Induced abortions - preliminary data 2005

Julkaisupvm 27.3.200

Hur förändras kundvärdet när nyhetsmedia digitaliseras? -En undersökning om dagstidningsbranschens övergång till digitala upplagor

Syfte: Syftet med vår uppsats är att utifrån konsumentens synvinkel undersöka vad som skapar kundvärde i det digitala erbjudandet genom att ta reda på hur konsumtionsvanorna skiljer sig åt mellan den digitala upplagan och pappersupplagan av dagstidningen för att ge ett kvalitativt bidrag till kundvärdesforskningen. Metod: Uppsatsen baseras på en kvalitativ studie som har genomförts utifrån ett hermeneutiskt förhållningssätt. Ansatsen är deduktiv med induktiva inslag. Primärdatan bygger på semistrukturerade intervjuer och sekundärdatan är främst hämtad från vetenskapliga artiklar. Teoretiska perspektiv: Uppsatsens teoretiska referensram åskådliggör grundläggande teorier om kundvärde samt forskning kring adoptionsprocesser och integrerade erbjudanden. Empiri: Empirin bygger på sexton stycken semistrukturerade intervjuer med personer som har erfarenhet av dagstidningsläsande. Resultat: Vad som skapar kundvärde i det digitala erbjudandet skiljer sig från värdeskapandet i pappersformatet av dagstidningen. Även om den digitala dagstidningen många gånger lovordas för bland annat sin omedelbara tillgänglighet och sitt aktuella nyhetsflöde är en majoritet av intervjupersonerna än idag ovilliga att betala för den. Utifrån de empiriska fynden har sedan en sammanfattande kundvärdesmodell skapats för att visa vad mervärdet i det digitala sammanhanget beror på. Modellen är baserad på tidigare modeller om kundvärde, men har anpassats till den digitala dagstidningen som informationsprodukt.Title: How does customer perceived value change as traditional media turns digital? - An exploratory study of the digital transition of newspapers. Key words: customer perceived value, consumer perspective, digital media, online value, offline value. Purpose: The main purpose of this thesis is to examine the customer’s value perception of the daily newspapers and how the consumption patterns differ between the physical and the digital format. Methodology: A qualitative study has been conducted using a hermeneutic approach. This approach is deductive while incorporating inductive elements. The raw data is based on sixteen semistructured interviews whereas the secondary data is derived from scientific publications. Theoretical perspectives: The theoretical framework is firstly based on the basic theories of customer perceived value (CPV). Secondly, this is combined with the specific elements of the physical and digital format in order to investigate the impact of this on CPV. Empirical foundation: The empirical foundation is based on sixteen semistructured interviews with both female and male respondents in various ages and with different professions. Conclusions: The customers’ perceived value of daily newspapers differ depending on which format that is under consideration. The digital format is, in contrast to the physical format, appreciated because of its immediate availability and for its constantly updated news content. However, these benefits tend to be inadequate to increase customers’ willingness to pay for the online content. The additional value that is requested by the customers in the digital newspaper is further developed in a model that is based on the empirical findings combined with previous models of customer value

Neurodevelopmental and neuroradiologic outcomes in patients with univentricular heart aged 5 to 7 years: Related risk factor analysis

ObjectiveDespite improved survival and neurodevelopmental outcome, children with hypoplastic left heart syndrome and other forms of univentricular heart remain at increased risk for cognitive, motor, and other neurologic deficits.MethodsWe examined 27 children with hypoplastic left heart syndrome or other forms of univentricular heart at a median age of 5.70 years (range 4.99–7.51 years) and performed brain computed tomography or magnetic resonance imaging on 20. Possible risk factors were correlated with outcome.ResultsMean full-scale IQ among patients with hypoplastic left heart syndrome was 86.7; that among patients with other forms of univentricular heart was 89.1, with both differing significantly from the expected population mean (P = .015 and P = .029, respectively). Cerebral palsy was diagnosed in 1 of 7 patients with hypoplastic left heart syndrome and 2 of 20 with other forms of univentricular heart. Brain computed tomography or magnetic resonance imaging revealed ischemic changes and infarcts or atrophy in 5 of 8 patients who had undergone the Norwood procedure and in 2 of 12 of those who had not (P = .062). Abnormal computed tomographic findings correlated significantly with lower full-scale IQ (P = .045) and verbal IQ (P = .02). In the multiple linear regression model, diuresis the third day after the primary operation and cardiopulmonary bypass time in the bidirectional Glenn operation correlated significantly with the primary outcome of full-scale IQ.ConclusionIn children with univentricular heart, intellectual and neurologic deficits are common. Perioperative and postoperative risk factors related to the primary phase and bidirectional Glenn operation contribute to these deficits

The first known virus isolates from Antarctic sea ice have complex infection patterns

Viruses are recognized as important actors in ocean ecology and biogeochemical cycles, but many details are not yet understood. We participated in a winter expedition to the Weddell Sea, Antarctica, to isolate viruses and to measure virus-like particle abundance (flow cytometry) in sea ice. We isolated 59 bacterial strains and the first four Antarctic sea-ice viruses known (PANV1, PANV2, OANV1 and OANV2), which grow in bacterial hosts belonging to the typical sea-ice genera Paraglaciecola and Octadecabacter. The viruses were specific for bacteria at the strain level, although OANV1 was able to infect strains from two different classes. Both PANV1 and PANV2 infected 11/15 isolated Paraglaciecola strains that had almost identical 16S rRNA gene sequences, but the plating efficiencies differed among the strains, whereas OANV1 infected 3/7 Octadecabacter and 1/15 Paraglaciecola strains and OANV2 1/7 Octadecabacter strains. All the phages were cold-active and able to infect their original host at 0 degrees C and 4 degrees C, but not at higher temperatures. The results showed that virus-host interactions can be very complex and that the viral community can also be dynamic in the winter-sea ice.Peer reviewe

Phospholipid composition of packed red blood cells and that of extracellular vesicles show a high resemblance and stability during storage

Red blood cells (RBCs) are stored up to 35-42 days at 2-6 degrees C in blood banks. During storage, the RBC membrane is challenged by energy depletion, decreasing pH, altered cation homeostasis, and oxidative stress, leading to several biochemical and morphological changes in RBCs and to shedding of extracellular vesicles (EVs) into the storage medium. These changes are collectively known as RBC storage lesions. EVs accumulate in stored RBC concentrates and are, thus, transfused into patients. The potency of EVs as bioactive effectors is largely acknowledged, and EVs in RBC concentrates are suspected to mediate some adverse effects of transfusion. Several studies have shown accumulation of lipid raft associated proteins in RBC EVs during storage, whereas a comprehensive phospholipidomic study on RBCs and corresponding EVs during the clinical storage period is lacking. Our mass spectrometric and chromatographic study shows that RBCs maintain their major phospholipid (PL) content well during storage despite abundant vesiculation. The phospholipidomes were largely similar between RBCs and EVs. No accumulation of raft lipids in EVs was seen, suggesting that the primary mechanism of RBC vesiculation during storage might not be raft-based. Nonetheless, a slight tendency of EV PLs for shorter acyl chains was observed.Peer reviewe

Sea-Ice Bacteria Halomonas sp. Strain 363 and Paracoccus sp. Strain 392 Produce Multiple Types of Poly-3-Hydroxyalkaonoic Acid (PHA) Storage Polymers at Low Temperature

Poly-3-hydroxyalkanoic acids (PHAs) are bacterial storage polymers commonly used in bioplastic production. Halophilic bacteria are industrially interesting organisms, as their salinity tolerance and psychrophilic nature lowers sterility requirements and subsequent production costs. We investigated PHA synthesis in two bacterial strains, Halomonas sp. 363 and Paracoccus sp. 392, isolated from Southern Ocean sea ice and elucidated the related PHA biopolymer accumulation and composition with various approaches, such as transcriptomics, microscopy, and chromatography. We show that both bacterial strains produce PHAs at 4 degrees C when the availability of nitrogen and/or oxygen limited growth. The genome of Halomonas sp. 363 carries three phaC synthase genes and transcribes genes along three PHA pathways (I to III), whereas Paracoccus sp. 392 carries only one phaC gene and transcribes genes along one pathway (I). Thus, Halomonas sp. 363 has a versatile repertoire of phaC genes and pathways enabling production of both short- and medium-chain-length PHA products. IMPORTANCE Plastic pollution is one of the most topical threats to the health of the oceans and seas. One recognized way to alleviate the problem is to use degradable bioplastic materials in high-risk applications. PHA is a promising bioplastic material as it is nontoxic and fully produced and degraded by bacteria. Sea ice is an interesting environment for prospecting novel PHA-producing organisms, since traits advantageous to lower production costs, such as tolerance for high salinities and low temperatures, are common. We show that two sea-ice bacteria, Halomonas sp. 363 and Paracoccus sp. 392, are able to produce various types of PHA from inexpensive carbon sources. Halomonas sp. 363 is an especially interesting PHA-producing organism, since it has three different synthesis pathways to produce both short- and medium-chain-length PHAs.peerReviewe

Effects of Anacetrapib in Patients with Atherosclerotic Vascular Disease

BACKGROUND: Patients with atherosclerotic vascular disease remain at high risk for cardiovascular events despite effective statin-based treatment of low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol levels. The inhibition of cholesteryl ester transfer protein (CETP) by anacetrapib reduces LDL cholesterol levels and increases high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol levels. However, trials of other CETP inhibitors have shown neutral or adverse effects on cardiovascular outcomes. METHODS: We conducted a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial involving 30,449 adults with atherosclerotic vascular disease who were receiving intensive atorvastatin therapy and who had a mean LDL cholesterol level of 61 mg per deciliter (1.58 mmol per liter), a mean non-HDL cholesterol level of 92 mg per deciliter (2.38 mmol per liter), and a mean HDL cholesterol level of 40 mg per deciliter (1.03 mmol per liter). The patients were assigned to receive either 100 mg of anacetrapib once daily (15,225 patients) or matching placebo (15,224 patients). The primary outcome was the first major coronary event, a composite of coronary death, myocardial infarction, or coronary revascularization. RESULTS: During the median follow-up period of 4.1 years, the primary outcome occurred in significantly fewer patients in the anacetrapib group than in the placebo group (1640 of 15,225 patients [10.8%] vs. 1803 of 15,224 patients [11.8%]; rate ratio, 0.91; 95% confidence interval, 0.85 to 0.97; P=0.004). The relative difference in risk was similar across multiple prespecified subgroups. At the trial midpoint, the mean level of HDL cholesterol was higher by 43 mg per deciliter (1.12 mmol per liter) in the anacetrapib group than in the placebo group (a relative difference of 104%), and the mean level of non-HDL cholesterol was lower by 17 mg per deciliter (0.44 mmol per liter), a relative difference of -18%. There were no significant between-group differences in the risk of death, cancer, or other serious adverse events. CONCLUSIONS: Among patients with atherosclerotic vascular disease who were receiving intensive statin therapy, the use of anacetrapib resulted in a lower incidence of major coronary events than the use of placebo. (Funded by Merck and others; Current Controlled Trials number, ISRCTN48678192 ; ClinicalTrials.gov number, NCT01252953 ; and EudraCT number, 2010-023467-18 .)