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Introducing Cd into ZnO allows for bandgap engineering, potentially with particularly interesting properties to observe in compositionally graded samples. In this work, compositionally graded Zn1–xCdxO samples with 0 ≤ x <0.16 were made using metal organic vapour phase epitaxy. The chemical composition was studied using scanning transmission electron microscopy, while the band structure of the samples was investigated using a combination of cathodoluminescence spectroscopy and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). It is found that the reduction of the bandgap in our samples is caused by changes in the conduction band. The position of the Fermi level relative to the vacuum level, i.e., the workfunction, was also found to change upon addition of Cd, giving an apparent shift in the valence band when evaluated from the XPS valence spectra. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Theories of what determines research performance have evolved from political and economic science, amongst other disciplines. Contemporary research shows that universities have a problematic work environment characterized by bullying, insecure jobs, and dysfunctional leadership. In this study, we explore the relationship between the psycho-social work environment (PSWE) and research performance. The study consists of longitudinal data from a medical university in Sweden. PSWE was assessed by employee surveys and the outcome was register data from 8 years of bibliometrics and external funding. SEM-analyses were applied building on theoretical and empirical models. Results show that PSWE explained future research performance, with the highest impact on the quality of publications. The most important PSWE factors for good performance were fair, considerate leaders and a supportive social climate. The results suggest that improving the psycho-social work environment at the universities could be one strategy to improve research performance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The bandstructure of 〈110〉 silicon nano wires (SiNWs) with diameters (d) up to 6.1nm were studied using density functional theory. Three types of surface termination were investigated: H, F, and OH; all giving quantum confinement induced direct bandgaps in the investigated size range. Comparison of the calculated results to reported experimental values showed that trends in the bandstructure behaviour were well reproduced. By studying the relative decrease of global and local minima in the conduction band minimum with increasing d, it was possible to predict a direct-to-indirect bandgap transition at d=9.2, 9.5, and 11.4 nm for H, F, and OH terminated NWs, respectively. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The bandstructure of 〈110〉 silicon nano wires (SiNWs) with diameters (d) up to 6.1nm were studied using density functional theory. Three types of surface termination were investigated: H, F, and OH; all giving quantum confinement induced direct bandgaps in the investigated size range. Comparison of the calculated results to reported experimental values showed that trends in the bandstructure behaviour were well reproduced. By studying the relative decrease of global and local minima in the conduction band minimum with increasing d, it was possible to predict a direct-to-indirect bandgap transition at d=9.2, 9.5, and 11.4 nm for H, F, and OH terminated NWs, respectively. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: As technology is advancing, so are the possibilities for new data collection methods in research, potentially improving data quality and validity of the results. In Sweden, a system using frequent repeated data collection using text messages, SMS Track, has been used in clinical research for more than a decade. In this paper, compliance with repeated text message questions was examined across five different studies, i.e. if compliance was 1: associated with study-specific factors (age or gender of the subjects, the condition, its' severity or course, i.e. improvement, relapse or steady state) and/or. 2: associated with the methodology itself (the question being asked, the frequency and number of questions, duration of data collection, initial compliance or the management of the system).Methods: Descriptive comparisons were done across five studies. Three studies were collecting weekly responses over at least 52 weeks ("Weekly studies") and were used to investigate the effect of age, sex and pain severity on compliance, the effect of early compliance for late compliance, and finally the early occurrence of two successive weeks with non-compliance.Result: Compliance was excellent across all five studies, and only influenced somewhat by age, sex and pain-level. The factor "study" remained significant in the final model thus the observed differences may be a result of the conditions studied but does not seem to be attributable to severity or development of these conditions. Number and frequency of questions did not influence compliance, nor did study duration.Conclusions: Compliance was excellent in the included studies and was not affected by population factors. However, differences in compliance were observed that cannot be easily explained and warrant further investigation. In particular, the nature of the variables or the management of the study are potential areas for further investigations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aim: To evaluate gastrointestinal sequelae and growth impairment at school age in children who suffered from necrotising enterocolitis (NEC).Methods: This historic cohort study compared all surviving children born in Denmark between 1 January 2002 and 31 December 2011 with NEC in the newborn period, to surviving children without NEC, but same gestational age, birthweight and year of birth. Outcomes were investigated through a parental questionnaire, including gastrointestinal and growth-related outcomes. We performed exploratory ad hoc analysis, by adjusting for possible confounding and by dividing NEC children into surgical and medical.Results: In total, 163 children with NEC (50%) and 237 (36%) without NEC completed the parental questionnaire. Episodes of diarrhoea were more often reported in the NEC group (p = 0.0002). The increased risk seemed to be limited to those who underwent surgery for NEC. The absence from school (1.67 versus 1.31 days), rate of low height for age (17.9 versus 12.1%) and weight (29.9 versus 31.6 kg) did not differ significantly between children with NEC and children without NEC.Conclusion: Our findings suggest that long-term gastrointestinal complications following NEC appeared to be of little clinical importance at the population level and therefore do not encourage specific routine follow-up. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aim High dietary K+ intake is associated with protection against hypertension. In mammals, acute K+ intake induces natriuresis and kaliuresis, associated with a marked dephosphorylation of the renal Na+/Cl− cotransporter ( NCC). It has been suggested that reduced activity of NCC increases the driving force for more distal tubular epithelial Na+ channel ( ENaC)-dependent K+ secretion. This study investigated the ENaC dependence of urinary K+ and Na+ excretion following acute K+ loading. Methods Mice were fed low (0.03%), control (0.2%) or high (2%) Na+ diets for 25 days to preserve or promote Na+ loss and thus ENaC activity. Once a week, the mice received either K+-containing gavage or a control gavage. Following the gavage treatment, the mice were placed in metabolic cages and urine was collected in real time. ENaC dependence of kaliuresis was assessed by benzamil injections prior to gavage. Results We confirmed that dietary Na+ content is inversely related to plasma aldosterone, NCC phosphorylation and ENaC cleavage products. The novel findings were as follows: (i) acute K+ feeding caused NCC dephosphorylation in all dietary groups; (ii) under all dietary conditions, K+ loading induced natriuresis; (iii) high Na+ diet markedly reduced the K+ excretion following K+ gavage; (iv) benzamil injection prior to K+ loading increased natriuresis, decreased kaliuresis and eliminated the differences between the dietary groups. Conclusion These data indicate that acute K+-induced kaliuresis is ENaC dependent. Maximal K+ excretion rates are attenuated when ENaC is physiologically down-regulated or pharmacologically blocked. NCC is dephosphorylated following acute K+ loading under all dietary Na+ regimens. This leads to natriuresis, even in severely Na+-restricted animals. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background Besides causing ill health, a poor work environment may contribute to production loss. Production loss assessment instruments emphasize health-related consequences but there is no instrument to measure reduced work performance related to the work environment. Aims To examine convergent validity and test-retest reliability of health-related production loss (HRPL) and work environment-related production loss (WRPL) against a valid comparable instrument, the Health and Work Performance Questionnaire (HPQ). Methods Cross-sectional study of employees, not on sick leave, who were asked to self-rate their work performance and production losses. Using the Pearson correlation and Bland and Altman's Test of Agreement, convergent validity was examined. Subgroup analyses were performed for employees recording problem-specific reduced work performance. Consistency of pairs of HRPL and WRPL for samples responding to both assessments was expressed using Intraclass Correlation Coefficient (ICC) and tests of repeatability. Results A total of 88 employees participated and 44 responded to both assessments. Test of agreement between measurements estimates a mean difference of 0.34 for HRPL and -0.03 for WRPL compared with work performance. This indicates that the production loss questions are valid and moderately associated with work performance for the total sample and subgroups. ICC for paired HRPL assessments was 0.90 and 0.91 for WRPL, i.e. the test-retest reliability was good and suggests stability in the instrument. Conclusions HRPL and WRPL can be used to measure production loss due to health-related and work environment- related problems. These results may have implications for advancing methods of assessing production loss, which represents an important cost to employers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Hydrogen (H) can have dramatic consequences on material properties, especially by reducing the fracture toughness. Degradation by H initiates through mechanisms at the nano-scale, and is normally not detectable prior to the final leakage or component fracture. Computational techniques are therefore being developed in order to provide both a wider understanding of the phenomenon and engineering tools for prediction of materials susceptibility toward hydrogen embrittlement. This work presents a preliminary study for the development of a novel computational approach in which density functional theory (DFT), nanoscale experiments and finite element (FE) modeling are combined and interrelated in order to improve the understanding of hydrogen induced intergranular cracking. Two low angle and low coincidence grain boundaries types have been considered: Σ 3 and Σ 5 . Density Functional Theory has been applied to investigate the influence of an increasing number of H atoms on the cohesive strength of these grain boundaries in pure Nickel. This provided relations between the number of H atoms (coverage of the grain boundary) and the cohesive strength, which is further applied in cohesive zone FE modeling of a triangular nanometer sized fracture mechanics cantilever beam. For verification of the model such specimens will be tested experimentally both with and without in-situ electrochemical charging. The simulation results show that the model is suitable for describing the combined effect of grain boundary misorientation and the reduced cohesive energy due to hydrogen on the grain boundary propensity to cleave. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We consider a self-avoiding walk model of polymer adsorption where the adsorbed polymer can be desorbed by the application of a force, concentrating on the case of the square lattice. Using series analysis methods we investigate the behaviour of the free energy of the system when there is an attractive potential ε with the surface and a force f applied at the last vertex, normal to the surface, and extract the phase boundary between the ballistic and adsorbed phases. We believe this to be exact to graphical accuracy. We give precise estimates of the location of the transition from the free phase to the ballistic phase, which we find to be at yc = exp(f/kBTc) = 1, and from the free phase to the adsorbed phase, which we estimate to be at ac = exp( - ε/kBTc) = 1.775 615 ± 0.000 005. In addition we prove that the phase transition from the ballistic to the adsorbed phase is first order. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: The present work describes the generation of a cell line from newly hatched Atlantic cod (Gadus morhua) larvae (ACL cells). Primary cultures were initiated by explant outgrowth from partially minced tissues and subcultured cells were exposed to UV radiation. After a substantial period of growth lag, cells started to proliferate and different growth conditions were tested to establish the cell line. At present, the ACL cell line has been subcultured for more than 100 passages. ACL cells had a polygonal shape and the morphology appeared homogenous with epithelial-like cells. Cell growth was dependent on the presence of foetal bovine serum and cells proliferated in a wide temperature range with optimal growth at 15 °C. By exposure to a viral dsRNA mimic (poly I:C) the cells expressed high levels of a repertoire of genes comprising both inflammatory mediators and interferon stimulated genes. Infection studies with two different viruses showed that infectious pancreatic necrosis virus (IPNV) propagated efficiently, and induced low level expression of genes of both pathways before the cells rapidly died. No productive infection was obtained with nervous necrosis virus (NNV), but a transient increase in the viral RNA level, followed by a high increase in expression of selected ISGs, suggests that the virus enters the cells but is unable to complete its replication cycle. To our knowledge, ACL cells are at the moment the only existing cell line from Atlantic cod. Our results demonstrate that ACL cells can be a useful research tool for further exploration of host–pathogen interactions and it is believed that this cell line will serve as a valuable tool also for studies within other research areas. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

The hydrogenation of Mg0.8125Ti0.1875 was investigated by density functional calculations, using a model where Ti was segregated into nano-clusters. Introducing small amounts of hydrogen resulted in significant stabilization, with the mixing enthalpy (cohesive energy relative to standard state elements) becoming negative for hydrogen contents exceeding 0.07 H per metal. H prefers sites on the interface between Mg and Ti, with hydrogenation energies down to -115 kJ/(mol H2). Trapping of H on these very stable sites is proposed as an alternative explanation to why the reversibility of Mg-Ti thin films, which are initially meta-stable, can be preserved over many cycles of hydrogenation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Summary The limited amount of fish oils available has resulted in an increased use of vegetable oils in the feed for farmed fish, such as Atlantic salmon. The aim of this study was to evaluate how this has affected the fatty acid (FA) composition of farmed Atlantic salmon and to compare the FA composition of 20 farmed Atlantic salmon with that of 20 wild Atlantic salmon caught in the sea. Fillet fat of farmed salmon was about 12%, which is twice that found in wild salmon. The FA composition of the farmed salmon confirmed a substantial inclusion of vegetable oils in the feed, but the total amount of long chain n-3 FA present in the fillets of farmed salmon was higher than in the wild fish. A standard portion of farmed Atlantic salmon fillet (200 g) provides approximately 2 g of eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA), which is four times higher than the minimum daily intakes recommended by the UK's Scientific Advisory Committee on Nutrition and the World Health Organisation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Norway has the largest salmon-farming industry in the world, an industry that is still growing, and in recent years production of marine species like Atlantic cod has also increased. At the same time, Norway has the world''s largest wild stock of Atlantic salmon and has fjord systems and ocean areas rich in wild marine fish species which form the basis of a large fishing industry. As the aquaculture industry grows and diversifies, there is concern about the potential effects of pathogens spreading from farmed fish to wild populations. The overall health situation in Norwegian aquaculture is good, but some pathogens are not controlled effectively. In particular, salmon lice produced in farms may cause problems for wild salmonids and other parasites may be abundant too. Also, viral diseases in Atlantic salmon and bacterial diseases in Atlantic cod give rise to several disease outbreaks annually. The open design of most aquaculture systems allows the transmission of pathogens from the environment or from wild fish to the farmed fish. The objective of this review is to provide an overview of current knowledge of disease interaction and pathogen exchange between farmed and wild fish populations, with emphasis on Norwegian condition. In addition, the paper contains an evaluation of research methods that would be useful in expanding knowledge of pathogen exchange between wild and farmed fish, and in surveys of diseases in wild fish populations. The impact of pathogen transfer from farmed fish to economically important wild fish populations is assessed together with risk analysis considering possible consequences of pathogen exchange between farmed and wild fish. Finally, the review contains suggestions for future research that will increase the knowledge in the field. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Recent advances in single molecule experiments have made it possible to investigate the mechanical anisotropy of protein stability in greater detail. It has been found that proteins can exhibit a diverse range of responses when pulled in different directions. We review some of the experimental and numerical work related to the study of the resistance of proteins to force-induced mechanical unfolding. Based on model studies in the framework of statistical mechanics, we discuss the possible molecular origin of the anisotropy of protein resistance to unfolding. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ion processes can be studied by a wide variety of experimental setups ranging from small ion trap devises to large storage rings. In Penning as well as Paul (rf) traps, the effective oscillation frequencies of trapped particles have, e.g., extensively been used to gain information of the charge to mass ratio of produced atomic and molecular ions. For such investigations, space charges due to the simultaneous presence of multiple ions, is a limiting factor, and hence low density or single particle experiments are preferred. The purpose of the present article is to discuss the prospects of using traps in the opposite regime where space charges dominate and so-called ion Coulomb crystals form (at temperatures about ∼10 mK). The experimental results presented below show that in this regime, differences in single particle oscillation frequencies of simultaneously trapped ions lead to a spatial segregation of the ion species which can be used as means to study a large variety of ion processes. Since the detection relies generally on observations of changes in the spatial structure of the Coulomb crystals formed by the cold, trapped ions, it can often be non-destructive, i.e., the product ions of a certain process will stay trapped and be available for further experimentations. It is the intention of the present article to discuss, via some examples, the usefulness of ion Coulomb crystals as a tool in investigations of ion processes more than it is the aim to provide new data. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Glucose concentrations were determined in capillary and venous blood and in venous plasma from 100 consecutive patients referred to an oral glucose tolerance test. The capillary blood was immediately transferred to a haemolysing and glucose stabilizing solution and frozen within 4h. Venous blood was drawn in heparin-sodium fluoride tubes and stored for 0, 4 or 24h at 4 or 20 degrees C. Aliquots of the venous blood were then treated in the same way as the capillary blood. The primary tubes were centrifuged, and aliquots of the plasma were stabilized, as described. All specimens from the same sampling event were analysed in the same analytical series on EBIO compact. Deming linear regression equations y = a + bx were calculated to estimate the glucose concentration in one specimen from that in a differently treated specimen e.g.: B(cB:fPt)---Glucose (0h) = 0.61 + 0.897*P(vB;fPt)-Glucose (24h. 20 C). n = 100, SD(y/x) = 0.25 mmol/L and B(vB) Glucose (0h) = 0.53 + 0.897*P(vB)--Glucose (24h. 20 degrees C), n = 196, SD(y/x) = 0.26 mmol,/L. The non-analytical part of the standard deviation of the ratio between the near-patient test result and its predicted value was 0.038 for both of the above predictions. In conclusion, the analytical (including sampling) variation of near-patient tests of glucose can be assessed by laboratory analysis on mailed, heparin-fluoride stabilized venous blood or on plasma samples made from the mailed blood. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: This study aimed to investigate the efficiency of alarm treatment in patients suffering from nocturnal enuresis (NE). Material and Methods: The weekly frequency of nightly wetting was used as an indicator of the patient's predisposition for alarm treatment and thus of the efficiency of the alarm. Results: The pattern of relapse is shown in connection with a status 1 year after treatment ended for those who volunteered successful treatment. Conclusions: Patients with the highest pretreatment frequencies of NE achieved better results from treatment with an alarm and ended up in a better situation than those with lower frequencies of NE receiving the same treatment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) was employed to investigate Mg80Ti20 thin film samples prepared by magnetron sputtering and density functional theory (DFT) calculations were performed on atomistic models with similar stoichiometry. As Ti is known to be immiscible in Mg, the microstructure and atomic distribution of Mg-Ti thin films are not fully understood. In this work, it was shown by DFT calculations that the density of states (DOS) depends strongly on whether Ti is arranged in nano-clusters or if it is distributed quasi-randomly. The calculated DOS was compared to valence band spectra measured by XPS, as a new way of indirectly probing short-range order of such thin films. The XPS results of Mg80Ti20 were found to correspond best with the DOS calculated for the nano-cluster model, supporting the view that Ti forms small clusters in such sputtered thin films. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Methods Nine health states were defined across two domains, ventilation status (ventilator free, noninvasive ventilation (NIV)<16hr, NIV>=16hr or tracheostomy) and best achieved motor milestone (not sitting, sitting without support and standing/walking). The median age of patients at their first hospitalization was 0 months and 75% of the surgical procedures were reported by patients receiving NIV >=16 hours or a tracheostomy. [Extracted from the article]

Examines the change of the laboratory medicine in Scandinavia. Details on internal medicine, endocrinology and pediatrics; Frequency of clinical contacts; Collaboration between clinical chemists and colleagues.

The aim of the present study was to investigate whether addition of the BACTEC™ Mycosis bottle to the standard BACTEC™ aerobic and anaerobic bottles contributed to a higher detection rate and a faster time to detection (TTD) of fungi. This was a retrospective cohort study of all patients with a positive blood culture with Candida species delivered to the Department of Clinical Microbiology, Herlev and Gentofte Hospital, Denmark in the 8-year period 2006 through 2014. The patients had at least one BACTEC™ aerobic and one Mycosis bottle sampled at the same time and at least one of the bottles yielded growth of fungi. Among 184 patients included, 173 were examined using BACTEC™ aerobic, anaerobic and Mycosis bottles. The anaerobic vial generally had the lowest detection rate and the longest TTD. The detection rate of BACTEC™ aerobic plus anaerobic with the BACTEC™ Mycosis bottle was significantly higher than the detection rate of BACTEC™ aerobic plus anaerobic without BACTEC™ Mycosis bottle for all species after 1-5 days, and specially for Candida glabrata at 2, 3, 4 and 5 days. TTD for C. glabrata was significantly shorter for BACTEC™ Mycosis than TTD for BACTEC™ aerobic or anaerobic bottles after ½ to 4 days. When combining 'first or only' detection, the BACTEC™ Mycosis bottle had a significantly higher detection as compared to the aerobic bottle. Addition of the BACTEC™ Mycosis bottle to the standard BACTEC™ aerobic and anaerobic bottles significantly contributed to a higher detection rate and a faster TTD of fungemia. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective To evaluate the value of a urine sample for diagnosing Chlamydia trachomatis infection in an STD clinic in a prospective study of samples collected from 410 consecutive STD patients (167 female and 243 male). Methods Urine samples were tested by enzyme immunoassay (EIA) and polymerase chain reaction (PCR) in comparison with cervical and/or urethral swabs tested by PCR and cell culture. A questionnaire was completed for a total of 320 patients concerning symptoms, and determining whether they were controls, contacts or were being tested subsequent to legal abortion. Results The overall prevalence of C. trachomatis infection was 11.5%. At least 40% of patients were asymptomati c . Of the C. trachomatis -positive patients, 85% were diagnosed by testing urine, compared to 91% by testing swabs. For urine tests, the sensitivities of PCR were 66.7% and 71.9% for female and male patients, respectively, and the sensitivities of EIA were 40.0% and 62.5%, or 46.7% and 71.9%, for female and male patients, respectively, by including a 30% gray zone below the cut-off value. For swabs, the sensitivities of PCR were 93.3% and 87.5% for female and male patients, respectively, and equal to the sensitivities of culture. In total, 3.3% of controls and 35% of contacts were found to be C. trachomatis positive. Conclusion The use of urine samples for the diagnosis of C. trachomatis infections was effective, but urine samples should be additional to conventional swab(s) instead of replacing. Partner notification and a confirmation of cure is recommended. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We study the analyticity of the partition function of the hard hexagon model in the complex fugacity plane by computing zeros and transfer matrix eigenvalues for large finite size systems. We find that the partition function per site computed by Baxter in the thermodynamic limit for positive real values of the fugacity is not sufficient to describe the analyticity in the full complex fugacity plane. We also obtain a new algebraic equation for the low density partition function per site. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: Given that a motor vehicle crash (MVC) had occurred, to evaluate whether occupant- and crash-related factors, such as age, gender, seating position and type of MVC are associated with the risk of whiplash injury.Methods: A study of occupants in cars covered by motor insurance at one of the largest insurance companies in Sweden, was undertaken during a one-year period. The study population comprised all occupants in cars exposed to an MVC in which at least one occupant was injured (n = 7120). Adjusted estimates of the relative risk of whiplash injury, associated with the different factors, were calculated by means of binomial regression analysis.Results: Considering different MVCs, rear-end collisions were associated with the highest relative risk of whiplash injury when compared with side impacts (1.82; 95% CI 1.68-1.96), while drivers showed the strongest association with respect to seating position when compared with passengers in the rear seat (1.78; 95% CI 1.60-1.97). Females had a somewhat higher relative risk of whiplash injury than males (1.20; 95% CI 1.16-1.25). Regarding age, the relative risk was moderately increased across the different age groups when compared with the oldest age group. No interaction was observed on the additive scale.Conclusions: Given that an MVC had occurred, subjects exposed to a rear-end collision and drivers had a substantial increased risk of whiplash injury, while age and gender were of minor importance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The conformity between asthma diagnosed in a clinical setting and asthma from an epidemiological point of view has not been much studied. Methods: History, symptoms, and clinical findings in persons with and without a previous physician diagnosed asthma were studied among persons classified as having asthma according to an epidemiological definition. Results: Smoking was more prevalent in persons not diagnosed as having asthma prior to the study ( n = 96), than in those with a previous asthma diagnosis ( n = 119), (60% vs. 41%, P = 0.006). Positive skin prick test (SPT) was less common (39.6% vs. 58.0%, P = 0.009), lung function expressed as FEV1.0 in percentage of predicted was better (92.1 vs. 85.4, P = 0.018), reversibility to a bronchodilator was smaller (mean reversibility 4.0% vs. 6.2% of predicted, P = 0.003) and symptoms were less frequently reported ( P < 0.001) by those who had not a physician diagnosed asthma prior to the study. Conclusion: The asthma diagnosis is often overlooked by the medical profession in patients with mild disease. Furthermore, smoking seems to worsen asthma exacerbations in patients with mild disease. Background: The conformity between asthma diagnosed in a clinical setting and asthma from an epidemiological point of view has not been much studied. Methods: History, symptoms, and clinical findings in persons with and without a previous physician diagnosed asthma were studied among persons classified as having asthma according to an epidemiological definition. Results: Smoking was more prevalent in persons not diagnosed as having asthma prior to the study (n = 96), than in those with a previous asthma diagnosis ( n = 119), (60% vs. 41%, P = 0.006). Positive skin prick test (SPT) was less common (39.6% vs. 58.0%, P = 0.009), lung function expressed as FEV1.0 in percentage of predicted was better (92.1 vs. 85.4, P = 0.018), reversibility to a bronchodilator was smaller (mean reversibility 4.0% vs. 6.2% of predicted, P =... [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The effects of two different prevention programmes on: (1) reported neck, shoulder and back pain, (2) perceived physical exertion at work and perceived work-related psychosocial factors, were evaluated by questionnaires after 12 and 18 months. Female nursing aides and assistant nurses (n = 282) working in the home-care services, were randomly assigned to one of three groups for: (1) individually designed physical training programme, (2) work-place stress management, (3) control group. Results revealed no significant differences between the three groups. However, improvements in low back pain were registered within both intervention groups for up to 18 months. Perceived physical exertion at work was reduced in the physical training group. Improvements in neck and shoulder pain did not differ within the three groups. Dissatisfaction with work-related, psychosocial factors was generally increased in all groups. As the aetiology of neck, shoulder and back disorders is multifactorial, a combination of the two intervention programmes might be preferable and should be further studied. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To evaluate how common radiation therapy techniques perform in the setting of the new European Society for Radiotherapy and Oncology-Advisory Committee in Radiation Oncology Practice (ESTRO-ACROP) delineation recommendations for immediate breast reconstruction (IBR). Seven Danish radiation therapy centres and six international European centres participated in this project. Two breast cancer cases (one left-sided and one right-sided) with a retropectoral implant were chosen for radiation therapy planning using deep-inspiration breath-hold. Target volumes were delineated according to ESTRO-ACROP delineation recommendations. The centres were asked to plan the cases using any radiation therapy technique according to the Danish Breast Cancer Group plan objectives. In total, 35 treatment plans were collected. Half of the submitted plans, for both the left-sided and the right-sided case, used the field-in-field (FiF) technique (nine for each), a quarter used volumetric arc radiation therapy (VMAT; five for right-sided, four for left-sided) and the remaining quarter was a mix of inverse intensity-modulated radiation therapy (IMRT), helicoidal therapy and hybrid (combined open fields and VMAT) techniques. Mean clinical target volume doses were in the range 99–102% of the prescribed dose. The median FiF mean heart dose (MHD) for right-sided radiation therapy was 1 Gy (range 0.8–3.7) and 5.2 Gy for left-sided radiation therapy (range 2.2–6.5). For right-sided radiation therapy, the median VMAT MHD was 3.42 Gy, for IMRT was 2.3 Gy and for helicoidal therapy was 5.1 Gy. For left-sided radiation therapy, the median VMAT MHD was 6.3 Gy, for IMRT was 7.8 Gy and for helicoidal therapy was 7.3 Gy. Different radiation therapy techniques could be used to plan radiation therapy in the setting of IBR. FiF provided good coverage with acceptable organ at risk doses. The best dose distribution results as a trade-off between the objectives of target volume coverage and high-dose organ at risk inclusion. The radiation therapy technique affects the interplay between these objectives. • The study evaluated different radiation therapy techniques to plan postoperative radiation in the setting of immediate reconstruction. • All tested radiation therapy techniques could produce acceptable plans, including field-in-field (FiF) tangential plans. • IMRT offers better target coverage than FiF at the cost of a higher mean heart dose and increased low doses to distant OAR. • The 'price' of the low dose bath inverse radiation therapy plans should be considered when evaluating such treatments. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

With a predominantly employer-based health insurance system in the United States, it is important for employers to consider the impact of appropriate utilization of options for colorectal cancer screening. All costs originated from or were adjusted to 2019 USD and Medicare costs were scaled to the Commercial population by applying a cost index. Results With a hypothetical employee population of 100K, it was projected that the incremental direct medical cost savings were $165K from CRC screening, surveillance colonoscopies, adverse events due to colonoscopies, and CRC treatment; and the indirect cost savings were $556K. [Extracted from the article]

Screening is essential to the prevention, early detection, and successful treatment of colorectal cancer (CRC). For mt-sDNA, FIT, and colonoscopy, initial screening uptake ranged from 67.5%-71.1%, 48%-64.7%, and 38%-64%, whereas repeat adherence ranged from 54%-86.1% for stool-based screening and from 38%-64% for colonoscopy. [Extracted from the article]

Background: Given the prevalence of work stress-related ill-health in the Western world, it is important to find cost-effective, easy-to-use and valid measures which can be used both in research and in practice. Aims: To examine the validity and reliability of the single-item stress question (SISQ), distributed weekly by short message service (SMS) and used for measurement of work-related stress. Methods: The convergent validity was assessed through associations between the SISQ and subscales of the Job Demand-Control-Support model, the Effort-Reward Imbalance model and scales measuring depression, exhaustion and sleep. The predictive validity was assessed using SISQ data collected through SMS. The reliability was analysed by the test-retest procedure. Results: Correlations between the SISQ and all the subscales except for job strain and esteem reward were significant, ranging from -0.186 to 0.627. The SISQ could also predict sick leave, depression and exhaustion at 12-month follow-up. The analysis on reliability revealed a satisfactory stability with a weighted kappa between 0.804 and 0.868. Conclusions: The SISQ, administered through SMS, can be used for the screening of stress levels in a working population. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Common mental disorders (CMDs) are among the leading causes of sick leave in Sweden and other OECD countries. They result in suffering for the individual and considerable financial costs for the employer and for society at large. The occupational health service (OHS) can offer interventions in which both the individual and the work situation are taken into account. The aim of this paper is to describe the design of a study evaluating the effectiveness of an intervention given at the OHS to employees with CMDs or stress-related symptoms at work. In addition, intervention fidelity and its relation to the outcome will be assessed in a process analysis.Methods: The study is designed as a cluster randomized trial in which the participating OHS consultants are randomized into either delivering the intervention or performing care as usual. Employees with CMDs or stress-related symptoms at work are recruited consecutively by the OHS consultants. The intervention aims to improve the match between the employee and the job situation. Interviews are held individually with the employee and the nearest supervisor, after which a joint meeting with both the employee and the supervisor takes place. A participatory approach is applied by which the supervisor and the employee are guided by the OHS consultant and encouraged to actively take part in problem solving concerning the work situation. Outcomes will be assessed at baseline and at six and 12 months. A long-term follow-up at 3 years will also be performed. The primary outcome is registered sickness absence during a 1-year period after study inclusion. Secondary outcomes are mental health and work ability. The intervention's cost effectiveness, compared to treatment as usual, both for society and for the employer will be evaluated. A process evaluation by both the OHS consultants and the employee will be carried out.Discussion: The study includes analyses of the effectiveness of the intervention (clinical and economic) as well as an analysis of its implementation at the participating OHSs. Possible methodological challenges such as selection bias and risk of contamination between OHS consultants delivering the experimental condition and consultants giving usual care are discussed.Trial Registration: ClinicalTrials NCT02563743 Sep 28 2015. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]