Publikationer från Högskolan i Skövde
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The CDR3delta repertoire of gamma/delta T cells from blood donors infected with Neoehrlichia. mikurensis
No full textN. mikurensis is a tick-borne bacterial pathogen that causes a severe infection called neoehrlichiosis. Symptoms can range from mild (e.g., headaches and fever) to severe (e.g., vascular and thromboembolic events). N. mikurensis often presents as a fever of unknown origin in immunocompromised patients. Individuals undergoing treatment for lymphoma who were infected with N. mikurensis showed an elevated clonal count of perforin-producing γδ T cells. To gain insight into T cell receptor (TCR) characteristics associated with this pathogen, TCR repertoire analysis was conducted on healthy, asymptomatic blood donors. The analysis compared N. mikurensis-infected individuals (n = 11; 3900 CDR3δ) with uninfected individuals (n = 11; 4299 CDR3δ). The full repertoire analysis included CDR3δ length, as well as N-addition length analysis between infected and uninfected blood donors. Diversity metrics based on clonotype richness, Shannon entropy and Simpson’s diversity, as well as overlap comparisons, were carried out to identify unique CDR3δ that link exclusively to infected individuals. PCA using FASGAI descriptors was generated for the CDR3δ to connect amino acid physicochemical properties with antigen-specificity and binding to N. mikurensis. Public CDR3δ identified in infected samples were also compared with public databases of fetal repertoires to classify the origin of N. mikuresis-infected CDR3δs. Full CDR3δ length and N-addition length showed significant differences, highlighting decreased clonotype frequency in infected samples. Meanwhile, diversity and PCA remained the same between both groups. The overlap revealed 7 public CDR3δ CDR3δ that were unique to N. mikurensis-infected samples. These CDR3δ were shown to have shorter CDR3δ lengths and considerably fewer N-additions at the VD- and DJjunctions. The fetal comparison to both the uninfected and infected groups exhibited similar diversity, but distinct physicochemical properties, with CDR3δ displaying an average bias toward specific FASGAI descriptors. There was greater overlap between fetal-derived CDR3δ and those from infected individuals than with the uninfected group. 34 public CDR3δ were shared with the infected group. These fetal-derived CDR3δ exhibited more distinct V(D)J rearrangements and consisted of not only TRDJ1 gene segments, as expected based on the total repertoire results, but also a similar number of TRDJ3 segments. Notably, there were few N-additions. In summary, a higher numbers of public CDR3δ CDR3δ in the N. mikurensis-infected samples were found than in uninfected samples. Due to their innate characteristics, these CDR3δ were likely of fetal origin. Further testing is needed to determine whether they are involved in the immune defense against N. mikurensis.
Meditation and psychedelics facilitate similar types of mystical, psychological, and philosophical-existential insights predictive of wellbeing : a qualitative-quantitative approach
No full textBoth psychedelic substances and meditation have been proposed to facilitate personally meaningful and transformative experiences, with insights playing a central role. However, previous research has mainly relied on questionnaires, limiting the range of insights that can be identified. In this study, we recruited participants who provided narrative reports of insights in personally meaningful psychedelic (n = 147) or meditation (n = 66) experiences. Psychedelic experiences were facilitated both by classic (e.g., LSD, psilocybin, DMT) as well as non-classic (e.g., MDMA, ketamine, cannabis) psychedelics. Qualitative analysis revealed three main insight themes: Mystical-type (subclasses Unity, Metaphysical, and Other), Psychological (subclasses Metacognitive, Value, and Compassion), and Philosophical-existential (subclasses Purpose, Value, and Other). Mystical-type insights were more frequent in reports of meditation experiences, while value insights were more common in psychedelic reports. Otherwise, the reported insights were highly similar across the two types of reports, and only minor differences were observed between classic and non-classic psychedelics. Regression analyses indicated that metacognitive and value insights were positively associated with perceived improvements in positive affect, while mystical-type insights predicted increased meaning in life. These findings suggest that both psychedelic substances and meditation can facilitate a broad range of insights that are not fully captured by existing questionnaires. The results highlight similarities between psychedelic and meditation experiences supporting the notion that transformative experiences are not exclusive to classic psychedelics but can be facilitated through various means.CC BY 4.0Corresponding author at: Department of Psychology, Åbo Akademi University, Fabriksgatan 2, 20500 Åbo, Finland. E-mail address: [email protected] (J. Jylkkä).Registered Report Stage IIThis research was funded by the Kone Foundation, Finland (JJ, grant number 202105363), the Finnish Cultural Foundation, Finland (EL, grant number 85222212), Signe och Ane Gyllenbergs Stiftelse, Finland (JK, grant number 6379), and the BIAL Foundation, Portugal (PS, grant number 295/20).</p
Rapid whole genome sequencing for early outbreak detection of Neisseria meningitidis
No full textRapid and accurate strain identification of Neisseria meningitidis is essential during outbreaks. N. meningitidis poses a serious threat due to its potential to cause rapid onset meningitis and sepsis, both presenting with high mortality rates. This study aimed to validate Oxford Nanopore Technologies long-read sequencing as a rapid alternative to Illumina short-read sequencing for strain characterization of N. meningitidis and early outbreak detection. 51 isolates were DNA-extracted using both QIAsymphony SP and MagLEAD 12gc. Samples extracted with QIAsymphony were sequenced on the Illumina platform, while those processed with MagLEAD were sequenced using the Oxford Nanopore platform, using the Rapid PCR barcoding kit for library preparation. Sequencing data were analyzed using Ridom Seqsphere+5.0.0. for de novo assembly and typing. Illumina reads were assembled with Velvet, while Nanopore reads were basecalled with Dorado, assembled using Flye, and polished with Medaka. Final assemblies from both platforms were analyzed using cgMLST within Seqsphere+ and submitted to PubMLST for genomic comparison and outbreak cluster visualization. The results from the genomic comparison showed a slightly higher mean number of allelic errors for Nanopore compared to Illumina, however, the difference was not statistically significant. The increased number of errors may be explained by PCR bias, reducing the coverage and leading to more errors in those samples. The grapetree analysis showed that both platforms produced nearly identical clustering patterns, successfully identifying outbreak-related isolates in all but one case, validating Nanopore’s capability for reliable strain-level resolution in epidemiological surveillance
Characterising NETs-associated biomarkers and molecular clusters in atherosclerosis
No full textAtherosclerosis, a persistent inflammatory-driven condition, has a key role in cardiovascular diseases. Recent studies suggest that neutrophil extracellular traps (NETs) contribute significantly to the progression of atherosclerosis, yet it is unclear what molecular mechanisms underlie this process. This study aims to investigate gene co-expression networks to identify gene modules associated with NET formation in atherosclerosis. Using publicly available transcriptomic data from carotid atherosclerotic plaque samples and adjacent tissue samples serving as controls, we analysed gene expression profiles to identify differentially expressed genes (DEGs) and their associated pathways. Functional enrichment and co-expression network analysis, identified a gene module linked to NET formation in atherosclerosis. This observation was further supported by an independent validation cohort, which confirmed the association of the identified module with NET formation in atherosclerosis. Notably, one gene module associated with NET formation exhibited a strong correlation with immune responses and inflammatory pathways. Remarkably, hub genes in NET formation such as CTSB, CD68, SIGLEC9, MAPK13, and HEXB emerged as central players in disease progression, despite showing no involvement in NET formation in control samples. These findings provide that NETs play a crucial role in fostering inflammation and plaque development, offering new insights into the molecular mechanisms underlying atherosclerosis. This study not only deepens our understanding of NET-mediated processes in atherosclerosis but also highlights potential biomarkers and therapeutic targets for mitigating NET-related vascular damage
What Factors Play a Part in How Games Can User Colours to Guide the Payer? : An Analysis of the of Colour in Warhammer 40000: Darktide, SOMA and Cyberpunk 2077
No full textI texten diskuteras vilka biologiska och kulturella faktorer som påverkar hur en person uppfattar färg. Vidare diskuteras vilken roll färg har i spel och hur det kan användas för att leda spelaren. Problemformuleringen: Vilka faktorer styr hur spel kan använda färg för att leda spelaren? Detta kommer att undersökas genom en textanalys av tre spel. De tre spelen använder alla färg som en metod för att styra hur spelaren upplever spelet, men deras tillvägagångssätt skiljer sig åt. Resultatet visar hur användningen av färg i spel styrs av ett antal faktorer. Den valda färgen bör undvikas i spelmiljön, vilket kan få spelvärlden att kännas artificiell. Om all färg istället används fritt innebär det att spelutvecklarna istället kan behöva lägga in mer HUD1-element, med risk att påverka spelarens inlevelse. Framtida arbete från dessa resultat skulle vara att skapa en bredare undersökning med frågor baserade på dessa slutsatser
From strategy to practice : An insight in the practical work behind building an attractive workplace
No full textKompetensbrister är ett globalt fenomen som påverkar stora delar av arbetsmarknaden, inte minst industriverksamheter. Dessa företag står inför en rad olika utmaningar för att kunna överleva och utvecklas i en högt kompetitiv och pressad bransch, och måste därför utmärka sig för att bli ett mer attraktivt alternativ för arbetstagare. Vilka faktorer som arbetstagare finner attraktiva samt vilka behov som finns hos medarbetare existerar det stora mängder forskning om. Maslow’s behovshierarki, enorma mängder forskning kring organisatoriska attraktionsfaktorer och Herzberg’s tvåfaktorsteori är endast en fraktion av den forskning som finns, och kommer användas som en teoretisk utgångspunkt för denna studie. Ett annat perspektiv som kan appliceras är hur själva arbetsprocessen ser ut, vilket det finns betydligt mindre forskning kring. Att förstå vad som gör en verksamhet attraktiv och att kunna applicera detta på en faktisk organisation är inte synonymt. Denna något outforskade aspekten av attraktionsforskning är en lucka som skulle vara intressant att fylla. Syftet med studien är därför att beskriva praktiska exempel av hur industriverksamheter arbetar för att bygga en attraktiv arbetsplats och därigenom bidra till attraktionslitteraturen. Data har samlats in kvalitativt genom semi-strukturerade intervjuer med verksamheternas produktionsansvariga, vars data sedan transkriberats, tematiserats och vidare diskuterats utifrån rapportens teoretiska referensram, vilket är sammanställt av Maslow’s behovshierarki, Herzberg’s tvåfaktorsteori och tidigare forskning på attraktionsfaktorer kring verksamheter. Fynden som har framtagits visar ett stort fokus på flera basala aspekter som återkommer inom behovsteorierna, där trygghet, gemenskap och sociala relationsbehovet är konsekventa bland respondenterna, samt en prioritet kring personalutveckling som attraktionslitteraturen menar är högst relevant. Det mesta av detta arbete sker genom individanpassade system, där till exempel utbildningar samt karriärsutvecklingar erbjuds utifrån personlig prestation och intresse, och där kollegiala relationer argumenteras vara ett av de primära fokusområdena. De slutsatser som kunnat dras utifrån studien är att verksamheterna arbetar aktivt med flera delar av presenterade behovsteorier, samt att olika användbara arbetsmetoder har introducerats.Skill shortages are a global phenomenon that affects large parts of the labor market, like the manufacturing industry. These organizations face several challenges in order to survive and develop within a highly competitive market and due to this they must differentiate in order to attract employees. There is a large amount of research on what factors employees find attractive and what needs employees have, like Maslow’s hierarchy of needs, a large amount of research on attractive organizational factors and Herzberg’s two-factor theory being only a part of the amount of research that exists but significant for this study. Another perspective that can be applied is what the work process itself looks like, which there is considerably less research on. Understanding what makes an organization attractive and being able to explain how this is applied within an organization are not synonymous. This somewhat unexplored aspect of literature regarding attractive organizations is a gap that is interesting to fill, and the purpose of this study is therefore to describe practical examples of how industrial businesses work to build an attractive workplace through the lens of attraction and need research and thereby contribute to the attraction literature. To do this, a qualitative approach has been used through semi-structured interviews with Swedish production managers. This information has been coded and thematized to discover overarching themes within the data and later analyzed and discussed with the information found in the theory section of this study. The theory section of this study used Maslow's hierarchy of needs, Herzberg's two-factor theory and previous research on attraction studies where organization-specific attraction factors have been presented to provide a knowledge base for this study. The findings that have emerged have shown a great focus on several points that recur within the two need theories by Maslow and Herzberg, with a greater focus on the safety needs stage and the love and belonging stage within Maslow’s hierarchy of needs model and several of the points presented within Herzberg’s two-factor theory. Through an analysis of the material a priority has emerged around employee development that the attraction literature has shown is highly relevant. Most of this work is done through individually adapted systems, where, for example, training and career development are offered based on personal performance and interest, and where collegial relationships are argued to be one of the primary focus areas. The conclusions that could be made in this study is that all organisations are actively working to create attractive workplaces and work with several parts of the parts presented in the theoretical chapter, followed by the introduction of several useful methods
Situation Awareness in Human-Robot Interaction : Insights for the Design of Social Robots through Verbal and Nonverbal Signals
No full textDet snabbt växande forskningsfältet inom human-robot interaction (HRI) undersöker komplexiteten i interaktionen mellan människor och robotar. Denna tvärvetenskapliga domän som involverar expertis inom bland annat naturlig språkförståelse, kognitionsvetenskap och kommunikation, utforskar hur sociala robotar kan fungera som sociala partners och stöd i olika sammanhang som vård och utbildning. En central utmaning är att designa sociala robotar som kan kommunicera och koordinera med människor på ett intuitivt och empatiskt sätt. Med utgångspunkt i användarens perspektiv, kommer denna studie att undersöka hur verbala och icke-verbala signaler från en social robot påverkar användarens förmåga till situationsmedvetenhet. Studien genomfördes explorativt i labbmiljö där tio deltagare interagerade med roboten Furhat i olika scenarion för att variera robotens beteende och mäta situationsmedvetenhet. En induktiv analys av interaktionen utgjorde en kvalitativ grund som tillsammans med andra metoder användes i trianguleringen, för att styrka resultatets tillförlitlighet. Identifierade problemområden bildade underlag för förbättringar av sociala robotar och syftar till att stärka användarens förståelse i interaktionen. Resultaten visar att tydliga och konsekventa signaler från roboten kan stödja användarens förståelse av situationen, medan otydliga signaler eller brist på uttryck kan leda till missförstånd och minskad situationsmedvetenhet. De flesta identifierade problem kan härledas till brister i robotens naturliga uttryck, otillräcklig synkronisering mellan verbala och icke-verbala signaler och tekniska aspekter.The rapidly growing research field of human-robot interaction (HRI) investigates the complexity of interactions between humans and robots. This interdisciplinary domain, encompassing expertise in areas such as natural language understanding, cognitive science and communication, explores how social robots can function as social partners and provide support in areas such as healthcare and education. A central challenge lies in designing social robots capable of communicating and coordinating with humans in an intuitive and empathetic manner. From the users perspective, this study examines how verbal and non-verbal cues from a social robot influence the users situational awareness (SA).The study was conducted exploratorily in a laboratory setting, where ten participants interacted with the Furhat robot across different scenarios designed to vary the robots behavior and assess situational awareness. An inductive analysis of the interactions provided a qualitative foundation, which together with other methods was incorporated in a triangulation approach to enhance the reliability of the findings. Identified problem areas serve as a basis for improving social robots and aimed to strengthen users understanding during interaction. The results indicate that clear and consistent signals from the robot can facilitate the users situational understanding, whereas ambiguous signals or a lack of expression may result in misunderstandings and diminished situational awareness. The majority of identified issues can be attributed to limitations in the robots natural expressiveness, inadequate coordination between verbal and non-verbal cues and technical limitations
A case control study on a population based on HER 2 genetic polymorphism and breast cancer
No full textBreast cancer is a complicated and diverse disease where cells in the breast tissue grow out of control. It is the most common type of cancer to affect women worldwide. Breast cancer can arise in the connective tissues, ducts, and lobules, among other places in the breast. Based on their morphological features, breast cancers are currently divided into two categories: invasive and non-invasive. This study aims to determine the relationship between HER2 gene changes and the development of breast cancer. Results could improve early detection, treatment strategies, and targeted medical interventions for individuals with diverse genetic backgrounds. The meta-analysis approach was used in this study. In order to conduct a meta-analysis, the literature must be thoroughly reviewed, and the results and theories that were investigated must be described. Data analysis techniques like funnel plots can be used to determine whether studies were missing, but if the majority of current research was not identified, the results may be inaccurate. The majority of research suggests that the HER2 Ile655Val polymorphism was strongly associated with an increased cancer of breast cancer, particularly among younger women and members of particular ethnic groups. No significant relationship was found in some studies, which may indicate sample size limitations or population-specific effects
Recruiters view on AI from a perspective of justice
No full textDenna uppsats undersöker hur AI-baserade rekryteringssystem uppfattar och arbetar med rättvisa och etik i rekryteringsprocessen. I takt med att artificiell intelligens blir allt vanligare inom HR väcks frågor om hur tekniken påverkar yrkesmässiga bedömningar, ansvarsfördelning och de moraliska grunderna för rekrytering som ett yrke. Studien har en kvalitativ ansats och baseras på intervjuer med rekryterare som i olika grad använder AI i sitt dagliga arbete. Analysen fokuserar på hur dessa rekryterare förhåller sig till begrepp som rättvisa, bias, transparens och etiskt ansvar. Resultatet visar att AI främst ses som ett stödverktyg snarare än en beslutsfattare, och att många rekryterare lutar sig mot intuitiva uppfattningar om rättvisa, där valet av de mest kompetenta kandidaterna ofta prioriteras över formell likabehandling. En tydlig utmaning som framkommer är den begränsade förståelsen för hur AI-system faktiskt fungerar, vilket kan skapa en känsla av passivitet eller ansvarsförskjutning. Etiska resonemang uttrycks sällan explicit, men präglas ofta av ett pliktetiskt perspektiv, särskilt genom betoningen på respekt för kandidater och yrkesmässig integritet. Även om det begränsade och homogena urvalet gör det svårt att dra generella slutsatser, ger studien en värdefull inblick i hur ny teknik förändrar det etiska landskapet inom rekrytering.This paper examines how AI-based recruitment systems perceive and work with fairness and ethics in the recruitment process. As artificial intelligence becomes increasingly common in HR, questions are raised about how the technology affects professional judgment, the distribution of responsibilities, and the moral foundations of recruitment as a profession. The study has a qualitative approach and is based on interviews with recruiters who use AI to varying degrees in their daily work. The analysis focuses on how these recruiters relate to concepts such as fairness, bias, transparency, and ethical responsibility. The results show that AI is primarily seen as a support tool rather than a decision-maker, and that many recruiters lean towards intuitive perceptions of fairness, where the selection of the most competent candidates is often prioritized over formal equal treatment. A clear challenge that emerges is the limited understanding of how AI systems actually work, which can create a sense of passivity or a shift in responsibility. Ethical reasoning is rarely expressed explicitly, but is often characterized by a duty-based perspective, especially through the emphasis on respect for candidates and professional integrity. Although the limited and homogeneous sample makes it difficult to draw general conclusions, the study provides valuable insight into how new technologies are changing the ethical landscape in recruitment
Redesign of a drying room dehumidifier : For a sustainable and producible design
No full textFöljande rapport innehåller en beskrivning av tillvägagångssätt och resultat under ett arbete kring framtagning av en ny design för en torkrumsavfuktare vid företaget Nimoverken AB. Examensarbetet har syftat till att ta fram en lösning som är producerbar i företagets befintliga maskinpark samtidigt som den är så lik ett tidigare framtaget designförslag som möjligt. Arbetet har haft ett tydligt användarfokus, inkluderat förbättring av den fysiska- samt kognitiva ergonomin under interaktion med produkten, likväl har designen utvecklats med hänsyn till aspekter inom hållbar utveckling.För att uppnå projektets mål har ett stort antal metoder tillämpats, bland annat intervjuer och observationer, DFX och ergonomiska utvärderingar – samt flertalet konceptutvecklingsmetoder så som brainstorming, ”dark horse” och morfologisk matris. Två konceptval har genomförts via konceptviktningsmatriser, där det första innefattade ett val om tre koncept, vilka senare utvecklades via konceptkombinering, ’Design For Assembly’ och ’Design For Disassembly’, innan ytterligare ergonomiska utvärderingar genomfördes för jämförelser mot den nuvarande designen. Det slutgiltiga konceptvalet genomfördes med utvecklade kriterier för att resultera i ett slutgiltigt koncept. Detta koncept modellerades upp i CAD och skickades vidare för tillverkning av en första slutprototyp, vilken sedan låg till grund för en slutlig DFMA. Resultatet av arbetet är ett optimerat koncept likt det ursprungliga designförslaget, dock med anpassningar för uppfyllnad av företagets krav och önskemål på produkten. Den slutgiltiga lösningen erbjuder en förbättrad monterings- samt demonteringssekvens med särskilt fokus på den fysiska- samt kognitiva ergonomin. Även skulle det framtagna slutkonceptet bidra till en minskad användning av separata fästelement och en mer effektiv tillverkningsprocess för tids- och kostnadseffektivitet i produktionen – vilket främjar den hållbara utvecklingen genom att beakta ekologiska-, sociala- och ekonomiska dimensioner. Projektet har resulterat i ett utvecklat förslag samt underlag för vidare utveckling av ett produktionsanpassat slutkoncept. Det framtagna konceptet kräver dock ytterligare utvärderingar för möjlighet att validera alla de krav och önskemål som ställts på produkten, samt bör tester och analyser genomföras utifrån andra perspektiv än design, exempelvis kring hållfasthet, termodynamik och ytterligare säkerhetsbedömningar.The following report contains a description of the procedure and results during a redesign of a drying room dehumidifier at the company Nimoverken AB. The purpose of the thesis was to develop a solution that could be produced in the company’s existing machinery while being as similar in the design to a previously developed design proposal as possible. The work has had a clear user focus to improve ergonomics during interaction with the product as well as taking aspects of sustainable development into account. To achieve the goal, a large number of methods have been applied, such as interviews and observations, DFX and ergonomic evaluations – as well as several concept development methods such as brainstorming, “dark horse” and morphological matrix. Two concept selections have been done via concept weighting matrices, where the first one included a choice of three concepts, which were later developed via concept combination, ‘Design For Assembly’ and ‘Design For Disassembly’ before further ergonomic evaluations were carried out. The second concept selection for the final concept was carried out with developed criteria and resulted in a final concept. This was later modeled in CAD and sent to the company for the manufacturing of the first final prototype, which then worked as a base for the final DFMA made to further optimize the concept.The result of the work is an optimized concept similar to the original design proposal, but with adaptions made to meet the company’s requirements and wishes for the product. The final solution offers an improved assembly- and disassembly sequence, with a special focus on both the physical- and cognitive ergonomics. The final concept would also contribute to a reduced use of separate fasteners and a more efficient manufacturing process for time- and cost efficiency, which also promotes a sustainable development by taking ecological-, social- and economic dimensions into account.The project has generated a solid foundation for further development of a final concept adapted for production. However, the developed concept requires further evaluations to validate all requirements and wishes for the final product, as well as tests and analyses from perspectives other than the design perspective should be carried out. Examples may include assessments of mechanical strength, thermodynamic behavior and extended safety evaluations