Circulating secretory component-containing anti-citrullinated protein antibodies prior to symptom onset in rheumatoid arthritis [Elektronisk resurs]

Objectives: To investigate the occurrence and dynamics of secretory component-containing antibodies towards citrullinated proteins (SC ACPA) in plasma from pre-symptomatic individuals subsequently developing rheumatoid arthritis (RA).Methods: We studied 319 individuals who had donated plasma prior to RA onset (median predating time 4.7 years), whereof 181 also donated samples after diagnosis. One hundred individuals were randomly selected from the same biobank cohorts to serve as controls. SC ACPA, total secretory IgA (TSIgA) and IgG ACPA were analysed in plasma by enzyme-linked immunoassays.Results: Circulating SC ACPA levels in pre-symptomatic individuals and RA patients were significantly increased compared with controls [median (interquartile range) 108 (108), 179 (248) and 12.5 (537) AU/ml, respectively; P &lt; 0.001], and SC ACPA levels in RA patients were significantly increased compared with pre-symptomatic individuals (P &lt; 0.001). SC ACPA increased, in terms of both levels and proportion of positive samples, closer to symptom onset and diagnosis. TSIgA was not elevated compared with controls either during the pre-dating time or after diagnosis. The earliest detected SC ACPA positive sample was 9 years before symptom onset, as compared with 11 years for IgG ACPA. Only two pre-dating samples were positive for SC ACPA and negative for IgG ACPA.Conclusions: Circulating SC ACPA responses arise and magnify during the asymptomatic phase of disease development in a subgroup of RA patients. This suggests mucosal involvement prior to both symptom onset and subsequent arthritis. As mirrored in the circulation, however, SC ACPA does not seem to precede the IgG ACPA response.</p

Comparison of CIC and HR GFMAS for the measurements of extractable organofluorines (EOF) in different biological tissues of pilot whales

BACKGROUND: In most water and biological samples, the sum of target or even non-target PFAS makes up only a small fraction of the extractable organofluorine (EOF). The methods used for EOF analysis in the methanol are combustion ion chromatography (CIC) and recently high-resolution graphite furnace molecular absorption spectrometry (HR GFMAS). Water samples show a bias towards higher concentrations measured with HR GFMAS than that of CIC. Whether the bias depends on the type of PFAS or on the sample matrix has not been known. Here we study the PFAS compound and the matrix effect using HR GFMAS and compare these with the CIC results.RESULTS: Calibration of the HR GFMAS with fluoride exhibit significant higher response than using PFOA indicating a compound specific effect. PFOA calibration gave in the average quantitative recoveries for different type of PFAS in methanol, although neutral PFAS (FTOH) show lower recoveries than PFCA using HR GFMAS. Spiked PFOA in brain and liver tissue samples resulted in quantitative recoveries (101 %) using HR GFMAS. 44 liver, kidney, blubber and brain samples from stranded pilot whales were analysed by HR GFMAS and compared to the EOF concentrations analysed by CIC. All EOF results were above the LOD of both methods; 27 and 916 ng/g (CIC) and between 77 and 3130 ng/g (HR GFMAS). In general HR GFMAS gave significantly higher results for all tissues than CIC (p &gt; 0.05). Correlations between the EOF of all tissues showed a tissue dependant behaviour.SIGNIFICANCE: Since PFOA recovery was in brain and liver quantitative, the results indicate that PFAS type influence the performance using HR GFMAS. Overall, we found the concentrations in the different tissues to be comparable with the two methods within one order of magnitude. This highlights the fact that more work is needed to identify the matrix effects and fluorine species dependant responses of both methods.</p

Deanu čázadaga Boahtteáiggi Višuvnna [Elektronisk resurs]

Recosal prošeavtta ulbmil lea doarjut ovttasbargohálddašeami máŋggabealat atlántalaš luossamáddodat kompleaksa hálddašeami ektui stuorra Deanubivdoguovllus (Deatnu Suomas, Deatnu Norggas ja Deatnu Davvi-Sámis) davimus Fennoskandias. Álggahit ovttasbarggu Living Lab geavaheddjiid servodaga hárrái, prošeakta ovttastahttá máhtolašvuođabuvttadeami luossahálddašemiin, mas earenoamážit deattuhit ovdánahttit álbmogii guoski, ulbmillaš árvvoštallamiid genehtalaččat máŋggabealat luossaveahkadagain máŋggakultuvrralaš birrasis mas árvvut leat Álgoálbmot ja Báikkálaš Máhtolašvuohta (ÁBM) ja vuoigatvuođat. RecoSal galgá fállat fágaidrasttideaddji rávvagiid hábmet ja čađahit beaktilis ja sosiálalaččat nana stivren- ja jođihanvugiid maid ulbmilin lea seailluhit ekologalaččat ja váldit atnui goariduvvon biodiversitehta.</p

Cumulative and discrete effects of forest harvest and drainage on the hydrological regime and nutrient dynamics in boreal catchments [Elektronisk resurs]

In boreal landscapes, forest management has the potential to become a major driver of surface water quality due to the large proportion of actively-used land areas and the intensity of forestry operations. In Fennoscandia, forest management is comprised of different operations during a single rotation, where final harvest by clear cutting and subsequent ditch cleaning to restore drainage capacity are among the most influential on water quality. Here, we analyzed the single and combined effect of these forest management operations on the concentrations and exports of dissolved organic carbon (DOC), dissolved organic nitrogen (DON), dissolved inorganic nitrogen (DIN) and dissolved inorganic phosphate (PO4) in boreal Sweden. We measured groundwater table level, stream discharge, and water chemistry data continuously following experimental clear cutting and ditch cleaning applied to a historically drained forest using a before-after-control-impact (BACI) design. We used linear mixed models to test whether DOC, DON, DIN and PO4 concentrations were affected after each individual forest management operation, and further analyzed the response of the cumulative operations. We found that after clear cutting, concentrations of organic and inorganic nutrients increased significantly. However, for catchments with ditch cleaning after clear cutting, concentrations of organic nutrients in surface water decreased to pre-disturbance levels; inorganic nutrient concentrations also decreased but less strongly than organic counterparts. Despite this effect, catchments with ditch cleaning after clear cutting still showed an increase in overall organic and inorganic nutrient exports when compared to the reference catchments and the pre-treatment period. Nevertheless, catchments without ditch cleaning showed an even higher increase in both concentration and exports of most solutes. Overall, our results suggest changes in C, N and P exports due to forest management, along with the large spatial extent of this activity, could promote biogeochemical shifts and trigger water quality deterioration in boreal streams

The role of mindfulness in improving quality of life among student-athletes: a pilot mediation study [Elektronisk resurs]

Introduction: There has been a growing interest in mindfulness research during the past three decades. However, studies investigating the mediating mechanisms of mindfulness on student-athletes and their quality of life (QoL) are sparse. The purpose of this pilot study was to examine if the effects of a brief body scan intervention on QoL among student-athletes would mediate a change in five facets of mindfulness (acting with awareness, describing, non-judgment, non-reactivity, and observing).Methods: Swedish student-athletes (n = 99; 40% female participants) were recruited from six provincial high schools specialized in sports (basketball, k = 5; cross-country skiing, k = 1). The student-athletes were randomized into two arms: a 4-week body scan (intervention group) and a 4-week relaxation (active control group). Participants completed self-reported measures of QoL and mindfulness three times: at baseline; at follow-up, 4 weeks after baseline; and 8 weeks after baseline. A simple mediation analysis was conducted.Results: Results showed no significant differences between the body scan and relaxation on QoL change (c-path). There were no significant associations between the independent variable (body scan and relaxation) and the mediator Five Facet Mindfulness Questionnaire (FFMQ) (a-path). Results did not demonstrate any significant indirect associations between FFMQ and QoL (b-path) for the five facets of FFMQ. In conclusion, body scans did not have any effect on student-athletes’ QoL.Discussion: This study provides a first step toward investigating facets of mindfulness and QoL among student-athletes. No direct associations were revealed in this pilot study. Future research should refine mindfulness interventions and explore diverse mindfulness practices to better understand which facets of mindfulness may be helpful for student-athletes’ QoL.</p

To Take Leave or Not to Take and How Long to Take? [Elektronisk resurs] : A Study on Swedish Fathers' Parental Leave Use

Research on determinants of fathers' parental leave use often focuses on fathers' characteristics but leave out that decisions are negotiated with the mother. This study asks how fathers' and mothers' characteristics as well as their combination are associated with fathers' leave use in Sweden, a country where parental leave sharing is encouraged. The results indicate that both fathers' and mothers' income and education matter for how long leave the father takes, albeit in gendered ways. Fathers with the lowest income tend not to use leave but if the mother also have no (or low) income, he will use long leave. Among middle-income fathers, a short leave is most common but if the mother has high income, they will instead use a long leave. Fathers' and mothers' tertiary education are positively associated with leave and two tertiary educations lead to a long leave rather than a short leave.</p

Psychological Distress, Skipped Meals, and Insufficient Sleep, and the Occurrence of Back Pain in Adolescent Female Soccer Players : The Karolinska Football Injury Cohort Study

Background: There is growing awareness that back pain in adolescent soccer (European football) players is not always related to local tissue damage. Approaches taking into consideration lifestyle factors are needed. This study aimed to investigate the association between psychological distress, skipped meals, and insufficient sleep, and the occurrence of back pain among adolescent female soccer players. Hypothesis: Psychological distress, skipped meals, and insufficient sleep are associated with the occurrence of back pain. Study Design: Cohort study. Level of Evidence: Level 3. Methods: Swedish adolescent female soccer players aged 12 to 17 years, without back pain at baseline, were included. The exposures psychological distress, skipped meals, and insufficient sleep were assessed at baseline. The players were followed for 1 year with a weekly web-based survey, where back pain intensity was measured on a numeric rating scale (NRS) ranging from 0 to 10. The outcome back pain was defined as reporting low back pain and/or upper back/neck pain intensity of ≥4 on the NRS. Multivariable Cox proportional hazard regression analyses were performed to estimate the hazard rate ratio (HRR) with 95% CI for the association between each exposure and the outcome back pain, adjusted for age at baseline and parents’ education. Results: In total, 351 players were included, and 141 players reported back pain at some point during the 1-year follow-up. The adjusted HRR for back pain was 1.79 (95% CI, 1.11-2.91) for insufficient sleep, 1.45 (95% CI, 0.97-2.17) for psychological distress, and 0.98 (95% CI, 0.61-1.59) for skipped meals. Conclusion: Insufficient sleep and psychological distress are associated with the occurrence of back pain among female adolescent soccer players. Clinical Relevance: Our results contribute to the understanding of what may influence the occurrence of back pain in adolescence, offering potential strategies for the prevention of back pain in adolescent female soccer players. © 2025 The Author(s).</p

Modelling the damage of metallic plasma-facing components under energetic transient events in fusion reactors [Elektronisk resurs]

Magnetic confinement fusion represents one of the most promising pathways to achieving sustainable and clean energy production. In this approach, strong magnetic fields are used to confine hot plasma within a device preventing it from coming into direct contact with the vessel walls. However, plasma-wall interactions remain an unavoidable challenge, as some heat and particles inevitably escape confinement, particularly during energetic transient events. These interactions pose a significant threat to the integrity of plasma-facing components (PFCs), which are subjected to extreme thermal and particle loads. Among the various forms of damage caused by such loads, melt damage is particularly concerning due to its potential to severely degrade the performance and longevity of PFCs. To address these challenges, the MEMOS-U physics model was developed to simulate macroscopic melt motion in fusion environments. MEMOS-U simplifies the computational heavy thermoelectric magnetohydrodynamic equations by employing the shallow water approximation, which reduces the dimensionality of the problem. MEMOS-U has been validated against a series of dedicated tokamak experiments, demonstrating its ability to capture the essential features of melt motion in fusion environments.Building on the MEMOS-U model, the MEMENTO code was developed as a modern numerical implementation designed to further enhance the predictive capabilities of melt motion simulations. MEMENTO leverages the AMReX framework to create and maintain a non-uniform, adaptive grid, enabling efficient simulations of large PFCs over long time scales. The code includes solvers for heat transfer, fluid dynamics, and current propagation, all of which are fully coupled to accurately model the interplay between thermal loading, melt motion, and electromagnetic effects. The MEMENTO code has been validated against experimental data from dedicated controlled melting experiments carried out in the ASDEX-Upgrade and WEST tokamaks. Predictive studies with MEMENTO have provided valuable insights into the potential melt damage in future tokamaks. In summary, MEMENTO represents a significant advancement in the modeling of macroscopic melt motion in fusion environments. By implementing the MEMOS-U physics model in a new code, MEMENTO provides a reliable and computationally efficient tool able to accurately predict melt damage in future reactors for regimes that could not be probed before. Magnetisk inneslutningsfusion representerar en av de mest lovande vägarna för att uppnå hållbar och ren energiproduktion. I detta tillvägagångssätt används starka magnetfält för att begränsa het plasma i en anordning som förhindrar att den kommer i direkt kontakt med kärlväggarna. Emellertid förblir plasma vägginteraktioner en oundviklig utmaning, eftersom en del värme och partiklar oundvikligen undkommer instängdhet, särskilt under energetiska övergående händelser. Dessa interaktioner utgör ett betydande problem mot integriteten hos plasmavända komponenter (PFC), som utsätts för extrema värme- och partikelbelastningar. Bland de olika former av skador som orsakas av sådana belastningar är smältskador särskilt oroande på grund av dess potential att allvarligt försämra prestandan och livslängden hos PFC.För att möta dessa utmaningar utvecklades MEMOS-U-fysikmodellen för att simulera makroskopisk smältrörelse i fusionsmiljöer. MEMOS-U förenklar de beräkningsmässiga tunga termoelektriska magnetohydrodynamiska ekvationerna genom att använda den grunt vatten approximationen, vilket minskar dimensionaliteten av problemet. MEMOS-U har validerats mot en serie dedikerade tokamak-experiment, som visar dess förmåga att fånga de väsentliga egenskaperna hos smältrörelse i fusionsmiljöer.Med utgångspunkt i MEMOS-U-modellen utvecklades MEMENTO-koden som en modern numerisk implementering utformad för att ytterligare förbättra de förutsägande kapaciteterna hos smältrörelsesimuleringar. MEMENTO utnyttjar AMReX-ramverket för att skapa och underhålla ett oenhetligt, adaptivt rutnät, vilket möjliggör effektiva simuleringar av stora PFC:er över långa tidsskalor. Koden inkluderar lösare för värmeöverföring, strömningsdynamik och strömspropagering, som alla är helt kopplade för att exakt modellera samspelet mellan termisk belastning, smältrörelse och elektromagnetiska effekter.MEMENTO-koden har validerats mot experimentella data från dedikerade kontrollerade smältexperiment utförda i ASDEX-Upgrade och WEST tokamaks. Prediktiva studier med MEMENTO har gett värdefulla insikter om potentiella smältskador i framtida tokamaks. Sammanfattningsvis representerar MEMENTO ett betydande framsteg i modelleringen av makroskopisk smältrörelse i fusionsmiljöer. Genom att implementera MEMOS-U fysikmodellen i en ny kod tillhandahåller MEMENTO ett tillförlitligt och beräknings-effektivt verktyg som kan förutsäga smältskador i framtida reaktorer för regimer som inte kunde sonderas tidigare.</p

It takes a team to participate - Refining working participant observations through multiple researchers [Elektronisk resurs]

This paper explores the collaborative methodology of conducting working participant observation in a team setting to study the experiences of hotel housekeepers in Sweden. It aims to refine and extend the method of working participant observation by highlighting the benefits of a team approach to intensive ethnographic fieldwork. Drawing on critiques of 'traditional' geographical methods that rely heavily on interviews, the researchers immersed themselves in the physical labour of housekeeping alongside housekeepers, engaging their own bodies as research instruments. The research team navigated the complexities of embodied labour, reflecting on how their own identities (gender, age, nationality) influenced interactions and observations. The study emphasises the importance of collective reflection and dialogue between researchers, who debriefed each other daily, transforming individual experiences into shared analytical insights. Taking this approach challenges methodological conservatism by integrating feminist and intersectional perspectives and demonstrates how working participant observation can provide deeper understandings of workplace hierarchies, bodily labour, and power dynamics. By focusing on the bodily presence of both researchers and workers, the study highlights the unique insights gained through participatory, team-based ethnographic research in service work.</p