Accidents on Iceland's most dangerous roads

Neðst á síðunni er hægt að nálgast greinina í heild sinni með því að smella á hlekkinn View/Open Allur texti - Full textOBJECTIVE: The objective of this paper was to identify the most dangerous segments of the Icelandic road system in terms of the number of accidents pr km and the rate of accidents pr million km travelled. First to identify the segments where the number of accidents is highest and where the risk of the individual traveller is the greatest. Second to evaluate if the association between the number and the rate of accidents is positive or negative. Third to identify the road segments that are the most dangerous in the sense of many accidents and great risk to individual travellers. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Main roads outside urban centers were divided into 45 segments that were on average 78 km in length. Infrequently travelled roads and roads within urban centers were omitted. Information on the length of roads, traffic density and number of accidents was used to calculate the number of accidents per km and the rate of accidents per million km travelled. The correlation between the number and rate of accidents was calculated and the most dangerous road segments were identified by the average rank order on both dimensions. RESULTS: Most accidents pr km occurred on the main roads to and from the capital region, but also east towards Hvolsvöllur, north towards Akureyri and in the Mideast region of the country. The rate of accidents pr million km travelled was highest in the northeast region, in northern Snæfellsnes and in the Westfjords. The most dangerous roads on both dimensions were in Mideast, northern Westfjords, in the north between Blönduós and Akureyri and in northern Snæfellsnes. CONCLUSION: Most accidents pr km occurred on roads with a low accident rate pr million km travelled. It is therefore possible to reduce accidents the most by increasing road safety where it is already the greatest but that would however increase inequalities in road safety. Policy development in transportation is therefore in part a question of priorities in healthcare. Individual equality in safety and health are not always fully compatible with economic concerns and the interests of the majority.Inngangur: Markmið með rannsókninni var að finna hættulegustu þjóðvegi landsins með tilliti til fjölda slysa á hvern km vegar og tíðni umferðarslysa á milljón ekna km. Í fyrsta lagi að finna þá vegarkafla þar sem flest slys verða og þar sem áhætta vegfarenda er mest. Í öðru lagi að meta hvort fjöldi slysa og tíðni slysa fari saman. Í þriðja lagi finna vegarkafla sem eru hættulegastir í þeim skilningi að þar verði mörg slys og áhætta einstakra vegfarenda sé mikil. Efniviður og aðferðir: Helstu vegum utan þéttbýlis var skipt í 45 vegarkafla sem voru að meðaltali 78 km að lengd. Fáförnum vegum og vegum í þéttbýli var sleppt. Upplýsingar um lengd vega, umferðarþunga og fjölda slysa frá Umferðarstofu voru notaðar til að reikna fjölda slysa á hvern km og tíðni slysa á milljón ekinna km. Fylgni milli fjölda og tíðni slysa var reiknuð og hættulegustu vegarkaflarnir fundnir með því að reikna meðaltal af raðtölum fyrir hvern vegarkafla. Niðurstöður: Flest slys á hvern km urðu á vegum til og frá höfuðborgarsvæðinu, en einnig austur að Hvolsvelli, norður til Akureyrar og á Mið-Austurlandi. Slysatíðni á hverja milljón ekna km var hins vegar hæst á norðausturhorni landsins, norðanverðu Snæfellsnesi og á Vestfjörðum. Neikvæð fylgni fannst milli fjölda og tíðni slysa. Hættulegustu vegarkaflar landsins með tilliti til beggja þátta voru á Mið-Austurlandi, norðanverðum Vestfjörðum, frá Blönduósi til Akureyrar og á norðanverðu Snæfellsnesi. Ályktun: Flest umferðarslys á hvern km urðu á þeim vegum þar sem slysatíðni á hverja milljón ekna km er lág. Því er hægt að fækka slysum mest með því að auka umferðaröryggi þar sem það er nú þegar mest, en með því ykist misrétti í umferðaröryggi. Stefnumótun í samgöngumálum felur í sér forgangsröðun í heilbrigðismálum þar sem jafnrétti einstaklinga til öryggis og heilbrigðis fer ekki alltaf fyllilega saman við hagræðingarsjónarmið og hagsmuni meirihlutans

Human Small Heat Shock Protein B8 Inhibits Protein Aggregation without Affecting the Native Folding Process

: Small Heat Shock Proteins (sHSPs) are key components of our Protein Quality Control system and are thought to act as reservoirs that neutralize irreversible protein aggregation. Yet, sHSPs can also act as sequestrases, promoting protein sequestration into aggregates, thus challenging our understanding of their exact mechanisms of action. Here, we employ optical tweezers to explore the mechanisms of action of the human small heat shock protein HSPB8 and its pathogenic mutant K141E, which is associated with neuromuscular disease. Through single-molecule manipulation experiments, we studied how HSPB8 and its K141E mutant affect the refolding and aggregation processes of the maltose binding protein. Our data show that HSPB8 selectively suppresses protein aggregation without affecting the native folding process. This anti-aggregation mechanism is distinct from previous models that rely on the stabilization of unfolded polypeptide chains or partially folded structures, as has been reported for other chaperones. Rather, it appears that HSPB8 selectively recognizes and binds to aggregated species formed at the early stages of aggregation, preventing them from growing into larger aggregated structures. Consistently, the K141E mutation specifically targets the affinity for aggregated structures without impacting native folding, and hence impairs its anti-aggregation activity

Detailed Multiplex Analysis of SARS-CoV-2 Specific Antibodies in COVID-19 Disease.

To access publisher's full text version of this article, please click on the hyperlink in Additional Links field or click on the hyperlink at the top of the page marked DownloadA detailed understanding of the antibody response against SARS-CoV-2 is of high importance, especially with the emergence of novel vaccines. A multiplex-based assay, analyzing IgG, IgM, and IgA antibodies against the receptor binding domain (RBD), spike 1 (S1), and nucleocapsid proteins of the SARS-CoV-2 virus was set up. The multiplex-based analysis was calibrated against the Elecsys® Anti-SARS-CoV-2 assay on a Roche Cobas® instrument, using positive and negative samples. The calibration of the multiplex based assay yielded a sensitivity of 100% and a specificity of 97.7%. SARS-CoV-2 specific antibody levels were analyzed by multiplex in 251 samples from 221 patients. A significant increase in all antibody types (IgM, IgG, and IgA) against RBD was observed between the first and the third weeks of disease. Additionally, the S1 IgG antibody response increased significantly between weeks 1, 2, and 3 of disease. Class switching appeared to occur earlier for IgA than for IgG. Patients requiring hospital admission and intensive care had higher levels of SARS-CoV-2 specific IgA levels than outpatients. These findings describe the initial antibody response during the first weeks of disease and demonstrate the importance of analyzing different antibody isotypes against multiple antigens and include IgA when examining the immunological response to COVID-19.Student Innovation Fun

Properties of SLPI, a protease inhibitor from Streptomyces lividans and its binding properties to subtilases

The goal of this research project was to use isothermal titration calorimetry (ITC) to characterize the binding of a protease inhibitor to the structural homologues VPR, from a psychotropic Vibrio species, and AQUI, from the thermophile Thermus aquaticus. ITC is a powerful tool and with a single binding isotherm several thermodynamic binding parameters can be determined, including reaction stoichiometry, dissociation constant (Kd) and hence binding free energy (ΔG), enthalpy (ΔH) and entropy (ΔS). The objective was to determine if these parameters would differ, reflecting different thermodynamic driving forces of binding to these two protease, which differ greatly with respect to temperature adaptation. In order to use ITC to determine these parameters a suitable inhibitor was needed. Many members of the Streptomyces family are known for secreting protease inhibitors belonging to the Streptomyces subtilisin inhibitor family of inhibitors. DNA from Streptomyces lividans TK24 was acquired and from it the sequence for Streptomyces lividans protease inhibitor (SLPI) was cloned into E. coli and overexpressed. SLPI was characterized using circular dichroism (CD) spectoscopy, fluorescence spectroscopy, differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) and ITC. SLPI was determined to be a thermodynamically stable homodimer capable of refolding after thermal denaturation. DSC revealed a non-two-state denaturation process, with indication of cooperative unfolding of SLPI and its dimer interface. Guanidinium chloride (GdmCl) was used in an attempt to separate the two events but proved unsuccessful. Since denaturation curves, observed either with fluorescence or CD, showed only a single cooperative transition between native and denatured states. Thermal stability of SLPI was thoroughly characterized with DSC, with several constants, such as ΔH and ΔG of unfolding and heat capacity (ΔCp) determined. Complexes of SLPI with AQUI and VPR were also characterized with no major structural changes detected by CD and fluorescence. DSC thermograms of the complexes revealed an exothermic peak, overlapping with the endothermic denaturation peaks, which was dependent on SLPI being present in excess of the protease. The cause of this exothermic peak could not be established, with further studies needed to determine its exact nature. Finally, binding of SLPI to VPR and AQUI was characterized with ITC measurements. The measurements proved rather irreproducible, likely as a result of SLPI having a Kd value below 10-9 M for both VPR and AQUI. From what could be gathered, there is no significant difference between the binding of SLPI to VPR or AQUI. This runs counter to the theory that psychrophilic enzymes acquire their cold activity through an increase in flexibility in the active site. As a more flexible active site should result in a difference in binding enthalpy

Börn með ADHD: Hvaða úrræði geta hentað innan skólakerfisins?

Meginviðfangsefni þessarar ritgerðar er að fjalla um börn greind með athyglisbrest með eða án ofvirkni (ADHD) og greina frá hvaða úrræði standa til boða innan grunnskólakerfisins svo draga megi úr truflandi einkennum ADHD og stuðla þar með að bættum námsárangri. Áhersla er lögð á að gera grein fyrir orsökum ADHD, birtingarmynd þess og úrræðum. Lýst verður helstu áhrifum ADHD á nám nemenda og hlutverki skólans í því að mæta þörfum þeirra, auk þess sem fjallað er um önnur úrræði sem geta hentað þessum börnum, svo sem sálfélagsleg úrræði, atferlismótun, félagsfærniþjálfun, lyfjameðferð og valdeflingu. Byrjað er á því að gera grein fyrir þróun þekkingar á ADHD, því næst er fjallað um úrræði innan grunnskóla og skólafélagsráðgjöf og valdeflingu sögð skil. Þá er greint frá niðurstöðum rannsókna um árangur starfs skólafélagsráðgjafa í vinnu með börnum með ADHD og loks eru niðurstöður ræddar og ályktanir dregnar út frá þeim. Í ritgerðinni er leitast við að svara þeirri meginspurningu hvaða úrræði innan grunnskólakerfisins gætu hentað börnum með ADHD? Helstu niðurstöður eru þær að börn með ADHD þurfa meiri stuðning en önnur börn til að ná sama árangri í námi. Röskunin mælist mikill áhættuþáttur í brottfalli nemenda þegar komið er á framhaldsskólastig sem þýðir að mikilvægt er að fjölga úrræðum og auka stuðning þegar á grunnskólastigi. Sníða þarf þau úrræði að hverjum einstaklingi fyrir sig. Efla þarf samstarf milli heimilis og skóla til að þörfum barna með ADHD sé mætt og þau fái það utanumhald sem er nauðsynlegt svo eiga megi farsæla skólagöngu. Fagaðilar í skólakerfinu eru mikilvægir því þeir geta greint ýmis vandkvæði á byrjunarstigi. Starfandi félagsráðgjafi í grunnskóla er mikilvægur hlekkur í þeirri keðju þar sem hann er menntaður til að vinna þverfaglega með ýmsum stéttum. Skólafélagsráðgjafi er einnig þjálfaður í að beita snemmtækri íhlutun og fjölbreyttum úrræðum sem stuðlað geta að bættri námsframvindu nemenda með ADHD

„Ef við ætluðum að gera einhverjar breytingar, þá yrðum við að brjóta okkur frá þessum kúltúr“: Persónueinkenni og hvatar félagslegra frumkvöðla

Aðalmarkmið rannsóknarinnar var að fjalla um reynslu og upplifun félagslegra frumkvöðla og lýsa hvaða persónueinkenni og hvatar lágu að baki því að þeir stofnuðu eða áttu þátt í að stofna félagsleg fyrirtæki til hjálpar ákveðnum hópi fólks. Notast var við eigindlega rannsóknaraðferð sem fólst í því að taka viðtöl við sex einstaklinga, fjórar konur og tvo karla. Viðmælendur voru á aldrinum 35-87 ára. Niðurstöður rannsóknarinnar sýndu fram á nokkra sameiginlega þætti í fari frumkvöðlanna, þætti er birtust meðal annars í fórnfýsi, samkennd, sannfæringu á eigin málstað, réttlætiskennd og þrautseigju til að yfirstíga hindranir og leiða verkefnin á erfiðum tímabilum. Þrír viðmælendur nefndu erfiða lífsreynslu sem einn hvata til að hefja frumkvöðlastarfið. Þrír viðmælendur nefndu vitundarvakningu við fræðslu eða nám sem hvata að byrjun frumkvöðlastarfs. Allir töldu úrræðaleysi af hendi stjórnvalda hafa verið þeim hvati til að hefja félagslegt frumkvöðlastarf. Auk þess áttu viðmælendur þann sameiginlega hvata að hafa einhverja hugsjón um að auka velferð annarra. Birtist það meðal annars í því að leggja á sig umtalsverða vinnu til að mæta þörf er þeir sáu að var ekki mætt á fullnægjandi hátt annars staðar frá. Allir viðmælendur nefndu hversu mikilvægur þáttur stuðningur frá fjölskyldu, vinum og starfsfélögum var þeim í ferlinu. Lykilorð: Félagslegir frumkvöðlar, félagsleg fyrirtæki, félagsleg nýsköpun.The main purpose of the research was to cast a light on the experiences of Icelandic social entrepreneurs and explain what characteristics and motivation drove them to start or being a part of starting a social enterprise to help a certain group of people. It was done through a qualitative research where six people were interviewed, four women and two men. All participants were 35-87 years old. The findings of the study showed that the entrepreneurs had some common characteristics, for example altruism, empathy, strong believes in their own cause, righteousness and perseverance to overcome obstacles and to lead the project through difficult periods. The entrepreneurs also had in common to inspire others to realize the importance of the project. Three participants mentioned hard life experience as a motitvation to start the entrepreneurship. Three participants mentioned awareness through learning program or education as a motivation to start a social entrepreneurship. One motivation the participants had in common was to share somekind of vision about increasing the wellbeing of others, which shows in the fact they were willing to work hard to meet a need they saw that was not met in a satisfactory way from others. All participants mention how important support from family, friends and collegues was through the process. Key words: Social entrepreneurs, social enterprise, social innovation

Accidents on Iceland's most dangerous roads

Neðst á síðunni er hægt að nálgast greinina í heild sinni með því að smella á hlekkinn View/Open Allur texti - Full textOBJECTIVE: The objective of this paper was to identify the most dangerous segments of the Icelandic road system in terms of the number of accidents pr km and the rate of accidents pr million km travelled. First to identify the segments where the number of accidents is highest and where the risk of the individual traveller is the greatest. Second to evaluate if the association between the number and the rate of accidents is positive or negative. Third to identify the road segments that are the most dangerous in the sense of many accidents and great risk to individual travellers. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Main roads outside urban centers were divided into 45 segments that were on average 78 km in length. Infrequently travelled roads and roads within urban centers were omitted. Information on the length of roads, traffic density and number of accidents was used to calculate the number of accidents per km and the rate of accidents per million km travelled. The correlation between the number and rate of accidents was calculated and the most dangerous road segments were identified by the average rank order on both dimensions. RESULTS: Most accidents pr km occurred on the main roads to and from the capital region, but also east towards Hvolsvöllur, north towards Akureyri and in the Mideast region of the country. The rate of accidents pr million km travelled was highest in the northeast region, in northern Snæfellsnes and in the Westfjords. The most dangerous roads on both dimensions were in Mideast, northern Westfjords, in the north between Blönduós and Akureyri and in northern Snæfellsnes. CONCLUSION: Most accidents pr km occurred on roads with a low accident rate pr million km travelled. It is therefore possible to reduce accidents the most by increasing road safety where it is already the greatest but that would however increase inequalities in road safety. Policy development in transportation is therefore in part a question of priorities in healthcare. Individual equality in safety and health are not always fully compatible with economic concerns and the interests of the majority.Inngangur: Markmið með rannsókninni var að finna hættulegustu þjóðvegi landsins með tilliti til fjölda slysa á hvern km vegar og tíðni umferðarslysa á milljón ekna km. Í fyrsta lagi að finna þá vegarkafla þar sem flest slys verða og þar sem áhætta vegfarenda er mest. Í öðru lagi að meta hvort fjöldi slysa og tíðni slysa fari saman. Í þriðja lagi finna vegarkafla sem eru hættulegastir í þeim skilningi að þar verði mörg slys og áhætta einstakra vegfarenda sé mikil. Efniviður og aðferðir: Helstu vegum utan þéttbýlis var skipt í 45 vegarkafla sem voru að meðaltali 78 km að lengd. Fáförnum vegum og vegum í þéttbýli var sleppt. Upplýsingar um lengd vega, umferðarþunga og fjölda slysa frá Umferðarstofu voru notaðar til að reikna fjölda slysa á hvern km og tíðni slysa á milljón ekinna km. Fylgni milli fjölda og tíðni slysa var reiknuð og hættulegustu vegarkaflarnir fundnir með því að reikna meðaltal af raðtölum fyrir hvern vegarkafla. Niðurstöður: Flest slys á hvern km urðu á vegum til og frá höfuðborgarsvæðinu, en einnig austur að Hvolsvelli, norður til Akureyrar og á Mið-Austurlandi. Slysatíðni á hverja milljón ekna km var hins vegar hæst á norðausturhorni landsins, norðanverðu Snæfellsnesi og á Vestfjörðum. Neikvæð fylgni fannst milli fjölda og tíðni slysa. Hættulegustu vegarkaflar landsins með tilliti til beggja þátta voru á Mið-Austurlandi, norðanverðum Vestfjörðum, frá Blönduósi til Akureyrar og á norðanverðu Snæfellsnesi. Ályktun: Flest umferðarslys á hvern km urðu á þeim vegum þar sem slysatíðni á hverja milljón ekna km er lág. Því er hægt að fækka slysum mest með því að auka umferðaröryggi þar sem það er nú þegar mest, en með því ykist misrétti í umferðaröryggi. Stefnumótun í samgöngumálum felur í sér forgangsröðun í heilbrigðismálum þar sem jafnrétti einstaklinga til öryggis og heilbrigðis fer ekki alltaf fyllilega saman við hagræðingarsjónarmið og hagsmuni meirihlutans

Sannprófun og fullgilding nýs sjúkrahótels við Hringbraut : hvernig tókst til?

Viðfangsefni rannsóknarinnar var að skoða ferli sannprófunar og fullgildingar við byggingu nýs sjúkrahótels. Rannsóknarspurningunni sem ætlunin var að svara var þessi: Samræmist sjúkrahótelið upprunalegum kröfum um nýtt sjúkrahótel? Eigindleg aðferðafræði var notuð við framkvæmd rannsóknarinnar. Tekin voru viðtöl við 8 einstaklinga sem voru fulltrúar allra helstu hagsmunaaðilahópa verkefnisins og í viðtölunum lá spurningalisti til hliðsjónar. Viðtölin voru hálfstöðluð þar sem viðmælendum gafst kostur á að ræða dýpra um viðfangsefnið. Viðmælendur voru spurðir út í aðkomu sína að verkefninu um byggingu sjúkrahótelsins – hvernig undirbúningi var háttað, hvaða þarfir hafi verið fyrir framkvæmdinni, hvort þær hefðu verið skýrar og loks hvernig til tókst. Helstu niðurstöður voru þær að sjúkrahótelið er að mestu leyti mjög vel heppnuð framkvæmd. Það hefur reynst mjög vel og uppfyllir þær kröfur sjúkrahótels sem settar voru fram af Landspítala í upphafi. Hótelið hlaut BREEAM verðlaun, með hæstu einkunn vottaðra bygginga á Íslandi hingað til.Liggur fyrir umsókn um að verkefni verði læs

DNA binding redistributes activation domain ensemble and accessibility in pioneer factor Sox2

Abstract More than 1600 human transcription factors orchestrate the transcriptional machinery to control gene expression and cell fate. Their function is conveyed through intrinsically disordered regions (IDRs) containing activation or repression domains but lacking quantitative structural ensemble models prevents their mechanistic decoding. Here we integrate single-molecule FRET and NMR spectroscopy with molecular simulations showing that DNA binding can lead to complex changes in the IDR ensemble and accessibility. The C-terminal IDR of pioneer factor Sox2 is highly disordered but its conformational dynamics are guided by weak and dynamic charge interactions with the folded DNA binding domain. Both DNA and nucleosome binding induce major rearrangements in the IDR ensemble without affecting DNA binding affinity. Remarkably, interdomain interactions are redistributed in complex with DNA leading to variable exposure of two activation domains critical for transcription. Charged intramolecular interactions allowing for dynamic redistributions may be common in transcription factors and necessary for sensitive tuning of structural ensembles

Detailed Multiplex Analysis of SARS-CoV-2 Specific Antibodies in COVID-19 Disease

This work was supported in part by The Student Innovation Fund. The funding body had no role in the design of the study, collection, analysis, interpretation of data or writing of the manuscript. Funding Information: We would like to thank Runólfur Pálsson and Elías Eyþórsson for their assistance with the patient demographics. The Department of Clinical Microbiology for their assistance and last but not least the patients. Publisher Copyright: © Copyright © 2021 Brynjolfsson, Sigurgrimsdottir, Einarsdottir, Bjornsdottir, Armannsdottir, Baldvinsdottir, Bjarnason, Gudlaugsson, Gudmundsson, Sigurdardottir, Love, Kristinsson and Ludviksson.A detailed understanding of the antibody response against SARS-CoV-2 is of high importance, especially with the emergence of novel vaccines. A multiplex-based assay, analyzing IgG, IgM, and IgA antibodies against the receptor binding domain (RBD), spike 1 (S1), and nucleocapsid proteins of the SARS-CoV-2 virus was set up. The multiplex-based analysis was calibrated against the Elecsys® Anti-SARS-CoV-2 assay on a Roche Cobas® instrument, using positive and negative samples. The calibration of the multiplex based assay yielded a sensitivity of 100% and a specificity of 97.7%. SARS-CoV-2 specific antibody levels were analyzed by multiplex in 251 samples from 221 patients. A significant increase in all antibody types (IgM, IgG, and IgA) against RBD was observed between the first and the third weeks of disease. Additionally, the S1 IgG antibody response increased significantly between weeks 1, 2, and 3 of disease. Class switching appeared to occur earlier for IgA than for IgG. Patients requiring hospital admission and intensive care had higher levels of SARS-CoV-2 specific IgA levels than outpatients. These findings describe the initial antibody response during the first weeks of disease and demonstrate the importance of analyzing different antibody isotypes against multiple antigens and include IgA when examining the immunological response to COVID-19.Peer reviewe