Et intraperspektiv på medarbejderkulturen i en fitnesskæde

Undersøgelsens hensigt er at portrættere medarbejderkulturen i en større fitnesskæde, for herigennem at påpege interkulturelle problemstillinger og forandringer som opkøbet af en konkurrerende fitnesskæde skaber i relation til de ansattes arbejdsgang. Gennem Webers idealtypebegreb har informanternes udsagn fra kvalitative interviews skabt grundlag for at se kulturelle forskelle i virksomhedernes syn på kommunikation og de ansattes autonomi. Ved brug af Iben Jensens kulturelle identitetsteori og interkulturelle analyseredskaber optegnes divergerende opfattelser på førnævnte idealtyper, der er genstand for skabelsen af to forskellige identiteter

Partikelfiltre til biler

I de seneste år har der været øget fokus på partikelemissionerne fra dieselmotorerne, idet især partiklerne har negativ indvirkning på den generelle folkesundhed og luftmiljøet i storbyerne.Ved forbrænding af dieselbrændstof bliver der dannet mange forskellige stoffer, der er mere eller mindre skadelige.De vigtigste emissioner fra en dieselmotor er: Kuldioxid - CO2 Kulbrinte - HC Nitrogenoxid - NOx (fællesbetegnelse for NO og NO2) Kulstofpartikler – C (sodpartikler) Kulmonooxid – CO Svovldioxid – SO2 For at mindske udledningen af de skadelige stoffer, kan man enten regulere forbrændingen vha. f.eks. indsprøjtningen, udformningen af forbrændingskammeret, turbotrykket, EGR forholdet eller lave efterbehandling af udstødningsgasserne med f.eks. en katalysator eller et partikelfilter.Betegnelsen partikler dækker over en kompleks blanding af faste komponenter, der varierer i både størrelse, overflade, form, kemisk sammensætning m.m. Partiklerne kan komme fra både naturlige og menneskeskabte kilder. Partikler kan udsendes di-rekte til luften (primære partikler), eller de kan dannes i luften ud fra andre forureninger (sekundære partikler). De primære partikler kan stamme fra menneskeskabte kilder såsom trafik, kulfyrede kraftværker, industrianlæg m.m. De kan også stamme fra naturlige kilder såsom pollen, vindblæst jord m.m. De sekundære partikler består primært af sulfat, nitrat og forskellige organiske forbindelser, der dannes langsomt, når luftmasser transporteres over lange distancer. Luftens indhold af partikler forekommer typisk i tre tydeligt adskilte størrelsesfraktioner: ultrafine partikler, fine partikler og grove partikler.De ultrafine partikler stammer typisk fra dieselmotorer. De er enten dannet ved høje temperaturer i motorerne eller ved kondensation i udstødningsrøret. De fine partikler dannes typisk, når de ultrafine partikler samler sig ved kondensering. De sekundære partikler tilhører også denne gruppe. De grove partikler er typisk mekanisk dannede partikler (vindblæst støv, ophvirvlet vejstøv samt sliddele fra dæk og bremser). Partikler, der stammer fra forbrændingsmotorer, består primært af sod (uforbrændt kulstof), kulbrinter, svovlforbindelser og aske. I dette paper er der en kort gennemgang af de miljømæssige udfordringer, en teknisk beskrivelse af partikelfiltrenes virkemåde samt en beskrivelse af godkendelsesprocedurerne for de åbne og lukkede partikelfiltre til eftermontering på lette og tunge køretøjer

Dilation of the ascending aorta in Turner syndrome - a prospective cardiovascular magnetic resonance study

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>The risk of aortic dissection is 100-fold increased in Turner syndrome (TS). Unfortunately, risk stratification is inadequate due to a lack of insight into the natural course of the syndrome-associated aortopathy. Therefore, this study aimed to prospectively assess aortic dimensions in TS.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>Eighty adult TS patients were examined twice with a mean follow-up of 2.4 ± 0.4 years, and 67 healthy age and gender-matched controls were examined once. Aortic dimensions were measured at nine predefined positions using 3D, non-contrast and free-breathing cardiovascular magnetic resonance. Transthoracic echocardiography and 24-hour ambulatory blood pressure were also performed.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>At baseline, aortic diameters (body surface area indexed) were larger at all positions in TS. Aortic dilation was more prevalent at all positions excluding the distal transverse aortic arch. Aortic diameter increased in the aortic sinus, at the sinotubular junction and in the mid-ascending aorta with growth rates of 0.1 - 0.4 mm/year. Aortic diameters at all other positions were unchanged. The bicuspid aortic valve conferred higher aortic sinus growth rates (p < 0.05). No other predictors of aortic growth were identified.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>A general aortopathy is present in TS with enlargement of the ascending aorta, which is accelerated in the presence of a bicuspid aortic valve.</p

The receptors for gibbon ape leukemia virus and amphotropic murine leukemia virus are not downregulated in productively infected cells

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Over the last several decades it has been noted, using a variety of different methods, that cells infected by a specific gammaretrovirus are resistant to infection by other retroviruses that employ the same receptor; a phenomenon termed receptor interference. Receptor masking is thought to provide an earlier means of blocking superinfection, whereas receptor down regulation is generally considered to occur in chronically infected cells.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>We used replication-competent GFP-expressing viruses containing either an amphotropic murine leukemia virus (A-MLV) or the gibbon ape leukemia virus (GALV) envelope. We also constructed similar viruses containing fluorescence-labeled Gag proteins for the detection of viral particles. Using this repertoire of reagents together with a wide range of antibodies, we were able to determine the presence and availability of viral receptors, and detect viral envelope proteins and particles presence on the cell surface of chronically infected cells.</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>A-MLV or GALV receptors remain on the surface of chronically infected cells and are detectable by respective antibodies, indicating that these receptors are not downregulated in these infected cells as previously proposed. We were also able to detect viral envelope proteins on the infected cell surface and infected cells are unable to bind soluble A-MLV or GALV envelopes indicating that receptor binding sites are masked by endogenously expressed A-MLV or GALV viral envelope. However, receptor masking does not completely prevent A-MLV or GALV superinfection.</p

Thoracic aortopathy in Turner syndrome and the influence of bicuspid aortic valves and blood pressure: a CMR study

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p/> <p>To investigate aortic dimensions in women with Turner syndrome (TS) in relation to aortic valve morphology, blood pressure, karyotype, and clinical characteristics.</p> <p>Methods and results</p> <p>A cross sectional study of 102 women with TS (mean age 37.7; 18-62 years) examined by cardiovascular magnetic resonance (CMR- successful in 95), echocardiography, and 24-hour ambulatory blood pressure. Aortic diameters were measured by CMR at 8 positions along the thoracic aorta. Twenty-four healthy females were recruited as controls. In TS, aortic dilatation was present at one or more positions in 22 (23%). Aortic diameter in women with TS and bicuspid aortic valve was significantly larger than in TS with tricuspid valves in both the ascending (32.4 ± 6.7 vs. 26.0 ± 4.4 mm; p < 0.001) and descending (21.4 ± 3.5 vs. 18.8 ± 2.4 mm; p < 0.001) aorta. Aortic diameter correlated to age (R = 0.2 - 0.5; p < 0.01), blood pressure (R = 0.4; p < 0.05), a history of coarctation (R = 0.3; p = 0.01) and bicuspid aortic valve (R = 0.2-0.5; p < 0.05). Body surface area only correlated with descending aortic diameter (R = 0.23; p = 0.024).</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p/> <p>Aortic dilatation was present in 23% of adult TS women, where aortic valve morphology, age and blood pressure were major determinants of the aortic diameter.</p

Gender Differences in Associations of Glutamate Decarboxylase 1 Gene (GAD1) Variants with Panic Disorder

Background: Panic disorder is common (5% prevalence) and females are twice as likely to be affected as males. The heritable component of panic disorder is estimated at 48%. Glutamic acid dehydrogenase GAD1, the key enzyme for the synthesis of the inhibitory and anxiolytic neurotransmitter GABA, is supposed to influence various mental disorders, including mood and anxiety disorders. In a recent association study in depression, which is highly comorbid with panic disorder, GAD1 risk allele associations were restricted to females. Methodology/Principal Findings: Nineteen single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) tagging the common variation in GAD1 were genotyped in two independent gender and age matched case-control samples (discovery sample n = 478; replication sample n = 584). Thirteen SNPs passed quality control and were examined for gender-specific enrichment of risk alleles associated with panic disorder by using logistic regression including a genotype×gender interaction term. The latter was found to be nominally significant for four SNPs (rs1978340, rs3762555, rs3749034, rs2241165) in the discovery sample; of note, the respective minor/risk alleles were associated with panic disorder only in females. These findings were not confirmed in the replication sample; however, the genotype×gender interaction of rs3749034 remained significant in the combined sample. Furthermore, this polymorphism showed a nominally significant association with the Agoraphobic Cognitions Questionnaire sum score. Conclusions/Significance: The present study represents the first systematic evaluation of gender-specific enrichment of risk alleles of the common SNP variation in the panic disorder candidate gene GAD1. Our tentative results provide a possible explanation for the higher susceptibility of females to panic disorder