Publikationer från Uppsala Universitet
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Matching in practice : how to find the right family foster home for the right child
No full textThe concept of matching refers to the process of selecting a family foster home to fit an individual child in placement. Matching is important for the quality of care, as the carers need the necessary resources to meet the child’s needs. Failure in matching can have negative consequences, such as a ‘breakdown’. The aim of this article is to explore the social workers’ practice when matching children and foster carers to ensure the children will receive good care and avoid a placement change. The article uses a qualitative approach and is based on interviews with 31 participants. Social workers and managers at municipal social services, as well as consultants, were interviewed about their work. The professionals reflected on what aspects they perceive as most important in matching and what challenges they encounter that complicate the process. Narratives of successful matches often focused on the characteristics, competence and experience of the foster carers to meet the needs of the children. Some of the challenges highlighted were time pressure and a lack of family foster homes to choose from. This means that professionals have to compromise and prioritise what is most important in relation to the needs of the child
Infertility, Desire for Motherhood and Surrogacy in Miguel de Unamuno's Dos madres
No full textThe aim of this chapter is to explore infertility and the journey out of non-motherhood via surrogacy in a century-old text, namely Miguel de Unamuno’s novella-play Dos madres (Two Mothers, 1920). The plot of Dos madres employs the same core leitmotiv as the biblical passage it is inspired by, the story of Rachel and Jacob (Gn. 30: 1–6). There are three main characters: Raquel, don Juan and Berta. Raquel is a widow who could neither have a child with her husband nor with her younger lover, don Juan. Raquel is desperate to become a mother and makes a plan to achieve her goal. She encourages don Juan to marry a young woman, Berta—who is supposed to be fertile—and have a child with her but then give the child to Raquel, who will raise the baby as her own. This chapter examines, through a literary lens, the theme of non-motherhood, maternal desire and the potential for a solution via surrogacy. In addition to this, the chapter interrogates the possibility of imagining new and alternative family formations, thanks to surrogacy.MotherNe
Engineering Hard Ferrite Composites by Combining Nanostructuring and Al3+ Substitution : from Nano to Dense Bulk Magnets
No full textWe have investigated the bottom-up sol-gel synthesis of nanocomposite powders comprising two magnetic phases (hexagonal Sr ferrite and spinel Co ferrite) in order to outline a strategy to obtain permanent magnets with large coercivities via low-cost and scalable syntheses. The correlation between morphological, structural and macroscopic magnetic properties of Al-substituted SrFe12O19 and SrFe12O19/CoFe2O4 nanocomposites was analyzed in detail. The hysteretic behavior can be tuned by cation substitution and/or modulation of the super-exchange coupling at the interface of the constituting phases. The magnetic data, supported by Monte Carlo simulations, indicates enhanced magnetic coupling within the composite: this observation underscores the significance of soft crystallite size and epitaxial growth quality at the interface as key factors influencing super-exchange coupling strength, ranging from fully coupled to essentially decoupled composites. Bulk magnets with high density were manufactured by compacting these nanostructured phases using spark plasma sintering, without an applied magnetic field. Consolidation of powders significantly impacted magnetic properties, by increasing remanent magnetization and decreasing coercivity due to enhanced super-exchange coupling. The presence of two phases hindered reciprocal growth, influencing coercivity differently in various compositions. Overall, the compaction enhanced magnet performance through improved particle alignment and super-exchange coupling, offering the potential for optimized magnet design.Authors in the list of papers of Pierfrancesco Maltoni's thesis: P. Maltoni, G. Barucca, B. Rutkowski, S. A. Ivanov, N. Yaacoub, A. Mikheenkova, G. Ek, M. Eriksson, B. Almqvist, G. Varvaro, T. Sarkar, J. A. De Toro, D. Peddis, R. Mathieu</p
The relationship between preoperative sleep disturbance and acute postoperative pain control : A systematic review and meta-analysis
No full textPoor preoperative sleep quality and impaired sleep continuity may heighten acute postoperative pain intensity and increase analgesic consumption, with negative implications for recovery, mental and physical health. The main objective of the current review was to investigate the relationship between preoperative sleep disturbance and acute postoperative pain control. Four electronic databases were systematically searched from inception to December 2023. Two reviewers screened articles, extracted data, and assessed risk of bias for each included study. The search identified 26 prospective cohort studies and 3 retrospective cohort studies (16104 participants). Of the 29 included studies, 23 focused on preoperative insomnia symptoms, and three studies each focused on preoperative objective sleep continuity or sleep-disordered breathing. Meta-analysis, based on five studies with 1226 participants, showed that clinically significant preoperative insomnia symptoms were associated with moderate to severe pain intensity on the first postoperative day (odds ratio 2.69 (95 % confidence interval 2.03–3.57), p < 0.0001). Qualitative analysis showed relatively robust associations between preoperative insomnia symptoms, impaired sleep continuity and poorer acute, as well as subacute, postoperative pain control. Findings related to obstructive sleep apnea syndrome were mixed. Given that insomnia is a potentially modifiable risk factor, interventions targeting sleep prior to surgery may improve postoperative pain control
White matter integrity upon progesterone antagonism in individuals with premenstrual dysphoric disorder : A randomized placebo-controlled diffusion tensor imaging study
No full textBackground Premenstrual dysphoric disorder (PMDD) is a depressive disorder triggered by fluctuations of progesterone and estradiol during the luteal phase of the menstrual cycle. Selective progesterone receptor modulation (SPRM), while exerting an antagonistic effect on progesterone and maintaining estradiol on moderate levels, has shown beneficial effects on the mental symptoms of PMDD. Progesterone is also known for its neuroprotective effects, while synthetic progestins have been suggested to promote myelination. However, the impact of SPRM treatment on white matter microstructure is unexplored. Methods Diffusion tensor imaging was employed to collect data on white matter integrity in patients with PMDD, before and after treatment with ulipristal acetate (an SPRM) or placebo, as part of a double-blind randomized controlled-trial. Tract based spatial statistics were performed to investigate SPRM treatment vs. placebo longitudinal effects on fractional anisotropy (FA), mean diffusivity (MD), radial diffusivity (RD), and axial diffusivity (AD), on the whole white matter skeleton. Results Voxel-wise analyses indicated no change over time in any white matter microstructure metrics in individuals treated with SPRM versus placebo. Improvement in PMDD symptoms did not correlate with changes in white matter microstructure. In secondary, exploratory, cross-sectional comparisons during treatment, the SPRM group displayed lower FA and higher MD, RD, and AD than the placebo group in several tracts. Conclusion The main findings suggest that SPRM treatment did not impact white matter microstructure compared with placebo. However, secondary exploratory analyses yielded between-group differences after treatment, which call for further investigation on the tracts potentially impacted by progesterone antagonism. Clinical trial registration EUDRA-CT 2016–001719-19; “Selective progesterone receptor modulators for treatment of premenstrual dysphoric disorder. A randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study.”; https://www.clinicaltrialsregister.eu/ctr-search/trial/2016-001719-19/SEDe två sista författarna delar sistaförfattarskapet</p
Cafeteria diet and caloric restriction affect metabolic but not behavioral characteristics in male Wistar rats
No full textThis study aimed to evaluate the effects of a cafeteria diet and caloric restriction on behavioral and metabolic profiles of adult male Wistar rats. The rats were randomly divided into three groups (n = 12/group) and from 10 weeks of age fed either ad libitum standard rat chow (control group), ad libitum cafeteria diet in addition to standard chow (diet-induced obesity (DIO) group) or kept on caloric restriction (at 85% weight of controls; restricted group) for a period of 12 weeks. Body weight was assessed twice per week and glucose levels were measured at three times during the 12-week period. At week 11 the animals were behaviorally profiled using the multivariate concentric square fieldTM (MCSF) test. After 12 weeks of diet the animals were euthanized, blood collected, relative organ weights were assessed and plasma or serum levels of insulin, glucose, and lipid profile were measured. The DIO group gained 23% more weight than the control group (p < 0.001) and increased adipose tissue weight in comparison to the control (p < 0.001) and restricted (p < 0.001) groups. Glucose was significantly increased (p < 0.001) only during the second measurement at week 7 and insulin levels were elevated in the DIO group compared to controls and restricted groups (p < 0.01; p < 0.001, respectively). Plasma cholesterol levels were reduced for both DIO (p < 0.01) and restricted (p < 0.001) groups relative to controls. Adiponectin and leptin levels were higher for the DIO group in comparison to both the control (p < 0.001; p < 0.05) and restricted (p < 0.001; p < 0.001) groups. Thus, the two diets led to significant changes in body weight gain, adiposity, and metabolism. However, they did not alter the behavioral profiles in the MCSF test, suggesting that activity, exploration, risk assessment, risk taking or shelter seeking remained unaffected by the dietary interventions. The current findings suggest that an increase or reduction in energy intake resulted in no behavioral effects, despite the accompanying glycemic alterations potentially related to diabetes development
The prevalence of overweight among 4-year-olds during and after the COVID-19 pandemic was associated with socioeconomic burden
No full textAIM: To assess the prevalence of overweight among Swedish 4 year olds in 2018, 2020 and 2022, taking socioeconomic variables into account. METHODS: Aggregated regional data on children's body mass index were collected. The socioeconomic Care Need Index (CNI), foreign background, low education, being a single parent, low income and childhood poverty, were assessed. The differences in overweight, including obesity, were tested for Sweden and for regions. RESULTS: Data were available for 303 843 children, representing 87% of children born in 2014, 2016 and 2018. Overweight or obesity were found in 11 177 (11.4%) of children in 2022, decreasing from 2020 (13.3%, p < 0.001) but at the same level as in 2018. Regional low CNI, low level of foreign background, education and income as well as being a single parent were associated with a higher prevalence of overweight or obesity in all cohorts (p < 0.001). In regions with high levels of childhood poverty, overweight or obesity were more prevalent during (p = 0.009) and after the pandemic (p < 0.001). CONCLUSION: Three national cohorts demonstrate that the increase in overweight during the COVID-19 pandemic has returned to pre-pandemic levels, but the inequalities in health associated with socioeconomic vulnerability of the regions remained
Targeting MarA N-terminal domain dynamics to prevent DNA binding
No full textEfflux is one of the mechanisms employed by Gram-negative bacteria to become resistant to routinely used antibiotics. The inhibition of efflux by targeting their regulators is a promising strategy to re-sensitize bacterial pathogens to antibiotics. AcrAB–TolC is the main resistance-nodulation-division efflux pump in Enterobacteriaceae. MarA is an AraC/XylS family global regulator that regulates more than 40 genes related to the antimicrobial resistance phenotype, including acrAB. The aim of this work was to understand the role of the N-terminal helix of MarA in the mechanism of DNA binding. An N-terminal deletion of MarA showed that the N-terminal helix is critical for recognition of the functional marboxes. By engineering two double cysteine variants of MarA that form a disulfide bond between the N-terminal helix and the hydrophobic core of one of the helices in direct DNA contact, and combining in vitro electrophoretic mobility assays, in vivo measurements of acrAB transcription using a GFP reporter system, and molecular dynamic simulations, it was shown that the immobilization of the N-terminal helix of MarA prevents binding to DNA. This inhibited conformation seems to be universal for the monomeric members of the AraC/XylS family, as suggested by additional molecular dynamics simulations of the two-domain protein Rob. These results point to the N-terminal helix of the AraC/XylS family monomeric regulators as a promising target for the development of inhibitors
Convergence Almost Everywhere of Partial Sums and Féjer Means of Vilenkin-Fourier Series
No full textWe characterize subsequences {Snk} of partial sums with respect to (bounded or unbounded) Vilenkin systems of f ∈ L1(Gm) for which almost everywhere convergence holds. Moreover, we construct an explicit f ∈ Lp(Gm), 1 ≤ p < ∞ whose partial sums (satisfying the same conditions which guarantee almost everywhere convergence) diverges on any set of measure zero. We also prove a similar divergence result for Vilenkin-Féjer means
The unseen perils of oral-care products generated micro/nanoplastics on human health
No full textThe extensive use of plastics in modern dentistry, including oral care products and dental materials, has raised significant concerns due to the increasing evidence of potential harm to human health and the environment caused by the unintentional release of microplastics (MPs) and nanoplastics (NPs). Particles from sources like toothpaste, toothbrushes, orthodontic implants, and denture materials are generated through mechanical friction, pH changes, and thermal fluctuations. These processes cause surface stress, weaken material integrity, and induce wear, posing health risks such as exposure to harmful monomers and additives, while contributing to environmental contamination. MPs/NPs released during dental procedures can be ingested, leading to immune suppression, tissue fibrosis, and systemic toxicities. The gut epithelium absorbs some particles, while others are excreted, entering ecosystems, accumulating through the food chain, and causing ecological damage. Although analytical techniques have advanced in detecting MPs/NPs in oral care products, more robust methods are needed to understand their release mechanisms. This review explores the prevalence of MPs/NPs in dentistry, the mechanisms by which MPs/NPs are released into the oral environment, and their implications for human and ecological health. It underscores the urgency of public awareness and sustainable dental practices to mitigate these risks and promote environmental well-being