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Chronic rhinosinusitis (CRS) is a characteristic feature of cystic fibrosis (CF) multiorgan disease and develops early in the life of patients with CF. The study aimed to correlate the inflammatory markers and the presence of structural abnormalities detected by MRI in the paranasal sinuses of patients with CF. Methods: Nasal lavage and MRI of the paranasal sinuses was performed in a cohort of 30 CF patients (median age 14 y; range 7–20 y). Morphological abnormalities characteristic of CF were evaluated with a dedicated CRS MRI scoring system and correlated with different inflammation parameters measured in nasal lavage. Inflammation of the paranasal sinuses was positively associated with structural abnormalities in MRI. The concentration of the pro-inflammatory markers neutrophil elastase (NE) and the neutrophil elastase/alpha1-antitrypsin (NE/A1AT) complex correlated significantly with CRS-MRI sum score (p < 0.05, r = 0.416 and p < 0.05, r = 0.366, respectively). S. aureus infection was associated with the increased pro-inflammatory cytokine activity of IL-6 and IL-8, and increased levels of NE/A1AT complex in our patients (p < 0.05, respectively). CRS-MRI sum score and individual sinus MRI scores were positively associated with inflammatory activity as a sign of CRS pathology present in CF.

Abstract Background Countries all over the world are experiencing a shortage of registered nurses (RNs). Therefore, some countries, including Sweden, have tried to solve this by recruiting internationally educated nurses (IENs). Countries offer bridging programs as educational support to qualify IENs for nursing work in the destination country. However, there is little research on IENs’ experiences of bridging programs in European countries and how these programs facilitate their integration into the world of work and their new society. The aim of this study is to explore the experiences of nurses, originally educated outside the EU (European Union)/EES, of the Swedish bridging program and of the program’s role in facilitating their integration into the nursing profession in Sweden. Methods A qualitative descriptive design was used to explore the topic based on 11 informants’ perspectives and experiences. Purposive sampling was used to recruit participants at one university in Sweden. Data were collected by individual interviews using a semi- structured interview guide during the year 2019 and were analysed using an interpretative thematic approach. Results Two main themes emerged from the analysis: 1) Return to nursing, and 2) The bridging program as a tool for transition to nursing in Sweden. The first theme includes conditions and experiences such as personal motivation and determination, and support from others that the participants described as important in order to achieve the goal of re-establishing themselves as registered nurses in Sweden. Furthermore, the second theme describes the participants’ experiences of the bridging program as mostly positive because it led to new learning and achievements that were valuable for the transition to nursing in Sweden; however, the participants also emphasised the challenges of their transition into the nursing profession, which were related to instances of misrecognition of their professional competence and the uncertain outcome of the program. Conclusions This study found that the bridging program facilitated integration into the nursing profession for nurses educated outside the EU/EES, especially knowledge gained in clinical-based training. Thus, it is important to recognise and value the IENs’ experience and previous knowledge and training when developing the bridging program’s curriculum.

Im vorliegenden Artikel werden fünf Gespräche in Adobe Connect unter Studierenden von Deutsch als Fremdsprache untersucht. Sie belegten einen Distanzkurs an einer schwedischen Universität. Zu diesem Kurs gehörte die mündliche Aufgabe, 30 Minuten lang ein Gespräch auf Deutsch aufrechtzuerhalten. Als Vorlage bekamen die Studierenden verschiedene Themen, die sie vor dem Seminar haben vorbereiten können. In den Gesprächen entfalteten sich verschiedene narrative Strukturen, in dieser Studie als Small Stories (Georgakopoulou 2007a, 2007b, Bamberg & Georgakopoulou 2008) betrachtet, die teils die Aufgabenkonstruktion, teils die Sprachkompetenz der Studierenden generieren. Dieser Bezug macht einen hauptsächlichen Fokus dieser Studie aus. Mit ihrer soziolinguistischen Rahmung ist diese Studie vor allem innerhalb der Gesprächsanalyse verankert. Dieser Ansatz wird mit Robinson & Gilaberts (2007) Modell über Komplexität einer Aufgabe trianguliert, um die inhaltliche Komplexität der Small Stories zu überprüfen. Das Material zeigt, dass die Studierenden mit der Aufgabenformulierung inhaltliche Komplexität unter den Bedingungen leisten können, wenn a) die Studierenden ein Vorwissen zum Thema haben, b) sie Hilfestellungen im Lernkontext aufgreifen können und c) wenn das Gespräch an sich eine Small Story untermauert.