190 research outputs found
När alkoholen kommer närmare : En kvalitativ intervjustudie
No full textNär 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
När alkoholen kommer närmare : En kvalitativ intervjustudie
No full textNär 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
Recensioner
No full textBarnlitteraturanalyser. Maria Andersson och Elina Druker (red). Lund: Studentlitteratur, 2008. 213 s. ISBN 978-91-44-04028-8Recensenter: Ann Boglind & Anna Nordenstam Maria Lassén-Seger: Adventures into otherness: child metamorphs in late twentieth-century children’s literature. Åbo Akademis Förlag, 2006. 299 s. ISBN 951-765-332-8Recensent: Anna Karlskov Skyggebjerg Boel Englund och Lena Kåreland: Rätten till ordet: en kollektivbiografi över skrivande Stockholmskvinnor 1880–1920. Stockholm: Carlsson, 2008. 409 s. ISBN 978-91-7331-146-5Recensent: Ulrika Knutso
Functionalized ZnO nanorod-based selective magnesium ion sensor for intracellular measurements
No full textZnO nanorods were grown on a silver-coated tip of a borosilicate glass capillary (0.7 mu m in tip diameter) and used as selective potentiometric sensor of intracellular free Mg2+. To functionalize the ZnO nanorods for selectivity of Mg2+, a polymeric membrane with Mg2+-selective ionophores were coated on the surface of the ZnO nanorods. These functionalized ZnO nanorods exhibited a Mg2+-dependent electrochemical potential difference versus an Ag/AgCl reference microelectrode within the concentration range from 500 nM to 100 mM. Two types of cells, human adipocytes and frog oocytes, were used for the intracellular Mg2+ measurements. The intracellular concentration of free Mg2+ in human adipocytes and frog oocytes were 0.4-0.5 and 0.8-0.9 mM, respectively. Such type of nanoelectrode device paves the way to enable analytical measurements in single living cells and to sense other bio-chemical species at the intracellular level.Original Publication:Muhammad Asif, Syed Usman Ali, Omer Nour, Magnus Willander, Ulrika Englund and Fredrik Elinder, Functionalized ZnO nanorod-based selective magnesium ion sensor for intracellular measurements, 2010, BIOSENSORS and BIOELECTRONICS, (26), 3, 1118-1123.http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.bios.2010.08.017Copyright: Elsevier Science B.V., Amsterdam.http://www.elsevier.com
Functionalised ZnO-nanorod-based selective electrochemical sensor for intracellular glucose
No full textIn this article, we report a functionalised ZnO-nanorod-based selective electrochemical sensor for intracellular glucose. To adjust the sensor for intracellular glucose measurements, we grew hexagonal ZnO nanorods on the tip of a silver-covered borosilicate glass capillary (0.7 mu m diameter) and coated them with the enzyme glucose oxidase. The enzyme-coated ZnO nanorods exhibited a glucose-dependent electrochemical potential difference versus an Ag/AgCl reference microelectrode. The potential difference was linear over the concentration range of interest (0.5-1000 mu M). The measured glucose concentration in human adipocytes or frog oocytes using our ZnO-nanorod sensor was consistent with values of glucose concentration reported in the literature; furthermore, the sensor was able to show that insulin increased the intracellular glucose concentration. This nanoelectrode device demonstrates a simple technique to measure intracellular glucose concentration.Original Publication:Muhammad Asif, Syed Usman Ali, Omer Nour, Magnus Willander, Cecilia Brännmark, Peter Strålfors, Ulrika Englund, Fredrik Elinder and Bengt Danielsson, Functionalised ZnO-nanorod-based selective electrochemical sensor for intracellular glucose, 2010, Biosensors & bioelectronics, (25), 10, 2205-2211.http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.bios.2010.02.025Copyright: Elsevier Science B.V., Amsterdam.http://www.elsevier.com
The role of ion channels and intracellular metal ions in apoptosis of Xenopus oocytes
No full textApoptosis is one type of programmed cell death, important during tissue development and to maintain the tissue homeostasis. Apoptosis comprises a complex network of internal signaling pathways, and an important part of this signaling network is the action of voltage‐gated ion channels. The aim of this thesis was to explore the role of ion channels and the role of intracellular metal ions during apoptosis in Xenopus laevis oocytes. The reasons for using these oocytes are that they are large, robust, easy to handle, and easy to study electrophysiologically. Apoptosis was induced either chemically by incubation of the oocytes in staurosporine (STS) or mechanically by centrifugation of the oocytes. Ion currents were measured by a two‐electrode voltage clamp technique, intracellular ion concentrations were measured either directly by in‐house developed K+‐selective microelectrodes or indirectly by the electrophysiological technique, and apoptosis was measured by caspase‐3 activation. Paper I describes that the intracellular K+ concentration was reduced by about 30 % during STS‐induced apoptosis. However, this reduction was prevented by excessive expression of exogenous ion channels. Despite the magnitude of the intracellular K+ concentration, either normal or reduced level, the oocytes displayed normal signs of apoptosis, suggesting that the intracellular K+ reduction was not required for the apoptotic process. Because the intracellular K+ concentration was not critical for apoptosis we searched for other ion fluxes by exploring the electrophysiological properties of X. laevis oocytes. Paper II, describes a non‐inactivating Na+ current activated at positive membrane voltages that was upregulated by a factor of five during STS‐induced apoptosis. By preventing influx of Na+, the apoptotic signaling network involving capsase‐3 was prevented. To molecularly identify this voltage‐gated Na channel, the X. tropicalis genome and conserved regions of the human SCNA genes were used as a map. Paper III, shows that the voltage‐gated Na channel corresponds to the SCN2A gene ortholog and that supression of this SCN2A ortholog using miRNA prevented cell death. In conclusion, this thesis work demonstrated that a voltage‐gated Na channel is critical for the apoptotic process in X. laevis oocytes by increasing the intracellular Na+ concentration
A democracy of chameleons : politics and culture in the New Malawi
No full textAfter thirty years of autocratic rule under ”Life President” Kamuzu Banda, Malawians experienced a transition to multiparty democracy in 1994. A new constitution and several democratic institutions promised a new dawn in a country ravaged by poverty and injustice. This book presents original research on the economic, social, political and cultural consequences of the new era. The book engages with a culture of politics in order to expand the purview of critical analysis from the elite to the populace in its full diversity. A new generation of scholars, most of them from Malawi, cover virtually every issue causing debate in the New Malawi: poverty and hunger, the plight of civil servants, the role of the judiciary, political intolerance and hate speech, popular music as a form of protest, clergy activism, voluntary associations and ethnic revival, responses to the HIV/AIDS pandemic, and controversies over women’s rights. Both chameleon-like leaders and the donors of Malawi’s foreign aid come under critical scrutiny for supporting superficial democratization. The book ends with a rare public statement on the New Malawi by Jack Mapanje, Malawi’s internationally acclaimed writer. Dismayed at the continuation of an ”oral culture of dictatorship”, Mapanje urges Malawians to confront their past in order to have a future that is free from fear and intolerance.Anyone interested in politics and culture in sub-Saharan Africa will find this book an important source of insight and detailed analysis for a comparative understanding of Africa’s democratization.CONTENTS -- The Culture of Chameleon Politics / Harri Englund -- The Politics of Poverty Alleviation in Malawi: A Critical Review / Blessings Chinsinga -- Freedom and Insecurity: Civil Servants between Support Networks, the Free Market and the Civil Service Reform / Gerhard Anders -- Judicial Mediation in Electoral Politics in Malawi / Clement Ng’ong’ola -- Hate Speech in the New Malawi / Edrinnie Kayambazinthu & Fulata Moyo -- “Mzimu wa Soldier”: Contemporary Popular Music and Politics in Malawi / Reuben Makayiko Chirambo -- Are Malawi’s Local Clergy Civil Society Activists?: The Limiting Impact of Creed, Context and Class / Peter Von Doepp -- Ethnic Revival and Language Associations in the New Malawi: The Case of Chitumbuka / Gregory H. Kamwendo -- Tikutha: The Political Culture of the HIV/AIDS Epidemic in Malawi / John Lwanda -- “Human Rights and the Multiparty System Have Swallowed Our Traditions”: Conceiving Women and Culture in the New Malawi / Ulrika Ribohn -- Afterword. The Orality of Dictatorship: In Defence of My Country / Jack Mapanje</p
A democracy of chameleons : politics and culture in the New Malawi
No full textAfter thirty years of autocratic rule under ”Life President” Kamuzu Banda, Malawians experienced a transition to multiparty democracy in 1994. A new constitution and several democratic institutions promised a new dawn in a country ravaged by poverty and injustice. This book presents original research on the economic, social, political and cultural consequences of the new era. The book engages with a culture of politics in order to expand the purview of critical analysis from the elite to the populace in its full diversity. A new generation of scholars, most of them from Malawi, cover virtually every issue causing debate in the New Malawi: poverty and hunger, the plight of civil servants, the role of the judiciary, political intolerance and hate speech, popular music as a form of protest, clergy activism, voluntary associations and ethnic revival, responses to the HIV/AIDS pandemic, and controversies over women’s rights. Both chameleon-like leaders and the donors of Malawi’s foreign aid come under critical scrutiny for supporting superficial democratization. The book ends with a rare public statement on the New Malawi by Jack Mapanje, Malawi’s internationally acclaimed writer. Dismayed at the continuation of an ”oral culture of dictatorship”, Mapanje urges Malawians to confront their past in order to have a future that is free from fear and intolerance.Anyone interested in politics and culture in sub-Saharan Africa will find this book an important source of insight and detailed analysis for a comparative understanding of Africa’s democratization.CONTENTS -- The Culture of Chameleon Politics / Harri Englund -- The Politics of Poverty Alleviation in Malawi: A Critical Review / Blessings Chinsinga -- Freedom and Insecurity: Civil Servants between Support Networks, the Free Market and the Civil Service Reform / Gerhard Anders -- Judicial Mediation in Electoral Politics in Malawi / Clement Ng’ong’ola -- Hate Speech in the New Malawi / Edrinnie Kayambazinthu & Fulata Moyo -- “Mzimu wa Soldier”: Contemporary Popular Music and Politics in Malawi / Reuben Makayiko Chirambo -- Are Malawi’s Local Clergy Civil Society Activists?: The Limiting Impact of Creed, Context and Class / Peter Von Doepp -- Ethnic Revival and Language Associations in the New Malawi: The Case of Chitumbuka / Gregory H. Kamwendo -- Tikutha: The Political Culture of the HIV/AIDS Epidemic in Malawi / John Lwanda -- “Human Rights and the Multiparty System Have Swallowed Our Traditions”: Conceiving Women and Culture in the New Malawi / Ulrika Ribohn -- Afterword. The Orality of Dictatorship: In Defence of My Country / Jack Mapanje</p
Intracellular K(+) Determination With a Potentiometric Microelectrode Based on ZnO Nanowires
No full textThe fabrication and application of an intracellular K(+)-selective microelectrode is demonstrated. ZnO nanowires with a diameter of 100-180 nm and a length of approximately 1.5. m are grown on a borosilicate glass microcapillary. The ZnO nanowires were coated by a K(+)-ionophore-containing membrane. The K(+)-selective microelectrode exhibited a K(+)-dependent potentiometric response versus an Ag/AgCl reference microelectrode that was linear over a large concentration range (25 . M-125 mM) with a minimum detection limit of 1 . M. The measured K(+) concentrations in human adipocytes and in frog oocytes were consistent with values of K(+) concentrations reported in the literature. The sensor has several advantages including ease of fabrication, ease of insertion into the cells, low cost, and high selectivity features that make this type of sensor suitable to characterize physiologically relevant ions within single living cells.©2011 IEEE. Personal use of this material is permitted. However, permission to reprint/republish this material for advertising or promotional purposes or for creating new collective works for resale or redistribution to servers or lists, or to reuse any copyrighted component of this work in other works must be obtained from the IEEE. Syed Usman Ali, Muhammad Asif, Alimujiang Fulati, Omer Nur, Magnus Willander, Cecilia Brännmark, Peter Strålfors, Ulrika Englund, Fredrik Elinder and Bengt Danielsson, Intracellular K(+) Determination With a Potentiometric Microelectrode Based on ZnO Nanowires, 2011, IEEE transactions on nanotechnology, (10), 4, 913-919. http://dx.doi.org/10.1109/TNANO.2010.2089696</p
Samverkansprojekt, och sen då? : en uppföljande studie av samverkansprocessen kring barn och unga som far illa eller riskerar att fara illa
No full textSatisfactory 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
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