488 research outputs found
The Latent structure of the Dark Triad : unifying Machiavellianism and psychopathy
The Dark Triad (DT) has emerged as a popular extension to the extant literature on personality psychology. The DT is comprised of three similar and yet distinct constructs: Machiavellianism, narcissism, and psychopathy. Recent research has criticized the DT for suffering from a number of measurement problems, including a failure of existing Machiavellianism measures to adequately capture the construct. Prior research has chiefly been conducted using domain level information, thus neglecting item level information. The present thesis investigates the possibility of empirically distinguishing between DT constructs with particular focus on Machiavellianism and psychopathy, using item level information. In Article I, the Dirty Dozen inventory is analyzed using latent variable models in order to replicate its structural properties. Results indicate that narcissism is more independent from Machiavellianism and psychopathy than the latter two are with each other. These results provide initial evidence that Machiavellianism and psychopathy are empirically indistinguishable. In Article II, the Short Dark Triad (SD3) is analyzed in a series of factor analytic models testing whether Machiavellianism and psychopathy can be jointly modeled. The models fit similarly across two and three factor solutions, thus favoring a two factor model based on the principle of parsimony. In Article III, the SD3 is modeled using Item Response Theory in order to analyze how much information the SD3 provides across the latent trait continuum. Results indicate that SD3 items from the domain of Machiavellianism may be less severe in content than psychopathy items, thus yielding differential item endorsement rates, albeit along a unitary dimension. In Article IV, the overarching literature on Machiavellianism is extended by analyzing Machiavellianism items from 7 different measures using an hierarchical analysis. This analysis is subsequently compared with expert rated Five Factor model prototype scores o<f the DT constructs, in order to uncover the relative similarity between the Machiavellianism structure and prototype descriptions of the DT constructs. These analyses demonstrate that measures of Machiavellianism have a higher relative similarity to prototypical psychopathy and narcissism, than prototypical Machiavellianism. Taken together, these studies suggest that theoretical descriptions of Machiavellianism do not match empirical results, and further that Machiavellianism can be modeled jointly with psychopathy along a single dimension. Thus, the Machiavellianism research literature, which spans from the 1970s, is better conceptualized as psychopathy. The proper place of the DT in the overarching personality psychology literature is discussed
Assembly of an interactive correlation network for the Arabidopsis genome using a novel heuristic clustering algorithm
Peer reviewedPublisher PD
Gesundheitsorientierte Einflussfaktoren auf die Kundenzufriedenheit und die KundenloyalitÀt bei neuen Franchise-Restaurants
Die vorliegende Arbeit befasst sich mit den Themen Kundenzufriedenheit, KundenloyalitĂ€t und dem Einfluss von gesunder ErnĂ€hrung auf diese beiden Themen. DarĂŒber hinaus wer-den auch weitere, verwandte Einflussfaktoren behandelt. Bei den untersuchten Unternehmen handelt es sich um drei in Ăsterreich vertretene Franchiserestaurant-Ketten. Diese sind Vapiano SE, Freshii - Fresh Food Development GmbH und McDonaldâs Franchise GmbH.
Im ersten Teil werden die theoretischen Aspekte rund um diese Arbeit beleuchtet. Speziell geht es um Definitionen der Begriffe Franchise, Kundenzufriedenheit, KundenloyalitĂ€t sowie gesundheitliche Aspekte im Bereich der Lebensmittelkonsumation. Des Weiteren werden verwandte Begrifflichkeiten definiert und von den untersuchten Eigenschaften abgegrenzt. Bei jedem der drei behandelten Franchiseunternehmen zĂ€hlen sowohl Kundenzufriedenheit, als auch KundenloyalitĂ€t zu den obersten PrioritĂ€ten, da sich diese maĂgeblich auf den Un-ternehmenserfolg auswirken.
Im zweiten Teil wird die empirische Analyse vorgestellt und die Ergebnisse werden prĂ€sen-tiert. Es werden die fĂŒnf Faktoren âGesunde ErnĂ€hrungâ, âFrische der Zutatenâ, âBiologische Produkteâ, âĂhnliche Werteâ und âPreis-Leistungs-VerhĂ€ltnisâ jeweils auf ihren Einfluss auf die Kundenzufriedenheit als auch auf die KundenloyalitĂ€t getestet. Das Ergebnis zeigt, dass die Einfluss rund um gesunde ErnĂ€hrung bei neuen, innovativen Franchise-Restaurants (Vapiano und Freshii) signifikantere EinflĂŒsse auf die Kundenzufriedenheit haben, als dies bei McDonaldâs der Fall ist. FĂŒr die Gesamtheit der Befragung (also die Auswertung alle Franchisesysteme zusammen) ist festzuhalten, dass mit Ausnahme des Faktors âbiologische Produkteâ, alle getesteten Faktoren einen signifikanten Einfluss auf die Zufriedenheit von Kunden aufweisen. Bei der Untersuchung der Faktoren auf einen signifikanten Einfluss auf die LoyalitĂ€t der Kunden konnten 3 der 5 aufgestellten Hypothesen bestĂ€tigt werden. ZusĂ€tz-lich wurde ausgewertet, dass bei jedem der drei Franchisesysteme ein direkter Einfluss der Kundenzufriedenheit auf die KundenloyalitĂ€t besteht.
WeiterfĂŒhrende Studien könnten Ursachen dafĂŒr erforschen, welche Leistungen zusĂ€tzlich von neuen Franchiserestaurants wie Vapiano und Freshii verbessert werden sollten, damit auch diese eine Ă€hnlich hohe LoyalitĂ€t wie die bekannteste Franchiserestaurantkette der Welt, McDonaldâs, erreichen. Auf der anderen Seite können die GrĂŒnde fĂŒr die ĂŒberdurch-schnittlich hohe LoyalitĂ€t bei McDonaldâs untersucht werden, da die Ergebnisse dieser Studie gezeigt haben, dass die Kundenzufriedenheit nicht der ĂŒberwiegende Grund ist
Nya lÀkemedel i Sverige: Innovationshöjd, prissÀttning och marknadsframgÄng.
I denna rapport analyseras sambandet mellan priser, marknadsandelar och terapeutisk innovationshöjd för ett antal lĂ€kemedel (NCE preparat) introducerade pĂ„ den svenska marknaden mellan 1987 och 2000. Det finns ett positivt samband mellan innovationshöjd och prispremier vid tidpunkten för marknadsintroduktion. De mest innovativa lĂ€kemedlen erhĂ„ller i genomsnitt ett nio gĂ„nger högre pris Ă€n de substitut som redan finns. Ăven lĂ€kemedel som inte innebĂ€r nĂ„gon terapeutisk förbĂ€ttring alls erhĂ„ller en prispremie över befintliga substitut. De reala priserna för lĂ€kemedlen fallre över tiden, oavsett innovationsgrad.Det finns ocksĂ„ ett starkt positivt samband mellan innovationsgrad och de marknadsandelar ett lĂ€kemedel erhĂ„ller vid introduktionen. De mest innovativa lĂ€kemedlen skapar i mĂ„nga fall en ny marknad, medan de minst innovativa lĂ€kemedlen oftast erhĂ„ller en relativt liten marknad. Det föreligger inget statistiskt samband mellan prispremier och antalet substitut. Detta kan tolkas som att priskonkurrensen Ă€r satt ur spel pĂ„ den reglerade marknaden.LĂ€kemedel; innovationsgrad; pris; marknadsandel.
Vascular effects of Endothelin in Experimental lung injury
Acute lung injury remains a frequent and life threatening consequence of severe sepsis. This
thesis has investigated the role of the endothelin (ET) system in sepsis-induced lung injury, with
special reference to its effects on two hallmarks of this syndrome - formation of edema and
pulmonary hypertension. This was explored in a porcine endotoxin model of sepsis in vivo, as
well as in vitro using isolated porcine pulmonary vessels.
In paper I we show that endotoxemia via ET-dependent mechanisms predominately increases
pulmonary downstream resistance and subsequently augment pulmonary capillary hydrostatic
pressure. In addition, we demonstrate that ETB-receptor stimulation constricts pulmonary veins
more than arteries in vitro. In paper II, we show that endotoxin-exposure induces differentiated
effects in isolated pulmonary arteries and veins. In veins, endotoxin increases ET-receptor
dependent constriction, whereas the response to α1-adrenergic stimulation, predominantly
acting on arteries, is reduced. In addition, we demonstrate that the changes in response to
ET receptor stimulation are not induced by alterations in expression or distribution of ET-receptors
in the preparations. In paper III we find that inhalation of a dual ET-receptor antagonist,
tezosentan, during porcine endotoxemia potently reduces pulmonary hypertension without
causing systemic effects. In paper IV we show that endotoxemia induces a marked
degranulation of polymorphonuclear neutrophils with increased plasma levels of the highly
permeability and edema promoting heparin-binding protein (HBP/CAP37). Treatment with
tezosentan distinctly counteracts this increase and simultaneously reduces pulmonary edema,
improves respiratory system compliance and decreases hemoglobin concentration, all
suggesting that tezosentan treatment reduces transcapillary fluid passage.
In conclusion, our studies show that endotoxemia increases pulmonary capillary filtration
pressure, raises levels of the powerful permeability promoting mediator HBP and induces
pulmonary edema. Systemic treatment with a dual ET-receptor antagonist markedly counteracts
these changes. In addition, inhaled tezosentan efficiently and selectively reduces pulmonary
hypertension during endotoxemia. Taken together, these results show that the ET-system is
extensively involved in the pathophysiology of endotoxin-induced lung injury. These findings
need to be further elucidated, in other experimental conditions and in humans
Farming practices in Sweden related to feeding milk and colostrum from cows treated with antimicrobials to dairy calves
BACKGROUND: Milk produced by cows in receipt of antimicrobial therapy may contain antimicrobial residues. Such antimicrobial-containing waste milk must be withdrawn from human consumption and is therefore sometimes used as calf feed. Unfortunately, this approach might promote selection of antimicrobial resistant bacteria in the calvesâ intestinal microbiota. The objectives of this study were therefore to obtain an overview of waste milk feeding practices on Swedish dairy farms and to investigate if these practices were associated with certain farm characteristics. A representative group of 457 Swedish dairy farmers participated in a web-based survey with questions about the use of colostrum and milk from cows treated with antimicrobials at dry off or during lactation, respectively, as calf feed. RESULTS: Colostrum (milk from the first milking after calving) and transition milk (milk from the second milking to the fourth day after calving) from cows treated with antimicrobials at dry off was fed to calves on 89% and 85% of the farms in the study, respectively. When antimicrobial therapy was given to cows during lactation, 56% of the farms fed milk that was produced during the course of treatment to calves, whereas milk that was produced during the subsequent withdrawal period was fed to calves on 79% of the farms. Surveyed farmers were less prone to feed such milk if the antimicrobial therapy was due to mastitis than other infections. In Sweden, a majority of antimicrobial treatments during lactation are systemic administration of benzylpenicillin and thus, the bulk of waste milk in Sweden is likely to contain residues of this drug. Feeding waste milk to calves was more common on non-organic farms, and on farms located in Southern Sweden, and was less common on farms with cows housed in cold free stalls barns. CONCLUSIONS: Waste milk that may contain antimicrobial residues is, at least occasionally, used as feed for calves on a majority of surveyed Swedish dairy farms. Future work should focus on the effect of waste milk feeding on the occurrence of antimicrobial resistant bacteria in the calvesâ intestinal microbiota
SignalkrĂ€ftbestĂ„ndens utveckling i de stora sjöarna 2022 â resultat frĂ„n fĂ„ngstprovtagning och provfiske inom projekt datainsamling sötvattenskrĂ€ftor
Efter att flodkrĂ€ftan slagits ut av krĂ€ftpest i samtliga av de stora sjöarna introducerades signalkrĂ€fta i VĂ€ttern, HjĂ€lmaren och MĂ€laren med start 1969. Idag finns fiskbara bestĂ„nd av signalkrĂ€fta i huvuddelen av HjĂ€lmaren och VĂ€ttern. I VĂ€nern Ă€r bestĂ„nden pĂ„ uppgĂ„ng men större delen av fĂ„ngsterna tas i sydöstra delen av sjön. BestĂ„ndet av signalkrĂ€fta i MĂ€laren, som till en början utvecklades gynnsamt, minskade kraftigt efter Ă„r 2000. Idag finns inget yrkesfiske pĂ„ krĂ€ftor i MĂ€laren, pĂ„ grund av alltför lĂ„ga fĂ„ngster, men de senaste Ă„ren har visat tecken pĂ„ viss Ă„terhĂ€mtning i sjön.Denna rapport redovisar resultat frĂ„n provfisken och provtagning av yrkesfiskares fĂ„ngster av signalkrĂ€fta i HjĂ€lmaren, VĂ€ttern, VĂ€nern samt MĂ€laren för 2022, med en resultatsammanstĂ€llning och jĂ€mförelse med tidigare Ă„rs data (2009â2021). Resultat frĂ„n dessa analyser ligger bland annat till grund för hur SLU Aqua bedömer den biologiska statusen av arten i de olika sjöarna (SLU 2022). Resultaten skiljer sig inom och mellan de olika provfiskade lokalerna i sjöarna. Generellt sett ger samtliga sex lokaler i VĂ€ttern höga antal fĂ„ngade krĂ€ftor. PĂ„ alla lokaler (utom en i norra VĂ€ttern) sĂ„ har medelstorleken minskat samtidigt som antalet krĂ€ftor har ökat. I HjĂ€lmaren följer SLU tre lokaler. Ăven hĂ€r Ă€r fĂ„ngsterna jĂ€mförelsevis höga. PĂ„ en av lokalerna i HjĂ€lmaren har antalet krĂ€ftor ökat och medelstorlek och andelen krĂ€ftor över minimimĂ„ttet minskat. För övriga lokaler i sjön syns ingen tydlig trend rörande krĂ€ftornas medelstorlek och antal. I VĂ€nern provfiskar SLU tvĂ„ lokaler. I VĂ€nern befinner sig krĂ€ftorna i en expansionsfas och fĂ„ngsterna Ă€r fortfarande pĂ„ en betydligt lĂ€gre nivĂ„ jĂ€mfört med VĂ€ttern och HjĂ€lmaren. Det sker dock en lĂ„ngsam ökning av krĂ€ftornas antal och medelstorlek. Under den provfiskade perioden visar den ena av de tvĂ„ lokalerna pĂ„ ett ökat antal krĂ€ftor men ocksĂ„ pĂ„ en ökad andel krĂ€ftor över minimimĂ„ttet medan den till synes ökande trenden i den andra lokalen inte kan belĂ€ggas statistiskt. I MĂ€laren rapporteras inga fĂ„ngster i yrkesfisket sedan 2000 och fritidsfisket har tidigare endast tagit sporadiska fĂ„ngster. PĂ„ den provfiskade lokalen i MĂ€laren har antal krĂ€ftor och andelen krĂ€ftor över minimimĂ„ttet ökat. Det Ă€r möjligt att det nu sker en förĂ€ndring av bestĂ„nden i MĂ€laren dĂ„ det pĂ„ senare Ă„r finns vissa tecken pĂ„ en Ă„terhĂ€mtning, om Ă€n frĂ„n mycket lĂ„ga nivĂ„er. SLU Aqua kommer tillsammans med lĂ€nsstyrelserna runt sjön att lĂ€gga upp en strategi för att följa MĂ€larens krĂ€ftbestĂ„nds utveckling nĂ€rmare de kommande Ă„ren
SignalkrĂ€ftbestĂ„ndens utveckling i de stora sjöarna 2021 â resultat frĂ„n fĂ„ngstprovtagning och provfske inom projekt datainsamling sötvattenskrĂ€ftor
Denna rapport redovisar resultat frÄn provfisken och provtagning av yrkesfiskares fÄngster av signalkrÀfta i
HjĂ€lmaren, VĂ€ttern, VĂ€nern och MĂ€laren Ă„r 2021, med en resultatsammanstĂ€llning och jĂ€mförelse med tidigare Ă„rs data (2009â2021). Resultaten skiljer sig inom och mellan de olika lokalerna i sjöarna. Generellt sett ger samtliga sex krĂ€ftlokaler i VĂ€ttern höga fĂ„ngster av krĂ€ftor sĂ€rskilt sett till antal fĂ„ngade krĂ€ftor. PĂ„ alla lokaler (utom en i norra VĂ€ttern) sĂ„ har medelstorleken minskat samtidigt som antalet krĂ€ftor har ökat. I HjĂ€lmaren följer SLU tre krĂ€ftlokaler. Ăven hĂ€r Ă€r fĂ„ngsterna generellt höga. PĂ„ en av lokalerna i HjĂ€lmaren har antalet krĂ€ftor ökat och medelstorlek och andelen krĂ€ftor över minimimĂ„ttet minskat. För övriga lokaler i sjön syns ingen tydlig trend rörande krĂ€ftornas medelstorlek och antal. I VĂ€nern har SLU tvĂ„ krĂ€ftlokaler. I VĂ€nern befinner sig krĂ€ftorna i en expansionsfas och fĂ„ngsterna Ă€r fortfarande pĂ„ en betydligt blygsammare nivĂ„ jĂ€mfört med VĂ€ttern och HjĂ€lmaren. Det sker dock en lĂ„ngsam generell ökning av krĂ€ftornas antal och medelstorlek. Under den provfiskade perioden visar den ena av de tvĂ„ lokalerna ingen signifikant förĂ€ndring medan den andra har ökat antal krĂ€ftor men ocksĂ„ en ökad andel krĂ€ftor över minimimĂ„ttet. I MĂ€laren sker inga fĂ„ngster i yrkesfisket sedan 2000 och fritidsfisket har tidigare endast tagit sporadiska fĂ„ngster. Det Ă€r möjligt att det nu sker en förĂ€ndring av bestĂ„nden i MĂ€laren dĂ„ det pĂ„ senare Ă„r finns vissa tecken pĂ„ en Ă„terhĂ€mtning om Ă€n frĂ„n mycket lĂ„ga nivĂ„er. SLU Aqua kommer tillsammans med lĂ€nsstyrelserna runt sjön att lĂ€gga upp en strategi för att följa MĂ€larens krĂ€ftbestĂ„nds utveckling nĂ€rmare de kommande Ă„ren. PĂ„ den provfiskade lokalen i MĂ€laren har antal krĂ€ftor och andelen krĂ€ftor över minimimĂ„ttet ökat. Under 2021 utfördes Ă€ven ett burexperiment pĂ„ en av lokalerna i VĂ€ttern dĂ€r skillnaden i krĂ€ftfĂ„ngster mellan yrkesfiskeburar och provfiskeburar jĂ€mfördes över en, tvĂ„ och fem nĂ€tter. Resultaten visade att bĂ„de storleksstrukturen och antalet fĂ„ngade krĂ€ftor pĂ„verkas av hur lĂ€nge burarna ligger ute och fiskar
PP063âChanges in the utilisation of venlafaxine after the introduction of generics in Sweden: Implications for other countries
2013 e37 Significant but lesser changes in losartan utilization were seen in Austria and Belgium. There was no change in losartan utilization patterns in Scotland or Spain. Losartan typically generic at low prices, leading to appreciable increases in prescribing efficiency in NHS Bury, Sweden, Austria, and Belgium. There were some savings in Scotland with generic losartan. Conclusion: Multiple demand-side measures appreciably enhanced ARB prescribing efficiency. This mirrors previous findings that multiple measures are need to change prescribing habits. No significant increase in losartan utilization following generics where countries have not instigated specific measures suggests authorities cannot rely on a "spillover" effect between classes to change physician prescribing habits. This is the case even with multiple demand-side activities encouraging preferential prescribing of generics in related classes. This may be exacerbated on this occasion by a more complex message; for example, away from ACEIs first line versus ARBs to ACEIs + low cost ARBs first line. Disclosure of Interest: None declared
- âŠ