Publikationer från Uppsala Universitet
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Expectations, authority and divergent market transitions
No full textOver 35 countries have embarked on transitions from planned to market economies over the last forty years, with widely divergent outcomes and momentous political, institutional, and economic consequences. We argue that social expectations played a critical but underappreciated role in shaping transition outcomes. We present a formal model of market transition as an assurance game with two possible self-enforcing equilibria, economic collapse or sustained growth. We then adduce evidence from available historical surveys that confirms that enterprise managers' expectations differed widely and correlated with transition outcomes as predicted by the model. Our main point of departure from extant institutionalist scholarship on market transitions is our emphasis on expectations and their interaction with economic institutions. Instead of treating institutional strength as an exogenous factor that determines outcomes directly, we draw attention to the catalytic effect of expectations at the outset of transition, a moment of exceptional institutional fluidity and uncertainty
Do the early social environment and persistent peripartum depressive symptoms shape toddlers' expressive language?
No full textBackground Extensive research suggests that peripartum depression is a risk factor for children's early language development. Yet, previous research on this association shows mixed results, often lacking information on the persistence of depression and the social context. This population-based cohort study addresses this gap by investigating the longitudinal influence of peripartum depressive symptoms on toddlers' expressive language. Specifically, we systematically examined the influences of timing, severity, and persistence of depressive symptoms during pregnancy and the first 6 months postpartum on child expressive language development, while accounting for important social and environmental factors. Methods This study is part of a prospective, population-based investigation conducted within the follow-up Uppsala Birth Cohort study in Uppsala, Sweden. The final analysis included 2176 mother-infant dyads (1122 boys, mean age = 18.3 months, SD = 0.7). Perinatal depressive symptoms were assessed at gestational weeks 17 and 32 and at postpartum six weeks and six months, using the Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale (cut-off >12). At 6 months postpartum, mothers were also invited to fill out the Postnatal Bonding Difficulty Questionnaire. At 18 months postpartum, mothers completed the Language Development Survey, which assessed expressive vocabulary and word combinations. Multivariable linear regression models were applied to examine the associations between peripartum depressive symptoms and child language development. Adjusted models incorporated background and social context variables to account for potential confounding factors. Results Depressive symptoms during prenatal and postnatal periods were not significantly associated with language outcomes. Our final model identified negative associations with second-born status, family history of late talkers, countryside residence, and maternal age at childbirth. Positive correlations were found for sex (girl) and pregnancy length. The final model explained 8.4% of the variance (F(22, 1566) = 6.525, p < 0.001). Furthermore, we found that persistent depressive symptoms were not significantly related to language outcomes (Kruskal-Wallis test: H = 2.227, df = 2, p = 0.21). Conclusions Our findings found no negative link between peripartum depressive symptoms and expressive language in toddlers, even after considering timing, severity, and persistence. While no immediate direct negative influence of peripartum depressive symptoms was observed, the long-term cumulative effects later in life remain unclea
En lokal systemlösning för hållbarhet och flexibilitet i Morgongåva genom energidelning
No full textDenna rapport sammanfattar en nio månader lång förstudie om möjligheterna att skapa ett mer sammankopplat och hållbart energisystem i Morgongåva, med särskilt fokus på Morgongåva Företagspark. Den långsiktiga målbilden är att skapa ett energisystem i Morgongåva där energi i större utsträckning delas mellan Företagsparken och samhället och där systemet samoptimeras utifrån parternas möjligheter och förutsättningar. Studien har genomförts i samverkan mellan Morgongåva Företagspark AB, Sala-Heby Energi AB, STUNS, Uppsala universitet och FVB, med stöd från Europeiska regionala utvecklingsfonden via Tillväxtverket. Bakgrunden till projektet är ett identifierat överskott av solel från Företagsparken samt ett behov av att förnya den befintliga pelletseldade fjärrvärmepannan i samhället. Förstudien har därför undersökt möjligheterna att gemensamt nyttja elöverskottet för lokal värmeproduktion genom en elpanna, i kombination med ett termiskt lager, för att på så sätt minska behovet av förbränningsbaserad fjärrvärme. Resultaten visar att upp till 25 % av nuvarande pelletsbehov skulle kunna ersättas med ett system bestående av ett solcellssystem på 2000 kWp, en elpanna på cirka 1,2 MW och ett termiskt lager på 2500 m³. Den största tekniska begränsningen är möjligheten till tillräckligt stor lagringskapacitet, som i nuläget hindras av gällande detaljplan. Ur ett ekonomiskt perspektiv är återbetalningstiden för investeringen upp till 20 år, men den kan halveras till omkring 10 år vid förändrade skattevillkor och fortsatt stigande bränslepriser. Studien pekar också på att flexibla, lokala energilösningar har värden som idag inte enkelt kan kvantifieras, men som är av stor vikt för ett långsiktigt hållbart och robust energisystem
MicroRNA Knockouts via CRISPR-Cas9 : A Framework for Studying the sex-biased regulation of miR-2954 in chicken
No full textDosage compensation mechanisms are essential for balancing gene expression between sexes in species with heterogametic sex chromosome systems, where one sex has lost genes from one chromosome. In birds, females are heterogametic (ZW) and males homogametic (ZZ). The W chromosome has lost most of its ancestral genes during evolution, raising the question of how female birds compensate for reduced gene dosage. A recent study identified a Z-linked microRNA(miRNA), miR-2954, with strongly male-biased expression, which plays a key role in dosage compensation in birds. However, the regulatory mechanisms underlying this sex-biased expression remain understood. This study aimed to investigate the role of an upstream regulatory region in controlling the expression of miR-2954 using clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats-associated protein 9 (CRISPR-Cas9) genome editing in chicken primordial germ cells (PGCs). Several single-guide RNAs (sgRNAs) were designed to flank the presumed regulatory element. These sgRNAs were selected using CHOPCHOP and CRISPOR, two widely used online tools for designing CRISPR guides with minimal predicted off-target effects. DNA sequences corresponding to the sgRNAs were synthesized as complementary oligonucleotides, short single-stranded DNA fragments that anneal to form double-stranded inserts for cloning. After annealing, the inserts were cloned into a CRISPR-Cas9 expression vector. Polymerase chain reaction (PCR) was then used to confirm successful editing at the targeted genomic region. PGCs were isolated from the blood of embryonic day 2.5 chickens, cultured in Fibroblast Growth Factors activin chicken serum (FACS) medium, a defined formulation optimized for chicken PGC proliferation, and sexed. ZZ male PGCs were transfected with plasmids containing the sgRNAs, along with a control plasmid expressing green fluorescent protein (GFP). Following puromycin selection, surviving PGCs were clonally expanded. Clones will then be screened by PCR for successful deletion of the targeted regulatory region using primers flanking the expected deletion site. This study establishes a functional workflow for CRISPR-Cas9-mediated deletion of regulatory regions in chicken PGCs, laying the foundation for dissecting sex-biased gene expression in birds. Future experiments will build on this work to determine whether deletion of the upstream regulatory region affects miR-2954 expression in male PGCs. These studies aim to clarify the microRNA’s potential role in avian dosage compensation
On seasonal predictability of droughts and their impacts : Bridging science and operational applications
No full textDroughts are among the most complex and least understood natural hazards, with impacts that are often delayed, diffuse, and deeply context-dependent. Despite advances in hydro-meteorological forecasting, a persistent gap remains between the detection of drought conditions and the anticipation of their societal consequences. This thesis addresses this gap by advancing the science and operational potential of impact-based forecasting for droughts. This work combined conceptual synthesis, statistical analysis, and machine learning to explore the relationships between drought indicators and sector-specific impacts across Europe and India. First, a structured overview of the current state of the art and practical challenges is provided. Then, drought indicators are related to observed impacts to assess their predictability across Europe using seasonal forecasts. Lastly, a pre-season forecasting framework for crop yield in India is developed and evaluated to explore the feasibility of anticipatory impact prediction at district level. The findings show that indicator–impact relationships are highly variable across space, time, and sectors, and that even modest improvements in forecast skill can yield meaningful benefits for early action. By integrating seasonal forecasts with impact-relevant indicators, this thesis contributes to the development of more actionable, context-specific early warning systems. It also highlights the need for co-produced, user-centred approaches that bridge the gap between climate signals and real-world decisions
En automatiserad välfärd : En studie om utveckling och implementering av AI-system i svenska kommuner
No full textUtveckling och implementering av artificiell intelligens inom kommuner är en relativt ny företeelse, inte minst på grund av tekniken i sig förhållandevis ny. Följande studie undersöker utvecklingen och implementeringen av AI-system inom svenska kommuner med en kvalitativ ansats genom att kartlägga erfarenheter hos kommunanställda och externa samarbetspartners erfarenheter. Utgångspunkten för analysen ligger dels i tidigare forskning, dels i Orlikowskis (1992) teori Structurational Model of Technology, samt Giddens (1991) begrepp om embedding. Resultaten tyder på att utveckling och implementering av AI-system inom kommuner hämmas av juridiska och etiska frågor, såsom dataskydd, transparens och kompetensbrist. Samtidigt visar resultaten att samarbete har en betydande inverkan på nyttan och resultatet av AI-projekt inom kommuner.
Inverse uncertainty quantification of a TRACE model for intermediate break LOCA using DAKOTA : Calibration against BEPU benchmark results
No full textThe nuclear industry’s highest priority is to ensure safe and secure construction and operation of power plants to prevent accidents and mitigate their consequences. Among the most severe accidents is the loss of coolant accident (LOCA), caused by a pipe break resulting in loss of reactor coolant. Vattenfall Nuclear Fuel (VNF) uses the thermohydraulic reactor system code TRACE to evaluate LOCA scenarios. This thesis explores how inverse uncertainty quantification (IUQ) can be applied using DAKOTA to calibrate a best-estimate (BE) TRACE model of an intermediate break LOCA (IBLOCA) scenario. The motivation for this project arises from deviations observed between VNF’s TRACE simulation results and a manufacturer’s results provided in an EPRI report. The manufacturer’s results are based on a best-estimate plus uncertainty (BEPU) analysis, where the presented case reflects an upper-bound outcome (worst case scenario). In contrast, the TRACE model used in this project performs a single BE simulation without quantified uncertainties. Therefore, the differences between the two results are expected and stem from the use of fundamentally different approaches. As the full uncertainty distribution of the reference is unknown, the goal was not to cover the reference curves via BEPU. Instead, the aim was to use IUQ methodology to identify plausible parameter configurations to reproduce the upper-bound behavior observed in the reference curves for pressurizer pressure and liquid mass in the reactor pressure vessel (RPV). The methodology combines parameter sampling and iterative refinements, enabling design exploration and model tuning. The results show that it is possible to reproduce key characteristics of the manufacturer’s curves, supporting the utility of a UQ-based calibration in model alignment and benchmarking. The parameters with highest impact on the pressurizer pressure and the liquid mass in the RPV were the break area and the two-phase choked flow multipliers. The simulation run that best matched the reference curves was given a smaller break area and higher values of the choked flow multipliers for two-phase flow conditions. Additionally, the TRACE model was modified with activation of all three accumulators for better replication of the total accumulator flow observed in the reference. These findings demonstrate that UQ-based methods can be valuable for model calibration and design exploration.
Angular analysis of the decay Bs0â\u86\u92 Ï\u86e+e-
No full textAn angular analysis of the decay Bs0 -> phi e+e- is presented, using proton-proton collision data collected with the LHCb detector between 2011 and 2018 at centre-of-mass energies of 7, 8 and 13 TeV. The combined dataset corresponds to an integrated luminosity of 9 fb-1. Observables are determined by fitting time-integrated projections of the angular distribution in three bins of dielectron mass squared, q2, corresponding to [0.1, 1.1], [1.1, 6.0] and [15.0, 19.0] GeV2/c4. The results are compatible with predictions based on the Standard Model of particle physics.For complete list of authors see http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/JHEP07(2025)069</p
Program for Psychosocial Assessment During Pregnancy : Protocol fora Multimethod Study
No full textBackground: Onset of depression and anxiety can occur before, during, or after pregnancy, and ongoing conditions can either improve or deteriorate at all stages. National and international guidelines recommend that maternal health care should contribute to improving pregnant women's mental health by consistently asking pertinent questions during pregnancy and offering necessary support and care. The implementation of a program for psychosocial assessment has been carried out in a region in Sweden. The program includes the identification of risk factors and ongoing mental ill-health, consultation with psychologists within maternal and child health care, and care pathways to other health care providers. Objective: The general aim of this research project is to investigate the effects of a program for psychosocial assessment during pregnancy on patients, as well as to evaluate the experiences of midwives and psychologists when working with the program. Methods: A multimethod study design will be used to evaluate possible effects of a program for psychosocial assessment during pregnancy, including a pre-and postimplementation comparison, alongside a qualitative study of the professionals' perspectives. Data sources for the research project include patient data from the Swedish Pregnancy Register, medical records, questionnaire responses, and interviews with midwives and psychologists. Results: The recruitment process is completed, and data collection and analysis are ongoing. The dissemination plan includes several publications of original research and two doctoral theses. Conclusions: This study's results are expected to be relevant for maternal health care, both nationally and internationally, as scientific evaluations of the effects of implementing a program for psychosocial assessment during pregnancy are scarce. The implementation and evaluation of the program may hopefully, in the future, serve as a model for more standardized and effective care. It may influence national policies and attract attention as a model for improving perinatal mental health and maternity care. International Registered Report Identifier (IRRID): DERR1-10.2196/6717