Unifying viral evolution and immunological patterns to investigate risk of HIV-1 disease progression

After 30 years of research, the exact mechanisms underlying human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) pathogenesis and disease progression remain elusive. In the absence of highly active antiretroviral therapy, most HIV-infected individuals progress to AIDS within 10 years. The clinical course of HIV-1 infection is characterized by considerable variability in the rate of disease progression among patients with different genetic background. It has been shown that the rate of progression can depend on the expression of certain human leukocyte antigen (HLA) class I alleles that present antigen to the host immune system. The HLA-B*5701 allele is most strongly associated with slower progression. Underlying mechanisms are not fully understood but likely involve both immunological and virological dynamics. In this thesis, viral evolution and immunological patterns were studied in the context of HIV-1 risk of disease progression in HLA-B*5701 subjects and non-HLA-B*57 control subjects. First, HIV-1 in vivo evolution and epitope-specific CD8+ T cell responses were investigated in six untreated HLA-B*5701 patients monitored from early infection up to seven years post-infection. The subjects were classified as high-risk progressors (HRPs) or low-risk progressors (LRPs) based on viral load and baseline CD4+ T cell counts. Interestingly, polyfunctional CD8+ T cell responses were more robust in LRPs, who also showed significantly higher interleukin-2 production in early infection compared to HRPs. Additionally, HIV-1 gag p24 sequences exhibited more constrained mutational patterns with significantly lower diversity and intra-host evolutionary rates in LRPs than HRPs. Further in-depth analyses revealed that the difference in evolutionary rates was mainly due to significantly lower HIV-1 synonymous substitution [replication] rates in LRPs than HRPs. The viral quasispecies infecting LRPs was also characterized by a slower increase in synonymous divergence over time. This pattern did not correlate to differences in viral fitness, as measured by in vitro replication capacity, but a significant inverse correlation between baseline CD4+ T cell counts and mean HIV-1 synonymous rate was found. The results indicate that HLAlinked immune responses in HLA-B*5701 subjects who maintain high CD4+ T cell counts in early infection are more likely to control HIV-1 replication for an extended time. To further assess these findings and evaluate them in the context of viral population dynamics, a new method was implemented to investigate the temporal structure of phylogenetic trees inferred from HIV-1 intra-host longitudinal samples. The analysis revealed that changes in viral effective population size (Ne) over time were more constrained in HLA-B*5701 subjects compared to non-HLA-B*57 controls, possibly due to the different evolutionary dynamics of archival viral strains observed in the two groups of patients. Explaining the differences in risk of HIV-1 disease progression among HLAB* 5701 subjects, as well as between HLA-B*5701 and non-HLA-B*57 subjects, could have significant translational impact by providing specific correlates of protection that are essential for the successful development of a vaccine. Ultimately, the present work demonstrates that a thorough understanding of HIV-1 pathogenesis and disease progression requires a multidisciplinary approach unifying viral evolution and immunological patterns

To receive with grace: the reception of separated, asylum-seeking minors arriving in Sweden

"In dem vorliegenden Beitrag beschreiben die Autoren den Aufnahmeprozess von minderjährigen unbegleiteten Asylbewerbern aus der Sicht der verantwortlichen Institutionen, sowie aus der lebensweltlichen Perspektive der Jugendlichen selbst. Dabei geht es vornehmlich um die Darstellung der grundlegenden Werte, die der Gestaltung des Aufnahmeprozesses zugrundeliegen. Datengrundlage ist eine Fallstudie in einem Wohnheim für Asylbewerber. Der Beitrag ist Teil des Forschungsprojekts: Hinter geschlossenen Türen - die Bedeutung der Auslegung gesetzlicher Regelungen und der Integration mit Blick auf den Aufnahmeprozess unbegleiteter Kinder und Jugendlicher. Die Handlungsmaximen, die hinter dem Aufnahmeprozess unbegleiteter Minderjähriger wirken, stützen sich auf zentrale Grundrechte, wie z.B. die Anerkennung spezifischer Individualrechte. Diese 'Ethik' befasst sich jedoch nicht mit Fragen des/ der Einzelnen. Eine zentrale Aufgabe für die Forschung sehen sie darin, eine Theorie zu entwickeln, wie im Aufnahmeprozess die Interessen und Bedürfnisse des Individuums stärker berücksichtigt werden können." (Autorenreferat)"In this article the authors describe the reception of asylum-seeking separated minors; organization, rules and routines in daily life. They examine the philosophy behind the reception of separated young people by analyzing situations at a group residence. The article is based on aspects of current fieldwork as part of a research project entitled: Behind closed doors - the significance of interpreting to legal rights and integration with a focus on the reception of separated children and young people. The philosophy behind the reception of separated minors is based on ethics of rights, i.e. respect for the individual's rights and equal value. These ethics do, however, not deal with questions of the individual in particular. A future issue for research is to develop theory about the parts of the reception process that involve confirming the young person as an individual." (author's abstract

Ekofickan

Urban areas are expanding due to more people living and moving into the bigger cities. As the population grows in the whole world every year and predicts double within the cities till 2030, the urban exploitation will follow by approximately 60 per cent. When new land is claimed the flora and fauna will have to be removed. In this essay we investigate how small urban areas can be optimized to incorporate green infrastructure within Stockholm. By implementing green solutions in small spaces we hope to raise the awareness of the importance of connecting people with green urban environments. This is to make the cities more habitable, increase the biodiversity in educational purposes and to coexist instead of disconnect with nature itself. We see pollution, species in decline and human stress as one of the big public health problems. By making a design proposal on Åsögatan 144 based on environmental psychological theories and studies about plant material and green solutions we want to show how these solutions can be implemented to make a greener and more sustainable city that hopefully will lead to reduction of pollution, species decline and human stress.I takt med en allt starkare urbaniseringstrend blir avståndet mellan stadens invånare och naturen och ekosystemen större. I dag bor 55 procent av världens befolkning i urbana områden, en trend som spås öka till 65 procent år 2015 (United Nations 2019). Befolkningen förväntas fördubblas i städerna till 2030 vilket beräknas öka den totala urbana ytan med 60 procent. När befintliga ekosystem försvinner och ekosystemtjänsterna minskar behövs en större helhetssyn på stadsbyggandet (Bodin et al. 2017). Nya lösningar måste till, där gränsöverskridande samarbeten mellan arkitekter, landskapsarkitekter, forskare och politiker behöver ske för att hitta nya hållbara lösningar på stadsbyggandet. Befolkningsutvecklingen och dess behov av utrymme, för näringsverksamhet och boende inskränker andra organismers livsmiljöer. Då djur och växter mister sina naturliga habitat påverkas deras bestånd negativt och den biologiska mångfalden minskar (WWF 2018). En växande stadsbefolkning och effektivare ytanvändning kan göra det svårt att inkorporera grönstruktur och skapa platser där växter och djur kan hålla till (SCB 2010). Klimatförändringarna är ett faktum. Människans förbrukning av fossila bränslen och den ökade CO² halten i atmosfären leder till bland annat: Urban Heat Island Effect, mer skyfall och högre halter av luftföroreningar. Gröna ytor i städer har visat sig motverka dessa faktorer. Samtidigt sker det en drastisk minskning av pollinerande insekter som är av vikt för livsmedelsproduktionen. Därför behöver vi identifera lämpliga hårdgjorda stadsytor och omdesigna dessa till grönytor. Samtidigt finns tecken på att stadens invånare får sämre hälsa och stressrelaterade sjukdomar ökar (Eriksson 2016). Grönska har visat sig ha en positiv inverkan på människors hälsa. Genom att exponeras för gröna miljöer i både små som stora rum i staden kan både människor, växter och djur gynnas. Ekosystemtjänster kan öka och ur ett miljöpsykologiskt perspektiv kan människan påverkas positivt av exponering för rekreativa miljöer såsom parker och grönområden (Kaplan 1995). Samtidigt som det gynnar människan att ta vara på biologisk mångfald åligger det landskapsarkitekter att skapa en förståelse för den natur och jord vi lever på för att minska risken för att förstöra naturliga miljöer permanent. Genom att inkorporera en grön design i stadsbildningen hoppas vi kunna bidra till att mildra klimatförändringarna samtidigt som vi gynnar insekterna och stadens invånare. Åsögatan 144 i Stockholm är identifierad som en plats med potential till förbättring. Genom platsanalys och en litteraturanalys omgestaltades platsen utifrån ekologiska och miljöpsykologiska aspekter. Resultatet blev en grönare platsbildning för både människor och djur

Chapter 8 Discourse on LGBTQ issues in the Polish presidential campaign (2020)

Gender, Politics, Elections, Democracy, LGBT

Antitrust, the Gig Economy, and Labor Market Power

The purpose of the current study was to develop and validate an automatic algorithm for classification of cross-country (XC) ski-skating gears (G) using Smartphone accelerometer data. Eleven XC skiers (seven men, four women) with regional-to-international levels of performance carried out roller skiing trials on a treadmill using fixed gears (G2left, G2right, G3, G4left, G4right) and a 950-m trial using different speeds and inclines, applying gears and sides as they normally would. Gear classification by the Smartphone (on the chest) and based on video recordings were compared. Formachine-learning, a collective database was compared to individual data. The Smartphone application identified the trials with fixed gears correctly in all cases. In the 950-m trial, participants executed 140 ± 22 cycles as assessed by video analysis, with the automatic Smartphone application giving a similar value. Based on collective data, gears were identified correctly 86.0% ± 8.9% of the time, a value that rose to 90.3% ± 4.1% (P < 0.01) with machine learning from individual data. Classification was most often incorrect during transition between gears, especially to or from G3. Identification was most often correct for skiers who made relatively few transitions between gears. The accuracy of the automatic procedure for identifying G2left, G2right, G3, G4left and G4right was 96%, 90%, 81%, 88% and 94%, respectively. The algorithm identified gears correctly 100% of the time when a single gear was used and 90% of the time when different gears were employed during a variable protocol. This algorithm could be improved with respect to identification of transitions between gears or the side employed within a given gear

Interpreters in Sweden – A Tool for Equal Rights?

This paper deals with professional community interpreting as a tool for guaranteeing equal rights. The main focus is on the interpreter with spe­cial focus on children in interpreted meetings. Equal access to legal, so­cial and medical rights is a prerequisite for a democratic welfare state. These rights depend to a large extent on verbal communication between an individual and a public servant such as a lawyer, a social worker, a teacher or a doctor. Non-Swedish speakers need interpretation in order to be able to come into contact with these services and enjoy their full rights. Professional interpretation, therefore, is a necessary tool to enable the public servant to do his/her job; more importantly, it is a tool to ob­tain maximum legal, social and medical security for the immigrant. The paper deals with the actors involved, and with issues of responsibility and synergy.The empirical material has been collected from two research proj­ects on community interpreting (2008-2011). A conclusion is that in community interpreting the interpreter and the public servant have re­sponsibilities. Therefore, professionalism together with mutual respect and teamwork are important tools to avoid misunderstandings and to guarantee full access to equal rights

Community Interpreter Training in Spoken Languages in Sweden

The aim of this article is to analyze the community interpreter training program in Sweden and, based on the results of two research projects, describe structural conditions and shortcomings. The authors discuss Sweden’s laws and regulations, the changing demand for interpreting service in society, the open access ideology within adult education associations, and the limitation of economic resources for fulfilling the demand for trained interpreters. Interpreter training in Sweden is built on public-service needs in the areas of social insurance, the labor market, health care, and court interpreting. It is focused on factual knowledge and terminology and devotes little time for developing aspects of ethical rules, the role of the interpreter, and technical issues. In order to make progress possible it is important to use existing research and theory to develop didactics for community interpreting training

Effekter av lördagsöppna Systembolagsbutiker. Uppföljning av de första 17 månaderna

Sedan lördagsöppet infördes har Systembolagets alkoholförsäljningen ökat mer i experiment- än i kontrollområdet. Enligt resultaten ligger nettoökningen på 3.2%. Den statistiska felmarginalen kring denna skattning är liten (ungefär 1 procent). Försäljningsökningen är främst en följd av ökad ölförsäljning i experimentområdena, men även effekten på vin- och spritförsäljningen är statistiskt säkerställd. Effekten är jämnt fördelad över försöksperioden och visar inte tecken på att öka eller minska. Det finns ingen indikation i befintliga data på att den ökade Systembolagsförsäljningen skulle kompenseras med en minskad restaurang- eller svartspritskonsumtion. Dataunderlaget på dessa områden är dock mycket knapphändigt. Skador: I dessa analyser är det utvecklingen under lördag-söndag som fokuserats, eftersom eventuella effekter bör vara koncentrerade till dessa dagar. Enligt resultaten visar ingen av indikatorerna på misshandel någon klar ökning i Stockholm eller Skåne. Emellertid var det en statistisk säkerställd ökning i Nordsverige (11%). Antalet rattfylleribrott ökade mera i experimentområdet än i kontrollområdet, mest i Stockholm. Analyserna tyder dock på att av denna ökning huvudsakligen kan bero på polisens riktade kontroller mot områden nära lördagsöppna Systembolag. Om tidsintervallet för sådana kontroller (lördag 10-14) hålls utanför, är uppgången i rattfylleri inte längre lika markant och ligger inom den statistiska felmarginalen. Felmarginalerna kring de skattade skadeeffekterna är ganska stora (ungefär 5 % för misshandel och 7 % för rattfylleri), vilket gör dessa resultat mer osäkra.-