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Anita Ekberg : International Blonde
No full textComplicates and challenges widespread perceptions of Swedish actor Anita Ekberg An examination of an icon of glamour and excess An appreciation of the work of celebrity and performance A look at a star across nations, genres and phases of life A range of critical approaches in the study of a key star and celebrity Anita Ekberg was a major international star now chiefly remembered for her half-hour appearance in La dolce vita. She was a Swedish film star who worked extensively in the USA, Italy and elsewhere in Europe but never in Sweden. She was seen as a curvaceous blonde in the Marilyn Monroe mould whose roles and style were nothing like Monroe’s. She was celebrated or looked down on for her fabulous looks but never appreciated for her performance. This collection looks at all these facets of Ekberg’s career, examining the nature of her star image and discussing her skills as actress and celebrity. It considers the perception of her body in different national contexts and genres and as she aged, the significance of casting, directors, dress and performance and the role of the press, class, ethnicity and her own agency in the production of this fascinating personality
Quantifying the Impact of Extreme Microclimate Conditions on the Hygrothermal Performance of Building Façades Under Climate Change
No full textAccurate hygrothermal simulations are essential for assessing moisture safety in buildings, particularly under future climate conditions and extreme events. While the impacts of urban microclimates on energy performance, thermal comfort, and health have been extensively studied, their influence on hygrothermal simulations remains underexplored. This study addresses this gap by evaluating the impact of including high-resolution microclimate data in hygrothermal simulations, using a prefabricated wooden wall assembly in Stockholm, Sweden, as a case study. A validated high spatiotemporal resolution microclimate model is used to downscale mesoscale historical and future climate (2050) data into microscale. Hygrothermal simulations and mold growth calculations are then conducted using both mesoscale and microscale climate data, under typical and extreme weather conditions, and with two wind-driven rain models. The results indicated that relying solely on historical climate data substantially underestimates future hygrothermal risks, particularly during extreme warm conditions, where moisture content rose by up to 61% and the estimated mold index substantially exceeded the critical risk threshold. Comparing microscale and mesoscale climate data revealed about a 17% increase in summer peak temperatures and up to a 25% reduction in wind speed. Incorporating microclimate data into the simulations further amplified moisture risks: for example, moisture content increased by up to 3.5%, and mold index values rose significantly under extreme warm conditions. In contrast, microclimate data had a limited impact under typical and extreme cold conditions but still introduced uncertainties that could lead to under- or overestimation of moisture risks. Overall, these findings highlight the importance of including detailed microclimate data in hygrothermal simulations to improve risk assessments and support moisture-safe building envelope design for future urban climates, particularly during extreme events
What Is the Future of Agriculture in Small Island Developing States? The Case of Mauritius
No full textSmall Island Developing States (SIDS) face ongoing challenges in balancing agricultural sustainability with economic growth due to limited land resources, rapid urbanisation, climate change, and reliance on food imports. This study explores the evolution of land use and the future of agriculture in Mauritius from 2002 to 2022, using satellite imagery, policy reviews, and stakeholder interviews. Findings show a 9% decrease in agricultural and non-agricultural vegetation cover, alongside a doubling of built-up areas from 10% to 20%, indicating continued land conversion pressures. The analysis highlights major barriers to agricultural sustainability, including declining food self-sufficiency, an ageing farming population, and slow movements towards sustainable practices caused by low profitability and weak institutional support. Diverging priorities among government agencies, sugar companies, smallholder farmers, and NGOs further hinder coordinated policy efforts. To address these challenges, the study identifies strategies for aligning economic and environmental goals through integrated land-use planning, boosting productivity, and providing targeted support for sustainable ecological farming systems. Policy recommendations include protecting agricultural land, encouraging agroecological practices, alleviating labour shortages, and promoting multi-stakeholder engagement within policy development. Overall, this research enhances understanding of land-use dynamics and agricultural resilience in SIDS, offering practical insights for policymakers and practitioners working towards sustainable food systems amid spatial and climatic constraints
Sustainable Biorefinery: Converting whey into valuable products using an enzymatic membrane
No full textMore than 21 million tons of cheese whey are produced annually worldwide, posing an environmental risk if not properly managed. Due to widespread lactose intolerance, cheese whey, which contains lactose, can pose health problems for many individuals. Thus, the management of the cheese whey is necessary to avoid environmental and health problems. This study presents a sustainable approach for whey valorization by integrating ultrafiltration and enzymatic hydrolysis by immobilizing β-galactosidase on a ceramic membrane. This approach offers a more efficient alternative to traditional whey processing methods by simultaneously concentrating proteins and hydrolyzing lactose leading to valuable products and waste minimization. The concentrated proteins can be further processed for various food applications, while the hydrolyzed lactose can be used for lactose-free products, biofuels, and biopolymers production. The enzyme immobilization was performed by using gelatin, followed by glutaraldehyde and different β-galactosidase concentrations (1.25-15 g/L).The enzymatic membrane's performance was evaluated by filtering acidic whey, separating the hydrolyzed lactose in the permeate and the concentrated protein in the retentate. A higher enzyme concentration led to increased immobilization efficiency and lactose hydrolysis as more enzymes attached to the empty sites on the ceramic membrane. However, after a certain concentration, the immobilization efficiency remained unchanged. An enzyme concentration of 5 g/L yielded in the optimal immobilization efficiency of 64%. The enzymatic membrane demonstrated promising catalytic activity, achieving lactose hydrolysis of 72% and protein rejection of 83%.At the end of each experiment, the membrane was chemically cleaned with a flux recovery of around 90%. This integrated approach contributes to the development of sustainable biorefinery technologies that can help address global challenges related to resource scarcity and environmental pollution
Risk factors for frequent unplanned hospital visits in older multimorbid patients after an emergency department visit : a retrospective cohort study
No full textBACKGROUND: Hospital readmissions are common among older multimorbid patients, and hospitalisation is associated with functional decline and reduced quality of life. Identifying patient characteristics and risk factors for repeated hospital visits following an emergency department (ED) encounter is important for guiding targeted interventions to prevent future revisits.AIM: To characterise multimorbid older patients with frequent unplanned hospital visits following an emergency department (ED) visit, compare them to those with fewer revisits, and identify risk factors for frequent unplanned hospital revisits.METHODS: A retrospective analysis of 25 436 multimorbid patients aged ≥ 75 years who visited 8 EDs in Sweden in 2017 was performed. Patients with ≥ 3 ED visits or unplanned hospital admissions in the following year were classified as frequent hospital visitors. Their characteristics were compared to those of infrequent visitors, and binomial logistic regression was used to identify factors predictive of frequent hospital visits.RESULTS: An increasing number of hospital visits in the prior 12 months (odds ratio (OR) 1.25 95% confidence interval (95% CI) 1.21-1.29) and an increasing number of comorbidities (OR 1.11 95% CI 1.09-1.13) were the most impactful risk factors for multiple unplanned hospital revisits. Female sex (OR 0.81 95% CI 0.75-0.88) was the most important protective factor.CONCLUSION: A history of frequent hospital visits was the strongest risk factor for future unplanned hospital visits. Several other factors were also identified, suggesting the potential for predictive models to identify at-risk patients before frequent visits occur
Greek and other languages : The author, the addressee, and the choice of languages (the case of Sweden)
No full textMolecular docking analysis of 1,8-cineole with SARS-CoV-2 main protease Mpro and macrodomain MacI : insights into potential weak interactions
No full textMolecular docking is a computational approach that predicts interactions between ligands and protein targets based on binding energies. In this study, the potential interactions of 1,8-cineole -one of the dominant components of Eucalyptus globulus oil- with the main protease (Mpro) and macrodomain (MacI) of SARS-CoV-2 were studied by molecular docking. Nine Mpro and four ManI structures available in the Protein Data Bank (PDB) were assessed as receptors. The results showed binding affinities ranging from −2.1 to −6.3 kcal/mol, primarily mediated by hydrophobic interactions. The most stable complexes were obtained with MacI (PDB: 5RVR, −6.380 kcal/mol) and Mpro (PDB: 5R81, −5.402 kcal/mol). Although the interactions are relatively weak, these results suggest that 1,8-cineole may interact with the SARS-CoV-2 Mpro and MacI, and provide a basis for further experimental studies to validate its effect. Since eucalyptus oil vapor is widely used in the Andean region of Bolivia to prevent respiratory ailments, this work offers an initial in silico rationale for such traditional practices
Posterior Cramér-Rao bounds on localization and mapping errors in distributed MIMO SLAM
No full textRadio-frequency simultaneous localization and mapping (RF-SLAM) methods jointly infer the position of mobile transmitters and receivers in wireless networks, together with a geometric map of the propagation environment. An inferred map of specular surfaces can be used to exploit non-line-of-sight components of the multipath channel to increase robustness, bypass obstructions, and improve overall communication and positioning performance. While performance bounds for user location are well established, the literature lacks performance bounds for map information. This paper derives the mapping error bound (MEB), i.e., the posterior Cramér-Rao lower bound on the position and orientation of specular surfaces, for RF-SLAM. In particular, we consider a very general scenario with single- and double-bounce reflections, as well as distributed anchors. We demonstrate numerically that a state-of-the-art RF-SLAM algorithm asymptotically converges to this MEB. The bounds assess not only the localization (position and orientation) but also the mapping performance of RF-SLAM algorithms in terms of global features
Genetic and Pathological Characteristics of Frontotemporal Dementia with Right Anterior Temporal Predominance: A Multicenter Retrospective Cohort Study
No full textBACKGROUND: Frontotemporal dementia (FTD) with right anterior temporal lobe (RATL) predominant atrophy is an emerging area of interest. Recent findings by the International Working Group (IWG) have identified this subtype as having a distinct clinical profile within the FTD spectrum (Ulugut et al., 2024, A&D). However, its genetic and pathological underpinnings remain unexplored in large, multicultural cohorts. METHODS: Retrospective analyses encompassing clinical, genetic, pathological, and neuroimaging data from 23 IWG sites across 13 countries in Asia, Middle East, Europe, North and South America were conducted. The study included 444 patients with FTD exhibiting predominant RATL atrophy. RESULTS: Genetic screening was performed on 51% (n = 225) of the cohort for at least the major frontotemporal lobar degeneration (FTLD) mutations including microtubule-associated protein tau (MAPT), progranulin (GRN), and chromosome 9 open reading frame 72 (C9orf72), or dementia panels encompassing extended sets of genes. Of these, 81% were sporadic, showing negative results for the screened genes and a modified Goldman Score of ≥ 3, indicating a negative family history for dementia. The MAPT mutation was the most common genetic variant, identified in 7% of the screened cases (Figure 1). Pathological confirmation was available for 63 patients. Among the sporadic cases, transactive response DNA-binding protein 43 type C (TDP-C) pathology was most prevalent (60%, n = 32), while tau-MAPT pathology was most common in the genetic cases (38%, n = 16). Fifteen cases did not fit neatly into genetic or sporadic categories, displaying heterogeneous pathologies (Figure 2). At the initial visit, compared to genetic cases, patients with TDP-C pathology were older, and more frequently exhibited semantic deficits, with less frequent attention difficulties and executive dysfunction. No differences were observed in sex distribution, symptom duration or disease severity between genetic and sporadic TDP-C cases. However, left handedness was more common in TDP-C cases (14%) compared to genetic cases (5%). CONCLUSION: While FTD with RATL atrophy primarily appears sporadic, a significant proportion of cases exhibit genetic variants. These sporadic and genetic subtypes display distinct neuropathological features and clinical manifestations. Given the implications for therapeutic strategies, precise clinical and molecular subtyping is critical for enhancing patient management and ensuring appropriate enrollment in clinical trials
Risk and prognosis of colorectal cancer following bacteraemia with Streptococcus bovis-Streptococcus equinus complex : A Swedish nationwide retrospective cohort study
No full textThere is a positive association between bacteraemia with Streptococcus bovis-Streptococcus equinus complex (SBSEC) and colorectal cancer (CRC). However, the relationship between the timing of SBSEC bacteraemia and CRC is not well-established. Associations with other gastrointestinal cancers have also been suggested. Using national registries, we retrospectively examined the incidence of CRC and other gastrointestinal cancers after SBSEC-bacteraemia in Sweden 2010-2019, and analysed the timing, characteristics, and prognosis of diagnosed CRC. Individuals with SBSEC-bacteraemia were matched to randomly selected controls from the general population at a 1:10 ratio. Cox-regression determined CRC hazard ratios (HR). In total, 908 individuals with SBSEC-bacteraemia were identified and 9,080 controls, of whom 75/908 (8.3%) and 168/9080 (1.9%) respectively had previously diagnosed CRC (p < 0.01). During follow-up of individuals without previous CRC, CRC was diagnosed in 45/833 (5.4%) individuals with SBSEC and 114/8912 (1.3%) controls (p < 0.01). The HR of CRC diagnosis for SBSEC was 10.3 (95% CI 6.7-15.8) overall and 19.8 (95% CI 11.1-35.3) during the first year of follow-up. In conclusion, there was an increased incidence of CRC, and most were diagnosed within the first year. Neither the tumour location, -stage, or -grade of diagnosed CRC nor the rates of other gastrointestinal cancers differed significantly