| 1. |
- Hudson, Brian, et al.
(författare)
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Developing mathematical thinking in the primary classroom : liberating teachers and students as learners of mathematics
- 2015
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Ingår i: Journal of Curriculum Studies. - : Taylor & Francis. - 0022-0272 .- 1366-5839. ; 47:3, s. 374-398
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- This paper reports on a research study conducted with a group of practising primary school teachers (n = 24) in North East Scotland during 2011–2012. The teachers were all participants in a newly developed Masters course that had been designed with the aim of promoting the development of mathematical thinking in the primary classroom as part of project supported by the Scottish Government. The paper presents the background for this initiative within the context of the Scottish Curriculum for Excellence reform. Particular attention is given to the epistemological positioning of the researchers as this influenced both the curriculum design process and also the theoretical framing of the research study which are both described. The project was set up within a design research framework, which aimed to promote classroom-based action research on the part of participants through the course and also research by the university researchers into the process of curriculum development. The research questions focused on the teachers’ confidence, competence, attitudes and beliefs in relation to mathematics and their expectations and experiences of the impact on pupil learning arising from this course. Empirical data were drawn from pre- and post-course surveys, interviews and observations of the discussion forums in the online environment. Findings from this study highlight the way the course had a transformational and emancipatory impact on these teachers. They also highlight ways in which the ‘framing’ of particular aspects of the curriculum had an oppressive impact on learners in the ways that suppressed creativity and limited the exercise of learner autonomy. Furthermore, they highlight the ways in which a number of these teachers had experienced mathematics as a school subject in very negative ways, involving high levels of ‘symbolic violence’ and of being ‘labelled’.
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| 2. |
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| 3. |
- Hudson, Brian, 1951-, et al.
(författare)
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Orchestrating interdependence in an international online learning community
- 2006
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Ingår i: British Journal of Educational Technology. - Oxford : Blackwell Publishing. - 0007-1013 .- 1467-8535. ; 37:5, s. 733-748
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- This paper focuses on research into the student experience as participants in the development of an international online community. The background context for this is an international master's programme and the specific context for the research is a module on Digital Media Applications (DMA), which are outlined. The programme design emphasises peer and formative assessment practices and the pedagogical approach aims to foster group collaboration in international teams. Following an overview of the research methods adopted, a number of emergent themes from the data analysis of student diaries are discussed, including issues of language, culture and identity. In conclusion, we offer some reflections on these issues and discuss the underpinning assumptions (in relation to assessment practices in particular) that have given direction to our subsequent ongoing research and development.
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| 4. |
- Hudson, Brian, 1951-, et al.
(författare)
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Supporting learners in an international online learning community : on the role of personal and professional development planning
- 2005
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Ingår i: eLearning in Higher Education. - Linz : Trauner Verlag. - 3854878346 ; , s. 11-30
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Bokkapitel (populärvet., debatt m.m.)abstract
- The background context for this paper is the development of the international MSc e-Learning Multimedia and Consultancy. The MSc is a collaborative programme between Hogeschool van Arnhem en Nijmegen (HAN University) in the Netherlands and Sheffield Hallam University in the UK. The programme as a whole is framed within a virtual learning environment and involves a “blended approach” through international studies, local studies and independent study. A major focus of our attention in the early stages of development of this project has been on the promotion of formative peer assessment as a means of supporting learners in online learning communities. Subsequently as a result of student and tutor feedback, a framework for facilitating the process of formative self assessment has become the priority of our current development. This is based on the introduction of a personal and professional development planning process across the programme, in order to support this through a process of systematic reflection, evaluation and action planning. This has also become the focus of attention in terms of our ongoing action research and provides the focal point for this paper.
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| 5. |
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| 6. |
- Itzhaki, Ruth F., et al.
(författare)
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Microbes and Alzheimer's Disease
- 2016
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Ingår i: Journal of Alzheimer's Disease. - 1387-2877 .- 1875-8908. ; 51:4, s. 979-984
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Tidskriftsartikel (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract
- We are researchers and clinicians working on Alzheimer’s disease (AD) or related topics, and we write to express our concern that one particular aspect of the disease has been neglected, even though treatment based on it might slow or arrest AD progression. We refer to the many studies, mainly on humans, implicating specific microbes in the elderly brain, notably herpes simplex virus type 1 (HSV1), Chlamydia pneumoniae, and several types of spirochaete, in the etiology of AD [1–4]. Fungal infection of AD brain [5, 6] has also been described, as well as abnormal microbiota in AD patient blood [7]. The first observations of HSV1 in AD brain were reported almost three decades ago [8]. The ever-increasing number of these studies (now about 100 on HSV1 alone) warrants re-evaluation of the infection and AD concept.AD is associated with neuronal loss and progressive synaptic dysfunction, accompanied by the deposition of amyloid-β (Aβ) peptide, a cleavage product of the amyloid-β protein precursor (AβPP), and abnormal forms of tau protein, markers that have been used as diagnostic criteria for the disease [9, 10]. These constitute the hallmarks of AD, but whether they are causes of AD or consequences is unknown. We suggest that these are indicators of an infectious etiology. In the case of AD, it is often not realized that microbes can cause chronic as well as acute diseases; that some microbes can remain latent in the body with the potential for reactivation, the effects of which might occur years after initial infection; and that people can be infected but not necessarily affected, such that ‘controls’, even if infected, are asymptomatic
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| 7. |
- Itzhaki, Ruth F., et al.
(författare)
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Microbes and Alzheimer's disease
- 2017
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Ingår i: Handbook of infection and Alzheimer's disease. - : IOS Press. - 9781614997054 - 9781614997061 ; , s. 3-8
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Bokkapitel (refereegranskat)
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| 8. |
- Liang, Liming, et al.
(författare)
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An epigenome-wide association study of total serum immunoglobulin E concentration
- 2015
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Ingår i: Nature. - : Springer Science and Business Media LLC. - 0028-0836 .- 1476-4687. ; 520:7549, s. 670-U188
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Immunoglobulin E (IgE) is a central mediator of allergic (atopic) inflammation. Therapies directed against IgE can alleviate hay fever' and allergic asthma'''. Genetic association studies have not yet identified novel therapeutic targets or pathways underlying IgE regulation'. We therefore surveyed epigenetic associations between serum IgE concentrations and methylation at loci concentrated in CpG islands genome wide in 95 nuclear pedigrees, using DNA from peripheral blood leukocytes. We validated positive results in additional families and in subjects from the general population. Here we show replicated associations with a meta-analysis false discovery rate less than 10-4 between IgE and low methylation at 36 loci. Genes annotated to these loci encode known eosinophil products, and also implicate phospholipid inflammatory mediators, specific transcription factors and mitochondrial proteins. We confirmed that methylation at these loci differed significantly in isolated eosinophils from subjects with and without asthma and high IgE levels. The top three loci accounted for 13% of IgE variation in the primary subject panel, explaining the tenfold higher variance found compared with that derived from large single-nucleotide polymorphism genome-wide association studies'''. This study identifies novel therapeutic targets and biomarkers for patient stratification for allergic diseases.
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| 9. |
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| 10. |
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| 11. |
- Abbott, R., et al.
(författare)
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Hybridization and speciation
- 2013
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Ingår i: Journal of Evolutionary Biology. - : Wiley. - 1010-061X .- 1420-9101. ; 26:2, s. 229-246
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Forskningsöversikt (refereegranskat)abstract
- Hybridization has many and varied impacts on the process of speciation. Hybridization may slow or reverse differentiation by allowing gene flow and recombination. It may accelerate speciation via adaptive introgression or cause near-instantaneous speciation by allopolyploidization. It may have multiple effects at different stages and in different spatial contexts within a single speciation event. We offer a perspective on the context and evolutionary significance of hybridization during speciation, highlighting issues of current interest and debate. In secondary contact zones, it is uncertain if barriers to gene flow will be strengthened or broken down due to recombination and gene flow. Theory and empirical evidence suggest the latter is more likely, except within and around strongly selected genomic regions. Hybridization may contribute to speciation through the formation of new hybrid taxa, whereas introgression of a few loci may promote adaptive divergence and so facilitate speciation. Gene regulatory networks, epigenetic effects and the evolution of selfish genetic material in the genome suggest that the Dobzhansky-Muller model of hybrid incompatibilities requires a broader interpretation. Finally, although the incidence of reinforcement remains uncertain, this and other interactions in areas of sympatry may have knock-on effects on speciation both within and outside regions of hybridization.
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| 12. |
- Abel, I, et al.
(författare)
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Overview of the JET results with the ITER-like wall
- 2013
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Ingår i: Nuclear Fusion. - : IOP Publishing. - 1741-4326 .- 0029-5515. ; 53:10, s. 104002-
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Following the completion in May 2011 of the shutdown for the installation of the beryllium wall and the tungsten divertor, the first set of JET campaigns have addressed the investigation of the retention properties and the development of operational scenarios with the new plasma-facing materials. The large reduction in the carbon content (more than a factor ten) led to a much lower Z(eff) (1.2-1.4) during L- and H-mode plasmas, and radiation during the burn-through phase of the plasma initiation with the consequence that breakdown failures are almost absent. Gas balance experiments have shown that the fuel retention rate with the new wall is substantially reduced with respect to the C wall. The re-establishment of the baseline H-mode and hybrid scenarios compatible with the new wall has required an optimization of the control of metallic impurity sources and heat loads. Stable type-I ELMy H-mode regimes with H-98,H-y2 close to 1 and beta(N) similar to 1.6 have been achieved using gas injection. ELM frequency is a key factor for the control of the metallic impurity accumulation. Pedestal temperatures tend to be lower with the new wall, leading to reduced confinement, but nitrogen seeding restores high pedestal temperatures and confinement. Compared with the carbon wall, major disruptions with the new wall show a lower radiated power and a slower current quench. The higher heat loads on Be wall plasma-facing components due to lower radiation made the routine use of massive gas injection for disruption mitigation essential.
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| 13. |
- Aberg, KA, et al.
(författare)
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MBD-seq as a cost-effective approach for methylome-wide association studies: demonstration in 1500 case--control samples
- 2012
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Ingår i: Epigenomics. - : Future Medicine Ltd. - 1750-192X .- 1750-1911. ; 4:6, s. 605-621
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Aim: We studied the use of methyl-CpG binding domain (MBD) protein-enriched genome sequencing (MBD-seq) as a cost-effective screening tool for methylome-wide association studies (MWAS). Materials & methods: Because MBD-seq has not yet been applied on a large scale, we first developed and tested a pipeline for data processing using 1500 schizophrenia cases and controls plus 75 technical replicates with an average of 68 million reads per sample. This involved the use of technical replicates to optimize quality control for multi- and duplicate-reads, an in silico experiment to identify CpGs in loci with alignment problems, CpG coverage calculations based on multiparametric estimates of the fragment size distribution, a two-stage adaptive algorithm to combine data from correlated adjacent CpG sites, principal component analyses to control for confounders and new software tailored to handle the large data set. Results: We replicated MWAS findings in independent samples using a different technology that provided single base resolution. In an MWAS of age-related methylation changes, one of our top findings was a previously reported robust association involving GRIA2. Our results also suggested that owing to the many confounding effects, a considerable challenge in MWAS is to identify those effects that are informative about disease processes. Conclusion: This study showed the potential of MBD-seq as a cost-effective tool in large-scale disease studies.
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| 14. |
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| 15. |
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| 16. |
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| 17. |
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| 18. |
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| 19. |
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| 20. |
- Andersson, Jennie, 1986, et al.
(författare)
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Ship-scale CFD benchmark study of a pre-swirl duct on KVLCC2
- 2022
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Ingår i: Applied Ocean Research. - : Elsevier Ltd. - 0141-1187 .- 1879-1549. ; 123
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Installing an energy saving device such as a pre-swirl duct (PSD) is a major investment for a ship owner and prior to an order a reliable prediction of the energy savings is required. Currently there is no standard for how such a prediction is to be carried out, possible alternatives are both model-scale tests in towing tanks with associated scaling procedures, as well as methods based on computational fluid dynamics (CFD). This paper summarizes a CFD benchmark study comparing industrial state-of-the-art ship-scale CFD predictions of the power reduction through installation of a PSD, where the objective was to both obtain an indication on the reliability in this kind of prediction and to gain insight into how the computational procedure affects the results. It is a blind study, the KVLCC2, which the PSD is mounted on, has never been built and hence there is no ship-scale data available. The 10 participants conducted in total 22 different predictions of the power reduction with respect to a baseline case without PSD. The predicted power reductions are both positive and negative, on average 0.4%, with a standard deviation of 1.6%-units, when not considering two predictions based on model-scale CFD and two outliers associated with large uncertainties in the results. Among the variations present in computational procedure, two were found to significantly influence the predictions. First, a geometrically resolved propeller model applying sliding mesh interfaces is in average predicting a higher power reduction with the PSD compared to simplified propeller models. The second factor with notable influence on the power reduction prediction is the wake field prediction, which, besides numerical configuration, is affected by how hull roughness is considered. © 2022 The Authors
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| 21. |
- Andersson, Renée, 1979-
(författare)
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Gender mainstreaming as feminist politics : A critical analysis of the pursuit of gender equality in Swedish local government
- 2018
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Doktorsavhandling (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract
- Gender mainstreaming is often described as a strategy to increase gender equality in states and other institutions and/or to make them more gender aware. It should however be considered a contested concept, and the aim of this thesis is to produce a critical perspective and empirical knowledge about whether, and if so how, gender mainstreaming contributes to a more (gender) equal society. The production of gender mainstreaming as gender equality policy is investigated, using both feminist new institutionalism and discourse theory.The study investigates whether, and if so how, gender mainstreaming is facilitating new public management by transforming the ambitions of feminist politics into a neoliberal strategy adapted for public administration.The case examined in this study is a local government gender mainstreaming project conducted in a municipality in Sweden. The case also includes vertical and horizontal outlooks and is categorized as a critical case. To study "what is not there" in the empirical material, the concepts of silences and silencing are used as both theoretical and methodological tools.The thesis shows that gender mainstreaming produces a gender equality policy that is disconnected from political parties, and that gender mainstreaming becomes a common good. This, I argue, produces a non-political politics, which includes a governing technique that privileges political consensus, articulated in terms of non-conflict and win-win.The thesis identifies a conflation between gender mainstreaming, as a strategy, with the policy objective of gender equality. Gender mainstreaming did not create space for addressing gender-based violence, or include the voice of the women’s movement, from which it can be concluded that gender mainstreaming does not contribute to feminist politics. This could have societal consequences and can influence, or even hinder, actual political change.
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| 22. |
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| 23. |
- Andrés-Jensen, Liv, et al.
(författare)
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Severe toxicity free survival : physician-derived definitions of unacceptable long-term toxicities following acute lymphocytic leukaemia
- 2021
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Ingår i: The Lancet Haematology. - : Elsevier. - 2352-3026. ; 8:7, s. E513-E523
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Forskningsöversikt (refereegranskat)abstract
- 5-year overall survival rates have surpassed 90% for childhood acute lymphocytic leukaemia, but survivors are at risk for permanent health sequelae. Although event-free survival appropriately represents the outcome for cancers with poor overall survival, this metric is inadequate when cure rates are high but challenged by serious, persistent complications. Accordingly, a group of experts in paediatric haematology-oncology, representative of 17 international acute lymphocytic leukaemia study groups, launched an initiative to construct a measure, designated severe toxicity-free survival (STFS), to quantify the occurrence of physician-prioritised toxicities to be integrated with standard cancer outcome reporting. Five generic inclusion criteria (not present before cancer diagnosis, symptomatic, objectifiable, of unacceptable severity, permanent, or requiring unacceptable treatments) were used to assess 855 health conditions, which resulted in inclusion of 21 severe toxicities. Consensus definitions were reached through a modified Delphi process supplemented by two additional plenary meetings. The 21 severe toxicities include severe adverse health conditions that substantially affect activities of daily living and are refractory to therapy (eg, refractory seizures), are without therapeutic options (eg, blindness), or require substantially invasive treatment (eg, cardiac transplantation). Incorporation of STFS assessment into clinical trials has the potential to improve and diversify treatment strategies, focusing not only on traditional outcome events and overall survival but also the frequencies of the most severe toxicities. The two major aims of this Review were to: prioritise and define unacceptable long-term toxicity for patients with childhood acute lymphocytic leukaemia, and define how these toxicities should be combined into a composite quantity to be integrated with other reported outcomes. Although STFS quantifies the clinically unacceptable health tradeoff for cure using childhood acute lymphocytic leukaemia as a model disease, the prioritised severe toxicities are based on generic considerations of relevance to any other cancer diagnosis and age group.
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| 24. |
- Aneheim, Emma, 1982, et al.
(författare)
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Fission product interactions with nitrogen donor ligands used for spent nuclear fuel treatment
- 2013
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Ingår i: Polyhedron. - : Elsevier BV. - 0277-5387. ; 50:1, s. 154-163
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- The so called BTBP (bis-triazine bi-pyridine)-type molecules have been developed for liquid-liquid extraction in the advanced reprocessing of used nuclear fuel. One solvent composition that has proven to be promising for such an application is the combination of CyMe4-BTBP and tri-butyl phosphate (TBP) in cyclohexanone. This solvent can extract the actinides successfully but unfortunately some fission products are also co-extracted. One of the most problematic fission products is palladium, but silver and cadmium are also extracted by the proposed solvent, which has been investigated here. In this study it was found that CyMe4-BTBP in cyclohexanone, when extracting palladium from nitric acid, forms complexes that are soluble both in the organic and aqueous phase. The predominant complex observed in both phases established with mass spectrometry and confirmed by NMR is a 1:1 complex, contrary to silver that forms 2:2 complexes and cadmium that forms 1:2 complexes. The nitrate dependency of the palladium extraction from nitric acid into a BTBP containing organic phase was found to be two. However, with higher ionic strengths, such as under process conditions, the palladium was found to be salted out into the organic phase.
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| 25. |
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| 26. |
- Anfelt, Josefine, et al.
(författare)
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Genetic and nutrient modulation of acetyl-CoA levels in Synechocystis for n-butanol production
- 2015
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Ingår i: Microbial Cell Factories. - : BioMed Central. - 1475-2859. ; 14
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Background: There is a strong interest in using photosynthetic cyanobacteria as production hosts for biofuels and chemicals. Recent work has shown the benefit of pathway engineering, enzyme tolerance, and co-factor usage for improving yields of fermentation products. Results: An n-butanol pathway was inserted into a Synechocystis mutant deficient in polyhydroxybutyrate synthesis. We found that nitrogen starvation increased specific butanol productivity up to threefold, but cessation of cell growth limited total n-butanol titers. Metabolite profiling showed that acetyl-CoA increased twofold during nitrogen starvation. Introduction of a phosphoketolase increased acetyl-CoA levels sixfold at nitrogen replete conditions and increased butanol titers from 22 to 37 mg/L at day 8. Flux balance analysis of photoautotrophic metabolism showed that a Calvin-Benson-Bassham-Phosphoketolase pathway had higher theoretical butanol productivity than CBB-Embden-Meyerhof-Parnas and a reduced butanol ATP demand. Conclusion: These results demonstrate that phosphoketolase overexpression and modulation of nitrogen levels are two attractive routes toward increased production of acetyl-CoA derived products in cyanobacteria and could be implemented with complementary metabolic engineering strategies.
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| 27. |
- Anfelt, Josefine
(författare)
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Metabolic engineering strategies to increase n-butanol production from cyanobacteria
- 2016
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Doktorsavhandling (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract
- The development of sustainable replacements for fossil fuels has been spurred by concerns over global warming effects. Biofuels are typically produced through fermentation of edible crops, or forest or agricultural residues requiring cost-intensive pretreatment. An alternative is to use photosynthetic cyanobacteria to directly convert CO2 and sunlight into fuel. In this thesis, the cyanobacterium Synechocystis sp. PCC 6803 was genetically engineered to produce the biofuel n-butanol. Several metabolic engineering strategies were explored with the aim to increase butanol titers and tolerance.In papers I-II, different driving forces for n-butanol production were evaluated. Expression of a phosphoketolase increased acetyl-CoA levels and subsequently butanol titers. Attempts to increase the NADH pool further improved titers to 100 mg/L in four days.In paper III, enzymes were co-localized onto a scaffold to aid intermediate channeling. The scaffold was tested on a farnesene and polyhydroxybutyrate (PHB) pathway in yeast and in E. coli, respectively, and could be extended to cyanobacteria. Enzyme co-localization increased farnesene titers by 120%. Additionally, fusion of scaffold-recognizing proteins to the enzymes improved farnesene and PHB production by 20% and 300%, respectively, even in the absence of scaffold.In paper IV, the gene repression technology CRISPRi was implemented in Synechocystis to enable parallel repression of multiple genes. CRISPRi allowed 50-95% repression of four genes simultaneously. The method will be valuable for repression of competing pathways to butanol synthesis.Butanol becomes toxic at high concentrations, impeding growth and thus limiting titers. In papers V-VI, butanol tolerance was increased by overexpressing a heat shock protein or a stress-related sigma factor.Taken together, this thesis demonstrates several strategies to improve butanol production from cyanobacteria. The strategies could ultimately be combined to increase titers further.
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| 28. |
- Anfelt, Josefine, et al.
(författare)
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Using Transcriptomics To Improve Butanol Tolerance of Synechocystis sp Strain PCC 6803
- 2013
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Ingår i: Applied and Environmental Microbiology. - 0099-2240 .- 1098-5336. ; 79:23, s. 7419-7427
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Cyanobacteria are emerging as promising hosts for production of advanced biofuels such as n-butanol and alkanes. However, cyanobacteria suffer from the same product inhibition problems as those that plague other microbial biofuel hosts. High concentrations of butanol severely reduce growth, and even small amounts can negatively affect metabolic processes. An understanding of how cyanobacteria are affected by their biofuel product can enable identification of engineering strategies for improving their tolerance. Here we used transcriptome sequencing (RNA-Seq) to assess the transcriptome response of Synechocystis sp. strain PCC 6803 to two concentrations of exogenous n-butanol. Approximately 80 transcripts were differentially expressed at 40 mg/liter butanol, and 280 transcripts were different at 1 g/liter butanol. Our results suggest a compromised cell membrane, impaired photosynthetic electron transport, and reduced biosynthesis. Accumulation of intracellular reactive oxygen species (ROS) scaled with butanol concentration. Using the physiology and transcriptomics data, we selected several genes for overexpression in an attempt to improve butanol tolerance. We found that overexpression of several proteins, notably, the small heat shock protein HspA, improved tolerance to butanol. Transcriptomics-guided engineering created more solvent-tolerant cyanobacteria strains that could be the foundation for a more productive biofuel host.
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| 29. |
- Anfelt, J., et al.
(författare)
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Using Transcriptomics To Improve Butanol Tolerance of Synechocystis sp Strain PCC 6803
- 2013
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Ingår i: Applied and Environmental Microbiology. - : American Society for Microbiology. - 1098-5336 .- 0099-2240. ; 79:23, s. 7419-7427
-
Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Cyanobacteria are emerging as promising hosts for production of advanced biofuels such as n-butanol and alkanes. However, cyanobacteria suffer from the same product inhibition problems as those that plague other microbial biofuel hosts. High concentrations of butanol severely reduce growth, and even small amounts can negatively affect metabolic processes. An understanding of how cyanobacteria are affected by their biofuel product can enable identification of engineering strategies for improving their tolerance. Here we used transcriptome sequencing (RNA-Seq) to assess the transcriptome response of Synechocystis sp. strain PCC 6803 to two concentrations of exogenous n-butanol. Approximately 80 transcripts were differentially expressed at 40 mg/liter butanol, and 280 transcripts were different at 1 g/liter butanol. Our results suggest a compromised cell membrane, impaired photosynthetic electron transport, and reduced biosynthesis. Accumulation of intracellular reactive oxygen species (ROS) scaled with butanol concentration. Using the physiology and transcriptomics data, we selected several genes for overexpression in an attempt to improve butanol tolerance. We found that overexpression of several proteins, notably, the small heat shock protein HspA, improved tolerance to butanol. Transcriptomics-guided engineering created more solvent-tolerant cyanobacteria strains that could be the foundation for a more productive biofuel host.
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| 30. |
- Archambault, Alexi N., et al.
(författare)
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Cumulative Burden of Colorectal Cancer Associated Genetic Variants Is More Strongly Associated With Early-Onset vs Late-Onset Cancer
- 2020
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Ingår i: Gastroenterology. - : Elsevier BV. - 0016-5085 .- 1528-0012. ; 158:5, s. 1274-1286.e12
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- BACKGROUND & AIMS: Early-onset colorectal cancer (CRC, in persons younger than 50 years old) is increasing in incidence; yet, in the absence of a family history of CRC, this population lacks harmonized recommendations for prevention. We aimed to determine whether a polygenic risk score (PRS) developed from 95 CRC-associated common genetic risk variants was associated with risk for early-onset CRC.METHODS: We studied risk for CRC associated with a weighted PRS in 12,197 participants younger than 50 years old vs 95,865 participants 50 years or older. PRS was calculated based on single nucleotide polymorphisms associated with CRC in a large-scale genome-wide association study as of January 2019. Participants were pooled from 3 large consortia that provided clinical and genotyping data: the Colon Cancer Family Registry, the Colorectal Transdisciplinary Study, and the Genetics and Epidemiology of Colorectal Cancer Consortium and were all of genetically defined European descent. Findings were replicated in an independent cohort of 72,573 participants.RESULTS: Overall associations with CRC per standard deviation of PRS were significant for early-onset cancer, and were stronger compared with late-onset cancer (P for interaction = .01); when we compared the highest PRS quartile with the lowest, risk increased 3.7-fold for early-onset CRC (95% CI 3.28-4.24) vs 2.9-fold for late-onset CRC (95% CI 2.80-3.04). This association was strongest for participants without a first-degree family history of CRC (P for interaction = 5.61 x 10(-5)). When we compared the highest with the lowest quartiles in this group, risk increased 4.3-fold for early-onset CRC (95% CI 3.61-5.01) vs 2.9-fold for late-onset CRC (95% CI 2.70-3.00). Sensitivity analyses were consistent with these findings.CONCLUSIONS: In an analysis of associations with CRC per standard deviation of PRS, we found the cumulative burden of CRC-associated common genetic variants to associate with early-onset cancer, and to be more strongly associated with early-onset than late-onset cancer, particularly in the absence of CRC family history. Analyses of PRS, along with environmental and lifestyle risk factors, might identify younger individuals who would benefit from preventive measures.
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| 31. |
- Armanious, Antonius, 1981, et al.
(författare)
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Probing the Separation Distance between Biological Nanoparticles and Cell Membrane Mimics Using Neutron Reflectometry with Sub-Nanometer Accuracy
- 2022
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Ingår i: Journal of the American Chemical Society. - : American Chemical Society (ACS). - 1520-5126 .- 0002-7863. ; 144:45, s. 20726-20738
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Nanoparticle interactions with cellular membranes are controlled by molecular recognition reactions and regulate a multitude of biological processes, including virus infections, biological nanoparticle-mediated cellular communication, and drug delivery applications. Aided by the design of various supported cell membrane mimics, multiple methods have been employed to investigate these types of interactions, revealing information on nanoparticle coverage, interaction kinetics, as well as binding strength; however, precise quantification of the separation distance across which these delicate interactions occur remains elusive. Here, we demonstrate that carefully designed neutron reflectometry (NR) experiments followed by an attentive selection and application of suitable theoretical models offer a means to quantify the distance separating biological nanoparticles from a supported lipid bilayer (SLB) with sub-nanometer precision. The distance between the nanoparticles and SLBs was tuned by exploiting either direct adsorption or specific binding using DNA tethers with different conformations, revealing separation distances of around 1, 3, and 7 nm with nanometric accuracy. We also show that NR provides precise information on nanoparticle coverage, size distribution, material composition, and potential structural changes in the underlying planar SLB induced upon nanoparticle binding. The precision with which these parameters could be quantified should pave an attractive path for investigations of the interactions between nanoparticles and interfaces at length scales and resolutions that were previously inaccessible. This thus makes it possible to, for example, gain an in-depth understanding of the molecular recognition reactions of inorganic and biological nanoparticles with cellular membranes.
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| 32. |
- Asplund Samuelsson, Johannes, 1987-
(författare)
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Adaptations and constraints associated with autotrophy in microbial metabolism
- 2021
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Doktorsavhandling (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract
- Carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions from human activities are driving climate change, but the pending crisis could be mitigated by a circular carbon economy where released CO2 is recycled into commodity chemicals. Autotrophic microbes can make a contribution by producing chemicals, such as biofuels, from CO2 and renewable energy. The primary natural CO2 fixation pathway is the Calvin cycle, in which the enzyme Rubisco carboxylates ribulose-1,5-bisphosphate. The present investigation used computational systems biology methods to map adaptations and constraints in autotrophic microbial metabolism based on the Calvin cycle. First, the metabolic network of the Calvin cycle-capable photoautotrophic cyanobacterium Synechocystis was contrasted with that of heterotrophic E. coli. Intracellular metabolite concentration ranges differed, leading to different capacity to provide thermodynamic driving forces to chemical production pathways. Second, the Calvin cycle in Synechocystis was modeled kinetically, showing that certain enzyme saturation and metabolite levels, for example high ribulose-1,5-bisphosphate concentration, were detrimental to stability. Control over reaction rates was distributed, but making certain enzymes faster, for example fructose-1,6-bisphosphatase, could increase overall carbon fixation rate. Third, Synechocystis was starved of CO2 and ribosome profiling was used to track the effect on translation. Stress response and CO2 uptake were upregulated, but constant Rubisco expression and ribosome pausing in 5' untranslated regions indicated readiness for reappearance of CO2. Finally, microbial genomes with and without the Calvin cycle were contrasted, revealing metabolic, energetic, and regulatory adaptations that describe the properties of a functional autotroph. These findings provide a background for future study and engineering of autotrophs for direct conversion of CO2 into commodity chemicals.
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| 33. |
- Asplund-Samuelsson, Johannes, et al.
(författare)
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Thermodynamic analysis of computed pathways integrated into the metabolic networks of E. coli and Synechocystis reveals contrasting expansion potential
- 2018
-
Ingår i: Metabolic engineering. - : Academic Press Inc.. - 1096-7176 .- 1096-7184. ; 45, s. 223-236
-
Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Introducing biosynthetic pathways into an organism is both reliant on and challenged by endogenous biochemistry. Here we compared the expansion potential of the metabolic network in the photoautotroph Synechocystis with that of the heterotroph E. coli using the novel workflow POPPY (Prospecting Optimal Pathways with PYthon). First, E. coli and Synechocystis metabolomic and fluxomic data were combined with metabolic models to identify thermodynamic constraints on metabolite concentrations (NET analysis). Then, thousands of automatically constructed pathways were placed within each network and subjected to a network-embedded variant of the max-min driving force analysis (NEM). We found that the networks had different capabilities for imparting thermodynamic driving forces toward certain compounds. Key metabolites were constrained differently in Synechocystis due to opposing flux directions in glycolysis and carbon fixation, the forked tri-carboxylic acid cycle, and photorespiration. Furthermore, the lysine biosynthesis pathway in Synechocystis was identified as thermodynamically constrained, impacting both endogenous and heterologous reactions through low 2-oxoglutarate levels. Our study also identified important yet poorly covered areas in existing metabolomics data and provides a reference for future thermodynamics-based engineering in Synechocystis and beyond. The POPPY methodology represents a step in making optimal pathway-host matches, which is likely to become important as the practical range of host organisms is diversified.
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| 34. |
- Asplund-Samuelsson, Johannes, et al.
(författare)
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Wide range of metabolic adaptations to the acquisition of the Calvin cycle revealed by comparison of microbial genomes
- 2021
-
Ingår i: PloS Computational Biology. - : Public Library of Science (PLoS). - 1553-734X .- 1553-7358. ; 17:2
-
Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Knowledge of the genetic basis for autotrophic metabolism is valuable since it relates to both the emergence of life and to the metabolic engineering challenge of incorporating CO2 as a potential substrate for biorefining. The most common CO2 fixation pathway is the Calvin cycle, which utilizes Rubisco and phosphoribulokinase enzymes. We searched thousands of microbial genomes and found that 6.0% contained the Calvin cycle. We then contrasted the genomes of Calvin cycle-positive, non-cyanobacterial microbes and their closest relatives by enrichment analysis, ancestral character estimation, and random forest machine learning, to explore genetic adaptations associated with acquisition of the Calvin cycle. The Calvin cycle overlaps with the pentose phosphate pathway and glycolysis, and we could confirm positive associations with fructose-1,6-bisphosphatase, aldolase, and transketolase, constituting a conserved operon, as well as ribulose-phosphate 3-epimerase, ribose-5-phosphate isomerase, and phosphoglycerate kinase. Additionally, carbohydrate storage enzymes, carboxysome proteins (that raise CO2 concentration around Rubisco), and Rubisco activases CbbQ and CbbX accompanied the Calvin cycle. Photorespiration did not appear to be adapted specifically for the Calvin cycle in the non-cyanobacterial microbes under study. Our results suggest that chemoautotrophy in Calvin cycle-positive organisms was commonly enabled by hydrogenase, and less commonly ammonia monooxygenase (nitrification). The enrichment of specific DNA-binding domains indicated Calvin-cycle associated genetic regulation. Metabolic regulatory adaptations were illustrated by negative correlation to AraC and the enzyme arabinose-5-phosphate isomerase, which suggests a downregulation of the metabolite arabinose-5-phosphate, which may interfere with the Calvin cycle through enzyme inhibition and substrate competition. Certain domains of unknown function that were found to be important in the analysis may indicate yet unknown regulatory mechanisms in Calvin cycle-utilizing microbes. Our gene ranking provides targets for experiments seeking to improve CO2 fixation, or engineer novel CO2-fixing organisms.
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| 35. |
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| 36. |
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| 37. |
- Bally, Marta, et al.
(författare)
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Lipid-based bioanalytical sensors
- 2021
-
Ingår i: Handbook of lipid membranes. - Boca Raton : CRC Press. - 9781466555723 - 9781032014418 - 9780429194078 ; , s. 241-269
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Bokkapitel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Lipid assemblies have attracted considerable interest as components in bioanalytical sensors. They provide a native-like environment for the immobilization of membrane proteins and for the study of membrane-related processes. Liposomes are also excellent bioanalytical assay components since selected functionalities can be added to the membrane while their aqueous interior can encapsulate a variety of molecules. This chapter highlights the potential of lipid assemblies in surface-based affinity sensors. It first describes how such sensors are created, providing an overview of lipid immobilization strategies together with a summary of the major transduction techniques used to probe binding at and transport through membrane interfaces. It then reviews the implementation of lipid-based sensors in the study of membrane proteins and membrane-mediated interactions, followed by a discussion of the potential of liposomes as nanoscale labels and as nanoreactors. Finally, it illustrates how external forces can be used to manipulate membrane component for biosensing applications.
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| 38. |
- Bally, Marta, 1981, et al.
(författare)
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Lipid-Based Bioanalytical Sensors
- 2021
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Ingår i: Handbook of Lipid Membranes Molecular, Functional, and Materials Aspects. - Boca Raton : CRC Press. - 9781466555730 ; , s. 241-270, s. 241-269
-
Bokkapitel (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract
- Lipid assemblies have attracted considerable interest as components in bioanalytical sensors. They provide a native-like environment for the immobilization of membrane proteins and for the study of membrane-related processes. Liposomes are also excellent bioanalytical assay components since selected functionalities can be added to the membrane while their aqueous interior can encapsulate a variety of molecules. This chapter highlights the potential of lipid assemblies in surface-based affinity sensors. It first describes how such sensors are created, providing an overview of lipid immobilization strategies together with a summary of the major transduction techniques used to probe binding at and transport through membrane interfaces. It then reviews the implementation of lipid-based sensors in the study of membrane proteins and membrane-mediated interactions, followed by a discussion of the potential of liposomes as nanoscale labels and as nanoreactors. Finally, it illustrates how external forces can be used to manipulate membrane component for biosensing applications.
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| 39. |
- Ban, Jiaxing, et al.
(författare)
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Advances in the use of recycled non-ferrous slag as a resource for non-ferrous metal mine site remediation
- 2022
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Ingår i: Environmental Research. - : Elsevier. - 0013-9351 .- 1096-0953. ; 213
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Forskningsöversikt (refereegranskat)abstract
- The growing global demand for non-ferrous metals has led to serious environmental issues involving uncovered mine site slag dumps that threaten the surrounding soils, surface waters, groundwater, and the atmosphere. Remediation of these slags using substitute cement materials for ordinary Portland cement (OPC) and precursors for alkali-activated materials (AAMs) can convert hazardous solid wastes into valuable construction materials, as well as to attain the desired solidification and stabilization (S/S) of heavy metal(loid)s (HM). This review discusses the current research on the effect of non-ferrous slags on the reaction mechanisms of the OPC and AAM. The S/S of HM from the non-ferrous slags in AAM and OPC is also reviewed. HM can be stabilized in these materials based on the complex salt effect and isomorphic effects. The major challenges faced in AAMs and OPC for HM stabilization include the long-term durability of the matrix (e.g., sulfate attack, stability of volume). The existing knowledge gaps and future trends for the sustainable application of non-ferrous slags are also discussed.
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| 40. |
- Bar, N., et al.
(författare)
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A reference map of potential determinants for the human serum metabolome
- 2020
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Ingår i: Nature. - : Nature Research. - 0028-0836 .- 1476-4687. ; 588:7836, s. 135-140
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- The serum metabolome contains a plethora of biomarkers and causative agents of various diseases, some of which are endogenously produced and some that have been taken up from the environment1. The origins of specific compounds are known, including metabolites that are highly heritable2,3, or those that are influenced by the gut microbiome4, by lifestyle choices such as smoking5, or by diet6. However, the key determinants of most metabolites are still poorly understood. Here we measured the levels of 1,251 metabolites in serum samples from a unique and deeply phenotyped healthy human cohort of 491 individuals. We applied machine-learning algorithms to predict metabolite levels in held-out individuals on the basis of host genetics, gut microbiome, clinical parameters, diet, lifestyle and anthropometric measurements, and obtained statistically significant predictions for more than 76% of the profiled metabolites. Diet and microbiome had the strongest predictive power, and each explained hundreds of metabolites—in some cases, explaining more than 50% of the observed variance. We further validated microbiome-related predictions by showing a high replication rate in two geographically independent cohorts7,8 that were not available to us when we trained the algorithms. We used feature attribution analysis9 to reveal specific dietary and bacterial interactions. We further demonstrate that some of these interactions might be causal, as some metabolites that we predicted to be positively associated with bread were found to increase after a randomized clinical trial of bread intervention. Overall, our results reveal potential determinants of more than 800 metabolites, paving the way towards a mechanistic understanding of alterations in metabolites under different conditions and to designing interventions for manipulating the levels of circulating metabolites.
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| 41. |
- Barron, Andrew, et al.
(författare)
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The financial crisis and the gathering of political intelligence : A cross-country comparison of SMEs in France, Sweden and the UK
- 2010
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Ingår i: International Small Business Journal. - : SAGE. - 0266-2426 .- 1741-2870. ; , s. 1-22
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- This article reports the findings of a study that compared cross-national differences in how small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) monitored political responses to the economic and financial crisis of 2007–2009. Original, empirical data collected through an online survey of 206 small business managers in France, Sweden and the UK were analysed to explore the extent that they monitored policy responses to the crisis, their motivations for doing so, and the sources of information they used for political intelligence gathering purposes. The findings show that the monitoring of political initiatives by SMEs in response to the recession varied in accordance with the extent to which their countries are affected by the recession. Also, small business managers on the whole considered it more important, despite the international nature of the crisis, to monitor political responses in national rather than supranational political settings. Contrary to our expectations, we found that SMEs across all three countries drew on similarly wide sources of information when monitoring policy responses to the crisis. Also surprising was the finding that SME managers in the UK relied heavily on official government sources when gathering intelligence on attempts to alleviate the recession’s effects.
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| 42. |
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| 43. |
- Bauman, Cecilia, et al.
(författare)
-
Mutuality and understanding through web-based support during specialised palliative home care : Family caregivers’ and patients’ experiences
- 2024
-
Konferensbidrag (refereegranskat)abstract
- Background/Aim Family caregivers and patients in palliative care are often mutually dependent, supporting each other through the impact of serious illness. The possibility to cope as a couple is of particular importance for family caregivers when providing care at home. A psycho-educational website was developed to support family caregivers in this situation. In short videos healthcare professionals and family caregivers (actors) interact, discussing issues known to be of importance for family caregivers, for example illness-related communication and planning for the future. This study aimed to explore influences of web-based support on experiences of mutual support between family caregivers and patients with life-threatening illness.Methods This study was part of a randomised controlled trial and used a qualitative approach. In total, 8 couples were interviewed, one family caregiver and one patient together in each interview (age 46–85). Data were analysed using interpretive description.Results Both family caregivers and patients appreciated the opportunity for family caregivers to have their own private platform of support. For each of them personally, and as a couple, it was relieving that also family caregivers’ needs gained attention and were put into focus. Family caregivers expressed feelings of normalisation as their own thoughts were addressed in the videos. Recognising the situations described in the videos was empowering, helping to cope with their own stress and strain, as well as facing the patient’s similar feelings. This facilitated their everyday life as a couple supporting each other in illness. Couples described themselves as being a team.Conclusions This website, supporting family caregivers, influenced family caregivers’ and patients’ mutual life by enhancing understanding of the shared situation and how to approach it. Although only family caregivers did access the website, it was beneficial for both of them in their everyday life.
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| 44. |
- Bauman, Cecilia, et al.
(författare)
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Recognition and reassurance through web-based support for family caregivers during specialised palliative home care
- 2024
-
Konferensbidrag (refereegranskat)abstract
- Background/Aims Even though in person supportive group interventions for family caregivers have been effective they can also be challenging to implement. Web-based support could be an alternative and hence we developed a website focused on a psycho-education for family caregivers. In short videos healthcare professionals and family caregivers (actors) interact, discussing issues known to be of importance for family caregivers. Informative texts and a moderated chat forum are also included. This study aimed to explore family caregivers’ experiences of the website while caring for a patient with life-threatening illness at home.Methods The present study was a part of a randomised controlled trial and used a qualitative approach. Interviews were performed with 16 family caregivers (age 42–85); 12 partners, 2 adult children, 1 parent, and 1 sibling. Data were analysed using qualitative content analysis.Results Family caregivers appreciated the flexibility and possibility to access the website at a time and place of their own convenience when ready to do so. Having access to the website was perceived as reassuring because caregivers knew they could access support when needed throughout the illness progression. Using the website made it easier to approach and reflect upon issues related to incurable illness and death, it also facilitated addressing such issues with the patient. The videos contributed to a sense of recognition and comfort when the family caregivers’ own thoughts, concerns, and feelings were described by others. This was important to gain new insights on difficulties and challenges in their role as caregivers. Family caregivers hesitated to use the chat forum even though they wanted to. They expressed waiting for others to initiate a conversation.Conclusions Psycho-education content via a website allowed family caregivers to decide what support they wanted depending on needs, time, and situation. Future research should focus on evaluating effects of web-based support through experimental designs.
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| 45. |
- Behle, Anna, et al.
(författare)
-
Manipulation of topoisomerase expression inhibits cell division but not growth and reveals a distinctive promoter structure in Synechocystis
- 2022
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Ingår i: Nucleic Acids Research. - : Oxford University Press (OUP). - 0305-1048 .- 1362-4962. ; 50:22, s. 12790-12808
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- In cyanobacteria DNA supercoiling varies over the diurnal cycle and is integrated with temporal programs of transcription and replication. We manipulated DNA supercoiling in Synechocystis sp. PCC 6803 by CRISPRi-based knockdown of gyrase subunits and overexpression of topoisomerase I (TopoI). Cell division was blocked but cell growth continued in all strains. The small endogenous plasmids were only transiently relaxed, then became strongly supercoiled in the TopoI overexpression strain. Transcript abundances showed a pronounced 5'/3' gradient along transcription units, incl. the rRNA genes, in the gyrase knockdown strains. These observations are consistent with the basic tenets of the homeostasis and twin-domain models of supercoiling in bacteria. TopoI induction initially led to downregulation of G+C-rich and upregulation of A+T-rich genes. The transcriptional response quickly bifurcated into six groups which overlap with diurnally co-expressed gene groups. Each group shows distinct deviations from a common core promoter structure, where helically phased A-tracts are in phase with the transcription start site. Together, our data show that major co-expression groups (regulons) in Synechocystis all respond differentially to DNA supercoiling, and suggest to re-evaluate the long-standing question of the role of A-tracts in bacterial promoters.
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| 46. |
- Bengtson, Per, et al.
(författare)
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Serum transferrin carrying the xeno-tetrasaccharide NeuAc-Gal-GlcNAc2 is a biomarker of ALG1-CDG.
- 2016
-
Ingår i: Journal of Inherited Metabolic Disease. - : Wiley. - 0141-8955 .- 1573-2665. ; 39:1, s. 107-114
-
Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- ALG1-CDG (formerly CDG-Ik) is a subtype of congenital disorders of glycosylation (CDG) where the genetic defect disrupts the synthesis of the lipid-linked oligosaccharide precursor required for N-glycosylation. The initial step in the investigation for these disorders involves the demonstration of hypoglycosylated serum transferrin (TF). There are no specific biomarkers of this CDG subtype known to date. An LC/MS approach was used to analyze sera from patients with ALG1-CDG, PMM2-CDG, suspected CDG, and individuals with alcohol abuse. We show mass spectrometric data combined with data from enzymatic digestions that suggest the presence of a tetrasaccharide consisting of two N-acetylglucosamines, one galactose, and one sialic acid, appearing on serum TF, is a biomarker of this particular CDG subtype. This is the first time analysis of serum TF can suggest a specific CDG type I subtype and we suggest this tetrasaccharide be used in the clinic to guide the ALG1-CDG diagnostic process.
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| 47. |
- Bergillos-Ruiz, Marta, et al.
(författare)
-
Impact of carrier particle surface properties on drug nanoparticle attachment
- 2024
-
Ingår i: International Journal of Pharmaceutics. - : Elsevier BV. - 0378-5173 .- 1873-3476. ; 651
-
Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Hypothesis: The stabilization and isolation to dryness of drug nanoparticles has always been a challenge for nano-medicine production. In the past, the use of montmorillonite (MMT) clay carrier particles to adsorb drug nanoparticles and maintain their high surface area to volume ratio after isolation to dryness has proven to be effective. We hypothesise that the distribution of hydrophilic and hydrophobic patches on the clay's surface as well as its porosity/roughness, hinder the agglomeration of the drug nanoparticles to the extent that they retain their high surface area to volume ratio and display fast dissolution profiles. Experiments: In this work, the distribution of hydrophobicity and hydrophilicity, and the porosity/roughness, of the surface of selected silica carrier particles were varied and the impact of these variations on drug nanoparticle attachment to the carrier particle and subsequent dissolution profiles was studied. Findings: The fastest dissolution profiles at the highest drug nanoparticle loadings were obtained with a periodic mesoporous organosilane carrier particle which had a homogeneous distribution of hydrophobic and hydrophilic surface properties. Carrier particles with rough/porous surfaces and a combination of hydrophobic and hydrophilic patches resulted in nanocomposite powders with faster dissolution behaviour than carrier particles with predominantly either a hydrophobic or hydrophilic surface, or with non-porous/smoother surfaces.
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| 48. |
- Bergqvist, Tomas, 1962-, et al.
(författare)
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Podcasting in School
- 2008
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Rapport (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract
- Podcasting is a new phenomenon in Swedish schools. This pa- per describes a project where the main goal is to analyze if the students’ interest in mathematics is affected if the mathematics is made accessible via podcasts and iPods. Teachers at eleven schools were encouraged to produce podcasts as a part of their mathematics teaching in school year eight. The results indicate an increased interest in mathematics and the learning of mathematics among the students. We also found that the tech- nical difficulties for the teachers were underestimated in the project, and that teachers had difficulties in finding time for the production of podcasts.
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| 49. |
- Bergqvist, Tomas, 1962-, et al.
(författare)
-
Podcasting in school
- 2009
-
Ingår i: Sixth Research Seminar of the Swedish Society for Research in Mathematics Education (MADIF 6). - In press.
-
Konferensbidrag (refereegranskat)abstract
- Podcasting is a new phenomenon in Swedish schools. This paper describes a project where the main goal is to analyze if the students’ interest in mathematics is affected if the mathematics is made accessible via podcasts and ipods. Teachers at eleven schools were encouraged to produce podcasts as a part of their mathematics teaching in school-year eight. The results indicate an increased interest in mathematics and the learning of mathematics among the students. We also found that the technical difficulties for the teachers were underestimated in the project, and that teachers had difficulties in finding time for the production of podcasts.
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| 50. |
- Bergström, Peter, 1975-
(författare)
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Designing for the unknown : Didactical design for process-based assessment in technology-rich learning environments
- 2012
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Doktorsavhandling (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract
- This thesis is based on a study of the development of education through theinnovative use of process-based assessment in technology-rich learningenvironments in teacher and nurse education. The study of process-basedassessment addresses the aim of creating a better understanding of the shiftin emphasis from teaching to learning with regard to theory and practice.The research questions address the use of process-based assessment, andhow the social relationships and issues of content can be understood intechnology-rich learning environments. A methodological approachinvolving design-based research was found to be especially applicable. Thestudy was designed in three iterative didactical design cycles for processbasedassessment in which the first and third cycles were analysed. Theempirical material comprises qualitative semi-structured interviews withteachers and students and questionnaires with students. The empiricalmaterial was analysed through inductive thematic analysis. The theoreticalanalyses in the comprising articles are mainly based on Bernstein’stheoretical framework for studying social relationships through concepts ofsymbolic power and control. For understanding change, with regard to theshift in emphasis from teaching to learning, the analysis is taken to a metalevelby applying Bernstein’s concept of pedagogical device.The results outline the shift in emphasis from teaching to learning fromboth a theoretical and practice perspective. Theoretically, the shift inemphasis from teaching to learning is based upon a shift in symbolic powerand control for teachers. In practice, the shift of symbolic power and controlbetween the teacher, student and content outline considerable overlapsbetween teacher-student, teacher-content and student-content. The overlapshighlight the empirical contribution in this thesis through the concept of“process” that is understood as a negotiation between teacher-student,teacher-content and student-content. The weakening symbolic powerrelationship made a multi-dimensional analysis of the teacher-studentcontentrelationship possible. Theoretically, the shift of symbolic poweroutlines a process of recontextualisation of a new discourse for teaching,learning and assessment. The multi-dimensional analysis highlights thetheoretical contributions to understanding the concept of discourse fromBernstein’s perspective through which the content and context create thediscourse. For practice, process-based assessment frames the notion ofdesigning for the unknown. Designing for the unknown is considered as aframework based upon a set of rules through which teachers and studentsadapt to a problematising approach in teaching, learning and assessment
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