The Role of Governmental Credit in Hemispheric Trade

Ion channels in the plasma membrane are important for the apoptotic process. Different types of voltage-gated ion channels are up-regulated early in the apoptotic process and block of these channels prevents or delays apoptosis. In the present investigation we examined whether ion channels are up-regulated in oocytes from the frog Xenopus laevis during apoptosis. The two-electrode voltage-clamp technique was used to record endogenous ion currents in the oocytes. During staurosporine-induced apoptosis a voltage-dependent Na(+) current increased three-fold. This current was activated at voltages more positive than 0 mV (midpoint of the open-probability curve was +55 mV) and showed almost no sign of inactivation during a 1-s pulse. The current was resistant to the Na(+)-channel blockers tetrodotoxin (1 µM) and amiloride (10 µM), while the Ca(2+)-channel blocker verapamil (50 µM) in the bath solution completely blocked the current. The intracellular Na(+) concentration increased in staurosporine-treated oocytes, but could be prevented by replacing extracellular Na(+) with either K(+) or Choline(+). Prevention of this influx of Na(+) also prevented the STS-induced up-regulation of the caspase-3 activity, suggesting that the intracellular Na(+) increase is required to induce apoptosis. Taken together, we have found that a voltage dependent Na(+) channel is up-regulated during apoptosis and that influx of Na(+) is a crucial step in the apoptotic process in Xenopus oocytes

The ICF core sets for hearing loss project : international expert survey on functioning and disability of adults with hearing loss using the international classification of functioning, disability, and health (ICF)

OBJECTIVE : To identify relevant aspects of functioning, disability, and contextual factors for adults with hearing loss (HL) from hearing health professional perspective summarized using the ICF classification as reference tool. DESIGN : Internet-based cross-sectional survey using open-ended questions. Responses were analysed using a simplified content analysis approach to link concept to ICF categories according to linking rules. STUDY SAMPLE : Hearing health professionals (experts) recruited through e-mail distribution lists of professional organizations and personal networks of ICF core set for hearing loss steering committee members. Stratified sampling according to profession and world region enhanced the international and professional representation. RESULTS : Sixty-three experts constituted the stratified sample used in the analysis. A total of 1726 meaningful concepts were identified in this study, resulting in 209 distinctive ICF categories, with 106 mentioned by 5% or more of respondents. Most categories in the activities & participation component related to communication, while the most frequent environmental factors related to the physical environment such as hearing aids or noise. Mental functions, such as confidence or emotional functions were also frequently highlighted. CONCLUSIONS : More than half (53.3%) of the entire ICF classification categories were included in the expert survey results. This emphasizes the importance of a multidimensional tool, such as the ICF, for assessing persons with hearing loss.Oticon Foundation and Hörselforskningsfonden (Swedish hearing research foundation)http://informahealthcare.com/loi/ijahb201

När alkoholen kommer närmare : En kvalitativ intervjustudie

När alkoholen kommer närmare - om förändrad alkoholtillgänglighet i en mindre svensk kommun En kvalitativ intervjustudie Ulrika Englund Örebro Universitet, Hälsovetenskapliga institutionen SAMMANFATTNING Denna studie syftar till att undersöka vad som händer i en kommun när alkoholtillgängligheten förändras, och detta med utgångspunkt i kommunens alkoholförebyggande arbete. En specifik tonvikt har lagts vid kommunens etablering av ett Systembolag. Följande perspektiv har studerats; 1) Beskrivningar av förebyggande arbete 2) Exempel på alkoholförebyggande arbete 3) Samverkan 4) Viktiga aktörer 5) Alkoholkällor 6) Möjligheter till tillgänglighetsbegränsning samt 7) Systembolagets betydelse för kommunen. Datainsamling skedde genom nio halvstrukturerade intervjuer med totalt tretton intervjupersoner vilka alla kom i kontakt med alkoholfrågan i sina arbeten. Intervjupersonerna kom att representera socialtjänst, kommun, skola, landsting, polis, Systembolaget, Brottsförebyggande rådet och nattvandrarverksamheten i den studerade kommunen. Insamlad intervjudata bearbetades med meningskoncentrering. Resultatet visar att ett omfattande alkoholförebyggande arbete bedrivs inom kommunen. Huvudsaklig fokus ligger på ungdomar och dess föräldrar och arbetet är ofta praktiskt inriktat på att försöka försena ungdomars alkoholdebut. Samverkan i alkoholrelaterade frågor pågår i stor utsträckning och många viktiga aktörer identifieras. Gruppen föräldrar bedöms vara den allra viktigaste parten i alkoholförebyggande sammanhang. Importerad alkohol beskrivs som vanligast i samband med ungdomars konsumtion och som den mest allvarliga och svårkontrollerade alkoholkällan. Systembolagets etablering i kommunen uppfattas som positiv. Någon konsumtionsökning eller ökad mängd alkoholrelaterade problem på grund av etableringen kan inte urskiljas. Systembolaget utgör ett viktigt led i tillgänglighetsbegränsningen med ålderskontrollen för alkoholinköp som den viktigaste uppgiften. Såväl den hembrända alkoholen som den offentliga ungdomsberusningen bedöms vara mindre förekommande än tidigare. Nyckelord: alkohol, förebyggande, ungdomar, Systembolaget, import, begränsnin

Samverkansprojekt, och sen då? : en uppföljande studie av samverkansprocessen kring barn och unga som far illa eller riskerar att fara illa

Satisfactory collaboration regarding children and youth in need of a comprehensive support is particularly important. Despite extensive research on collaborative work, knowledge of long term development of the collaboration process is lacking. The present thesis concerns inter-organizational collaboration within the framework of a former Swedish policy effort – focusing collaboration between schools, social services, police and the child and youth psychiatry – for the benefit of children and young people in distress or at risk. Applying a critical realist perspective, the overall aim of the thesis is to describe how former collaboration projects develop over time, and to identify significant mechanisms within this development. Through three questionnaire studies, the collaborative process development within the same collaborative settings is described (n=66) over a period of close to seven years. Estimations of 58 collaboration quality indicators within three categories *rules and regulations, *structural aspects and *shared perspectives/ consensus were collected at baseline in 2008, after one year at the final project stage in 2009, as well as five years after the project period (and the policy effort) ended, in 2014 (n=38). Two developmental trends occur: I) an overall positive trend and II) a negative trend on a comprehensive level. I) Collaboration on the target group has increased over time, are mainly incorporated into permanent organizational structures and is judged to have worked well/very well over time. II) Overall deteriorations of high estimates of the 58 quality indicators for collaborations is seen over the five year period, following the project period. However, less dramatic changes is noted on quality indicators concerning shared perspectives/consensus than on matters regarding rules and regulations and structural aspects. Five mechanisms of particular importance for the collaboration development are identified: anchoring, holistic perspectives, engagement, knowledge and clarity

Att vårda svårt sjuka eller skadade prehospitalt på landsbygden : Sjuksköterskors upplevelser och erfarenheter

Introduktion: Den senaste tidens medicinska utveckling har medfört en centralisering av akutmottagningar och sjukhus med specialistsjukvård. Det betyder fler och längre ambulanstransporter som i sin tur ställer högre krav på den prehospitala personalen. Sverige är överlag ett glest befolkat land och för den svårt sjuke eller skadade patienten kan tiden in till sjukhus vara livsavgörande. Syfte: Att undersöka sjuksköterskors upplevelser och erfarenheter av att vårda svårt sjuka eller skadade patienter prehospitalt på landsbygden. Metod: Data insamlades genom en webbaserad enkät besvarad av 21 deltagare från nio stationer belägna på landsbygden i mellersta Sverige. Materialet analyserades med kvalitativ innehållsanalys. Resultat: Analysprocessen resulterade i fem huvudkategorier: vikten av förberedelser och planering under framkörning till patient, vikten av god handlingsberedskap under transport med patient, känsla av ensamhet och maktlöshet att arbeta på landsbygden, möjligheten att utvärdera given behandling och ge god omvårdnad under transport samt vikten av att extra resurser finns att tillgå. Arbetet på landsbygden kan upplevas ensamt och det är värdefullt att kunna diskutera medicinska beslut med en annan sjuksköterska eller medicinskt bakre stöd. Konklusion:  Arbete på landsbygden medför längre transporter in till sjukhus och det är viktigt med en god planering och en god handlingsberedskap både i behandlingen av patienten samt vid behov av extra resurser. Arbetet kan medföra både en känsla av ensamhet och maktlöshet samt en känsla av glädje. Längre transporter ger möjlighet till god omvårdnad och utvärdering av given behandling. Att arbeta på stationer belägna på landsbygden kan vara både utmanande och utvecklande, och att ha några års erfarenhet av ambulanssjukvård innan man börjar på landsbygden anses positivt. Introduction: The recent medical development have led to a centralization of emergency rooms and hospitals with specialist care. This means more and longer ambulance transports, which in turn leads to higher demands on the prehospital staff. Sweden is a generally sparsely populated country, for the severely ill or injured patient, the time to reach the hospital can be crucial for life or death. Aim: To examine the experiences of prehospital nurses when they nurse and cherish severely ill or badly wounded patients out of hospital in rural areas. Method: A web-based survey was conducted and 21 prehospital nurses working in rural areas in two regions in the middle of Sweden participated. The material was analyzed with qualitative content analysis. Result: The analysis process resulted in five main categories: the importance of preparation and planning before arriving to patient, the importance of good preparedness during transport with a patient,  feelings of loneliness and powerlessness, the opportunity to evaluate the given treatment and provide good nursing care during transport and the importance of additional resources being available. Working in rural areas can be experienced with a feeling of loneliness and it is valuable to be able to discuss medical decisions with another nurse or medical support. Conclusion: Rural work entails longer transport to hospitals and it is important to have good planning and good preparedness both in the treatment of the patient and when needed extra resources. The work can bring both a feeling of loneliness and powerlessness as well as a feeling of joy. Longer transports provides the opportunity for good nursing and evaluation of given treatment. Working at stations located in rural areas can be both challenging and evolving and having a few years of experience in ambulance care before starting working in rural areas is considered positive

Att vårda svårt sjuka eller skadade prehospitalt på landsbygden : Sjuksköterskors upplevelser och erfarenheter

Introduktion: Den senaste tidens medicinska utveckling har medfört en centralisering av akutmottagningar och sjukhus med specialistsjukvård. Det betyder fler och längre ambulanstransporter som i sin tur ställer högre krav på den prehospitala personalen. Sverige är överlag ett glest befolkat land och för den svårt sjuke eller skadade patienten kan tiden in till sjukhus vara livsavgörande. Syfte: Att undersöka sjuksköterskors upplevelser och erfarenheter av att vårda svårt sjuka eller skadade patienter prehospitalt på landsbygden. Metod: Data insamlades genom en webbaserad enkät besvarad av 21 deltagare från nio stationer belägna på landsbygden i mellersta Sverige. Materialet analyserades med kvalitativ innehållsanalys. Resultat: Analysprocessen resulterade i fem huvudkategorier: vikten av förberedelser och planering under framkörning till patient, vikten av god handlingsberedskap under transport med patient, känsla av ensamhet och maktlöshet att arbeta på landsbygden, möjligheten att utvärdera given behandling och ge god omvårdnad under transport samt vikten av att extra resurser finns att tillgå. Arbetet på landsbygden kan upplevas ensamt och det är värdefullt att kunna diskutera medicinska beslut med en annan sjuksköterska eller medicinskt bakre stöd. Konklusion:  Arbete på landsbygden medför längre transporter in till sjukhus och det är viktigt med en god planering och en god handlingsberedskap både i behandlingen av patienten samt vid behov av extra resurser. Arbetet kan medföra både en känsla av ensamhet och maktlöshet samt en känsla av glädje. Längre transporter ger möjlighet till god omvårdnad och utvärdering av given behandling. Att arbeta på stationer belägna på landsbygden kan vara både utmanande och utvecklande, och att ha några års erfarenhet av ambulanssjukvård innan man börjar på landsbygden anses positivt. Introduction: The recent medical development have led to a centralization of emergency rooms and hospitals with specialist care. This means more and longer ambulance transports, which in turn leads to higher demands on the prehospital staff. Sweden is a generally sparsely populated country, for the severely ill or injured patient, the time to reach the hospital can be crucial for life or death. Aim: To examine the experiences of prehospital nurses when they nurse and cherish severely ill or badly wounded patients out of hospital in rural areas. Method: A web-based survey was conducted and 21 prehospital nurses working in rural areas in two regions in the middle of Sweden participated. The material was analyzed with qualitative content analysis. Result: The analysis process resulted in five main categories: the importance of preparation and planning before arriving to patient, the importance of good preparedness during transport with a patient,  feelings of loneliness and powerlessness, the opportunity to evaluate the given treatment and provide good nursing care during transport and the importance of additional resources being available. Working in rural areas can be experienced with a feeling of loneliness and it is valuable to be able to discuss medical decisions with another nurse or medical support. Conclusion: Rural work entails longer transport to hospitals and it is important to have good planning and good preparedness both in the treatment of the patient and when needed extra resources. The work can bring both a feeling of loneliness and powerlessness as well as a feeling of joy. Longer transports provides the opportunity for good nursing and evaluation of given treatment. Working at stations located in rural areas can be both challenging and evolving and having a few years of experience in ambulance care before starting working in rural areas is considered positive

Toward an Instrument for Measuring the Performance of Collaboration across Organisational and Professional Boundaries

In this paper, we present an initial effort in the creation of a generic instrument for measuring the performance of collaboration across organisational and professional boundaries. Based on the literature and previous research on collaboration, a three dimensional instrument for measuring the preconditions for and the performance of collaboration has been constructed. Validity and reliability have been tested, and the instrument has been used in more than 100 projects. It has been demonstrated that  the instrument can serve a number of purposes: to consecutively measure and assess the performance of collaboration; to identify weak parts of the collaboration; to reveal if there are different preconditions for the involved partners’ full engagement in the collaboration; and to relate the performance to other similar collaboration projects. The outcome of the use of the instrument indicates that it can serve as an interactive tool for promoting a learning organisation in the context of collaboration and for building innovative network structures

French and Swedish teachers’ social representations of social workers

Collaboration on children at risk is essential, but our knowledge about interprofessional collaboration between social workers and educators is limited. The aim of this study is twofold: (1) to describe French and Swedish teachers’ social representation of social workers; and (2) to compare these social representations. The French sample group is composed of 77 secondary school teachers (of students from 11 to 18 years old), and the Swedish sample group is composed of 94. The method used was a ‘free association task’, commonly used to access the semantic content of social representation. Two different social representations of social workers were revealed, one for the French and one for the Swedish teachers. The French representation is characterised by highly positive aspects such as support, listening and competence. Swedish teachers’ social representation of social workers is completely different: negative associations were common (44%), and among these, professional secrecy and law and regulations dominated. One plausible explanation is the difference of French and Swedish teachers’ roles regarding collaboration with social workers