Integrating isotopes and documentary evidence : dietary patterns in a late medieval and early modern mining community, Sweden

We would like to thank the Archaeological Research Laboratory, Stockholm University, Sweden and the Tandem Laboratory (Ångström Laboratory), Uppsala University, Sweden, for undertaking the analyses of stable nitrogen and carbon isotopes in both human and animal collagen samples. Also, thanks to Elin Ahlin Sundman for providing the δ13C and δ15N values for animal references from Västerås. This research (Bäckström’s PhD employment at Lund University, Sweden) was supported by the Berit Wallenberg Foundation (BWS 2010.0176) and Jakob and Johan Söderberg’s foundation. The ‘Sala project’ (excavations and analyses) has been funded by Riksens Clenodium, Jernkontoret, Birgit and Gad Rausing’s Foundation, SAU’s Research Foundation, the Royal Physiographic Society of Lund, Berit Wallenbergs Foundation, Åke Wibergs Foundation, Lars Hiertas Memory, Helge Ax:son Johnson’s Foundation and The Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences.Peer reviewedPublisher PD

Identification of T cell stimulatory epitopes from the 18 kDa protein of Mycobacterium leprae

We have used different mouse strains to examine in vivo and in vitro responses to the 18 kDa protein of Mycobacterium leprae, which appears to be strongly immunogenic in both mice and humans. B and T cell stimulatory epitopes recognised by different strains of mice have been mapped using overlapping peptides that span the entire 18 kDa protein. Previous work established that Immunization of mice with the 18 kDa protein results in specific antibody production to common B cell epitopes and immunization of mice with peptides containing these B cell epitopes resulted in the induction of specific IgG to only a limited subset of epitopes in each strain. Now we report that T cells purified from mice immunized with peptides that stimulate antibody production, proliferate in vitro when rechallenged. The proliferating T cells produce levels of IL-2 and IFN-γ, that indicate antigen-specific T helper type 1 cells are present in significant numbers. Thus, a comparison of in vivo and in vitro data suggests that T cells bearing the phenotype associated with potentially protective cell-mediated responses can be primed in vivo by epitopes on small peptides. Since T cells from both strains of mice are capable of responding to the immunogenic synthetic peptides in vitro, but give different responses to the same peptides in vivo, factors other than epltope structure appear to influence T cell subset activation. This may have important implications for diseases such as leprosy where a polarized T cell response appears to develop and for the development of synthetic subunit vaccine

A bridge between a lonely soul and the surrounding world: A study on existential consequences of being closely related to a person with aphasia

This study illuminates existential consequences of being closely related to a person suffering from aphasia. Seventeen close relatives were interviewed and their narratives were interpreted with inspiration from Ricoeur, Levinas, Husserl, Winnicot, and Maurice Merleau-Ponty. The emerging interpretations resulted in four themes that illuminate a life characterized by lost freedom, staying, a new form of relationship, and growing strong together with others. An overarching theme suggests that a life together with an aphasic person means being used as a bridge between the aphasic person and the surrounding world. Moreover, it illuminates that a close relative to a person with aphasia is a person who does not leave, despite a heavy burden of lonely responsibility. It is concluded that community services need to fulfill their responsibility of providing support to informal caregivers as suggested by the Swedish lawmakers

Information and feedback to improve occupational physicians’ reporting of occupational diseases: a randomised controlled trial

To assess the effectiveness of supplying occupational physicians (OPs) with targeted and stage-matched information or with feedback on reporting occupational diseases to the national registry in the Netherlands. In a randomized controlled design, 1076 OPs were divided into three groups based on previous reporting behaviour: precontemplators not considering reporting, contemplators considering reporting and actioners reporting occupational diseases. Precontemplators and contemplators were randomly assigned to receive stage-matched, stage-mismatched or general information. Actioners were randomly assigned to receive personalized or standardized feedback upon notification. Outcome measures were the number of OPs reporting and the number of reported occupational diseases in a 180-day period before and after the intervention. Precontemplators were significantly more male and self-employed compared to contemplators and actioners. There was no significant effect of stage-matched information versus stage-mismatched or general information on the percentage of reporting OPs and on the mean number of notifications in each group. Receiving any information affected reporting more in contemplators than in precontemplators. The mean number of notifications in actioners increased more after personalized feedback than after standardized feedback, but the difference was not significant. This study supports the concept that contemplators are more susceptible to receiving information but could not confirm an effect of stage-matching this information on reporting occupational diseases to the national registr

Controversial significance of early S100B levels after cardiac surgery

BACKGROUND: The brain-derived protein S100B has been shown to be a useful marker of brain injury of different etiologies. Cognitive dysfunction after cardiac surgery using cardiopulmonary bypass has been reported to occur in up to 70% of patients. In this study we tried to evaluate S100B as a marker for cognitive dysfunction after coronary bypass surgery with cardiopulmonary bypass in a model where the inflow of S100B from shed mediastinal blood was corrected for. METHODS: 56 patients scheduled for coronary artery bypass grafting underwent prospective neuropsychological testing. The test scores were standardized and an impairment index was constructed. S100B was sampled at the end of surgery, hourly for the first 6 hours, and then 8, 10, 15, 24 and 48 hours after surgery. None of the patients received autotransfusion. RESULTS: In simple linear analysis, no significant relation was found between S100B levels and neuropsychological outcome. In a backwards stepwise regression analysis the three variables, S100B levels at the end of cardiopulmonary bypass, S100B levels 1 hour later and the age of the patients were found to explain part of the neuropsychological deterioration (r = 0.49, p < 0.005). CONCLUSIONS: In this study we found that S100B levels 1 hour after surgery seem to be the most informative. Our attempt to control the increased levels of S100B caused by contamination from the surgical field did not yield different results. We conclude that the clinical value of S100B as a predictive measurement of postoperative cognitive dysfunction after cardiac surgery is limited

Building inclusive nations in the age of migration

This is an Accepted Manuscript of an article published by Taylor & Francis in Identities: Global Studies in Culture and Power on 06 Apr 2016, available online: http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/1070289X.2016.1148607Nation and diversity are often casted in oppositional terms. The present joint-intervention explores the limits and possibilities of what we call ‘inclusive nation’, i.e. a nation which embraces rather than expunging diversity. To reflect on this idea, the Loughborough University Nationalism Network (LUNN) organized a symposium, bringing together both academics and relevant stakeholders, to explore both theoretically and practically the feasibility of the inclusive nation. For reason of space, here we present only the theoretical views of academics. While Billig and Yuval-Davis highlight the inherent exclusive thrust of nationalism, Kaufmann and Hearn suggest two distinct ways to move away the traditional understanding of nationalism as a site of singularity, oppression and exclusion. A final rejoinder by Nyhagen pushes the debate further interrogating the boundaries of national belonging

Premenstrual enhancement of snake detection in visual search in healthy women

It is well known that adult humans detect images of snakes as targets more quickly than images of flowers as targets whether the images are in color or gray-scale. When such visual searches were performed by a total of 60 adult premenopausal healthy women in the present study to examine whether their performance would fluctuate across the phases of the menstrual cycle, snake detection was found to become temporarily enhanced during the luteal phase as compared to early or late follicular phases. This is the first demonstration of the existence of within-individual variation of the activity of the fear module, as a predictable change in cognitive strength, which appears likely to be due to the hormonal changes that occur in the menstrual cycle of healthy women

Imigração e saúde: a (in)acessibilidade das mulheres imigrantes aos cuidados de saúde

A utilização dos serviços de saúde pelas populações imigrantes tem vindo a ser considerado um dos mais importantes indicadores da sua integração nas so- ciedades receptoras (Dias e col., 2009). No entanto, o conhecimento em torno da qualidade e da eficácia do acesso dos/as imigrantes aos cuidados de saúde, especialmente no que respeita às mulheres imigran- tes, é ainda escasso em Portugal (Fonseca e col., 2005). Embora os estudos nacionais tenham vindo, nas últimas décadas, a procurar traçar os diferentes perfis sociais das mulheres imigrantes em Portugal, sobretudo no que concerne às suas relações fami- liares ou laborais (Wall e col., 2005), a investigação no domínio da saúde é ainda parca e exclusora de uma análise centrada no género ou interseccional. Neste texto apresenta-se uma reflexão sobre os de- terminantes que condicionam a (in)acessibilidade das mulheres imigrantes aos cuidados de saúde, enfatizando-se os fatores que poderão estar a agir no sentido contrário à sua integração neste setor