Antibody responses after influenza and SARS-CoV-2 vaccination and infection: Lessons across the ages

Influensa A og SARS-CoV-2 er RNA-baserte luftvegsvirus som forårsakar pandemiar og muterer raskt for å oppretthalde ein kontinuerleg sirkulasjon. Eit komplekst samspel mellom immunresponsar hjå verten og viruset er forma gjennom etablerte minne frå den første infeksjonen, tidlegare vaksinasjonar og alder. Dette doktorgradsarbeidet karakteriserer antistoff-responsar mot influensa A/H3N2 og SARS-CoV-2 i ulike aldersgrupper etter infeksjon og vaksinasjon. Den første influensainfeksjonen, i tillegg til summen av eksponeringar gjennom livet, påverkar framtidige immunresponsar. Vi fann kryssreaktive antistoff-responsar hjå vaksne og barn mot A/H3N2-virus tilbake til fødselsåret deira. Sjølv om antistoff mot dei nyaste virusa dominerte landskapet, kunne antistoff også kryssreagere mot framtidige, epidemiske virus. Ein laboratoriebasert og hurtig hemagglutinasjonstest (HAT) kan forenkle studiar om immunitet mot SARS-CoV-2 og brukast til å måle surrogat-nøytraliserande antistoff. mRNA-vaksiner var mindre immunogene hjå eldre, basert på lågare kryss-reaktivitet mot nye virusvariantar, med mindre dei hadde vore infiserte tidlegare. Vi fann at eldre trengte to vaksinedosar for å produsere tilsvarande HAT-antistoff mengder samanlikna med yngre vaksne med éin vaksinasjon eller tidlegare infiserte personar. Det er få studiar på vedvarande SARS-CoV-2-symptom, også kjent som post COVID-19-tilstand, blant barn og ungdom, spesielt etter delta- og omikron-infeksjon. Faktorar assosiert med vedvarande symptom i aldersgruppa 10-20 åringar var akutte symptom, høgare alder, høgare antistoff-titer mot piggeproteinet og kvinneleg kjønn. I same kohort fann vi høgare antistoff og færre omikron BA.1/2-reinfeksjonar hjå COVID-19-vaksinerte samanlikna med uvaksinerte. Vaksineeffekten var derimot kortvarig, 22 dagar, trass i hybridimmunitet. Desse funna understrekar nytten av raske og enkle analysar for å evaluere infeksjon- og vaksinasjonsresponsar. Det er behov for forbetra vaksineeffekt for å redusere byrden av COVID-19 og vedvarande symptom hjå unge menneske. Samla sett kan kryssreaktive antistoff vere gunstige i møte med nye luftvegsvirus.Influenza A and SARS-CoV-2 are respiratory RNA viruses which cause pandemics, and rapidly mutate ensuring their continuous circulation. There is a complex interplay between the host immune responses and the virus, influenced by prior memory from the initial infection, vaccination, and age. This thesis characterises antibody responses to influenza A/H3N2 and SARS-CoV-2 in different age groups after infection and vaccination. The priming influenza infection, as well as the summary of life-time exposures, is known to affect subsequent immune responses. We found cross-reactive antibody responses in adults and children against A/H3N2 viruses back to their year of birth. Although antibodies to the most recent viruses dominated the antibody landscapes, antibodies also cross-reacted against future epidemic viruses. Studies of SARS-CoV-2 immunity can be simplified by the use of a rapid, laboratory-based hemagglutination test (HAT) to measure surrogate neutralising antibodies. mRNA vaccines were less immunogenic in the elderly with lower cross-reactivity to new variants, unless they had been previously infected. We found that the elderly required two vaccine doses, to produce HAT antibodies comparable to after one vaccination in younger adults or previously infected subjects. Long-term SARS-CoV-2 symptoms, known as post COVID-19 condition, are understudied in children and adolescents, especially after infection with the delta and omicron variants. In 10-20 year olds, we identified acute symptoms, older age, higher spike-specific antibody titres and female sex as factors associated with persisting symptoms. In the same cohort, we found higher antibodies and fewer omicron BA.1/2 reinfections in COVID-19 vaccinees than unvaccinated. However, vaccine effectiveness had a short duration of 22 days, despite hybrid immunity. Our findings highlight the utility of rapid and simple assays for evaluation of infection and vaccination responses. There is a need for improved vaccine effectiveness to reduce the burden of COVID-19 and long-term symptoms in young people. Overall, cross-reactive antibodies can be favourable in the face of emerging respiratory viruses.Doktorgradsavhandlin

Orbital transfer vehicle oxygen turbopump technology. Volume 3: Hot oxygen testing

This report covers the work done in preparation for a liquid oxygen rocket engine turbopump test utilizing high pressure hot oxygen gas for the turbine drive. The turbopump (TPA) is designed to operate with 400 F oxygen turbine drive gas. The goal of this test program was to demonstrate the successful operation of the TPA under simulated engine conditions including the hot oxygen turbine drive. This testing follows a highly successful series of tests pumping liquid oxygen with gaseous nitrogen as the turbine drive gas. That testing included starting of the TPA with no assist to the hydrostatic bearing. The bearing start entailed a rubbing start until the pump generated enough pressure to support the bearing. The articulating, self-centering hydrostatic bearing exhibited no bearing load or stability problems. The TPA was refurbished for the hot gas drive tests and facility work was begun, but unfortunately funding cuts prohibited the actual testing

Rahvusvahelise kaitse taotlejad - kes vastutab solidaarses Euroopas?

http://www.ester.ee/record=b4578217*es

Interferometriske tidsserieanalyser med permanent spreder-teknikken : Deteksjon av deformasjon i lav-koherente fjellområder – anvendelse og begrensninger

I denne oppgaven er det gjort interferometriske tidsserieanalyser ved hjelp av permanent spreder-teknikken (PS-teknikken) for Flåm/Aurland og Nord-Island. Denne teknikken benytter seg av SAR-data (Synthetic Aperture Radar) for kartlegging av saktegående bevegelser, og baserer seg på å finne naturlige punktmål som er koherente mellom SAR-opptakene. Teknikken gjør en i stand til å måle deformasjonsrater i mm/år-domenet med svært høy nøyaktighet. I denne oppgaven er det brukt SAR-data fra ERS-1 og ERS-2 satellittene (European Remote-sensing Satellite) tatt i perioden 1992 til 2000. Teorien og rammeverket for PS-teknikken blir gjennomgått og blir koblet opp mot resultater for de to testområdene. Resultatene viser detektert deformasjon i begge studieområdene, og eksempler på dette vises. Resultatene viser både styrker og svakheter ved teknikken. Til slutt diskuteres tema som nøyaktighet og hvilke anvendelsesområder resultatene har. Det blir diskutert feilkilder og problemer ved teknikken, og noen konkrete anbefalinger for interferometriske tidsserieanalyser i ikke-urbane, lavkoherente områder blir gitt i konklusjondelen. HQ PDF er tilgjengelig på forspørsel

Positive Youth Development and Mental Well-Being in Late Adolescence: The Role of Body Appreciation. Findings From a Prospective Study in Norway

Although a vulnerable period, adolescence is a time of great potential for healthy development. Understanding factors that contribute to mental well-being in this period is of great importance to facilitate for healthy development. During the adolescence period the body goes through rapid and considerable changes, and the focus on body appearance and perfection is substantial at societal, media, and peer level. In this study, we investigated the association between dimensions characterizing positive youth development, and mental well-being among Norwegian adolescents 16–17 years 1 year later, and whether this association was mediated by degree of body appreciation. We further tested whether the indirect and direct paths between positive youth development dimensions and mental well-being were moderated by gender. We used data from the first and second follow-up of the control arm of the COMPLETE study, a cluster randomized controlled trial in upper secondary schools in Norway. Findings showed that positive youth development in grade 1, as measured by both a combined global PYD and the dimensions competence, and connection were significantly associated with mental well-being in grade 2 in models adjusted for mental well-being in grade 1, gender and perceived family affluence. Also, body appreciation in grade 1 significantly predicted mental well-being in grade 2 in models including each of global PYD, competence, connection, character, and caring dimensions. Contrary to our hypothesis, no mediating effects of body appreciation were observed, and no moderation of indirect effects by gender were observed.publishedVersio

«Dersom du liker spenning ispedd historie, mystikk og kjærlighet, er dette boken for deg.» : norske folkebiblioteks bokomtaler på nettet

Mye av litteraturformidlingen fra folkebibliotekene foregår i dag på nettet. Så godt som alle bibliotekene har egne nettsider, og i 2011 var det i Norge 120 bibliotekblogger. Denne oppgaven tar for seg nettpubliserte omtaler av skjønnlitteratur for voksne, og hvordan synet på litterær kvalitet kommer fram i disse. For å finne fram til kvalitetssynet er det foretatt en diskursanalyse av 167 bokomtaler fra 10 biblioteknettsteder og -blogger. Analyseredskapene er 14 kvalitetskriterier dels henta fra teori om litteraturkritikk, dels fra bibliotekrelatert forskning og dels konstruert ved hjelp av induktiv metode. Resultatet av diskursanalysen er i stor grad kvantitativt, da hyppigheten av bruken av de enkelte kriteriene er vektlagt. I tillegg er det gjort en kartlegging av hvilke litterære titler som er omtalt, og en del av undersøkelsene handler om hvorvidt bibliotekansatte «klipper og limer» fra andres bokomtaler og beslektede tekster. Kvalitetssynet er bredt, da alle 14 kvalitetskriterier er tatt i bruk. Samtidig er det noen kriterier som dominerer. Spennende og praktisk nyttige bøker er populære, og en kontekstualisering av bøkene er utbredt. En verdsetting av en middelsmak er i en viss grad synlig. En stor del av bokomtalene er i deler klippet ut fra andre kilder, som kan vitne om en svakhet i bibliotekansattes kompetanse i å skrive formidlende.Today, a lot of public libraries’ promoting of literature gets done on the internet. Almost every library has its own web page, and in 2011 there was 120 library blogs in Norway. This study examines web published book reviews on adult fiction and their views on literary quality. The data material consists of 167 book reviews from 10 library web pages and blogs. The analysis makes use of 14 quality criteria partly taken from theory on literature criticism, partly taken from library related research, and partly emerged alongside the study by inductive methods. The results of this discourse analysis are mostly quantitative, since the frequencies of the different quality criteria’s use are emphasized. Parts of the study also examines whether library staff “cuts and pastes” from other book reviews and related texts. The view on quality seems to be broad, as all 14 quality criteria have been used in the book reviews, though certain criteria dominate. Exciting and functional books are popular, and contextualization of the books is common. An appreciation of a middlebrow taste is to some extent visible. Many of the book reviews are partly copied from other sources, which imply a weakness in library staffs’ skills in writing to promote literature.Master i bibliotek- og informasjonsvitenska

Preventing Loneliness and Reducing Dropout: Results from the COMPLETE Intervention Study in Upper Secondary Schools in Norway

This study examines the impact of interventions aimed at improving psychosocial health on students’ perception of a caring school climate, their feelings of loneliness, and school completion in Norwegian upper secondary education. Two intervention conditions were tested: a universal single-tier intervention focused on improving the psychosocial school climate: the Dream School Program, and a multi-tier intervention combining the Dream School Program with a targeted measure, the Mental Health Support Team. The direct and indirect effects of these interventions on school completion were analyzed using structural equation models (SEM), with data from 1508 students (mean age at Time 1: 17.02 (SD = 0.92); 60.7% girls; 72.1% Norwegian-born). The results indicated that loneliness levels did not differ significantly between the intervention conditions. However, students in the multi-tier intervention group reported a significantly higher perception of a caring school climate compared to those in the single-tier intervention group. The multi-tier intervention group had a lower rate of school completion compared to the control group and the single-tier intervention group. The SEM analysis revealed that the multi-tier intervention reduced loneliness in the second year of upper secondary school by promoting a caring school climate in the first school year. In contrast, the single-tier intervention was associated with increased loneliness due to a decrease in the perception of a caring school climate. The implications of these findings are discussed.publishedVersio

Kliendiajakirjade kontseptsioon väljaannete Hooaeg, Club One, Estraveller, Investeeri!, Fookus ja Tervis Apteegist näitel

The concept of cutomer magazines on the example of publications Hooaeg, Investeeri!, Tervis Apteegist, Club One, Fookus and Estraveller Key words: customer newsletter, newspaper-type edition, marketing communication, criteria of a magazine. Magazines published in Estonia are considered to be newspaper-type editions, because they do not meet the criteria set for magazines. The content and layout of customer newsletters have changed, because while trying to create a stronger bond between brands and consumers, companies have developed new channels for marketing communication and editions. These channels can no longer be categorized as advertisement-type customer leaflets nor as classical magazines, because they combine distinctive features from both. In order to compare customer newsletters as a hybrid -format to magazines, criteria of magazines has been used. This thesis used content analysis to analyse the content of customer newsletters. For that use an encoding manual was compiled and 88 content articles were encoded using this manual. The customer newsletters in this Bachelor’s thesis, Hooaeg, Estraveller, Investeeri!, Club One, Fookus ja Tervis Apteegist, are all characterised by versatility of genre, their format conforms to magazines and all these newsletters are published regularly. Customer newsletters are opened to co-operation from outside the news agency, this includes also Fookus, but co-operation is welcome only on the client basis. The content of the customer newsletters is compiled in cooperation between the editor and agency and the greater emphasis is on the contribution of the agency. Only Hooaeg has a separate news agency. When dealing with more specific editions also professionals from the company in chief are included as authors. The paper editions of customer newsletters are characterised by limited distribution, but their accessibility is increased by the fact that there are also online editions available on the internet. The most common genres in customer newsletters are featured articles, overviews and introductions of new goods. Articles are mainly based on a single source. The content is characterised by timelessness and has an informative-entertaining function. Most articles found in the newsletter have consumption orientated functions. The topics of articles are usually chosen by taking into consideration the interests of the public, the editor and target groups. The mood of the stories is both rational and emotional. All six newsletters chosen for this thesis are characterised by a mixture of criteria and therefore it can be considered as a new journalistic hybrid-format, which is strongly linked to marketing communication, the post-modern consumer and consumer society. A post-modern consumer is characterised by brand-centeredness, which is one reason why the brand and consumer centred magazine Hooaeg has become the most popular magazine in Estonia. The phenomenon of the newsletter Hooaeg in the Estonian magazine system is unique. The same cannot be said about the landscape of Finnish magazines, where customer newsletters are treated as most magazines read from which the most popular edition is Pirkka which had more than 2.8 million readers in 2009.http://www.ester.ee/record=b4037455*es

A Persistent Sea-Going Platform for Robotic Fish Telemetry Using a Wave-Propelled USV : Technical Solution and Proof-of-Concept

publishedVersio