| 1. |
- Olofsson, Helén, 1965-
(författare)
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Skriftbruk i fordonsverkstaden : En studie av läs- och skrivstrategier i mötet med arbetslivets texter
- 2011
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Licentiatavhandling (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract
- The aim of the study was to describe the reading and writing activities that takes place in vehicle repair workshops and to elucidate how people experiencing low reading-and-writing ability describe their encounters with text in working life. Reading and writing are considered in the study from an educational-philosophical and special educational perspective. This study of literacy was inspired by ethnographic methods. The empirical material consists of field notes from ten participatory observations in vehicle repair workshops, photographs from the workshops and three interviews. To see patterns in how literacy was used, literacy events were taken as the unit of analysis. The literacy environment, community of practice, reading path and technical surroundings are analytical concepts in the thematic presentation of results. Central literacy practices were characterized primarily by reading, often via computer, for information needed for solving problems. The type of reading was often non-linear, given the multimodal texts and choices in computer environments. In addition, semiotic systems and several languages were interpreted. It is important to understand how information is organised and how to handle the technology. Technology provides support structures e.g. pictorial support and translation programmes. Writing out words, button-pushing and keyboard entry to register and search for information through the use of measurement instruments and in computer-generated text environments, were central. Literacy events were embedded in the work tasks and in ongoing learning, and many literacy practices included items of both reading and writing. Social skills, plus recognizing one’s problems and asking for help, were useful strategies for handling the demands of reading and writing in working life, as were allowing time and creating concentration for the task. Interpreting pictorial matter, using technology, copying text and noting down things to remember were further strategies. Implications of the study are that effective strategies for managing the demands of reading and writing that are required in the working place should begin in school. Significant is the teachers’ approach to handling the students’ frustration when studies are not working out as expected. Caring teachers, positive energy and not giving up make a difference. General education teachers need special educational resources in the upper-secondary school in order to counteract school failure and to enhance students’ learning.
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| 2. |
- Lindenius, Erik, 1975-
(författare)
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Guldgruvan som försvann? : En mediestudie av konflikten kring UmanGenomics och Medicinska biobanken 2001-2006
- 2009
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Doktorsavhandling (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract
- Between 2002 and 2006, an ongoing conflict surrounding Umeå-based biotech company UmanGenomics and the Medical Biobank at Umeå University played out in the media. The conflict involved researchers, business leaders, politicians, the university board, journalists and the general public. The purpose of this dissertation is to examine the public media-mediated conflict surrounding UmanGenomics and Medical Biobank from a media and communication sciences perspective and thereby contribute to research into Science Journalism and media-mediated science-related conflicts. The questions examined by the study are as follows: how was the conflict portrayed in local and national newspapers, respectively, and how did these portrayals change over time? Were there any similarities, or was there any relationship between the media-mediated conflict and the »internal« debate, which are able to be traced via the events registered in Umeå University’s journal of daily events? Which parties elected to involve themselves in the conflict and did their descriptions of what happened differ? Were there any particular aspects of the conflict that were portrayed by the media as »failures«, and if so, what was it that was considered a failure? In total, 654 texts from the local and national media were analysed, as well as the university’s journal. The study has largely been carried out using quantitative content analysis, supplemented by general argumentation analysis. The study’s theoretical bases are taken from research on the relationship between science and the media, from rhetoric research, but also from Science and Technology Studies (STS) in a broader sense. This dissertation shows that the conflict was reported on differently depending on the newspaper’s proximity to the conflict itself, and on which arena the conflict was played out in. This also demonstrates that the conflict, most especially as played out in local news coverage, can be divided into different phases. While the media reports include many instances of those involved laying blame at each other’s feet, it is the market and the conflict that are considered to have been the primary factors in UmanGenomics’ ultimate demise. This study presents five suggestions as to what lessons can be learnt from this media-mediated conflict. The first is that the conflict provides an example of mutual exploitation: the media exploited the events surrounding the conflict in order to produce newsworthy, sensational and descriptive stories. Whereas within the university, the main figures embroiled in the conflict used the media as a front to either introduce or support their own points of view. The second is that the conflict should have given the »university world« an inducement to discuss media strategies and its transparency policies in greater depth. The third suggestion is that the media’s ability to make citizens’ opinions on science-related questions heard is problematic. Fourthly, many of those involved used the conflict to try to position themselves in relation to a rival counterpart, rather than to try to provide the general public with a clear and accurate picture of the conflict. Finally, it is suggested that the use of the »goldmine« metaphor, used to refer to both UmanGenomics and Medical Biobank, may have played a part in limiting media debate on the issue within the confines of a certain type of rhetoric.
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| 3. |
- Wilhelmsson, Anna-Britta
(författare)
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Everyday life experiences among relatives of persons with mental disabilities
- 2011
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Licentiatavhandling (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract
- This thesis, which consists of two articles and a policy analysis of the document SOU (Swedish Government Official Report), laying the ground for psychiatric reform, deals with everyday life experiences among 18 close relatives of persons with mental disabilities. This study was conducted among relatives of people with mental illness within a health care district in Northern Sweden. Relatives living in the community were recruited through advertisements in daily newspapers. The criterion for participation in the study was that the interviewees should be close relatives of persons with mental illness. This is an explorative, descriptive study using inductive qualitative content analysis of individual interviews with relatives of people with mental disabilities. The interviews focused on experiences of communicating with persons with mental disabilities in daily life situations. Articles I and II were analysed by means of qualitative content analysis. In order to deepen the understanding of the relatives’ situation and the consequences of the psychiatry reform, I put the relatives’ statements in a concluding dialogue in dialogue with an analysis of the policy documents that form the basis of the psychiatry reform. The overall aim was to illuminate and understand what the reform of psychiatric care in Sweden has meant for Swedish relatives of persons with mental disabilities in the light of the content of the Swedish psychiatry reform and its policy documents. Mental disability is one of the most serious health problems facing Europe today. For example, statistics reveal that between 20 and 40 percent of the Swedish population suffer from some forms of mental disease, ranging from grave psychoses to less serious anxiety and fear. The reform of psychiatric care in Sweden has passed much of the rehabilitation and daily care of these people on to their families. The results indicate that they feel guilty about not providing enough support for their relatives, whom they perceive to be in a vulnerable position. Family members wanted to be supportive, but felt that they also needed support in the form of better information, consistency throughout the various levels of care, and professional therapy for themselves as well. The result of this study shows that children of parents with mental disabilities want assistance, opportunities for participation in care, and information about their parents’ illness. Relatives feel that they need a kinder reception from the health care system, which should take better care of the whole family. All relatives could relate positive experiences, through open dialogue and relevant information gained from the staff in the hospital, related to timely care and support from care personnel The result indicates that the reform of psychiatric care in Sweden has put the light on the relatives, but for the relatives there is still no consensus among the different care providers, county municipal, and national social services who are involved in treatment.
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| 4. |
- Claesson Lingehall, Helena, 1965-
(författare)
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Delirium in older people after cardiac surgery : risk factors, dementia, patients’ experiences and assessments
- 2016
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Doktorsavhandling (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract
- Background:Delirium is common in older people undergoing cardiac surgery. Delirium is an acute or subacute neuro-psychiatric syndrome, characterized by a change in cognition, disturbances in consciousness; it fluctuates, develops over a short period of time and always has an underlying cause. It is associated with a disturbance in psychomotor activity, and is classified according to different clinical profiles such as hypoactive, hyperactive and mixed delirium. Delirium after cardiac surgery is not harmless, it increases the risk of complications such as prolonged stay in hospital, falls, reduced quality of life, reduced cognitive function and increased mortality.Aim:The overall aim of this thesis was to investigate postoperative delirium in older people undergoing cardiac surgery with Cardiopulmonary Bypass (CPB), focusing on risk factors, dementia and patients’ experiences; and to evaluate an assessment for screening delirium.Methods:This thesis compromises four studies. All participants (n=142) were scheduled for cardiac surgery with use of CPB at the Cardiothoracic Surgery Department, Heart Centre, Umeå University Hospital, Sweden, between February and October 2009. Six structured interviews were conducted preoperatively, day one and day four postoperatively, and in home visits, one, three and five years after surgery (2010, 2012 and 2014). The assessment scales used in Studies I, II and IV were: the Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE) for cognition, the Organic Brain Syndrome Scale (OBS) for delirium, Geriatric Depression Scale 15 (GDS-15) for depression, Katz staircase with Activities of Daily Living (ADL) for participants’ functional status and the Numerical Rating Scale (NRS) for pain. During the hospital stay, nursing staff used the Swedish version of the Nursing Delirium Screening Scale (Nu-DESC) to assess delirium. Semi-structured interviews were also carried out (III) in the one-year follow up. Delirium, dementia and depression were diagnosed according to the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM IV TR).Results: Out of 142 participants 54.9% (78/142) developed delirium after cardiac surgery (I). Independent risk factors, predisposing and precipitating, associated with delirium were: age, diabetes, gastritis/peptic ulcer, volume load during operation, longer time on ventilator in intensive care, increased temperature and plasma sodium concentration in the intensive care unit. Out of 114 participants thirty (26.3%) developed dementia within the five years of follow-up. It was shown that a lower preoperative MMSE score and postoperative delirium were factors independently associated with development of dementia (II). One year after cardiac surgery, participants diagnosed with postoperative delirium described in detail feelings of extreme vulnerability and frailty. Despite this, the participants were grateful for the care they had received (III). Hypoactive was the most common symptom profile for delirium. The Swedish version of Nu-DESC showed high sensitivity in detecting hyperactive delirium, but low sensitivity in detecting hypoactive delirium (IV).Conclusion:Delirium was common among older patients undergoing cardiac surgery. Both predisposing and precipitating factors contributed to postoperative delirium. Preventive strategies should be considered in future randomized studies. It might also be suggested that cognitive function should be screened for preoperatively and patients who develop delirium should be followed up to enable early detection of symptoms of dementia. Whether prevention of postoperative delirium can reduce the risk of future dementia remains to be studied. To minimise unnecessary suffering, patients and next of kin should be informed about and prepared for the risk of delirium developing during hospitalization. The Swedish version of Nu-DESC should be combined with cognitive testing to improve detection of hypoactive delirium, but further research is needed. Healthcare professionals need knowledge concerning postoperative delirium in order to prevent, detect and treat delirium so as to avoid and relieve the suffering it might cause.
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| 5. |
- Ekholm, Sara
(författare)
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Föräldraskap och klimatoro – betydelsen av omsorg
- 2023
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Doktorsavhandling (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract
- The aim of the thesis is to study the relationships between parenthood, care and worry about the consequences of climate change and how these relate to climate behaviour. The thesis is based on the argument that care affect the degree of worry for the person to whom the care is directed and that the social context surrounding the individual has an influence on their experiences and worries about risks, in this case climate risks. In relation to climate change worry, it addresses differences in care practice between parents and people who are not parents, and between mothers and fathers. Time and practice with caring responsibilities may differ between these groups and may therefore also relate to levels of worry. Care practice can thus be one of several aspects that can be significant for climate change worry. Four studies have jointly addressed the overall purpose of the thesis and a ‘mixed methods’ approach has been used where quantitative and qualitative methods have been combined. The studies have thus complemented each other through four different sets of empirical material: three sets of quantitative survey data with random samples and one set of qualitative interview data. The empirical context of the survey studies includes a regional and a national survey in Sweden and a European survey. The qualitative material is based on interviews with respondents from several regions in Sweden that are vulnerable to climate change. The results of the thesis as a whole show a recurring pattern, in a Swedish context, regarding the relationship between parenthood and worry about the consequences of climate change. They show that parents in general are more worried about climate change than people who are not parents (Articles 1, 2 and 3). So, this pattern is reflected in the three independent surveys mentioned above, conducted at different times over a six-year period. The results also show that women are generally more worried than men are about the consequences of climate change. Fathers, on the other hand, are significantly more likely to experience climate change worry than men who are not fathers, a difference that is not evident between mothers and women who are not mothers (Articles 2 and 3). One of the studies (Article 3) examine whether the role of parenthood, as well as the role of mothers and fathers, differs between three care regimes (Orloff, 2002), in relation to climate change worry. Regimes here refer to normative and regulatory systems that are not reduced to individual institutions in society (Hood, Rothstein & Baldwin, 2001). It is only in the care regime prevailing in Sweden that parenthood reveals a significantly greater degree of climate change worry, both between parents and people who are not parents and between fathers and men who are not fathers. One possible explanation for this may be the nature of care regimes and how they relate to the individual, including the regulation of care time structures for both men and women through parental insurance. The fact that climate change worry increases for men who become fathers may be about the development of “caring masculinities” (Elliot, 2016) that relate to men’s emotional experiences such as worry, here through their spending time with their children. This seems to be particularly evident for men who become fathers in contexts where men are given more time for care practice, as shown in the Swedish context. Parents’ worry about the impact of climate change thus appears to be linked to care practice. A term for this kind of worry is referred to in the thesis as care-worry (Article 4) and includes a worry rooted in caring for and having a responsible attitude towards other people, both towards the specific child being cared for, and a concern for people in general and for future generations. This is supported by van Manen’s (2002) argument that worry is part of caring. People’s care-worry is also shaped by the specific context of discourses about caring, worry and risk (see Lupton, 2013; see also Giritli Nygren, Olofsson & Öhman, 2020). Based on parents’ experiences of climate change, the concept of care-worry has been empirically explored (Article 4) and reveals four ideal types that can illustrate parental care-worry in different ways. These are the worrying type, the trusting type, the calculating type and the security-seeking type. Differences between the ideal types are evident in the degree of worry, sense of uncertainty about the future and desire for control or security, with the common link of taking responsibility for the climate situation. Parents’ different types of climate behaviour can also be related to their type of care-worry. The worrying type talks about the climate situation with others, while the trusting type cares about sustainable consumption and is confident that global climate action will solve the climate situation. The calculating type focuses primarily on a climate-mitigating approach, such as reduced energy consumption, and the security-seeking type on a lifestyle adapted to the climate by means of such things as sustainable housing. Parents’ care-worry thus seems to relate to practical action with climate behaviour that takes personal responsibility for limiting the impact of climate change on future generations. The overall conclusions and contributions of the thesis are thus essentially that parenthood is significant for worry about climate change in the Swedish care regime, i.e. that parents have greater climate change worry than those who are not parents. It is also the case that in Sweden fathers’ climate change worry is greater than that of men who are not fathers, a difference that does not appear in women who become mothers. Caring for children can thus increase worry about the consequences of climate change, i.e. parents experience care-worry in relation to future climate risks that their children and other people may face. A further conclusion is that care-worry can also be a motivating aspect to act on climate change by limiting one’s climate impact for the sake of future generations.
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| 6. |
- Holm, Anna M., 1989-
(författare)
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Human papillomavirus in sinonasal inverted papilloma, recurrent respiratory papilloma and non-malignant tonsils
- 2019
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Doktorsavhandling (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract
- Background: Human papillomavirus (HPV) is known to cause recurrent respiratory papilloma (RRP) and certain types of oropharyngeal cancer. HPV has also been associated with sinonasal inverted papilloma (SIP). HPV transmission routes are under investigation and the conviction is that the infection occurs sexually at an adult stage, however, vertical transmission at birth with a dormant viral condition until disease eruption/co-activation has been stated as a possibility.Purpose: The purpose of this work was to contribute to the understanding of HPV related chronic diseases in the airway. Specific aims were: 1. To increase understanding regarding changes in the immune system as well as of the glycosaminoglycan hyaluronan in patients with RRP. 2. To evaluate prevalence of HPV and its surrogate marker p16 in SIP as well as HPV, p16 and Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) in benign tonsillar disease. HPV and EBV in non-malignant tonsillar disease were studied due to the fact that incidence of HPV positive tonsillar cancer is increasing and the time of viral infection is unknown.Methods: A phenotypic characterization of peripheral blood from 16 RRP patients and 12 age-matched controls, using immunoflow cytometry, and monoclonal antibodies against differentiation and activation markers, was performed. The cytokine mRNA profile of monocytes, T helper-, T cytotoxic-, and NK cells was assessed using RT-qPCR. 54 SIP samples were studied of which 53 were available for analyzation with PCR. Genotype screening for 18 high risk and six low risk HPV types was performed using the PapilloCheck® HPV-screening test (a PCR method). 54 samples were immunohistochemically (IHC) stained for p16. Biopsies from vocal folds (VFs) and false vocal folds (FVFs) were collected from 24 patients with RRP, 12 were randomly selected to histochemistry for Hyaluronan (HA) and IHC staining for CD44 in the epithelium, stroma and RRP lesions. The remaining 12 patients were analyzed for HA molecular mass distribution with a gas-phase electrophoretic molecular mobility analyzer (GEMMA). Eight VF samples and four FVF samples were successfully analyzed. Biopsies from 40 non-malignant tonsils were analyzed using Papillocheck® for HPV, IHC for p16 and EBER analysis for EBV.Results: We found a dominance of cytotoxic T cells, activated NK cells, and high numbers of stressed MIC A/B (MHC class I chain-related molecule A/B) expressing lymphocytes. The HPV analysis was successful for 38 SIP samples and two (5%) were positive for HPV 11. Notably, p16 was present in the epithelia of all samples and in the papilloma portions in 37 of 38 samples. We found extensive HA staining in the stroma of both VFs and FVFs. CD44 was expressed throughout the epithelium, stroma, and RRP lesions in both FVFs and VFs, it did however, not concur with the expression of HA. Very high mass HA was found in both VFs and FVFs, though more variation regarding amounts of HA was seen in the VFs compared to FVFs. No HPV was found in non-malignant tonsils, the p16 levels were low and the counted EBER positive cells showed great variation in numbers.Conclusions: Our findings demonstrate an immune dysregulation with inverted CD4+/CD8+ ratio and aberrant cytokine mRNA production in RRP patients, compared to healthy controls. We concluded that p16 cannot be used as a surrogate marker for high-risk HPV-infection in SIP and that HPV incidence was low (5%). CD44 does not seem to bind to HA, which might explain the noninflammatory response previously described in RRP. Very high mass HA possibly crosslinked was seen in both VFs and FVFs. A possibility to counteract inflammatory crosslinking of HA may be found for medical treatment options in RRP.
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| 7. |
- Karlsson, Åsa, 1972-
(författare)
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Team-based home rehabilitation after hip fracture in older adults : effects, experiences and impact of dementia
- 2021
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Doktorsavhandling (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract
- BACKGROUND: For an older adult a hip fracture may be a traumatic and life-changing event and has shown to be associated with reduced health-related quality of life, disability and increased mortality. Previous rehabilitation studies have often excluded older adults with cognitive impairment and those living in residential care facilities, groups with an additional risk of poor outcome. Moreover, there are few randomized controlled trials that have evaluated interdisciplinary home rehabilitation after hip fracture. These studies did not include older adults with severe cognitive impairment or dementia, those with serious medical conditions, or those living in residential care.OBJECTIVE: The aim of the thesis was to investigate the effects of early discharge followed by geriatric interdisciplinary home rehabilitation (GIHR) for older adults with hip fracture, and specifically among those with dementia, compared to in-hospital geriatric care according to a multifactorial rehabilitation program. An additional aim was to explore how older adults experienced their rehabilitation and recovery during the year following the fracture.METHODS: The thesis evaluated a randomized controlled trial that included 205 participants with hip fracture, 70 years or older, living in ordinary housing or residential care facilities. In hospital, both the GIHR and control groups received care and rehabilitation according to a multifactorial rehabilitation program, but with the aim of early discharge for the GIHR group. The individually designed GIHR intervention focused on walking ability indoors and outdoors, independence in activities of daily living (ADL), and multifactorial fall prevention during a maximum period of 10 weeks. Participants were assessed in-hospital and at 3- and 12-month follow-up visits. Independence in walking and use of walking aids was assessed via an interview along with gait speed tests. Independence in ADL was measured using the Barthel ADL Index, and the ADL Staircase including the Katz ADL Index, and hospital length of stay (LOS) was recorded from medical charts. The effects of GIHR intervention among participants with dementia were investigated in a post hoc subgroup analysis where additional outcomes were falls, mortality and readmissions between discharge and 12 months. Individual interviews were conducted with 20 selected participants just after the 12-month follow-up. Data were analysed using qualitative content analysis.RESULTS: The postoperative hospital LOS was significantly reduced by a median of six days in the GIHR group compared to the control group, although not significantly reduced in the GIHR group for participants with dementia. Binary logistic regression analyses revealed no significant differences between the GIHR and control groups regarding independent walking ability, the ability to walk without a walking device, or independence in ADL at 3 and 12 months. Gait speed was comparable between the two groups at 3 and 12 months. At 12 months, 56% in the GIHR group and 58% in the control group had recovered their prefracture walking ability, and 41% vs. 42% in GIHR and control groups, respectively, had regained their prefracture Barthel ADL Index score. Interaction analyses showed that the GIHR group vs. the control group had comparable effects on walking ability and ADL at 3 and 12 months, and on falls and mortality between discharge and 12 months, regardless of whether the participants had dementia or not (P≥0.05 for all). The number of readmissions and hospital days after discharge was comparable between GIHR and control groups for participants with dementia. Overall, dementia was associated with significantly impaired walking ability and greater dependence in ADL at 3 and 12 months and with increased risk of falling and increased mortality between discharge and 12 months compared to participants without dementia. The interviews revealed that access to rehabilitation, provided by skilled staff, and support from others were important for participants’ well-being and recovery. Participants experienced a fundamental change in their self-image after the fracture, and faced a number of difficulties, but strove for independence and used adaptive strategies to find contentment in their lives.CONCLUSIONS: In older adults with hip fracture, early discharge followed by interdisciplinary home rehabilitation significantly reduced postoperative hospital LOS. Functional recovery during the year following the fracture was nevertheless comparable to in-hospital geriatric care according to a multifactorial rehabilitation program. The GIHR intervention seems to be appropriate also for older adults with dementia since the effects were not different in this subgroup, except for postoperative hospital LOS, which was not significantly reduced in the GIHR group for participants with dementia. Further studies with larger samples are needed to validate these results. Overall, dementia was associated with a substantial negative impact on the outcomes. According to participants’ experiences, receiving rehabilitation and support after the hip fracture seems crucial for successful recovery. Negative psychological reactions were common, suggesting that future interventions should consider both physical and psychological aspects. Different rehabilitation alternatives were appreciated by the participants. Rehabilitation should thus be customised to suit wishes and needs of older adults and may accordingly be carried out in different settings, where rehabilitation in the home can be one suitable alternative. The findings of this thesis indicate that geriatric interdisciplinary home rehabilitation after hip fracture can be an alternative and a complement to in-hospital care and rehabilitation for older adults with and without dementia.
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| 8. |
- Lundgren, Minna
(författare)
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Boundaries of displacement : Belonging and Return among Forcibly Displaced Young Georgians from Abkhazia
- 2016
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Doktorsavhandling (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract
- This dissertation explores the implications of borders and boundaries for how forcibly displaced young Georgians from Abkhazia understand issues of belonging and return. My theoretical framework draws from theories on home and belonging as well as theories on border and boundary making, and locates them in geographies of uncertainty – or riskscapes – areas characterized by conflict and/or inequality. Empirical data was collected through two sets of interviews in Zugdidi near the border to Abkhazia and a questionnaire survey in Zugdidi and the capital Tbilisi. These data have been analysed through both qualitative and quantitative methods. The young respondents providing material for this research do not constitute a homogenous group. Some of the respondents have family still living in Abkhazia or even partly grew up in the area; others have never been there. The primary goal of the Georgian government has been that the displaced population should return to their homes, and the government’s efforts for local integration has long been insufficient. Since no peace accords have been signed, a lack of security prevents a large-scale return. Notwithstanding increased border controls that have made it difficult to visit former homes, some young people still cross the de facto border. By doing this they contest both the Abkhazian de facto authorities and the border as a symbol of separation and differentiation, while claiming a right to belong in Abkhazia. Property and social relations in Abkhazia contribute to stronger connections and an imperative to return. On the other hand, experience of hardship in contemporary Abkhazia has resulted in some young people not considering return as a viable option. Youth who never visited Abkhazia depend mainly on other peoples’ memories and political discourse to create emotional bonds to the area their parents fled and to form their ideas of return. Results from the quantitative survey indicate that youth living in Tbilisi, closer to the political centre, to a higher extent intend to return than their peers in Zugdidi. Meanwhile young people’s experiences of everyday life in current dwellings in relative stability create emotional bonds to their present place of living. These experiences challenge both collective processes and experiences from Abkhazia when it comes to maintaining the desire to return. This research offers insights into the human consequences of war and conflict. More specifically, this dissertation sheds light on how young internally displaced persons (IDPs) are living in a borderland (in both temporal and spatial terms) characterized by uncertainty-- between the past and the future as well as between Georgia and Abkhazia. Practices of exclusion and segregation are constitutive of the borders and boundaries that permeate life experiences of the forcibly displaced youth. Furthermore, these borders and boundaries are situated in riskscapes of disputed belongings, which makes this borderland more or less stable for different groups of IDPs. This dissertation contributes to an increased understanding of how political aspirations and personal desire to return preserves instability and uncertainty as long as return is not possible.
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| 9. |
- Lyu, Yezhe, 1987-, et al.
(författare)
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Recycling of worn out brake pads impact on tribology and environment
- 2020
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Ingår i: Scientific Reports. - : Nature Publishing Group. - 2045-2322. ; 10:1
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Disc brake systems are widely used on commercial vehicles for braking. The brake pads are usually replaced by new ones before being totally worn out. Current methods to deal with the replaced brake pads include landfill and combustion, resulting in a huge waste of resources and increase of CO2 footprint. From a sustainable point of view, this study aims to evaluate the feasibility of recycling replaced brake pads by addressing a protocol recycling procedure. The results show that the recycled brake pads yield similar friction, wear and airborne particle emission to virgin brake pads. A streamlined life cycle assessment is conducted to compare the environmental impacts between producing virgin brake pads and recycling replaced brake pads. Energy consumption and CO2 footprint of the recycled brake pads are 36% and 34% less than virgin brake pads, indicating that recycling could be a promising method of handling replaced brake pads.
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| 10. |
- Löfmarck, Erik, 1974-
(författare)
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Den hand som föder dig : En studie av risk, mat och moderskap i Sverige och Polen
- 2014
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Doktorsavhandling (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract
- This is a study of how mothers of young children relate to risk in everyday life, with an emphasis on the invisible risks associated with modernity in general, and with food in particular. It explores variations and similarities in how mothers deal with risk in two cultural contexts: Sweden and Poland. The study is based on twenty qualitative interviews with university educated mothers of small children in Stockholm and Warsaw. While risks more generally challenge how we “get on” with our lives, mothers of young children in particular have a special relationship to risk. During pregnancy and breastfeeding they are subject to all kinds of risk minimization efforts, and mothers are ultimately held "infinitely responsible" for their children's welfare by society. Women's transition to parenthood then makes for a particularly interesting case as to how risks manifest in everyday life. The theoretical framework draws on modernization theory, combined with insights from cultural theory. In addition, various contributions from sociological and psychological risk research, family sociology and research on parenting and motherhood are used to highlight contextual aspects and to interpret the empirical results. Two aspects of the mothers’ relationship to risk and food are examined in this study: firstly, their risk constructs, i.e. what they perceive as ‘risky’ with regards to food; and, secondly, their risk management strategies, i.e. how they deal with identified risks on a practical and cognitive level. The overall risk management depicted in this study is characterized by reflexivity, critical thinking, information retrieval, attention to scientific evidence, purposely transferred trust, confidence and the ability to make fairly sophisticated tradeoffs between risks and other aspects of life. Neither the Swedish nor the Polish mothers then conform to popular notions of ‘security junkies’ or ‘paranoid parenting’. Nonetheless, the comparative approach demonstrates how contextual differences, such as general trust levels and family policy, influence both the risk constructs and the employment of different risk management strategies.
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