Studies on the reliability of biomarkers for alcohol use and abuse

Alcohol is consumed by the vast majority of the population, but prolonged excessive drinking is associated with various negative health and social consequences. It is therefore important to identify individuals with at-risk alcohol consumption, before it turns into abuse or dependence. Early detection of alcohol use and abuse can be done by the use of biomarkers such as ethyl glucuronide (EtG), carbohydrate-deficient transferrin (CDT), and phosphatidylethanol (PEth) that provide objective information about current consumption. However, since misleading test results can have devastating consequences, the use of reliable biomarkers is substantial. The aim of this thesis was to evaluate several factors, both clinical and analytical, that could generate erroneous test results when testing for alcohol use by these biomarkers. Measurement of urinary EtG levels was done in 482 samples using different liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry procedures. Accurate determination of EtG concentrations was done according to specific criteria suggested by international guidelines. The sensitivity and specificity were calculated for each of four methods by comparing EtG results obtained with a fifth reference method that demonstrated the highest selectivity. These results showed that meeting the guideline criteria does not always guarantee correct identification, and the likelihood of different analytical methods to provide reliable analytical results depends on the reporting limit applied. Evaluation of the analytical performance of CDT testing was done by comparing two different methods in routine use, capillary electrophoresis (CE) and high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). Most of the problems encountered by CE could be solved by using the HPLC method, and it was therefore advised to have access to a confirmatory HPLC analysis, when a high throughput method like CE is employed. Evaluation of the clinical performance of CDT in pregnancy was done by measuring serum transferrin glycoforms in 171 samples collected from 24 healthy women during and after pregnancy. A gradual increase in the CDT (%disialotransferrin) level was observed during pregnancy, and in many subjects the level approached the upper limit of the reference interval. For use in pregnant women, the cutoff value for CDT used to detect risky drinking needs to be raised slightly to minimize the risk for falsepositive results. The possible interference by transferrin glycation on CDT testing was also evaluated. Samples subjected to in vitro glycation and samples collected from diabetic patients were tested for CDT by HPLC. No interferences were observed in samples from diabetics, which contrasted to the effect seen in vitro by transferrin glycation. The results indicated that CDT, and also PEth, are reliable markers to identify risky drinking in diabetic patients. Taken together, the results of the present studies have identified and suggested ways to overcome a number of analytical and clinical interferences with these alcohol biomarkers, and thus helped to improve their routine use

Taxes and Mergers in Sweden

This paper studies the relative importance of tax incentives as merger motives in the Swedish industry during the period 1983-1987. Several econometric models are estimated and statistical tests performed. The tax-hypothesis is contrasted with an alternative hypothesis, suggested by Jensen, which explains mergers as a way for independent managers to increase their personal power. Neither hypothesis get any strong support in this study, the evidence is somewhat stronger in favor of Jensen's theory however

Efficiency and Ownership Structure – The Case of Poland

We examine the effects of foreign entry on productive efficiency during the Polish investment liberalization. The performance of foreign acquisitions is compared to foreign firms entering the market through greenfield entry, as well as domestic acquisitions of privatized firms, domestic greenfields and remaining state-owned (non-privatized) firms during the period 1995-2000. We find that foreign privatized firms have realized larger productivity gains than all types of domestic firms and that this is not due to higher price-cost margins, which is consistent with the idea that foreign firms bring in firm-specific knowledge. Foreign greenfields have the highest average labour productivity, while foreign privatizations show the largest productivity increase.Privatizations; M As; FDI; Foreign Ownership; Productivity

Efficiency and Ownership Structure: The Case of Poland

We examine the effects of foreign entry on productive efficiency during the Polish investment liberalization. The performance of foreign acquisitions is compared to foreign firms entering the market through greenfield entry, as well as domestic acquisitions of privatized firms, domestic greenfields and remaining state-owned (non-privatized) firms during the period 1995-2000. We find that foreign privatized firms have realized larger productivity gains than all types of domestic firms and that this is not due to higher price-cost margins, which is consistent with the idea that foreign firms bring in firm-specific knowledge. Foreign greenfields have the highest average labour productivity, while foreign privatizations show the largest productivity increase

On the identification of earlywood and latewood radial elastic modulus of Pinus pinaster by digital image correlation: a parametric analysis

This work addresses the reconstruction of strain gradient fields at the wood growth ring scale from full-field deformation measurements provided by digital image correlation. Moreover, the spatial distribution of the earlywood and latewood radial modulus of elasticity is assessed. Meso-scale tensile tests are carried out on Pinus pinaster Ait. Wooden specimens oriented in the radial–tangential plane under quasi-static loading conditions. A parametric analysis of the twodimensional digital image correlation extrinsic and intrinsic setting parameters is performed, in a balance between spatial resolution and resolution. It is shown that the parametric module is an effective way to quantitatively support the choice of digital image correlation parameters in the presence of the high deformation gradient fields generated by the structure–property relationships at the scale of observation. Under the assumption of a uniaxial tensile stress state, the spatial distribution of the radial elastic modulus across the growth rings is obtained. It is observed that the ratio of the radial modulus of elasticity between latewood and earlywood tissues can vary significantly as a function of the digital image correlation parameters. It is pointed out, however, that a convergence value can be systematically established. Effectively, earlywood and latewood stress–strain curves are obtained and elastic properties are determined assuming the converged digital image correlation setting parameters

Espero que entiendas - La explicación del subjuntivo en manuales suecos y españoles de ELE

El propósito de este trabajo fue el de analizar y categorizar diez manuales –cinco manuales suecos y cinco españoles– de español como lengua extranjera con punto de partida en sus explicaciones del uso y los campos de aplicación del modo subjuntivo. Nuestra hipótesis ha sido que los manuales explican, con más frecuencia, el subjuntivo desde una perspectiva sintáctica que desde una perspectiva semántica. Creemos que el problema que tienen los autores suecos es que no pueden captar el núcleo o significado inherente que tiene el subjuntivo; los españoles, por su parte, creemos luchan con explicar los aspectos del subjuntivo fuera de su propio idioma. Para probar nuestra hipótesis encontramos e identificamos todas las explicaciones del subjuntivo y sus campos de aplicación en los diez manuales y, con ayuda de tres preguntas de investigación, averiguar si estos tienen perfil sintáctico o semántico. Nuestra esperanza es que la categorización de los manuales podrá ayudar a los profesores en la elección de material didáctico ya que nuestra clasificación va a dar una vista general de su postura en la cuestión del subjuntivo. La conclusión que puede extraerse de este trabajo es que la cantidad de explicaciones sintácticas exceden la cantidad de explicaciones semánticas. Además encontramos que los manuales suecos carecen explicaciones profundas y específicas, lo cual no les falta a los manuales españoles.Syftet med föreliggande arbete är att analysera och kategorisera tio utvalda läroböcker – fem spanska och fem svenska – för spanska som främmande språk med utgångspunkt i dessas förklaringar av bruket och användningsområdena av det verbala moduset, konjunktiv. Vår hypotes är således att läroböckerna oftare förklarar bruket av konjunktiv utifrån ett syntaktiskt perspektiv än utifrån en semantiskt. Vi tror att de svenska författarnas problematik kring ämnet grundar sig i en oförmåga att överföra den inre betydelse som moduset besitter; de spanska författarna, å andra sidan, tror vi har bekymmer med att förklara dess aspekter utanför sitt eget språk. För att pröva vår hypotes har vi att letat upp och identifierat samtliga förklaringar av konjunktiven och dess användningsområden i de tio läroböckerna och med hjälp utav tre guidande frågor avgjort om dessa har en syntaktisk eller semantisk profil. Vår förhoppning är att vår kategorisering av läroböckerna kommer kunna hjälpa lärare i valet av undervisningsmaterial då vår profilering kommer att ge en översikt över böckernas ståndpunkt i frågan om konjunktiven. De slutsatser som kan dras utifrån detta arbete är att andelen syntaktiska förklaringar överstiger andelen semantiska. Dessutom finner vi att de svenska läroböckerna saknar djupa och specifika förklaringar, något som de spanska inte lider brist på