The Child-Schooling Effects of Microcredit: Evidence from Cambodia

Stadium AB är ett av de största detaljhandelsföretagen i Sverige, som designar, köper och säljer sportutrustning samt sportmodeprodukter. I Stadiums butiker säljs både produkter från märkesleverantörer, exempelvis Adidas och Nike, samt varumärken med egen design, exempelvis SOC, 4D och Everest. Stadium befinner sig i en bransch där kundernas efterfrågan ständigt förändras med mode och säsong. Detta gör branschen komplex och medför att det ställs stora krav på varuförsörjningen till butikerna så att produkterna kommer i rätt volymer och vid rätt tidpunkt till respektive butik. Anledningen till detta är att undvika bristkostnader eller att bli tvungna att rea ut produkter med minskade intäkter som följd. I dagsläget använder sig Stadium av så kallade boxar för att introducera och fylla på butikerna med produkter. Boxarna innehåller ett förutbestämt antal av en produkt, exempelvis tjugo röda t-shirtar. Användningen av boxarna medför att det är svårare att styra rätt produkt till rätt butik, vilket kan öka kostnaderna för brist och realisation. En mer precis styrning av produkterna till butikerna vore möjlig att uppnå genom att använda styckhantering istället för boxar. Stadium är därför intresserat av hur styckhantering som alternativ till boxar skulle påverka logistikflödet, med avseende på kostnader och leveransservice, vilket är syftet med den här studien. För att besvara syftet med studien kartlades först kostnaderna och leveransservicen för boxhanteringen i dagens distributionssystem genom intervjuer, tidsstudier och analys av historiska data. Sedan uppskattades hur kostnaden och leveransservicen förändras om styckhantering används istället för boxar. Resultatet i denna studie är inte svart eller vitt utan hamnar i en gråzon där frasen ”det beror på…” skulle kunna användas. Om Stadium ska använda boxar eller styck till sina produkter beror mycket på den karakteristik produkten har. De tre viktigaste parametrarna som framkommit i denna studie som påverkar hur kostnaderna förändras är: - Antal storlekar i boxen. - Antal produkter i boxen. - Volymen för produkterna. Antalet storlekar i boxen och antalet produkter påverkar hanteringskostnaden i distributionslagret vid en övergång till styckhantering så att den ökar. Volymen för produkten påverkar transportkostnaderna så att den kan minska vid en övergång till styckhantering.Stadium AB is one of the largest sports retail chain in Sweden, which designs, buys and sells sports equipment and sports fashion. The range encompasses both leading brand products, such as Adidas and Nike, as well as Stadium's own brands, such as SOC, 4D and Everest. Within the fashion industry the customer demand varies with changes in fashion and season. This makes the industry very complex which results in high requirements on distribution to the stores to deliver the right number of products at right time to each store. The reason for this is to avoid reduced revenue caused by bargain sales or cost of lost sales. One way that Stadium uses to introduce and refill stores with products is with boxes. The boxes contain a predetermined number of a specific product, for example twenty red t-shirts. Using boxes makes it difficult to distribute the right product to the right store, which can increase bargain sales and costs of lost sales. A more accurate way to meet demand from the customers can be to replace the use of boxes with piece by piece handling. The purpose of the study is to provide Stadium with a decision basis of effects to the supply chain, in view of costs and delivery service, caused by piece by piece handling as an alternative to boxes. In order to fulfil the purpose of this thesis, delivery services and cost in the current distribution system induced by boxes were examined through interviews, time studies and analysis of historical data. Then changes in costs and delivery service induced by the use of piece by piece handling instead of boxes were studied. The conclusion of this study is not unambiguous, it results in an undefined ”it depends on…”. If Stadium should use boxes or pieces to distribute their products depends on the characteristics of the products. Three parameters that affect changes in costs when use piece by piece handling instead of boxes and are important to review are: - The number of sizes in a box. - The number of products in a box. - The volume of the product

Combining dense and sparse labeling in optical DNA mapping

Optical DNA mapping (ODM) is based on fluorescent labeling, stretching and imaging of single DNA molecules to obtain sequence-specific fluorescence profiles, DNA barcodes. These barcodes can be mapped to theoretical counterparts obtained from DNA reference sequences, which in turn allow for DNA identification in complex samples and for detecting structural changes in individual DNA molecules. There are several types of DNA labeling schemes for ODM and for each labeling type one or several types of match scoring methods are used. By combining the information from multiple labeling schemes one can potentially improve mapping confidence; however, combining match scores from different labeling assays has not been implemented yet. In this study, we introduce two theoretical methods for dealing with analysis of DNA molecules with multiple label types. In our first method, we convert the alignment scores, given as output from the different assays, into p-values using carefully crafted null models. We then combine the p-values for different label types using standard methods to obtain a combined match score and an associated combined p-value. In the second method, we use a block bootstrap approach to check for the uniqueness of a match to a database for all barcodes matching with a combined p-value below a predefined threshold. For obtaining experimental dual-labeled DNA barcodes, we introduce a novel assay where we cut plasmid DNA molecules from bacteria with restriction enzymes and the cut sites serve as sequence-specific markers, which together with barcodes obtained using the established competitive binding labeling method, form a dual-labeled barcode. All experimental data in this study originates from this assay, but we point out that our theoretical framework can be used to combine data from all kinds of available optical DNA mapping assays. We test our multiple labeling frameworks on barcodes from two different plasmids and synthetically generated barcodes (combined competitive-binding- and nick-labeling). It is demonstrated that by simultaneously using the information from all label types, we can substantially increase the significance when we match experimental barcodes to a database consisting of theoretical barcodes for all sequenced plasmids

Antiinflammatory Therapy with Canakinumab for Atherosclerotic Disease

Background: Experimental and clinical data suggest that reducing inflammation without affecting lipid levels may reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease. Yet, the inflammatory hypothesis of atherothrombosis has remained unproved. Methods: We conducted a randomized, double-blind trial of canakinumab, a therapeutic monoclonal antibody targeting interleukin-1β, involving 10,061 patients with previous myocardial infarction and a high-sensitivity C-reactive protein level of 2 mg or more per liter. The trial compared three doses of canakinumab (50 mg, 150 mg, and 300 mg, administered subcutaneously every 3 months) with placebo. The primary efficacy end point was nonfatal myocardial infarction, nonfatal stroke, or cardiovascular death. RESULTS: At 48 months, the median reduction from baseline in the high-sensitivity C-reactive protein level was 26 percentage points greater in the group that received the 50-mg dose of canakinumab, 37 percentage points greater in the 150-mg group, and 41 percentage points greater in the 300-mg group than in the placebo group. Canakinumab did not reduce lipid levels from baseline. At a median follow-up of 3.7 years, the incidence rate for the primary end point was 4.50 events per 100 person-years in the placebo group, 4.11 events per 100 person-years in the 50-mg group, 3.86 events per 100 person-years in the 150-mg group, and 3.90 events per 100 person-years in the 300-mg group. The hazard ratios as compared with placebo were as follows: in the 50-mg group, 0.93 (95% confidence interval [CI], 0.80 to 1.07; P = 0.30); in the 150-mg group, 0.85 (95% CI, 0.74 to 0.98; P = 0.021); and in the 300-mg group, 0.86 (95% CI, 0.75 to 0.99; P = 0.031). The 150-mg dose, but not the other doses, met the prespecified multiplicity-adjusted threshold for statistical significance for the primary end point and the secondary end point that additionally included hospitalization for unstable angina that led to urgent revascularization (hazard ratio vs. placebo, 0.83; 95% CI, 0.73 to 0.95; P = 0.005). Canakinumab was associated with a higher incidence of fatal infection than was placebo. There was no significant difference in all-cause mortality (hazard ratio for all canakinumab doses vs. placebo, 0.94; 95% CI, 0.83 to 1.06; P = 0.31). Conclusions: Antiinflammatory therapy targeting the interleukin-1β innate immunity pathway with canakinumab at a dose of 150 mg every 3 months led to a significantly lower rate of recurrent cardiovascular events than placebo, independent of lipid-level lowering. (Funded by Novartis; CANTOS ClinicalTrials.gov number, NCT01327846.

Albiglutide and cardiovascular outcomes in patients with type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease (Harmony Outcomes): a double-blind, randomised placebo-controlled trial

Background: Glucagon-like peptide 1 receptor agonists differ in chemical structure, duration of action, and in their effects on clinical outcomes. The cardiovascular effects of once-weekly albiglutide in type 2 diabetes are unknown. We aimed to determine the safety and efficacy of albiglutide in preventing cardiovascular death, myocardial infarction, or stroke. Methods: We did a double-blind, randomised, placebo-controlled trial in 610 sites across 28 countries. We randomly assigned patients aged 40 years and older with type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease (at a 1:1 ratio) to groups that either received a subcutaneous injection of albiglutide (30–50 mg, based on glycaemic response and tolerability) or of a matched volume of placebo once a week, in addition to their standard care. Investigators used an interactive voice or web response system to obtain treatment assignment, and patients and all study investigators were masked to their treatment allocation. We hypothesised that albiglutide would be non-inferior to placebo for the primary outcome of the first occurrence of cardiovascular death, myocardial infarction, or stroke, which was assessed in the intention-to-treat population. If non-inferiority was confirmed by an upper limit of the 95% CI for a hazard ratio of less than 1·30, closed testing for superiority was prespecified. This study is registered with ClinicalTrials.gov, number NCT02465515. Findings: Patients were screened between July 1, 2015, and Nov 24, 2016. 10 793 patients were screened and 9463 participants were enrolled and randomly assigned to groups: 4731 patients were assigned to receive albiglutide and 4732 patients to receive placebo. On Nov 8, 2017, it was determined that 611 primary endpoints and a median follow-up of at least 1·5 years had accrued, and participants returned for a final visit and discontinuation from study treatment; the last patient visit was on March 12, 2018. These 9463 patients, the intention-to-treat population, were evaluated for a median duration of 1·6 years and were assessed for the primary outcome. The primary composite outcome occurred in 338 (7%) of 4731 patients at an incidence rate of 4·6 events per 100 person-years in the albiglutide group and in 428 (9%) of 4732 patients at an incidence rate of 5·9 events per 100 person-years in the placebo group (hazard ratio 0·78, 95% CI 0·68–0·90), which indicated that albiglutide was superior to placebo (p<0·0001 for non-inferiority; p=0·0006 for superiority). The incidence of acute pancreatitis (ten patients in the albiglutide group and seven patients in the placebo group), pancreatic cancer (six patients in the albiglutide group and five patients in the placebo group), medullary thyroid carcinoma (zero patients in both groups), and other serious adverse events did not differ between the two groups. There were three (<1%) deaths in the placebo group that were assessed by investigators, who were masked to study drug assignment, to be treatment-related and two (<1%) deaths in the albiglutide group. Interpretation: In patients with type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease, albiglutide was superior to placebo with respect to major adverse cardiovascular events. Evidence-based glucagon-like peptide 1 receptor agonists should therefore be considered as part of a comprehensive strategy to reduce the risk of cardiovascular events in patients with type 2 diabetes. Funding: GlaxoSmithKline

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 .)

Box vs styck : Ett beslutsunderlag till Stadium AB gällande styckhantering i distributionslagret som alternativ till boxar

Stadium AB är ett av de största detaljhandelsföretagen i Sverige, som designar, köper och säljer sportutrustning samt sportmodeprodukter. I Stadiums butiker säljs både produkter från märkesleverantörer, exempelvis Adidas och Nike, samt varumärken med egen design, exempelvis SOC, 4D och Everest. Stadium befinner sig i en bransch där kundernas efterfrågan ständigt förändras med mode och säsong. Detta gör branschen komplex och medför att det ställs stora krav på varuförsörjningen till butikerna så att produkterna kommer i rätt volymer och vid rätt tidpunkt till respektive butik. Anledningen till detta är att undvika bristkostnader eller att bli tvungna att rea ut produkter med minskade intäkter som följd. I dagsläget använder sig Stadium av så kallade boxar för att introducera och fylla på butikerna med produkter. Boxarna innehåller ett förutbestämt antal av en produkt, exempelvis tjugo röda t-shirtar. Användningen av boxarna medför att det är svårare att styra rätt produkt till rätt butik, vilket kan öka kostnaderna för brist och realisation. En mer precis styrning av produkterna till butikerna vore möjlig att uppnå genom att använda styckhantering istället för boxar. Stadium är därför intresserat av hur styckhantering som alternativ till boxar skulle påverka logistikflödet, med avseende på kostnader och leveransservice, vilket är syftet med den här studien. För att besvara syftet med studien kartlades först kostnaderna och leveransservicen för boxhanteringen i dagens distributionssystem genom intervjuer, tidsstudier och analys av historiska data. Sedan uppskattades hur kostnaden och leveransservicen förändras om styckhantering används istället för boxar. Resultatet i denna studie är inte svart eller vitt utan hamnar i en gråzon där frasen ”det beror på…” skulle kunna användas. Om Stadium ska använda boxar eller styck till sina produkter beror mycket på den karakteristik produkten har. De tre viktigaste parametrarna som framkommit i denna studie som påverkar hur kostnaderna förändras är: - Antal storlekar i boxen. - Antal produkter i boxen. - Volymen för produkterna. Antalet storlekar i boxen och antalet produkter påverkar hanteringskostnaden i distributionslagret vid en övergång till styckhantering så att den ökar. Volymen för produkten påverkar transportkostnaderna så att den kan minska vid en övergång till styckhantering.Stadium AB is one of the largest sports retail chain in Sweden, which designs, buys and sells sports equipment and sports fashion. The range encompasses both leading brand products, such as Adidas and Nike, as well as Stadium's own brands, such as SOC, 4D and Everest. Within the fashion industry the customer demand varies with changes in fashion and season. This makes the industry very complex which results in high requirements on distribution to the stores to deliver the right number of products at right time to each store. The reason for this is to avoid reduced revenue caused by bargain sales or cost of lost sales. One way that Stadium uses to introduce and refill stores with products is with boxes. The boxes contain a predetermined number of a specific product, for example twenty red t-shirts. Using boxes makes it difficult to distribute the right product to the right store, which can increase bargain sales and costs of lost sales. A more accurate way to meet demand from the customers can be to replace the use of boxes with piece by piece handling. The purpose of the study is to provide Stadium with a decision basis of effects to the supply chain, in view of costs and delivery service, caused by piece by piece handling as an alternative to boxes. In order to fulfil the purpose of this thesis, delivery services and cost in the current distribution system induced by boxes were examined through interviews, time studies and analysis of historical data. Then changes in costs and delivery service induced by the use of piece by piece handling instead of boxes were studied. The conclusion of this study is not unambiguous, it results in an undefined ”it depends on…”. If Stadium should use boxes or pieces to distribute their products depends on the characteristics of the products. Three parameters that affect changes in costs when use piece by piece handling instead of boxes and are important to review are: - The number of sizes in a box. - The number of products in a box. - The volume of the product

Islamistisk radikalisering : En studie av särskilt utsatta områden

Abstract - Islamist radicalization – A study of particular exposed areas  Islamist radicalization has emerged in Sweden over the past decade, mainly because of the terrorist attacks in Stockholm in 2010 and 2017, but also because of a strife of individuals who have been radicalized in Sweden and joined various terror networks around the world.  It is only in recent years that Swedish authorities have seriously addressed the problems that radicalization entails. Sweden has since then developed a national strategy with the aim of preventing and counteracting increasing radicalization, especially in vulnerable suburban areas. The authorities concerned have subsequently published a number of different writs with the aim of preventing and counteracting Islamist radicalization in exclusion areas. Since the phenomenon may be considered relatively new from a Swedish perspective, research in the area is limited. It is above all the Swedish National Defense College with its Center for Asymmetric Threats and Terrorism Studies that has driven Swedish research in the field.  This study aims to investigate the radicalization that takes place in particularly exposed areas with a focus on structural factors and their impact, which contributes to the need that Swedish authorities and expertise in the field demanded.  By conducting a qualitative analysis of previous theories in the field of Islamist radicalization, an analysis tool has been designed to indicate whether a specific area is at risk of suffering from islamist radicalization. This analysis tool consists of four structural factors and two criteria. The analysis tool has subsequently been applied through a multiple-case study on four districts in Stockholm, Gothenburg and Malmö.  The result of the multiple-case study confirms the importance of the structural factors for individuals in these areas to be more susceptible to the influence of radical elements. In this investigation, these elements are the criteria’s stated in the analysis tool.  The analysis tool designed can probably be further developed by adding qualitative research methods to capture individual factors, which also affect the conditions for radicalization in an area.Sammanfattning – Islamistisk radikalisering – En studie av särskilt utsatta områden  Islamistisk radikalisering har aktualiserats i Sverige under det senaste decenniet, framförallt på grund av terrordåden i Stockholm 2010 och 2017, men också på grund av en strid ström av individer som radikaliserats i Sverige och anslutit sig till olika terrornätverk världen över.  Det är först under de senaste åren som svenska myndigheter på allvar adresserat den problematik som radikaliseringen innebär. Sverige har sedan dess utvecklat en nationell strategi i syfte att förebygga och motverka en ökande radikalisering, framförallt i utsatta förortsområden. Berörda myndigheter har därefter utkommit med en rad olika skrivelser med målsättning att förebygga och motverka islamistisk radikalisering i utanförskapsområden. Då fenomenet får anses vara relativt nytt ur ett svenskt perspektiv är forskningen på området begränsad. Det är framförallt Försvarshögskolan med sitt Centrum för asymmetriska hot och terrorismstudier som drivit den svenska forskningen på området.  Denna studie syftar till att undersöka den radikalisering som sker i särskilt utsatta områden med fokus på strukturella faktorer och deras inverkan, vilket bidrar till det behov som svenska myndigheter och expertis på området efterfrågat.  Genom att genomföra en kvalitativ analys av tidigare teorier på området islamistisk radikalisering, har ett analysverktyg utformats för att indikera huruvida ett specifikt område löper risk att drabbas av islamistisk radikalisering. Detta analysverktyg består av fyra strukturella faktorer och två kriterier. Analysverktyget har därefter tillämpats genom en flerfallstudie på fyra stadsdelar i Stockholm, Göteborg och Malmö.  Resultatet av flerfallstudien bekräftar de strukturella faktorernas betydelse för att individer i dessa områden skall vara mer mottagliga för påverkan av radikala element. Dessa element utgörs i undersökningen av de kriterier som anges i analysverktyget.  Det analysverktyg som utformats kan sannolikt utvecklas ytterligare genom att addera kvalitativa undersökningsmetoder för att fånga individuella faktorer, som också påverkar förutsättningarna till radikalisering i ett område

CRISPR/CAS9 BASED DNA-COMBING ASSAY FOR DETECTING ANTIMICROBIAL RESISTANCE GENES ON PLASMIDS

We present a method based on CRISPR/Cas9 excision and DNA combing to detect anti-microbial resistance (AMR) genes on bacterial plasmids. The assay is inexpensive, simple, fast, and also provides information on the number and size of plasmids in a sample. We demonstrate detection of the gene encoding for the New Delhi metallobeta-lactamase 1 (blaNDM-1) enzyme, known to make bacteria resistant to a broad range of beta-lactam antibiotics

CRISPR/CAS9 BASED DNA-COMBING ASSAY FOR DETECTING ANTIMICROBIAL RESISTANCE GENES ON PLASMIDS

We present a method based on CRISPR/Cas9 excision and DNA combing to detect anti-microbial resistance (AMR) genes on bacterial plasmids. The assay is inexpensive, simple, fast, and also provides information on the number and size of plasmids in a sample. We demonstrate detection of the gene encoding for the New Delhi metallobeta-lactamase 1 (blaNDM-1) enzyme, known to make bacteria resistant to a broad range of beta-lactam antibiotics