Percevoir et Juger la « corruption politique »:Enjeux et usages des enquêtes sur les représentations des atteintes à la probité publique

Entre l’idéal démocratique d’un citoyen vertueux contrôlant la probité des gouvernants et l’image d’un électeur cynique, la perception de la « corruption politique » par les citoyens constitue un enjeu important du rapport moral à la politique au cœur des débats de sociologie et de théorie politiques. L’article présente un ensemble mal connu de travaux anglo-saxons qui étudient les représentations ordinaires des atteintes à la probité publique. Il en discute les fondements, les méthodes et les résultats pour formuler de nouvelles hypothèses. Sont analysés la variation des perceptions et des classements des transgressions politiques, la fluctuation des formes de réprobation, les ancrages sociaux et économiques de cette faculté de juger ou encore l’existence de formes de consensus normatif.The investigation of conceptions among citizens of perceived political corruption forms an important component of theoretical and empirical studies in democratic theory and political ethics. Studies have moved beyond a simple dichotomy of “ideal types”: cynical voters and virtuous citizens sanctioning political misconduct. This article surveys Anglo-Saxon scholarship on ordinary judgements towards political corruption. It discusses their epistomological foundations and methods, but also develops the existing studies’ results to propose a set of new hypotheses. Several points are stressed: divergent perceptions and classifications of political corruption; willingness to sanction, social and economic factors that influence judgement; forms of normative consensus about political behaviours

Pesticider i frukt och grönsaker

Rekommendationer från Livsmedelsverket manar till ett ökat intag av frukt och grönsaker samtidigt som halten av bekämpningsmedel, pesticider, i dessa grödor har diskuterats myck- et. En fråga som ofta ställs i denna diskussion är ifall svenska frukter och grönsaker innehar lägre halter av dessa bekämpningsmedel och även huruvida nuvarande nivåer av bekämp- ningsmedel i frukt och grönsaker ger negativa hälsoeffekter. Syftet: Att undersöka förekomsten av pesticidrester i frukter och grönsaker och studera hur dessa skiljer sig i svenska grödor jämfört med grödor odlade i andra länder. Dessutom ämna- des undersöka hur pesticider påverkar människan. Metod: Litteraturstudie genomfördes med hjälp av artikelsökning i databaserna PubMed och Web of Knowledge. Artiklar som överensstämde med frågeställningarna och var publicerade 1999-2009 inkluderades. Detta genererade 12 artiklar och en rapport från Livsmedelsverket. Tre frukter och två grönsaker valdes ut för jämförelse av pesticidförekomst i olika studier. Artiklar som jämförde olika analysmetoder för att påvisa pesticidrester exkluderades. Resultat: Inkluderade studier visade på olika resultat av pesticidförekomst, så som i apelsin där frekvensen varierade från 4,5 % till 87,1%. Svenskodlade frukter och grönsaker hade lägst nivåer av pesticider, medan grödor odlade utanför Europeiska Unionen gav högst utfall. Fre- kvensen av prover som överskred tillåtna nivåer var 0,5% i svenskproducerat, 2,1 % i EU- producerat och 9,5% i frukt- och grönsaksprover från länder utanför EU. Majoriteten av studi- erna visade inte på nämnvärda hälsorisker kopplat till ett genomsnittligt intag av frukt och grönsaker, även om riskerna var högre för specifika grupper så som barn, personer med låg vikt och vegetarianer. Det påträffades dock ett flertal prover med halter vida överstigande re- kommenderade nivåer och även prover innehållande förbjudna bekämpningsmedel. Vid hög exponering av pesticider, vilket gäller för bland annat odlare, fanns det tydliga kopplingar till en ökad risk av sjukdomar så som mag- och blodcancer. Konklusion: Förekomsten av pesticidrester i frukt och grönsaker skiljer betydligt mellan olika studier som jämför samma pesticider och frukter respektive grönsaker. Svenskodlade grödor har en lägre frekvens av pesticider än grödor odlade i andra länder, med högst frekvens i grö- dor odlade utanför EU. Pesticider medför en risk om de konsumerades över gränsvärden, eller för de grupper som har en hög exponering, exempelvis odlare.Recommendations from National Food Administration urge to an increased intake of fruits and vegetables, concurrently as the level of pesticides has been greatly discussed. A question often proposed within this discussion, is whether Swedish fruits and vegetables contain lower rates of pesticides and also if the current amounts of pesticides in fruits and vegetables could imply negative health effects. Aim: To examine the prevalence of pesticies in fruits and vegetables and to study how these rates differentiate in Swedish crops compared to crops grown in other countries. Furthermore there was an intention to investigate how pesticides affect the human physiology. Method: A literature study was performed with the help of an article search in the databases PubMed and Web of Knowledge. Articles corresponding to the aim and publisized 1999-2009 were included in the study. This generated in 12 articles and one report from National Food Administration. Three fruits and two vegetables were selected for comparison of pesticide incidence in different studies. Articles comparing different analytical methods to determine pesticides were excluded. Result: Included studies showed different results concerning pesticide presence, for example in orange where the incidence varied from 4,5% to 87,1%. Fruits and vegetables grown in Sweden contained the lowest rate of pesticides, while crops grown outside the European Union implied the largest outcome. The frequency of samples exceeding permitted levels was 0,5% in crops grown in Sweden, 2,1% in crops grown within the European Union and 9,5% in fruit and vegetable samples from countries outside the European Union. The majority of included studies showed no significant health risks connected to a average intake of fruits and vegetables, even tough the risks were increased for secific groups such as children, lightweight people and vegetarians. However, a few samples contained levels widely exceeding recommended levels and also samples containing prohibited pesticides. When having extended exposure to pesticides, for farmer among others, there was apparent connections to increased risk of different diseases such as gastric and blood cancer. Conclusion: The incidence of pesticides in fruits and vegetables distinguish considerably between different studies, comparing the same pesticides and fruits and vegetables respective. Crops grown in Sweden have a lower frequency of pesticides compared to crops grown in other countries, with the highest rates in crops grown outside the European Union. Pesticides emitted a risk when consumed exceeding threshold limit values, or for groups with a high exposure for example farmers. Keywords: pesticides, fruit, vegetables, MRL (Maximum Residue Level

Специфіка гуманізму епохи Відродження

Objectives. B-type natriuretic peptide (BNP) levels predict prognosis and outcome in heart failure (HF) patients. To evaluate the optimal cut-off level of BNP to predict death, need for hospitalization, and worsening HF, and also to determine the optimal time to apply the chosen cut-off value. Design. In a sub-study from the Use of PeptideS in Tailoring hEart failure Project or UPSTEP study where tailoring treatment of HF by BNP level was evaluated, we assessed the change in percentage between levels of BNP at study start versus a specific week (2, 6, 10, 16, 24, 36, or 48) during the follow-up period. Results. The optimum cut-off percentage levels were obtained using a Cox proportional regression analysis of death, hospitalization, and worsening HF. A decrease in BNP by less than 40% in week 16 compared with study start and/or a BNP > 300 ng/L presented the highest hazard ratio (HR) for a non-responder to reach a combined endpoint (HR: 2.43; 95% confidence interval or CI: 1.61-3.65; p < 0.00003). This definition gave a 78% risk reduction of cardiovascular (CV) mortality (p > 0.0005) and an 89% risk reduction of HF mortality (p > 0.004), and reduced risk of CV and HF hospitalization for the responders. Conclusions. Patients with a decrease in BNP of more than 40% compared with that at study start and/or a BNP level below 300 ng/L at week 16 had a significantly reduced risk of CV and HF mortality and hospitalization

You can’t flight, you need to fight – a qualitative study of mothers’ experiences of feeding extremely preterm infants

Aim To describe mother\u27s experiences of feeding their extremely preterm infant. Background When an infant is born extremely preterm, there is a long rocky road for the mother if she wants to breastfeed. Some manage to reach their goals, others do not. Studies of feeding extremely preterm infants in the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) are scarce. Design A qualitative method with an inductive approach. Methods Nine mothers giving birth to extremely preterm infants were interviewed by telephone after discharge from the NICU. The interviews were transcribed verbatim and analysed with qualitative content analysis. The COREQ checklist was followed. Results The overall theme was “you can\u27t flight, you need to fight.” The theme reflects the mothers’ will to do the best for their infants even if the struggle with milk expression and breastfeeding practice evoked feelings of helplessness, exposure, worry and disappointment. The categories forming the theme were as follows: The wish to provide own breastmilk; For the infant\u27s best; Loss of control; and Help to reach the goals. Conclusion The mothers had a strong will to provide breastmilk to their infants but requested more support in order to be successful. Relevance to clinical practice There is a need for evidence‐based support programmes for mothers of extremely preterm infants to encourage them to persevere with milk expression and breastfeeding over time

Development of a method for determination of pesticide residues in honey using liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry

Honey is a product that may contain pesticide residues due to contamination from bees pollinating various plants as well as elimination of vermin inside the hive. Different methods are needed for analysis of pesticides, since the term includes a wide range of different substances. National Food Administration lacks a validated method for determination and quantification of pesticides in honey using liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry, LC-MS/MS. The technique is especially important in analysis of polar and non-volatile pesticides, where gas chromatography is not functioning optimally. After investigating what pesticides could be found in honey produced in Sweden, a number of four pesticides suitable for analysis with LC-MS/MS was compiled; boscalid, impidacloprid, tau-fluvalinate and thiacloprid. A validated multi method for pesticide analysis in fruit and vegetables using LC-MS/MS was utilized as reference method, as a new method was developed. Some of the alterations in the new method included addition of water, changed order of addition of salts, centrifuge settings and shakings of samples. Performing validation experiments at three levels; 0.01 μg/g, 0.02 μg/g and 0.1 μg/g, yielded recovery in the range from 69.4% to 91.8% with relative standard deviation <19%. These figures met, with one exception, the requirements for validation of new methods at National Food Administration and also held linear correlation coefficients higher than 0.97. Three labels of honey, with different origins, were used in the experiments. One of the honey labels formed emulsion during extraction. Absence of a separate ethyl acetate phase caused difficulties when creating a suitable extract for determination and quantification by LC-MS/MS. A special extraction procedure was developed for that specific honey label enabling extraction. As successful extraction procedures were developed and recovery tests yielded satisfying results, the aim to develop an analysis method for determination of pesticide residues in honey using liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry was fulfilled.Honung är en produkt som kan innehålla pesticidrester på grund av kontamination av bin när de pollinerar olika växter och även från skadedjursbekämpning inne i bikupan. Olika tekniker behövs för analys av pesticidrester eftersom begreppet inkluderar en bred grupp av olika substanser. Livsmedelsverket saknar en validerad metod för bestämning och kvantifiering av pesticider i honung med hjälp av LC-MS/MS. Tekniken är speciellt viktig för analys av polära och icke-volatila pesticider, då analys med gaskromatografi inte är optimalt för dessa pesticider. Efter undersökning av vilka pesticider som kan påträffas i honung producerad i Sverige, sammanställdes en lista med fyra pesticider som kan analyseras av LC-MS/MS; boskalid, imidakloprid, tau-fluvalinat och tiakloprid. En validerad multimetod för pesticidanalys i frukt och grönsaker med användning med LC-MS/MS användes som referensmetod när en ny metod utvecklades. Några av ändringarna i den nya metoden inkluderade tillsats av vatten, ny ordningsföljd vid tillsats av salter, centrifuginställningar och skakningar av prover. Valideringsexperimenten genomfördes på tre nivåer; 0,01μg/g, 0,0

Supporting premature infants’ oral feeding in the NICU—a qualitative study of nurses’ perspectives

One major task in the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) involves ensuring adequate nutrition and supporting the provision of human milk. The aim of this study was to explore nurses’ experiences of the oral feeding process in the NICU when the infant is born extremely or very preterm. We used a qualitative inductive approach. Nine nurses from three family-centered NICUs were interviewed face-to-face. The interviews were transcribed verbatim and analyzed using content analysis. Five sub-categories and two generic categories formed the main category: ‘A complex and long-lasting collaboration.’ The nurses wished to contribute to the parents’ understanding of the feeding process and their own role as parents in this process. The nurses’ intention was to guide and support parents to be autonomous in this process. They saw the family as a team in which the preterm infant was the leader whose needs and development directed the feeding and the parents’ actions in this process. Written and verbal communication, seeing all family members as important members of a team and early identification of the most vulnerable families to direct the emotional and practical feeding support accordingly can strengthen the feeding process in the NICU

"Smoking in Children's Environment Test": a qualitative study of experiences of a new instrument applied in preventive work in child health care

Background Despite knowledge of the adverse health effects of passive smoking, children are still   being exposed. Children's nurses play an important role in tobacco preventive work   through dialogue with parents aimed at identifying how children can be protected from   environmental tobacco smoke (ETS) exposure. The study describes the experiences of   Child Health Care (CHC) nurses when using the validated instrument SiCET (Smoking   in Children's Environment Test) in dialogue with parents. Method In an intervention in CHC centres in south-eastern Sweden nurses were invited to use   the SiCET. Eighteen nurses participated in focus group interviews. Transcripts were   reviewed and their contents were coded into categories by three investigators using   the method described for focus groups interviews. Results The SiCET was used in dialogue with parents in tobacco preventive work and resulted   in focused discussions on smoking and support for behavioural changes among parents.   The instrument had both strengths and limitations. The nurses experienced that the   SiCET facilitated dialogue with parents and gave a comprehensive view of the child's   ETS exposure. This gave nurses the possibility of taking on a supportive role by offering   parents long-term help in protecting their child from ETS exposure and in considering   smoking cessation. Conclusion Our findings indicate that the SiCET supports nurses in their dialogue with parents   on children's ETS exposure at CHC. There is a need for more clinical use and evaluation   of the SiCET to determine its usefulness in clinical practice under varying circumstances.funding agnencies|Swedish National Institute of Public Health||Futurum - The Academy for Healthcare, Jonkoping County Council|

Improved cardiovascular health by supplementation with selenium and coenzyme Q10: applying structural equation modelling (SEM) to clinical outcomes and biomarkers to explore underlying mechanisms in a prospective randomized double-blind placebo-controlled intervention project in Sweden

Purpose Selenium and coenzyme Q10 have synergistic antioxidant functions. In a four-year supplemental trial in elderly Swedes with a low selenium status, we found improved cardiac function, less cardiac wall tension and reduced cardiovascular mortality up to 12 years of follow-up. Here we briefly review the main results, including those from studies on biomarkers related to cardiovascular risk that were subsequently conducted. In an effort, to explain underlying mechanisms, we conducted a structured analysis of the inter-relationship between biomarkers. Methods Selenium yeast (200 µg/day) and coenzyme Q10 (200 mg/ day), or placebo was given to 443 elderly community-living persons, for 48 months. Structural Equation Modelling (SEM) was used to investigate the statistical inter-relationships between biomarkers related to inflammation, oxidative stress, insulin-like growth factor 1, expression of microRNA, fibrosis, and endothelial dysfunction and their impact on the clinical effects. The main study was registered at Clinicaltrials.gov at 30th of September 2011, and has the identifier NCT01443780. Results In addition to positive clinical effects, the intervention with selenium and coenzyme Q10 was also associated with favourable effects on biomarkers of cardiovascular risk. Using these results in the SEM model, we showed that the weights of the first-order factors inflammation and oxidative stress were high, together forming a second-order factor inflammation/oxidative stress influencing the factors, fibrosis (β = 0.74; p < 0.001) and myocardium (β = 0.65; p < 0.001). According to the model, the intervention impacted fibrosis and myocardium through these factors, resulting in improved cardiac function and reduced CV mortality. Conclusion Selenium reduced inflammation and oxidative stress. According to the SEM analysis, these effects reduced fibrosis and improved myocardial function pointing to the importance of supplementation in those low on selenium and coenzyme Q10. © The Author(s) 2022. This article is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License, which permits use, sharing, adaptation, distribution and reproduction in any medium or format, as long as you give appropriate credit to the original author(s) and the source, provide a link to the Creative Commons licence, and indicate if changes were made. The images or other third party material in this article are included in the article's Creative Commons licence, unless indicated otherwise in a credit line to the material. If material is not included in the article's Creative Commons licence and your intended use is not permitted by statutory regulation or exceeds the permitted use, you will need to obtain permission directly from the copyright holder. To view a copy of this licence, visit http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/Improved cardiovascular health by supplementation with selenium and coenzyme Q10: applying structural equation modelling (SEM) to clinical outcomes and biomarkers to explore underlying mechanisms in a prospective randomized double-blind placebo-controlled intervention project in SwedenpublishedVersio

Should the PBL tutor be present? A cross-sectional study of group effectiveness in synchronous and asynchronous settings

Background: The tutorial group and its dynamics are a cornerstone of problem-based learning (PBL). The tutor\u27s support varies according to the setting, and it is pertinent to explore group effectiveness in relation to different settings, for example online or campus-based. The PBL groups\u27 effectiveness can partly be assessed in terms of cognitive and motivational aspects, using a self-report tool to measure PBL group effectiveness, the Tutorial Group Effectiveness Instrument (TGEI). This study\u27s aim was to explore tutor participation in variations of online and campus-based tutorial groups in relation to group effectiveness. A secondary aim was to validate a tool for assessing tutorial group effectiveness in a Swedish context. Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted with advanced-level nursing students studying to become specialised nurses or midwives at a Swedish university. The TGEI was used to measure motivational and cognitive aspects in addition to overall group effectiveness. The instrument\u27s items were translated into Swedish and refined with an expert group and students. The responses were calculated descriptively and compared between groups using the Mann-Whitney U and Kruskal-Wallis tests. A psychometric evaluation was performed using the Mokken scale analysis. The subscale scores were compared between three different tutor settings: the tutor present face-to-face in the room, the tutor present online and the consultant tutor not present in the room and giving support asynchronously. Results: All the invited students (n = 221) participated in the study. There were no differences in motivational or cognitive aspects between students with or without prior PBL experience, nor between men and women. Higher scores were identified on cognitive aspects (22.6, 24.6 and 21.3; p \u3c 0.001), motivational aspects (26.3, 27 and 24.5; p = 002) and group effectiveness (4.1, 4.3, 3.8, p = 0.02) for the two synchronously tutored groups compared to the asynchronously tutored group. The TGEI subscales showed adequate homogeneity. Conclusions: The tutor\u27s presence is productive for PBL group effectiveness. However, the tutor need not be in the actual room but can provide support in online settings as long as the tutoring is synchronous. © 2020 The Author(s)

Plasma chromograninx:Plasma chromogranin A is a marker of death in elderly patients presenting with symptoms of heart failure

Cardiovascular risk assessment remains difficult in elderly patients. We examined whether chromogranin A (CgA) measurement in plasma may be valuable in assessing risk of death in elderly patients with symptoms of heart failure in a primary care setting. A total of 470 patients (mean age 73 years) were followed for 10 years. For CgA plasma measurement, we used a two-step method including a screening test and a confirmative test with plasma pre-treatment with trypsin. Cox multivariable proportional regression and receiver-operating curve (ROC) analyses were used to assess mortality risk. Assessment of cardiovascular mortality during the first 3 years of observation showed that CgA measurement contained useful information with a hazard ratio (HR) of 5.4 (95% CI 1.7–16.4) (CgA confirm). In a multivariate setting, the corresponding HR was 5.9 (95% CI 1.8–19.1). When adding N-terminal proBNP (NT-proBNP) to the model, CgA confirm still possessed prognostic information (HR: 6.1; 95% CI 1.8–20.7). The result for predicting all-cause mortality displayed the same pattern. ROC analyses in comparison to NT-proBNP to identify patients on top of clinical variables at risk of cardiovascular death within 5 years of follow-up showed significant additive value of CgA confirm measurements compared with NT-proBNP and clinical variables. CgA measurement in the plasma of elderly patients with symptoms of heart failure can identify those at increased risk of short- and long-term mortality