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General degree-eccentricity index of unicyclic graphs of given order, girth and maximum degree
No full textFor a connected graph G and a, b is an element of R, the general degree-eccentricity index of G is defined as DEIa,b(G) = & sum;(v is an element of V(G) )d(G)(a)(v)ecc(G)(b)(v), where V(G) is the vertex set of G, d(G)(v) is the degree of a vertex v and ecc(G)(v) is the eccentricity of v in G, i.e. the maximum distance from v to another vertex of the graph. This index generalizes several well-known 'topological indices' of graphs such as the eccentric connectivity index. We characterize the unique unicyclic graphs with the maximum and the minimum general degree-eccentricity index among all n-vertex unicyclic graphs with fixed order, girth, and maximum degree for the cases a &gt;= 1, b &lt;= 0 and 0 &lt;= a &lt;= 1, b &gt;= 0. (c) 2025 The Author(s). Published by Elsevier B.V. This is an open access article under the CC BY license (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/).Funding Agencies|International Science Program in Uppsala, Sweden; Mikael Passare Postdoc Award, Sweden</p
Combined X-ray microdiffraction and micromechanical testing for direct measurement of thin film elastic constants
No full textDirect measurement of elastic constants for thin films is still far from routine and poses significant technical and analytical challenges compared to bulk materials. Ab initio Density Functional Theory calculations offer theoretical input, however, discrepancies between model systems and real-world properties persist, primarily due to a lack of available experimental data for newly emerging material systems. Moreover, computationally affordable models are typically limited to defect-free single crystals, omitting microstructural effects that strongly influence the material's behavior. This study addresses this gap by proposing a novel experimental approach to measure direction-dependent elastic constants, combining synchrotron microdiffraction and micropillar compression, testing a polycrystalline face-centered cubic TiN0.8B0.2 thin film, where linear elastic failure prevails. We have established an advanced in-situ testing environment to continuously record the load-displacement of the indenter while simultaneously collecting the material's deformation response to uniform uniaxial compression. This dynamic approach allows the evaluation of the orientation-dependent elastic strain components and the macroscopic uniaxial compressive stresses, each over time, enabling a differential analysis to assess the elastic and X-ray elastic constants. The excellent agreement between experimental and ab initio data solidifies the hereproposed robust method for direct elastic constant measurements, which is crucial for advancements in thin film material testing.Funding Agencies|TU Wien Bibliothek; Swedish Research Council [2022-06725]; Vienna Scientific Cluster (VSC) in Austria; Austrian Federal Ministry for Digital and Economic Affairs; National Foundation for Research, Technology and Development; Christian Doppler Research Association</p
Higher level of communication between the medical staff and the performance staff is associated with a lower hamstring injury burden: a substudy on 14 teams from the UEFA Elite Club Injury Study
No full textObjectives External risk factors connected to club, team and coaching are believed to be important in the causation of hamstring injuries, but little is known about the preventive measures used. The objective was to analyse the association between preventive factors and hamstring muscle injury burden.Methods 14 teams participated in the Union of European Football Associations Champions/Europa Leagues from 2019/2020 to 2022/2023. An open question was sent out in January 2023 to the four teams with the lowest hamstring muscle injury burden, asking why their teams had successfully avoided hamstring muscle injuries and which preventive methods they had used. A questionnaire that investigated the use of these methods was sent to all 14 teams in February 2023. A multiple linear regression model was applied, using injury burden as an outcome variable and the questionnaire responses as possible explanatory variables possibly adjusted for team and season.Results The preventive methods included factors such as the level of communication between the coach, the medical staff and the performance staff. The adjusted multiple linear regression model indicated that communication between the medical staff and the performance staff was negatively associated with an increased hamstring muscle injury burden, where for every 'higher' grade of the communication variable, the average injury burden decreased by 4.1 (95% CI -8.2 to -0.04, p=0.048) days per 1000 hours.Conclusions Better communication between the medical and the performance staff and continuous involvement of the medical staff in load management was associated with a lower hamstring injury burden in male professional football teams.Funding Agencies|Union of European Football Associations (UEFA)</p
Cholinergic system in patients with chronic kidney disease: cognitive and renal implications
No full textCholinergic synapses are widespread throughout the human central nervous system. Their high density in the thalamus, neocortex, limbic system and striatum suggests that cholinergic transmission plays a vital role in memory, attention, learning and other higher cognitive functions. As a result, the brain's cholinergic system occupies a central position in research on normal cognition and age-related cognitive decline, including dementias such as Alzheimer's disease. In addition to its role in the brain, neuronal cholinergic pathways are essential for the physiological regulation of the body's organs, including the kidneys, through the parasympathetic branch of the peripheral nervous system. Chronic kidney disease (CKD) is a non-communicable disease with a global prevalence of approximate to 10%. Cognitive impairment is common among patients with CKD, with reported prevalence rates ranging from 30% to 60%, depending on the definitions and assessment methods used. Given the importance of the cholinergic system in cognitive processes, it may be a key area of focus for evaluating cognitive function in this population. In this current narrative review, we will first examine evidence linking the cholinergic system to cognitive functions and then we will discuss the potential implications of cholinergic function in patients with CKD. 10.1093/ndt/gfaf029 Video Abstract Watch the video of this contribution at https://academic.oup.com/ndt/pages/author_videos gfaf029Media1 6369599755112Funding Agencies|Horizon EU COST Action-Cognitive Decline in Nephro-Neurology: European Cooperative Target (CONNECT) [CA19127]; Swedish research council [2022-01428]; Center for Innovative Medicine Foundation (CIMED) [FoUI-1002840]</p
Disregard. distort or discard : A study of the representation of jews in history textbooks
No full textThis thesis has explored history textbooks for upper secondary students in Sweden, with a focus on Jewish representation. The study aimed to address how many times, in which historical context and in what manner Jews are mentioned and described in textbooks, by employing both a qualitative and a quantitative analysis. Michael Apples theory of Official Knowledge as well as Norman Faircloughs three-dimensional model for critical discourse analysis were used to analyse and interpret the findings from the empirical data. The methodology consisted of reading all eight textbooks, noting every mention of Jews and sorting them into seven categories (ethnic group, national minority, victims of violence and persecutions, in relation to Nazi-Germany, conspiracies, Jewish state and specific Jewish people). This allowed for a comprehensive assessment of which context Jews were most often depicted within. The findings revealed that Jews are by far most often mentioned in relation to Nazi Germany, and that passive constructions are often used, suggesting that the textbooks often rehash the stereotype of Jews as victims. Furthermore, the analysis highlighted that Jewish history is told in fragmented extra parts of the textbook, not in the main narrative and that some textbooks main emphasis is the morality lessons the Holocaust can teach, rather than what happened
Food, health and sustainability : How students navigate conflicting choices in social contexts
No full textObjectives: The paper explores how students’ values and food choices change or adapt depending on the social environment and how students navigate the resulting tensions in food choices and practices when balancing nutrition against social and cultural preferences and sensory experiences. Design: The study analysed students’ discussions about food and health to explore how values and knowledges are expressed together within them, and shift these across different social environments. Setting: Community-based study in Zimbabwe in a context many students live in food poverty with long-term implications for physical development and learning. Methods: Through a re-analysis of group interviews with 120 upper secondary/high school students attending six schools in Zimbabwe, we explored how students create meanings around food and health in different social environments. Results: Students’ creation of different meanings around food and health depends on the context and the wider social environment. As students discuss food choices and practices within the family, at school and in peer groups, different values and knowledges come to the fore, shifting from responsibility to identity and/or convenience. Importantly, bio-medical, social-cultural and sensory values and knowledges are present in all of students’ discussions across these different social environments. Conclusion: The concept of value-mobilities is developed to describe students’ ability to navigate tensions between how food and health are understood and valued in different social and cultural settings, and to make food choices and health decisions
"Sleeping My Life Away" : Experiences of Living with Idiopathic Hypersomnia
No full textObjectives Individuals with idiopathic hypersomnia (IH) report several subjective emotional and cognitive symptoms, as well as impairments in daily functioning. Coping strategies are frequently used, but their effectiveness is perceived to be minimal. The aim of the present study was to delve into the patient perspective on navigating life with IH, emphasizing patients’ personal narratives. Method Utilizing a purposeful sample method, twelve participants diagnosed with IH underwent telephone interviews guided by a semi-structured protocol. The interviews were subjected to thematic analysis to extract relevant themes. Results Analysis unveiled three primary themes along with subthemes: 1) Being confined, characterized by excessive daytime sleepiness, negative emotional processes and cognitive disturbances, 2) Missing out on life, involving loss of time and adverse social consequences, and 3) Trying to cope, encompassing strategies like napping, adapting, activating oneself and mentally fighting sleepiness, while also embracing acceptance and self-compassion. Conclusions The identified themes reflected numerous aspects previously reported to be associated with living with IH. Notably, the study brought novel subthemes to light, such as the existential dilemma of “sleeping one’s life away” and feelings of guilt and shame. Furthermore, the study underscored the significance of acceptance and self-compassion as coping strategies
Omskärelse av flickor/könsstympning : Kunskapskatalog för polis, åklagare, socialtjänst, vård och skola
No full textDenna kunskapskatalog är ett resultat i ett forskningsprojekt som finansierats av forskningsrådet Forte 2020-2023: Samhällets åtgärder vid misstänkt könsstympning i Sverige: en proportionalitetsanalys av myndigheters handläggning av misstänkta fall, genomfört av professor Sara Johnsdotter och lektor Lotta Wendel vid Malmö universitet. Katalogen är ett komplement till befintliga riktlinjer och handledningar som erbjuds av Socialstyrelsen, Jämställdhetsmyndigheten och andra myndigheter som erbjuder vägledning och stöd för professionella i olika samhällssektorer när dessa ska hantera ett ärende som gäller misstänkt könsstympning. Katalogen kan vara till stöd i den bedömning som professionella har att hantera vid misstanke om olaglig könsstympning. För många länder är det stora skillnader i praktiken beroende på geografisk region, och etnisk eller religiös bakgrund. Sådana faktorer bör därför beaktas i riskbedömningen i enskilda fall. Innehållet har tagits fram efter diskussion med polisutredare, åklagare, socialutredare och särskilda företrädare för barn som har intervjuats i projektet. Vi resonerade om vad vi från forskningshåll skulle kunna bidra med, som skulle fungera som stöd i hanterandet av misstänkta fall. Just mer detaljerad information om vilka former praktiken tar sig i olika länder efterfrågades. Även vården har efterfrågat kunskap av det här slaget. Det huvudsakliga innehållet i den här kunskapskatalogen handlar således om praktiken i olika länder: hur stor andel av flickor och kvinnor som berörs, i vilka regioner och i vilka etniska och religiösa grupper det är vanligast, åldrar då flickor omskärs, vem som vanligen utför omskärelsen samt något om vilka normer som gör att traditionerna upprätthålls. I slutet av denna publikation finns hänvisningar till några internationella publikationer som kommit ur forskningsprojektet. Katalogen ges ut av Centrum för sexologi och sexualitetsstudier vid Malmö universitet och kan laddas ner fritt från mau.diva-portal.org
Adsorption and biological degradation of dissolved organic matter in terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems
No full textDissolved organic matter (DOM) is a complex mixture of organic compounds found across the biosphere. DOM concentration and composition are highly dynamic because of various transformation processes, such as microbial and photochemical degradation and adsorption to mineral particles. These processes are essential for carbon cycling across ecosystems and for water quality. Adsorption is important for DOM cycling, but its role in changing DOM composition and biological reactivity is rarely studied together. Extrinsic controls induced by water residence time can also impact DOM both spatially and temporally, yet these dynamics are poorly known. This thesis aims to fill these knowledge gaps in four studies. In the first study, DOM treatability and biodegradability across lake Mälaren in Sweden were investigated at six time points. The findings show that water residence time (WRT) plays a key role in shaping the composition of DOM. As WRT increases, DOM concentration and composition resist seasonality-driven temporal variations and gradually shift from terrestrial to aquatic origin, which enhances its treatability for drinking water. In the three following studies, batch experiments were sequentially performed to investigate adsorption controls on DOM composition and biodegradability across a range of mineral types and DOM sources from terrestrial and aquatic environments. The experiments (i) quantify adsorption capacities, (ii) evaluate DOM compositional changes due to adsorption using a multi-analytical approach incorporating fluorescence spectroscopy, mass spectrometry, and 1H NMR, and (iii) assess the biodegradability of the remaining DOM pool. The outcomes highlight that the adsorption capacity depends on the DOM sources, characteristics of mineral surfaces, and water chemistry. Strong adsorption interactions preferentially remove oxygen-rich, aromatic DOM, while weak interactions tend to target more diverse compounds. Moreover, DOM-mineral interactions have varying effects on biodegradability, ranging from strong to moderate and no enhancement after adsorption. The multi-analytical approach improves DOM characterization by reducing individual method biases. Notably, ¹H NMR effectively detects carbohydrate fractions, which are often overlooked by other methods. The thesis has important implications for descriptions of carbon dynamics in terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems, where agricultural, mining, and forestry increase mineral presence and enhance organo-mineral interactions
Comparison of tissue adhesive and sutures for surgical tagging of brown trout(Salmo trutta)
No full textMigration är ett vanligt förekommande beteende hos många fiskarter, där fiskar vandrar för att nå lekområden eller anpassa sig till förändrade miljöförhållanden. Telemetri är ett viktigt verktyg för att studera fiskarnas rörelsemönster och utmaningar vid vandring, särskilt när det gäller påverkan på migrationsmönster. Telemetristudier kräver märkning av fiskar, vilket oftast medför fångst, bedövning och kirurgiska ingrepp. Syftet med studien var att jämföra två metoder för sårförslutning vid kirurgisk märkning av öring (Salmo trutta), för att utvärdera deras påverkan på hanteringstid, sårläkning, sändartapp och tillväxt, samt för att bidra till förbättrade märkningstekniker och säkerställa optimal djurvälfärd. Totalt 40 ensomriga (0+) Gullspångsöringar (medelvikt 33 g) fördelades slumpmässigt i fyra grupper, där två grupper märktes kirurgiskt med sändarattrapper och snittet förslöts med antingen sutur eller vävnadslim, en grupp märktes med PIT-tags utan snittförslutning samt en procedural kontrollgrupp utan märkning. Efter 17 respektive 34 dagar bedömdes sårläkning, sändartapp och tillväxt. Snittens läkning utvärderades med ett poängsystem baserat på sårruptur och rodnad. Inga sändartapp noterades och för samtliga grupper observerades en positiv medeltillväxt under försökets gång, dock utan signifikant skillnad i tillväxt mellan grupperna. Resultaten indikerade att användningen av vävnadslim initialt var associerad med en högre frekvens av sårruptur, vilket minskade över tid, där 50 % av individerna hade intakt sårläkning efter 34 dagar. Samtidigt uppvisade suturgruppen en mer konstant läkningsprocess vid dag 34 med 0 % sårruptur, men en ökad grad av rodnad. Förekomsten av ruptur var signifikant högre för gruppen vävnadslim än gruppen sutur, både efter 17 dagar (Fisher Exact test: p = 0,009; Figur 3) och efter 34 dagar (Fisher Exact test: p = 0,033). Sutur visade sig vara en mer pålitlig metod för snittförslutning vid kirurgisk märkning med interna sändare, då resultatet gav en betydligt bättre sårförslutning samt resulterade i en lägre förekomst av sårruptur. Trots vävnadslimmets potential att minska inflammatorisk respons, bekräftar studien att sutur är den mest tillförlitliga metoden.Migration is a common behavior among many fish species, with individuals migrating to reach spawning grounds or adapt to changing environmental conditions. Telemetry is a crucial tool for studying fish movement patterns and the challenges associated with migration, particularly in terms of its impact on migratory behavior. Telemetry studies require the tagging of fish, which often involves capture, anaesthesia, and surgical procedures. The aim of this study was to compare two wound closure methods for surgical tagging of brown trout (Salmo trutta) to evaluate their effects on handling time, wound healing, tag retention, and growth, as well as to contribute to improved tagging techniques and ensure optimal animal welfare. A total of 40 Gullspång trout age-0 (0+) (mean weight: 33 g) were randomly assigned to four groups. Two groups underwent surgical tagging with transmitter replicas, with incisions closed using either sutures or tissue adhesive. A third group was tagged with PIT tags without incision closure, while a procedural control group remained untagged. Wound healing, tag retention, and growth were assessed after 17 and 34 days. Incision healing was evaluated using a scoring system based on wound dehiscence and redness. No tag loss was observed, and all groups exhibited positive mean growth during the experiment, with no significant differences in growth among the groups. The results indicated that the use of tissue adhesive was initially associated with a higher frequency of wound dehiscence, which decreased over time, with 50% of individuals exhibiting intact wound healing after 34 days. In contrast, the suture group displayed a more consistent healing process at day 34 with 0% wound dehiscence, but a higher degree of redness. The occurrence of dehiscence was significantly higher in the tissue adhesive group compared to the suture group, both after 17 days (Fisher's Exact Test: p = 0,009; Figure 3) and after 34 days (Fisher's Exact Test: p = 0,033). Sutures proved to be a more reliable method for wound closure in surgical tagging with internal transmitters, providing significantly better wound closure and resulting in a lower incidence of wound dehiscence. Despite the potential of tissue adhesive to reduce inflammatory responses, the study confirms that sutures remain the most reliable closure method