Göteborgs universitets publikationer - e-publicering och e-arkiv
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Addressing knowledge gaps in the brain ghrelin signalling system - its neural circuitry and role in foodlinked behaviours
No full textThe drive to seek out and consume food is a fundamental survival mechanism, orchestrated by
the brain through a range of behaviours in response to both intrinsic signals of energy status and
external food-related cues. Disruption or faulty processing of these signals can lead to disordered
eating behaviour across the body weight spectrum. For example, the availability of high-calorie,
palatable foods and abundance of environmental cues are thought to stimulate overconsumption
and contribute to the global obesity epidemic or, in contrast to this, loss of appetite in conditions
such as anorexia nervosa, cancer cachexia or frailty can be detrimental. A better understanding of
the brain mechanisms controlling food-linked behaviours is essential for developing effective,
non-invasive therapies. Among the many signalling molecules that modulate networks controlling
feeding behaviour, the hormone ghrelin stands alone as the only orexigenic (pro-feeding)
hormone and represents a powerful tool to access and modulate brain networks involved in
feeding control. This thesis addresses important gaps in our understanding of the brain ghrelin
signalling system, focussing on its neural circuitry and its role in food-linked behaviours, using
advanced neural circuit mapping techniques to explore both mechanistic and translational aspects.
First, we demonstrate that the ghrelin mimetic GHRP-6 can stimulate the brain ghrelin signalling
system through non-invasive intranasal application, reproducing many of the known effects of
peripheral ghrelin administration in mice, including increased food intake, growth hormone release
and activation of cells in the arcuate nucleus (Arc) including AgRP and GHRH neurones.
In the second and third studies of this thesis, we used chemogenetic re-activation to functionally
characterize hunger-responsive neuronal ensembles in the dor-somedial hypothalamus and Arc,
demonstrating that re-activation of these ensembles stimulated food intake, and was able to drive
food motivated behaviour. In the fourth and final study, we show that ghrelin’s role in hunger
extends to increase attention-linked behaviours and food intake in the presence of a food cue in a
novel behavioural task adapted for mice.
Together, the studies in this thesis expand our understanding of the brain ghrelin signalling system.
They identify novel functional circuits involved in hunger and food-motivated behaviour and
obtained new insights into how ghrelin modulates behaviour towards environmental cues. Finally,
a new, non-invasive strategy to stimulate the brain ghrelin signalling system has been proposed,
which holds translational valu
Förändring i kreativ personlighet upplevd av äldre i Sverige och Polen och dess relation till Self-efficacy och Self-esteem
No full textMänniskans kreativitet har en grundläggande överlevnadsfunktion för samhället. I föreliggande studie undersöktes om upplevd mini-kreativitet förändras över livet. Vidare undersöktes om förändringen skiljer sig mellan Sverige (individualistisk kultur) och Polen (kollektivistisk kultur) och om den relaterar till två personegenskaper - self esteem och self-efficacy. Deltagarna i Sverige (N = 40) var medlemmar i en svensk pensionärsförening. De polska deltagarna (N = 34) var delvis från Senioruniversitet i Gdansk och andra var författarens bekanta. Resultaten visade en förändring i upplevd mini-kreativitet på individnivå, att upplevd förändring inte skiljde sig mellan länderna, att förändringen mätt genom indirekt jämförelse inte heller skiljde sig mellan länderna och att mini kreativiteten inte relaterade till self-esteem eller self-efficacy. Orsaker och konsekvenser diskuteras
Hållbarhetsarbete i världsklass. En diskursiv studie av Business Region Göteborgs och Göteborg & Co:s kommunikation kring det hållbara Göteborg ur ett varumärkesperspektiv
No full textThe municipally owned companies Business Region Göteborg and Göteborg & Co have
major influence on the perception of Gothenburg - including the 13 municipalities
surrounding the city - as a sustainable placebrand. Their communication about the “brand” of
Gothenburg is central to how Gothenburg is perceived among investors, tourists, scientists
and other target groups, shaping their views and decisions related to the city. The aim of this
thesis was to analyze how sustainability is expressed in public publications from Business
Region Göteborg and Göteborg & Co in the area of placebranding, strategic communication
and sustainable development. Using a discursive perspective, I examine how the rhetorical
language in these documents produces and reproduces values that form sustainability-related
discourses, and how these relate to other discourses influencing perceptions of sustainability. I
also highlight what is underrepresented in the strategic communication, especially concerning
inclusion and participation, and discuss the implications for sustainable urban development.
The study contributes knowledge about how sustainability is constructed and understood in an
urban context and what values are associated with it. As sustainable development is seen as
central to urban planning and communication is recognized as key for promoting
understanding and engagement, I argue that analyzing power relations through discourse
analysis is essential to interpreting how sustainability is defined and legitimized.The findings
reveal that discourses on growth, innovation, and future development dominate the
communication, while inclusion and participation are inadequately addressed. Furthermore, I
conclude that a “top-down” perspective on sustainability prevails, which may impact
Gothenburg’s place brand identity and affect the conditions necessary for a successful and
well-established place brand
ATT LÅTA KROPPEN TA PLATS SOM ARENAN FÖR LIVET: fysioterapeuters upplevelser av att behandla patienter med utmattningstillstånd
No full textBakgrund:
Syfte:
Utmattningsproblematik är ett växande område, som orsakar stora förluster på individ och samhällsnivå. Tillståndet omfattar både somatiska och psykiska symtom. Fysioterapeuter jobbar kliniskt med patienter som visar tidiga tecken på utmattningstillstånd och de som har diagnostiserat utmattningssyndrom. Fysioterapi kan ha en roll i behandling av utmattningstillstånd men det är oklart vilka insatser kan fysioterapeuter erbjuda. Det finns ett behov av att fördjupa förståelsen för det fysioterapeutiska perspektivet för att bidra med ny kunskap och insikter för fysioterapi på detta område
Syftet med denna studie var att undersöka fysioterapeuters upplevelser när det gäller behandling av patienter med utmattningstillstånd.
Metod:
Individuella, halvstrukturerade intervjuer genomfördes med elva fysioterapeuter med olika vidareutbildningar som arbetade med patienter med utmattningstillstånd i olika delar av vården. Intervjufrågorna handlade om fysioterapeuternas syn på behandlingsprocessen, deras behov i arbetsområdet och fysioterapins roll inom fältet. Analys av materialet gjordes med fenomenologisk ansats.
Resultat:
Konklusion:
I resultatet framträder tre centrala aspekter av fysioterapeuternas kliniska kunskap: synen på kroppen i behandlingsprocess, fysioterapeutens behov inom arbetsområdet samt fysioterapins utrymme inom organisationen. Dessa tre centrala aspekter illustrerar rehabiliteringsprocessen samt beskriver arbetsmiljön hos fysioterapeuterna. De betonar möjligheten att erbjuda ett kroppsorienterat sätt att behandla utmattningsproblematik, eftersom kroppen utgör en arena för livets händelser, reflektionsprocesser och emotionella upplevelser.
Studien synliggör fysioterapeutiska kroppsorienterade insatser för rehabilitering av utmattningsproblematik som ett betydelsefullt komplement till kognitiv och medicinsk terapi inom ramen för ett interprofessionellt team. Fysioterapeutiskt perspektiv handlar om att kroppsorienterade metoder kan påverka hela hälsan på fysisk, psykisk och emotionell nivå. Ett viktigt resultat i studien är att många fysioterapeuterna upplever begränsade möjligheter att bli inkluderat i team för att kunna arbeta med kroppsorienterade metoder i detta fält till följd av ett pressat arbetsklimat och strukturella förändringar inom vården
Rektorers arbete i osäkra tider. En aktör-nätverksstudie
No full textThis thesis explores school leadership and how principals’ scope of action is enacted and continually reshaped in times of unpredictable and uncertain societal changes. The large influx of newly arrived students during the refugee situation in 2015 and the COVID-19 pandemic beginning in 2019 are two different but comparable examples of how global shifts reverberated at the local level and challenged the everyday work of principals, particularly in smaller municipalities with limited resources. The aim of the study is to contribute in-depth knowledge about the possibilities and limitations of principals’ leadership when faced with such far-reaching and uncertain challenges. The intention has been to make visible how principals in small Swedish municipalities carried out their work under conditions of uncertainty, and how their leadership was both enacted and reshaped in the process.
Drawing on actor-network theory (ANT) and practice ontology, the study examines how relations between humans and material entities—such as policies, buildings, budgets, and organizational arrangements—enact and reconfigure principals’ leadership. The empirical material consists of interviews and documents generated between 2020 and 2022. Inspired by Latour’s (2005) methodological invitation to “follow the actors”, empirical material is treated not as raw data but as the outcome of relational and situated practices in which the researcher is also a co-constitutive actor.
The analysis traces how principals’ leadership emerged through translations in networks around three nodes: the reception of newly arrived students, collaboration with the Swedish National Agency for Education, and the COVID-19 pandemic. Across these sites, principals’ agency was not predetermined but emerged as a network effect. Material actors such as budgets, physical spaces, and digital tools both enabled and constrained principals’ scope of action. In practice, leadership became a fragile and situated position, dependent on the durability of networks and the translations of actors.
The main contribution of the study is how principals’ leadership is formed in relation to how networks are established, negotiated, and maintained in practice. Since principals’ work is embedded in schools’ pedagogical practice, it is vital to develop further knowledge of educational leadership. By tracing how materialities participate in leadership, the study contributes to a relational and practice-based understanding of principals’ work—as conditional, situated, and fragile, but also as a site for new solutions when obligatory passage points destabilize and transform. Methodologically, the tracing analysis illustrates how interviews, documents, and digital platforms not only describe leadership but also co-produce its realities. The study advances knowledge of leadership as a situated and fragile network effect and highlights the vulnerability of small municipalities, where single actors such as a budget line, a classroom, or a state-funded programme can decisively shape and reshape leadership
Evaluating Three Sheer Support Fabrics Attached with Laid - Couching or Adhesive on Double - Sided Textiles by 2D Digital Image Correlation
No full textDegree project for Master of Science whith major in Conservation 2025-09-19, 30HECThis thesis focuses on the use of sheer mesh fabrics for structural support of holes in double-
sided (and occasionally also semi-transparent) textiles. In textile conservation, it is usual to
treat structural damages by attaching a newer layer of material to the backside of the object,
typically of the same material. When it comes to double-sided textile objects, however, the
application of this method would entail covering a part of the object that features significant
aesthetic and/or functional attributes. So, this research sought out to find alternatives for this
type of treatment using sheer support fabrics. A survey was sent out to understand what strategies are being currently
implemented by professionals in these special cases. In addition, 3 different sheer fabrics, silk crepeline, polyester tulle and
nylon net, combined with 2 distinct attachment methods; stitching and adhesive treatment were tested. To evaluate and compare
each different combination, two tests were conducted. First, cotton mock -up samples with holes were treated with each method and put through a fixed-load test. The progression of the test was monitored using 2D Digital Image Correlation, a method that enabled the determination of the effect of each method on strain and displacement values. Additionally, each method was
applied to a lace fragment in order to compare them visually and access their impact on the
object. Results showed that choice of sheer fabric made a considerable difference on average
strain values and distribution. It was also concluded that, for the most part, conservation
stitching was successful in supporting the damaged area, showing lower strain values. Silk
crepeline was thematerial showing the lowest strain and displacement values, having an even
and consistent progression throughout the fixed-load test. On the other hand, besides
experiencing adhesion failure on all tested samples, the nylon net mock-ups showed the most
similar behaviour with the untreated control sample. When it comes to visual impact, more
testing is needed to produce conclusive results
Förutsättningar för Arkeologisk Förmedling. En Analys av Tillgång, Likvärdighet och Samverkan mellan Uppdragsarkeologi och Grundskolor
No full textConditions for Archaeological Mediation
An Analysis of Access, Equity, and Collaboration Between Contract Archaeology and Primary Schools
This study examines how contract archaeology companies engage in communication and collaboration with primary schools, and whether access to archaeological knowledge and its mediation is equal and equitable. Previous research indicates that only a small proportion of Swedish schools are reached by mediation work conducted by such companies. This raises questions about how disparities in access arise and what factors influence whether communication reaches its intended audience.
A survey was conducted among primary schools and contract archaeology companies in the Västra Götaland region of Sweden to investigate three key aspects: (1) how mediation services aimed at schools are delivered, (2) the extent to which these services reach schools in an equal and consistent manner, and (3) the challenges and obstacles that occur in contact between the two parties. The findings show that companies offer a variety of mediation services to all schools within their operational areas and in proximity to excavation sites, supported by policies promoting equal provision. Yet only a minority of schools have participated in such activities, and even fewer are aware these services exist. While companies present methods designed to secure equal and equitable access, the available data cannot fully confirm that schools experience such access in practice. This raises a critical question: can contract archaeology companies be said to provide archaeological knowledge equally when only a small fraction of their target audience is aware of their services? https://www.kriterium.se
Joint mixed-effects modelling of longitudinal health data for m
No full textCystic fibrosis (CF) is a genetic disease that affects several organs of the body such as
the liver, pancreas, or the lungs. Cystic fibrosis is monitored using hospital and home
spirometry, where the difference between the two is what type of technique that is
used. This study evaluates joint mixed-effects models as a statistical framework for
analysing home and hospital spirometry measurements. Statistical methods, such as
simple linear regression and univariate mixed-effects models can be used to analyse
spirometry. However, both simple linear regression and univariate linear mixed effects models considers only hospital spirometry and do not accommodate the rich
patient-generated data obtained by home spirometry. By jointly modeling home and
hospital spirometry, we aim to investigate prediction accuracy of hospital spirometry.
We compare the performance of joint and univariate linear mixed-effects models with
that of simple linear regression, evaluating their ability to predict: (i) the current
(i.e., most recent) hospital spirometry value for a patient, (ii) the current mean
value, (iii) the subject-specific trend, and (iv) the population-average trend. The
results showed that joint linear mixed-effects models and univariate linear mixed effects models should be used over simple linear regression to estimate trends and
specific values in a CF-setting. Moreover, the results supported the use of joint
linear mixed-effects models when jointly modeling home and hospital spirometry
data
Vad hände med den gröna skolmåltiden? En fallstudie i Varbergs kommun
No full textKandidatuppsats 15 hp.
Program: Kost och ledarskapsprogrammet.
Huvudområde: Kostvetenskap.
Termin: vt 2025.
Handledare: Hillevi Prell.
Examinator: Anna Post.Syfte: Syftet med uppsatsen är att undersöka hur gymnasieelever, ledning för
måltidsverksamheten samt det politiska styret förhåller sig till att den vegetariska
måltiden har minskat på skolorna i Varbergs kommun. Studien avser även att undersöka
vilka faktorer som påverkar elevernas val till att konsumera vegetariskt i skolmatsalen
samt deras medvetenhet till kopplingen mellan köttkonsumtion och klimatpåverkan.
Metod: Studien består av en kvalitativ metod och är en fallstudie som omfattar nio
semistrukturerade intervjuer med ett relevant urval för att kunna besvara studiens syfte.
En politiker, en avdelningschef, en enhetschef och sex gymnasieelever inkluderades i
studien för att spegla hur alla olika led förhåller sig till förändringen. Urvalet
förväntades bidra med olika erfarenheter, synsätt och uppfattningar vilket bidrog till en
bredd i studien samt en förståelse för attityder, förhållningssätt och verksamhetens
organisation. Datan har därefter bearbetats i en kvalitativ innehållsanalys där man
transkriberat de inspelade intervjuerna för att sedan sammanställa empirin i koder,
kategorier och teman.
Resultat: Studien visar ett delat resultat. Samtliga gymnasieeleverna är positiva till förändringen
i Varbergs kommun. Det återkommande temat under intervjuerna med eleverna är att
de nu känner sig mätta under skoldagen och äter mer. Resultatet visar också på
miljömedvetna elever, men att det inte är en tillräckligt stark faktor för att överväga en
mer växtbaserad kost. Liknande resultat framkom under intervjun med politikern där
motivet till förändringen främst baserades på att värna om eleverna och tillmötesgå
deras önskemål och behov. Politikern beskriver också en misstänksamhet mot statliga
myndigheter, ansvariga för mat och måltids rekommendationer. Det som framgår i
intervjun med avdelningschef och enhetschef är istället en uppfattning av ett steg
tillbaka i utvecklingen för miljön, men också ekonomin. Det framkommer dock en vilja
att arbeta utifrån de förutsättningar satta från politiken samt att acceptera förändringen
som nu är verklighet.
Slutsats: Slutsatser som fastställdes är att en kommun är en komplex verksamhet där olika led
och perspektiv behöver studeras för att förstå helheten. Beslut endast baseras på
rekommendationer där man stirrar sig blint på vad forskningen anser vara rätt och fel
kan leda till att andra viktiga faktorer hamnar i skymundan. Samtidigt har offentliga
verksamheter ett ansvar att vara goda föredömen och sprida kunskap som går i linje
med aktuell forskning och rekommendationer
Att anpassa sig till en ny världsordning. Den svenska socialdemokratin och beslutet om att ta emot Marshallhjälp 1947–1948
No full textThis thesis shows how Sweden took its first steps into the emerging cold war order during the years 1947-1948. The study focuses the Swedish Social Democratic party, which had to wrestle with different views on the conflict between east and west, capitalism and communism. The acute matter that had to be handled was whether Sweden was going to
participate in the first organization of the western bloc – The Marshall plan and OEEC. This was a tough question, not only ideologically but in relation to Swedish official policy on neutrality. Drawing on Gramscian theory, the study shows how the Social Democrats adjusted themselves to the new hegemonic world order, during the process in which this order was shaped. This was a formative phase in many respects, and shaped Swedish domestic policy for years to come.
The thesis shows how the new world order partly was imposed on Sweden by coercion from the United States, but also how the cold war conflict resonated with already existing dynamics in Swedish politics. The formation of the new hegemony reignited the conflict between Social Democrats and communists in Sweden, and marginalized the leftist flank within the social democratic party. This was in part a return to the relations of Swedish politics in the 1930s. The debate about Sweden joining the Marshall Plan resulted in a foreign policy consensus between The Social Democrats and the liberal and right wing parties. This consensus was based on a western-friendly neutrality and animosity towards communism, both within Sweden and abroad. This was formative for Swedish politics for the decades to come, with the
Social Democrats moving in a centrist direction and searching cooperation with the right, marginalizing the Swedish communist party