Aim To examine how children in hospital perceive their meetings with clowns. Methods An interview study with ten children and an observation study of 12 children were carried out at two different hospitals employing clowns in southern Sweden. Findings Analyses of the interviews produced four main thematic categories: the clowns' attributes, feelings that the clowns provoked, children's thoughts ab

Among the second language learners of Swedish from the group of first language speakers (L1) of the one of the standard languages that formed the pluricentric language Serbo-Croatian, Serbian currently seems to be most frequent L1. Based on recordings of L2-speech produced by two Serbian L1-speakers, living in Sweden, this contribution presents typical pronunciation features in L2-Swedish, in orde

Acidic soils are harsh environments for plants. One of the major problems is the potential toxicity of aluminium (Al) and hydrogen ions at a pH below 5: another is the shortage of nutrients usually accompanying soil acidity. The aim of this study was to elucidate the relationship between arbuscular mycorrhizal (AM) colonisation and soil acidity (measured by pH and Al concentration) in order to eva

Background: Experiencing domestic violence is considered a chronic and stressful life event. A theoretical framework of coping strategies can be used to understand how women deal with domestic violence. Traditional values strongly influenced by religious teachings that interpret men as the leaders of women play an important role in the lives of Javanese women, where women are obliged to obey their

Rate-dependent effects in the electronics used to instrument the tagger focal plane at the MAX IV Laboratory have been investigated using the novel approach of Monte Carlo simulation. Results are compared to analytical calculations as well as experimental data for both specialized testing and production running to demonstrate a thorough understanding of the behavior of the detector system.(C) 2013

Context. The inner disc, which links the thin disc with the bulge, has been somewhat neglected in the past because of the intrinsic difficulties in its study, among which crowding and high extinction. Open clusters located in the inner disc are among the best tracers of its chemistry at different ages and distances. Aims. We analyse the chemical patterns of four open clusters located within 7 kpc

Carpal tunnel syndrome is common among employed persons. Data on sickness absence from work in relation to carpal tunnel syndrome have been usually based on self-report and derived from clinical or occupational populations. We aimed to determine sickness absence among persons with physician-diagnosed carpal tunnel syndrome as compared to the general population.

The correlation between surface structure, stoichiometry and atomic occupancy of the polar MgAl2O4(100) surface has been studied with an interplay of noncontact atomic force microscopy, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy and surface X-ray diffraction under ultrahigh vacuum conditions. The Al/Mg ratio is found to significantly increase as the surface is sputtered and annealed in oxygen at intermediat

Possible decay pathways associated with three candidates for triaxial strongly deformed (TSD) bands in Hf-168 have been investigated. The spin and excitation energy of the strongest band, TSD1, were determined approximately based on gamma-ray coincidence relationships. Discrete links were established for the second band. The overall agreement between the observed properties of the bands and cranki

Objective. To determine 'true' glomerular filtration rate (GFR) in healthy adults as renal clearance following infusion of inulin, and compare that result with those obtained using other markers and clearance techniques and with estimations of GFR using creatinine-based prediction equations. Material and methods. Twenty healthy volunteers (11 females) with a median age of 27 years (range 19-36 yea

Background Smoking is a risk factor for the development of anti -citrullinated protein antibodies (ACPA) positive rheumatoid arthritis (RA). Whether smoking predisposes to severe joint damage progression is not known, since deleterious, protective and neutral observations have been made. Objective To determine the effect of smoking on joint damage progression. Methods Smoking status was assessed i

Popular Abstract in Swedish Bedömning av höger sida av hjärtat är viktig hos patienter med hjärtsjukdom; i synnerhet hos patienter med förhöjt tryck i lungkretsloppet. Sänkt högerkammarfunktion och förhöjt tryck i höger förmak har visats vara prognostiskt dåligt. Två-dimensionellt ultraljud av hjärtat (ekokardiografi) är den vanligaste metoden för att bedöma hjärtats funktion, men högerkammaren ärAssessment of the right side of the heart is important in patients with heart disease; especially in patient with elevated pressure in the lung circulation. Decreased right ventricular function and elevated pressure in the right atrium are of poor prognostic value. Two-dimensional echocardiography (ultrasound of the heart) is the most commonly used method to assess the hearts function, but the rig

Health-economic models of diabetes are complex since the disease is chronic, progressive and there are many diabetic complications. External validation of these models helps building trust and satisfies demands from decision makers. We evaluated the external validity of the IHE Cohort Model of Type 2 Diabetes; the impact of using alternative macrovascular risk equations; and compared the results t

Postmodernist perspectives in research have tended to embrace ambiguity, complexity, interconnectedness and contradiction, and have sometimes been described as a rejection of the ‘Grand Theories’ of Modernism. They have been said to reflect a view that previously taken-for-granted assumptions about the organizing principles of social phenomena must be regarded sceptically, and often make use of ir

Lars Fröberg har under många år studerat samspelet mellan lavar och snäckor. Här presenterar han en del av de resultat han och hans kollegor kommit fram till efter studier på alvaret på Öland.

Abstract: The main player of this thesis is glucose, both on a cellular level and with a clinical approach. Too much or wrongly handled glucose contributes to increased inflammation and oxidative stress, which is reinforced by the negative influences of uraemia and dialysis treatment. In addition, trace element status is also affected in dialysis patients. Hyperglycaemia contributes to glucose deg

Popular Abstract in Swedish Övervikt och fetma fortsätter öka världen över, och har redan nått enorma proportioner. Med dessa tillstånd följer en rad sjukdomar, så som diabetes typ 2, hjärtoch kärlsjukdomar och en del cancersjukdomar. Idag är det globalt sett fler människor som dör av fetma och de sjukdomar som är relaterade till övervikt, än som dör av undervikt och svält. Övervikt orsakas främstThe incidence of overweight and obesity has reached alarming proportions. Today, overweight, obesity and the metabolic diseases cause more death than starvation. To counteract an increasing body weight gain, regulation of appetite and a controlled food intake is of greatest importance. Simply put, body weight is regulated by the amount of energy ingested, and the amount of energy expended. In toda