Journal Staff

Upprinnelsen till den rapport som du nu har i din hand är att det under några år har hållits en intern universitetspedagogisk konferens vid Linköpings universitet. Syftet med konferenserna har varit att stimulera universitetets lärare att skriva om sina pedagogiska erfarenheter och tankar. Ett antal utbildningar inom universitetet använder PBL och flera bidrag som diskuterar och belyser PBL har presenterats. Dessa har kommit att bli viktiga i den fortsatta utvecklingen av PBL. Nu har vissa av de tidigare rapporterna tagit slut och det har uppstått behov av att trycka dessa igen och då gärna i en samlad rapport. Den rapport som nu kommit till består alltså till stor del av tidigare presenterade bidrag. Rapporten har kompletterats med ett nyskrivet bidrag av Charlotte Silén och två bidrag som Charlotte skrivit i samband med forskarutbildningskurser. I rapporten finns också ett bidrag som  presenterats av Karin von Shilling på en PBL konferens 1995. Med denna design hoppas vi att rapporten ska kunna bli intressant både för den som vill skaffa sig en introduktion och för den som har erfarenheter av PBL och som vill skaffa sig idéer och perspektiv

Antibodies elicited in adults by a primary Plasmodium falciparum blood-stage infection recognize different epitopes compared with immune individuals

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Asexual stage antibody responses following initial <it>Plasmodium falciparum </it>infections in previously healthy adults may inform vaccine development, yet these have not been as intensively studied as they have in populations from malaria-endemic areas.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>Serum samples were collected over a six-month period from twenty travellers having returned with falciparum malaria. Fourteen of these were malaria-naïve and six had a past history of one to two episodes of malaria. Antibodies to seven asexual stage <it>P. falciparum </it>antigens were measured by ELISA. Invasion inhibitory antibody responses to the 19kDa fragment of merozoite surface protein 1 (MSP1₁₉) were determined.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>Short-lived antibody responses were found in the majority of the subjects. While MSP1₁₉antibodies were most common, MSP1 block 2 antibodies were significantly less frequent and recognized conserved domains. Antibodies to MSP2 cross-reacted to the dimorphic allelic families and anti-MSP2 isotypes were not IgG3 skewed as shown previously. MSP1₁₉invasion inhibiting antibodies were present in 9/20 patients. A past history of malaria did not influence the frequency of these short-lived, functional antibodies (p = 0.2, 2-tailed Fisher's exact test).</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>Adults infected with <it>P. falciparum </it>for the first time, develop relatively short-lived immune responses that, in the case of MSP1₁₉, are functional. Antibodies to the polymorphic antigens studied were particularly directed to allelic family specific, non-repetitive and conserved determinants and were not IgG subclass skewed. These responses are substantially different to those found in malaria immune individuals.</p

A cross sectional evaluation of an alcohol intervention targeting young university students

BACKGROUND: Hazardous drinking has been found to be higher among young university students compared to their non-university peers. Although young university students are exposed to new and exciting experiences, including greater availability and emphasis on social functions involving alcohol there are few multi strategy comprehensive interventions aimed at reducing alcohol-related harms. METHODS: Random cross sectional online surveys were administered to 18-24 year old students studying at the main campus of a large metropolitan university in Perth, Western Australia. Prior to the completion of the second survey an alcohol intervention was implemented on campus. Completed surveys were received from 2465 (Baseline; T1) and 2422 (Post Year 1: T2) students. Students who consumed alcohol in the past 12 months were categorised as low risk or hazardous drinkers using the Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test (AUDIT). Due to the cross sectional nature of the two samples two-tailed two-proportion z-test and two sample t-tests were employed to determine statistical significance between the two time periods for categorical and continuous variables respectively. RESULTS: At T1 and T2 89.1 % and 87.2 % of the total sample reported drinking alcohol in the past month respectively. Hazardous levels of alcohol consumption reduced slightly between T1 (39.7 %) and T2 (38 %). In both time periods hazardous drinkers reported significantly higher mean scores for experienced harm, second-hand harm and witnessed harm scores compared to low risk drinkers (p &lt;0.001). Hazardous drinkers were significantly more likely to experience academic problems due to their alcohol consumption and to report more positive alcohol expectations than low risk drinkers at both time periods (p &lt;0.001). CONCLUSIONS: Harms and problems for students who report hazardous drinking are of concern and efforts should be made to ensure integrated and targeted strategies reach higher risk students and focus on specific issues such as driving while intoxicated and alcohol related unplanned sexual activity. However there is also a need for universal strategies targeting all students and low risk drinkers as they too are exposed to alcohol harms within the drinking and social environment. Changing the culture of the university environment is a long term aim and to effect change a sustained combination of organisational actions, partnerships and educational actions is required

Antioxidant Protects against Increases in Low Molecular Weight Hyaluronan and Inflammation in Asphyxiated Newborn Pigs Resuscitated with 100% Oxygen

BACKGROUND: Newborn resuscitation with 100% oxygen is associated with oxidative-nitrative stresses and inflammation. The mechanisms are unclear. Hyaluronan (HA) is fragmented to low molecular weight (LMW) by oxidative-nitrative stresses and can promote inflammation. We examined the effects of 100% oxygen resuscitation and treatment with the antioxidant, N-acetylcysteine (NAC), on lung 3-nitrotyrosine (3-NT), LMW HA, inflammation, TNFα and IL1ß in a newborn pig model of resuscitation. METHODS & PRINCIPAL FINDINGS: Newborn pigs (n = 40) were subjected to severe asphyxia, followed by 30 min ventilation with either 21% or 100% oxygen, and were observed for the subsequent 150 minutes in 21% oxygen. One 100% oxygen group was treated with NAC. Serum, bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL), lung sections, and lung tissue were obtained. Asphyxia resulted in profound hypoxia, hypercarbia and metabolic acidosis. In controls, HA staining was in airway subepithelial matrix and no 3-NT staining was seen. At the end of asphyxia, lavage HA decreased, whereas serum HA increased. At 150 minutes after resuscitation, exposure to 100% oxygen was associated with significantly higher BAL HA, increased 3NT staining, and increased fragmentation of lung HA. Lung neutrophil and macrophage contents, and serum TNFα and IL1ß were higher in animals with LMW than those with HMW HA in the lung. Treatment of 100% oxygen animals with NAC blocked nitrative stress, preserved HMW HA, and decreased inflammation. In vitro, peroxynitrite was able to fragment HA, and macrophages stimulated with LMW HA increased TNFα and IL1ß expression. CONCLUSIONS & SIGNIFICANCE: Compared to 21%, resuscitation with 100% oxygen resulted in increased peroxynitrite, fragmentation of HA, inflammation, as well as TNFα and IL1ß expression. Antioxidant treatment prevented the expression of peroxynitrite, the degradation of HA, and also blocked increases in inflammation and inflammatory cytokines. These findings provide insight into potential mechanisms by which exposure to hyperoxia results in systemic inflammation

Language in international business: a review and agenda for future research

A fast growing number of studies demonstrates that language diversity influences almost all management decisions in modern multinational corporations. Whereas no doubt remains about the practical importance of language, the empirical investigation and theoretical conceptualization of its complex and multifaceted effects still presents a substantial challenge. To summarize and evaluate the current state of the literature in a coherent picture informing future research, we systematically review 264 articles on language in international business. We scrutinize the geographic distributions of data, evaluate the field’s achievements to date in terms of theories and methodologies, and summarize core findings by individual, group, firm, and country levels of analysis. For each of these dimensions, we then put forward a future research agenda. We encourage scholars to transcend disciplinary boundaries and to draw on, integrate, and test a variety of theories from disciplines such as psychology, linguistics, and neuroscience to gain a more profound understanding of language in international business. We advocate more multi-level studies and cross-national research collaborations and suggest greater attention to potential new data sources and means of analysis