Scandinavian Research Papers - Academia.edu (original) (raw)

The article discusses how current changes in the system of reasoning about education in Finland, Iceland and Sweden are characterised by culturally woven patterns where marketisation strategies, for instance budget reform, are introduced... more

The article discusses how current changes in the system of reasoning about education in Finland, Iceland and Sweden are characterised by culturally woven patterns where marketisation strategies, for instance budget reform, are introduced as technically effective devices both for educating the best and to increase inclusion. This system of reason presupposes that the neo-liberalist restructuring changes are inevitable global phenomena and that they are a progress compared with the old arrangements, but is silent about socio-economic issues and the equity goals of the 1960s-1980s. The article also argues that school-based self-evaluation as a practice and as a language is a normalising technique that ensures that school actors will identify the obstacles encountered in the restructuring transition so that neither state nor other authorities intervene.

WALSH K, VARNES N, OSMOND C, STYLES R, COGGON D. Occupational causes of low-back pain. Scand J Work Environ Health 1989;15:54-59. Associations between occupational activities and low-back pain (LBP) were examined in a retrospective postal... more

WALSH K, VARNES N, OSMOND C, STYLES R, COGGON D. Occupational causes of low-back pain. Scand J Work Environ Health 1989;15:54-59. Associations between occupational activities and low-back pain (LBP) were examined in a retrospective postal survey of 545 randomly ...

Anterior knee pain is a common presenting complaint amongst adolescent athletes. We hypothesised that patellar tendinopathy may occur at a younger age than is generally recognised. Thus, we studied the patellar tendons in 134 elite 14-to... more

Anterior knee pain is a common presenting complaint amongst adolescent athletes. We hypothesised that patellar tendinopathy may occur at a younger age than is generally recognised. Thus, we studied the patellar tendons in 134 elite 14-to 18-year-old female (nΩ64) and male (nΩ70) basketball players and 29 control swimmers (17 female, 12 male) clinically and with ultrasonography. We found that of 268 tendons, 19 (7%) had current patellar tendinopathy on clinical grounds (11% in males, 2% in females). Twenty-six percent of the bas

Background: Over the past quarter century, the incidence of tick-borne encephalitis (TBE) has increased in most European nations. However, the number of humans stricken by the disease varies from year to year. A method for predicting... more

Background: Over the past quarter century, the incidence of tick-borne encephalitis (TBE) has increased in most European nations. However, the number of humans stricken by the disease varies from year to year. A method for predicting major increases and decreases is needed. Methods: We assembled a 25-y database of the number of human TBE victims and wildlife and climate data for the Stockholm region of Sweden, and used it to create easy-to-use mathematical models that predict increases and decreases in the number of humans stricken by TBE. Results: Our best model, which uses December precipitation and mink (Neovison vison, formerly Mustela vison) bagging figures, successfully predicted every major increase or decrease in TBE during the past quarter century, with a minimum of false alarms. However, this model was not efficient in predicting small increases and decreases. Conclusions: Predictions from our models can be used to determine when preventive and adaptive programmes should be implemented. For example, in years when the frequency of TBE in humans is predicted to be high, vector control could be intensified where infested ticks have a higher probability of encountering humans, such as at playgrounds, bathing lakes, barbecue areas and camping facilities. Because our models use only wildlife and climate data, they can be used even when the human population is vaccinated. Another advantage is that because our models employ data from previously-established databases, no additional funding for surveillance is required.

Physical and psychological health and social relations in patients with prolonged musculoskeletal disorders The purpose of this study was to describe and analyse the relationship between physical and psychological health and social... more

Physical and psychological health and social relations in patients with prolonged musculoskeletal disorders The purpose of this study was to describe and analyse the relationship between physical and psychological health and social relations in patients with prolonged musculoskeletal disorders in primary care. Seventy-eight patients ± 64 women and 14 men ± were included in the study. Data from a semi-structured interview called addiction severity index (ASI), frequently used in psychiatric and drug abuse research and a visual analogue scale (VAS) symptom list as well were analysed using principal component analysis (PCA). The analysis gave a two-dimensional model with four poles of related variables characterizing the whole group. The ®rst dimension consisted of one pole charac-terized by present psychiatric symptoms and many somatic symptoms. The second pole on this dimension was characterized by well-being, having work and feeling satisfaction with life. One pole on the second dimension was characterized by severe physical problems, related to sick leave and disability pension. The opposite pole on this dimension was characterized by severe psychiatric symptoms earlier in life and present relationship problems with family and other people. The ASI-instrument was considered to be relevant for describing important problem areas in patients with prolonged musculoskeletal disorders.

Major depression is a mood disorder that is often accompanied by the impairment of cognitive functions. Although suggestive, the large range of existing neuropsychological, neuropsychiatric, and, lately, neuroimaging investigations have... more

Major depression is a mood disorder that is often accompanied by the impairment of cognitive functions. Although suggestive, the large range of existing neuropsychological, neuropsychiatric, and, lately, neuroimaging investigations have not yet given a consistent picture of the psychological and biological disturbances involved in this psychiatric disorder. The present study of the cognitive functions in depression was part of an extensive investigation, including neuropsychological testing, psychiatric examination, and neuroimaging. A representative sample of 40 severely depressed hospitalized patients and a group of 49 closely matched control subjects were tested with an extensive neuropsychological test battery. Results, corrected for various confounding factors, confirmed the current notion that depressed patients suffer from widespread cognitive impairments. The group analysis did not allow any hypothesis on a possible pattern to the dysfunctions, but heterogeneity in the test performances calls for further analysis of the data in patient subgroups in relation to neuroimaging results. psychological test battery. The neuropsychological test battery was composed to include a number of tests of attention, 240 B. Ravnkilde et al.

Objective At temperate latitudes, 1-5% of the population suffer from winter depression; during winter, mood difficulties tend to increase but may be alleviated by bright light therapy. Unlike indoor workers, outdoor workers are exposed to... more

Objective At temperate latitudes, 1-5% of the population suffer from winter depression; during winter, mood difficulties tend to increase but may be alleviated by bright light therapy. Unlike indoor workers, outdoor workers are exposed to therapeutic levels of sunlight during winter. We hypothesized that outdoor work may protect against mood difficulties and depression. Method We studied this hypothesis among 2910 civil servants from Århus, Denmark, who participated in a survey in January-February 2009. Mental symptoms (N=422) defined a common case category that we broke down into two parts: depression (N=66) and mood difficulties but no depression (N=356). A total of 222 controls were also sampled from the study population. All 644 participants reported the extent of outdoor work. Results The confounder-adjusted odds ratio (OR) of mood difficulties showed a decreasing trend by increasing hours of outdoor work of borderline statistical significance. The OR was 0.63 [95% confidence interval (95% CI) 0.34-1.18)] for those working outdoors for >2 hours a day. No such effect was suggested for depression. Conclusion Our study is limited by its cross-sectional design and low statistical power but nevertheless suggests that outdoor work during winter may protect against mood difficulties. If this finding holds true it may have significant impact on workers' health as well as public health in general. Therefore, further studies are recommended.

Serum samples and immunoglobulin fraciions of eight mammalian species were applied to a Sepharose-protein A column. As with the human immunoglobulin subclasses IgGl, lgG2 and IgG4, all examined animal IgG classes and subclasses were bound... more

Serum samples and immunoglobulin fraciions of eight mammalian species were applied to a Sepharose-protein A column. As with the human immunoglobulin subclasses IgGl, lgG2 and IgG4, all examined animal IgG classes and subclasses were bound to a greater or lesser extent lo protein A. However, the binding of IgGl of ruminants was very poor. Polyclonal IgM and IgA of the pig, the dog and the cat may be separated in protein A reactive and protein A non-reaciive fractions. In addition, monoclonal canine IgM and IgA partially reacted with protein A. In combination with methods such as ammonium sulphate precipitation, ion exchange chromatography and gel-filtration, affinity chromatography with protein A is recommended for the rapid purification of certain Ig (sub)classes of a number of mammalian species.

Learning skills, social intelligence, and self-concept were related to each other and to bully-victim problems among fifth-grade children (79 boys and 62 girls, aged 11-12 years). In addition to exploring connections between single... more

Learning skills, social intelligence, and self-concept were related to each other and to bully-victim problems among fifth-grade children (79 boys and 62 girls, aged 11-12 years). In addition to exploring connections between single variables, a person-oriented approach was applied in order to analyze children's value patterns with respect to learning skills, self-concept, and social intelligence, and how these value patterns are related to bully-victim problems. Social intelligence was found to be positively correlated with learning skills, but negatively related to victimization. Bullying was positively correlated with self-concept scores. However, this was true only of boys. According to cross-tabulations, there were significantly more bullies among children with learning difficulties (LD) than would have been expected by chance. Victimization, on the other hand, was not related to LD. LD children's proposed victim status was in some degree supported by cluster analysis: a group of LD children emerged, who not only scored high on bullying, but also tended to be victimized by others. In addition, two groups of bullies appeared: one whose members could be interpreted as socially unskilled and another as socially skilled. This finding is in line with recent theoretical reasoning, which calls into question the idea of bullies as a unified group, lacking in social skills.

Recent literature on the interactions between labor unions and monetary institutions features either a supply or a demand channel of monetary policy, but not both. This leads to two opposing views about the effects of central bank... more

Recent literature on the interactions between labor unions and monetary institutions features either a supply or a demand channel of monetary policy, but not both. This leads to two opposing views about the effects of central bank conservativeness. We evaluate the relative merits of those conflicting views by developing a unified framework. We find that: (i) the effect of conservativeness on employment depends on unions' relative aversion to unemployment versus inflation, and (ii) for plausible values of this relative aversion (and more than one union), social welfare is maximized under a highly conservative central bank. We also evaluate the effects of centralization of wage bargaining and product market competition on unemployment and inflation.

Sixty insomniacs, aged 60 years or over, fulfilling the DSM-IV criteria for primary insomnia, completed a set of questionnaires measuring psychological distress. These included the Sleep Impairment Index (SIM), the Symptom Check List 90... more

Sixty insomniacs, aged 60 years or over, fulfilling the DSM-IV criteria for primary insomnia, completed a set of questionnaires measuring psychological distress. These included the Sleep Impairment Index (SIM), the Symptom Check List 90 -Revised (SCL-90-R), the Penn State Worry Questionnaire (PSWQ), the Toronto Alexithymia Scale -20 (TAS-20) and the Elders Life Stress Inventory (ELSI). The insomniacs were compared on these measures with two contrast groups, one of elderly good sleepers and one an elderly community sample. As norms were developed for the SCL-90-R and PSWQ, insomniacs were also contrasted with the norm groups on these measures. In general, the results indicated a higher level of psychological distress among insomniacs than among the good sleepers, while there were negligible differences between insomniacs and the community sample on most measures. Overall, elderly insomniacs scored higher on measures of worry compared with the other groups, followed by measures of somatization, obsessive-compulsion and depression. It is concluded that excessive worrying was the most characteristic feature of elderly insomniacs.

PARTANEN T, HEIKKILA P, HERNBERG S, KAUPPINEN T, MONETA G, OJAJARVI A. Renal cell cancer and occupational exposure to chemical agents. Scand J Work En viron Health 1991; 17:231-9. A case-referent study of occupational risk indicators of... more

PARTANEN T, HEIKKILA P, HERNBERG S, KAUPPINEN T, MONETA G, OJAJARVI A. Renal cell cancer and occupational exposure to chemical agents. Scand J Work En viron Health 1991; 17:231-9. A case-referent study of occupational risk indicators of renal cell adenocarcinoma was conducted. Each incident case in Finland in 1977-1978 was matched with two population referents. Lifelongjob histories were collected and translated into indicators of industry, occupation, and occupational exposures. The analyses of 338 sets of cases and referents revealed elevated risks for a history of employment in whitecollar occupations; the printing industry; the chemical industry; the manufacturing of metal products; mail, telephone, and telegraph services; and iron and metalware work. A decreased risk was observed for male farmers. An elevated risk and an exposure-response relationship were found for gasoline exposure. The excess risk was highest at a latency period of approximately 30 years. The findings support the hypothesisthat exposureto some constituent(s) of gasolineincreases the incidenceof renal adenocarcinoma in humans. Suggestions of elevated risks appeared for exposures to inorganic lead, cadmium, and nonchlorinated solvents.

The present study was designed to examine the effect of physical exercise on human natural killer (NK) cells. Six healthy volunteers underwent two different acute physical exercise tests with an interval of at least 1 week: (1) 60 min... more

The present study was designed to examine the effect of physical exercise on human natural killer (NK) cells. Six healthy volunteers underwent two different acute physical exercise tests with an interval of at least 1 week: (1) 60 min bicycle exercise at 80% of maximal oxygen uptake (VO2max) and (2) 60 min back-muscle training at up to 29% of VO2max; blood samples were collected before and during the last few minutes of exercise, as well as 2 h and 24 h afterwards. The NK cell activity (lysis/fixed number of mononuclear cells) increased during bicycle exercise, dropped to a minimum 2 h later and returned to pre-exercise levels within 24 h. Back-muscle exercise did not significantly influence NK cell activity. Plasma levels of adrenaline, noradrenaline, and cortisol were elevated during bicycling, but not during back-muscle exercise, indicating that exercise intensity is a determinant of NK cell activity. During bicycle exercise the NK cell subset (CD16- cells) of mononuclear cells increased significantly. Furthermore an improved interleukin 2 (IL-2) boosting of the NK cell activity was found during work as compared to IFN-alpha and indomethacin-enhanced NK cell activity. These results indicate that NK cells with a high IL-2 response capacity are recruited to the peripheral blood during exercise. The decreased NK cell activity demonstrated 2 h after work was probably not due to fluctuations in size of the NK cell pool, since the proportion of CD16+ cells was normal. The finding that indomethacin fully restored the suppressed NK cell activity in vitro and the demonstration of a twofold increase in monocyte (CD20+ cells) proportions 2 h after work, strongly indicate that prostaglandins released by monocytes during the heavy physical exercise are responsible for the down-regulation of the NK cells.

Pairwise assembly of human CD3 chains takes place in the endoplasmic reticulum of T cells. Subsequently, the CD3 heterodimers form complexes with Tia and Tiû chains forming hexameric TiabCD3gede complexes. Finally, association with the z... more

Pairwise assembly of human CD3 chains takes place in the endoplasmic reticulum of T cells. Subsequently, the CD3 heterodimers form complexes with Tia and Tiû chains forming hexameric TiabCD3gede complexes. Finally, association with the z 2 homodimer occurs in Golgi apparatus before the fully assembled T-cell receptor is transported to the cell surface. To study the structural properties of the human CD3 chains, we have developed new methods to produce and fold the extracellular domains of CD3g, CD3d and CD3e. Proteins were expressed in Escherichia coli as denatured chains and de novo folded in vitro. CD3g and CD3e folded as soluble monomers, whereas CD3d did not yield any soluble proteins. When folding the chains pairwise, soluble CD3ge and CD3de heterodimers could be isolated, whereas CD3gd heterodimers were not produced. Using antibodies as structural probes, we identified two different types of antigenic epitopes that were dependent on heterodimerization. Our data indicate that CD3e undergoes a conformational change after dimerization with CD3g or CD3d. Furthermore, we demonstrated that the CD3ge heterodimer could be purified using immunoaffinity chromatography.

One purpose of this work was to study the relationship of goal orientations and the perceived motivational climate created by the coach in relation to 219 competitive Spanish tennis players': a) perceived improvement in different... more

One purpose of this work was to study the relationship of goal orientations and the perceived motivational climate created by the coach in relation to 219 competitive Spanish tennis players': a) perceived improvement in different facets of the game, b) satisfaction with their competitive results, overall level of play, and coach, and c) ratings of their coach. The second purpose was to examine whether the dependent variables were best predicted by the perceived situationally emphasized goal structure created by the coach and/or the athletes' dispositional goal perspective. Intermediate (N=70), advanced (N=124), and professional (N=25) level players completed Spanish versions of the TEOSQ and the PMCSQ-2 and items assessing perceived improvement specific to tennis, satisfaction and coach ratings. The results were consistent with the tenets of goal perspective theory and provide further support for the promotion of a task involving atmosphere in sport.

The purpose of this study was to investigate the reliability of repeated measurements and a possible learning or tiring process in single-limb stabilometry and one-leg hop test. An additional purpose was to study the correlation between... more

The purpose of this study was to investigate the reliability of repeated measurements and a possible learning or tiring process in single-limb stabilometry and one-leg hop test. An additional purpose was to study the correlation between different stabilometric variables. Seventy-five healthy subjects were examined twice with a median interval of 7 d, and with three consecutive measurements on each occasion. Single-limb stabilometry and one-leg hop test were found to have high reliability (ICC r = 0.68-0.83 and 0.96, respectively). The correlation between consecutive measurements was acceptable to high in stabilometry (r = 0.42-0.90, P = 0.002-P < 0.001) and high in the one-leg hop test (r = 0.91-0.97, P < 0.001). A learning process over time was observed. The correlation between the stabilometric variables was high (r = 0.73-0.95, P < 0.001).

The present study examined the relations between indicators of emotional processing (e.g. trauma narratives), posttraumatic stress symptoms, and psychological distress in two military samples ( N = 120) exposed to significant training... more

The present study examined the relations between indicators of emotional processing (e.g. trauma narratives), posttraumatic stress symptoms, and psychological distress in two military samples ( N = 120) exposed to significant training accidents. Trauma narratives were collected at 2-3 weeks, while outcome measures (e.g. IES-15, PTSS-10, and GHQ-30) were collected at 2-3 weeks, and 4 months after the accidents. Emotional processing was indexed by the content of positive and negative emotional expressions in the trauma narratives. The results showed that positive emotional expressions were associated with lower levels of psychological distress, whereas negative emotional expressions were linked to trauma specific symptoms and psychological distress at 2-3 weeks. Negative emotional expressions explained between 6 -8% of the variance in trauma specific symptoms at 2-3 weeks, and 11% of the variance in psychological distress symptoms at 4 months after the traumatic event.

Henningsson, M., Sundbom, E., Armelius, B. & Erdberg, P. (2001). PLS model building: A multivariate approach to personality test data. Scandinavian Journal of Psychology, 42, 399±409.

Agaricus blazei Murill (AbM) is an edible, medicinal mushroom of Brazilian origin. It is used traditionally against a range of diseases, including cancer and chronic hepatitis, and has been cultivated commercially for the health food... more

Agaricus blazei Murill (AbM) is an edible, medicinal mushroom of Brazilian origin. It is used traditionally against a range of diseases, including cancer and chronic hepatitis, and has been cultivated commercially for the health food market. AbM has recently been shown to have strong immunomodulating properties, which has led to increasing scientific interest. In this article, we review current knowledge as to the immunological properties of AbM, and its possible clinical use in connection with infections and cancer. We also present some novel findings, which point to highly different biological potency between AbM extracts of different source and manufacturing.

. Do men with excessive alcohol consumption and social stability have an addictive personality? Scandinavian Journal of Psychology 52, 257-260. The existence of an ''addictive'' personality has been extensively debated. The current study... more

. Do men with excessive alcohol consumption and social stability have an addictive personality? Scandinavian Journal of Psychology 52, 257-260. The existence of an ''addictive'' personality has been extensively debated. The current study investigated personality in male individuals with excessive alcohol consumption (n = 100) in comparison to a population-based control group (n = 131). The individuals with excessive alcohol consumption were recruited by advertisements in a regional daily newspaper and controls from a population based Swedish Twin Registry. Personality was assessed by the Karolinska Scales of Personality (KSP). Comparisons were made with normative data. Furthermore, by using a multivariate projection-based approach (Principal Component Analysis; PCA), hidden structures of traits and possible relationships among the individuals with excessive consumption and the controls was investigated. The individuals with excessive alcohol consumption as well as the controls had mean values within the normative range in all scales of the KSP. Moreover, the PCA analysis revealed no systematic between-group separation. Taken together, this result demonstrates that male individuals with excessive alcohol consumption do not have a personality different from that of a general population, which supports the notion of no ''addictive personality''.

Proverbio, A. M., Matarazzo, S., Brignone, V., Del Zotto, M. & Zani, A. (2007). Processing valence and intensity of infant expressions: The roles of expertise and gender. Scandinavian Journal of Psychology, 48, 477-485.

Youth-friendly reproductive health services in Jordan from the perspective of the youth: a descriptive qualitative study Purpose: This study aims at describing the needs for reproductive health services among Jordanian youth, identifying... more

Youth-friendly reproductive health services in Jordan from the perspective of the youth: a descriptive qualitative study Purpose: This study aims at describing the needs for reproductive health services among Jordanian youth, identifying problems youth encounter when using reproductive health services, and identifying youths' perceptions of the characteristics of youth-friendly reproductive health services. Methods: A qualitative study using focus groups was conducted on a convenience sample of 60 young men (n = 33) and women (n = 27) (age 12-18 years) selected from the three regions of Jordan. The focus groups were audio taped, and content analysis was used to analyse the data. Results: The results revealed that the participants' knowledge about aspects of reproductive health was limited or inadequate. The participants indicated their need for reproductive health information and quality services. The major barriers to using reproductive health services were unpleasant facilities, unprofessional conduct and illinformed professionals. Youth expressed many ideas about how services could be improved to be more 'youth friendly'. Conclusions: The findings of this study can be useful to health services planners and healthcare providers to improve services and start youth-friendly reproductive health services in Jordan and to develop educational programmes that may improve healthcare professionals' knowledge and attitudes and advance their interpersonal skills for working with youth.

Aim: The aim of this review is to provide systematic knowledge of research from Nordic countries about the meaning of selfhelp and self-help groups when these are used as a concept or method addressing issues related to long-lasting... more

Aim: The aim of this review is to provide systematic knowledge of research from Nordic countries about the meaning of selfhelp and self-help groups when these are used as a concept or method addressing issues related to long-lasting health problems or mental health difficulties. Methods: Included were studies conducted in the Nordic countries that were published between January 1999 and September 2009. These studies investigated self-help and self-help groups addressing issues related to long-lasting health problems. Results: A total of 83 publications met the inclusion criteria. Four major characteristics of self-help were found to be present in the publications: self-help as an intrapsychological process, self-help as an interpsychological or group process, self-help as a coping, individual learning or empowerment process, and self-help as an alternative or complement to medical treatment. Of the 83 studies, 72 publications used a professional treatment perspective for studying self-help and 11 publications used a perspective derived from alternative or complementary therapies. Conclusions: The review shows that most of the research on self-help and self-help groups for people with longlasting health problems or disability is conducted with an interest to improve the professional healthcare system. That is, the health-promotion strategy is mainly considered in the framework of treatment or care settings. This means that self-help in this context does not challenge the dominant biomedical health model.

Persson D, Erlandsson L-K, Eklund M, Iwarsson S. Value dimensions, meaning, and complexity in human occupation-a tentati×e structure for analysis. Scand J Occup Ther 2001; 8: 7-18. In occupational therapy and occupational science, it is... more

Persson D, Erlandsson L-K, Eklund M, Iwarsson S. Value dimensions, meaning, and complexity in human occupation-a tentati×e structure for analysis. Scand J Occup Ther 2001; 8: 7-18. In occupational therapy and occupational science, it is important to clarify the perspective from which the analysis of occupation is addressed. The purpose of this paper is to present a tentative structure for describing occupation, allowing for analysis in a lifelong panorama as well as for the immediate experience a person acquires from performing a single occupation. The concept of occupational value is introduced as a prerequisite for meaning, de ning three different dimensions: concrete, symbolic, and self-reward value. A dynamic categorisation of single occupations is presented, considering each unique occupational performance viewed from a macro, meso, and a micro perspective, inspired by dynamic systems theory. It is proposed that all occupations are meaningful if they are integrated parts of a person's occupational continuity, and that it is the interaction between the mentioned three perspectives that determines their meaningfulness. With an explicit focus on value and meaning as perceived by the unique person, occupational therapists will become more skilled in designing meaningful occupational therapy interventions. This paper is a contribution to the development of occupational science as well as to occupational therapy, but the theoretical framework presented must be empirically tested in order to demonstrate its validity.

Controlled Drawing Observation (CDO) was developed by Tove Krogh and it has been used in Denmark, Finland and Estonia for assessing a child's readiness for school. CDO is a group test, it gives information about a child's functioning in... more

Controlled Drawing Observation (CDO) was developed by Tove Krogh and it has been used in Denmark, Finland and Estonia for assessing a child's readiness for school. CDO is a group test, it gives information about a child's functioning in an educational setting and it serves as a starting point for later individual assessment. The goal of the study was to examine the suitability of CDO for assessing a child's readiness for school and predicting school achievement during the transition period from kindergarten to school in Estonia. A total of 112 children were studied longitudinally at two points in time. Forward-stepwise multiple regression analysis showed that results of CDO predict a child's success in mathematics and the Estonian language at the end of the first grade better than teacher reports and the results of individual tests.

The cell line HMC-1, derived from a patient with mast cell leukaemia, is the only established cell line exhibiting a phenotype similar to that of human mast cells. This paper reports on a detailed characterization of the expression of a... more

The cell line HMC-1, derived from a patient with mast cell leukaemia, is the only established cell line exhibiting a phenotype similar to that of human mast cells. This paper reports on a detailed characterization of the expression of a panel of markers for various types of immature and mature haematopoietic cells in the HMC-1. We also studied the potential of HMC-1 to differentiate upon treatment with conditioned media from the human T-cell line Mo, retinoic acid or DMSO. HMC-1 was found to express several mast cell-related markers. A high expression of Kit, the receptor for stem-cell factor, was detected. The majority of the cells were stained with a MoAb against the mast cell-specific serine protease tryptase. Of particular interest was the finding that beta-tryptase mRNA, but not alpha-tryptase mRNA, was expressed in HMC-1. Using enzyme-histochemistry we were able to show that the beta-tryptase was enzymatically active, indicating that tryptase can form active homotetramers. Bot...

Nutritional care of Danish medical inpatients -patients' perspectives Many patients do not eat and drink sufficiently during hospitalization. Surveys have shown that 30-50% of the elderly patients are undernourished when hospitalized, and... more

Nutritional care of Danish medical inpatients -patients' perspectives Many patients do not eat and drink sufficiently during hospitalization. Surveys have shown that 30-50% of the elderly patients are undernourished when hospitalized, and for the majority of these patients their protein and energy requirements are not met during hospitalization. Diseased people often experience reduced appetite, aversion against certain types of food or nausea, and these symptoms are part of the explanation for insufficient consumption of food and drinks. In order to locate other possible explanations, this study investigate medical inpatients' experiences and satisfaction with the nutritional care. The patients included a total of 91 medical inpatients at two internal medical wards, Aarhus University Hospital, Denmark. Their average age was 72 ± 11 years. They were individually interviewed about the food service and the nutritional care upon discharge. Patient satisfaction with the meals was overall high (90%). About 80% found the meals to be very important, but they lacked information about the food service, and the patients-staff communication about the food service was poor. The results indicate that the nursing staff was exercising a 'knowledge monopoly' in relation to the food service. In conclusion, a majority of the patients did not perceive the nutritional care as part of the therapy and nursing care during their hospitalization.

. The role of parents' self-esteem, mastery-orientation and social background in their parenting styles. Scandina6ian Journal of Psychology, 40,[307][308][309][310][311][312][313][314][315][316][317] In order to examine the extent to... more

. The role of parents' self-esteem, mastery-orientation and social background in their parenting styles. Scandina6ian Journal of Psychology, 40,[307][308][309][310][311][312][313][314][315][316][317] In order to examine the extent to which parents' levels of education, financial resources, self-esteem, and their mastery-orientation versus task-avoidance are associated with their parenting styles and parental stress, data from two studies were analyzed. In Study I, parents of 105 6 to 7-year old children were asked to fill in scales measuring their parenting styles and parental stress, mastery-orientation, financial resources, and their level of education. In Study II, 235 parents were asked to fill in the same scales. An identical pattern of results was found in the two studies. Parents' self-esteem and their use of mastery-oriented strategy were found to be associated with authoritative parenting and low parental stress, whereas parents' low level of education was related to an authoritarian parenting style. The results further showed that the impact of parents' self-esteem on authoritative parenting and parental stress was partly mediated by their use of a mastery-oriented strategy.

This study was carried out to investigate the importance of maximal oxygen uptake (VO 2max ) and so-called muscle power factors relating to neuromuscular and anaerobic characteristics as determinants of peak horizontal and uphill... more

This study was carried out to investigate the importance of maximal oxygen uptake (VO 2max ) and so-called muscle power factors relating to neuromuscular and anaerobic characteristics as determinants of peak horizontal and uphill treadmill running velocity (V max ). Muscle power factors were measured as peak velocity (V MART ) and blood lactate concentration (Bla MART ) in a maximal anaerobic running test and as maximal 30-m run velocity (V 30m ). Seven middle-distance runners, eight triathletes and eight cross-country skiers performed an incremental VO 2maxtest at horizontal (subscript max0) and 7ae uphill (subscript max7) and the MART at 3ae uphill on a treadmill and V 30m -test on a track. The MART consisted of n ¡ 20-s runs with a 100-s recovery between the runs and the velocity was increased by 0.41 m ¡ s ª1 for each consecutive run until exhaustion. At 0ae V max was significantly higher but VO 2max , ventilation and Bla were significantly lower than

The relationships between, on the one hand, burnout, empathy and sense of coherence (SOC) and, on the other, personality traits were investigated, together with the effects of systematic clinical supervision on these phenomena among... more

The relationships between, on the one hand, burnout, empathy and sense of coherence (SOC) and, on the other, personality traits were investigated, together with the effects of systematic clinical supervision on these phenomena among Swedish district nurses. The results in the supervisory group (n = 21) were compared with those of a comparison group (n = 12) in a quasi-experimental design. Personality traits were assessed by means of the Karolinska Scales of Personality. The results indicated some correlations between personality traits and burnout, empathy, and SOC, as well as correlations between the latter three phenomena. There were no significant effects of clinical supervision on burnout, empathy, or SOC. More research is needed regarding the effects of clinical nursing supervision.

Safipour, J., Tessma, M. K., Higginbottom, G. & Emami, A. (2010). Measuring social alienation in adolescence: Translation and validation of the Jessor and Jessor Social Alienation Scale. Scandinavian Journal of Psychology 51, 517–524.The... more

Safipour, J., Tessma, M. K., Higginbottom, G. & Emami, A. (2010). Measuring social alienation in adolescence: Translation and validation of the Jessor and Jessor Social Alienation Scale. Scandinavian Journal of Psychology 51, 517–524.The objective of the study is to translate and examine the reliability and validity of the Jessor and Jessor Social Alienation Scale for use in a Swedish context. The study involved four phases of testing: (1) Translation and back-translation; (2) a pilot test to evaluate the translation; (3) reliability testing; and (4) a validity test. Main participants of this study were 446 students (Age = 15–19, SD = 1.01, Mean = 17). Results from the reliability test showed high internal consistency and stability. Face, content and construct validity were demonstrated using experts and confirmatory factor analysis. The results of testing the Swedish version of the alienation scale revealed an acceptable level of reliability and validity, and is appropriate for use in the Swedish context.

ABSTRACT After maturation tendons undergo many biochemical, cellular, mechanical and pathological changes that bring about a general decline in the structure and function of the tendon. This decline in the aging tendon is characterized by... more

ABSTRACT After maturation tendons undergo many biochemical, cellular, mechanical and pathological changes that bring about a general decline in the structure and function of the tendon. This decline in the aging tendon is characterized by a reduced ability to adapt to environmental stress and loss of tissue homeostasis. The tendon's adaptability to these changes will decide the rate and the success of treatment of a tendon injury. This review examines these changes and also looks at how we can curtail their progression through exercise and lifestyle modification.