Molecular cloning and functional expression of the Equine K+ channel KV11.1 (Ether à Go-Go-related/KCNH2 gene) and the regulatory subunit KCNE2 from equine myocardium

The KCNH2 and KCNE2 genes encode the cardiac voltage-gated K+ channel KV11.1 and its auxiliary β subunit KCNE2. KV11.1 is critical for repolarization of the cardiac action potential. In humans, mutations or drug therapy affecting the KV11.1 channel are associated with prolongation of the QT intervals on the ECG and increased risk of ventricular tachyarrhythmia and sudden cardiac death--conditions known as congenital or acquired Long QT syndrome (LQTS), respectively. In horses, sudden, unexplained deaths are a well-known problem. We sequenced the cDNA of the KCNH2 and KCNE2 genes using RACE and conventional PCR on mRNA purified from equine myocardial tissue. Equine KV11.1 and KCNE2 cDNA had a high homology to human genes (93 and 88%, respectively). Equine and human KV11.1 and KV11.1/KCNE2 were expressed in Xenopus laevis oocytes and investigated by two-electrode voltage-clamp. Equine KV11.1 currents were larger compared to human KV11.1, and the voltage dependence of activation was shifted to more negative values with V1/2 = -14.2±1.1 mV and -17.3±0.7, respectively. The onset of inactivation was slower for equine KV11.1 compared to the human homolog. These differences in kinetics may account for the larger amplitude of the equine current. Furthermore, the equine KV11.1 channel was susceptible to pharmacological block with terfenadine. The physiological importance of KV11.1 was investigated in equine right ventricular wedge preparations. Terfenadine prolonged action potential duration and the effect was most pronounced at slow pacing. In conclusion, these findings indicate that horses could be disposed to both congenital and acquired LQTS

Public librarians’ experience of privacy in the library work : A phenomenographic study.

The purpose of this masters’ thesis is to investigate how public librarians perceive privacy in connection with new technology in libraries. The main research questions are: - How do librarians experience the phenomenon privacy in the library?- How do librarians experience the relation between privacy and technology in the library?- What does this say about the relationship between privacy, technological development and library work?The study was performed with a phenomenographic methodological approach. The material consists of qualitative interviews with eight librarians who work at public libraries where the technology RFID (Radio Frequency Identification) has been implemented. The material was analysed according to a model of four phases which finally lead firstly to outcome spaces and lastly to the result. The result consists of perspectives that show that librarians experience privacy in the library, mainly in connection with library patrons. The majority of the librarians also experience a connection between privacy and technology in the library. A few librarians experience that the main threat against privacy only comes from the outside of the library. All of the experiences are either problematic or unproblematic in relation to the perspective they represent.Uppsatsnivå:

Occupational therapists' perceptions regarding sexual health within the occupational therapist's professional practice : a survey study

Bakgrund: Sexuell hälsa är en viktig aspekt av en individs identitet och är en meningsfull aktivitet och avgörande för en individs hälsa och välbefinnande. Många arbetsterapeuter uppger att sexuell hälsa är ett viktigt område att beröra för att möjliggöra en holistisk rehabilitering. Trots detta visar forskning att sexuell hälsa berörs i väldigt låg utsträckning inom arbetsterapi. Syfte: Syftet med studien var att beskriva arbetsterapeuters uppfattningar gällande sexuell hälsa som en del av arbetsterapeuters professionsutövning. Metod: Författarna använde sig av en kvantitativ ansats där data samlades in genom en onlinebaserad enkät. Enkäten innefattade slutna frågor, frågor med flervalssvar och öppna frågor med fritextsvar. Enkätsvaren genererade både kvantitativa variabler och fritextsvar som analyserades genom deskriptiv statistik och jämförandeanalys genom fyrfältstabeller. Resultat: Enkäten besvarades av 101 personer. Samtliga deltagare var verksamma arbetsterapeuter från olika verksamhetsområden inom Sveriges kommuner, regioner och privata aktörer. Resultatet visade att majoriteten av arbetsterapeuterna tyckte att sexuell hälsa är en meningsfull aktivitet i vardagen som bidrar till livskvalitet och livstillfredsställelse. Majoriteten ansåg även att det är ett viktigt område att arbeta med inom rehabiliteringen och att det bör ingå som en del av arbetsterapeuters professionsutövning. Dock uppgav många arbetsterapeuter att de saknar kunskap och utbildning för att kunna möta sina klienter i fråga om sexuell hälsa. Slutsats: Sexuell hälsa anses vara ett viktigt område som bidrar till livskvalitet och livstillfredsställelse och anses vara ett legitimt område inom arbetsterapi. Bristen på kunskap och utbildning utgör ett hinder för att arbetsterapeuter ska känna sig nog kompetenta och bekväma med att bemöta klienter i frågan, samt att arbeta aktivt inom området. Det behövs mer utbildning och kunskap, praktisk träning och erfarenhet samt tydligare rutiner och riktlinjer för att kunna bemöta klienter på ett klientcentrerat och holistiskt sätt inom rehabiliteringen.  Background: Sexual health is an important aspect of an individual's identity and a meaningful activity and necessary to an individual's health and well-being. Many occupational therapists agree that sexual health is an important area to address in order to enable holistic rehabilitation. Despite this, research shows that sexual health is addressed to a very low extent in occupational therapy. Purpose: The purpose of the study was to describe the opinions of occupational therapists regarding sexual health as part of the professional practice of occupational therapists. Method: The authors used a quantitative approach where data was collected through an online survey. The survey included closed questions, questions with multiple choice answers and open questions with free text answers. The survey responses generated both quantitative variables and free text responses that were analyzed through descriptive statistics and comparative analysis through four-field tables. Results: The survey was answered by 101 people. All participants were occupational therapists from various areas of activity within Sweden's municipalities, regions and private actors. The results showed that the majority of occupational therapists considered sexual health as a meaningful activity in everyday life that contributes to quality of life and life satisfaction, that it is an important area to work with in rehabilitation and that it should be included as part of occupational therapists' professional practice. However, many occupational therapists stated that they lack the knowledge and training to be able to meet their clients in matters of sexual health. Conclusion: Sexual health is considered an important area that contributes to quality of life and life satisfaction and is considered a legitimate area of occupational therapy. The lack of knowledge and training constitutes an obstacle for occupational therapists to feel sufficiently competent and comfortable to address clients in the area of sexual health. There is a need for more education and knowledge, practical training and experience as well as routines and guidelines to be able to address clients in a client-centered and holistic way within rehabilitation

Occupational therapists' perceptions regarding sexual health within the occupational therapist's professional practice : a survey study

Bakgrund: Sexuell hälsa är en viktig aspekt av en individs identitet och är en meningsfull aktivitet och avgörande för en individs hälsa och välbefinnande. Många arbetsterapeuter uppger att sexuell hälsa är ett viktigt område att beröra för att möjliggöra en holistisk rehabilitering. Trots detta visar forskning att sexuell hälsa berörs i väldigt låg utsträckning inom arbetsterapi. Syfte: Syftet med studien var att beskriva arbetsterapeuters uppfattningar gällande sexuell hälsa som en del av arbetsterapeuters professionsutövning. Metod: Författarna använde sig av en kvantitativ ansats där data samlades in genom en onlinebaserad enkät. Enkäten innefattade slutna frågor, frågor med flervalssvar och öppna frågor med fritextsvar. Enkätsvaren genererade både kvantitativa variabler och fritextsvar som analyserades genom deskriptiv statistik och jämförandeanalys genom fyrfältstabeller. Resultat: Enkäten besvarades av 101 personer. Samtliga deltagare var verksamma arbetsterapeuter från olika verksamhetsområden inom Sveriges kommuner, regioner och privata aktörer. Resultatet visade att majoriteten av arbetsterapeuterna tyckte att sexuell hälsa är en meningsfull aktivitet i vardagen som bidrar till livskvalitet och livstillfredsställelse. Majoriteten ansåg även att det är ett viktigt område att arbeta med inom rehabiliteringen och att det bör ingå som en del av arbetsterapeuters professionsutövning. Dock uppgav många arbetsterapeuter att de saknar kunskap och utbildning för att kunna möta sina klienter i fråga om sexuell hälsa. Slutsats: Sexuell hälsa anses vara ett viktigt område som bidrar till livskvalitet och livstillfredsställelse och anses vara ett legitimt område inom arbetsterapi. Bristen på kunskap och utbildning utgör ett hinder för att arbetsterapeuter ska känna sig nog kompetenta och bekväma med att bemöta klienter i frågan, samt att arbeta aktivt inom området. Det behövs mer utbildning och kunskap, praktisk träning och erfarenhet samt tydligare rutiner och riktlinjer för att kunna bemöta klienter på ett klientcentrerat och holistiskt sätt inom rehabiliteringen.  Background: Sexual health is an important aspect of an individual's identity and a meaningful activity and necessary to an individual's health and well-being. Many occupational therapists agree that sexual health is an important area to address in order to enable holistic rehabilitation. Despite this, research shows that sexual health is addressed to a very low extent in occupational therapy. Purpose: The purpose of the study was to describe the opinions of occupational therapists regarding sexual health as part of the professional practice of occupational therapists. Method: The authors used a quantitative approach where data was collected through an online survey. The survey included closed questions, questions with multiple choice answers and open questions with free text answers. The survey responses generated both quantitative variables and free text responses that were analyzed through descriptive statistics and comparative analysis through four-field tables. Results: The survey was answered by 101 people. All participants were occupational therapists from various areas of activity within Sweden's municipalities, regions and private actors. The results showed that the majority of occupational therapists considered sexual health as a meaningful activity in everyday life that contributes to quality of life and life satisfaction, that it is an important area to work with in rehabilitation and that it should be included as part of occupational therapists' professional practice. However, many occupational therapists stated that they lack the knowledge and training to be able to meet their clients in matters of sexual health. Conclusion: Sexual health is considered an important area that contributes to quality of life and life satisfaction and is considered a legitimate area of occupational therapy. The lack of knowledge and training constitutes an obstacle for occupational therapists to feel sufficiently competent and comfortable to address clients in the area of sexual health. There is a need for more education and knowledge, practical training and experience as well as routines and guidelines to be able to address clients in a client-centered and holistic way within rehabilitation

Public librarians’ experience of privacy in the library work : A phenomenographic study.

The purpose of this masters’ thesis is to investigate how public librarians perceive privacy in connection with new technology in libraries. The main research questions are: - How do librarians experience the phenomenon privacy in the library?- How do librarians experience the relation between privacy and technology in the library?- What does this say about the relationship between privacy, technological development and library work?The study was performed with a phenomenographic methodological approach. The material consists of qualitative interviews with eight librarians who work at public libraries where the technology RFID (Radio Frequency Identification) has been implemented. The material was analysed according to a model of four phases which finally lead firstly to outcome spaces and lastly to the result. The result consists of perspectives that show that librarians experience privacy in the library, mainly in connection with library patrons. The majority of the librarians also experience a connection between privacy and technology in the library. A few librarians experience that the main threat against privacy only comes from the outside of the library. All of the experiences are either problematic or unproblematic in relation to the perspective they represent.Uppsatsnivå:

Stakeholder’ perception of product messages

Designers create messages that are encoded in the products’ design and consumers perceive the products in an environment. Hence the product can be seen as a communication media between the designer and different product stakeholders. The stakeholder’s response to the designer’s intent embodied in the product design falls into three categories: cognitive, affective and behavioural. In some cases, it is important to have an understanding of stakeholder response to product design. This paper presents theories, approaches and methods for the understanding of stakeholder response to designer intent embodied in product design and discusses them in relation to the extent to which they are usable in a design project. The possible use and appropriateness of the theories and methods are exemplified by the authors’ ongoing research projects. Since the perception of a product form is subjective, there can be differences between designers’ and stakeholders’ responses to product design. Therefore, in some cases, it is important to make designer intent and stakeholder response explicit and to analyse the discrepancies. Using different approaches and methods to understand stakeholder response can be used to improve a product design and for guiding the stakeholders’ choices of products to purchase

Comparison of biophysical properties of α1β2 and α3β2 GABAA receptors in whole-cell patch-clamp electrophysiological recordings.

In the present study we have characterized the biophysical properties of wild-type (WT) α1β2 and α3β2 GABAA receptors and probed the molecular basis for the observed differences. The activation and desensitization behavior and the residual currents of the receptors expressed in HEK293 cells were determined in whole-cell patch clamp recordings. Kinetic parameters of α1β2 and α3β2 activation differed significantly, with α1β2 and α3β2 exhibiting rise times (10-90%) of 24 ± 2 ms and 51 ± 7 ms, respectively. In contrast, the two receptors exhibited largely comparable desensitization behavior with decay currents that could be fitted to exponential functions with two or three components. Most notably, the two receptor compositions displayed different degrees of desentization, with the residual currents of α1β2 and α3β2 constituting 34 ± 2% and 21 ± 2% of the peak current, respectively. The respective contributions of the extracellular domains and the transmembrane/intracellular domains of the α-subunit to these physiological profiles were next assessed in recordings from cells expressing αβ2 receptors comprising chimeric α-subunits. The rise times displayed by α1ECD/α3TMDβ2 and α3ECD/α1TMDβ2 receptors were intermediate to those of WT α1β2 and WT α3β2, and the distribution of the different components of the current decays exhibited by the two chimeric receptors followed the same pattern as the two WT receptors. The residual current exhibited by α1ECD/α3TMDβ2 (23 ± 3%) was similar to that of α3β2 but significantly different from that of α1β2, whereas the residual current displayed by α3ECD/α1TMDβ2 (27 ± 2%) was intermediate to and did not differ significantly from either of the WT receptors. This points to molecular differences in the transmembrane/intracellular domains of the α-subunit as the main determinants of the observed differences in receptor physiology between α1β2 and α3β2 receptors