| 1. |
- Kockum, Karin, 1981-
(författare)
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Imaging in Idiopathic Normal Pressure Hydrocephalus : The value of structured radiological evaluation
- 2020
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Doktorsavhandling (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract
- Background: Idiopathic normal pressure hydrocephalus (iNPH) is a neurological condition where the symptoms include disturbed gait, balance, cognition and continence. The diagnostic guidelines are based on typical symptoms combined with imaging showing enlarged ventricles. Several scales for evaluating symptoms exist, but no corresponding tool is in use for imaging. The aim of this thesis was to construct a radiological scoring system, the iNPH Radscale, to facilitate radiological evaluation and systematic reporting of changes. Further, to test the reliability and accuracy of the scale and evaluate the usefulness for longitudinal monitoring.Methods: In paper I 168 individuals over 65 years of age from the general population underwent computed tomography (CT) of the brain and a neurological examination, and the same cohort was followed up 2 years later in paper IV. The iNPH Radscale was developed in these papers and further validated in papers II and III. Papers II and III included surgically treated iNPH patients with preoperative imaging of the brain. Thirty-five patients were included in paper II comparing preoperative CT and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) using the iNPH Radscale. Paper III included 75 shunt responsive patients and 55 asymptomatic controls to evaluate the accuracy of the iNPH Radscale.Results: In paper I, seven parameters summarized as a total iNPH Radscale score were significantly associated with clinical iNPH symptoms (r = 0.55, p < 0.001). In paper II, the agreement between CT and MRI was substantial to almost perfect (kappa and intraclass correlation, 0.60–0.91, p < 0.001) for all parameters except periventricular white matter changes. In paper III the iNPH Radscale score was significantly higher in the iNPH group than the control group (p <0.001). Receiver operating characteristics analysis yielded an area under the curve of 99.7 %, and an iNPH Radscale score £ 4 identified those without iNPH (sensitivity 100 %, specificity 96 % and overall accuracy 98.5 %). In paper IV, symptomatic participants had significantly higher iNPH Radscale scores at baseline and follow-up.Conclusions: The iNPH Radscale summarizes seven imaging features from the diagnostic guidelines and is applicable to both CT and MRI. INPH is very likely in patients with an iNPH Radscale score ³ 8 and corresponding clinical symptoms. On the other hand, the diagnosis should be questioned when the iNPH Radscale score is less than the cut-off of 4. In summary, the iNPH Radscale may become a relevant diagnostic tool for standardized evaluation in the workup of patients with suspected iNPH, as a diagnostic checklist and as a screening tool for detection with the potential for ruling out the disease.
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| 2. |
- Lönn, Maria, Doktorand, 1981-
(författare)
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Weighted blankets as a sleep intervention for children with ADHD
- 2024
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Doktorsavhandling (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract
- BAKGRUND: Healthy sleep practices for children should be promoted as an essential part of a healthy lifestyle, with important implications for the entire family. Unhealthy sleep patterns and sleep-related problems disrupt everyday life and functioning. Sleep problems are common among children, especially those with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). Weighted blankets are one type of non-pharmacological intervention that has been used in health-care settings, such as occupational therapy practice. However, evidence is scarce and knowledge is lacking concerning the effects of weighted blankets on sleep and their potential benefits. Given the challenges children with ADHD face in sleep problems and emotional and behavioural regulation, weighted blankets could be a particular relevant intervention. The SLEEP project was thus designed to increase current evidence and knowledge about the use of weighted blankets as a sleep intervention for children with ADHD. AIM: The overall aim of this thesis was to investigate the impact of weighted blankets on the sleep health of children with ADHD and sleep problems.METHODS: A crossover randomised controlled trial (Study I) was conducted that included 94 children with ADHD, 6-14 years old. Children were randomly assigned to four weeks of a weighted blanket or four weeks of a lighter control blanket, followed by the other intervention. Data was collected with actigraphy (primary outcome), child- and parent-questionnaires and a daily sleep diary. The efficacy of weighted blankets was analysed with a paired t-test. An experimental longitudinal study (Study II) was carried out that involved the same 94 children, who were followed for 16 weeks. Weighted blanket-adherent vs non-adherent children were compared based on sample characteristics and changed sleep outcomes. The data collected at baseline, at 4 weeks, 8 weeks and at 16-week follow-up were analysed with mixed effect models. Weighted blanket-adherent children were further examined longitudinally (Study III) and compared from baseline to the 16-week follow-up. Parents’ ratings of children’s sleep problems were analysed using paired t-test and McNemar’s test. Furthermore, a qualitative study (Study IV) was performed in which a purposive sample of 26 children participated in individual interviews. A qualitative content analysis was performed to analyse the data.RESULTS: In Study I, weighted blankets were found to be more efficacious than the lighter control blankets, according to objectively measured sleep (increased total sleep time, increased sleep efficiency and decreased wake after sleep onset). Older children, 11-14 years old, and children with an inattentive ADHD subtype slept longer and more effectively with the weighted blanket. In Study II, weighted blanket-adherent children showed improvement, with fewer sleep problems, compared to non-adherent children. Weighted blanket-adherent children also showed a stable total sleep time compared to non-adherent children, who displayed a decrease in their total sleep time during the 16-week sleep intervention. This association was shown for the older children aged 11-14, but not for the younger children aged 6-10. Furthermore, in Study III, the parents of the Weighted blanket-adherent children reported fewer episodes of night wakings, sleep onset delay, sleep duration difficulties and daytime sleepiness. Bedtime resistance and daytime sleepiness were considered the most problematic domains at baseline, and these also showed the greatest change, according to parents’ experiences of children’s problematic sleep. In Study IV, children described that using WBs requires a commitment, improves emotional regulation, changes sleeping patterns and promotes everyday participation.CONCLUSION: The overall results of this thesis indicate that children with ADHD and sleep problems benefit from using weighted blankets. Weighted blankets could thus be an efficient sleep intervention and an important complement to standard treatment for children with ADHD and sleep problems. More research is needed to establish the effectiveness of weighted blankets in different subgroups and settings.
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| 3. |
- Kalered, Emil, 1988-
(författare)
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Quantum chemical studies of deposition and catalytic surface reactions
- 2018
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Doktorsavhandling (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract
- Quantum chemical calculations have been used to model chemical reactions in epitaxial growth of silicon carbide by chemical vapor deposition (CVD) processes and to study heterogeneous catalytic reactions for methanol synthesis. CVD is a common method to produce high-quality materials and e.g. thin films in the semiconductor industry, and one of the many usages of methanol is as a promising future renewable and sustainable energy carrier. To optimize the chemical processes it is essential to understand the reaction mechanisms. A comprehensive theoretical model for the process is therefore desired in order to be able to explore various variables that are difficult to investigate in situ. In this thesis reaction paths and reaction energies are computed using quantum chemical calculations. The quantum-chemical results can subsequently be used as input for thermodynamic, kinetic and computational fluid dynamics modelling in order to obtain data directly comparable with the experimental observations.For the CVD process, the effect of halogen addition to the gas mixture is studied by modelling the adsorption and diffusion of SiH2, SiCl2 and SiBr2 on the (0001̅) 4H-SiC surface. SiH2 was found to bind strongest to the surface and SiBr2 binds slightly stronger than the SiCl2 molecule. The diffusion barrier is shown to be lower for SiH2 than for SiBr2 and SiCl2 which have similar barriers. SiBr2 and SiCl2 are found to have similar physisorption energies and bind stronger than the SiH2 molecule. Gibbs free-energy calculations also indicate that the SiC surface is not fully hydrogen terminated at CVD conditions since missing-neighboring pair of surface hydrogens is found to be common. Calculations for the (0001) surface show that SiCl, SiCl2, SiHCl, SiH, and SiH2 likely adsorb on a methylene site, but the processes are thermodynamically less favorable than their reverse reactions. However, the adsorbed products may be stabilized by subsequent surface reactions to form a larger structure. The formation of these larger structures is found to be fast enough to compete with the desorption processes. Also the Gibbs free energies for adsorption of Si atoms, SiX, SiX2, and SiHX where X is F or Br are presented. Adsorption of Si atoms is shown to be the most thermodynamically favorable reaction followed by SiX, SiHX, and SiX2, X being a halide. The results in this study suggest that the major Si contributors in the SiC–CVD process are Si atoms, SiX and SiH.Methanol can be synthesized from gaseous carbon dioxide and hydrogen using solid metal-metal oxide mixtures acting as heterogeneous catalysts. Since a large surface area of the catalyst enhances the speed of the heterogeneous reaction, the use of nanoparticles (NP) is expected to be advantageous due to the NPs’ large area to surface ratio. The plasma-induced creation of copper NPs is investigated. One important element during particle growth is the charging process where the variation of the work function (W) with particle size is a key quantity, and the variation becomes increasingly pronounced at smaller NP sizes. The work functions are computed for a set of NP charge numbers, sizes and shapes, using copper as a case study. A derived analytical expression for W is shown to give quite accurate estimates provided that the diameter of the NP is larger than about a nanometer and that the NP has relaxed to close to a spherical shape. For smaller sizes W deviates from the approximative expression, and also depends on the charge number. Some consequences of these results for NP charging process are outlined.Key reaction steps in the methanol synthesis reaction mechanism using a Cu/ZrO2 nanoparticle catalyst is investigated. Two different reaction paths for conversion of CO2 to CO is studied. The two paths result in the same complete reaction 2 CO2 → 2 CO + O2 where ZrO2 (s) acts as a catalyst. The highest activation energies are significantly lower compared to that of the gas phase reaction. The presence of oxygen vacancies at the surface appear to be decisive for the catalytic process to be effective. Studies of the reaction kinetics show that when oxygen vacancies are present on the ZrO2 surface, carbon monoxide is produced within a microsecond. The IR spectra of CO2 and H2 interacting with ZrO2 and Cu under conditions that correspond to the catalyzed CH3OH production process is also studied experimentally and compared to results from the theoretical computations. Surface structures and gas-phase molecules are identified through the spectral lines by matching them to specific vibrational modes from the literature and from the new computational results. Several surface structures are verified and can be used to pin point surface structures in the reaction path. This gives important information that help decipher how the reaction mechanism of the CO2 conversion and ultimately may aid to improve the methanol synthesis process.
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| 4. |
- Larsson, Hannu, 1985-
(författare)
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Sustainable eGovernance
- 2014
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Doktorsavhandling (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract
- This thesis focuses on eGovernance – the use of ICT as a means to improve public sector practice. Previous research has shown that there is a lack of long-term discussion on the purposes and directions of eGovernance development, often outlining it as unequivocally positive, while missing to consider the complexities and conflicts involved in this process. In order to understand the complexities of eGovernance a future-oriented perspective is needed. In other words a perspective that not only focuses on using ICT to be responsive to present needs but also making it possible to discuss which goals public sector ICT initiatives should strive for and how these correspond to goals and means in the public sector as a whole. In order to do this I employ a sustainability perspective.The aim of this thesis is to understand how eGovernance can be sustainable in such a complex organizational environment. This is approached in four papers; based on two case studies, situated in the public sector of Sweden, and a structured literature review of the use of the sustainability concept in eGovernance research.The findings of this thesis include a framework of sustainable eGovernance, including an outline of the different dimensions of sustainability: social, economic, environmental and technical. These dimensions are seen as carriers of different values and goals which are in a process of continuous dialogue and conflict. Cutting across these four dimensions are two themes: decision making and information infrastructure, which make up the backbone of how ICT can be used in order to improve public practice. The theoretical lens of sustainability widens our understanding and helps in the questioning of motivations, directions and implications of eGovernance initiatives. This thesis thus contributes with a theoretically and empirically founded framework, which is suitable as a foundation for sustainable eGovernance development and further research into that area.
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| 5. |
- Linghede, Eva, 1978-
(författare)
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Glitch i Idrottslandet : en kritiskkreativ undersökning av queeranden inom svensk idrott(svetenskap)
- 2019
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Doktorsavhandling (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract
- The dominant story in critical sports research is that sport is characterised by heteronormativity and hegemonic masculinity norms. These norms are manifested in sexism, homophobia, homonegativity and racism which affect all athletes, regardless of identity. Although important, this is a story that risks reinforcing ideas of how all sport “is”. The thesis is a response to calls from feminist theorists and sport researchers who argue that we need to move away from a logic of negativity built into critical theory and instead put our analytical tools to the task of constructing alternative possible scenarios. The aim of the thesis is to explore what some major strands within contemporary feminist theory can accomplish in relation to dominating stories about gender, sexuality and scientific knowledge production in sport research. More specifically, I explore how the concepts of figuration and intra-action can open up for other possible sport (science) worlds.The thesis consists of a frame-story and four articles, which in turn are based on three substudies. In the first substudy I interviewed boys and men who engage with horses and in horse riding. By engaging in a sport, equestrianism, that in Sweden is dominated by girls/women and female coded, they transgress and challenge – glitch – ideas of how Real sports boys/men should be, live and act. The interview stories from this study are enacted in various ways in article I and IV. In the second substudy I interviewed elite athletes with experiences of living non-straight and who in that way glitch heteronormativity in sports (sometimes also homonormativity). These stories make up the heart of the figurations presented in article II. In the third substudy, I explored athletic bodies that, due to intersex variations, glitch the idea that the only way of being a body (in sport) is to be male or female. This analysis is presented in article III.The thesis is populated by horseguys who challenge stereotypical masculinity norms, sporting contexts that turn heteronormativity up-side-down and inside-out, athletic bodies that implode binary gender and a researcher I glitching a scientific (writing) genre. The figurations presented in the thesis open up for queering elsewheres, where engaging in sport can serve as a condition of possibility for same-sex attractions/relations and non-normative ways of being a boy/man, and where creative writing – in the form of fiction, poetry and genre mixing – can be used as a method of inquiry.Through the concept of intra-action, the thesis also makes visible that “matter matters”. Firstly, I show how engaging materially with horses allow and encourage boys/men to be less constrained by dominant gender norms – in other words, that human-horse relations are entangled with, and affect, boys’ and men’s doing of gender. Secondly, I make visible how athletic bodies “strike back” in relation to ideas of binary gender, glitching a dominant medico-scientific story (in sport) telling us that the only way of being a body is to be male or female. Thirdly, I enact – in form and content – how the researcher is always already entangled in scientific knowledge production.
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| 6. |
- Twizeyimana, Jean Damascene, 1981-
(författare)
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E-Government and Value Creation in the Context of a Least Developed Country : A perspective on public value and information infrastructure
- 2019
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Doktorsavhandling (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract
- This thesis is in the field of information systems (IS), more specifically about IS impact. This thesis uses literature review and interpretive case study methods to investigate the phenomenon of value creation through e-government.The research was carried out from 2014 to 2019. Data was collected through interviews, participant observations, and document review. The main research question is "How do we create value through e-government in the context of an LDC?” It embodies the sub-questions: what is the value of e-government? And how do we attain such value?This thesis comprises four studies.The thesis found that value creation of e-government is a process of understanding: the value that e-government creates; the context in which egovernment resides because a process involves a context; and strategic actions to create that value within the context surrounds e-government.From the findings, this thesis argues that the value of public affairs including e-government refers to public value. The latter would mean citizens' collective expectations about public policies and services. Also, the findings reveal research needs about the public value of e-government in the LDCs in Sub-Saharan Africa and on methods of measuring and creating the public value of e-government.As original contribution, this thesis suggests a framework of six overarching and overlapping areas of e-government for the public value. The anticipation-reality gaps and their inter-relationships are identified, and five inter-related critical success factors are suggested. Also, the information infrastructure (II) framework, particularly, the notion of the cultivation of the installed-base is suggested as a promising avenue in the management of the public value creation in general, and in an LDC in particular.
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| 7. |
- Wilson, Karin, 1955-
(författare)
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Markusevangeliet i Lars Rangius samiska översättning från 1713
- 2008
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Doktorsavhandling (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract
- Lars Rangius translated the New Testament into Ume Saami in 1701–1713. The manuscript, comprising over 1000 pages, was never printed and is kept in The University Library in Uppsala. This study includes a transliteration of the Gospel of St. Mark and a description of the language. The language is studied from a phonological, morphological, syntactic and lexical point of view. An overview of the historical circumstances under which the translation was done is given and an investigation into the life of the translator, Lars Rangius, is also made in order to understand why he made this extensive work.
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| 8. |
- Zou, Yiming, 1985-
(författare)
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The Effect of Various Dopants on Diamond Growth : A Combined Experimental & Theoretical Approach
- 2016
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Doktorsavhandling (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract
- Diamond is a unique material with many exceptional properties. It has therefore been proven to be an important material for many applications. Moreover, the introduction of dopant species into the gas phase during the CVD growth process has been shown to strongly influence not only the properties and morphology of diamond, but also the growth rate. The purpose with the theoretical part of the present study has been to support and explain the experimental observations regarding the effect of various dopants (nitrogen, phosphorous, sulphur, and boron) on the diamond growth rate. Commonly observed H-terminated diamond surfaces [(111), (110) and (100)-2×1], were thereby carefully investigated using density functional theory under periodic boundary conditions. Based on the assumption that the hydrogen abstraction reaction is the growth rate-limiting step, both the thermodynamic and kinetic aspects of the diamond growth process were found to be severely affected by various dopants. More specifically, the results showed that nitrogen and phosphorous dopants (positioned within the 2nd, 3rd or 4th carbon layer) will cause an enhancement in the growth rate (as compared with non-doped situations). On the other hand, any growth rate improvement does only occur when positioning boron in the 2nd, and sulphur in the 4th, atomic carbon layer. With boron, and sulphur, positioned within the other atomic carbon layers, the growth rates were observed to decrease. In addition, the main purpose with the experimental part of the present study has been to investigate the effect of one specific dopant precursor (TMB) on the boron-doped diamond growth process. The result has shown that the increasing mass flow of TMB will not affect the mechanism of the HFCVD growth process of boron doped diamond. However, a linear boron carrier concentration in the diamond film vs. mass flow rate of TMB was observed.
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| 9. |
- Glimskär, Bo, 1954-
(författare)
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The Adoption of Ergonomic Innovations for Injury Prevention : Examples from the building construction and health care industries
- 2014
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Doktorsavhandling (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract
- A good work environment is important for the individual, for industry and for society. The work environment research has, predominantly, targeted identification of problems and the measurement of the size of these problems.Innovations to reduce the incidence of musculoskeletal disorder, MSD, have been introduced in different branches of industry, but with limited success.Few of the ergonomic innovations developed for the building and construction industry have reached a sufficient level of adoption. Ergonomic innovations in the health care sector are of an incremental character and seem to have similar problems of adoption as the ones in the building and construction industry.Three examples of ergonomic innovation are examined in the thesis:a glue spreader for floor layersa four-wheel walker with a lifting devicea sonographer’s scanning support deviceThe studies show that an ergonomic innovation is not adopted for prevention of occupational injury unless the innovation also has other relative advantages apart from the ergonomic ones. For the group who already has sustained an injury, it is enough that the ergonomic problems are solved, while the other, symptom-free group, requires other advantages in order to adopt the innovation; increased production economy seems to be the most prominent potential advantage.
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| 10. |
- Jakobsson Larsson, Birgitta, 1965-
(författare)
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Quality of life, Coping and need for Support during the ALS disease trajectory
- 2016
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Doktorsavhandling (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract
- The overall aim of this thesis was to investigate quality of life, coping and emotional distress (i.e. anxiety and depression) among newly diagnosed ALS patients. An additional aim was also to investigate relatives’ experiences of the care for the patient and the support they received for themselves during the disease progression.The most nominated areas of importance for the patient’s overall QoL were family, friends and own physical health. Most patients rated their QoL as good, which did not change at subsequent measurement, despite their physical function having changed for the worse during disease progression. Some patients had symptoms of clinical anxiety and depression during the first year after diagnosis. The total quality of life score did not correlate with physical function but with depression early on after diagnosis. Most patients used support and independence as strategies to cope with the disease during the first six months after diagnosis. There were few changes early on after the diagnosis, and the patients used several different strategies. The results show that the use of coping strategies remained stable over time. Both physical function and emotional distress correlated significant with different coping strategies, with some variation during the disease progression. Relatives experienced the care of their loved one as positive and based on the patient’s needs and desires. The treatment, knowledge, support and help from the staff were important for the relatives’ feeling of security. Different factors influence the use of support for themselves. The relatives did not think of their own needs, but their focus was rather on the patient.The results of the thesis highlight the importance of providing support both to patients and their relatives during the disease progression. With early and regular evaluation on quality of life, coping and emotional well-being among the patients, the health professionals may be able to support the patients based on their specific needs, which probably will increase their quality of life.
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