Gender-Based Harassment and the Hostile Work Environment

Large investments are made annually to develop and maintain IT systems. Successful outcome of IT projects is therefore crucial for the economy. Yet, many IT projects fail completely or are delayed or over budget, or they end up with less functionality than planned. This article describes a Bayesian decision-support model. The model is based on expert elicited data from 51 experts. Using this model, the effect management decisions have upon projects can be estimated beforehand, thus providing decision support for the improvement of IT project performance.QC 20140131. Updated from accepted to published.</p

Develop products in half the time: lead time reduction in Swedish organizations

Abstract This article reports experiences from five Swedish product development organizations, striving to decrease the lead time of the development projects. All companies used different strategies leading to varying results. One of the studied companies managed a 50% lead time reduction, another have similar results within reach. The other approaches has not, or not yet, shown satisfying results. The two winning strategies both required a high degree of top management support, however in different ways. Either the courage to make drastic changes or persistence to continue with an initiative over time seems be necessary

Neuroticism-related personality traits are related to symptom severity in patients with premenstrual dysphoric disorder and to the serotonin transporter gene-linked polymorphism 5-HTTPLPR

Neuroticism has been linked to a functional polymorphism in the serotonin transporter gene (5-HTTLPR), with short-allele carriers being overrepresented among high-scorers on neuroticism. Studies evaluating neuroticism-related personality traits in relation to the 5-HTTLPR polymorphism among patients with premenstrual dysphoric disorder (PMDD) and are lacking. The primary aim of this study was to evaluate the relationship between PMDD and neuroticism-related personality traits, and secondly, to relate the personality trait scores of PMDD patients to experienced symptom severity and to the 5-HTTLPR short allele. Thirty PMDD patients and 55 asymptomatic healthy controls were included in the study. The Swedish Universities Scale of Personality was used to evaluate personality traits. Genotype analyses were available in 27 PMDD patients and 18 healthy controls. Women with PMDD displayed higher levels of neuroticism-related personality traits (psychic trait anxiety, somatic trait anxiety, embitterment, stress susceptibility and mistrust) than healthy controls, and these effects were most prominent in women with more severe luteal phase symptoms. Furthermore, PMDD patients with at least one copy of the short allele of the 5-HTTLPR polymorphism scored higher on psychic trait anxiety and lack of assertiveness than PMDD patients who were homozygous for the long allele. PMDD patients who suffer from more severe luteal phase symptoms also display increased scores of neuroticism-related personality traits in comparison with healthy controls. Within the group of PMDD patients, differences in certain personality trait scores are associated with the short allele of the 5-HTTLPR polymorphism

Anticipation of thermal pain in diverticular disease

Background The relative importance of peripheral nerve injury or differences in central pain processing in painful diverticular disease (DD) is unclear. Functional MRI has demonstrated changes in the anticipation of pain in irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), in whom dysfunctional central pain pro-cessing predominates. This study aims to identify anticipatory changes in Symptomatic DD (SDD) compared to asymptomatic DD (ADD) and IBS patients. Methods Cued painful cutaneous thermal stimuli were delivered to the left hand and foot of ADD, SDD or IBS patient groups during functional MRI. Gastrointestinal symptoms and somatization, via the physiological heath question 12 (PHQ12-SS) were evaluated. The SDD group was divided into 2 based on a PHQ12-SS score of ≤6 (low somatization: LSDD) or ≥7 (high somatization: HSDD). Fixed effect group analysis of the ‘cued’ anticipatory phase was performed. Key Results 74 participants were recruited to the study. After exclusions for excessive movement and incom-plete study data, 14 participants per group (IBS, ADD, LSDD and HSDD) were analysed and compared. Within the right posterior insula (pINS), a key somatosensory pain processing area, greater deactivation was found in the ADD compared to the LSDD, IBS and HSDD groups. In emotion processing centres, such as the anterior and middle insula (aINS and mINS), greater ac-tivation was identified in the LSDD, IBS and HSDD groups compared to the ADD group and in the LSDD compared to IBS and HSDD groups. Differences in left ACC activation were also seen between the LSDD and HSDD groups. In comparison the amygdala (AMYG) and/or hip-pocampal deactivation was greater in the ADD than the IBS and HSDD group and between the low and high somatising SDD groups. Altered descending nociceptive control centres also showed greater deactivation such as the medial frontal gyrus (which includes the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex, DLPFC) and orbito-frontal cortex in the ADD and the LSDD group compared to the HSDD and IBS groups. Conclusion & Inferences The high somatising SDD group have altered anticipatory responses to thermal pain, behaving similar to IBS group. The low somatising SDD are similar to ADD group. This suggests underly-ing differences in pain pathophysiology, and the need for individualized treatment strategies to target the cause of their chronic pain

Ovarian Steroid Hormones, Emotion Processing and Mood

It is known that some psychiatric disorders may deteriorate in relation to the menstrual cycle. However, in some conditions, such as premenstrual dysphoric disorder (PMDD), symptomatology is triggered mainly by the variations in ovarian steroid hormones. Although symptoms induced by fluctuations in ovarian steroids often are affective, little is known about how emotion processing in women is influenced by variations, or actual levels, of ovarian steroid hormones. The general aim of this thesis was to evaluate menstrual cycle effects on reactivity in emotion generating and controlling areas in the corticolimbic system to emotional stimulation and anticipation, in healthy controls and women with PMDD. A second aim was to evaluate corticolimbic reactivity during long-term administration of exogenous ovarian steroids. In study I, III and IV effects of the menstrual cycle on emotional reactivity in women with PMDD was studied. In study I, women with PMDD in displayed higher amygdala reactivity than healthy controls to emotional faces, not in the luteal phase as was hypothesised, but in the follicular phase. No difference between menstrual cycle phases was obtained in women with PMDD, while healthy controls had an increased reactivity in the luteal phase. The results of study I was further elaborated in study III, where women with PMDD were observed to have an increased anticipatory reactivity to negative emotional stimuli. However, no differences in amygdala reactivity to emotional stimuli were obtained across the menstrual cycle. Finally, in study IV the hypothesis that amygdala reactivity increase in the luteal phase in women with PMDD is linked to social stimuli rather than generally arousing stimuli was suggested, tested and supported. In study II, re-exposure to COC induced mood symptoms de novo in women with a previous history of COC-induced adverse mood. Women treated with COC reported increased levels of mood symptoms both as compared to before treatment, and as compared to the placebo group. There was a relatively strong correlation between depressive scores before and during treatment. The effects of repeated COC administration on subjective measures and brain function were however dissociated with increased aversive experiences accompanied by reduced reactivity in the insular cortex

Ovarian Steroid Hormones, Emotion Processing and Mood

It is known that some psychiatric disorders may deteriorate in relation to the menstrual cycle. However, in some conditions, such as premenstrual dysphoric disorder (PMDD), symptomatology is triggered mainly by the variations in ovarian steroid hormones. Although symptoms induced by fluctuations in ovarian steroids often are affective, little is known about how emotion processing in women is influenced by variations, or actual levels, of ovarian steroid hormones. The general aim of this thesis was to evaluate menstrual cycle effects on reactivity in emotion generating and controlling areas in the corticolimbic system to emotional stimulation and anticipation, in healthy controls and women with PMDD. A second aim was to evaluate corticolimbic reactivity during long-term administration of exogenous ovarian steroids. In study I, III and IV effects of the menstrual cycle on emotional reactivity in women with PMDD was studied. In study I, women with PMDD in displayed higher amygdala reactivity than healthy controls to emotional faces, not in the luteal phase as was hypothesised, but in the follicular phase. No difference between menstrual cycle phases was obtained in women with PMDD, while healthy controls had an increased reactivity in the luteal phase. The results of study I was further elaborated in study III, where women with PMDD were observed to have an increased anticipatory reactivity to negative emotional stimuli. However, no differences in amygdala reactivity to emotional stimuli were obtained across the menstrual cycle. Finally, in study IV the hypothesis that amygdala reactivity increase in the luteal phase in women with PMDD is linked to social stimuli rather than generally arousing stimuli was suggested, tested and supported. In study II, re-exposure to COC induced mood symptoms de novo in women with a previous history of COC-induced adverse mood. Women treated with COC reported increased levels of mood symptoms both as compared to before treatment, and as compared to the placebo group. There was a relatively strong correlation between depressive scores before and during treatment. The effects of repeated COC administration on subjective measures and brain function were however dissociated with increased aversive experiences accompanied by reduced reactivity in the insular cortex

On Structuring and Practical Use of the Lean Product Development Concept : Based on Case Studies of Industrial Product Development Organizations

All companies are dependent on having customers that choose to buy their products. These products are the result of the complex New Product Development process (NPD). This process involves many different functions and people with different backgrounds cooperating with each other. Most end customers will not know or care about how the development process was carried out. They will only see the quality, price and functionality of the final product. In other words, the overall result of the development process. This thesis studies quality management in product development from an overall perspective and contributes to prior knowledge in three main areas. Firstly, by investigating which challenges successful product development organizations experience in their everyday work. This was done by case studies performed at the product development organizations of ABB, Volvo Cars, IKEA Components and Scania. As a result of the case studies, 14 themes within all 59 organizational needs were identified. Secondly, a literature review of the quality management concept Lean Product Development (LPD) concept was conducted. Based on the literature, a new LPD framework was developed, as the LPD research field has not yet agreed on a definition of the concept. This study proposes the following definition for Lean Product Development:  Lean Product Development is a companywide strategy for product development aiming to (i) increase value, (ii) decrease waste, (iii) increase flow, (iv) decrease sub-optimizations, and (v) build knowledge. The third contribution was done by making a comparison between the organizational needs of the case study companies and Lean Product Development principles, to find out how LPD can support product developing organizations. LPD was found to give good and/or partial support to 43 out of the 59 organizational needs identified in the case studies. This means that Lean Product Development is an important concept for organizations that wish to improve their product development process.Alla företag är beroende av kunder som köper deras produkter. Dessa produkter är resultatet av en komplex utvecklingsprocess där olika funktioner och människor med olika bakgrund samverkar med varandra. De flesta kunder bryr sig mindre om hur produktutvecklingsprocessen såg ut, än om slutproduktens egenskaper: kvalitet, pris och funktionalitet. Med andra ord: de bryr sig om resultatet av produktutvecklingsprocessen som en helhet. Den här avhandlingen gör huvudsakligen tre bidrag till tidigare forskning. Dels genom att undersöka vilka utmaningar framgångsrika produktutvecklingsföretag upplever i sitt dagliga arbete. Denna del av forskningen baseras på fallstudier av produktutvecklingsorganisationerna på ABB, Volvo Cars, IKEA Components och Scania. Resultaten från fallstudien sammanfattas genom 59 organisatoriska behov fördelade på fjorton teman. Det andra huvudbidraget är en litteraturstudie av verksamhetsutvecklingskonceptet Lean Produktutveckling. Tidigare forskning har inte kunnat enas om en enhetlig definition av konceptet eller vad det innehåller. Den här avhandlingen tar fram ett sammanfattande ramverk som beskriver konceptet och föreslår följande definition konceptet Lean Produktutveckling: Lean Produktutveckling är en företagsövergripande produktutvecklingsstrategi som syftar till att (i) öka värde, (ii) minska slöseri, (iii) öka flöde, (iv) minska suboptimeringar, samt (v) bygga kunskap. Slutligen bidrar den här avhandlingen till tidigare forskning genom att jämföra de organisatoriska behoven med principerna för Lean Produktutveckling, för att undersöka hur och i vilken utsträckning konceptet Lean Produktutveckling kan stödja produktutvecklande företag. Konceptet visade sig ge helt eller delvist stöd till 43 av de 59 behov som identifierades i fallstudien.  Det betyder att Lean Produktutveckling är ett viktigt koncept för industriföretag som vill förbättra sin utvecklingsprocess. QC 20161114</p

Ovarian Steroid Hormones, Emotion Processing and Mood

It is known that some psychiatric disorders may deteriorate in relation to the menstrual cycle. However, in some conditions, such as premenstrual dysphoric disorder (PMDD), symptomatology is triggered mainly by the variations in ovarian steroid hormones. Although symptoms induced by fluctuations in ovarian steroids often are affective, little is known about how emotion processing in women is influenced by variations, or actual levels, of ovarian steroid hormones. The general aim of this thesis was to evaluate menstrual cycle effects on reactivity in emotion generating and controlling areas in the corticolimbic system to emotional stimulation and anticipation, in healthy controls and women with PMDD. A second aim was to evaluate corticolimbic reactivity during long-term administration of exogenous ovarian steroids. In study I, III and IV effects of the menstrual cycle on emotional reactivity in women with PMDD was studied. In study I, women with PMDD in displayed higher amygdala reactivity than healthy controls to emotional faces, not in the luteal phase as was hypothesised, but in the follicular phase. No difference between menstrual cycle phases was obtained in women with PMDD, while healthy controls had an increased reactivity in the luteal phase. The results of study I was further elaborated in study III, where women with PMDD were observed to have an increased anticipatory reactivity to negative emotional stimuli. However, no differences in amygdala reactivity to emotional stimuli were obtained across the menstrual cycle. Finally, in study IV the hypothesis that amygdala reactivity increase in the luteal phase in women with PMDD is linked to social stimuli rather than generally arousing stimuli was suggested, tested and supported. In study II, re-exposure to COC induced mood symptoms de novo in women with a previous history of COC-induced adverse mood. Women treated with COC reported increased levels of mood symptoms both as compared to before treatment, and as compared to the placebo group. There was a relatively strong correlation between depressive scores before and during treatment. The effects of repeated COC administration on subjective measures and brain function were however dissociated with increased aversive experiences accompanied by reduced reactivity in the insular cortex

Develop products in half the time : Lead time reduction in Swedish organizations

This article reports experiences from five Swedish product development organizations,striving to decrease the lead time of the development projects. All companies used different strategies leading to varying results. One of the studied companies managed a50% lead time reduction, another have similar results within reach. The other approaches has not, or not yet, shown satisfying results. The two winning strategies both required a high degree of top management support, however in different ways. Either the courage to make drastic changes or persistence to continue with an initiative over time seems be necessary.QC 20140708</p