Nocturnal temperature controlled laminar airflow for treating atopic asthma: a randomised controlled trial

   Objective To determine whether environmental control using nocturnal temperature controlled laminar airflow (TLA) treatment could improve the quality of life of patients with persistent atopic asthma. &lt;br&gt; &lt;br&gt;Design Randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled, parallel-group trial. &lt;br&gt; &lt;br&gt;Setting Nineteen European asthma clinics. &lt;br&gt; &lt;br&gt;Participants 312 patients aged 7-70 with inadequately controlled persistent atopic asthma. &lt;br&gt; &lt;br&gt;Main outcome measure Proportion of patients with an increase of &amp;gt;= 0.5 points in asthma quality of life score after 1 year of treatment. &lt;br&gt; &lt;br&gt;Results TLA devices were successfully installed in the bedrooms of 282 (90%) patients included in the primary efficacy analysis. There was a difference in treatment response rate between active (143 of 189, 76%) and placebo (56 of 92, 61%) groups, difference 14.8% (95% CI 3.1 to 26.5, p=0.02).(3) In patients aged &amp;gt;= 12, on whom the study was powered, the difference in response rate was similar-active 106 of 143 (74%), placebo 42 of 70 (60%), difference 14.1% (0.6 to 27.7, p=0.059). There was a difference between groups in fractional exhaled nitric oxide change of -7.1 ppb (-13.6 to -0.7, p=0.03). Active treatment was associated with less increase in cat-specific IgE than placebo. There was no difference in adverse event rates between treatment groups. &lt;br&gt; &lt;br&gt;Conclusion Inhalant exposure reduction with TLA improves quality of life, airway inflammation and systemic allergy in patients with persistent atopic asthma. TLA may be a treatment option for patients with inadequately controlled persistent atopic asthma.funding agencies|Airsonett AB||National Institute for Health Research||National Institute for Health Research Biomedical Research Centre||MRC||Asthma UK Centre in Allergic Mechanisms of Asthma||</p

Society as notion : On the ideological shaping of students in educational programmes of four different fields of higher education

The purpose of this study is to examine stabilization and change in students' notions of division of labour, wage differentiation and reproduction of labour force. A description is given of the development and application of a qualitative method for the analysis of interviews within the framework of a theory-generating evaluation of long-term effects of higher education. A central concept is notion, the theoretical and methodological development of which up to a strict description of the content is presented in different categories. A model is presented of the structural features of notions. A theoretical revaluation of ideological reproduction is outlined and reconnected with the initial theoretical frame of reference. The empirical data consist of transcribed interviews with students of economics, medicine, psychology and engineering. The interviews were made on two occasions: when the students entered their educational programmes and after a period of about three years. The initial number of students involved were 25-27 from each educational programme. The results of the empirical analyses show initial différencies in students' ideological shaping, both within and between educational programmes. For a majority of students notions remain stable over time. Occurring changes lack general characteristics. For students of medicine and engineering changes in notions of differentiation of wages are unidirectional and fairly common while students of psychology change their notions in another direction but not to the same extent. Changes in notions of division of labour are more common among students of economics and psychology than in other groups but the direction of change is not the same in the two groups. Changes in students' notions can be said to depend on initial notions, educational programme, and societal aspect subject to the analysis. The study ends with some reflections on qualitative methods and theory generating evaluation.digitalisering@um

http://urn.kb.se/resolve?urn=urn:nbn:se:liu:diva-85156 Asthma Heredity, Cord Blood IgE and Asthma-Related Symptoms and Medication in Adulthood: A Long-Term Follow-Up in a Swedish Birth Cohort

Asthma heredity, cord blood IgE and asthmarelate

Prevalence of respiratory symptoms (2007) and dispensed asthma medication (2006–2008) at 32–34 years of age in relation to levels of CB-IgE and family history of asthma.

<p>CB-IgE = Cord blood immunoglobulin E;</p>1<p>data available for 1195 individuals;</p>2<p>data available for 1185 individuals.</p

Odds ratios (ORs) with 95% confidence intervals (95% CI) for the risk of respiratory symptoms and the risk of asthma medication (≥2 prescriptions/2006–2008) at the age of 32–34 years in relation to high CB-IgE and a positive family history of asthma.

<p>CB-IgE = Cord blood immunoglobulin E.</p>1<p>Final model adjusted for gender, having lived on a farm during the first 5 years of life, season of birth, maternal age, Small for Gestational Age, Large for Gestational Age, gestational age, mother’s country of birth, Caesarean section, parity, elevated CB-IgE (≥0.9 kU/l ) or positive family history of asthma.</p>2<p>Final model adjusted for gender, season of birth, maternal age, Small for Gestational Age, Large for Gestational Age, gestational age, mother’s country of birth, Caesarean section, parity, elevated CB-IgE (≥0.9 kU/l ) or positive family history of asthma.</p

Asthma diagnosis and asthma medication over time.

<p>Flow chart of the assessment of asthma status at different ages (asthma diagnosis at 6–7 and 10–11 years and anti-inflammtory treatment at 32–34 years of age). The changes in asthma status of different individuals between the different time points is shown in numbers. Corresponding individuals are marked with <b>blue</b> or <b>red</b> numbers describing individual changes in asthma status over time. ¹figures based on the total number of individuals linked to the Swedish Medical Birth Register (n = 1,661).</p

Asthma prevalence (6–7, 10–11 years) and respiratory symptoms and asthma medication (32–34 years) with respect to gender.

1<p>data available for 1195 individuals;</p>2<p>data available for 1185 individuals,</p>3<p>cases with no asthma neither at 6–7 nor at 10–11 years.</p

Basic characteristics of the study population with respect to low (<0.9 kU/l) and high (≥0.9 kU/l) CB-IgE and available data at follow-up (questionnaire+register data versus register data alone).

<p>CB-IgE = Cord blood immunoglobulin E; QN = questionnaire; SGA = Small for Gestational Age; LGA = Large for Gestational Age;</p>1<p>entered as continuous variable in the regression model, dichotomized here for descriptive reasons;</p>2<p>n = 1,225/1,656;</p>3<p>n = 1,209/1,635;</p>4<p>n = 1,226/1,660.</p><p>Significance levels are displayed for the association between the different ratios of low versus high CB-IgE between the groups.</p