Dubbelklicka på Emil - en studie av arbetet med CD-romspel med litterära förebilder på några folkbiblioteks barnavdelningar

The technical evolution has a great influence on the public libraries. Electronic media becomes more and more common. This Master´s thesis is based upon the Swedish Library law 9§ (SFS 1996:1596) which says: Public- and school libraries should pay special attention to children and teenagers by offering books, information technology and other media, adapted to their needs, to encourage development of language and stimulate reading. From this point of view we have examined why the children´s departments in public libraries offer CD-ROM games which are based upon characters from the literature, how they are used in the daily activity and how they can contribute to the development of the children´s department. We have made literary studies and empirical investigations including interviews, observation studies etc. The results from this studies shows that both young and adults appreciate the CD-ROM games. It also shows that there are some issues that are important to have in mind to achieve a functional and integrated CD-ROM game activity. We have identified the following important issues: - Object definition and evaluation. - Target group and the distinctive character of the media. - The physical environment. - The technical equipment. - The competence among the staff. Taking these issues in consideration there is a great potential for the public libraries children´s departments to have a well functional and fruitful CD-ROM game activity

Mastery and Autonomy in Medication With a Mobile Self-Report System – A Project in Action

Abstract. The overall aim of this research program is to design and examine if a mobile phone-based self-report system can be used to a) mediate knowledge about hypertension b) improve adherence to antihypertensive treatment and c) increase patient participation and autonomy

Thoracolumbar and Lumbopelvic Spinal Alignment During the Barbell Back Squat: A Comparison Between Men and Women

# Background Maintaining neutral spinal alignment is considered important when performing the barbell back squat exercise. Since male and female lifters may differ in injury location it is important to examine whether they differ in spinal alignment during the back squat. # Objectives The study aimed to quantify the spinal alignment in the upper and lower lumbar spine during the barbell back squat exercise in male and female lifters. Secondary aims were to compare alignment during the back squat to standing habitual lumbar spine alignment and determine whether male and female lifters differ in these aspects. # Study Design Observational, Cross-sectional. # Methods Competitive power- and weightlifters were recruited and performed three repetitions of the barbell back squat exercise using a load equivalent to 70% of their one-repetition maximum. Spinal alignment and range of motion were measured using inertial measurement units placed on the thoracic, lumbar and sacral spine. Data was presented descriptively and comparisons between men and women as well as spinal alignment in four different positions were done with a factorial repeated measures analysis of variance. # Results Twenty-three (14 males, 9 females) were included. During execution of the squat, spinal alignment adjustments in the lumbar spine were made in all three planes of movement, compared to the start position, in both male and female lifters. Compared to their standing habitual posture, all lifters adjusted their upper lumbar spine to a less lordotic position when in the start position of the back squat (standing upright with the barbell on their back). Only male lifters assumed a less lordotic alignment in their lower lumbar spine in the start position compared their habitual posture. # Conclusions Adjustments of spinal alignment, predominantly in the sagittal plane, are made during execution of the back squat in both male and female lifters. Further, lifters adopt a less lordotic alignment with a heavy barbell on their upper back, more so in male than female lifters. In conclusion, it seems that spinal alignment changes noticeably during the barbell back squat. # Level of Evidence 3 ©The Author(s

Screening of intact yeasts and cell extracts to reduce Scrapie prions during biotransformation of food waste

Yeasts can be used to convert organic food wastes to protein-rich animal feed in order to recapture nutrients. However, the reuse of animal-derived waste poses a risk for the transmission of infectious prions that can cause neurodegeneration and fatality in humans and animals. The aim of this study was to investigate the ability of yeasts to reduce prion activity during the biotransformation of waste substrates—thereby becoming a biosafety hurdle in such a circular food system. During pre-screening, 30 yeast isolates were spiked with Classical Scrapie prions and incubated for 72 h in casein substrate, as a waste substitute. Based on reduced Scrapie seeding activity, waste biotransformation and protease activities, intact cells and cell extracts of 10 yeasts were further tested. Prion analysis showed that five yeast species reduced Scrapie seeding activity by approximately 1 log10 or 90%. Cryptococcus laurentii showed the most potential to reduce prion activity since both intact and extracted cells reduced Scrapie by 1 log10 and achieved the highest protease activity. These results show that select forms of yeast can act as a prion hurdle during the biotransformation of waste. However, the limited ability of yeasts to reduce prion activity warrants caution as a sole barrier to transmission as higher log reductions are needed before using waste-cultured yeast in circular food systems

Etiology and antimicrobial susceptibility of udder pathogens from cases of subclinical mastitis in dairy cows in Sweden

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>A nationwide survey on the microbial etiology of cases of subclinical mastitis in dairy cows was carried out on dairy farms in Sweden. The aim was to investigate the microbial panorama and the occurrence of antimicrobial resistance. Moreover, differences between newly infected cows and chronically infected cows were investigated.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>In total, 583 quarter milk samples were collected from 583 dairy cows at 226 dairy farms from February 2008 to February 2009. The quarter milk samples were bacteriological investigated and scored using the California Mastitis Test. Staphylococci were tested for betalactamase production and presence of resistance was evaluated in all specific udder pathogens. Differences between newly infected cows and chronically infected cows were statistically investigated using logistic regression analysis.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>The most common isolates of 590 bacteriological diagnoses were <it>Staphylococcus (S) aureus </it>(19%) and coagulase-negative staphylococci (CNS; 16%) followed by <it>Streptococcus (Str) dysgalactiae </it>(9%), <it>Str. uberis </it>(8%), <it>Escherichia (E.) coli </it>(2.9%), and <it>Streptococcus </it>spp. (1.9%). Samples with no growth or contamination constituted 22% and 18% of the diagnoses, respectively. The distribution of the most commonly isolated bacteria considering only bacteriological positive samples were: <it>S. aureus </it>- 31%, CNS - 27%, <it>Str. dysgalactiae </it>- 15%, <it>Str. uberis </it>- 14%, <it>E. coli </it>- 4.8%, and <it>Streptococcus </it>spp. - 3.1%. There was an increased risk of finding <it>S. aureus, Str. uberis </it>or <it>Str. dysgalactiae </it>in milk samples from chronically infected cows compared to findings in milk samples from newly infected cows. Four percent of the <it>S. aureus </it>isolates and 35% of the CNS isolates were resistant to penicillin G. Overall, resistance to other antimicrobials than penicillin G was uncommon.</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p><it>Staphylococcus aureus </it>and CNS were the most frequently isolated pathogens and resistance to antimicrobials was rare.</p

Blind Benchmark Exercise for Spent Nuclear Fuel Decay Heat

The decay heat rate of five spent nuclear fuel assemblies of the pressurized water reactor type were measured by calorimetry at the interim storage for spent nuclear fuel in Sweden. Calculations of the decay heat rate of the five assemblies were performed by 20 organizations using different codes and nuclear data libraries resulting in 31 results for each assembly, spanning most of the current state-of-the-art practice. The calculations were based on a selected subset of information, such as reactor operating history and fuel assembly properties. The relative difference between the measured and average calculated decay heat rate ranged from 0.6% to 3.3% for the five assemblies. The standard deviation of these relative differences ranged from 1.9% to 2.4%

Self-management in hypertension care

Despite effective treatment strategies for hypertension, many persons with hypertension still fail to reach recommended blood pressure targets. As hypertension is a significant risk factor for cardiovascular disease, measures are needed to decrease the mortality attributed to this condition and to facilitate an optimization of hypertension management. One way to do this may be to support persons with hypertension in better understanding the condition and its treatment in relation to everyday life. The overall aim of this thesis was, from a person-centered perspective, to design, develop and evaluate an interactive mobile phone-based system to support the self-management of hypertension. A combined methods approach was used to collect and analyze data. Study I used focus group interviews with patients (n=15) and health care professionals (n=12) to explore and describe relevant aspects of hypertension and hypertension treatment, for use in the development of a self-management support system. A further aim was to elicit suggestions for what clinical measures, lifestyle measures, symptoms and side-effects of treatment would be meaningful to include in the system. Data in Study I were analyzed through thematic analysis. In Study II, the content validity of items and usability of the self-management support system were assessed iteratively in four rounds of cognitive interviews, with 21 patients and four health care professionals. Reliability of items was examined using a test-retest. Study III evaluated the effect of the daily use of the self-management support system on reducing blood pressure among 50 primary care patients with hypertension over eight weeks. Descriptive statistics, before-after analysis through paired samples t-test, and latent class growth models (LCGM) were used to analyze data. Study IV aimed at exploring follow-up consultations held at the end of the eight weeks of reporting through the self-management support system. Twenty consultations were audio or video recorded and examined through interaction analysis. Information gleaned from the interviews with persons with hypertension and health care professionals served to define essential components of the self-management support system and to guide its design and development. The subsequently developed system was shown to capture relevant information for patients’ self-management of hypertension, and further, to be reliable and usable. Blood pressure decreased significantly during use of the system (systolic blood pressure -7 mmHg, diastolic blood pressure -4.9 mmHg) between baseline and Week 8, with daily improvements levelling off as the study progressed. Finally, Study IV displayed how patients actively contributed to the follow-up consultations through initiating new topics, equal to the health care professionals, and through contextualizing their blood pressure values, which served to explain and interpret the values in collaboration with the health care professionals. In conclusion, this thesis describes a collaborative, participatory and structured approach to the design and development of an interactive self-management support system for hypertension care. Use of the system was associated with significant reductions in blood pressure levels; however, the sustainability, scalability and mechanisms behind these results need to be studied further. Importantly, the system served as a mediator in patient-health care professional consultations, enabling patients to contribute and discuss structured, patient-generated information relevant to the management of their condition. Hence, the system may be seen as supporting patient participation and a person-centered approach in hypertension care

The digitalisation of Swedish teaching from a didactic perspective

The purpose of this qualitative interview study is to highlight the differences in Swedish teaching before and after digitalisation in school. The study deals with teachers’ experiences of the impact of digitalisation on their Swedish teaching. The results are based on the teachers’ experiences of how they have changed the teaching of Swedish from a didactic perspective towards a more design-theoretic and multimodal teaching using the digital tools and teaching aids. The study has given me new knowledge about the didactic and design-theoretic impact of digitalisation on Swedish education. I have also been inspired by all the possibilities that exist to vary my teaching with the help of the digital tools and teaching aids, which I will greatly benefit from in my work as a teacher.   Six primary teachers from two different schools in the same municipality participated in the study. The interviewed teachers have been active before and after digitalisation, which allows them to make comparisons between the time before and after digitalisation. The results of the survey show that the interviewed teachers have both positive and negative experiences of Swedish teaching from the time before as well as after digitalisation with a few exceptions. However, most teachers are positive about digitalisation and see the most advantages in it. The teachers in the study prefer a mixture of information channels in their teaching with digital tools, digital teaching aids, textbooks, digital supplements to textbooks and other information channels according to multimodal theory. They thought that they have succeeded well with the implementation of the digital tools in their teaching and that they have received sufficient training to be able to manage and implement the tools in the teaching. However, the teacher training courses do not seem to keep up with the digital development because according to studies, most students feel that they have received too little information and communication technology training to be able to use and implement the digital tools in their teaching. The teachers training programs thus need to be updated in order to meet the students’ needs for education.   Keywords: Digitalisation; Swedish language teaching; digitalization strategy; digital tools; design theory, primary teachers

Barn behöver veta. : En litteraturstudie om barnet och familjens behov av omvårdnad inför dagkirurgi

Abstrakt Inledningen beskriver hur utvecklingen inom barnsjukvården har varierat under årens gång. Från att barn och föräldrar fått vara tillsammans på sjukhuset till att föräldrarna ombetts att inte besöka sina barn på sjukhuset på grund av smittorisk. Barn som vistas på sjukhus upplever en ny situation i livet. Syftet var att belysa faktorer av betydelse för omvårdnad av barn och dennes familj inför ett dagkirurgiskt ingrepp. Metoden baserades på litteraturstudier. Sökning efter artiklar gjordes i databaserna PubMed (Medline) och Cinahl Ebsco. Resultatet har sedan redovisats utifrån tre kategorier; information, terapeutisk lek samt relationer. Resultatet visade att barn som deltog vid preoperativa undervisningsprogram hade mindre känslomässigt lidande än barn som inte fick undervisning. Slutsatsen blev att betydelsefulla faktorer för omvårdnaden skulle fokusera på att barnen förbereddes med hjälp av den utrustning som kom att användas vid operationen, gärna i form av lek