Publikationer från Uppsala Universitet
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Drama as a transformational capability of sustainability science
No full textEducation for sustainable development (ESD) is a foundational aspect of the transformatory capability of sustainability science at the individual and group levels. Despite international frameworks to promote and monitor the development of sustainability competences, evidence of the efficacy of ESD remains limited and even challenging. This article proposes drama-based educational approaches, as part of an increasing body of arts-based methods used in sustainability science, which materially impact a wide range of sustainability competences. Drama is a practice-based approach that intentionally uses carefully designed educational activities involving body, story, interaction, and collaboration to generate sustainability awareness, knowledge, mindsets, and action taking for individuals and groups within higher education. Examples of applied drama practices can include various forms of role play, forum play (playing out roles and pausing/fast-forwarding/reversing to explore possible solutions), and legislative theatre (where participants collaborate with lawmakers to address local issues). This article draws on an international project applying drama methods across disciplinary areas, and outlines how drama methods may contribute to sustainability competences applied in practice. As a result of this, we propose further research to inform future high-impact practices of applied drama for the field of ESD
Metabolic Profiling Reveals a Glycolytic Shift and an IRG1/Itaconate/NF2L2 Axis Regulating Neurotoxic Oxidative Stress in Inflammatory Microglia
No full textPolar metabolic profiling, as well as bioenergetic assays, were used to characterize microglial responses to lipopolysaccharide, which induces a pro-inflammatory state, and interleukin-4, which is associated with an anti-inflammatory phenotype. BV2 microglial cells and primary microglia were used for these investigations. Results revealed that lipopolysaccharide-treated microglia exhibited an increased aerobic glycolytic activity measured by extracellular flux analysis, accompanied by increased levels of endogenous itaconate, a metabolite produced by the IRG1 enzyme. Increased itaconate levels observed by LC-HRMS were found to be associated with a stabilization of the NF2L2/NRF2 transcription factor. Attenuation of the Acod1 gene leads to increased pro-inflammatory cytokine production, as measured by ELISA, while having no effect on LPS-induced oxidative stress or neurotoxicity, an effect only observed upon silencing Nfe2l2. This suggests that an IRG1/itaconate/NRF2 axis functions as a feedback mechanism. The study underscores the dual role of metabolic reprogramming in microglial activation, balancing inflammation and neuroprotection, and suggests potential therapeutic targets for neuroinflammatory diseases by modulating itaconate and NF2L2/NRF2-related pathways. This work highlights the complexity and therapeutic potential of targeting microglial metabolism in CNS disorders
Enduring the Unbearable : A Phenomenological Hermeneutical Study on Nurses' Lived Experiences of Stress During the COVID-19 Pandemic
No full textBackground The COVID-19 pandemic continues to pose significant challenges to the welfare system by stress-related ill health and increased turnover rates among nurses. Aim The aim of this study was to explore nurses' lived experiences of stress in the transformed caring reality during the COVID-19 pandemic. Methodological Design and Justification Caring theory and phenomenological hermeneutical philosophy guided this interpretative study. Findings comprise a broadened understanding of stress experienced by nurses. Ethical Issues and Approval Ethical approval was granted from the Swedish Ethical Review Authority. All participants provided informed consent to participate beforehand. Research Method In-depth audio recorded interviews with 13 nurses were performed and transcribed verbatim. Analysis was guided by the three steps of Lindseth and Norberg: naïve understanding, structural thematic analysis and comprehensive understanding. Results In this study, one main theme Enduring the unbearable emerged, and was illuminated in the major themes: Being deprived of the caring self; Seeing self-neglect as the way forward and Feeling vulnerable and unsupported. The interpreted meaning of nurses' lived experiences of stress during the COVID-19 pandemic accommodates the dilemma of enduring the unbearable whilst being subjected to silencing one's inner ethical, caring compass. Conclusions The results underscore the substantial and persistent stress related health risks nurses faced during the COVID-19 pandemic and emphasise the necessity of integrating ethical considerations into policies designed to support nurses' health in future emergencies
The Ecological Impact of Lupinus polyphyllus Spread in Sweden
No full textInvasive species represent a growing threat to biodiversity in temperate grasslands, yet their effects are often contingent on environmental context and species traits. This study examines the spatial, temporal, and ecological impacts of Lupinus polyphyllus in Sweden, using species occurrence data from the Global Diversity Information Facility (GBIF), environmental covariates, and functional guild classifications. From 2004-2024, lupine records increased fourfold, with the highest densities observed in municipalities combining elevated soil nitrogen, warm temperatures, and high precipitation. A negative-binomial mixed model did not detect a statistically significant three-way interaction among nitrogen, temperature, and precipitation (p=0.161), but plotted trends suggest climate-dependent variation in nitrogen effects. To assess community impact, a novel damage index was calculated for 24 native plant taxa. Species responses varied widely, with competitive generalists such as Festuca ruba increasing by over 300%, while nutrient-stress specialists like Orchis mascula declined by more than 50% in high-lupine municipalities. Pearson correlations supported these patterns, and guild-level trends broadly aligned with nutrient tolerance and disturbance sensitivity. Although trait-based regression models were inconclusive, community responses were structured by ecological strategies, which stresses the importance of functional-trait perspectives. In northern municipalities, standardized lupine presence remains high despite recent declines in raw occurrence records, consistent with invasion debt. These findings highlight the need for climate-informed control efforts, early detection in high-suitability areas, and habitat-specific management prioritizing vulnerable species. By integrating species-level patterns with trait-based guild responses, this study shows how L. polyphyllus acts as an environmental filter, reshaping native plant communities in ways that depend on both biophysical context and species ecology
How and where Heritage Swedish was acquired and learned in Kansas : Education, ideologies, and heritage language anchors
No full textThis study traces the learning opportunities children and young people had for learning Swedish in a heritage community in Kansas, 1870 to 1974. Reasons for knowing Heritage Swedish varied across this time-period, as analyses of historical materials, written and spoken, show. Despite the different reasons—among them, being able to speak with family members and neighbors, becoming a member in the Swedish Lutheran immigrant church, competing in oratorical contests, gaining employment in certain professions, and later, knowing elementary Swedish grammar—the educational opportunities were made possible by heritage language anchors who helped counteract verticalizing forces from elsewhere
Stem Cell-Based Therapy for Type 1 Diabetes
No full textType 1 diabetes (T1D) is the most common chronic disease of children and adolescents and results from autoimmune-mediated destruction of pancreatic beta cells. While insulin therapy remains the standard of care, islet transplantation offers a potential treatment but is limited by donor availability and impaired graft survival. The generation of stem cell-derived islets (SC-islets) from human pluripotent stem cells provides a promising, renewable source of insulin-producing cells. This thesis aimed to generate functional SC-islets and develop approaches to improve their survival and protection after transplantation. In Paper I, we explored the role of supportive cells in islet transplantation and demonstrated that a neural crest stem cell (NCSC)-like population can be isolated from human bone marrow using CD271 magnetic separation. The CD271+ cells exhibited multipotency, including differentiation into glial cells, neurons, and myofibroblasts, and showed directed migration toward both human islets and SC-islets, supporting their potential role as accessory cells to enhance islet transplantation. In Paper II, we investigated the formation of islet amyloid polypeptide (IAPP) fibrils, a pathological feature associated with beta cell dysfunction and death. We showed that SC-islets develop IAPP amyloid under metabolic stress. Overexpression of the anti-amyloid chaperone Bri2 BRICHOS domain inhibited amyloid formation and partially preserved beta cell function, highlighting a potential protective strategy against amyloid-induced cytotoxicity in SC-islets. In Paper III, we established a robust protocol for the generation of induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) from human fibroblasts. In Paper IV, we extended this approach to generate iPSCs from T1D donors and differentiated them into SC-islets. Donor-specific SC-islets showed variability in basal cell functionality and tendency to form amyloid deposits in response to immune-mediated beta cell stress suggesting underlying heterogeneity. Using an in vitro T cell imaging platform, we further demonstrated that SC-islets from individuals with poor glycemic control exhibited increased immunogenicity, compared with SC-islets derived from donors with good glycemic control, uncovering donor-specific immunogenic features of T1D-dervied SC-islets. Together, these studies contribute toward the development of effective stem cell-based therapy for people with T1D
Climate-motivated rationing : On the political feasibility of consumer-oriented climate policies
No full textTo avoid the worst consequences and risks of climate change, profound action is needed on both producer and consumer fronts. With regard to consumption, it is uncertain whether politicians have the will and capacity needed to pursue climate policies that limit individual consumption, and it has not been systematically studied whether individuals are willing to accept such policies. This thesis examines the political feasibility of climate policies that steer towards absolute consumption reductions, with a particular focus on public attitudes towards meat and fuel rationing. The study – using a variety of approaches, methods, and empirical data – paints a mixed picture of the possibility of introducing policies that limit individual consumption. On the one hand, absolute consumption reductions are given low priority in relation to technological development and increased efficiency in production in Swedish climate and energy policy. On the other hand, there is a significant variation in public attitudes towards rationing between individuals and countries. Higher levels of acceptability are observed among individuals from the middle-income countries India and South Africa, compared to the high-income countries Germany and the US. In high-income countries, acceptability is higher among those who are concerned over climate change, who lean to the political left, whose lifestyles would not be significantly affected by rationing, and among those who consider rationing fair and a reasonable limitation of personal freedom. Simultaneously, a significant proportion of individuals in the high-income countries Sweden, Germany, and the US express strong opposition towards the idea of rationing. This thesis enhances our understanding of the political feasibility of stringent consumer-oriented climate policies. By corroborating, generalizing, and deepening insights from prior research on climate policy attitudes, and by establishing causal relationships for how the specific design of rationing influences attitudes, this thesis strengthens our knowledge of why and when individuals are willing to accept stringent and restrictive consumer-oriented climate policies. These insights inform scientific and political debates on the limits and opportunities in pursuing stringent climate policy aimed at reducing the climate impact of consumption.
Chemical abundances and Doppler imaging of the Ap Si/He-wk star HD 100357
No full textWe present the results of time-resolved photometry, abundance analysis, and Doppler imaging of an Ap star, HD 100357. The TESS photometry revealed rotational modulation with a period of 1.6279247 d. Upon inspecting the residuals after removing the rotational period and its harmonics, we found additional frequencies around 15.8054 d(-1), which we later confirmed with ground-based observations as originating from a nearby star. Using high-resolution spectroscopy, we identified HD 100357 as an Ap Si/He-wk star exhibiting rotational modulation caused by surface abundance spots. The stellar parameters of HD 100357 were determined as T-eff = 11 850 K, log g = 4.57, nu sin i = 60 km s(-1), and an inclination angle i = 72 degrees. The detailed abundance analysis revealed strongly overabundant stratified silicon, an overabundance of iron-peak elements and rare earth elements combined with remarkably deficient helium. Mapping of Fe and Cr abundances revealed the existence of ring-shaped regions with a lower concentration of the elements. Their geometry might reflect the orientation of the hypothetical magnetic field of the star, oriented similar to 90 degrees to the rotational axis. HD 100357, with its strong chemical peculiarities and indications of possible magnetic fields, represents an interesting candidate for follow-up spectropolarimetric observations aimed at investigating its magnetic field topology and stellar activity
Software Defined Radio for Wireless Sensor Networks : In the smart home application
No full textThis thesis project aims to use software-defined radio (SDR) to transfer sensor data from a wireless sensor network (in the smart home application) to a destination for collecting and displaying the data. The wireless sensor network built in the project consists of three sensor nodes, each of which has an ESP8266 NodeMCU microcontroller connecting a temperature sensor, a humidity sensor, and a light intensity sensor, respectively. The SDR is implemented with two USRP B210 SDR kits, one used for the gateway wirelessly connecting and communicating with the sensor nodes, and the other connecting to a computer which functions as a server for processing, storing and displaying the received sensor data in real time. The digital radio communications between the USRP B210 SDR kits are established with the help of GNURadio. The sensor data storing is handled by InfluxDB (an open-source, time-series database for storing and analyzing time-stamped data), and the real-time data is rendered graphically using Grafana (an open-source platform used to analyze, visualize, and alert on metrics and logs from various data sources). Both Binary Phase Shift Keying (BPSK) and Quadrature Phase Shift Keying (QPSK) modulation schemes are used for the communications, and a fixed packet format is used to nicely organize the data at different layers such as the physical, link, and application layers. Google Protocol Buffers are used to serialize the data for cross-language support. The project demonstrates that it is possible and effective to apply SDR in sensor networks. Compared to traditional wireless communication methods, SDR offers greater flexibility and scalability. Since SDR is managed by software, it offers accurate and bidirectional communication between devices and can be made flexible to meet different needs without changing hardware, which saves costs and streamlines the development process. By interfacing different forms of sensor nodes in a modular manner, data collection and transfer can be accomplished quickly
Urban Food Waste and Climate Change Mitigation : Exploring the Role of Multi-Stakeholder Collaborations in Nairobi’s Food Waste System
No full textRapid urbanization has amplified food waste generation and complex climate challenges across citiesworldwide, with Nairobi exemplifying these trends. Current management strategies perpetuate openincineration and landfilling, methods that are associated with increased methane and carbon dioxide generation,greenhouse gases with high global warming potential. This thesis investigates the relationship between foodwaste management and climate change mitigation in Nairobi, focusing on how diverse stakeholdercollaborations shape outcomes. Nairobi’s decentralized waste system encompasses a vast range of stakeholders,from government agencies and NGOs to private and informal actors. Employing a mixed-methods approach,combining systematic literature review and semi-structured interviews with key actors (Nairobi City County, NGOs, private sector, and informal groups), the study reveals that effective food waste management ischaracterized by context-driven strategies, inclusive governance, and multi-actor partnerships. The findingsshow that circular economy practices such as composting, anaerobic digestion, and resource valorization notonly close nutrient loops and reduce greenhouse gas emissions but are also essential for local livelihoods andsocial equity. The thematic analysis of the interviews showed that food waste management initiatives in Nairobiare driven by their social impact especially within low-income areas, and thus low cost solutions are prevalent.Informal actors, including community organizations and waste pickers, play a pivotal, often overlooked role indeveloping and scaling food waste interventions. However, significant barriers remain; limited infrastructure,data and policy gaps, fragmented efforts, and risks to informal actors. The thesis argues that future progressdepends on clearer policy definitions, targeted support for community-based solutions, integration of informalstakeholders, and robust knowledge transfer mechanisms on circular economic practices. The insights generatedprovide a foundation for designing equitable food waste management strategies that balance climate objectivesand social welfare, with relevance for Nairobi and similarly dynamic urban contexts in low- and middle-incomeregions