Publikationer från Uppsala Universitet
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Attitudes towards childbearing, population, and the environment : prevalence, correlates, and connections with fertility outcomes in Sweden
No full textEnvironmental concerns may influence personal fertility decisions and general opinions about childbearing and population dynamics, but research on this topic remains scarce. In two analyses based on large Swedish datasets (the Gender and Generation Survey [GGS], N = 8027, and a survey designed for this project, N = 683), we examine the connection between climate change worry and fertility outcomes and compare the prevalence of various concerns, behaviors, and opinions about the environment, childbearing, and population. We find little evidence that environmental concerns have a notable connection with fertility outcomes, but many people perceive a link between childbearing and environmental problems. Most respondents think environmental considerations should influence people's decisions to have children-based on considerations regarding both the hypothetical child's future life conditions and the potential environmental impacts of childbearing-and see global population growth as a problem. A substantial minority thinks that measures should be introduced to limit population size, both domestically and in developing countries. We examine how such eco-reproductive concerns and behaviors vary with key demographic and psychological factors emphasized in previous research on fertility and/or environmentalism. The findings showed that eco-reproductive concerns correlate with attitudinal variables (climate change worry, less climate change denial, conservative attitudes, and low political trust), while eco-reproductive behavior is linked with other forms of environmental behaviors and with life circumstances (being younger, not being in a relationship). Our main conclusion is that environmental considerations are influencing views on population and childbearing, but we see no clear evidence of their impact on childbearing decisions in Sweden
Challenges in breastfeeding consultation among child health service nurses in Sweden : a qualitative study
No full textBackground: In Sweden, evidence-based breastfeeding support is provided as part of the 2022–2027 Swedish Food Agency's breastfeeding strategy. Despite 98% of mothers intending to breastfeed, exclusive breastfeeding rates have dropped from 82% in 2014 to 67% in 2022. Child health service nurses offer guidance regarding breastfeeding to women and their partners. The aim of this study was to explore the challenges perceived by nurses in child health services in providing breastfeeding support to mothers in Sweden. Materials and methods: Qualitative methodology, using semi-structured interviews with 12 purposively recruited Child Health Service Nurses (CHSN) in southern Sweden. The interviews were recorded, transcribed verbatim and analysed using qualitative content analysis. Results: The analysis identified three main categories, eleven sub-categories and one overall theme: “Taking a step back when balancing breastfeeding communication in a diverse care chain”, which illustrates the CHSNs' struggles during consultations. It reflects communication barriers (i.e., language gaps), relational concerns (i.e., fear of harming trust), cultural factors (i.e., different perceptions of breastfeeding), and organizational hurdles (i.e., time constraints, limited access), prompting CHSNs to delicately balance support while respecting individual choices, often resulting in stepping back from evidence-based breastfeeding advice when faced with obstacles. Conclusion: The study highlights challenges in breastfeeding support among CHSNs, underscoring the need for evidence-based, person-centred care. Further education and guidance are essential to improve support and advance global health goals.De två sista författarna delar sistaförfattarskapet</p
Object biographies and transformations within the museum context : The story of the cassette player, the brooch, and the sugarloaf mold
No full textThis thesis investigates how objects are transformed and acquire new meanings within the museum context, focusing on their biography, including aspects such as materiality and agency. Using a biographical approach, the study follows three objects currently displayed in the exhibition “Vägen hit” at the Östergötland Museum in Linköping, Sweden. These include a cassette player, a medical brooch, and a sugarloaf mold. Through interviews with museum professionals, visual and material observations, and analysis of museum records, the study explores how these objects are shaped and reshaped through museum practices, institutional structures, and curatorial decisions. The results show that musealization, rather than being a uniform process, takes various forms depending on an object’s provenance, materiality and contextualization. The cassette player was actively acquired and documented in real time, giving it a prominent narrative and visual role in the exhibition. The brooch, with a personal connection, yet an unclear provenance, has been assigned new symbolic meanings despite lacking detailed documentation. The sugarloaf mold, by contrast, is interpreted primarily through archeological and material expertise and illustrates how institutional processes co-produce knowledge. The study further argues that objects do not only passively reflect history, but act as participants in the museum’s narratives and decisions. The nature of documentation, as well as material features, curatorial strategies, and institutional priorities all affect how objects are perceived and understood
Microorganisms in wild European reptiles : bridging gaps in neglected conditions to inform disease ecology research
No full textIn Europe, reptiles remain among the vertebrates least addressed by conservation actions, despite being significantly impacted by human activities and environmental changes. Pathogenic microorganisms represent an additional yet poorly investigated threat to these animals, largely due to limited veterinary interest, which traditionally prioritises captive species over wild populations. Consequently, comprehensive studies on the pathogens affecting European wild reptiles remain sparse and fragmented, providing limited guidance for conservation strategies or health risk assessments. This review synthesises the current knowledge on potentially pathogenic microorganisms (namely bacteria, fungi, protozoa sensu lato and viruses) in wild, non-marine reptiles across Europe. We analysed 123 peer-reviewed studies from major scientific databases. Results indicate a marked increase in publications over the last two decades, although geographical and research focus biases persist. Southern European countries, notably Spain, Italy and Portugal, dominate the research landscape, while significant gaps exist in Northern and Eastern Europe. Lizards emerge as the most frequently studied hosts, especially in relation to apicomplexan parasites, followed by snakes and turtles. Among microorganisms, protozoa (particularly apicomplexans such as haemogregarines sensu lato) are the most frequently documented, whereas bacteria, fungi and viruses are less commonly reported, but significant from conservation and/or zoonotic perspectives. Within the latter, taxa such as Salmonella, Ophidiomyces and members of the Iridoviridae are relatively well represented. Molecular diagnostics have increasingly supplanted traditional microscopy, yet crucial tools such as culture-based methods and serology remain underutilised, limiting certain aspects of microorganism and disease characterisation. Bipartite host-microorganism network analysis revealed a specialised, modular structure promoted by specific microbial communities within particular hosts, themselves influenced by potential co-evolutionary dynamics or uneven sampling efforts. These findings underline the importance of integrating reptile disease ecology into wildlife conservation and public health frameworks, emphasising the urgent need to expand surveillance, particularly in underrepresented taxa and regions, to effectively address emerging disease threats under a One Health approach
Search for 1−+ charmoniumlike hybrid via +− → (′) at center-of-mass energies between 4.258 and 4.681 GeV
No full textUsing +− collision data corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 10.6 fb−1 collected at center-of-mass energies between 4.258 and 4.681 GeV with the BESIII detector at the BEPCII collider, we search for the 1−+ charmoniumlike hybrid via +− → and +− → ′ decays for the first time. No significant signal is observed, and the upper limits on the Born cross sections for both processes are set at the 90% confidence level.For complete list of authors see http://dx.doi.org/10.1103/2rq2-nr4m</p
Reproducibility of protein explosions with an X-ray laser
No full textProtein structures are important to determine in order to understand their function. Today, there are many methods used to structurally determine molecules, one of the most popular being X-ray crystallography. X-ray crystallography presents many positive aspects, including an amplified signal, along with protection of the sample against X-ray radiation damage. The biggest challenge for X-ray crystallography has to do with the simple fact that not all proteins are able to be crystallized. Single Particle Imaging (SPI) is an alternative method, which simply involves imaging one protein at a time, but comes at the cost of the structure quickly decaying due to the high-intensity X-rays on the sample. Much research has therefore been focused on developing ultra-fast lasers to image the protein before it is destroyed. This study aims to evaluate how the protein destruction may instead yield structural information about the protein, after its decay. This project investigates the ability to detect small key structural differences in proteins of high similarity, using information from the radiation damage of the proteins. In this study, multiple different experimental parameters, such as X-ray dynamics and detector geometry, were varied to see their effect on the distinguishability between proteins. Five different ubiquitin proteins were analyzed, four being bound to chromophores at different locations. This was done in order to have highly similar, albeit different structures. The aim of this study is to guide future research in the structure determination field and to find the parameters that are important for distinguishing between structures using ion data from Coulomb explosions. All the studied protein structures could be distinguished to a high degree when analyzing the different ubiquitins at fixed orientations. However, as soon as differences in molecular rotations are introduced, distinguishability using the ion data from the Coulomb explosions becomes difficult. The results suggest that the choice of pulse- and detector parameters are important, with better distinguishability occurring with detectors close to the explosion with a low number of bins. The pulse should ideally cause high amounts of fast ionizations, which depends on the X-ray photon energy used. Out of the studied photon energies, 300 eV and 600 eV resulted in much better distinguishability than when using photon energies of 2000 eV. An equally important factor is the choice of classification algorithm used to analyze the results, and the data representation
Sweet like honey? : Life Cycle Assessment of the Carbon Footprint in Sustainable and Resilient Beekeeping in Europe
No full textHoneybees play a crucial role in both food production and ecosystem functioning by providing pollination services that support biodiversity and agriculture. This study conducted acomparative life cycle assessment (LCA) of honey production across three regions with distinctclimate conditions: a northern region (cold humid climate), a central region (warm humidclimate), and a southern region (warm dry climate). The aim was to evaluate climate impact expressed as kilograms of carbon dioxide equivalents per kilogram of honey (kg CO₂-eq/kg). The results revealed clear regional differences. The northern region showed the highest climate impact at 2.6 kg CO₂-eq/kg, more than double that of the southern region, which had the lowest emissions at 1.0 kg CO₂-eq/kg. The central region fell in between, with emissions of 1.4 kg CO₂-eq/kg. These variations were primarily driven by differences in hive productivity, supplementary feeding, packaging materials, and transport needs. Sensitivity analyses showed that certain changes could significantly influence the results. Switching from glass to plastic packaging reduced emissions by up to 50% and halving the amount of feed led to a 12% reduction. To reflect the dual role of beekeeping, honey productionand pollination services, economic allocation was applied. This redistributed the total climate impact between the two functions, reducing the share assigned to honey by up to 14%, without changing the overall impact. In summary, the study demonstrates that the climate impact of honey production varies significantly between regions but can be reduced through improved management strategies. It also underscores the importance of accounting for the multifunctional value of beekeeping in environmental assessments, particularly its role in ecosystem services such as pollination. Considering these findings, it becomes clear that while honey may be sweet in taste and cultural significance, its production involves complex environmental trade-offs. Addressing these challenges is essential to ensure that beekeeping truly supports sustainability and resilience within food systems and ecosystems
Exploring doctors’ perspectives on precision medicine and AI in colorectal cancer : opportunities and challenges for the doctor-patient relationship
No full textBackground Precision medicine and artificial intelligence (AI) are increasingly integrated into colorectal cancer (CRC) care, offering personalised treatment strategies and data-driven decision support. While these technologies promise improved outcomes, they also raise challenges concerning clinical decision-making, the doctor-patient relationship, and ethics. This study explores physicians’ perspectives on integrating precision medicine and AI in CRC care. Methods A qualitative study was conducted using semi-structured interviews with ten CRC physicians from six European countries. Participants were recruited through purposive and snowball sampling. Interviews were analysed using thematic analysis. Results Three key themes emerged from the analysis. First, physicians described precision medicine as a logical extension of existing tailoring practices, offering new opportunities while introducing complexity. Many expressed concerns about the blurred boundary between experimental and standard treatments, noting potential implications for equity and ethical decision-making. Second, AI was viewed as a future partner in care, with the potential to enhance efficiency and assist in synthesising complex data. However, participants voiced concerns about trust, clinical responsibility, and the lack of regulatory clarity, particularly due to AI’s “black box” nature. Finally, doctors reported challenges in communicating both precision medicine and AI-based recommendations to patients. They emphasised the importance of adapting communication strategies to individual patients and highlighted the need for structured approaches to ensure patient understanding and prevent miscommunication, especially when dealing with uncertain outcomes or emerging technologies. Conclusions The findings highlight both the opportunities and challenges of integrating precision medicine and AI in CRC care. Addressing concerns related to communication, ethics, and regulation requires clear guidance and improved support for clinicians. Precision medicine and AI enhance CRC care but demand robust communication, regulation, and ethical safeguards to ensure transparency, trust, and physician autonomy
Applying Machine Learning to Demand Forecasting: A Case Study in Industrial Supply Chain Manangement
No full textThe application of time series forecasting spans a wide range of domains, including weather, finance, energy, and healthcare. Regardless of the field, forecasting plays a vital role in optimizing resources and preparing for future challenges. One domain where forecasting is particularly critical is supply chain management, where it is frequently used for demand forecasting. Demand forecasting serves as the foundation for all supply chain planning and helps balance inventory levels, reduce costs, and meet customer expectations. This thesis explores the application of machine learning to demand forecasting at a case company that has recently experienced greater fluctuations in demand and increasing variations in customer behavior. The limitations of the current approach have prompted the company to explore alternative methods, one of which being machine learning. The thesis involves two experiments forecasting demand for two product families, A and B, using historical demand data. The experimental setup was designed to reflect the company’s current forecasting conditions. The process included data collection, preprocessing, analysis, feature engineering, model development, and model evaluation. Three machine learning models were developed: Light Gradient Boosting Machine (LightGBM), Extreme Gradient Boosting (XGBoost), and Long Short-Term Memory (LSTM). Model performance was evaluated using Mean Square Error (MAE), Root Mean Square Error (RMSE), and Symmetric Mean Absolute Percentage Error (SMAPE), and compared against a 12-month moving average baseline. The results show that LightGBM and XGBoost outperformed the baseline for Product Family A, while none of the models outperformed the baseline for Product Family B. The thesis concludes that further investigation and refinements are needed before the models can be deployed into production
Visualizations of autoregulatory insults in moderate-to-severe paediatric traumatic brain injury : a secondary analysis from the multicentre STARSHIP trial
No full textBackground Paediatric traumatic brain injury (TBI) is a heterogeneous condition with age-dependent differences in systemic and cerebral physiology, making cerebral perfusion pressure (CPP) challenging to target. Monitoring cerebral autoregulation using the pressure reactivity index (PRx) and deriving an autoregulatory optimal CPP (CPPopt) may personalize treatment, but evidence in children remains limited. In this multicentre paediatric TBI study, we aimed to explore and visualize PRx and CPPopt in relation to outcome. Methods In this secondary analysis of the prospective, multicentre study (STARSHIP), 98 paediatric TBI patients (1–16 years) from 10 paediatric intensive care units, in the UK, between 2018 and 2023, with high-frequency physiological data and 12-month GOS-E Peds outcomes, not treated with decompressive craniectomy, were included. Intracranial pressure (ICP), PRx, CPP, and ΔCPPopt were correlated with outcome using insult intensity/duration heatmaps across the full monitoring period. Two-variable heatmaps incorporating PRx were also used to assess how autoregulation modified the relationship between ICP, CPP, and ΔCPPopt with outcome. Results There was a transition from favourable to unfavourable outcome when PRx exceeded + 0.00 for longer episodes. Furthermore, there was a transition towards worse outcome when CPP went below 40 mmHg and above 100 mmHg for sustained durations. For ΔCPPopt, the transition towards poor prognosis occurred for values below − 20 mmHg, but positive ΔCPPopt was tolerated. In the two-variable heatmaps, PRx above + 0.50 together with ICP above 20 mmHg, CPP below 60 mmHg, or negative ΔCPPopt were particularly associated with unfavourable outcome. Conclusions This novel study visualized the safe and dangerous intervals for PRx and CPPopt as well as the interaction effect between the autoregulatory status and ICP, CPP, and ΔCPPopt in relation to outcome in paediatric TBI. Future prospective trials are needed to evaluate the safety, feasibility, and efficacy of PRx/CPPopt guided management