Maternal Thyroid Function and Biochemical Markers of Placental Function in Early Pregnancy

ObjectiveA link between maternal thyroid function and the placental biomarkers, soluble fms-like tyrosine kinase-1 (sFlt-1) and placental growth factor (PlGF), has been brought forward. This study aimed to describe their association in early pregnancy.DesignRetrospective cohort study.ParticipantsEight hundred and fifty-eight pregnant women from the North Denmark Region, 2013, with blood samples drawn in early pregnancy.MeasurementsThyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH), free thyroxine (fT4), thyroid-peroxidase antibodies (TPO-Ab), thyroglobulin antibodies (Tg-Ab) (ADVIA Centaur XPT, Siemens Healthineers), sFlt-1 and PlGF (Kryptor Compact, ThermoFisher Scientific) were measured. The association between maternal TSH and fT4 and percentile (pc) levels of sFlt-1 and PlGF (< 25th pc, 25–75th pc, > 75th pc) was evaluated using regression analysis and reported as adjusted beta coefficient (aβ). The frequency of maternal thyroid autoantibodies (TPO-Ab > 60 U/mL or Tg-Ab > 33 U/mL) by pc levels of sFlt-1 and PlGF was compared using chi-squared test.ResultsHigher levels (> 75th pc) of sFlt-1 associated with lower TSH (aβ 0.62, 95% CI: 0.51–0.76) and higher fT4 (aβ 1.03, 95% CI: 1.01–1.05). Higher levels of PlGF associated with lower TSH (aβ 0.82, 95% CI: 0.69–0.98), but not with levels of fT4 (aβ 1.00, 95% CI: 0.97–1.02). No association with maternal thyroid autoantibodies was found (TPO-Ab: sFlt-1: p-value 0.5 and PlGF: p-value 0.1; Tg-Ab: sFlt-1: p-value 0.7 and PlGF: p-value 0.1).ConclusionsIn a large cohort of Danish pregnant women, higher levels of sFlt-1 and PlGF associated with maternal thyroid function in early pregnancy, while there was no association with maternal thyroid autoantibodies

The impact of take-home laboratories on student perceptions of conceptual and professional learning in electronic engineering across four European universities

Research exploring the advantages and limitations of different laboratory modes on student learning is critical so that engineering instructors can design hybrid/blended laboratories to maximise student learning. However, limited research explores the impact of take-home laboratories on student learning. This article documents the impact that the "HELP" take-home laboratory had on student perceptions of conceptual and professional learning across four European universities within the discipline of electronic engineering. Impact was evaluated through a student questionnaire that included Likert-scale and open-ended questions and was completed by 74 participants. The research extends what is known by revealing how take-home laboratories supported student understanding. Participants report that having flexible access and more time to build and test real circuits enhanced their understanding. Participants also reported that take-home laboratories supported the development of specific professional skills. Based on the student perspective, an implication of this research is that take-home laboratories can legitimately complement other laboratory modalities.</p

A post-normal environment-centered approach to engineering ethics education

This chapter probes engineering responses to contemporary socio-ecological challenges – like climate change and loss of biodiversity – and advocates for a new, post-normal engineering (PNE) paradigm. The chapter promotes cultivating, via reflection and dialogue, a nuanced ethical understanding for grappling with urgent socio-ecological problems, underscoring the need for a diverse palette of ethical frameworks for current and future engineers. The proposed PNE paradigm rejects today's conventional engineering practices and extractive cradle-to-grave model, prioritizing global responsibility and advocating for reflexivity in constructing new approaches to complex present-day issues. Existing theories like virtue ethics and utilitarianism (covered elsewhere in this handbook) remain pertinent in PNE, but environmental ethics takes center stage in this chapter. Through PNE, engineers are challenged to rethink – individually and collectively – their scope, behaviors, and roles in addressing socio-ecological crises. The chapter recognizes the interconnectedness of environmental and social concerns and advocates for generating a new and holistic approach that transcends engineering solutions that are purely technical

Dual-level design for cost-effective sizing and power management of hybrid energy storage in photovoltaic systems

Integration of hybrid energy storage systems (HESS) into photovoltaic (PV) applications has been a hot topic due to their versatility. However, the proper allocation and power management schemes of HESS are challenges under diverse mission profiles. In this paper, a cost-effectiveness-oriented two-level scheme is proposed as a guideline for the PV-HESS system (i.e., PV, Li-ion battery and supercapacitor), to size the system configuration and extend battery lifespan while considering the power ramp-rate constraint. On the first level, a sizing methodology is proposed to balance the self-sufficiency and the energy throughput between the PV system and the grid to achieve the most cost-effectiveness. On the second level, an improved adaptive ramp-rate control strategy is implemented that dynamically distributes the power between the battery and supercapacitor to reduce the battery cycles. The case study presents the whole two-level design process in detail, and verifies the effectiveness of the proposed strategy, where the results show that the battery cycles are reduced by up to 13% over one year without affecting the self-sufficiency of the PV system

Rezension zu Dankwa, S. O., Filep, S.-M., Klingovsky, U., &amp; Pfruender, G. (Eds.). (2021). Bildung, Macht, Diversität: Critical Diversity Literacy im Hochschulraum. Transcript.

Book review for Dankwa, S. O., Filep, S.-M., Klingovsky, U., &amp; Pfruender, G. (Eds.). (2021). Bildung, Macht, Diversität: Critical Diversity Literacy im Hochschulraum. Transcript

Shifting paradigms, not identities. LGBTIQ+ refugees queering temporalities in Denmark

In light of tightening immigration policies, LGBTIQ+ refugees are oftentimes presented as ‘stuck’ in the asylum regime, having to continuously perform their sexual orientation, gender identity and/or expression (SOGIE) in a fixed way. This article rethinks this narrative, arguing that rather than being stuck, LGBTIQ+ refugees are navigating through spatialised temporalities – during and after their asylum process. Drawing on semi-structured interviews with LGBTIQ+ refugees in Denmark, this article explores how LGBTIQ+ refugees queer temporality in multiple ways: First, I demonstrate how the so-called Danish “paradigm shift” is producing uncertain temporalities for LGBTIQ+ refugees. Second, I analyse how LGBTIQ+ refugees are becoming and remaining queer after having been granted asylum. Finally, I explore how LGBTIQ+ refugees are (un)able to “come out” of the asylum system. By claiming belonging to the Danish nation-state, they seek a change in the asylum system and demand permanent residence to express their SOGIE fluently

Imposed from above or applied for from below:comparing Dutch and Danish social mix strategies in deprived neighbourhoods

This paper compares social mix strategies in Denmark and the Netherlands, focusing on policy rationale, policy instruments and the role of the national government. Physical restructuring of the housing stock and housing allocation criteria are the main instruments used in both countries. A notable difference is the role of the national government. In the Netherlands, urban policies have been decentralised in the last decades and national government funding has largely disappeared. Municipalities must apply before they can use certain measures. In Denmark, the national governance in relation to deprived areas is much stronger and using social mix measures in selected neighbourhoods is mandatory. The comparison shows that differences in governance of social mix strategies can have important consequences for housing rights and could also have an impact on the policies’ effectiveness.</p

The mistreatment of time in planning theory:Towards planning beyond the clock in a world increasingly out-of-sync

How do we (re-)imagine planning in a world which is increasingly out-of-sync? This is an important question because as a field of knowledge, policy, and practice that regards time as absolute, linear, and tameable, planning has yet to seriously engage with contemporary social science debates conceiving time as not only relative, diverse, and variegated. Our provocation in this chapter is to argue that planning mistreats, and has a problem, with time. Drawing on ‘critical time studies’, we engage with nascent scholarship on time and temporalities in and of planning to argue for a new approach of ‘planning without the clock’. Assessing the degree of leverage of critical time approaches to theorising planning we then reflect on the prospective role of planning and planners in a world ‘out-of-sync’. In conclusion, we call for greater engagement with developing ‘temporal’ tools, methods, and vocabularies to enable planners to place time front and centre of planning deliberation