Publikationer från Umeå universitet
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Efficient UV emission from carbon dots derived from a green-tea extract
No full textEmissive carbon dots (CDs) that are synthesized from biomass can be highly sustainable, but the number of reported biomass-derived CDs that emit in the ultraviolet (UV) range is small. Moreover, current commercial UV-emitting materials rely heavily on the use of non-sustainable resources, such as rare metals, heavy metals, and petroleum chemicals. This yields that the development of efficient biomass-derived UV-CDs is desired. Here, we report on the hydrothermal conversion of a common green-tea extract (Polyphenon 60) into UV-CDs, which feature a photoluminescence (PL) peak wavelength of 384 nm, a full width at half maximum of 72 nm, and a photoluminescence quantum yield (PLQY) of 17% in water. By shifting to a lower-polarity solvent of 3-phenoxyanisole, the PLQY is strongly enhanced to 81%, and the PL peak blue-shifts to 370 nm, while the maximum solubility is lowered. These observations support the notion that the UV-CDs feature aggregation-induced emission and that they are endowed with hydrophilic surface groups. Moreover, the findings of excitation-wavelength-independent PL and a nanosecond-level short emission lifetime reveal that it is a single distinct fluorophore that produces the UV emission. We finally report preliminary results that the UV-CDs exhibit potential for inhibiting the proliferation of cancer cells
From state governance to professional practice : a study of Swedish school counsellors' health promotion, prevention and remedial work
No full textThis dissertation analyses how welfare policy goals and national guidelines, linked to the overarching mission of student health services to promote health, prevention, and remedial work, shape school counsellors’ professional experiences and practices in Sweden. Although legislation highlights the importance of health promotion and prevention, school counsellors often perceive their mission as unclear and dominated by on-call duties, raising questions about local interpretations and implementations. The dissertation includes four studies using qualitative and quantitative methods. Study I analyses national policy with Bacchi‘s WPR approach (“What ‘s the problem represented to be?”). Study II examines how school principals describe school counsellors’ work in job advertisements. Study III is a survey that maps school counsellors’ educational backgrounds, work experiences, and professional practices. Study IV analyses free-text responses from the survey to explore how school counsellors describe their work in health promotion, prevention, and remedial efforts. The findings reveal discrepancies between government guidelines and the professional practice of school counsellors. Although the Education Act emphasises health promotion and prevention, school counsellors’ work is primarily remedial. School principals often frame school counsellors’ roles according to the school's educational goals rather than specific student health goals. School counsellors maintain strong ties to social work but are weakly integrated into pedagogical activities. Furthermore, a tension emerges between individual-focused remedial work, which offers greater professional autonomy, and collaborative health-promoting efforts, which require integration with other professions. A key conclusion is that the relations between welfare policy goals, organisational demands, and professional logics shape the professional practice of school counsellors. These relations result in a practice that oscillates between health promotion and remedial work, potentially rendering the professional role unclear and jeopardising students' access to equitable psychosocial support.Fel angivet ISSN angivet samt saknat nummer i serien i publikationen / Wrong ISSN given and number in series missing in the publication</p
Multiterminal en plaque motor endplates in extraocular muscles are conserved across vertebrate species
No full textPurpose: We have previously described a novel type of multiterminal en plaque motor endplates in the human extraocular muscles (EOMs). This study aimed to investigate whether multiterminal en plaque motor endplates are conserved in EOMs among vertebrates. Methods: The motor endplates were identified with α-bungarotoxin (α-BTx) and antibodies against synaptic proteins and neurofilament in the EOMs of zebrafish, rabbits and mice. Transcriptomic data were re-analyzed to identify acetylcholine receptor (AChR) subunits in EOMs and trunk muscles of wild-type zebrafish at five and 20 months of age. Results: In addition to the two typical types of single en plaque and multiple en grappe motor endplates, the third type of multiterminal en plaque motor endplates were observed in the EOMs of zebrafish, rabbits, and mice. The EOMs of zebrafish showed a significantly higher proportion of myofibers containing multiterminal en plaque motor endplates compared to EOMs of rabbits and mice. RNA sequencing data revealed significantly higher AChR subunits in the zebrafish EOMs compared to trunk muscles. Conclusions: Multiterminal en plaque motor endplates are not exclusive to human EOMs but are also present in the EOMs of other vertebrate species, suggesting a conserved feature of the EOMs
Smart algorithms or human intuition? : A study of the role of artificial intelligence in recruitment
No full textAs artificial intelligence (AI) increasingly plays a bigger role in various parts of our society, questions arise regarding its part in recruitment, an area traditionally dominated by human judgement and decision making. The purpose of this study is to contribute to an increased understanding of recruiters perspective on the use of AI in recruitment processes including the possibilities and the challenges. Using semi-structured interviews and a survey with professionals in the area, a thematic analysis was conducted, identifying five themes. The findings of this study indicated that while the respondents recognize the potential of increased efficiency through AI - enabling more time to be dedicated to meaningful interactions with candidates - they also acknowledge the limitations. Respondents still value in-person contact with the candidates, emphasizing a balanced approach that combines AI as a complement to human insights and assessment. These insights provide valuable implications for the use of AI in recruitment, highlighting the need for a combined approach that allows AI to enable efficiency in parts of the process while still allowing recruiters to use their expertise and human judgement
Hinder som medför att kvinnor avstår sin mammografiundersökning : En litteraturstudie
No full textAbstraktBakgrund: Bröstcancer är den vanligaste cancerformen bland kvinnor där mammografiscreening är en effektiv metod för tidig upptäckt. Trots att screening erbjuds i många länder, inklusive Sverige, deltar inte alla kvinnor. Röntgensjuksköterskor spelar en central roll i att skapa en trygg och informativ miljö. Denna studie undersöker vad som hindrar kvinnors deltagande och hur röntgensjuksköterskan i sin roll kan bidra till att öka deltagandet och förbättra folkhälsan. Syfte: Syftet med denna litteraturstudie var att belysa kvinnors erfarenheter av vad som kan hindra deras beslutet av att delta i mammografiscreening. Metod: Denna studie genomfördes som en kvalitativ litteraturstudie där forskning om kvinnors erfarenheter kring mammografiscreening undersöktes. Sökningar gjordes i databaserna CINAHL och PubMed. Etiska överväganden säkerställdes genom att endast inkludera artiklar med etiskt förhållningssätt och informerat samtycke. Resultat: Delades in i tre huvudkategorier med åtta underkategorier: Psykiska och fysiska påfrestningar med underkategorier, strukturella barriärer med underkategorier och sociokulturella svårigheter med underkategorier. Konklusion: Studien visar att olika hinder påverkar kvinnors deltagande i mammografiscreening, vilket ställer krav på röntgensjuksköterskans förmåga att arbeta personcentrerat och kommunicerande. För att främja jämlikt deltagande behövs även insatser som ökar tillgängligheten och anpassar informationen efter olika behov
Adolescents’ experiences and attitudes towards meat substitutes in school meals : - A qualitative interview study
No full textSammanfattning Bakgrund: Livsmedelsverket betonar vikten av hållbara skolmåltider med minskad köttkonsumtion. Servering av köttsubstitut i skolan, som exempelvis köttfria köttbullar, sojafärssås och quornfile, ökar. En utökad kunskap om hur ungdomar upplever köttsubstitut i skolan kan agera som stöd vid måltidsplanering och säkerställa att elevernas smakpreferenser och näringsbehov tillfredsställs. Syfte: Att undersöka hur ungdomar upplever köttsubstitut i skolmåltider och vad som påverkar deras inställning till det. Metod: Nio semistrukturerade intervjuer genomfördes med 15-åriga ungdomar på tre olika högstadieskolor. Intervjuerna skedde under skoltid i ett avskilt rum. Intervjuerna spelades in, transkriberades och analyserades utifrån kvalitativ innehållsanalys. Resultat: Sensoriska aspekter som smak, konsistens och utseende upplevdes ofta negativt av respondenterna där uttryck som smaklöst, segt och torrt användes för att beskriva köttsubstituten. Kött utgjorde en central referenspunkt vid bedömning av köttsubstitut och det ansågs vara godare ju mer köttsubstitutets sensoriska aspekter liknade kött. Det framkom att skolkökens tillagningsmetoder och komponenter som serverades till köttsubstitutet hade stor påverkan på den övergripande smakupplevelsen. Respondenterna visade även på skepticism kring obekanta köttsubstitut och skolmenyer som hade svåra maträttsnamn och knapphändig innehållsinformation. Slutsats: Studien visade att sensoriska egenskaper är avgörande för ungdomars uppfattning och inställning till köttsubstitut. Kött var en central referenspunkt vid bedömningen, vilket kan vara en viktig insikt att ta vara på för skolkök, måltidsplanerare och producenter. Strategier kring tillagning och menyutformning behöver utvecklas, där goda måltidskomponenter som lyfter måltiden kan bidra till att förbättra ungdomars upplevelser av köttsubstitut.Abstract Background: The Swedish Food Agency (Livsmedelsverket) emphasizes the importance of environmentally sustainable school meals with reduced meat consumption. Serving of school meals with meat substitutes like ‘’meatless meatballs’’, bolognes with minced soy and qournfilé is increasing. An increased knowledge of how adolescents perceive meat substitutes in school can support the meal planning process and ensure that adolescents taste preferences and nutritional needs are met. Objective: To investigate how adolescents perceive meat substitutes in school meals and what factors influence their attitudes to them. Method: Nine semi-structured interviews were performed with 15-year-oldadolescents from three different schools. The interviews were held during school hours in a private room. The interviews were recorded, transcribed and analysed withqualitative content analysis. Results: Sensory aspects (taste, texture and look) where often perceived in a negative way by the respondents. They described meat substitutes as tasteless, chewy and dry. Meat was a key reference point when evaluating meat substitutes, and products were rated more positively if they had a closer resemblance to meat. It was also found that the kitchens’ preparation methods together with the components served with the meat substitutes had a big influence on the overall experience. The respondents also showed scepticism towards unfamiliar products and meal menus with limited ingredient information and complicated meal names. Conclusion: This study showed that sensory aspects are crucial for adolescents’perceptions and attitudes towards meat substitutes. Meat served as a central reference point in their evaluation. This is an important insight for school kitchens, meal planners and producers to consider. Strategies for preparation and menu designneed to be developed, where flavorful meal components that enhance the overall dining experience can help improve young people's experiences with meat substitute
Bridging (over)tourism geographies : proposing a systems approach in overtourism research
No full textThis paper utilises bibliometric data on peer-reviewed publications to examine the characteristics and dominant narratives in overtourism research to date. Departing from earlier state-of-the-art reviews, it introduces a spatial perspective with a distinct focus on spatial processes and geographical scales. The analysis identifies six overarching themes in the literature, which predominantly centre on metropolitan contexts and are characterised by a normative critique of tourism. While the literature often identifies the causes of overtourism at either the global or local scale, proposed solutions tend to emphasise local-level responses, particularly through planning and destination management. The paper makes two key contributions: first, it highlights the need to broaden overtourism research beyond its current urban and metropolitan focus to encompass a wider range of geographical contexts; second, it emphasises the significance of engaging with geographies of scale to address overtourism not merely as a local planning challenge, but as a structural and systemic issue demanding multi-scalar interventions
Dopamine receptor D3 induces transient, mTORC1-dependent autophagy that becomes persistent, AMPK-mediated, and neuroprotective in experimental models of Huntington’s disease
No full textHuntington disease’s (HD) is a neurodegenerative disorder caused by the expansion of a polyglutamine region (PolyQ) within the huntingtin protein (HTT). Mutated huntingtin (mHTT) is cytotoxic, particularly for striatal medium spiny neurons (MSNs), whose degeneration is the hallmark of HD. Autophagy inducers currently available promote the clearance of toxic proteins. However, due to their low selectivity and the possibility that prolonged autophagy hampers essential processes in unaffected cells, researchers have questioned their benefits in neurodegenerative diseases. Since MSNs express dopamine receptors D2 (DRD2) and D3 (DRD3) and DRD2/DRD3 agonists may activate autophagy, here, we explored how healthy and mHTT-challenged cells respond to prolonged DRD2/DRD3 agonist treatment. Autophagy activation and its effects on mHTT/polyQ clearance were studied in R6/1 mice (a genetic model of HD), their wild-type littermates, and DRD2- and DRD3-HEK cells expressing a pathogenic (Q74) and a non-pathogenic (Q23) polyQ fragment of mHTT treated with the DRD2/DRD3 agonist pramipexole. Two forms of DRD3-mediated autophagy were found: a transient mTORC1-dependent in WT mice and Q23-DRD3-HEK cells and a persistent AMPK-ULK1-activated in R6/1 mice and Q74-DRD3-HEK cells. This also promoted a robust clearance of soluble mHTT/polyQ and neuroprotection in striatal neurons and DRD3-HEK cells. The findings indicate that DRD3-induced autophagy may be a safe, disease-modifying intervention in HD patients
The power of storytelling : A comparative narrative analysis of Swedish and Finland-Swedish upper secondary school books' presentation of the period 1939-1991
No full textThis study explores and compares how national narratives and imagined communities are produced in Swedish and Finland-Swedish history textbooks intended for upper secondary school. Through a comparative narrative analysis, six teaching materials covering the period 1939–1991 are analysed, with a particular focus on World War II and the Cold War. The study is based on theories of national identity and imagined communities by Benedict Anderson and Thomas Hylland Eriksen and uses Jimmy Vulovic's narrative analysis model tostructure the analysis. The study focuses on highlighting differences and similarities in how countries' historical experiences are shaped and reproduced, which contributes to the understanding of how national narratives and imagined communities are constructed through history teaching. By analyzing and comparing the content and storytelling techniques of these textbooks, the study reveals how textbooks play a crucial role in shaping young people's awareness of history and national identity The results show clear differences in how national narratives are portrayed. The Swedish textbooks tend to portray Sweden as neutral, peaceful and sometimes as a passive victim of the wings of history, while the Finnish books highlight a strong national pride, especially linked to the war years, as well as a development towards the role of peacemaker in international contexts. In both cases, the textbooks contribute to forming a common nationalself-image, but in different ways and with different tones. The conclusion is that the textbooks not only reflect history but also actively shape our understanding of national identity. How history is told in school books is part of society'slarger narrative about who we are – and who we think we have been
Emotions in teaching about controversial topics
No full textThe aim of this study is to analyze how Swedish upper secondary school history teachers manage emotions in their teaching concerning controversial topics, as well as to analyze how much it affects their approach to different subjects in history depending on the type of class they are teaching. The study also asks the question whether teachers receive the support they need to feel successful in their teaching of controversial issues. Five semi structured interviews with upper secondary school history teachers were qualitatively analysed using Zembylas & Kambanis affect theory and Hess teaching styles for controversial issues. The results indicate that teachers see both challenges and opportunities in using emotions in their teaching. Although emotions can engage students, the use of emotion can also create uncomfortable situations for students and stifle classroom discussion when the teacher does not want to offend their students. The analysis of the interviews highlights that teachers also view support from schools and other educational institutes, such as universities, as important for furthering their understanding of the teaching of controversial issues