Publikationer från Uppsala Universitet
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Diet-microbiome covariation across three giraffe species in a close-contact zone
No full textThe biodiverse group of ruminant mammals are entirely dependent on their gut microbiota to extract energy and nutrients from their foods, making these symbionts vital to survival. Because variation in wildlife diets can select for distinct communities of gut bacteria, different foraging choices can have both nutritional effects and other microbially-mediated effects on animal wellbeing. Despite the proliferation of studies focusing on host-microbiome interactions in recent decades, few prior studies have quantified the level and extent of diet-microbiome linkages in wildlife. Therefore, we used DNA metabarcoding to compare the diets and gut microbiomes of giraffes, the world's largest ruminant. We focused on three giraffe species-reticulated, northern, and Masai-that occur along a near-contact zone in equatorial Kenya. We found large differences in both the composition and diversity of diets and microbiomes within and among populations. However, contrary to expectations, we found very little evidence for links between the composition of individual diets and their corresponding microbiomes. Instead, geographic proximity strongly predicted diet similarity whereas host-species identity strongly predicted microbiome composition. The lack of diet-microbiome linkages across these giraffe populations-coupled with the evidence that species differed strongly in diet and microbiome compositions-highlights the possibility that their history of ecological and evolutionary divergence has generated unique, species-specific gut microbiomes. Moreover, striking levels of diet variation were revealed among neighboring populations of giraffe from the same species, and thus baseline knowledge of their resource-use diversity could support ongoing efforts to geographically tailor management strategies aimed at conserving local food staples under environmental change
En identitet : En kvalitativ studie om framställningen av kollektiv identitet inom BLM-rörelsen på sociala medier
No full textDenna studie undersöker hur interaktioner på sociala medier bidrar till att forma och förstärka kollektiv identitet inom sociala rörelser, med fokus på Black Lives Matter-rörelsen. Tidigare forskning visar att sociala medier spelar en central roll för mobilisering, identitetsskapande och spridning av budskap i moderna sociala rörelser. Samtidigt framhålls både styrkor och begränsningar med digital aktivism, där visuella symboler, hashtags och språkliga uttryck används för att skapa gemenskap och engagemang. Syftet har legat på att analysera interaktioner på sociala medier och hur dessa bidrar till skapandet av kollektiv identitet och självpresentation inom BLM-rörelsen. Materialet består av 150 observerade tweets inklusive diskussionstrådar, med över 10 000 kommentarer, från sociala medier plattformen Twitter som samlats in med hjälp av hashtags relaterade till rörelsen. Ett urval av det mest framkommande teman presenteras i denna uppsats. Det teoretiska ramverket bygger på Jenkins teori om social identitet, Goffmans dramaturgiska perspektiv samt Blumers symboliska interaktionism. Studiens resultat visar att digital solidaritet uttrycks genom gemensamma symboler och språkliga mönster som stärker den kollektiva identiteten och mobiliserar deltagande. Självpresentation lyfts fram som en viktig aspekt, där individer använder sociala medier för att iscensätta sitt engagemang och reflektera över sina roller i rörelsen. Studien visar också hur språkliga och symboliska uttryck fungerar både som en enande kraft och som en möjlighet att hantera kritik och motstånd, samt hur kritiker till rörelsen uttrycker sig. Slutsatsen är att sociala medier spelar en avgörande roll i att forma och förstärka en kollektiv identitet
Multimodal LLM-assisted Information Extraction from Historical Documents : The Case of Swedish Patent Cards (1945-1975) and ChatGPT
No full textThis paper presents an AI-assisted method for information extraction from historical documents using multimodal large language model (MLLM). We develop a pipeline to retrieve text and events from Swedish historical patent cards using the GPT-4o model to extend the Swedish historical patent database. Our study demonstrates how generic MLLMs can help to save time and labor cost for creating applicable data in a low-source setting, which is a common challenge for digital humanities projects leveraging the latest AI technologies. We also explore the error flagging for automated text recognition that can integrate into traditional information extraction workflow: the MLLMs’ vision capacity helps to identify documents with potential errors that require human verification. We conclude that the model generates usable yet imperfect data which speeds up data collection and reduces its cost. The flags created simultaneously in information extraction enable to evaluate the model’s performance and to allocate human resources for actual error correction through manual transcription. With the rapid development of open MLLMs recently, a promising future step is to explore local solutions for fine-tuning and application of the models
Predictors of language and reading outcomes in 12‐year‐old children born very preterm
No full textAim: To investigate predictors of language and reading outcomes in 12-year-oldSwedish children born very preterm (<32 gestational weeks) in 2004–2007. Method: Children born very preterm (n = 78, 43 girls), and term-born controls (n = 50,32 girls), were examined on verbal IQ, semantic and phonemic fluency, sentence recall,reading fluency, word and phonological decoding at 12 years of age. The results wererelated to neonatal characteristics, language development, measured with Bayley-III,at 2.5 years corrected age, and concurrent non-verbal IQ. Results: Preterm children showed language and reading difficulties that were notcompletely accounted for by level of concurrent non-verbal IQ. Extremely pretermborn children (<28 gestational weeks) demonstrated specific linguistic weaknesses.Administration of antenatal steroids, retinopathy of prematurity and persistent ductusarteriosus explained unique variance in language and reading outcomes. Languageassessments at 2.5 years had low predictive value for language and reading outcomesat age 12. Conclusion: Language and reading difficulties in 12-year-old children born pretermwere not fully explained by concurrent non-verbal IQ, and were not reliably predictedby language assessments at 2.5 years. Renewed language assessments at school ageare warranted for identifying children with persisting linguistic difficulties
Protocol to computationally average confocal images of zebrafish lymphatic vessels to identify phenotypes
No full textCharacterization of zebrafish mutants is routinely time consuming as morphological phenotypes can be subtle or variable, thus hampering robust quantification. Here, we present a protocol to identify the overall phenotype by overlaying images of lymphatic vessels acquired from multiple zebrafish embryos of a genetic background. We describe steps for preparing samples, obtaining confocal images, and their computational alignment. In addition, we supply sample images for testing. For complete details on the use and execution of this protocol, please refer to Arnold et al.
Validity and Reliability of the Swedish Version of the Gugging Swallowing Screen for use in Acute Stroke Care
No full textThe purpose of this study was to cross-culturally validate the Swedish version of the Gugging Swallowing Screen (GUSS-S) for use in the acute phase of stroke. Further, to evaluate the inter-rater reliability between different healthcare professionals. GUSS was translated into Swedish using a forward-backward method followed by expert rating to obtain content validity. For criterion validity, the GUSS-S score was compared with Flexible Endoscopic Evaluation of Swallowing (FEES) assessed with the Penetration-Aspiration Scale (PAS) in acute stroke patients (≤ 96 h after stroke onset). Convergent validity was calculated by comparison with the Functional Oral Intake Scale (FOIS) as per the comprehensive FEES assessment, the Standardized Swallowing Assessment (SSA), and the National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale (NIHSS). To evaluate inter-rater reliability, a nurse and a speech-language pathologist (SLP) independently assessed 30 patients. In total, 80 patients (32 women, median age 77 years (range 29-93) were included, mean 1.7 ± 0.9 days after admission. With a cut-off value of 14 points, the GUSS-S identified aspiration with a sensitivity of 100% and a specificity of 73% (area under the curve: 0.87, 95% CI 0.78-0.95). Spearman rank correlation showed very strong correlation between the GUSS-S and PAS (rs=-0.718, P = < 0.001) and FOIS (rs=0.720, P = 0.001) and strong correlation between the GUSS-S and SSA (rs=0.545, P = < 0.001) and NIHSS (rs=-0.447, P = 0.001). The inter-rater agreement for GUSS-S was substantial (Kw=0.67, P = < 0.001). The results indicate that the GUSS-S is a valid and reliable tool for the assessment of dysphagia in acute stroke patients by different healthcare professionals
3D printing of high-detail resolution structures for biotechnological applications
No full textThis thesis is focused on developing and optimizing 3D printing techniques and materials to fabricate high-resolution, functional structures for diverse applications, including membranes for bioseparation and tissue engineering applications. The research focuses on methods that enable precise fiber placement at the micrometer scale, evaluating two-photon polymerization, direct ink writing (DIW) and electroprinting. Due to the limited availability of suitable printable materials, two-photon polymerization was not pursued further. DIW was used to fabricate multi-layered structures, achieving over 300 printed layers through parameter optimization and it was possible to print structures with 10 µm pitch. To overcome the challenges of DIW such as nozzle clogging and bending and enhance printing resolution, electroprinting was explored. By reducing the nozzle-to-collector distance to 10 µm, this technique (near-collector electroprinting) enabled the fabrication of high-resolution structures with a 5 µm pitch, increasing the precision of conventional electroprinting. Several critical parameters, such as nozzle size, printing speed and applied voltage, were optimized to achieve stable and detailed structures. Cellulose acetate (CA) was chosen as the primary material. To introduce ion-exchange functionality to the structure for membrane applications, polyethyleneimine (PEI) was incorporated into CA, improving the functional properties of the printed structures. Additionally, the feasibility of electroprinted scaffolds for tissue engineering was studied, with a focus on how pore size influences cell attachment and growth. Also, the potential of composite printing was explored by incorporating lignosulfonate (LS) into CA. The antibacterial properties of CA-LS structures were evaluated and compared to pure CA scaffolds, demonstrating the potential for infection-resistant biomaterials
Bubble-wall speed with loop corrections
No full textIn this paper, we investigate the dynamics of the nucleating scalar field during the first-order phase transitions by incorporating one-loop corrections of classical fluctuations. We assume that a high-temperature expansion is valid - where the mass of the scalar field is significantly smaller than the temperature - so that we can treat the bubble-wall dynamics in a regime where quantum fluctuations can be integrated out. We present a systematic framework for calculating classical loop corrections to the wall speed; contrast our results with traditional methods based on the derivative expansion; show that the latent heat can differ from the effective-potential result; and discuss general hydrodynamic corrections. Finally, we show an application of the presented framework for a simple scalar field model, finding that the one-loop improvement decreases the wall speed and that an effective-potential approximation underestimates full one-loop corrections by about a factor of two
Turning Conceptual Modeling Institutional - The prescriptive role of conceptual models in transforming institutional reality
No full textIt has traditionally been assumed that information systems describe physical reality. However, this assumption is becoming obsolete as digital infrastructures are increasingly part of real-world experiences. Digital infrastructures (ubiquitous and scalable information systems) no longer merely map physical reality representations onto digital objects but increasingly assume an active role in creating, shaping, and governing physical reality. We currently witness an "ontological reversal", where conceptual models and digital infrastructures change physical reality. Still, the fundamental assumption remains that physical reality is the only real world. However, to fully embrace the implications of the ontological reversal, conceptual modeling needs an "institutional turn" that abandons the idea that physical reality always takes priority. Institutional reality, which includes, for example, institutional entities such as organizations, contracts, and payment transactions, is not simply part of physical reality detached from digital infrastructures. Digital infrastructures are part of institutional reality. Accordingly, the research question we address is: What are the fundamental constructs in the design of digital infrastructures that constitute and transform institutional reality? In answering this question, we develop a foundation for conceptual modeling, which we illustrate by modeling the institution of open banking and its associated digital infrastructure. In the article, we identify digital institutional entities, digital agents regulated by software, and digital institutional actions as critical constructs for modeling digital infrastructures in institutional contexts. In so doing, we show how conceptual modeling can improve our understanding of the digital transformation of institutional reality and the prescriptive role of conceptual modeling. We also generate theoretical insights about the need for legitimacy and liability that advance the study and practice of digital infrastructure design and its consequences