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Attana’s Quartz Crystal Microbalance (QCM) analytical instruments have been developed to study in vitro biological interactions, mimicking the in vivo conditions. Attana’s superior technology for kinetic interaction studies allows to perform different assays, including biochemical, crude, sera, cell, and tissue-based, in vitro diagnostic and material chemistry assays, in real time and label free. With the focus to validate, select, and optimize drug candidates prior to clinical trials, Attana has helped pharmaceutical companies to increase their efficiency and profitability. In addition, the Attana instruments and services have been used in many other applications and research as described in this chapter.

Drawing on ethnography in the Swedish Public Employment Service, this article compares caseworkers’ and local managers’ perceptions of changes towards increasing digital self-services for clients. Findings reflect a conflict of interest between different service ideals: vulnerable subjects in need of personalized guidance (caseworkers) versus competent subjects ready to manage their own unemployment via digital self-services (local managers). As we argue, the dislocation of responsibility via digital self-services serves to reinforce responsibilization, thus turning the client into her own caseworker. This development runs the risk of pushing vulnerable groups even further away from employment than they already are.

Increased use and production of engineered nanoparticles (NPs) lead to an elevated risk of their diffuse dispersion into the aquatic environment and increased concern on unknown effects induced by their release into the aquatic ecosystem. An improved understanding of the environmental transformation processes of NPs of various surface characteristics is hence imperative for risk assessment and management. This study presents results on effects of natural organic matter (NOM) on the environmental transformation and dissolution of metal and metal oxide NPs of different surface and solubility properties in synthetic freshwater (FW) with and without NOM. Adsorption of NOM was evident on most of the studied NPs, except Sb and Sb2O3, which resulted in the formation of negatively charged colloids of higher stability and smaller size distribution compared with the same NPs in FW only. The dissolution rate of the NPs in the presence of NOM correlated with the strength of interactions between the carboxylate group of NOM and the particle surface, and resulted in either no (Mn, Sb, ZnO NPs), increased (Co, Sn NPs) and decreased (Ni, NiO, Sb2O3, Y2O3 NPs) levels of dissolution. One type of metal NP from each group (Mn, Ni, Sn) were investigated to assess whether observed differences in adsorption of NOM and dissolution would influence their ecotoxic potency. The results showed Mn, Ni, and Sn NPs to generate intracellular reactive oxygen species (ROS) in a time and dose-dependent manner. The extent of ROS generation in FW was similar for both Mn and Ni NPs but higher for Sn NPs. These findings are possibly related to interactions and infiltration of the NPs with the cells, which lead to redox imbalances which could induce oxidative stress and cell damage. At the same time, the presence of NOM generally reduced the intracellular ROS generation by 20-40% for the investigated NPs and also reduced cytotoxicity of Sn NPs, which can be attributed to the stronger interaction of carboxy, QC 20220315

Additive manufacturing (AM) or "3D-printing" is a ground-breaking technology that enables the production of complex 3D parts. Its rapid growth calls for immediate toxicological investigations of possible human exposures in order to estimate occupational health risks. Several laser-based powder bed fusion AM techniques are available of which many use metal powder in the micrometer range as feedstock. Large energy input from the laser on metal powders generates several by-products, like spatter and condensate particles. Due to often altered physicochemical properties and composition, spatter and condensate particles can result in different toxicological responses compared to the original powder particles. The toxicity of such particles has, however, not yet been investigated. The aim of the present study was to investigate the toxicity of condensate/spatter particles formed and collected upon selective laser melting (SLM) printing of metal alloy powders, including a nickel-chromiumbased superalloy (IN939), a nickel-based alloy (Hastelloy X, HX), a high-strength maraging steel (18Ni300), a stainless steel (316L), and a titanium alloy (Ti6Al4V). Toxicological endpoints investigated included cytotoxicity, generation of reactive oxygen species (ROS), genotoxicity (comet and micronucleus formation), and inflammatory response (cytokine/chemokine profiling) following exposure of human bronchial epithelial cells (HBEC) or monocytes/macrophages (THP-1). The results showed no or minor cytotoxicity in the doses tested (10 100 mu g/mL). Furthermore, no ROS generation or formation of micronucleus was observed in the HBEC cells. However, an increase in DNA strand breaks (detected by comet assay) was noted in cells exposed to HX, IN939, and Ti6Al4V, whereas no evident release of pro-inflammatory cytokine was observed from macrophages. Particle and surface characterization showed agglomeration in solution and different surface oxide compositions compared to the nominal bulk content., QC 20220315

Investigation of next-generation manufacturing methods for the processing of functional materials and offering products with improved performance/functionalities has always been a challenge in terms of energy efficiency, cost-effectiveness, and eco-friendliness. Additive manufacturing (AM) attributes to rapid prototyping techniques that provide new opportunities to test new concepts and design complex 3D structures from metals, ceramics, and composites. Moreover, as a well-known transition metal dichalcogenide, Molybdenum disulfide (MoS2) is a two-dimensional (2D) material with outstanding electrochemical, physical, and mechanical properties that make it a potential candidate for energy storage electrodes via intercalation of different H+, Li+, Na+, and K+ cations. In this review, we discuss the existing conventional MoS2-processing methodologies and compare them with the novel additive manufacturing processes (especially laser-based powder bed fusion). The authors are convinced that the processing of prominent MoS2-based functional structures by the novel additive manufacturing processes can provide complex structures for different electrochemical applications, particularly for energy conversion/ storage systems., QC 20220111

Att vara chef idag inom vård och omsorg kan innebära höga krav på prestation i verksamhetens olika delar så som ekonomi i balans och goda arbetsförhållanden för att ha nöjda medarbetare. Chefer har därför många gånger en arbetssituation där krav och resurser är i obalans, stress och svårigheter att prestera enligt behov är ett problem. Det visar sig också i studier att chefer saknar socialt stöd och handledning i sin chefsroll och beskriver även ett bristfälligt administrativt stöd. Ett sätt för chefer att få en mer hållbar arbetssituation kan därför vara att dela på uppgifterna med en annan chefskollega, på så sätt blir arbetsbördan mindre tung och upplevelsen av ensamhet minskar. Det är dock viktigt att samarbetet mellan cheferna fungerar och att det finns en bra balans mellan egenskaper och kemi. Studiens syfte är att jämföra skillnader avseende upplevelser av stress och ensamhet hos chefer i enskilt och i delat ledarskap inom äldreomsorg. För att besvara studiens frågeställningar användes en webbaserad enkät. Avseende upplevelsen av ensamhet fanns en signifikant skillnad mellan de chefer som är verksamma inom delat respektive enskilt ledarskap. Upplevelsen av ensamhet var mindre hos chefer i delat ledarskap. Däremot fanns det inte någon signifikant skillnad i upplevelse av stress mellan chefer i enskilt och i delat ledarskap. Det fanns dock en hög grad av stress i båda grupperna vilket skulle kunna indikera att det är chefsrollen och stress som hänger ihop och därmed att det inte minskar stressnivån att dela chefsrollen med en annan chefskollega.

QC 20220530

MoS2-based nanocomposites have been widely processed by a variety of conventional and 3D printing techniques. In this study, selective laser melting (SLM) has for the first time successfully been employed to tune the crystallographic structure of bulk MoS2 to a 2H/1T phase and to distribute Mo2S3 nanoparticles in-situ in MoS2/Mo2S3 nanocomposites used in electrochemical energy conversion/storage systems (EECSS). The remarkable results promote further research on and elucidate the applicability of laser-based powder bed processing of 2D nanomaterials for a wide range of functional structures within, e.g., EECSS, aerospace, and possibly high-temperature solid-state EECSS even in space., QC 20220429

Corrosion effects on copper exposed in a humid atmosphere with formic acid (mimicking indoor corrosion) have been explored through successive increase in surface lateral resolution from macroscale (IRRAS, GIXRD) over microscale (LOM, SEM, IR microscopy) to nanoscale (Nano-FTIR, FIB/SEM/EDS). Initial more uniform growth of Cu2O is followed by more varying topography and thickness until local removal of Cu2O enables the aqueous adlayer to react with the copper substrate. Local formation of Cu(OH)(HCOO) and adjacent Cu2O provide microscopic and spectroscopic evidence of corrosion cells. Nano-FTIR shows that the density of Cu(OH)(HCOO) nuclei, but not their size, increases with exposure time., QC 20220506