| 1. |
- Eriksson, Therese, 1979-
(författare)
-
Organelle movement in melanophores: Effects of Panax ginseng, ginsenosides and quercetin
- 2009
-
Licentiatavhandling (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract
- Panax ginseng is a traditional herb that has been used for over 2000 years to promote health and longevity. Active components of ginseng include ginsenosides, polysaccharides, flavonoids, polyacetylenes, peptides, vitamins, phenols and enzymes, of which the ginsenosides are considered to be the major bioactive constituents. Although widely used, the exact mechanisms of ginseng and its compounds remain unclear. In this thesis we use melanophores from Xenopus laevis to investigate the effects of Panax ginseng extract G115 and its constituents on organelle transport and signalling. Due to coordinated bidirectional movement of their pigmented granules (melanosomes), in response to defined chemical signals, melanophores are capable of fast colour changes and provide a great model for the study of intracellular transport. The movement is regulated by alterations in cyclic adenosine 3’:5’-monophosphate (cAMP) concentration, where a high or low level induce anterograde (dispersion) or retrograde (aggregation) transport respectively, resulting in a dark or light cell. Here we demonstrate that Panax ginseng and its constituents ginsenoside Rc and Rd and flavonoid quercetin induce a concentration-dependent anterograde transport of melanosomes. The effect of ginseng is shown to be independent of cAMP changes and protein kinase A activation. Upon incubation of melanophores with a combination of Rc or Rd and quercetin, a synergistic increase in anterograde movement was seen, indicating cooperation between the ginsenoside and flavonoid parts of ginseng. Protein kinase C (PKC) inhibitor Myristoylated EGF-R Fragment 651-658 decreased the anterograde movement stimulated by ginseng and ginsenoside Rc and Rd. Moreover, ginseng, but not ginsenosides or quercetin, stimulated an activation of 44/42-mitogen activated protein kinase (MAPK), previously shown to be involved in both aggregation and dispersion of melanosomes. PKC-inhibition did not affect the MAPK-activation, suggesting a role for PKC in the ginseng- and ginsenoside-induced dispersion but not as an upstream activator of MAPK.
|
|
| 2. |
- Kronkvist, Karl, 1987-
(författare)
-
Locating place, crime and the fear of crime : methodological and theoretical considerations
- 2022
-
Doktorsavhandling (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract
- Much previous research on the fear of crime has focused on why some individuals, with certain characteristics, experience more or less fear of crime than others. However, there is also a growing body of research examining the role that the neighbourhood context in which individuals reside plays in shaping such feelings and perceptions. At the same time, less research has been directed at understanding why certain small-scale micro-places evoke feelings of unsafety and fear of crime.The aim of this dissertation is to contribute to improving the current state ofthe research focused on place, the fear of crime, and related methodological issues. The dissertation includes four original empirical research papers. Study I is based on a case study evaluating the impact of camera surveillance and examines what role the operationalization of place may play for the results and interpretation of a given study.The findings show that different operationalizations may indeed produce different results, and that the choice of operationalization must be carefully considered in the context of study design. Study II uses responses to an open-ended survey question from three waves of the Malmö Community Survey (2012, 2015, 2018) to chart the spatial concentration and temporal stability of unsafe locations.The findings show that locations perceived as unsafe by city inhabitants are concentrated to a very small proportion of the urban space, and that there is a temporal stability in unsafe locations over time. Study III further explores unsafe locations by examining the spatial risk factors associated with these unsafe locations and the role played by neighbourhood collective efficacy and disorder. The results show that a number of spatial risk factors are correlated with the outcome, suggesting that the physical environment has a role to play in shaping people’s perceptions of unsafety at a given location. The findings also show that there are major between neighbourhood variations in unsafe locations, but that neighbourhood collective efficacy and disorder play only a limited role in the explanation of this variance. The final paper, Study IV, is a methodological study focused on the feasibility of using an alternative approach to studying fear of crime, as a momentary event, and uses an experience research framework implemented using a smart phone application (STUNDA). The general conclusion is that it is feasible to conduct research on the fear of crime using a smartphone application, but that emerging methods may also involve new methodological issues and challenges.The four studies have both methodological and theoretical implications, suggesting that the way place is defined and operationalized may have important impacts on the results and interpretations of research studies. In addition, the findings suggest that there is more to be learned about the fear of crime as a context-specific experience that is dependent on the immediate environment, and that alternative methodological approaches focused on surveying momentary experiences of fear of crime using smartphone applications seem to be feasible. A place-based approach to the fear of crime, supported by alternative measures and methods, may also be important in developing a broader understanding of how perceptions of fear of crime and unsafety are shaped. Such an understanding may in turn assist policymakers and practitioners to design knowledge-based interventions to reduce fear of crime and feelings of unsafety.
|
|
| 3. |
- Svensson, Robert, 1982-
(författare)
-
Från träningsoverall till trenchcoat : Tränarpositionens förändring inom svensk herrelitfotboll mellan 1960- och 2010-talet
- 2019
-
Doktorsavhandling (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract
- The position of the coach in elite sports has changed radically over the last 50 years. Using the Swedish male elite soccer coach as an example, the aim of this thesis is to acquire a deeper understanding of this change. The purpose is to examine the changing position of the Swedish male elite soccer coach in relation to the changing conditions of elite soccer between the 1960s and the 2010s. The history of the Swedish soccer coach is analysed through the lens of the Foucauldian perspective of governmentality. Focusing on the constitution of subject positions, the thesis identifies the power/knowledge relationships formulated within the governmentalities of Swedish elite football clubs and the Swedish Football Association (SvFF). A text analysis of board minutes and annual reports from the Swedish elite soccer club IFK Norrköping, education material from coaching courses organised by SvFF and the transcripts of semi-structured qualitative interviews with former and still active Swedish elite soccer coaches has been conducted.The analysis shows that at the beginning of the 1960s the established power/knowledge relationship implied that, kitted out in a whole and clean tracksuit, the coach was expected to govern the players’ techniques and fitness training twice a week. However, in order to be internationally competitive, in 1967 SvFF overturned the amateur regulations and instead allowed Swedish clubs to sign professional contracts with the players. From then on the coach was given more time to “conduct the conduct” of the players. In parallel, the clubs and SvFF turned to scientific knowledge and expertise in the areas of physiology and tactics and later sport psychology, leadership and communication. As a consequence, new power/knowledge relationships were formulated which meant that the coach was not only expected to govern new and more dimensions of the players, but also a growing staff of assistant coaches. In addition, dressed in tailor-made trench coat, the coach became the club’s outward face for attracting sponsors and communicating with the media and fans.
|
|
| 4. |
- Sandahl, Julia, 1979-
(författare)
-
Juvenile Crime in Context : The Significance of School Affiliation
- 2021
-
Doktorsavhandling (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract
- Within criminology, research on the school-crime relationship has been dominated by individual-level theories and methods. This thesis contributes to the relatively scarce literature focused on the socio-structural aspects of juvenile crime by applying a multidimensional approach to the urban school context of Stockholm. By combining contextual criminological theories of crime with a multilevel methodological approach, the overall aim of the thesis is to extend the empirical knowledge on the importance of school affiliation for involvement in crime among adolescents. Student and teacher survey data and register data on the student sociodemographic composition in schools are analyzed to explore whether and why levels of more serious forms of self-reported offending vary between schools.Although the three empirical studies included in this thesis have their own specific scopes and research questions, they are all concerned with juvenile crime as a contextual phenomenon, exploring whether serious offending varies between Stockholm schools, and the importance of the social context in relation to offending (Study I), how much of the school-level variation in offending can be ascribed to certain aspects of the structural and the social context of schools respectively (Study II), and whether certain individual-level associations differ depending on school type (Study III). In addition, Studies II and III also explore contextual associations between offending and both structural and social aspects of the school setting.The results contribute to advancing the understanding of the school-crime association by considering the classic sociological idea that social context shapes individual behavior. More specifically, the findings indicate that there are systematic differences in self-reported offending between Stockholm schools and that most of this variation can be explained by structural mechanisms related to student composition. Besides making visible the interrelationship between the structural and social context in relation to offending, the findings also show that some individual-level associations vary from one school setting to another. Several implications for theory and practice are discussed. For example, it is suggested that the structural context should not be ignored in attempts to understand the school-crime relationship. In addition, and in relation to this, it is argued that there is a need for a shift towards a more realistic view of schools as potential arenas for crime prevention.
|
|
| 5. |
- Hober, Sophia, Professor, 1965-, et al.
(författare)
-
Systematic evaluation of SARS-CoV-2 antigens enables a highly specific and sensitive multiplex serological COVID-19 assay
- 2021
-
Ingår i: Clinical & Translational Immunology. - : Wiley. - 2050-0068. ; 10:7
-
Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Objective. The COVID-19 pandemic poses an immense need for accurate, sensitive and high-throughput clinical tests, and serological assays are needed for both overarching epidemiological studies and evaluating vaccines. Here, we present the development and validation of a high-throughput multiplex bead-based serological assay. Methods. More than 100 representations of SARS-CoV-2 proteins were included for initial evaluation, including antigens produced in bacterial and mammalian hosts as well as synthetic peptides. The five best-performing antigens, three representing the spike glycoprotein and two representing the nucleocapsid protein, were further evaluated for detection of IgG antibodies in samples from 331 COVID-19 patients and convalescents, and in 2090 negative controls sampled before 2020. Results. Three antigens were finally selected, represented by a soluble trimeric form and the S1-domain of the spike glycoprotein as well as by the C-terminal domain of the nucleocapsid. The sensitivity for these three antigens individually was found to be 99.7%, 99.1% and 99.7%, and the specificity was found to be 98.1%, 98.7% and 95.7%. The best assay performance was although achieved when utilising two antigens in combination, enabling a sensitivity of up to 99.7% combined with a specificity of 100%. Requiring any two of the three antigens resulted in a sensitivity of 99.7% and a specificity of 99.4%. Conclusion. These observations demonstrate that a serological test based on a combination of several SARS-CoV-2 antigens enables a highly specific and sensitive multiplex serological COVID-19 assay.
|
|
| 6. |
- Svensson, Robert, et al.
(författare)
-
For Whom Do Unstructured Activities Matters? The Interaction Between Unstructured and Structured Activities in Delinquency and Cannabis Use : A National Self-Report Study
- 2023
-
Ingår i: Crime and delinquency. - : Sage Publications. - 0011-1287 .- 1552-387X. ; 69:10, s. 2022-2045
-
Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- This study examines whether unstructured and structured activities interact in their association with delinquency and cannabis use. We hypothesize that unstructured activities are more strongly associated with delinquency and cannabis use for those who are less engaged in structured activities. Data are drawn from three nationally representative self-report studies conducted between 2005 and 2011 in Sweden, and include 19,644 adolescents. The results support the hypothesis that unstructured activities interact with structured activities in the association with delinquency and cannabis use. The association between unstructured activities and these outcomes is stronger for those with lower levels of structured activities. Sporting activities constitute the structured activity that most clearly interacts with unstructured activities in the association with delinquency and cannabis use.
|
|
