Publikationer från Uppsala Universitet
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Being in a bubble : Comforting children in paediatric hospital care by Animal Assisted Activity
No full textHospitalisation can be distressing for children, often linked to stress, pain, and anxiety. Complementary therapies show promise in alleviating these effects, especially during medical procedures. Among them, Animal-Assisted Activity (AAA) with dogs has gained increasing recognition in both research and clinical practice for its comforting impact. While integrating dogs into paediatric healthcare offers therapeutic benefits, it also presents challenges such as the risk of pathogen transmission and allergic reactions. The overall aim of this thesis was to examine the beneficial effects and potential risks, particularly bacterial transmission, of dogs as a complementary therapy in paediatric care. It explores child-dog interactions and how the activity affects the child from the perspectives of children, parents, and healthcare professionals, as well as investigating the risk of bacterial transfer. Paper I employed a mixed-methods design with a convergent approach, using questionnaires administered before and after the child-dog sessions to explore the experiences of 49 children participating in AAA. Paper II utilised a cross-sectional design incorporating semi-structured observations to describe the interactions between child and dog across 49 child-dog sessions. Paper III adopted a quantitative design, supplemented by qualitative data from questionnaires, to examine the attitudes of 61 healthcare professionals (HCPs) towards complementary therapy involving dogs in AAA. Paper IV applied a mixed-methods design with a convergent approach to investigate 49 parents’ perspectives on how dogs in AAA can comfort their children when admitted to the hospital. Paper V used a descriptive design to explore whether, and to what extent, aerobic bacteria were exchanged between children and dogs before and after AAA sessions. The metaphor of “being in a bubble” aptly describes the immersive and focused interaction between the child and the dog during AAA sessions. As children engaged with the dog, guided and supported, external distractions faded, creating a transparent and protective space of connection. Within this space, children reported enhanced well-being and a more positive hospital experience. Parents and HCPs also recognised the potential of AAA to provide physical and emotional comfort. With appropriate hygiene protocols in place, AAA involving dogs can be safely implemented, minimising the risk of clinically significant bacterial transmission
Doing Away with Skepticism about Harm
No full textThe concept of harm plays a central role in many philosophical discussions. There are numerous ethical theories, claims, and arguments that appeal to the concept of harm. However, some philosophers think that the concept of harm is not fit to play this role in philosophical theorizing. Bradley (2012) argues that the concept is problematic to such an extent that we should do away with it. Bradley is not the only philosopher who doubts this concept’s usefulness, although others make more modest and suggestive skeptical claims. In this paper, I examine several claims in support of skepticism, which are explicitly embraced or hinted to in the literature. Some examples are the claims that the harm concept is defective and that harm is morally insignificant. Neither those claims nor others, I argue, yield a good case for skepticism about harm
Not for children's ears? : Parents' insights into early childhood overweight and obesity treatment
No full textThis study offers novel insights into parents’ experiences of healthcare interactions during weight-related visits. Data were collected through the More and Less Europe study, a randomized controlled trial evaluating a parent support program for children (aged 2–6 years) with overweight or obesity in Sweden, Romania, and Spain to capture parents’ experiences of healthcare interactions. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 45 Swedish parents (71% mothers, 60% with university degree, 51% of migrant background) of 45 children (mean age 7.1 years, SD 1.3, 76% girls) who received standard treatment for overweight or obesity. The interviews were analyzed thematically, identifying two themes: (1) Support or blame, with subthemes Validating family-centeredness, Overly generic advice, and Stigma and the sense of failing; (2) The place and role of the child, with subthemes Neutral, honest, and direct communication, Not for children’s ears, and Framing the message with care. While some parents described supportive interactions, others expressed disappointment with generic advice and inadequate support. Some recalled stigmatization, sometimes in the child’s presence, raising concerns about the child’s well-being. Approaches to preparing children for visits ranged from neutral to direct explanations. Parents expressed contrasting views on children’s presence during weight-related discussions: while some felt such discussions would harm their child, others supported children’s presence in open and age-appropriate discussion. This study fills a critical gap in obesity management communication by highlighting parental concerns about children’s exposure to weight-related discussions. Addressing these concerns is essential to reducing weight stigma in healthcare and protecting children from harmful experiences
Verbets andra pluralformer på Nordens runinskrifter : deras utveckling och användning
No full textDe första nordiska handskrifterna påvisar att andra pluralis verbändelser hade en stor variation: -ið, -in, -id, -it och -ir. Det finns ett stort antal forskare som har föreslagit olika hypoteser och ursprung av dessa nyutvecklade ändelser från den ursprungliga -ið. Mig veterligt finns det inga större studier som skulle utreda hur dessa ändelser är representerade på Nordens runmaterial. Därför var det viktigt att undersöka en skillnad i utvecklingen av 2 pluralis presens indikativ, konjunktiv och imperativ verbändelser på nordiska runinskrifterna och utreda i vilka formler de förekommer. Totalt finns det 60 runinskrifter som innehåller 68 möjliga 2 pluralis verb. De var kategoriserade efter 1) verbändelser och deras spridning, 2) formler och 3) föremål. Detta har gjorts för att se vilka tendenser av ändelsernas utveckling och användning kan vara spårade. Uppsatsens resultat visar att dateringar av ändelserna -in, -it och -ir borde omtolkas eftersom runinskrifterna tyder på att de är tidigare än första handskrifter med sådana ändelser. Dessutom används utvalda verb endast i ett kristet sammanhang. Det finns tydliga skillnader mellan sen vikingatida och medeltida formler när allt fokus ändras från den avlidne till läsaren vilket också bekräftas av verbets användning
Analytical Validation of 25-Hydroxyvitamin D Measurement on the Cobas Pro e801 Using Electrochemiluminescence Immunoassay.
No full textVitamin D deficiency is a widespread phenomenon occurring globally. To determine the vitamin D level in blood, the metabolite 25-OH-D is analysed, as it is the most important metabolite. Vitamin D levels are usually measured in serum, which is the most commonly used sample material. Vitamin D analysis was at the time of the study performed on the Architect i2000SR at the Clinical Chemistry Laboratory at Sundsvall Hospital. This instrument was being phased out due to age. The purpose of this project was to verify vitamin D analysis on the Cobas e801 by comparing it with the Architect i2000SR. An additional comparison between serum and plasma as sample material was conducted in the measurement of vitamin D. A total of 69 frozen serum samples were used for comparison between the Cobas e801 and the Architect i2000SR. In addition, 26 samples from 13 donors were used to compare serum and plasma tubes. A high correlation was observed between Cobas e801 and Architect i2000SR. The Bland-altman-plot showed a bias (mean difference) of 6.92. Most measurements fell within the 95% confidence interval. For the comparison between serum and plasma tubes, a correlation value of 0.99 was reported. A t-test was performed to compare plasma and serum, and the p-value was 0.2383, indicating that no significant difference was found. The Coefficient of Variation for four control levels was 3.6%, 4.99%, 4.7%, and 2.9%. In conclusion, the results indicated a strong agreement between the Cobas e801 and the Architect i2000SR for vitamin D analysis
Standardized disease-related measures in diabetes research : results from a global consensus process
No full textBackground: A lack of disease-related consensus measures for type 2 diabetes interventions is a barrier to comparing interventions across various contexts, as well as to implementation and scale-up. This study aimed to use an expert consensus approach to select disease-related measures for type 2 diabetes to facilitate cross-contextual research, as well as the implementation and scaling-up of initiatives. Methods: The study was conducted using a two-phased cross-sectional design consisting of an online survey among research experts in 17 diabetes projects working in a global context, followed by an online modified Delphi panel comprised of reviewers with domain-specific expertise from different income settings who were not survey participants. Results: Out of 153 measures from 11 domains assessed, 49 were classified as core, 58 as optional, and 46 were excluded. The domains and measures spanned several categories, including demographics, medical history, medication adherence, health behaviors, anthropometric measures, biochemical measures, and quality-of-life-related issues. Conclusion: The core dataset of selected measures in type 2 diabetes may provide a standardized approach for determining which data should be collected. This can facilitate transnational comparisons between or within implementation projects to advance global diabetes research
The Commodification of Political Distrust : Do Crypto "Hodlers" Distrust Political Institutions?
No full textThe study investigates the link between political distrust and long-term cryptocurrency investment, motivated by the cryptocurrency market's volatility and the potential of digital currencies to alter economic-political systems. Utilizing panel data from Finland 2022-2023 on duration of ownership and political attitudes, the research uncovers a correlation between political skepticism and long-term investment in cryptocurrencies, suggesting a shift from conventional assets to decentralized ones. This emphasizes the role of political trust in financial decisions and proposes further exploration of its impact on cryptocurrency investments
Trajectories and dimensional phenotypes of depressive symptoms throughout pregnancy and postpartum in relation to prior premenstrual symptoms
No full textBackground: Sensitivity to ovarian hormone fluctuations can lead to mental distress during the luteal phase of the menstrual cycle, such as in premenstrual syndrome (PMS) and premenstrual dysphoric disorder (PMDD), and also during pregnancy and postpartum, as in perinatal depression (PND). Aims: In two cohorts, we investigated the relationship between history of PMS/PMDD and PND symptoms. We also examined how premenstrual symptoms are associated with perinatal symptom trajectories and dimensional phenotypes of PND symptoms, which remains unidentified. Method: From early pregnancy until 6 months postpartum, participants of two large longitudinal cohorts were followed using the Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale (EPDS). Premenstrual symptoms were self-reported retrospectively. Results: Both pre-pregnancy PMS and PMDD were associated with higher EPDS scores across pregnancy and postpartum, even after adjustment for confounders. The odds of developing PND were higher among those reporting PMS and PMDD, ranging up to 1.68 (95% CI 1.25-2.29) (6-13 weeks postpartum) and 3.05 (95% CI 2.26-4.10) (late pregnancy) respectively for PMS and PMDD, throughout the perinatal period. Premenstrual symptomatology was associated more with certain PND trajectories based on the time of occurrence and persistence of symptoms. However, PND symptom severity did not differ depending on premenstrual symptomatology in any trajectory. Prior PMS/PMDD was associated with underlying dimensions of symptom constructs of PND, including severe and moderate symptoms of depressed mood, anxiety and anhedonia. Conclusions: Women with a history of PMS/PMDD require coordinated care by psychiatrists, other mental health clinicians, midwives and gynaecologists during pregnancy as well as postpartum
Choose Your Starter – The Impact of Autonomous vs. Linear Onboarding on Video Game Engagement : A case study of a Tower Defense game
No full textThis thesis examines how different onboarding methods affect post-tutorial engagement with a mechanic, by comparing linear onboarding (LO) to autonomous onboarding (PAO) in a Tower Defense game. Using our own game, Odin’s Defense, we developed two builds: one that onboards the item system without player agency, and one that offers players a meaningful choice. The tutorials are followed by a subsequent level that is identical across both builds. This study examines whether providing autonomy during onboarding could lead to greater interaction with the item system after the tutorial. An A/B test was conducted with a participant group of 30 university students, where ingame telemetry and screen recordings were used to assess various engagement metrics. In the context of this study, engagement is defined as the quality and depth of players’ interaction with a game mechanic. While the data indicates that players who experience autonomy during the onboarding demonstrate higher levels of engagement, other factors can affect the results, including uneven level completion across builds, which influence playtime and interaction opportunities. Despite these limitations, the study might provide valuable insights into the different onboarding methods that can influence post-tutorial behavior. These results could aid game designers and researchers to reason about tutorial design. This study could be explored further through qualitative methods such as interviews, or by testing additional game systems and genres.
Nuisance alga reduces lake partial pressure of carbon dioxide and carbon flux to the atmosphere in boreal lakes
No full textBoreal lakes are generally seen as sources of carbon dioxide (CO2) to the atmosphere, even though a part of them are periodically undersaturated with CO2 and have the potential to be net-autotrophic. This undersaturation is the result of photosynthetic activity by phytoplankton, especially flagellated species like Gonyostomum semen, which form high-biomass blooms in brown water lakes. We hypothesized that CO2 reduction by G. semen is common across boreal lakes, and that those reductions vary with dissolved organic carbon (DOC) concentrations across lakes. In our field study, we explored how G. semen abundance affected the partial pressure of CO2 (pCO2) in the water column and the estimated carbon flux to the atmosphere in four lakes in Sweden and Norway in summer 2021. We found that lake pCO2 and carbon flux to the atmosphere decreased with increasing G. semen abundances, though all lakes still emitted CO2 to the atmosphere. High DOC concentrations acted as a limiting factor for G. semen growth, indicating that G. semen's potential to reduce pCO2 and carbon flux to the atmosphere weakens with increasing DOC concentrations. Still, G. semen's impact on pCO2 and carbon flux to the atmosphere is relevant in a wider spatial context, because G. semen and other motile flagellated species are expected to increase in range and bloom frequency in boreal lakes. Thus, we propose that CO2 fixation via photosynthesis is an underestimated factor in controlling CO2 dynamics in boreal lakes, and that it should be included in large-scale CO2 budget calculations