Publikationer från Uppsala Universitet
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Equipped for responsibility? : Discursive resources in business education for sustainability - an analytical tool
No full textTo transform society in a more sustainable direction we not only need specific knowledge, skills and attitudes, but also discursive resources that enable the seeing of alternative ways of living. This paper analyses such discursive resources as used in educational practice, and presents an analytical tool to facilitate further environment and sustainability education research. The identification of discursive resources is facilitated by the concept 'companion-meanings' referring to implicit meanings that 'accompany' or 'follow' teaching and learning in a particular subject. Results from four studies (based on discourse analysis of textbooks, teacher interviews and teacher-student interactions in classroom practice of business education) about the expectations of a 'responsible business person' are analysed resulting in three categories of companion-meanings relating to expectations of a business person: 'adapting to', 'adding' and 'creating' ethical values. In a second step, these categories of companion meanings are analysed using a typology of responsibility. The results illuminate the diverging and often contradictory companion-meanings of a 'good' business professional in educational practice and discuss the implications for how business students are equipped to address sustainability issues. Lastly, an analytical tool for identifying these companion-meanings in educational practice is presented
"Sleeping My Life Away" : Experiences of Living with Idiopathic Hypersomnia
No full textObjectives Individuals with idiopathic hypersomnia (IH) report several subjective emotional and cognitive symptoms, as well as impairments in daily functioning. Coping strategies are frequently used, but their effectiveness is perceived to be minimal. The aim of the present study was to delve into the patient perspective on navigating life with IH, emphasizing patients’ personal narratives. Method Utilizing a purposeful sample method, twelve participants diagnosed with IH underwent telephone interviews guided by a semi-structured protocol. The interviews were subjected to thematic analysis to extract relevant themes. Results Analysis unveiled three primary themes along with subthemes: 1) Being confined, characterized by excessive daytime sleepiness, negative emotional processes and cognitive disturbances, 2) Missing out on life, involving loss of time and adverse social consequences, and 3) Trying to cope, encompassing strategies like napping, adapting, activating oneself and mentally fighting sleepiness, while also embracing acceptance and self-compassion. Conclusions The identified themes reflected numerous aspects previously reported to be associated with living with IH. Notably, the study brought novel subthemes to light, such as the existential dilemma of “sleeping one’s life away” and feelings of guilt and shame. Furthermore, the study underscored the significance of acceptance and self-compassion as coping strategies
Total intravenous or inhalational volatile anaesthesia and survival after colorectal cancer surgery : a Swedish national registry study
No full textIntroduction Retrospective studies suggest that inhalational volatile anaesthetic agents may contribute to an increased risk of metastasis and reduction in survival rates when used during cancer surgery. This relationship may vary between cancer types due to different tumour biology and differences in surgical procedures. This study aimed to investigate the relationship between the type of anaesthetic used for maintenance of anaesthesia (propofol or inhalational volatile anaesthetic agent) and survival in patients with stage 1–3 colorectal cancer who underwent resection surgery under general anaesthesia in Sweden between 2014 and 2019. Methods We identified patients from the Swedish Colorectal Cancer Registry. Their data, including cancer characteristics and adjuvant treatment, were then merged with information from the Swedish Peri-operative Registry. The primary outcome was overall survival, with disease-free survival as a secondary outcome. Results Of the 11,598 patients included, 8161 had colon cancer and 3437 had rectal cancer. General anaesthesia was maintained with propofol in 2346 (20%) patients, while 9252 (80%) received an inhalational volatile anaesthetic agent. In the unmatched cohort, patients who had general anaesthesia maintained with propofol for colon cancer surgery showed improved survival compared with those receiving an inhalational volatile anaesthetic agent (hazard ratio 0.83, 95%CI 0.72–0.95, p = 0.008). After 1:2 propensity score matching, we observed no significant difference in survival rates in this group (hazard ratio 0.89, 95%CI 0.76–1.04, p = 0.127). In the rectal cancer group, there was no difference in survival in either the unmatched cohort (hazard ratio 0.83, 95%CI 0.65–1.08, p = 0.166) or after propensity score matching (hazard ratio 0.95, 95%CI 0.71–1.25, p = 0.702). There was no significant difference in disease-free survival in either type of cancer. Discussion We found no association between the choice of agent for maintenance of anaesthesia and long-term survival outcomes in patients with colorectal cancer
The use of an Rh-intercalated SiC/graphene interface for CO2 electrochemical reduction : A theoretical investigation
No full textElectrochemical reduction of CO2 to valuable fuels and chemicals is a promising way to reuse CO2. The mechanism of CO2 reduction on the Rh-intercalated SiC/graphene surface has here been investigated using spin-polarized DFT calculations. The energetically preferred pathways for the electrochemical CO2 reduction to products like CO, HCOOH, CH3OH, and CH4 were then explored. The results showed that the production of CH4 was more preferred compared to the other products for this specific catalyst material. The reaction pathway via an intermediate HCOOH adsorbate was found to be more favored, as compared with an intermediate CO adsorbate. Also, the formation of an intermediate COOH adsorbate was identified as the free energy rate-limiting step in the complete reduction reaction. The calculated limiting potential for the SiC/Rh/graphene catalyst was 0.36 V, and this catalyst was also found to exhibit a competitive selectivity with respect to the hydrogen evolution reaction
Toward digital inclusion of older adults in e-health : a case study on support for physical activity
No full textOlder adults are a heterogeneous population for which many e-health innovations are inaccessible. Involving older adults in user-centered design (UCD) with a specific focus on inclusive design is important to make e-health more accessible to this user group. This case study aimed to explore the feasibility of a new UCD approach aiming to minimize bias in the design phase of a digital support for older adults' physical activity (PA). The study used mixed methods and applied UCD principles in a four-iteration design phase followed by an evaluation phase where 11 and 15 older adults participated, respectively. The users' gender, PA level and technology experience (TE) were considered in recruitment, data analysis and prioritization of improvement efforts. In the design phase, users with different gender, PA level and TE participated and contributed with feedback, which was prioritized in the development. The adaptation included improving readability, simplifying layout and features, clarifying structure, and making the digital content more inclusive and relevant. The evaluation showed that the users had a positive experience of the prototype and could use it with some help. The study demonstrated that adopting e-health to assure digital inclusion among older adults must address several aspects. The UCD approach was feasible for amending user bias and for confirming that users of both genders and with varied PA- and TE level shaped the design. However, evaluation of the method with larger samples is needed. Moreover, further research on methods to involve digitally excluded populations in UCD is needed
Mechanistic Study of Photochemical Aminocarbonylation of Alkyl Iodides Catalyzed by a Palladium Catalyst Using Experimental and Computational Methods
No full textAminocarbonylations are versatile reactions amenable to applications in convergent synthesis and isotope labeling. Herein, a mechanistic study of a previously reported visible-light-promoted aminocarbonylation of unactivated alkyl iodides is presented. This study combines in situ spectroscopy, computational chemistry, and organic chemistry techniques. A T1 excited-state promoted ligand dissociation in concert with an atom transfer radical addition was uncovered as a likely first step in the mechanism, instead of the usual three-center oxidative addition. Improvement in the reaction yield was achieved by optimizing the reaction based on mechanistic insights. This took the form of promoting a computationally uncovered cationic carbonylation pathway with the use of bidentate ligands
Continuous Flow Synthesis of Prussian Blue and Analogues Assisted by AI
No full textPrussian blue and its analogs are promising materials for numerous applications. Interest in this class of materials arises from their broad pore distribution, redox properties, high biocompatibility, low-cost components, straightforward manufacturability, and adaptability through analog development. A key challenge is the synthesis of well-defined, small-dimensioned materials using machine learning approaches. This study presents a strategy to address this limitation via machine learning-driven microfluidic synthesis. Employing unsupervised Bayesian optimization with Gaussian processes effectively reduces optimization time and minimizes the need for prior knowledge. As a proof of concept, Prussian blue, and cobalt-based analogs are synthesized, with UV-vis spectroscopy providing feedback for the machine learning algorithm. The optimized protocols are subsequently applied to larger-scale preparations, demonstrating that the standardized methods have the potential for the commercial production of high-quality materials. Comprehensive characterization of the materials confirms their cubic morphology, small dimensionality, and mixed-valency of the metal elements
Acrolein-Mediated Conversion of Lysine to Electrophilic Heterocycles for Protein Diversification and Toxicity Profiling
No full textUnderstanding protein interactions in the presence of biological metabolites is critical for unraveling biological processes and advancing therapeutic interventions. This study focuses on alpha,beta-unsaturated carbonyls, particularly acrolein-derived protein modifications, unveiling a one-pot, four-step, selective chemistry that results in the formation of a heterocyclic alpha,beta-unsaturated carbonyl, termed 3-formyl-3,4-dehydropiperidino (FDP), exclusively on lysine residues. Remarkably, this chemistry transforms lysine, a nucleophile, into an electrophilic warhead. We demonstrate its versatility in late-stage peptide diversification, precision protein engineering, and homogeneous protein labeling with diverse payloads. Additionally, FDP-lysine smoothly transforms into another heterocycle, 3-methylpyridinium (3-MP) lysine via deoxygenation and aromatization in reagentless conditions. This transformation facilitates late-stage peptide functionalization and homogeneous engineering of proteins, with MP-lysine acting as a mass booster. Leveraging this chemistry, we discovered hyperreactive sites responsible for acrolein-induced modification through chemoproteomic profiling of FDP- and MP-modified proteins. Our findings revealed changes in protein-protein interactions mediated by FDP-modified proteins and uncovered similar to 1548 novel cross-linking partners of an FDP-modified protein
Från papper till skärm : En kvalitativ studie av förskollärares upplevelser av fysiska böcker, och den digitala resursen Polylino och Polyglutt i barns språkutveckling.
No full textSyftet med denna studie är att fokusera på hur högläsning kan stödja språkutvecklingen hos elever och barn i förskoleklassen samt i förskolan. Studien bygger på kvalitativa intervjuer med förskollärare och fokuserar på deras upplevelser av att använda både fysiska barnböcker och de digitala verktygen Polylino och Polyglutt i högläsningspraktiken. Särskilt vikt läggs vid vilka möjligheter och hinder som förskollärare upplever i interaktionen och de pedagogiska processerna när de arbetar med högläsning i digitala jämfört med analoga format för att stödja barnens språkutveckling. Studien utgår från ett sociokulturellt perspektiv, där begreppen språkutveckling, mediering, artefakter och den proximala utvecklingszonen är centrala. För att besvara på forskningsfrågorna genomfördes semistrukturerade intervjuer med totalt tolv förskollärare från två olika kommuner. Studien delas upp i två delstudier: Den första delstudien (DS1) omfattar sex förskollärare i förskoleklassen från två skolor i en kommun. Den andra delstudien (DS2) omfattar sex förskollärare från tre förskolor i två kommuner, där barnen är 4 – 5 år. Resultaten från den första delstudien (DS1) visade att förskollärarna i förskoleklassen främst valde högläsning av fysiska böcker för att stödja elevernas språkutveckling. De menade att den fysiska boken skapar större delaktighet, särskilt när förskolläraren själv läser, eftersom hen kan variera tonläge, göra pauser samt förklara begrepp och ord på ett sätt som engagerar barnen. Samtidigt framhöll samtliga sex förskollärare att Polylino är en värdefull resurs för nyanlända elever med ett annat modersmål än svenska. Resultatet från DS2 visade att förskollärarna i förskolan föredrar högläsning med fysiska böcker eftersom det skapar en dialog och inlevelse samt att det får barnen att bli mer delaktiga jämfört med högläsning av Polyglutt. Samtliga förskollärare är även öppna att använda Polyglutt eftersom det stödjer barns modersmål ifall barnet talar ett annat språk än svenska.
Dynamic atmosphere and wind models of C-type asymptotic giant branch stars : Influences of dust optical data on mass loss and observables
No full textContext. Mass loss through stellar winds governs the evolution of stars on the asymptotic giant branch (AGB). In the case of carbonrich AGB stars, the wind is believed to be driven by radiation pressure on amorphous carbon (amC) dust forming in the atmosphere. The structural complexity of amC is evident from the diversity of laboratory optical data that are available in the literature. Consequently, the choice of dust optical data will have a significant impact on atmosphere and wind models of AGB stars. Aims.We compare two commonly used optical data sets of amC and investigate how the wind characteristics and photometric properties resulting from dynamical models of carbon-rich AGB stars are influenced by the micro-physical properties of dust grains. Methods. We computed two extensive grids of carbon star atmosphere and wind models with the DARWIN 1D radiation-hydrodynamical code. A defining feature of these models is a self-regulating feedback between the time-dependent dynamics, grain growth, and dust optical properties. Thus, they are able to predict combinations of mass-loss rates, wind velocities, and grain sizes for given stellar parameters and micro-physical data. Each of the two grids uses a different amC optical data set. The stellar parameters of the models were varied in terms of the effective temperature, luminosity, stellar mass, carbon excess, and pulsation amplitude to cover a wide range of possible combinations. A posteriori radiative transfer calculations were performed for a sub-set of the models, resulting in photometric fluxes and colours. Results. We find small, but systematic differences in the predicted mass-loss rates for the two grids. The grain sizes and photometric properties are affected by the different dust optical data sets. Higher absorption efficiency leads to the formation of a greater number of grains, which are smaller. Models that are obscured by dust exhibit differences in terms of the covered colour range compared to observations, depending on the dust optical data used. Conclusions. An important motivation for this study was to investigate how strongly the predicted mass-loss rates depend on the choice of dust optical data, as these mass-loss values are more frequently used in stellar evolution models. Based on the current results, we conclude that mass-loss rates may typically differ by about a factor of two for DARWIN models of C-type AGB stars for commonly used dust optical data sets