Syftet med studien var att beskriva vilka attityder som finns bland recipienter och donatorer angående de riktlinjer som bör efterföljas för ägg- och spermiedonation. Syftet var även att undersöka om det finns skillnader i attityder inom grupperna recipienter kvinnor respektive män och donatorer till huruvida barnet har rätt att få kunskap om sitt ursprung. Studien blev en del av ett stort nationellt projekt. Data samlades in med enkäter som berörde de tidigare beskrivna områdena. Enkäterna var utformade med påståenden att ta ställning till som ”instämmer” eller ”instämmer inte”. Antal deltagare var 333 stycken och data samlades in från april 2005 till och med våren 2008. Huvudresultatet som framkom i studien var att för donatorernas attityder gällande barnets rätt att få kunskap om sitt ursprung så visade det sig att kvinnorna var i flera påståenden i signifikant högre grad mer positiva än männen. I resultatet angående attityder till riktlinjer som bör efterföljas för könscellsdonation så hade recipienter och donatorer snarlika inställningar, om än inte fullt ut. Gällande för recipienter så var det endast kvinnorna som hade en signifikant skillnad i ett påstående, i övrigt fanns det inga skillnader för de båda grupperna i attityderna till barnets rätt att få kunskap om sitt ursprung. / The purpose of the study was to describe what attitudes there were among recipients and donors about the guiding principles that should comply with oocyte- and sperm donation. The purpose was also to investigate if there were any differences within the groups of recipient women and men and the donor group considering disclosure to the child about their origin. The study became a part of a national project. Data were collected with questionnaire that included earlier described aspects. It was formed with statements to take stands towards in form of “agree” or “disagree”. Number of participants were 333 and data were collected from April 2005 until spring 2008. The main results found that among donors and the attitudes toward the child’s right to get knowledge about their origin showed that women was significantly more positive in several aspects then the men. The results also showed that considering the guiding principles that should comply with gametes donation the recipients and donors had just about similar attitudes. For the recipients there was only the women who had a significant difference in one of the statements, otherwise there was no difference in either of both groups for the attitudes about disclosure to the child.

Objective: To describe and compare the characteristics of blood donors and non-donors and to examine factors associated with donation, including motivators and barriers of blood donation in Guangzhou, China. Design: Cross-sectional survey using self-administered standardized structured questionnaires on both donors and non-donors. Setting: 12 mobile and 4 permanent blood donation stations in Guangzhou during the whole operation time. Participants: 500 blood donors who donated at the donation sites and 500 non-donors who never donated and passed by the station were asked to complete a self-administered questionnaire during Dec 10, 2013 to Jun 25, 2014. Main outcome measures: Blood donation or no donation. Results: 1080 questionnaires were collected, of which 1034(95.7%) questionnaires were valid. 602(58.2%) participants were donors and 432(41.8%) were non-donors. Older people (OR: 1.46, 95% confidence interval: 1.24 to 1.72, p<0.01), males (1.33, CI: 1.02 to 1.71, p=0.03), non-college-students (1.76, CI: 1.16 to 2.56, p<0.01) and people with higher education level (1.27, CI: 1.11 to 1.45, p<0.01) were more likely to be donors. The main objective of blood donation was helping patients (n=405, 68.2%), and the main reason of not donating was being in poor health (n=138, 33.1%). However, other motives, such as benefiting health and free check for blood type and body, and obstacles, such as failing to meet the requirements and fear, were also important. More male donors would donate again than females (80.5% vs. 68.5%, p<0.01), whereas more female donors showed uncertainty than males (25.9% vs. 16.6%, p<0.01). Usage of blood (n=182, 46.7%) was what non-donors wanted to know the most if they were to donate in the future. The majority of participants (n=730, 71.3%) considered raising the awareness of blood donation among people was one of the most effective ways of blood donation promotion. Television was considered as one of the most effective methods of blood donation promotion and recruitment, and was more acceptable to females. Younger participants preferred the internet. Conclusion: These findings suggest that raising the awareness of blood donation is vital. Campaigns should focus on multiple aspects targeting different groups of people. Television and the internet are useful tools of blood donation promotion and recruitment. / published_or_final_version / Public Health / Master / Master of Public Health

The question of what agenda drives NGO peacebuilding in post-conflict setting has been raised in a number of literatures which make generalized conclusions that NGOs tend to respond to the liberal peace agenda, and in the process co-opt local peacebuilding initiatives. Liberal peace agenda refers to the post-conflict peacebuilding approach based on the promotion of democracy, economic liberalization, human rights and the rule of law. As such, NGOs are seen as privatizing peacebuilding, marginalizing local initiatives and applying unsustainable approaches to peacebuilding in post-conflict contexts. Provoked by these assertions, I conducted field research in northern Uganda, which up to 2006 had experienced 22 years of conflict between the Lord's Resistance Army (LRA) and Government of Uganda (GOU). I contend in my findings that while to some extent the generalized observations made by liberal peace critics are true, they fail to fully engage with the micro aspects of post-conflict peacebuilding. The macro-analytic assertions of the liberal peace critics ignore the plurality of the NGO peacebuilding practice, the diverse internal organizational culture, and the complexities and diversities of the contextual dynamics of post-conflict settings. My research was based on a micro level analysis and demonstrated that the peacebuilding process in northern Uganda was interactive, and, as such, engendered diverse encounters of sense-making, relationship building and co-construction of peacebuilding discourse and practice between NGOs, donors and local community. The study shows that peacebuilding was essentially relational and developed through a process of relational constructionism, which denotes social processes of reality construction based on relational encounters.

Live kidney donors are healthy volunteers who are exposed to major surgical procedure and physical harms with no direct therapeutic benefits. Efforts to minimize their risks and morbidity are therefore of utmost importance. The current thesis describes studies on donor evaluation, surgical procedure and postoperative management of live kidney donors. The overall purpose is to evaluate and possibly improve routines and treatments in order to reduce risks and the overall morbidity of live kidney donors. In Study I, we evaluated the assessment of kidney function during donor evaluation and found that the accuracy of iohexol glomerular filtration rate (GFR) is compromised by large variations in repeated measurements in presumably healthy donors. We proposed that there is a need for improvement of GFR measurements and that the assessment of predonation kidney function should be more comprehensive, involving GFR, laboratory investigations, functional and morphological examinations and sound clinical judgment. In Study II, we addressed the risk of perioperative venous thromboembolism (VTE) and concluded that expanding the standard screening protocol for VTE to include perioperative venous duplex can potentially decrease the VTE-related morbidity. In studies III and IV, we investigated the impact of hand-assisted retroperitoneoscopic (HARS) nephrectomy on donor safety and perioperative morbidity. The HARS nephrectomy uses the hand-assisted approach, which enables immediate manual compression for hemostasis in case of sudden and severe bleeding. Additionally, the pure retroperitoneal access further increases the safety margin of laparoscopic donor nephrectomy by 1) minimizing the risk of intestinal injury, and 2) exposure of the retroperitoneal nerves, making HARS suitable for continuous infusion of local anesthetics (CILA). CILA effectively reduces the need for opioid consumption and has the potential to totally obviate opiate analgesics postoperatively. Consequently, CILA in combination with HARS reduces morphine-related morbidity and promotes postoperative recovery. In accordance with these data, we recommend improvement and modification of the donor evaluation process as well as a broad introduction of HARS nephrectomy in combination with CILA to increase the safety margin for live kidney donors.

Cystic fibrosis (CF) is an inborn, hereditary disease, due to mutations in the gene for a cAMP-activated chloride (Cl-) channel, the cystic fibrosis transmembrane conductance regulator (CFTR). As a result of impaired ion and water transport,the airway mucus is abnormally viscous, which leads to bacterial colonization.Recurrent infections and inflammation result in obstructive pulmonary disease.Similar changes in the pancreas lead to pancreatic insufficiency.Several compounds have been tested to improve transepithelial ion transport in CF patients, either via activation of the mutant CFTR, or via stimulation of alternative chloride channels. The main purpose of this thesis was to find substances that might correct the defective ion transport in epithelial cells in CFand could be useful for the pharmacological treatment of CF patients. Long-term treatment with the macrolide antibiotic azithromycin (AZM)improved clinical parameters and lung function in CF patients and increased Cl- transport in CF bronchial epithelial cells (CFBE) (Paper I); although mRNA expression of the CFTR gene remained unchanged.In contrast, pre-exposure to the mucolytic antioxidant N-acetylcysteine (NAC) increased CFTR protein expression and was associated with increased Cl- efflux from CFBE cells (Paper II). Clinical trials of this substance might be warranted. Duramycin has been the subject of clinical trials that finished in June2009. Up till now, no results from this study are available. The effect of this substance on Cl- efflux from three CF and three non-CF cell lines (Paper III) was disappointing. An effect was found only in CFBE cells, the effect was minimal, occurred in a narrow concentration range, and was not associated with an increase in the intracellular calcium concentration [Ca2+]i. The fact that NO-donors stimulated Cl- efflux from CFBE cells (but did notchange [Ca2+]i) after several hours of preincubation suggests that these substances may be a potentially interesting group of compounds for the treatment of CF (Paper IV). A model for the effect of NO-donors on Cl- efflux is presented. / Cystisk fibros (CF) är en medfödd, ärftlig, sjukdom, som förorsakas av en mutation i en gen som innehåller koden för en kloridkanal som aktiveras av cykliskt AMP (cystic fibrosis transmembrane conductance regulator, CFTR). Som en följd av otillräcklig transport av joner och vatten är slemmet i luftvägarna onormalt segt, vilket leder till att det koloniseras av bakterier. Upprepade infektioneroch inflammation av luftvägarna leder slutligen till obstruktiv lungsjukdom.Liknande förändringar i bukspottkörteln leder till att också detta organ inte fungerar. Flera kemiska ämnen har testats för sin förmåga att förbättra jontransporten över epitelet hos CF-patienter. Detta skulle kunna göras antingen genom aktivering av det muterade CFTR-proteinet, eller genom stimulering av alternativa kloridkanaler. Huvudsyftet med den forskning som beskrivs i denna avhandling var att hitta kemiska substanser som skulle kunna korrigera den defekta jontransporten i epitelceller hos CF-patienter, och därför vara nyttiga för behandlingen av patienterna. Behandling under längre tid med azithromycin (AZM), ett makrolidantibiotikum,förbättrade CF-patienternas kliniska status och lungfunktion,samt ökade kloridutflödet från CF bronkialepitelceller (CFBE-celler) (Arbete I).Däremot ändrades inte uttrycket av mRNA för CFTR-genen. I kontrast till detta ökade uttrycket av CFTR-proteinet om CFBE-cellerna utsattes för den slemlösande anti-oxidanten N-acetylcystein (NAC), vilket ledde till ökat kloridutflöde från denna cellinje (Arbete II). Det vore rimligt att utföra kliniska prövningar av detta ämne. Duramycin har testats i kliniska prov som slutade i juni 2009, men några resultatfrån dessa prov har inte offentliggjorts än. Effekten av detta ämne på kloridutflödet från tre CF-cellinjer och tre icke-CF cellinjer (Arbete III) var en besvikelse. Duramycin hade endast effekt på CFBE-celler, effekten var mycket liten, förekom endast i ett litet koncentrationsområde av duramycin, och var inte kopplad till en ökning av den intracellulära kalciumkoncentrationen [Ca2+]i. Att ämnen som avger kväveoxid (NO) stimulerade kloridutflödet från CFceller (men inte påverkade [Ca2+]i) efter några timmar, visar att denna grupp av ämnen kan vara potentiellt intressant för behandlingen av CF (arbete IV). En modell för effekten av NO på kloridtransporten i CF-celler presenteras.

Įvertinus 12 juodųjų serbentų (Ribes nigrum L.) veislių ir klonų derlių nulemiančių svarbiausių komponentų įtaką: atsparumą šalčiui, grybinėms ligoms, serbentinei (pumpurinei) erkutei, lapų žiotelių parametrus ir nustačius jų tarpusavio ryšį – išskirtos veislės tinkamos mechanizuotam derliaus nuėmimui, vertingi agronominiu požiūriu donorai, naujoms veislėms kurti. Veislė Tines yra vėlyvo žydėjimo. Veislės Titania, Tiben ir klonas 98 – 279 – 25 darnaus uogų sunokimo donoras. Mechanizuotam uogų skynimui tinkamiausios veislės Tines, Ruben ir Dailiai. Daugiakiakiškumu išsiskyrė veislės Ores, Ceres, Ruben ir klonas 98 – 279 – 25. Mažiausias sėklų procentas uogoje veislių Titania ir Tisel. Veislės Tines, Bona, Ruben, Dailiai ir klonas 98 – 279 – 25 yra stambiauogiškumo, o klonas 93 – 157 – 1 yra tiek stambiauogiškumo, tiek produktyvumo donoras. Vaiskrūmiai buvo santykinai atsparūs miltligei, vidutiniškai atsparūs šviesmargei ir deguliams bei skirtingo atsparumo serbentinei (pumpurinei) erkutei. Žiotelių ilgis susijąs su krūmų pažeidimu grybinėmis ligomis. Krūmų pašalimas susijąs su pažeidimu deguliais ir serbentine (pumpurine) erkute. / The aim of the research: to investigate and derive the varieties suitable for the machine harvesting valuable as agronomic donors for the development of new varieties. For this reason 12 different blackcurrant varieties and clones were investigated to determine the most important factors influencing their yield: frost , fungal diseases, currant gall mite, leaf stomata parameters and the relationship between them. Tines is a variety of late – flowering. Varieties Titania, Tiben and a clone 98 – 279 – 25 are donors for a sustainable fruit production. The research revealed that the varieties Tines, Ruben and the Dailiai are the most suitable for the machine harvesting. Varieties of Ores, Ceres, Ruben and clone 98 – 279 – 25 proved to produce maximum number of bunches. The minimum quantity of seeds was found in berries of Titania and Tisel varieties. Varieties Tines, Bona, Ruben, Dailiai and clone 98 – 279 – 25 proved to be a large – berry producing variety, whereas a clone 93 – 157 – 1 was determined to be the most productive and large- berry producing variety. Blackcurrant berry shrubs were relatively resistant to powdery mildew, the average resistance was revealed to leaf septoria and stem canker, and the cultivars demonstrated different resistance to the gall mite. According to the research, the stomata length is associated with the damage of the cultivars by fungal diseases. Plant frost damage proved to be closely related to plant being infected by canker and gall mite... [to full text]

SUMMARY Importance of blood safety by voluntary and altruistic blood donation is presented in the Master degree thesis. The major theoretical and practical solution of blood donations adopted during the analysis of Lithuanian and foreign legislation, results of analysis of society blood donor’s motivation and blood donors focusing problems. Master degree thesis consists of four main parts: analysis of the problem, background literature review, practical research and final conclusions. The first part of the thesis emphasizes the necessity for EU member states to ensure the provision for safe blood products which quality must fulfil the same EU standards, to restore public confidence. The main problem is transition from paid and relative’s blood donations to unpaid (voluntary) donations, which is revealed in the first part of thesis. The legislation regulating blood donations, the types of current donors and factors influencing on donors motivation are discussed in the second part. The second part consists of three chapters. The review of Lithuanian legislation about donor ship in Lithuania is considered in the first chapter. It is possible to state that till the year 2004 in Lithuania legal paid blood donations system was established which today barrier in transition is from paid and relatives blood donation to unpaid (voluntary) process. The second chapter describes the changing during last 3 year among Lithuanian blood donors and in donations. on process. And the last... [to full text]

In Sweden, lowest acceptable haemoglobin levels in blood donators are 125g/L for women and 135g/L for men for a test sample taken in the beginning of the blood donation. Levels, which are 10g/L lower, are accepted if the sample is taken after the blood donation. Earlier studies show that the haemoglobin level decreases for a person that is lying down. The two aims of this study were to examine how much the haemoglobin levels change during blood donation and to examine if the photometrical instrument Pronto-7TM shows equivalent results to that of the established method Cell-Dyn Sapphire. In the study, 120 blood donors participated. Blood samples were taken in the beginning and in the end of the donation. Analyses by Pronto-7TM were done before and after the donation. The haemoglobin level decreased significantly during the blood donation. The difference was in mean value 5,9g/L according to Cell-Dyn Sapphire. The decrease was significantly less than 10g/L. The Pronto-7TM gave levels that were 1,6g/L higher than Cell-Dyn Sapphire in mean and the standard deviation was higher for Pronto-7TM than for Cell-Dyn Sapphire. In conclusion, the decrease of the haemoglobin levels was significantly less than the expected difference 10g/L. Pronto-7TM gives results that differs a little from the results of the established method.

This thesis explored the impact on whole blood donors of a six month deferral from giving blood due to a low haemoglobin (Hb) concentration. The aims were two-fold: first, to quantify the effect of a temporary deferral on donation patterns once eligible to return, and second, to identify the processes contributing to the effect. The mixed methods design utilised four distinct research phases: statistical analysis of donation patterns over a three year period, surveys of whole blood donors three and twelve months after deferral, and semi-structured interviews with 25 blood donors in the weeks immediately following deferral. Deferral for a low Hb increased the likelihood of non-return in both new and repeat donors, and, amongst those who did return, delayed first return, reduced donation frequency and increased the likelihood of drop-out in later years. Qualitative interviews suggested that, predominantly, individuals give blood because it represents an easy and convenient way to help others, and provides additional rewards, such as enhancing positive self-concepts and a free health check. Returning promptly after deferral appears to be related to three aspects of a person and his/her context: an individual’s other obligations, especially parenting; the extent to which donation is considered personally rewarding; and whether donation arrangements were facilitated by a range of supports prior to deferral. Over three quarters of surveyed deferred donors seek further advice and investigations from their medical practitioner and nearly half of those are encouraged to change their donation patterns. With the exception of having a low haemoglobin level confirmed at follow-up testing, experiences seeking further investigations were not associated with either intentions or return. Triangulation of findings suggests that deferral disrupts the habit of regular donation, and that this disruption makes donors more vulnerable to changes to their personal circumstances or collection practices. Deferral may also increase the perceived inconvenience of the activity, decrease self-perceptions of competence and good health, and diminish the “blood donor” identity. Practical implications of these findings are recommendations that may increase retention of deferred donors, including encouraging donors to return promptly once eligible, enhancing the convenience of blood donation, and improving aspects of the deferral event. / http://proxy.library.adelaide.edu.au/login?url= http://library.adelaide.edu.au/cgi-bin/Pwebrecon.cgi?BBID=1381077 / Thesis (Ph.D.) - University of Adelaide, School of Population Health and Clinical Practice, 2010

This thesis explored the impact on whole blood donors of a six month deferral from giving blood due to a low haemoglobin (Hb) concentration. The aims were two-fold: first, to quantify the effect of a temporary deferral on donation patterns once eligible to return, and second, to identify the processes contributing to the effect. The mixed methods design utilised four distinct research phases: statistical analysis of donation patterns over a three year period, surveys of whole blood donors three and twelve months after deferral, and semi-structured interviews with 25 blood donors in the weeks immediately following deferral. Deferral for a low Hb increased the likelihood of non-return in both new and repeat donors, and, amongst those who did return, delayed first return, reduced donation frequency and increased the likelihood of drop-out in later years. Qualitative interviews suggested that, predominantly, individuals give blood because it represents an easy and convenient way to help others, and provides additional rewards, such as enhancing positive self-concepts and a free health check. Returning promptly after deferral appears to be related to three aspects of a person and his/her context: an individual’s other obligations, especially parenting; the extent to which donation is considered personally rewarding; and whether donation arrangements were facilitated by a range of supports prior to deferral. Over three quarters of surveyed deferred donors seek further advice and investigations from their medical practitioner and nearly half of those are encouraged to change their donation patterns. With the exception of having a low haemoglobin level confirmed at follow-up testing, experiences seeking further investigations were not associated with either intentions or return. Triangulation of findings suggests that deferral disrupts the habit of regular donation, and that this disruption makes donors more vulnerable to changes to their personal circumstances or collection practices. Deferral may also increase the perceived inconvenience of the activity, decrease self-perceptions of competence and good health, and diminish the “blood donor” identity. Practical implications of these findings are recommendations that may increase retention of deferred donors, including encouraging donors to return promptly once eligible, enhancing the convenience of blood donation, and improving aspects of the deferral event. / http://proxy.library.adelaide.edu.au/login?url= http://library.adelaide.edu.au/cgi-bin/Pwebrecon.cgi?BBID=1381077 / Thesis (Ph.D.) - University of Adelaide, School of Population Health and Clinical Practice, 2010