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Background

The voiding chart is part of the initial evaluation of enuresis, since the data gathered this way are assumed to carry predictive information. However, there is little evidence that the voiding chart actually does predict therapy response. Lundmark & Nevéus performed a pilot investigation in 2020 and found that anamnestic and voiding chart data did not predict response to second-line therapies. This study aims at evaluating whether these findings could be replicated.

Patients and methods

This is an evaluation of clinical practice. All patients in a tertiary outpatient clinic with enuresis resistant to first-line therapy (i.e. the enuresis alarm and desmopressin medication) during the evaluation period were included in the study. Baseline anamnestic data focused on bladder and bowel habits, were gathered and the families were instructed to complete a voiding chart including measurements of nocturnal urine production. The children were then treated in accordance with international guidelines, which are anticholinergics and antidepressants as second- and third-line treatment, respectively. Desmopressin was added if needed.

Results

In total, 70 patients were included. At the end of the study 37 of these patients were dry, 11 patients were still wetting their beds and 22 patients were lost to follow-up. Of the dry patients 21 became dry on anticholinergics (and/or mirabegron, with or without desmopressin), five on tricyclic antidepressants (with or without desmopressin), seven after a new attempt with the alarm and five became dry spontaneously. The only statistically significant differences between responders and non-responders to the various treatments were that children responsive to anticholinergics had harder and more infrequent stools (p = 0.04 and p = 0.03, respectively).

Conclusion

This study found that anamnestic and voiding chart data do not predict response to treatment in children with therapy-resistant enuresis. Because of this and the fact that we lose some children who need our help by demanding that they complete a voiding chart before initiating treatment, we question the use of this instrument in the evaluation of therapy-resistant enuresis.

Objective To compare long-term cardiovascular (CV) outcomes between men and women with aortic stenosis (AS) undergoing aortic valve replacement (AVR) by the type of valve implant.

Methods The study population consisted of 14 123 non-selected patients with AS undergoing first-time AVR and included in the Swedish Web system for Enhancement and Development of Evidence-based care in Heart disease Evaluated According to Recommended Therapies (SWEDEHEART) registry during 2008–2016. Comparisons were made between men and women and type of valve implant (ie, surgical implantation with a mechanical (mSAVR) (n=1 966) or biological valve (bioSAVR) (n=9 801)) or by a transcatheter approach (TAVR) (n=2 356). Outcomes included all-cause mortality, ischaemic stroke, major bleeding, thromboembolic events, heart failure and myocardial infarction, continuously adjusted for significant comorbidities and medical treatment.

Results In the mSAVR cohort, there were no significant sex differences in any CV events. In the bioSAVR cohort, a higher risk of death (HR: 1.14; 95% CI: 1.04 to 1.26, p=0.007) and major bleeding (HR: 1.41; 95% CI: 1.18 to 1.69, p<0.001) was observed in men. In the TAVR cohort, men suffered a higher risk of death (HR: 1.24; 95% CI: 1.07 to 1.45, p=0.005), major bleeding (HR: 1.35; 95% CI: 1.00 to 1.82, p=0.022) and thromboembolism (HR: 1.35, 95% CI: 1.00 to 1.82, p=0.047).

Conclusion No significant long-term difference in CV events was noted between men and women undergoing AVR with a mechanical aortic valve. In both the bioSAVR and TAVR cohort, mortality was higher in men who also had an increased incidence of several other CV events.

Introduction

Limited data exists on oncological outcomes following rectal cancer surgery in men who have previously been diagnosed with prostate cancer (PC). This study aimed to assess overall mortality and rectal cancer recurrence in men previously diagnosed with PC who underwent bowel resection.

Methods

Data from the Swedish Colorectal Cancer Registry identified men who had rectal cancer surgery between 2000 and 2016, and the National Prostate Cancer Registry was used to identify those with a prior PC diagnosis. Cox regression analysis with propensity score matching was employed for data analysis. The primary outcome was overall mortality. Secondary outcome was recurrence for rectal cancer.

Results

Out of 13,299 men undergoing bowel resection for rectal cancer between 2000 and 2016, 1130 had a history of PC. Overall mortality did not significantly differ between men with and without a prior PC diagnosis. Cox regression analyses with propensity score matching revealed that men with previously diagnosed low- or intermediate-risk (HR, 0.79; 95% CI, 0.70–0.90) and high-risk PC (HR, 0.85; 95% CI, 0.74–0.98) had lower overall mortality after rectal cancer surgery compared with men without a PC. There was no significant difference in rectal cancer recurrence between men with a previous low or intermediate-risk PC (HR, 0.92; 95% CI, 0.74–1.14) or high-risk PC (HR, 0.73; 95% CI, 0.52–1.01) compared with those without PC history.

Conclusion

Men undergoing rectal cancer surgery with a previous diagnosis of prostate cancer do not experience an increased risk of rectal cancer recurrence or overall mortality compared with men without a previous history of prostate cancer.

A 16 MHz electrostatic beam chopper is implemented at the Uppsala University ToF-MEIS system to complement the 4 MHz sinusoidal scanning, refining the resolution without drift-tube bunching. The system is benchmarked with H₂⁺, He⁺, and Ne⁺ ions in transmission and backscattering geometries. The estimated true pulse duration for 60 keV He⁺ is 34 ps while the direct beam impinging on the detector resulted in measured pulse widths of 295 ps for He ions and 481 ps for Ne ions. In backscattering geometries, ions impinging on the target yield measured pulse durations of 459 ns for H ions, 550 ps for He ions and 810 ps for Ne ions and lead to energy resolution measurements of 2.4 keV (100 keV H), 0.9 keV (60 keV He), and 2.4 keV (160 keV Ne). Discussions cover straggling effects on achievable energy resolution and how to obtain estimates of the true duration of the ion pulse.

This work discusses among other things the Badelunda area and function from a central place location both for the immediate area as well as in a larger geographical context within Mälaren and Mälardalen during Scandinavia’s iron age. This is done through studies of ancient remains, mainly the large amounts of burial grounds and settlements found in the area as well as through a geographical analysis using QGIS of the area. In addition, the scope for the location as a central place is discussed. Fabech and Ringtveds triangle model as well as Lars Lundqvist’s concept of Central Place Indicative Finds, or CPI, are primarily used to drive the discussion around Badelunda’s place, role, function and expanse. 

As a new class of organic photocatalysts, polymer dots show a potential application in photocatalytic hydrogen peroxide production coupled with chemical oxidation such as methanol oxidation. However, the poor methanol oxidation ability by polymer dots still inhibits the overall photocatalytic reaction occurring in the neutral condition. In this work, an organic molecular catalyst 4-amino-2,2,6,6-tetramethylpiperidine-1-oxyl radical is covalently linked to a fluorene unit in a polymer skeleton, eventually enabling photocatalytic hydrogen peroxide production coupled with methanol oxidation in the neutral condition. By conducting various spectroscopic measurements, charge transfer between components in this molecular catalyst-immobilized polymer dots system is studied and found to be very efficient for hydrogen peroxide production coupled with alcohol oxidation. This work proves a strategy for designing polymer dots photocatalysts with molecular catalysts, facilitating their future development and potential applications in other fields such as water splitting, CO₂ reduction, photoredox catalysis and photodynamic therapy.

Climate change has in the last decades been commonly acknowledged as one of the major challenges globally, and the tourism industry is seen to both contribute to it and be affected by it. Considering the interconnectedness between the tourism industry and the environment, environmental protection and accountability are of the essence. Actions to mitigate environmental issues within the industry are visible, hence, the effectiveness is questioned. Environmental stewardship was in this study a central concept, defined as a pro-environmental behavior that advocates for an improved human-environment relationship. The concept is seen to drive change and find the best overall option to mitigate human impacts on the environment. This study was therefore conducted to explore the relationship between the concept and the Swedish tourism industry. 

After recognizing a research gap within the field, the willingness to navigate whether the concept is integrated within the industry arose. The aim of the study was the further understand sustainability practices within the Swedish tourism industry. Through the usage of content analysis, a developed criteria for environmental stewardship and analysis of sustainability reports within the Swedish industry were conducted. However, as the study employed data triangulation, elite interviews were further utilized. The findings of this research indicated that environmental stewardship systematically can be visible within the industry of focus, hence with some uncertainties. This means that some aspects of the concept were detected with certainty, while some were not. Findings further identified that the concept could work as a mitigation measure within the Swedish tourism industry, but not alone. A bottom-up and a top-down approach was in this study identified as profitable for sustainability work. 

The last few years have shown profound breakthroughs in artificial intelligence (AI) technology. While the progress has given rise to much optimism, it has also raised concerns regarding the legal aspects of such ventures. Many actors now regard legal uncertainty as a major obstacle for the development and adaption of AI technology.

In order to regulate the new technology, the European Commission has proposed the adoption of an AI Act. The express purpose of the legislative effort is to strike a balance between on the one hand a competitive market, and on the other hand the protection of the fundamental rights and freedoms of EU citizens, as well as promoting the uptake of union values. In approaching these aims, the Commission proposes a tiered approach where the legislative burden imposed is set to be proportional to the estimated risk level of the AI system.

As a complement to the AI Act, the European Commission has proposed a set of directives which are set to specifically regulate issues regarding civil liability and AI. The proposed AI Liability Directive sets out rules regarding the disclosure of evidence as well as lowering the burden of proof for those having suffered harm by AI. In the accompanying proposed new Product Liability Directive similar rules are outlined in the area of product liability. The latter directive also proposes an extension of the definition of “product” (and thereby product liability law) to include digital products, including AI systems.

This paper analyses and discusses the implications of the proposed acts from a Swedish tort law perspective.

The proposed legal order seems to be one that sacrifices predictability in pursuit of proportionality. By imposing a strict partition, wherein only those AI applications which have in advance been deemed especially risky are subsumed under the legal order, many systems are left unregulated. While this purports to favour proportionality, it also leaves a legislative gap regarding the duty of care that can be expected in these cases. The set of directives, both of which formally encompass also those systems left mostly unchecked by the AI Act, seem to also suffer from this absence of clear rules.

I would argue that there is a newfound interest and understanding amongst the public regarding access to information laws, much thanks to the internet and the rise of true crime podcasts. Therefore, I wanted to explore the conflict between personal integrity, transparency and ethics embedded in the freedom of information laws in Sweden, the so-called Offentlighet- och sekretesslagen (OSL). This was done by studying photographic material from preliminary investigation reports from violent crime to see how the archive institutions and archivists handled the disclosure and secrecy process, as well as conducting an interview with a government lawyer. The visual material was analyzed together with the relevant OSL paragraphs and reference literature, with the aim to search for likenesses, differences, and signs of ethics. As a guide I had Poststuctural policy analysis and What’s the problem represented method to critically reflect on the law and practice of it all. The study contains two research questions. The first wondered, based on the existing law, how the disclosure of visual material from preliminary investigation reports functions in practice, and I can conclude that the secrecy laws contain a great deal of wiggle room of interpretation. This becomes obvious from the way the law is worded as well as the differences I found between quite similar examples. The second question asked which role ethics play in regards to what material gets redacted or not. I found that ethics is a part of it, whether it will be in the law itself, the ethics of the community and law writers, or the individual ethics of the archivist who makes a personal decision to mask something that they do not need to according to OSL. In conclusion, the balance between privacy and transparency is a multi-layered and conflicting area of debate - and that is why we, as archivists, have an institutional altruistic duty to keep discussing it. This is a two year master’s thesis in Archival Science.

This thesis explores the integration of artificial intelligence (AI) in software development. Conducted at the consultancy company Amaceit AB, the study explores the current usage of artificial intelligence across various stages of the software development life cycle. It explores AI techniques such as machine learning, neural networks, deep learning, generative AI, and large language models, emphasizing their roles in enhancing efficiency and accuracy in software development. The study examines the use of AI in the planning, requirements gathering, design, development, testing, deployment, and maintenance phases of the software development process, showcasing how AI automates tasks, optimizes code generation, improves testing accuracy, and enables proactive maintenance. Furthermore, the thesis reviews popular AI tools like GitHub Copilot, Amazon CodeWhisperer, Google's Bard, Microsoft's Bing, Anthropic's Claude, and OpenAI's ChatGPT, comparing their effectiveness in code generation and analyzes their capabilities, benefits, and challenges. The study combines a literature review and a practical implementation, in the form of an AI-based web application using OpenAI's GPT-4 for automated test case generation. Findings highlight AI's effectiveness in improving coding efficiency and software quality, showing its ability to automate tasks, streamline workflows, and speed up development cycles, thereby reducing costs and enhancing software quality. While AI serves as a powerful assistant in software development by helping programmers in their everyday work lives, it is not a substitute for human expertise. The evaluation at Amaceit shows promising results in improving the efficiency of test case generation. It also addresses privacy and data security concerns related to adopting AI and proposes future steps to scale AI implementations and integrate tools directly into developer environments.

This essay aims to review the legal support for two recommendations, read in conjunc­tion, as formulated by the CESCR to Sweden during its 75th session in early 2024. It finds that support under a traditionalist reading of the VCLT and of article 12 of the ICESCR leads to an inconclusive, albeit not preclusive, result. In adapting a more modern method of interpretation as commonly employed in the field of human rights, particularly the ”evolutive” interpretation and a broadened view of “subsequent practice” and “other relevant rules of international law”, it finds that there is support for a more far-reaching view of the obligations in question. Within the framework of such an interpretation that view is strengthened viewing the recommendations at hand as being formulated by arguably the most authoritative author in the field, the CESCR. Under such circumstances, the entirety of the jurisprudence of the CESCR ought to be regarded in reading the recommendations. That in turn leads to a close connection between, chiefly, its general comments, and the state under review. As such, there is a strong case to made that at least parts of the recommendations, especially if read against the backdrop of ”minimum core obligations” enjoy ample support under international law.

Authors and performers have often been in a weaker contractual position when licensing or transferring their rights for the purpose of exploitation. The DSM-directive seeks to strengthen the bargaining position of the author and performer, by introducing a right to appropriate and proportionate remuneration (article 18). This regulation is also applicable in employment relations, even though the Swedish government raised its concerns and wanted to keep employment relationships out of the scope of application. The main objective of this thesis is to examine how the regulation of appropriate and proportionate remuneration, relates to copyright transfers in employment relationships, in the media industry. To achieve this objective, an examination will be made of how an employee can license or transfer their copyright to the employer. A discussion will also be held of what can be considered as appropriate and proportionate remuneration. An important factor to consider is the extent of the exploitation by the employer. A total transfer of the copyright will most likely render a higher remuneration, compared to a license and it’s therefore important to examine the extent of the transfer. The assessment of the remuneration is based on the circumstances at the time of the conclusion of the agreement, which means that it’s an ex ante assessment. In employment, the conclusion of the agreement, can be the time when the employment relation started. However, this study finds that the transfer of copyright to the employer, can occur at an even later time. The extent of the exploitation can thereby increase, which means that more of the copyright might be transferred or licensed than what was anticipated. One might ask if the employee again must be compensated with an appropriate and proportionate remuneration, since the extended exploitation can be viewed as a new contract. This study though concludes that it should not render a new assessment based on article 18, but should instead fall under the scope of application of article 20, since this article regulates the remuneration ex post.

The European Convention on Human Rights is a living instrument that is to be interpreted in line with present-day conditions. This concept is of particular importance when the European Court is faced with examining the human rights consequences of climate change. As the ECHR does not explicitly cover the climate, such an examination must be done through an evolutive interpretation of the Convention. 

The ECHR is to be interpreted in light of relevant international law in accordance with Article 31 of the VCLT. Historically, the Court has mainly used public international law to justify an evolutive interpretation of the Convention. The relevant international law includes, amongst others, the UNFCCC, the Paris Agreement, the IPCC, the Aarhus Convention and principles of international environmental law. The aim of this thesis was therefore to examine how public international law has been used to connect the ECHR and climate change in climate cases.

Domestic European courts use international law when interpreting the rights of the Applicants evolutively. Very little to no international law was considered where a restrictive approach was taken. The ECtHR used international law extensively to justify its evolutive interpretation of the ECHR in its climate judgments, granting representational legal standing to associations and finding that States have positive obligations under Article 8 to take climate action with a narrow margin of appreciation. When the courts interpreted the Convention restrictively, by not recognising extraterritorial jurisdiction and setting very high standards for victim status, international law was either not referred to or dismissed. International law is thus crucial for climate change to be examined by a human rights court. However, the extent of its use depends on the judges’ willingness to interpret the Convention extensively.

The Court has been accused of judicial activism and law-making in climate cases. The conclusion of this thesis does not align with this criticism. The Court must take international law into account, and the internationally recognized commitments and facts of the UNFCCC, the Paris Agreement, and the IPCC, very clearly establish the threat of climate change and that States must take action to prevent it. Thus in order to interpret the ECHR in harmony with international law, the Court must find States to have positive human rights obligations to combat climate change. It is therefore questionable to accuse the Court of judicial law-making, if there was no other conclusion to reach.

In contrast to many other diseases and conditions, there is no established blood-based biomarker to aid in the diagnosis, prognosis, or outcome prediction of stroke. The neurospecific proteins glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP), myelin basic protein, neurofilament light (NFL), tau, and ubiquitin carboxy-terminal hydrolase L1 are released into blood in response to injurious processes affecting the central nervous system. This thesis aims to enhance the understanding of if, how, and when these biomarkers can provide important information in stroke and stroke-related disorders and which should be the focus for further translation into a useful blood test for stroke.

Firstly, we determined how and at which concentrations these biomarkers are distributed in the human CNS. We found substantial variation between brain regions, indicating that these biomarkers' circulating levels are likely affected by both the size and location of a cerebral insult.

After that, we investigated how plasma levels of these biomarkers change during the first week after an ischemic stroke and determined the optimal time point for assessing infarct volume. Undoubtedly, GFAP was the most optimal biomarker to assess infarct volume in the acute phase, while NFL was better suited to evaluate infarct volume one week to three months after symptom onset.

The findings indicated that NFL holds information long after a cerebrovascular event, so we analyzed plasma NFL in patients undergoing the cardiac procedure transcatheter aortic valve implantation, which is associated with a high frequency of relatively small and covert brain infarcts. We found that NFL increased by 60% after the procedure, which in approximative numbers corresponds to 1 cm³ infarcted brain tissue, similar to the previously reported mean lesion size after the procedure, indicating that NFL may contribute to the detection of procedure-related insults.

Finally, we analyzed serum NFL in patients with atrial fibrillation (AF), a cardiac disease associated with both overt and covert brain infarcts, and in matched controls. We discovered that patients with AF had slightly elevated levels of NFL and that patients with ongoing AF rhythm had the highest levels, indicating that the cerebrovascular pathologies associated with AF may, at least in part, be reflected by NFL.

In summary, this thesis has contributed to the understanding of how and when these biomarkers provide information about stroke and stroke-related disorders. Future studies should aim to further NFL and GFAP into the clinical management of cerebrovascular disease.

The thesis compares and analyses coin finds from four case study sites, Amphipolis, Maroneia, Molyvoti, and Olynthos. The purpose of the thesis is to examine the numismatic material from northern Greece and study variation through time and space as well as why coins have moved. The focus is on the Classical period, but coins of Archaic date have been included. Network theory is applied to the material to study how networks and interactions can link cities and places together. In addition, the material is analysed by statistics and a coin distribution method which analyse the closeness of mint location to the site of the case study. The result of the study is that coins have moved across the Aegean Sea and beyond and interactions and trade could be the reason for the movement and connections. The case studies vary from each other and are in their own ways unique. Amphipolis does not follow the pattern purposed by the method and other sites in the Mediterranean and the reason for this could be its contact.

This master thesis studies how requirements for a safety-critical system can be formalised and their integrity verified using formal verification, especially using stochastic compositional verification. For this master thesis a redundancy braking system for an autonomous vehicle system at Scania is studied. The study presents a potential redundancy braking system with its various sub-components and their purpose. Based on EU-regulation, a scenario is presented where an autonomous vehicle is expected to brake within specific parameters to avoid collision. This scenario is used to derive formal specifications describing desired behaviour of the system's sub-components using the formalism probabilistic contract formulae. These specifications form parallel compositions describing desired behaviour for the system in order to satisfy a top-level specification. This thesis shows how stochastic compositional verification can be utilised for a safety-critical system in the automotive industry. The specifications can be used in future work to prove refinement using an algorithm for verifying refinement of parallel compositions of probabilistic contract formulae.

Background: Antidepressant medications are widely prescribed in Sweden, yet comprehensivelongitudinal studies examining trends in their utilization over time are scarce. This thesisaddresses this gap by exploring the patterns of antidepressant drug utilization in Sweden from1977 to 2023.

Aims: The primary aim of this study is to investigate the longitudinal trends in antidepressantutilization across different demographic groups, including age and gender, and various categoriesof antidepressants.

Methods: A quantitative-descriptive repeated cross-sectional design is employed, utilizingaggregated sales data from 1977 to 2000 and prescription data from 2006 to 2023. Defined DailyDose per 1000 inhabitants per day (DDD/TID) and Patients per 1000 inhabitants are used asprincipal analytical metrics. The study population comprises all men and women of all ages whoobtained at least one prescription for antidepressants during the study period.

Results: The analysis reveals a notable escalation in antidepressant consumption over the studyperiod. Sales statistics indicate a significant increase in antidepressant usage from approximately6 DDD/TID in 1977 to 48 DDD/TID by 2000. Prevalence data from 2006 to 2023 shows a rise inpatients per 1000 inhabitants, reaching 114 in 2023, with women receiving more prescriptionsthan men nearly doubling that of men by 2023. Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors(SSRIs)(N06AB) experienced a significant increase between 1992 and 2000, while TricyclicAntidepressants (TCAs) declined gradually. Other antidepressants (N06AX) also showed a slowincrease, competing with SSRIs by 2023. Antidepressant usage was higher among adults,particularly those over 60, compared to younger individuals.

Conclusion: This thesis underscores the evolving landscape of antidepressant drug utilization inSweden, highlighting the need for tailored interventions to address demographic-specific patternsand optimize mental health care delivery. 

In the last five years, transformer-based large language models have not only made tremendous advancements in fluent and accurate text generation, but also show unparalleled performance as zero- or few-shot shot learners of numerous downstream tasks. As their arsenal continues to expand, so must our evaluation methods. This thesis project contributes to an existing linguistically motivated template-based question-answering behavior testing framework, the Multilingual Mor-phological Checklist, by developing Japanese templates for a number of logical reasoning tasks. Furthermore, we add politeness as a new linguistic dimension within the framework. The Japanese question-answering prompts generated by our templates are evaluated on three pre-trained transformer-based multilingual generative language models alongside English, German and Finnish prompts. The model performance is evaluated in three experimental settings: one zero-shot experiment and two one-shot experiments. Using a number of automatic partial string-matching strategies, we find that all models achieve reasonable accuracy on the Japanese prompts for a majority of the reasoning tasks. The accuracy on Japanese is, unsurprisingly, worse than for English on average. Moreover, the best performance is observed in the zero-shot setting, suggesting that the introduction of additional elements in prompts may confuse the model more than the example helps clarify the task format. Additionally, we evaluate the reliability of the automated string-matching strategies, comparing them to a sample of human annotation. This reveals that the English scores align closer to the human scores than Japanese scores do, suggesting that different languages may benefit from different automated scoring approaches. Lastly, we find that although the performance across the politeness dimensionis quite scattered, formal Japanese prompts sometimes outperform the polite and familiar language variants. On average, however, the formal language prompts result in poorer performance, which aligns with our initial expectations.

The rapid advancement of technologies like Artificial Intelligence (AI) has significantly transformed the work environment, impacting employee motivation and the level of Techno-Work Engagement. While techno-work engagement emphasises the well-being linked to technology adoption in the workplace, these technological advancements are shaping how people interact with their work and affecting various fields, with UI/UX professionals being no exception. This study aimed to investigate the impact of AI-enabled tools on the state of techno-work engagement among UI/UX professionals using the perspective of Self-Determination Theory. Data were gathered through retrospective interviews and subsequently analysed using the reflexive thematic analysis. Interviews were conducted with seven professionals in UI/UX roles at their respective workplaces, accommodating the perspective of those who utilise AI-enabled tools at work and those who do not. Five themes emerged from the analysis, showing the impact of AI-enabled tools on the fulfilment of autonomy, competence, and relatedness, as well as fostering autonomous motivation at work. The findings show that the use of AI-enabled tools can fulfil the three basic psychological needs while enhancing autonomous motivation within professionals, indicating that integrating AI-enabled tools in the workflow positively affects techno-work engagement among UI/UX professionals. The study also underscores the importance of understanding the unique workflows and needs of UI/UX professionals to ensure that AI-enabled tools are developed in alignment with their expectations.

No matter how you do it, being a mother is, in one way or another, controversial. There are as many kinds of motherhood as there are and have been mothers. Perhaps that is why it is so interesting and necessary to portray it. Depictions of motherhood in literature are nothing new, nor is the depiction of the bad mother. Representations of motherhood in literature and media are not only relevant for women who have children, but they also have a major impact on women who do not have children. Depictions of motherhood are thus used to regulate the behavior of women in general and the idea of the good mother has always been the most prominent. She serves as a moral cue for all women, something to conform to. The literary trend of the honest portrayal of motherhood thus seems to have come as a long-awaited element in the eternal debate about what constitutes a good mother, and as a counter-reaction to all the picture-perfect images of motherhood that exist. At the same there has been a cultural “trauma boom”, it is as if a new language, drawn from psychology and trauma research, has been adopted and is reflected in the way people analyze and talk about their experiences. This essay aims to examine the effect of trauma in depiction of motherhood and the relationship between mother and daughter in Swedish contemporary literature. 

The three novels being studied are Rich boy (2018) by Caroline Ringskog Ferrada-Noli, Barmark (2017) by Malin Nord and Straff (2023) by Ann-Helen Laestadius. The theoretical framework for the study consists of trauma theory and studies, motherhood studies as well as matrilinear narratives. Works by Lucy Bonds and Stef Craps, Ulla M. Holm, Marianne Hirsch and Yi-Lin Yu are important for the theoretical foundation and provides insight to the research and dominant discourses within the fields of trauma studies and motherhood studies. 

The analysis consists of three parts with each novel making up each part. It focuses on the depiction of motherhood and trauma as well as how it appears and affects the relationship between mother and daughter, thus making it a generational trauma. Another touchpoint in the analysis is how trauma is portrayed in the novels by using different narratological approaches. In the end discussion the novels are compared to illustrate similarities and differences in the portrayal of trauma and its effects of motherhood and the daughters of traumatized mothers. As for the narratological approach all three novels represents trauma by letting temporality and chronology collapse by swithching perspective as well as recounting the traumatic event repeatedly througout the novel, but in different ways each time. Furthermore the study finds that the novels portrays the effects trauma in the relationship to the daughters through silence, violence and distance. While some of the daughters in the novels repeat the suffering of their mothers, others are aware of the pattern and tries to change it by talking and exercising a different kind of motherhood than they themselves grew up with. The study illustrates different represenations of trauma in literature and how it can be portrayed as generational and leak between mother and daughter, but also how it doesn't have to.

During beam time at a research facility, alignment and optimization of instrumentation, such as spectrometers, is a time-intensive task and often needs to be performed multiple times throughout the operation of an experiment. Despite the motorization of individual components, automated alignment solutions are not always available. In this study, a novel approach that combines optimisers with neural network surrogate models to significantly reduce the alignment overhead for a mobile soft X-ray spectrometer is proposed. Neural networks were trained exclusively using simulated ray-tracing data, and the disparity between experiment and simulation was obtained through parameter optimization. Real-time validation of this process was performed using experimental data collected at the beamline. The results demonstrate the ability to reduce alignment time from one hour to approximately five minutes. This method can also be generalized beyond spectrometers, for example, towards the alignment of optical elements at beamlines, making it applicable to a broad spectrum of research facilities.

We study classical radiation fields at next-to-leading order using the methods of scattering amplitudes. The fields of interest to us are sourced when two massive, point-like objects scatter inelastically, and can be computed from one-loop amplitudes. The real and imaginary parts of the amplitudes play important but physically distinct roles in the radiation field. We argue that the imaginary part captures the effects of radiation reaction. This aspect of radiation reaction is directly linked to cuts of one-loop amplitudes which expose Compton trees. We also discuss the fascinating interplay between renormalisation, radiation reaction and classical field theory from this perspective.

Background

The current study examined whether coping strategies and symptoms of Adjustment Disorder in adults with ADHD differed from what was observed in the general adult population during the Covid-19 pandemic, and compared the extent to which coping strategies and symptom levels of Adjustment Disorder were related to ADHD.

Method

This cross-sectional study was based on survey data collected during the spring of 2021 from 231 adult ADHD patients in specialist care and 1148 volunteers without ADHD in Sweden. The survey included questions about sociodemographic and clinical characteristics, along with the Brief-COPE and Adjustment Disorder–New Module 8 questionnaires. Regression models adjusting for sociodemographic and clinical characteristics were used for between-group comparisons of coping strategies and symptoms of Adjustment Disorder.

Results

There were some notable differences in the use of coping strategies between persons with and without ADHD; however, many of these differences were not observed in the adjusted models. The use of behavioral disengagement was more frequently observed among individuals with ADHD, whereas planning was more common among individuals without ADHD. Individuals with ADHD appeared to show higher symptom levels of Adjustment Disorder during the pandemic. Passive coping strategies, such as denial, self-blame, and behavioral disengagement, were associated with higher symptom levels of adjustment disorder in both individuals with and without ADHD.

Conclusion

In conclusion, the results highlight that persons with ADHD may need more support to adjust to large societal changes than the general public. Potential targets for intervention towards members of this group include reducing resignation and maladaptive coping strategies.

Extracellular vesicles (EVs) are natural carriers for intercellular communication within the human body. Mimicking and utilizing EVs by combining them with artificial nanocarriers such as liposomes for drug delivery has garnered considerable attention. However, current technologies for manipulating EVs to facilitate their fusion with liposomes are limited; the existing technique of polyethylene glycol (PEG)induced fusion is highly inefficient for fusion. In our previous study, we demonstrated that membrane fusion could be induced by Tat peptide (YGRKKRRQRRR)-conjugated poly(ethylene glycol)-phospholipids (Tat-PEG-lipids), in which the Tat peptide and lipid domain facilitate membrane attachment and subsequent fusion between cells and liposomes. This approach is promising for forming EV and liposomal hybrids. In this study, we aim to fuse EVs and liposomes using Tat-PEG-lipids. We isolated and characterized EVs derived from HEK293T cell culture medium and treated a mixture of EVs and liposomes composed of 1,2-dipalmitoyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphocholine and cholesterol (1:1, molar ratio), with TatPEG-lipids with different lipid chain lengths. Here, we used nonanoyl (C9), dodecanoyl (C12), and myristoyl (C14) groups as lipid anchors with 5 kDa PEG chains. Dynamic light scattering analysis revealed a large increase in the apparent size of mixture of EVs and liposomes by adding Tat-PEG-lipids (especially C14, C12, followed by C9). Fluorescence resonance energy transfer, confocal laser scanning microscopy, and transmission electron microscopy, used to analyze the reaction process, revealed that the membrane fusion occurred between EVs and liposomes but not their aggregates. The short lipid domain of Tat-PEGlipids effectively induced membrane fusion and the formation of hybrid EVs and liposomes. Thus, TatPEG-lipids (C9 and C12) could be promising candidates for inducing membrane fusion to fabricate EVliposome hybrids.

Background

Sodium-glucose co-transporter 2 (SGLT2) inhibitors have been shown to reduce rates of heart failure hospitalisations and cardiovascular death in patients with type 2 diabetes and prior cardiovascular disease. We hypothesised that SGLT2 inhibitors could provide cardiovascular benefits in the post-myocardial infarction setting. We aimed to investigate cardiovascular outcomes of SGLT2 inhibitor therapy in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus after myocardial infarction in a Swedish nationwide registry.

Methods

We included all patients with type 2 diabetes surviving a type 1 acute myocardial infarction from January 1, 2018 to December 31, 2021. Patients were included if they were discharged with an estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) > 30 mL/min/1.73 m² in the nationwide Swedish Web-system for Enhancement and Development of Evidence-based care in Heart disease Evaluated According to Recommended Therapies (SWEDEHEART) registry. We identified all patients discharged with or without an SGLT2 inhibitor prescription 120 days before or within three days after discharge from the cardiac care unit. The primary outcome measure was a composite of death and first hospitalisation for heart failure after one year analysed using an adjusted Cox regression.

Findings

A total of 11,271 patients were included. Of these, 2498 (22.2%) received SGLT2 inhibitor treatment. Patients who were prescribed SGLT2 inhibitors were younger, more often presented with a STEMI and had worse left ventricular ejection fraction at index hospitalisation. SGLT2 inhibitor use was associated with lower rates of the composite outcome (hazard ratio (HR) of 0.70 (95% confidence interval (CI) 0.59–0.82).

Interpretation

Treatment with SGLT2 inhibitors after myocardial infarction in patients with type 2 diabetes was associated with a lower rate of cardiovascular events.

Background

All Nepalese citizens have the right to high-quality healthcare services free of charge. To achieve this, healthcare services for the rural population in Nepal need to be improved in terms of personnel, medicines, and medical equipment.

Objectives

To explore challenges and possible improvements healthcare personnel experience when travelling to rural parts of Nepal to provide healthcare.

Method

Data was collected from various health professionals using focus group discussions at Dhulikhel Hospital in Nepal. The data were transcribed and analysed using Systematic text condensation.

Results

Twenty-two professional healthcare personnel participated in five group discussions. Four categories emerged from the collected material: Finding ORC services being underutilised, Wanting to fulfil tasks and do a good job, Facing inadequate resources, and Seeing the need for improved organisation and cooperation. There was consensus that rural clinics are important to maintaining health for the rural population of Nepal. However, there was frustration that the rural population was not benefitting from all available healthcare services due to underutilisation.

Conclusion

Rural healthcare clinics are not utilised appropriately, according to healthcare workers at the rural outreach clinics. Potential ways of overcoming the perceived challenges of underutilising available healthcare services include financial and human resources. The rural population<acute accent>s health awareness needs to be increased, and the work environment for rural healthcare workers needs to be improved. These issues need to be prioritised by the government and policymakers.

Main findings: Outreach clinics in Nepal are perceived as underutilised by health providers.

Added knowledge: Increased awareness among rural people on when to seek healthcare, improved work conditions for health providers and collaboration with other health facilities may strengthen the utilisation of offered care.

Global health impact for policy and action: Updated policies reflecting these Nepalese suggestions on strengthening rural healthcare may be useful and benefit other rural populations in similar settings.

The high diversity and global distribution of heterotrophic bacterial diazotrophs (HBDs) in the ocean has recently become apparent. However, understanding the role these largely uncultured microorganisms play in marine N-2 fixation poses a challenge due to their undefined growth requirements and the complex regulation of the nitrogenase enzyme. We isolated and characterized Candidatus Thalassolituus haligoni, a member of a widely distributed clade of HBD belonging to the Oceanospirillales. Analysis of its nifH gene via amplicon sequencing revealed the extensive distribution of Cand. T. haligoni across the Pacific, Atlantic, and Arctic Oceans. Pangenome analysis indicates that the isolate shares >99% identity with an uncultured metagenome-assembled genome called Arc-Gamma-03, recently recovered from the Arctic Ocean. Through combined genomic, proteomic, and physiological approaches, we confirmed that the isolate fixes N-2 gas. However, the mechanisms governing nitrogenase regulation in Cand. T. haligoni remain unclear. We propose Cand. T. haligoni as a globally distributed, cultured HBD model species within this understudied clade of Oceanospirillales.

Ionisation suppression is a persistent issue in electrospray ionisation mass spectrometry, which decreases the signal of co-eluting analytes. In non-targeted analysis, where analyte and organic matrix identity is unknown, this poses a very challenging analytical problem when it comes to quantitatively assessing differences between samples, including in a compositional sense. In this study, I demonstrate the problems that arise due to ionisation suppression using a very simple sample mixing scheme between a fresh, metabolite rich sample (a leaf leachate) and a forest pond water. Samples were analysed after solid phase extraction on Agilent PPL and using high performance liquid chromatography coupled to electrospray ionisation - Orbitrap mass spectrometry, charged aerosol detector and diode array detector, the latter two allowing quantification of eluting material. I found that more than half of the well-resolved analytes expected to be present (at equal concentration) were completely lost from detection after mixing with pond water DOM. The average recovery of analytical signal (i.e., the signal weighted average), was about 50%, and was highly variable between analytes. Ionisation suppression also affected the signal obtained from the geochemical background DOM, and material recovery decreased slightly when mixing samples and extracting at a higher volume on PPL. Overall, the results showed that ionisation suppression is an extremely important problem for comparison of biogeochemical samples, even when only considering presence and absence of detected features. A multi detector approach and liquid chromatographic separation adds great value in comparison to use of only high resolution mass spectrometry (in direct infusion mode).

Fibre optic technology has become a cornerstone in modern communication systems, offering unparalleled speed and bandwidth capabilities. However, ensuring the reliability and performance of fibre optic cables requires rigorous testing procedures. This thesis addresses the development and implementation of a specialized fibre cable test equipment designed to meet the specific testing needs within Mycronic AB. The primary goal is to enhance the efficiency, accuracy, and automation of fibre cable testing processes. The integrated system was calibrated and subjected to rigorous testing, demonstrating its capability to accurately measure fibre performance. Results show that the system can achieve a coupling efficiency of around 30% at a 0-degree incidence angle, taking into account inherent losses and reflections. This performance represents a significant improvement over existing testing methods.  

This study is about the Kurdish Sufi poet Malā-yē Jazīrī (1570–1640), whose poems are considered to mark the beginning of classical Kurdish poetry.

To understand the poet’s time and poetry, the political, religious and cultural background is presented, which represents an important phase of Kurdistan’s history. Jazīrī lived in a period when several semi-independent Kurdish principalities were established and flourished as a result of the rivalry between the Safavids and the Ottomans. He lived in the city of Jazīra, the capital of Botan principality, and was close to the princely family of Azīzān, especially Prince Šaraf-Xān III, for whom he composed two panegyrics.

Two important philosophical and Sufi schools of thought were present and active during Jazīrī’s lifetime, and they had a great impact on his thought and poetry. These were the Naqšbandī order and Ibn ʿArabī’s doctrine of Waḥdat al-wujūd.  

Manuscripts and printed editions of Malā-yē Jazīrī’s Dīwān are presented, and formal and linguistic aspects of Jazīrī’s poetry are studied, particularly how he applied the Arabic prosodic system to Kurdish poetry. Various aspects of Jazīrī’s poetry are also examined with a focus on his Sufi ideas and the aesthetic expression of his philosophical and spiritual experience. 

This thesis presents a comprehensive study of the use of lignocellulosic biomass components in materials, targeting two distinct applications: conductive materials and additive manufacturing. The lignocellulosic biomass components -lignin, cellulose, and hemicellulose- have been identified as promising renewable feedstocks to replace fossil resources and contribute to the green transition. The first work presented focuses on the synthesis of conductive polymers, specifically polypyrroles. The synthesis of the monomers, N-functionalized pyrroles, was achieved by a modified Clauson-Kaas protocol, both performed in continuous flow and in batch. The substrates used, 2,5-dimethoxytetrahydrofuran and anilines, are promising candidates for biomass-based chemical production. The produced N-functionalised pyrroles were then deposited onto electrodes via electropolymerization to obtain thin films and their electrical properties were characterized. Next, the thesis delves into the isolation and valorisation of lignin, specifically into softwood lignin, modified and isolated via a phenol-assisted fractionation. This approach supresses the formation of condensed lignin while simultaneously introducing new functional groups that could be beneficial for a number of applications. Phenolated lignin was obtained with a high degree of functionalization, a well-defined structure and relatively low molecular weight. Detailed analysis of the fractionation conditions and of the corresponding lignin structures gave insights on how to tailor lignin on demand. The potential of the one-step phenolated lignin was investigated for materials applications.

Filaments of lignin and polylactic acid (PLA) were produced to be used in additive manufacturing. The study focused on high lignin incorporation to PLA at three different concentrations (30, 50, and 70 wt%). The lignin-PLA filaments were used for 3D printing of dog bone shaped specimens to examine their mechanical properties. Additionally, detailed thermal and chemical analysis were performed to get an in-depth understanding of the materials. The results were compared to the performance of technical lignins that were also included in the study. Importantly, recycling studies of the filaments indicated good printing performance up to three recycling cycles.

Another application explored was the production of conductive carbon materials, starting from the modified lignin. The carbonization was performed using a CO2 laser engraver and lignin was the main component in the wet film formulation. The optimized carbonization parameters afforded carbonized films with low sheet resistance (< 7 Ω sq-1). The structural analysis of the carbonized materials revealed the formation of few-layers graphene-like carbon structures. Further applications of these materials are under investigation.

These innovative applications showcase the potential for sustainable, biomass-based materials. The lignin fractionation method reported herein can contribute to further advancements in lignin research. A phenol modified lignin with defined structure offers more opportunities in comparison with bulk lignins, with the advantage of tailoring lignin properties to its end use in the same number steps. Biomass-based organic electronics will help paving the way for environmentally friendly advancements in the energy sector.

Computational modeling of the melt pool dynamics in laser-based powder bed fusion metal additive manufacturing (PBF-LB/M) promises to shed light on fundamental mechanisms of defect generation. These processes are accompanied by rapid evaporation so that the evaporation-induced recoil pressure and cooling arise as major driving forces for fluid dynamics and temperature evolution. The magnitude of these interface fluxes depends exponentially on the melt pool surface temperature, which, therefore, has to be predicted with high accuracy. The present work utilizes a diffuse interface finite element model based on a continuum surface flux (CSF) description of interface fluxes to study dimensionally reduced thermal two-phase problems representative for PBF-LB/M in a finite element framework. It is demonstrated that the extreme temperature gradients combined with the high ratios of material properties between metal and ambient gas lead to significant errors in the interface temperatures and fluxes when classical CSF approaches, along with typical interface thicknesses and discretizations, are applied. It is expected that this finding is also relevant for other types of diffuse interface PBF-LB/M melt pool models. A novel parameter-scaled CSF approach is proposed, which is constructed to yield a smoother temperature field in the diffuse interface region, significantly increasing the solution accuracy. The interface thickness required to predict the temperature field with a given level of accuracy is less restrictive by at least one order of magnitude for the proposed parameter-scaled approach compared to classical CSF, drastically reducing computational costs. Finally, we showcase the general applicability of the parameter-scaled CSF to a 3D simulation of stationary laser melting of PBF-LB/M considering the fully coupled thermo-hydrodynamic multi-phase problem, including phase change.

Introduction: Community pharmacies, as unique and accessible healthcare venues, are ideal locations to implement interventions aiming to improve patient care. However, these interventions may increase workload or disrupt workflow for community pharmacists, technicians, and other staff members, threatening long-term sustainment. There are growing calls from the field of implementation science to design for intervention sustainment and maintenance by maximizing innovation fit. Senior SafeTM, an intervention to facilitate safer overthe-counter (OTC) product selection by older adults, serves as a case study to examine the congruence between Innovation Factors and community pharmacy Inner Context constructs and their implications for workload and sustainment.

Methods: Using the Exploration, Preparation, Implementation, Sustainment (EPIS) framework, this qualitative study identified factors surrounding Senior Safe implementation. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with staff from pharmacies where Senior Safe was implemented. Two coders independently analyzed interview transcripts using deductive analysis based on EPIS constructs. Thematic analysis was used to generate three themes that encapsulated innovation fit.

Results: Nineteen pharmacy staff members participated, with the majority reporting no significant change in their workload or workflow due to Senior Safe. Interview feedback supported a pre-existing culture of the healthcare system to engage patients, of leadership commitment to patient safety initiatives, and of an amplified role of pharmacy technicians.

Discussion and Conclusion: Pharmacy staff interviews revealed congruence between Innovation Factors and Inner Context that likely yielded intervention workload neutrality. This study highlighted the importance for researchers to consider maintenance and sustainability when designing and implementing an intervention and the critical influence of culture and leadership support during this process.

Calendula, commonly known as marigold, is a plant of the Asteraceae family with a rich history of medicinal use. This plant possesses a variety of bioactive compounds, including steroids, terpenoids, triterpenoids, phenolic acids, flavonoids, carotenoids, and essential oils. These compounds confer significant anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, antimicrobial, and anticancer properties to Calendula, making it a promising candidate for treating various skin conditions, particularly skin wounds. Calendula extracts hold potential applications in the pharmaceutical, food, and cosmetic industries. Notably, these extracts can be utilized in drug delivery systems as natural biomaterials, offering benefits for various health conditions. This review aims to provide an updated synthesis of the medical and pharmacological uses of Calendula, with a focus on its role in wound healing and drug delivery systems. It addresses the limitations of using Calendula's active compounds, offering insights for future research and application.

Innehåll

Stärkt patient­ forskning väg till bättre behandlingar ..................2

Mötesplatser på nätet kan vara väldigt värdefulla – men viktigt att bemöta riskerna ..................................................... 3

Lästips: Årsrapport kritisk om de mänskliga rättigheterna i Sverige ...................................................5

Närstående som vårdar demenssjuka behöver bättre stöd ..... 6

Bättre nätbaserad terapi när patienten får vara med och bestämma ......................................................... 10

UserInvolve vill befästa metoder för brukarinflytande ........... 12

Nytt projekt siktar på att kunna diagnosticera alzheimer tidigare .................................................. 14

Lästips: Svårt men viktigt att mäta kostnader och nytta med universell utformning ......................................... 14

Hallå där!............................................................................................. 15

Kalendern 2024/2025.......................................................................16

Molecules involved in solvation shells have properties differing from those of the bulk solvent, which can in turn affect reactivity. Among key properties of these molecules are their nature and electronic structure. Widely used tools to characterize this type of property are X-ray-based spectroscopies, which, however, usually lack the capability to selectively probe the solvation-shell molecules. A class of X-ray triggered "non-local" processes has the recognized potential to provide this selectivity. Intermolecular Coulombic decay (ICD) and related processes involve neighbouring molecules in the decay of the X-ray-excited target, and are thus naturally sensitive to its immediate environment. Applying electron spectroscopy to aqueous solutions, we explore the resonant flavours of ICD and demonstrate how it can inform on the first solvation shell of excited solvated cations. One particular ICD process turns out to be a potent marker of the formation of ion pairs. Another gives a direct access to the electron binding energies of the water molecules in the first solvation shell, a quantity previously elusive to direct measurements. The resonant nature of the processes makes them readily measurable, providing powerful new spectroscopic tools. X-ray triggered non-local processes, such as Intermolecular Coulombic Decay, are shown here to selectively probe solvation-shell molecules in solution and provide new information on their electronic structure and on ion-pair formation.

Adolescents’ mental health is a current public health issue. However, research, on adolescents’ views on different aspects of mental health, and the prevalence of mental well-being, mental illness and related stigma, among adolescents is limited in Sweden. The overall aim of this thesis was to explore perceptions and status of mental health and stigma related to mental health problems among adolescents in a Swedish context. 

Study I and II were based on qualitative interviews with 32 adolescents on the Swedish island Gotland. Study I indicated that the adolescents had a complex understanding of various mental health concepts but labelled mental well-being as ‘feeling good’ and mental illness as ‘feeling bad’. In Study II, the adolescents described mental health problems as common due to current living conditions, e.g. stress related to school performance and social media and an increased openness about mental health problems. Stigmatisation of people with mental health problems was perceived as problematic, caused by lack of experience and knowledge, but also as related to rumour spreading and stereotypical gender norms. 

Study III and IV were based on the Life and Health Youth survey, conducted in secondary schools located on Gotland. In study III, the results according to the dual-factor model of mental health showed that most adolescents had vulnerable mental health status (47.5%), while 36.2% had complete mental health. A smaller proportion had troubled (13,9%) or symptomatic but content (2,5%) mental health status. Associations were observed between mental health status and gender, grades, truancy, stress level, resilience, and subjective social status in school. 

In study IV, the factor structure and internal consistency was acceptable for the modified Attitudes About Mental Illness and its Treatment scale, but the adolescents perceived it as difficult to answer. Further, negative attitudes towards people with mental health problems were present, and more common among boys and foreign-born adolescents. 

The findings of this thesis suggests the two-factor model of mental health and the three-part description of stigma, including stereotypes, prejudice and discrimination, to be applicable among adolescents. Further, the findings suggest a need for promotion of mental well-being and prevention of mental health problems such as interventions to reduce school-related stress, increase resilience and promote societal knowledge about mental health, stigma and gender stereotypes among adolescents. The findings also motivate support to adolescents with low mental wellbeing and minor mental health problems as well as to adolescents who have friends with mental health problems. 

The microbunching instability has been a long-standing issue for high-brightness free-electron lasers (FELs) and is a significant showstopper to achieve full longitudinal coherence in the x-ray regime. This paper reports the first experimental demonstration of microbunching instability mitigation through transverse Landau damping, based on linear optics control in a dispersive region. Analytical predictions for the microbunching content are supported by numerical calculations of the instability gain. The effect is confirmed through the experimental characterization of the spectral brightness of the FERMI FEL under different transverse optics configurations of the transfer line between the linear accelerator and the FEL.

Denna studie undersöker hur ett industriföretag med en tydlig hållbarhetsprofil arbetar med sitt varumärkesbyggande i relation till hur detta uppfattas av konsumenterna. Detta genomförs genom att studera Northvolt. Studien delas upp i två delstudier: en kvalitativ innehållsanalys av Northvolts hållbarhetsprofil och en kvantitativ enkätstudie för att bedöma konsumentens uppfattning om företagets varumärke. Innehållsanalysen visar att Northvolt strävar efter att positionera sig som ett miljömässigt hållbart alternativ i en bransch som genomsyras av hållbarhetsutmaningar. Enkätstudien, som inkluderade 105 giltiga svar, indikerar att konsumenterna har en försiktigt positiv inställning till Northvolts hållbarhetsarbete. Detta även om det finns viss skepsis kring specifika aspekter av hållbarhetsarbetet och åtgärder i vissa frågor. Studien visar att Northvolt relativt framgångsrikt har etablerat sig som ett grönt varumärke med ett förhållandevis positivt stöd från konsumenterna. Studien bidrar till förståelse av hur företag inom batteriindustrin kan stärka sitt förtroende hos konsumenterna genom miljömässigt hållbarhetsarbete och kommunikationen av arbetet

Objective

Intensive care unit (ICU) stay for a serious illness has a long-term impact on patients’ physical and psychological well-being, affecting their ability to return to their everyday life. We aimed to investigate whether there are differences in health status between those who return to work and those who do not, and how demographic characteristics and illness severity impact patients’ ability to return to work 12 months after intensive care for COVID-19.

Research methodology

This was a prospective longitudinal cohort study. The participants were patients who had been in intensive care for COVID-19 and had worked before contracting COVID-19. Data on return to previous occupational status, demographic data, comorbidities, intensive care characteristics, and health status were collected at a 12-month follow-up visit.

Setting

General ICU at the Uppsala University Hospital in Sweden.

Results

Seventy-three participants were included in the study. Twelve months after discharge from the ICU, 77 % (n = 56) had returned to work. The participants who were unable to return to work reported more severe health symptoms. The (odds ratio [OR] for not returning to work was high for critical illness OR, 12.05; 95 % confidence interval [CI], 2.07–70.29, p = 0.006) and length of ICU stay (OR, 1.06; 95 % CI, 1.01–1.11, p = 0.01)

Conclusion

Two-thirds of the participants were able to return to work within 1 year after discharge from the ICU. The primary factors contributing to the failure to work were duration of the acute disease and presence of severe and persistent long-term symptoms.

Implications for clinical practice

Patients’ health status must be comprehensively assessed and their ability to return to work should be addressed in the rehabilitation process. Therefore, any complications faced by the patients must be identified and treated early to increase the possibility of their successful return to work.

Background

Small songbirds respond and adapt to various geographical barriers during their annual migration. Global flyways reveal the diverse migration strategies in response to different geographical barriers, among which are high-elevation plateaus. However, few studies have been focused on the largest and highest plateau in the world, the Qinghai–Tibet Plateau (QTP) which poses a significant barrier to migratory passerines. The present study explored the annual migration routes and strategies of a population of Siberian Rubythroats (Calliope calliope) that breed on the north-eastern edge of the QTP.

Methods

Over the period from 2021 to 2023, we applied light-level geolocators (13 deployed, seven recollected), archival GPS tags (45 deployed, 17 recollected), and CAnMove multi-sensor loggers (with barometer, accelerometer, thermometer, and light sensor, 20 deployed, six recollected) to adult males from the breeding population of Siberian Rubythroat on the QTP. Here we describe the migratory routes and phenology extracted or inferred from the GPS and multi-sensor logger data, and used a combination of accelerometric and barometric data to describe the elevational migration pattern, flight altitude, and flight duration. All light-level geolocators failed to collect suitable data.

Results

Both GPS locations and positions derived from pressure-based inference revealed that during autumn, the migration route detoured from the bee-line between breeding and wintering grounds, leading to a gradual elevational decrease. The spring route was more direct, with more flights over mountainous areas in western China. This different migration route during spring probably reflects a strategy for faster migration, which corresponds with more frequent long nocturnal migration flights and shorter stopovers during spring migration than in autumn. The average flight altitude (1856 ± 781 m above sea level) was correlated with ground elevation but did not differ between the seasons.

Conclusions

Our finding indicates strong, season-dependent impact of the Qinghai–Tibet Plateau on shaping passerine migration strategies. We hereby call for more attention to the unexplored central-China flyway to extend our knowledge on the environment-migration interaction among small passerines.

The aggregation of alpha-synuclein (αSyn) into oligomers and fibrils is central to the disease progression of Parkinson’s disease and related pathologies, where αSyn aggregates spread between neurons and cause neurodegeneration. To this date, there is no treatment available that could interfere with the aggregation of αSyn to potentially stop the disease progression. Among the major limitations in the development of therapeutics against αSyn aggregation are the low extracellular concentration of αSyn, the low selectivity of therapeutics for the pathologically relevant αSyn species, and the lacking detailed knowledge about the actual pathological αSyn species.

In this thesis, different engineered antibodies and αSyn mutants were investigated with the aim to identify better strategies of antibody-based treatment of αSyn aggregation.

In Paper I, we engineered multivalent antibodies based on the αSyn aggregate-specific antibody SynO2 to enhance the antibody’s binding strength to a wide range of soluble αSyn aggregates. We could show that the higher valency increased the binding strength to αSyn aggregates up to 20-fold.

In Paper II, we aimed to improve the design of the antibody RmAb158-scFv8D3 to enhance its TfR-mediated brain uptake. By drastically reducing the linker length between the therapeutic antibody and its TfR-targeting scFv8D3, we showed a two-fold enhanced transcytosis across an in vitro BBB model.

In Paper III, we fused a negatively charged peptide to the αSyn aggregate-specific antibodies SynO2 and 9E4 to test whether those fusion antibodies had the potential to bind with higher avidity to αSyn aggregates. Our results showed lower binding strengths compared with the parental antibodies.

In Paper IV, we designed αSyn mutants with a stabilized beta-hairpin conformation to produce stable, small αSyn oligomers closely resembling native, pathological αSyn oligomers. We showed that two of the mutants formed exclusively pentameric and hexameric oligomers under conditions that promoted fibrillation of wild-type αSyn.

In conclusion, this thesis shows that increasing the valency of an antibody is a possible strategy to enhance its binding strength to αSyn aggregates. However, to effectively target pathologically relevant αSyn species, a more selective targeting approach may be required, possibly through a conformational epitope exclusive to αSyn oligomers.