Implementing brief interventions in health care: lessons learned from the Swedish Risk Drinking Project

The Risk Drinking Project was a national implementation endeavour in Sweden, carried out from 2004 to 2010, based on a government initiative to give alcohol issues a more prominent place in routine primary, child, maternity and occupational health care. The article describes and analyses the project. Critical factors that were important for the results are identified. The magnitude of the project contributed to its reach and impact in terms of providers’ awareness of the project goals and key messages. The timing of the project was appropriate. The increase in alcohol consumption in Sweden and diminished opportunities for primary prevention strategies since entry to the European Union in 1995 have led to increased expectations for health care providers to become more actively involved in alcohol prevention. This awareness provided favourable conditions for this project. A multifaceted approach was used in the project. Most educational courses were held in workshops and seminars to encourage learning-by-doing. Motivational interviewing was an integral aspect. The concept of risk drinking was promoted in all the activities. Subprojects were tailored to the specific conditions of each respective setting, building on the skills the providers already had to modify existing work practices. Nurses were afforded a key role in the project

Popular, religious and social movements: Recent research approaches and qualitative interpretations of a complex of historical problems

Popular, religious and social movements: Recent research approaches and qualitative interpretations of a complex of historical problems[Folkelige, religiøse og sociale bevægelser: Nyere forskningstilgange og kvalitative fortolkninger om et komplelis a f historiske problemer]Af Vagn WåhlinEn H. C. Andersens og en S. Kierkegaards verdensberømmelse til trods er N. F. S. Grundtvig alligevel den samfundsborgerlige enkeltperson fra det 19. århundrede, som har påvirket Danmark og danskerne mest 130 ar efter sin død. Han er os under huden - også nar vi ikke selv er os det bevidst. For tiden hores dette i positiv fællessang af hans salmer hver søndag i kirken og ses dette ugentligt i de indædte og mangesidede opgør med den gamle i medierne foretaget bl.a. af nutidens globalister, europaister, menneskerettighedsværnere og kristelige fundamentalister, som finder hans religiøse og nationale og folkelige arvegods at stå dem så massivt i vejen for deres nutid og deres fremtidsvisioner. Men hvorfor slå en fortidslevning, en død mand ihjel? Naturligvis, fordi han aldeles ikke er død, trods alle fjendernes bestræbelser. Hvad er det da, som gør, at han direkte gennem sine sungne og laste tekster og indirekte gennem de folkelige institutioner den dag i dag har indflydelse ikke blot inden for en snæver egen kreds, men også ned gennem efterfølgende generationer og ud over hele landet? og vil det vare ved?Skønt andre lande også kender til politisk-ideologiske folkelige bevægelser og økonomiske co-operative strømninger og kollektive oplysningstanker, så har disse tiltag i indbyrdes vekselvirkning og i fællesskab ikke noget steds samlet nået en sådan indflydelse, styrke, udbredelse og langvarig bærekraft som i Danmark ca. 1800 til 1970.Dette har sin fortid under den lange fred 1721-1801 sammen med en heldig kombination af arven fra først den lutherske tro og skole dernæst fra oplysningstidens samfunds- og agrarreformer – indbefattet velvilje fra de fleste godsejere - hvor disse reformer i vort dominerende landbrugssamfund i løbet af 1800-tallet og helt til o. 1970 bl.a. skabte en middel-klasse af gårdmand, som sad pa 75 procent af landbrugsjorden.Denne økonomisk stærke, agrare middelklasse havde ingen interesse i, at hverken spændingsforholdet mellem land og by eller den erkendte spænding mellem samfundsklasserne - de rige over for de fattige - nåede sådanne højder, at en fredeligt fremadskridende samfundsudvikling afgørende blev hindret, for den var helt klart til fordel for dem selv samt også til gavn for hele samfundet. Kun den nationalpolitiske konflikt mellem dansk og tysk kunne ikke undgås, men den krig var også mere fremprovokeret af de liberale og by-borgerskabet såvel i nord som i syd end af gårdmændene som klasse.Det var ind i dette religiøse, markedsøkonomiske, klasse-politiske og folkeligt-nationale monster, at Grundtvig fremtrådte som den rette mand, pa rette tid, pa rette sted og med det rette program. Ind i en trekant af vekselvirkninger mellem stat, marked og den civile borger fremtrådte de folkelige bevægelser som bindeled og formidlere.Enkeltborgeren stod via bevægelsens organisation og institution konkret ikke alene over for stat/kommune eller over for økonomien og markedet eller over for andre mere magtfulde borgere i civilsamfundet. Efter en vagere begyndelse pa det religiøse plan o. 1820, hvor bonden fra lagmandskredsen kunne lytte til et frelsens ord, kunne han senere i 1800-tallet via den lokale sparekasse låne penge uden om købstadsbanken, via andelsmejeriet kunne han fa sin malk forædlet og som smør og ost solgt pa egne og ikke købstadskøbmandens betingelser, via friskolen kunne han fa sit barn opdraget i Grundtvigs og Kolds and, i valg- eller frimenigheden eller i missionshuset kunne han hore Guds ord efter sin mening, i lokalavisen kunne han læse politik efter sin opfattelse osv. Fra o. 1900 kom husmand og by-arbejdere med i tilsvarende bevægelser, foreninger og institutioner, der ofte matte kampe, endda hårdt, for en plads i solen med de etablerede gårdmandsbevægelser, men klart lærte af disse og blev organisationsvante og samfundsmæssigt bevidst medansvarlige medborgere fra efter 1. Verdenskrig - også ud over deres egen klasse. Sporten og idrætten fangede i organiseret form bade land og by og blev snart den største bevægelse især blandt de unge. Kvinderne lærte sig, at medindflydelse pa eget liv forudsatte bevidsthed, organisation og stadighed ikke blot i den politiske verden, men bredere ud, ligesom bekæmpelse af drikfældighedens problemer ikke løstes af sig selv, men krævede falles vilje, organisation og samspil over mange ar.Da Danmark 1960/70 som agrarsamfund i løbet afkort tid afløstes af et industrisamfund for derefter gennem 1970’eme at glide over i det postindustrielle og postmoderne samfund, som vi endnu befinder os i, forsvandt en del af logikken i den sociale sammenbindingskraft gennem dels de folkelige bevægelser, dels de politiske partiers klassetilhørsforhold.Den nu efter 2000 pa visse felter klarere kristne og nationale bekendelse i samfundet kan fore til en øget interesse for samspillet mellem fornyede folkelige bevægelser og andre sider af Grundtvigs virke og arv - eller til hans endelige begravelse. Dog, da ikke ved hans fjenders magt, men ved hans venners svaghed.[Den fulde artikel kan læses pa dansk i Grundtvig-Studier 2003: “Folkelige og sociale bevægelser. Nyere forskningsretninger og kvalitative forståelser”.

Developing graphical user interface for a model predicative controller in an ABB software environment

A project at ABB CRC in Västerås aims at investigating the use of an MPC algorithm as a control module in 800xA. For users to interact with such a controller, faceplates need to be designed. This report describes the process, and results of designing such faceplates using among other the ABB Graphics Builder application. The challenge with the design work was mainly to create new and unique components and layout that seem intuitive to the user and at the same time looks and works similar to existing standards. Most of the planned faceplates were created and are working as intended, although a few functions are left for future work

Development of techniques for measuring the mobility of knee joints in children with Cerebral Palsy

Cerebral Palsy, commonly referred to as CP, is a neurological disorder that results in loss or impairment of motor function, which affects body movement, muscle control, muscle coordination and balance. In Sweden, about 200 children are diagnosed with Cerebral Palsy every year and the disorder can cause imbalances between the muscles. These imbalances can lead to contractures which is equiva- lent to permanent shortening of muscles and stiffness of joints. This can severely affect the mobility of the child and the quality of life. Today, the only way for physicians or physiotherapists to evaluate the movement of the joints, is during a patient’s short visits to the hospital. The purpose of this project was to develop a device that was able to measure the range of motion of the knee during a longer period of time, which could help customize the child’s rehabilitation. The initial approach was to implement two inertial measurement units (IMUs) and find the angle between the sensors. Different solutions on finding the angle was tested without being able to obtain stable data and the project members chose a new approach. Instead of IMUs, a potentiometer was used and stable data was obtained. A prototype was developed in an iterative and incremental product development process and data was collected during different types of physical exercise. The final prototype was wireless, able to collect data during ordinary life activities and had a battery life of over 30 hours. The data was analyzed and the results were accurate but showed that the prototype probably hindered some of the natural movement of the knee. The developed prototype is a step towards being able to measure the knee range of motion during a longer period of time, and could be a tool for physicians and other medical staff when evaluating and rehabilitating children with CP.Utveckling av mätteknik för mätning av rörligheten i knäleder hos barn med Cerebral pares Cerebral pares (CP) är en neurologisk störning som kan leda till förlust eller nedsättning av de motoriska funktioner som påverkar kroppens rörelser, muskelkontroll, koordination och balans. CP kan orsaka obalanser mellan musklerna som kan leda till kontrakturer. Kontrakturer innebär att musklerna förkortas permanent och styvheten i lederna ökar. Muskelförkortning och styva leder kan drastiskt påverka barnets rörlighet och därmed även livskvaliteten. I Sverige diagnostiseras cirka 200 barn varje år med CP och i dagsläget är det enda sättet för läkaren eller fysioterapeuten att utvärdera barnens rörelsefunktion under kortare besök på sjukhuset, 1-2 gånger per år. Därför var syftet med detta projekt att utveckla en prototyp som kunde mäta knäets ledrörlighet under en längre period

The impact of store atmospherics and consumer attitudes on in-store behavior – What determines the buying decision of functional food?

Thesis purpose: The aim of this paper is to extend the knowledge of what influences the purchase decision of functional food in the store. By applying the M-R model in a new setting - the dairy department in grocery retailing in Sweden - and adding variables related to health attitudes, the aim is to contribute to existing research concerning in-store purchase decision making and store environment as well as consumer attitudes. Methodology: This thesis employs a quantitative strategy with a deductive approach and data has been collected with questionnaires. Theoretical perspective: Environmental psychology serves as an overarching framework where, more specifically, certain aspects of store atmospherics and some variables concomitant to health attitudes provide the theoretical base. Empirical data: The empirical data consists of customer purchasing a functional food product, Proviva, and this is contrasted with a test group, Bravo. Conclusion: Health variables had a greater impact on functional food customers than did the environmental factors. Environmental factors also seemed to be of minor importance for the test group. However they appeared to have greater impact on customers who made their purchase decisions in-store irrespective of product category. As the influence of health factors are established outside the retail context, the decision to purchase of functional food is made prior to entering the store

How entraining density currents influence the ocean stratification

Author Posting. © The Authors, 2005. This is the author's version of the work. It is posted here by permission of Elsevier B.V. for personal use, not for redistribution. The definitive version was published in Deep Sea Research Part II: Topical Studies in Oceanography 53 (2006): 172-193, doi:10.1016/j.dsr2.2005.10.019.The sensitivity of the basin-scale ocean stratification to the vertical distribution of plume entrainment is being analyzed. A large ocean basin supplied by dense water from an adjoining marginal sea is considered. The dense water flows into the ocean basin as an entraining density current and interleaves at the bottom (or at the level of neutral density), where it deposits a mixture of marginal seaand basin water. As the basin water, i.e. 'old' plume water, is entrained and re-circulated in the plume a stratification develops in the basin. The mixture deposited at the bottom hence contains an increasing fraction of marginal sea water, and the basin density increases with depth as well as with time. A stationary solution in which diffusion of buoyancy from above is important is approached asymptotically in time. Non-diffusive solutions to the initial transient adjustment, as well as the diffusive asymptotic state, have been studied in four different parameterizations of plume entrainment. It is shown that in the transient regime the basin stratification and plume density are highly sensitive to how mixing is parameterized. The stationary diffusive solution that is approached asymptotically in time is less sensitive to parameterization but depends strongly on basin topography, source water density, and buoyancy flux at the surface.Part of this work was funded by Göteborg University and the Swedish Research Council under the contract G600-335/2001 through Prof. A. Omstedt. Support was given to CC by the National Science Foundation project number OCE-0050891

Chemical characterization of the inorganic fraction of aerosols and mechanisms of the neutralization of atmospheric acidity in Athens, Greece

International audienceMass concentration levels and the inorganic chemical composition of PM10 (two fractions; PM10?2.5 and PM2.5) were determined during August 2003 and March 2004, in the centre of Athens, Greece. August 2003 monthly mean PM10 mass concentration, at 5 m above ground, was 56 ?g/m3 and the EU imposed daily limit of 50 ?g/m3 was exceeded on 16 occasions. The corresponding monthly mean for March 2004 was 92 ?g/m3 and the aforementioned daily limit was exceeded on 23 occasions. The PM10 (PM10?2.5+PM2.5) mass concentrations at 1.5 m above ground were found to be approximately 20% higher compared to the respective PM10 measured at 5 m. Consequently, for a realistic estimation of the exposure of citizens to particulate matter, PM10 sampling at a height of 1.5?3 m above ground, in the "breathing zone" is necessary. Such data are presented for the first time for the centre of Athens. In both campaigns, calcium was found to be the predominant component of the coarse fraction while crust-related aluminosilicates and iron were found to be the other major components of the same fraction. The above elements constitute the most important components of the fine fraction, together with the predominant sulphur. Toxic metals were found to be below the air quality limits and in lower concentrations compared to older studies, with the exception of Cu and V for which some increase was observed. Pb, in particular, appeared mostly in the fine fraction and in very low concentrations compared to studies dating more than a decade back. The major ions of the coarse fraction have been found to be Ca2+, NO3? and Cl?, while SO4?2, Ca2+ and NH4+ were the major ionic components of the fine fraction. The low molar ratio of NH4+/SO4?2 indicated an ammonium-poor ambient air, where atmospheric ammonia is not sufficient to neutralize all acidity and the formation of NH4NO3 does not occur to a significant extend. Calcium predominated the coarse fraction and its good correlations with NO3? and SO4?2 indicated its role as an important neutralizing agent of atmospheric acidity in this particle size range. In the fine fraction, both Ca2+ and NH4+ participate in the neutralizing processes with NH4+ being the major neutralizing agent of SO4?2. Chloride depletion from NaCl or MgCl2 was not found to occur to a significant extend. Total analyzed inorganic mass (elemental+ionic) was found to be ranging between approximately 25?33% of the total coarse particle mass and 35?42% of the total fine particle mass

Laboratory observations of enhanced entrainment in dense overflows in the presence of submarine canyons and ridges

Author Posting. © Elsevier B.V., 2008. This is the author's version of the work. It is posted here by permission of Elsevier B.V. for personal use, not for redistribution. The definitive version was published in Deep Sea Research Part I: Oceanographic Research Papers 55 (2008): 737-750, doi:10.1016/j.dsr.2008.02.007.The continental slopes in the oceans are often covered by small-scale topographic features such as submarine canyons and ridges. When dense plumes, flowing geostrophically along the slope, encounter such features they may be steered downslope inside and alongside the topography. A set of laboratory experiments was conducted at the rotating Coriolis platform to investigate the effect of small-scale topography on plume mixing. A dense water source was placed on top of a slope, and experiments were repeated with three topographies: a smooth slope, a slope with a ridge, and a slope with a canyon. Three flow regimes were studied: laminar, waves, and eddies. When a ridge or a canyon were present on the slope, the dense plume was steered downslope and instabilities developed along the ridge and canyon wall. This happened regardless of the flow characteristics on the smooth slope. Froude and Reynolds numbers were estimated, and were found to be higher for the topographically steered flow than for flow on smooth topography. The stratification in the collecting basin was monitored and the mixing inferred. The total mixing and the entrainment rate increased when a ridge or a canyon were present. The difference in mixing levels between the regimes was smaller when topography was present, indicating that it was the small-scale topography and not the large-scale characteristics of the flow that determined the properties of the product water.AW was funded by the Swedish Research Council and ED in part by Meltzer Stiftelsen, for which we are grateful. CC was supported by an NSF grant OCE-0085089. The work described in this publication was supported by the European Community's Sixth Framework Programme through the grant to the budget of the Integrated Infrastructure Initiative HYDRALAB III, Contract no. 022441 (RII3)

Folk, dannelse og styreform: En anmeldelse af Ove Korsgaard, Kampen om folket (2004)

Folk, dannelse og styreform: En anmeldelse af Ove Korsgaard “Kampen om folket” (2004).[People, Education and Government: A Review of Ove Korsgaard ‘The Battle over the People’ (2004) ]By Vagn WåhlinOve Korsgaard, Kampen om folket. Et dannelsesperspektiv på dansk historie gennem 500 år [The Battle over the People: A Perspective of Education through 500 years of Danish History] (Gyldendal, Copenhagen, 2004), 672 p.From the day of its publication, Ove Korsgaard’s brilliant dissertation has had much influence on the Danish understanding of Denmark’s 500-year process of establishing the concepts of individual, society, people, and democracy. The author distinguishes between demos, the general population of the state, and ethnos, that part of the population which has inherited and accepted rights and obligations as far as and beyond a constitution and written laws. These latter are folket, the people.This primary division leads to a similar distinction between state and nation as well as a parallel distinction in government between representative government and democratic, self-organization of the citizens. A special focus of the book is the interaction and mutual dependency of the specified categories in an historical perspective of change from a late feudal society to a modem democratic welfare state. Essential institutions in this long societal process have been (a) the Lutheran Church; (b) from 1814, the municipal local schools for all, including girls; (c), for centuries, the patriarchal household; and (d) the rising centralized power of king and state. These four institutions formed the ideological and practical base of society until, through the slow effect of the Enlightenment, the individual and the people as such, within a national and democratic framework, took over in the period 1870-1900 and became the ideological basis of society with special and defined rights and duties attaching to every adult male and, from 1920, female. After the pre-1814 ethnic and cultural Danish-Norwegian-German conglomerate state finally broke down with the loss (1814) of Norway to Sweden and (1864) the duchies of Schleswig and Holstein to Pmssia, Denmark became the most ethnically and linguistically homogeneous state of Europe. Not until then could the ethnic concept of ‘the p e o p l folket, finally take over the indisputable role as the rock of the Danish society - a role which was further strengthened by the German occupation of Denmark 1940-45.Before 1870, 75% of all cultivated land was worked by the owners of medium-sized family farms, and some 75% of the population made their living in the agrarian sector of society. Agriculture produced the necessary surplus to pay for Denmark’s imports. From 1870, when the farmers began to organize effectively, they gained a higher economic, cultural and political status in Danish class-structured society which they were able to maintain for a hundred years. Up to 1870-90 Copenhagen was the only urban-industrial centre of any great significance, and from the 1890s the organized industrial capital and its workforce rose in influence; but not until the 1960s and 70s did these succeed in outdoing the fundamental influence of the agrarian sector on a national scale. Regrettably, this economic perception of the lower middle-class appearance of Danish society has been under evaluated in Korsgaard’s book, and the reader may thus miss a vital factor in the development of the democratic understanding of the Danish ethnos.The labour unions and the labour movement in politics never became revolutionary to any great extent and from 1916-29 renounced any such tendency and won a national position as a trustworthy partner in a coalition with other political and social forces. They graduated from expressing purely class interests to representing the whole population of Denmark. This led to the formation of a general welfare state for all after the Second World War. All political parties and national movements took part in building a welfare provision from cradle to grave, covering 80-90% of the population, which led to an embracing of both ethnos and demos.From the post-industrial and post-modern society of 1970 until today no leading classes in coalition with other groups have been able to formulate a common ideology and political guidelines for the future. So the Danes collectively are insecure about the future, and divided as to whether they want globalisation, Muslim newcomers, the EUconstitution etc.All in all, this book is a fascinating and well-written contribution to the current debate: Where do we come from? Who are we? And where are we heading