotism") and analyze their external systemic organization,…

Swedish Upper Secondary Students' Perspectives on the Typical Mathematics Lesson

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Andrews, Paul; Larson, Niclas

2017-01-01

This paper presents a group interview study of Swedish upper secondary students' perspectives on the typical mathematics lesson. Students, from four demographically different schools, constructed a collective synthesis of their many years' experience of mathematics classrooms. Transcriptions were subjected to a constant comparison analysis, which…

Sexual Equality--An Increasingly Important Theme of Swedish Education Today.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Western European Education, 1988

1988-01-01

Discusses Swedish efforts to promote sexual equality by enhancing female interest in technology rather than traditional female employment. Examines programs designed for students aged 7-20 and recognizes the need for inservice teacher training. Equating economic equality with sexual equality, the goal is to encourage females to pursue technical…

Leisure, Government and Governance: A Swedish Perspective

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lindstrom, Lisbeth

2011-01-01

The leisure sector has witnessed a tremendous expansion since 1960. The purpose of this article is to analyse the decisions and goals of Swedish government policy during the period 1962 to 2005. The empirical analysis covers government Propositions and governmental investigations. The fields covered are sports, culture, exercise, tourism and…

Linguistic Challenges in Mendelian Genetics: Teachers' Talk in Action

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Thörne, Karin; Gericke, Niklas M.; Hagberg, Mariana

2013-01-01

This study investigates Swedish teachers' use of language when teaching Mendelian genetics in compulsory school. The primary objective of the study is to explore how teachers use the related concepts "gene," "allele," and "anlag" (a Swedish variant of the German word "anlage") and how these are related to…

The Functions and Problems of the Urban University: A Comparative Perspective.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

City Univ. of New York, NY. Graduate School. Center for European Studies.

Issues concerning the urban university in Great Britain, France, Sweden, Japan, and West Germany are considered in the five selected conference papers that make up this document. In "Analysis in Politics: The Regionalization of Swedish Higher Education," Rune Premfors discusses how Swedish regionalization of higher education used…

Sociocultural Diversity and Reading Literacy in a Finland-Swedish Environment.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Brunell, Viking; Saretsalo, Lauri

1999-01-01

Studied the relationships among students' backgrounds in terms of parental education and socioeconomic level, Finnish linguistic influence, and reading literacy for students in Swedish-speaking schools in Finland. Data from two national studies indicate that home background is more significant for reading literacy than is linguistic background.…

Parental Perceptions of Children's Agency: Parental Warmth, School Achievement and Adjustment

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Gurdal, Sevtap; Lansford, Jennifer E.; Sorbring, Emma

2016-01-01

The present study examined Swedish mothers' and fathers' warmth towards their children in relation to their children's agency. It also examined the longitudinal relation between agency and children's externalising, internalising, and school achievement. Swedish children's mothers and fathers (N = 93) were interviewed at three time points (when…

Preschool Staff's View of Emergent Literacy Approaches in Swedish Preschools

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Norling, Martina

2014-01-01

This study aims to investigate preschool staff's view of emergent literacy approaches in Swedish preschools with the following research question: How do preschool staff describe and explain the approaches they use in the emergent literacy environment of preschool? Focus-group interviews were conducted with 52 participating preschool units.…

Effective Mathematics Teaching in Finnish and Swedish Teacher Education Discourses

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hemmi, Kirsti; Ryve, Andreas

2015-01-01

This article explores effective mathematics teaching as constructed in Finnish and Swedish teacher educators' discourses. Based on interview data from teacher educators as well as data from feedback discussions between teacher educators and prospective teachers in Sweden and Finland, the analysis shows that several aspects of the recent…

Managing Stress and Feelings of Mastery among Swedish Comprehensive School Teachers.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Jacobsson, Christian; Pousette, Anders; Thylefors, Ingela

2001-01-01

Created guidelines for stress management intervention by investigating the relationship of 12 factors with stress reactions and feelings of mastery among 826 Swedish teachers in 27 comprehensive schools. Teacher stress reactions were best predicted by perceived work demands, student misbehavior, and negative feedback, while mastery feelings were…

Informatics with Systems Science and Cybernetics--Concepts and Definitions.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Samuelson, Kjell

This dictionary defines information science, computer science, systems theory, and cybernetic terms in English and provides the Swedish translation of each term. An index of Swedish terms refers the user to the page where the English equivalent and definition appear. Most of the 38 references listed are in English. (RAA)

Swedish: The Swedish Language in Education in Finland. Regional Dossiers Series.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ostern, Anna Lena

This regional dossier aims to provide concise, descriptive information and basic educational statistics about minority language education in a specific country of the European Union--Finland. Details are provided about the features of the educational system, recent educational policies, divisions of responsibilities, main actors, legal…

Language Universals and Socio-Cultural Implications in Deviant Usage: Personal Questions in Swedish

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Paulston, Christina Bratt

1975-01-01

This paper investigates the address avoidance of second person personal pronouns in Swedish in terms of language universals and the relationship between deviation from a universal linguistic feature and social structural change. Available from Liber Laeromedel, Box 1205, S-22105 Lund, Sweden. (Author)

Current and emerging operational uses of remote sensing in Swedish forestry

Treesearch

Hakan Olsson; Mikael Egberth; Jonas Engberg; Johan E.S. Fransson; Tina Granqvist Pahlen; < i> et al< /i>

2007-01-01

Satellite remote sensing is being used operationally by Swedish authorities in applications involving, for example, change detection of clear felled areas, use of k-Nearest Neighbour estimates of forest parameters, and post-stratification (in combination with National Forest Inventory plots). For forest management planning of estates, aerial...

Language Planning in Sweden.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Molde, Bertil

1975-01-01

This article discusses language planning in Sweden. The Swedish Academy has as its goal to develop the purity, strength and nobility of the Swedish language by means of dictionaries, grammars, and the codification of vocabulary. Sweden also has a National Language Committee, one of a network of such committees existing in the Scandinavian…

New Trends in Swedish Educational Research

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Englund, Tomas

2006-01-01

What new tendencies can be made out in Swedish educational research in the last three decades? Briefly, the following developments are described: In the 1970s, a long-prevailing emphasis on quantitative research was challenged by a number of different qualitative methods. Traditional sociology of education, meanwhile, was challenged by the new…

Work demands are related to mental health problems for older engine room officers.

PubMed

Rydstedt, Leif W; Lundh, Monica

2012-01-01

The aim of the present study was to analyse the main and interaction effects of age and psychosocial work demands on mental wellbeing in a sample (N = 685; age M = 47 years) of engine room officers in the Swedish merchant fleet. As expected, work demands were highly related to general mental health as well as to perceived stress, while the main effect of age only related significantly to perceived stress. The interaction effects between high work demands and high age significantly explained the variance of general mental health as well as perceived stress. The results can be understood as a consequence of the rapid technological and organisational development in the shipping industry and suggest that it ought be of high priority to provide older employees with work-related resources to support their long-term work performance as well as their health and wellbeing.

Noah's Ark-Red Cross Foundation: a Swedish model.

PubMed

Florence, M E

1993-01-01

During the Spring of 1991, the author spent many weeks at the Noah's Ark-Red Cross Foundation, a support service for HIV infected persons, and their families and friends, located in Stockholm, Sweden. The purpose was to study, through interviews, observation and participation, the foundation's interactive model in order to discover what makes it work and share that knowledge with other professionals. The Noah's Ark Model consists of three spheres of activity: service, including reception services and the volunteer programme; information and education, including the Hot Line and the Newsletter; and counselling and support, including the guest house. Staff from each area interact freely with and participate in the activities of other areas. The foundation also utilizes the services of carefully trained volunteers. This use of volunteers makes it unique in Sweden. It is the dedication and flexibility of the staff and volunteers that make this model work. The report of the study follows.

Climate change, phenology, and butterfly host plant utilization.

PubMed

Navarro-Cano, Jose A; Karlsson, Bengt; Posledovich, Diana; Toftegaard, Tenna; Wiklund, Christer; Ehrlén, Johan; Gotthard, Karl

2015-01-01

Knowledge of how species interactions are influenced by climate warming is paramount to understand current biodiversity changes. We review phenological changes of Swedish butterflies during the latest decades and explore potential climate effects on butterfly-host plant interactions using the Orange tip butterfly Anthocharis cardamines and its host plants as a model system. This butterfly has advanced its appearance dates substantially, and its mean flight date shows a positive correlation with latitude. We show that there is a large latitudinal variation in host use and that butterfly populations select plant individuals based on their flowering phenology. We conclude that A. cardamines is a phenological specialist but a host species generalist. This implies that thermal plasticity for spring development influences host utilization of the butterfly through effects on the phenological matching with its host plants. However, the host utilization strategy of A. cardamines appears to render it resilient to relatively large variation in climate.

Nuclear quadrupole resonance lineshape analysis for different motional models: Stochastic Liouville approach

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kruk, D.; Earle, K. A.; Mielczarek, A.; Kubica, A.; Milewska, A.; Moscicki, J.

2011-12-01

A general theory of lineshapes in nuclear quadrupole resonance (NQR), based on the stochastic Liouville equation, is presented. The description is valid for arbitrary motional conditions (particularly beyond the valid range of perturbation approaches) and interaction strengths. It can be applied to the computation of NQR spectra for any spin quantum number and for any applied magnetic field. The treatment presented here is an adaptation of the "Swedish slow motion theory," [T. Nilsson and J. Kowalewski, J. Magn. Reson. 146, 345 (2000), 10.1006/jmre.2000.2125] originally formulated for paramagnetic systems, to NQR spectral analysis. The description is formulated for simple (Brownian) diffusion, free diffusion, and jump diffusion models. The two latter models account for molecular cooperativity effects in dense systems (such as liquids of high viscosity or molecular glasses). The sensitivity of NQR slow motion spectra to the mechanism of the motional processes modulating the nuclear quadrupole interaction is discussed.

Associations between personality traits and CCK-4-induced panic attacks in healthy volunteers.

PubMed

Tõru, Innar; Aluoja, Anu; Võhma, Ulle; Raag, Mait; Vasar, Veiko; Maron, Eduard; Shlik, Jakov

2010-07-30

In this study we examined how personality disposition may affect the response to cholecystokinin tetrapeptide (CCK-4; 50 microg) challenge in healthy volunteers (n=105). Personality traits were assessed with the Swedish universities Scales of Personality (SSP). Statistical methods employed were correlation analysis and logistic regression. The results showed that the occurrence of CCK-4-induced panic attacks was best predicted by baseline diastolic blood pressure, preceding anxiety and SSP-defined traits of lack of assertiveness, detachment, embitterment and verbal aggression. Significant interactions were noted between the above mentioned variables, modifying their individual effects. For different subsets of CCK-4-induced symptoms, the traits of physical aggression, irritability, somatic anxiety and stress susceptibility also appeared related to panic manifestations. These findings suggest that some personality traits and their interactions may influence vulnerability to CCK-4-induced panic attacks in healthy volunteers. Copyright 2010 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

The maternal environment interacts with genetic variation in regulating seed dormancy in Swedish Arabidopsis thaliana

PubMed Central

Nordborg, Magnus

2017-01-01

Seed dormancy is a complex adaptive trait that controls the timing of seed germination, one of the major fitness components in many plant species. Despite being highly heritable, seed dormancy is extremely plastic and influenced by a wide range of environmental cues. Here, using a set of 92 Arabidopsis thaliana lines from Sweden, we investigate the effect of seed maturation temperature on dormancy variation at the population level. The response to temperature differs dramatically between lines, demonstrating that genotype and the maternal environment interact in controlling the trait. By performing a genome-wide association study (GWAS), we identified several candidate genes that could presumably account for this plasticity, two of which are involved in the photoinduction of germination. Altogether, our results provide insight into both the molecular mechanisms and the evolution of dormancy plasticity, and can serve to improve our understanding of environmentally dependent life-history transitions. PMID:29281703

Experimental research on femto-second laser damaging array CCD cameras

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Shao, Junfeng; Guo, Jin; Wang, Ting-feng; Wang, Ming

2013-05-01

Charged Coupled Devices (CCD) are widely used in military and security applications, such as airborne and ship based surveillance, satellite reconnaissance and so on. Homeland security requires effective means to negate these advanced overseeing systems. Researches show that CCD based EO systems can be significantly dazzled or even damaged by high-repetition rate pulsed lasers. Here, we report femto - second laser interaction with CCD camera, which is probable of great importance in future. Femto - second laser is quite fresh new lasers, which has unique characteristics, such as extremely short pulse width (1 fs = 10-15 s), extremely high peak power (1 TW = 1012W), and especially its unique features when interacting with matters. Researches in femto second laser interaction with materials (metals, dielectrics) clearly indicate non-thermal effect dominates the process, which is of vast difference from that of long pulses interaction with matters. Firstly, the damage threshold test are performed with femto second laser acting on the CCD camera. An 800nm, 500μJ, 100fs laser pulse is used to irradiate interline CCD solid-state image sensor in the experiment. In order to focus laser energy onto tiny CCD active cells, an optical system of F/5.6 is used. A Sony production CCDs are chose as typical targets. The damage threshold is evaluated with multiple test data. Point damage, line damage and full array damage were observed when the irradiated pulse energy continuously increase during the experiment. The point damage threshold is found 151.2 mJ/cm2.The line damage threshold is found 508.2 mJ/cm2.The full-array damage threshold is found to be 5.91 J/cm2. Although the phenomenon is almost the same as that of nano laser interaction with CCD, these damage thresholds are substantially lower than that of data obtained from nano second laser interaction with CCD. Then at the same time, the electric features after different degrees of damage are tested with electronic multi meter. The resistance values between clock signal lines are measured. Contrasting the resistance values of the CCD before and after damage, it is found that the resistances decrease significantly between the vertical transfer clock signal lines values. The same results are found between the vertical transfer clock signal line and the earth electrode (ground).At last, the damage position and the damage mechanism were analyzed with above results and SEM morphological experiments. The point damage results in the laser destroying material, which shows no macro electro influence. The line damage is quite different from that of point damage, which shows deeper material corroding effect. More importantly, short circuits are found between vertical clock lines. The full array damage is even more severe than that of line damage starring with SEM, while no obvious different electrical features than that of line damage are found. Further researches are anticipated in femto second laser caused CCD damage mechanism with more advanced tools. This research is valuable in EO countermeasure and/or laser shielding applications.

Resonances in positron-potassium (e +-K) system with natural and unnatural parities

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Umair, M.; Jonsell, S.

2016-01-01

We present an investigation of resonances with natural and unnatural parities in the positron-potassium system using the complex scaling method. A model potential is used to represent the interaction between the core and the valence electron. Explicitly correlated Gaussian wave functions are used to represent the correlation effects between the valence electron, the positron and the K+ core. Resonance energies and widths for two partial waves (S- and P-wave) below the {{K}}(4p,5 s,5p,4 d,4f) excitation thresholds and positronium n = 2 formation threshold are calculated for natural parity. Resonance states for P e below the {{K}}(4d) excitation threshold and positronium n = 2, 3 formation thresholds are calculated for unnatural parity which has not been previously reported. Below both positronium thresholds we have found a dipole series of resonances, with binding energies scaling in good agreement with exceptions from an analytical calculation. The present results are compared with those in the literature.

Asymmetrically interacting spreading dynamics on complex layered networks.

PubMed

Wang, Wei; Tang, Ming; Yang, Hui; Younghae Do; Lai, Ying-Cheng; Lee, GyuWon

2014-05-29

The spread of disease through a physical-contact network and the spread of information about the disease on a communication network are two intimately related dynamical processes. We investigate the asymmetrical interplay between the two types of spreading dynamics, each occurring on its own layer, by focusing on the two fundamental quantities underlying any spreading process: epidemic threshold and the final infection ratio. We find that an epidemic outbreak on the contact layer can induce an outbreak on the communication layer, and information spreading can effectively raise the epidemic threshold. When structural correlation exists between the two layers, the information threshold remains unchanged but the epidemic threshold can be enhanced, making the contact layer more resilient to epidemic outbreak. We develop a physical theory to understand the intricate interplay between the two types of spreading dynamics.

Asymmetrically interacting spreading dynamics on complex layered networks

PubMed Central

Wang, Wei; Tang, Ming; Yang, Hui; Younghae Do; Lai, Ying-Cheng; Lee, GyuWon

2014-01-01

The spread of disease through a physical-contact network and the spread of information about the disease on a communication network are two intimately related dynamical processes. We investigate the asymmetrical interplay between the two types of spreading dynamics, each occurring on its own layer, by focusing on the two fundamental quantities underlying any spreading process: epidemic threshold and the final infection ratio. We find that an epidemic outbreak on the contact layer can induce an outbreak on the communication layer, and information spreading can effectively raise the epidemic threshold. When structural correlation exists between the two layers, the information threshold remains unchanged but the epidemic threshold can be enhanced, making the contact layer more resilient to epidemic outbreak. We develop a physical theory to understand the intricate interplay between the two types of spreading dynamics. PMID:24872257

Sensitivity to coincidences and paranormal belief.

PubMed

Hadlaczky, Gergö; Westerlund, Joakim

2011-12-01

Often it is difficult to find a natural explanation as to why a surprising coincidence occurs. In attempting to find one, people may be inclined to accept paranormal explanations. The objective of this study was to investigate whether people with a lower threshold for being surprised by coincidences have a greater propensity to become believers compared to those with a higher threshold. Participants were exposed to artificial coincidences, which were formally defined as less or more probable, and were asked to provide remarkability ratings. Paranormal belief was measured by the Australian Sheep-Goat Scale. An analysis of the remarkability ratings revealed a significant interaction effect between Sheep-Goat score and type of coincidence, suggesting that people with lower thresholds of surprise, when experiencing coincidences, harbor higher paranormal belief than those with a higher threshold. The theoretical aspects of these findings were discussed.

QCM operating in threshold mode as a gas sensor.

PubMed

Dultsev, Fedor N; Kolosovsky, Eugeny A

2009-10-20

Application of the threshold mode allowed us to use the quartz resonator (quartz crystal microbalance, QCM) as a highly sensitive gas sensor measuring the forces of the rupture of adsorbed gas components from the resonator surface oscillating with increasing amplitude. This procedure allows one to analyze different gas components using the same surface modification, just varying the rupture threshold by varying the amplitude of shear oscillations. The sensitivity of the threshold measurements is 2 to 3 orders of magnitude higher than for the gravimetric procedure. It is demonstrated that the QCM operating as an active element can be used as a gas sensor. This procedure seems to be promising in investigating the reactivity of the surface or the interactions of gaseous components with the surface containing various functional groups, thus contributing to the surface chemistry.

Exotic Effects at the Charm Threshold and Other Novel Physics Topics at JLab-12 GeV

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Brodsky, Stanley J.; /SLAC

I briefly survey a number of novel hadron physics topics which can be investigated with the 12 GeV upgrade at J-Lab. The topics include new the formation of exotic heavy quark resonances accessible above the charm threshold, intrinsic charm and strangeness phenomena, the exclusive Sivers effect, hidden-color Fock states of nuclei, local two-photon interactions in deeply virtual Compton scattering, and non-universal antishadowing.

Understanding the Femtosecond Laser-Solid Interaction Near and Beyond the Material Damage Threshold

DTIC Science & Technology

2016-05-23

study of the fundamentals of femtosecond laser damage as a function of various parameters, laser wavelength, pulsewidth, pulse number, experimental ... experimental observation without any free parameters. The brand new FSD Lab constructed under the BRI grant in the Physics Research Building at the Ohio... studied across a range of band-gaps for s- and p-polarized light and it is found that conventional theoretical prediction on laser damage threshold

Swedish Delegation Visits NASA Goddard

NASA Image and Video Library

2017-12-08

Swedish Delegation Visits GSFC – May 3, 2017 - Members of Goddard Space Flight Center senior management and members of the Royal Swedish Academy of Engineering Sciences pose for a group photo in the atrium area of Building 28 at GSFC. Photo Credit: NASA/Goddard/Bill Hrybyk Read more: go.nasa.gov/2p1rP0h NASA image use policy. NASA Goddard Space Flight Center enables NASA’s mission through four scientific endeavors: Earth Science, Heliophysics, Solar System Exploration, and Astrophysics. Goddard plays a leading role in NASA’s accomplishments by contributing compelling scientific knowledge to advance the Agency’s mission. Follow us on Twitter Like us on Facebook Find us on Instagram

Swedish Delegation Visits NASA Goddard

NASA Image and Video Library

2017-12-08

Swedish Delegation Visits GSFC – May 3, 2017 – Members of Goddard Space Flight Center senior management introduce themselves to His Majesty Carl XVI Gustaf, King of Sweden and the members of the Royal Swedish Academy upon their arrival to Goddard. Credit: NASA/Goddard/Bill Hrybyk Read more: go.nasa.gov/2p1rP0h NASA image use policy. NASA Goddard Space Flight Center enables NASA’s mission through four scientific endeavors: Earth Science, Heliophysics, Solar System Exploration, and Astrophysics. Goddard plays a leading role in NASA’s accomplishments by contributing compelling scientific knowledge to advance the Agency’s mission. Follow us on Twitter Like us on Facebook Find us on Instagram

Swedish Delegation Visits NASA Goddard

NASA Image and Video Library

2017-12-08

Swedish Delegation Visits GSFC – May 3, 2017 - Members of the Royal Swedish Academy of Engineering Sciences listen to Catherine Peddie, Wide Field Infrared Survey Telescope (WFIRST) Deputy Project Manager use a full-scale model of WFIRST to describe the features of the observatory. Photo Credit: NASA/Goddard/Rebecca Roth Read more: go.nasa.gov/2p1rP0h NASA image use policy. NASA Goddard Space Flight Center enables NASA’s mission through four scientific endeavors: Earth Science, Heliophysics, Solar System Exploration, and Astrophysics. Goddard plays a leading role in NASA’s accomplishments by contributing compelling scientific knowledge to advance the Agency’s mission. Follow us on Twitter Like us on Facebook Find us on Instagram

Swedish Delegation Visits NASA Goddard

NASA Image and Video Library

2017-12-08

Swedish Delegation Visits GSFC – May 3, 2017 - Members of the Royal Swedish Academy of Engineering Sciences listen to Jim Jeletic, Deputy Project Manager of Hubble Space Telescope (HST) talk about telescope operations just outside the HST control center at Goddard. Photo Credit: NASA/Goddard/Rebecca Roth Read more: go.nasa.gov/2p1rP0h NASA image use policy. NASA Goddard Space Flight Center enables NASA’s mission through four scientific endeavors: Earth Science, Heliophysics, Solar System Exploration, and Astrophysics. Goddard plays a leading role in NASA’s accomplishments by contributing compelling scientific knowledge to advance the Agency’s mission. Follow us on Twitter Like us on Facebook Find us on Instagram

Swedish Delegation Visits NASA Goddard

NASA Image and Video Library

2017-12-08

Swedish Delegation Visits GSFC – May 3, 2017 - Members of the Royal Swedish Academy of Engineering Sciences listen to Dr. Compton Tucker’s presentation on NASA’s earth science research activities in the Piers Sellers Visualization Theatre in Building 28 at NASA Goddard. Photo Credit: NASA/Goddard/Rebecca Roth Read more: go.nasa.gov/2p1rP0h NASA image use policy. NASA Goddard Space Flight Center enables NASA’s mission through four scientific endeavors: Earth Science, Heliophysics, Solar System Exploration, and Astrophysics. Goddard plays a leading role in NASA’s accomplishments by contributing compelling scientific knowledge to advance the Agency’s mission. Follow us on Twitter Like us on Facebook Find us on Instagram

Swedish Delegation Visits NASA Goddard

NASA Image and Video Library

2017-12-08

Swedish Delegation Visits GSFC – May 3, 2017 - Members of the Royal Swedish Academy of Engineering Sciences listen to Dr. Compton Tucker’s presentation on NASA’s earth science research activities in the Piers Sellers Visualization Theatre in Building 28 at NASA Goddard. Credit: NASA/Goddard/Bill Hrybyk Read more: go.nasa.gov/2p1rP0h NASA image use policy. NASA Goddard Space Flight Center enables NASA’s mission through four scientific endeavors: Earth Science, Heliophysics, Solar System Exploration, and Astrophysics. Goddard plays a leading role in NASA’s accomplishments by contributing compelling scientific knowledge to advance the Agency’s mission. Follow us on Twitter Like us on Facebook Find us on Instagram

Swedish Delegation Visits NASA Goddard

NASA Image and Video Library

2017-12-08

Swedish Delegation Visits GSFC – May 3, 2017 - Members of the Royal Swedish Academy of Engineering Sciences listen to Dr. Joihn Mather’s presentation on NASA’s astrophysics research activities in the Piers Sellers Visualization Theatre in Building 28 at NASA Goddard. Credit: NASA/Goddard/Bill Hrybyk Read more: go.nasa.gov/2p1rP0h NASA image use policy. NASA Goddard Space Flight Center enables NASA’s mission through four scientific endeavors: Earth Science, Heliophysics, Solar System Exploration, and Astrophysics. Goddard plays a leading role in NASA’s accomplishments by contributing compelling scientific knowledge to advance the Agency’s mission. Follow us on Twitter Like us on Facebook Find us on Instagram

Redesign and Validation of Sisom, an Interactive Assessment and Communication Tool for Children With Cancer

PubMed Central

2016-01-01

Background Children with cancer undergo intensive and long treatment periods that expose them and their families to a number of difficult physical, mental, and social challenges. Empowering children by actively involving them in their care can help them to cope with these challenges. It can, however, be difficult for children to be involved and talk about their illness experiences in a “traditional” conversation with health care professionals, especially for younger children. Sisom (Norwegian acronym “Si det som det er” or “Tell it how it is”) is an interactive computer-based assessment and communication tool to give children (aged 6-12 years) with cancer a “voice” in their care. Because of technological advances and widespread use of mobile devices Sisom had to be redesigned to better meet the needs of children of today. Objective To redesign Sisom for use on mobile devices and to validate and adapt it for use in a Swedish population of children with cancer. Methods A user-experience design was used. Content adaptation included forward-backward translation by Swedish and Norwegian translators. Healthy children (n=5), children with experiences of cancer treatment (n=5) and their parents (n=5), and pediatric nurses (n=2) were then involved in culturally adapting Sisom to the Swedish context. The iterative low- and high-fidelity evaluation was supported by a think aloud method, semistructured interviews, and drawings to capture children’s views of Sisom. The redesign and evaluation continued until no further changes or improvements were identified by the participants or the researchers. Results Children, parents, and pediatric nurses offered many suggestions for improvements to the original version in terms of content, aesthetics, and usability of Sisom. The most significant change that emerged through user input was a modification that entailed not using problem-focused statements in the assessment items. The parents and pediatric nurses considered the revised assessment items to be general and less diagnosis specific. The evaluation of aesthetics resulted in brighter colors and more positive and exciting details in the animations. The evaluation of usability included improvements of the verbal instructions on how to navigate in Sisom 2, and also that the answers to assessment items in Sisom 2 should be saved to provide the children with the option to pause and to continue answering the remaining assessment items at a later stage. Conclusions Overall, this paper describes the process of using user-experience design with children in order to redesign and validate an interactive assessment and communication tool and how the outcomes of this process resulted in a new version, Sisom 2. All participants confirmed the usability and qualities of using the final version. Future research should be directed toward the implementation of Sisom 2 in clinical practice and to evaluate outcomes from individual and organizational levels. PMID:27343004

Fast 3D Surface Extraction 2 pages (including abstract)

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Sewell, Christopher Meyer; Patchett, John M.; Ahrens, James P.

Ocean scientists searching for isosurfaces and/or thresholds of interest in high resolution 3D datasets required a tedious and time-consuming interactive exploration experience. PISTON research and development activities are enabling ocean scientists to rapidly and interactively explore isosurfaces and thresholds in their large data sets using a simple slider with real time calculation and visualization of these features. Ocean Scientists can now visualize more features in less time, helping them gain a better understanding of the high resolution data sets they work with on a daily basis. Isosurface timings (512{sup 3} grid): VTK 7.7 s, Parallel VTK (48-core) 1.3 s, PISTONmore » OpenMP (48-core) 0.2 s, PISTON CUDA (Quadro 6000) 0.1 s.« less

Analysis of parenchymal patterns using conspicuous spatial frequency features in mammograms applied to the BI-RADS density rating scheme

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Perconti, Philip; Loew, Murray

2006-03-01

Automatic classification of the density of breast parenchyma is shown using a measure that is correlated to the human observer performance, and compared against the BI-RADS density rating. Increasingly popular in the United States, the Breast Imaging Reporting and Data System (BI-RADS) is used to draw attention to the increased screening difficulty associated with greater breast density; however, the BI-RADS rating scheme is subjective and is not intended as an objective measure of breast density. So, while popular, BI-RADS does not define density classes using a standardized measure, which leads to increased variability among observers. The adaptive thresholding technique is a more quantitative approach for assessing the percentage breast density, but considerable reader interaction is required. We calculate an objective density rating that is derived using a measure of local feature salience. Previously, this measure was shown to correlate well with radiologists' localization and discrimination of true positive and true negative regions-of-interest. Using conspicuous spatial frequency features, an objective density rating is obtained and correlated with adaptive thresholding, and the subjectively ascertained BI-RADS density ratings. Using 100 cases, obtained from the University of South Florida's DDSM database, we show that an automated breast density measure can be derived that is correlated with the interactive thresholding method for continuous percentage breast density, but not with the BI-RADS density rating categories for the selected cases. Comparison between interactive thresholding and the new salience percentage density resulted in a Pearson correlation of 76.7%. Using a four-category scale equivalent to the BI-RADS density categories, a Spearman correlation coefficient of 79.8% was found.

English Language Teaching Profile: Sweden.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

British Council, London (England). English-Teaching Information Centre.

This profile in outline form of the English language teaching situation in Sweden discusses the role of English within Swedish society and within the Swedish educational system. The status of English as the principal foreign language since 1945 for use in business, the media and tourism is pointed out. The system of English instruction in the…

From Trust to Control--The Swedish First Teacher Reform

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Erlandson, Peter; Karlsson, Mikael. R.

2018-01-01

In this study, the implementation of the Swedish "first teacher reform", where especially skilled teachers get an opportunity to advance in their careers, is examined. The scene is an upper secondary school, Baxter High, in the southwest of Sweden. In this particular school, a new system with first teachers replaces an old system of…

Classification of Swedish Learner Essays by CEFR Levels

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Volodina, Elena; Pilán, Ildikó; Alfter, David

2016-01-01

The paper describes initial efforts on creating a system for the automatic assessment of Swedish second language (L2) learner essays from two points of view: holistic evaluation of the reached level according to the Common European Framework of Reference (CEFR), and the lexical analysis of texts for receptive and productive vocabulary per CEFR…

Mathematics and Didactic Contract in Swedish Preschools

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Delacour, Laurence

2016-01-01

The purpose of this article is to study and analyse how a teacher implements an outdoor realistic problem situation for children aged 4-5 in a Swedish preschool. By an "outdoor realistic problem situation", I mean a situation initiated by a teacher in which children come into contact with mathematical concepts and in which the outside…

On the "Vulnerability" of Syntactic Domains in Swedish and German

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bohnacker, Ute

2007-01-01

This article investigates the L2 acquisition of clausal syntax in postpuberty learners of German and Swedish regarding V2, VP headedness, and verb particle constructions. The learner data are tested against L2 theories according to which lower structural projections (VP) are acquired before higher functional projections (IP, CP), VP syntax is…

The Swedish Rocket Corps, 1833 - 1845

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Skoog, A. I.

1977-01-01

Rockets for pyrotechnic displays used in Sweden in the 19th century are examined in terms of their use in war situations. Work done by the Swedish chemist J. J. Berzelius, who analyzed and improved the propellants of such rockets, and the German engineer, Martin Westermaijer, who researched manufacturing techniques of these rockets is also included.

Gendered Distribution of 'Knowledge Required for Empowerment' in Swedish Vocational Education Curricula?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ledman, Kristina; Rosvall, Per-Åke; Nylund, Mattias

2018-01-01

Sweden is internationally commended for a high degree of gender equality, but many divisions in Swedish society, including the labour market, disadvantage women. This paper addresses gendered divisions of preparation for civic participation in the vocational upper secondary national curricula, which may participate in reproduction of the pattern.…