| 1. |
- Sundqvist, Kristina, 1973-
(författare)
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Beyond Recreational Gambling : a Psychological Perspective on Risk- and Problem Gambling
- 2016
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Doktorsavhandling (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract
- The general aim of this thesis was to examine risk gambling in the general population from a psychological perspective. This was done in three studies targeting personality, risky alcohol habits and gambling motives, respectively. Initially, 19 530 randomly assigned Swedish citizens were screened for problem gambling via telephone using the two questions in the Lie/Bet questionnaire. This sample constitutes the basis for one of the studies in the thesis. For the other studies, individuals answering yes to one of the questions in the Lie/Bet questionnaire and agreeing to participate further were sent a postal questionnaire. The questionnaire included questions about gambling, personality and gambling motives. Some of the main results showed that:Negative consequences of gambling were associated with higher levels of impulsivity and negative affectivity.Risk gamblers reported lower levels of negative affectivity compared to the general population.Compared to non-risk gamblers, twice as many of the risk gamblers reported weekly binge drinking during the past 12 months. This association, however, seemed to be explained by shared demographic characteristics, rather than by the risk gambling causing binge drinking.High risk gamblers more often reported that they gambled for the challenge and for coping reasons, compared to low risk gamblers.High risk gamblers had overall stronger motives for gambling.The results also indicated that the level of risk gambling was highly intertwined with gambling motives and could explain some differences in gambling motives between, for example, women/men and younger/older gamblers.One of the focal points in the discussion was that higher levels of negative affectivity may be a cause of elevated problems rather than a cause of risk gambling. Another issue discussed was that the level of risk- /problem gambling may be important to consider when comparing gambling motives across subgroups of gamblers.
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| 2. |
- Isehed, Catrine, 1958-
(författare)
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Peri-implantitis : treatment and effects of enamel matrix derivative
- 2018
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Doktorsavhandling (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract
- Biological complications affecting osseointegrated dental implants are a growing treatment problem in clinical practice. Since the number of implant carriers has increased in recent decades, this is an urgent topic in dentistry. Peri-implantitis, inflammatory degradation of the implant-supporting jawbone, affects approximately 20% of all implant carriers and approximately 10% of all implants.Implant surfaces are colonised by microbes that may cause an inflammatory process in the soft tissue around the implant. In some sensitive individuals, the inflammatory response leads to disturbed jawbone remodelling, with increased recruitment and activity of bone-resorbing osteoclasts, which could ultimately lead to implant loss. The corresponding degradation of the bone supporting the teeth is denoted as periodontitis. The current view is that factors such as proinflammatory cytokines and prostaglandins, produced by leukocytes and cells of mesenchymal origin in the inflamed connective tissue, are responsible for local osteoclast recruitment and activation. Pro-inflammatory factors and tissue degradation products will leak into the exudate in the peri-implant sulci and the gingival pockets around the teeth. Analysis of the exudate could be of use for predicting and monitoring peri-implantitis, as well as identifying new targets for treatment.The standard treatment for peri-implantitis is surgery in combination with mechanical cleaning of the implant surface and optimisation of oral hygiene, with the goal of achieving infection control and pocket reduction. This treatment has a moderate effect on healing of the peri-implantitis lesion around the dental implant. The use of adjunctive bone grafts, membranes and antimicrobials has thus far not been shown to achieve a more successful outcome. Adjunctive treatment with enamel matrix derivative (EMD) during regenerative periodontal surgery contributes to wound healing and increased tissue support, but the adjunctive effect of EMD during surgical treatment of peri-implantitis remains unknown.The overall aim of this thesis was to investigate the outcome of a regenerative surgical treatment approach with and without adjunctive EMD treatment from the short- and long-term perspectives and to increase our knowledge of microbial flora and biomarkers in the peri-implant sulci before and after treatment. Furthermore, an additional aim of this work was to investigate whether EMD could directly affect osteoclast formation and activity.We performed a randomised controlled clinical trial of a surgical intervention for peri-implantitis with and without EMD. In multivariate modelling, an increased marginal bone level at the implant site 12 months after surgery was significantly associated with EMD, the number of osseous walls in the peri-implant bone defect and a gram-positive/aerobic microbial flora, whereas a reduced bone level was associated with a gram-negative/anaerobic microbial flora and the presence of bleeding and pus, with a cross-validated predictive capacity (Q2) of 36.4%. Similar trends were observed for bone level, pocket depth, plaque, pus and bleeding, but these associations were statistically non-significant in the univariate analysis. Five years after treatment, no significant differences in bone level changes were observed between groups, but fewer implants were lost to follow-up due to reinfections in the EMD-treated group.We used mass spectrometry to analyse the protein content in peri-implant crevicular fluid (PICF) before and up to 12 months after treatment. The total protein amount and diversity displayed decreasing trends 3, 6 and 12 months after treatment. Multivariate analysis of the PICF protein content revealed two major groups, cluster 2 and cluster 3, of which cluster 2 was associated with an increased risk of implant loss. EMD treatment was associated with cluster 3, which was in turn associated with increased implant survival.To test whether EMD affects osteoclast formation or bone resorption, we added purified EMD to RANKL-stimulated mouse bone marrow macrophage cultures in plastic dishes and counted the number of osteoclasts. We also cultured the cells on bone slices and measured the secretion of TRAP5b and the release of CTX-1 into the culture medium as biomarkers of osteoclast numbers and bone resorption, respectively, but no effect of EMD was observed.In conclusion, adjunctive EMD during surgical treatment of peri-implantitis changed the microbial flora to a less pathogenic microbiota, and similar changes in the inflammatory protein profile of PICF were observed; these effects were associated with implant survival. However, the trend toward a positive healing response after EMD treatment was not associated with a significant radiographic bone gain in this study and needs to be further explored. In addition, our finding that EMD did not affect osteoclast formation or bone resorption in vitro indicates that the effect of EMD on bone regeneration, as seen in periodontitis treatment, does not seem to depend on a direct inhibitory effect on osteoclast formation or bone resorption.
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| 3. |
- Ringnér, Anders, 1975-
(författare)
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Information till föräldrar som har barn med cancer
- 2013
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Doktorsavhandling (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract
- Bakgrund. Föräldrar till barn som har cancer upplever en livssituation som präglas av osäkerhet och oro och de ställs inför sociala och känslomässiga utmaningar. Jämfört med föräldrar till friska barn, upplever de också högre stress och drabbas i större utsträckning av posttraumatiska stressymptom. Trots att information om barnets sjukdom är ett centralt behov för föräldrarna, upplever de otillfredsställelse med den information som ges.Syfte. Syftet med denna avhandling var att inom barnonkologisk vård beskriva vårdares och föräldrars upplevelser av information, studera deras inbördes interaktion samt beskriva upplevelser och effekter av en intervention för personcentrerad information till föräldrar.Metod. I delstudie I–III användes fokusgruppintervjuer (I, II), individuella intervjuer (II, III) och deltagande observationer (III). Deltagarna bestod av 20 vårdare (I), 14 föräldrar till barn med cancer (II) respektive 25 vårdare och 25 föräldrar (III). Data analyserades med kvalitativ innehållsanalys (I, II) och diskurspsykologi (III). I delstudie IV testades en intervention för personcentrerad information på åtta föräldrar med hjälp av en experimentell single-case-design. Data samlades in med kvalitativa intervjuer och internetenkäter. Upplevd stress, kroppsliga symptom på stress, ångest, nedstämdhet och tillfredsställelse med information var utfallsmått.Resultat. I delstudie I bestod resultatet av två teman: anpassa mängden information till föräldrarnas behov, som handlade om skillnader i hur mycket information som gavs till föräldrarna utifrån vårdarnas bedömning av föräldrarnas behov, och navigera i en vag struktur, som handlade om brister i ansvar, miljö, tajming och språk när informationen lämnades.I delstudie II konstruerades två teman. Känna sig bekräftad som en viktig person handlade om att föräldrarna kände sig trygga, kunde hålla hoppet uppe och fick stöd från andra föräldrar. Temat var mer framträdande under behandlingens tidiga skeden. Det andra temat var känna sig som en objuden gäst vilket handlade om att kännas övergiven vid viktiga milstolpar, att tvingas tjata sig till information och att belastas av att själv behöva informera andra inom sjukvården.I delstudie III använde vårdarna tolkningsrepertoarer som var barn-, föräldra- eller familjeorienterade, vilket avspeglade deras primära fokus i interaktionen. Föräldrarna använde tolkningsrepertoarer som talesperson, observatör eller familjemedlem. Hur dessa kombinerades inbördes påverkade interaktionen.I delstudie IV erfor föräldrarna stor tillfredsställelse med den personcentrerade informationen och upplevde att de hade nytta av att på egen hand få diskutera barnets sjukdom och ställa frågor de annars inte skulle ställt. Interventionen visade ingen effekt på stress eller kroppsliga symptom på stress, ångest och nedstämdhet.Slutsatser. För att förbättra information till föräldrar som har barn med cancer är det en central uppgift att bedöma hur mycket och vilken information som ska ges vid varje tillfälle, att uppmärksamma att föräldrarna kan ha andra informationsbehov än barnet och att möten med föräldrarna ska ske i lugn och ro samt att organisera vården så att ansvaret är tydligt. I synnerhet bör det ske förbättringar kring det som föräldrarna upplever som viktiga milstolpar under barnets sjukdomstid. Interventionen för personcentrerad information uppskattades av föräldrar som har barn med cancer men effekten på föräldrarnas psykosociala välbefinnande behöver utforskas ytterligare.
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| 4. |
- Axelsson, Anton, 1981-
(författare)
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Knowledge elicitation as abstraction of purposive behaviour
- 2019
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Doktorsavhandling (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract
- Researchers use knowledge elicitation methods to document expert knowledge for the primary purpose of understanding cognitive processes and with this understanding, technical solutions to resolve human factors issues can be produced. This dissertation offers a novel perspective on knowledge elicitation as an abstraction process. Such a theoretical framework has emerged by consolidating the ecological approach of Brunswikian psychology with the ideas of tacit and personal knowledge of Polanyian epistemology. Traditionally, knowledge elicitation has been considered an extraction process in which knowledge can be readily transferred from one individual to another. Here, this traditional position is rejected in favour of Polanyi’s premise that much of the knowledge individuals possess is tacit in nature, which implies that it cannot be documented easily, expressed in explicit form or explained. In this dissertation, knowledge is characterised as a personal process of knowing, highlighting context as a subjective knowledge structure of personal experiences that is formulated implicitly and indirectly over time through a dynamic interaction with the environment. Therefore, tacit knowledge cannot be articulated or shared; however, learners can be inspired by observing other individuals' purposive (i.e., goal-directed) behaviours and thus shape their own tacit knowledge once they practise the observed skills and develop conceptual understanding through reasoning about the learning process. Knowledge elicitation thereby makes use of observations, questions, or more structured process tracing methods in environments familiar to the observed individuals to elicit purposive behaviour from them. Accordingly, functional descriptions can be produced in this process that further conceptual understanding of a particular domain. Knowledge elicitation procedures are a powerful set of methods for reaching such functional descriptions. Moreover, by understanding the resulting knowledge elicitation data as an abstraction derived from multiple collection points in the same environment, the focus shifts from purely subjective mental constructs to the impact of environmental constraints.
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| 5. |
- Chisalita, Simona I., 1972-
(författare)
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Expression and function of IGF-I and insulin receptors in human micro- and macrovascular cells
- 2008
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Doktorsavhandling (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract
- Insulin-like growth factor and insulin are phylogenetically closely related polypeptides and have large structural and biological similarities. Low circulating insulin-like growth factor-I (IGF-I), diabetes as well as insulin resistance have been implicated in the pathogenesis of cardiovascular disease, but the mechanisms involved are still not clear. Furthermore, little is known about direct effects of insulin-like growth factor-I (IGF-I) and insulin on human micro- and macrovascular cells.In these studies we investigated the expression and function of insulin-like growth factor-I receptors (IGF-IR) and insulin receptors (IR) in human micro- and macrovascular endothelial cells and in human coronary artery smooth muscle cells.Our results showed expression of both IGF-IR and IR in human dermal microvascular (HMVEC), aortic (HAEC) umbilical vein (HUVEC) and coronary artery (HCAEC) endothelial cells as well as in human coronary artery smooth muscle cells (HASMC). The gene expression of IGF-IR was several times more abundant than that of IR. Ligand binding studies confirmed that the IGF-IR was severalfold more abundant than the IR. It also demonstrated that insulin and glargine interacted with the IGF-IR with thousand- and hundredfold, respectively, less potency than IGF-I itself. The presence of IGF-IR and IR proteins and activation of their β-subunits was revealed by immunoprecipitation and Western blot analysis in human macrovascular endothelial cells and in coronary artery smooth muscle cells. At physiological concentrations (≤10-9 M) IGF-I and insulin activated their cognate receptors. The presence of hybrid IR/IGF-IR was shown through detection of the β-subunit for IGF-IR and IR on the same membrane by Western blot after immunoprecipitation with specific antibodies against either IGF-IR or IR, implying coprecipitation of the IGF-IR β-subunit and the IR β-subunit. The inability of physiological concentrations of insulin to phosphorylate IR β-subunit immunoprecipitated with IGF-IR antibodies and that IGF-I at physiological concentration activates the IR β-subunit is another evidence for the presence of the hybrid IR/IGF-IR. At physiological concentrations (≤10-9 M) IGF-I stimulated DNA synthesis and glucose incorporation into human coronary artery smooth muscle cells (HCASMC) and DNA synthesis in microvascular endothelial cells (HMVEC), but not in human macrovascular endothelial cells (HCAEC or HUVEC). No effect of insulin was found. Although physiological concentrations of insulin (≤10-9 M) were able to activate IR, insulin had no biological effects on the vascular cells studied. A possible explanation is that the insulin receptor signalling is too attenuated due to the presence of hybrid IR/IGF-IR and low number of IR expressed in the cells studied. Regarding the safety in the use of glargine, we show that glargine has 10-fold higher affinity for IGF-IR than human insulin. However, the glargine concentrations obtained in vivo during diabetes treatment is too low to affect the IGF-IR.In conclusions our studies provide experimental evidence that human micro- and macrovascular endothelial and vascular smooth muscle cells express both IGF-IR and IR. Our in vitro data suggest that the cells studied are sensitive to IGF-I, but insensitive to insulin and this is due to the preponderance of IGF-IR and presence of hybrid IR/IGF-IR.
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| 6. |
- Erlandsson, Mikael
(författare)
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Usability in Transportation : Improving the analysis of cognitive work tasks
- 2006
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Licentiatavhandling (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract
- In most vehicle domains within the transportation sector, traffic is increasing and vehicles are becoming more technologically advanced. In addition to this, drivers are faced with conflicting goals, such as punctuality, maintaining safety, minimizing fuel consumption, ensuring passenger comfort, etc. When accidents occur, the drivers' actions and mishaps are often in focus, even though the work environment, the organization behind the drivers, and the educational level may provide equally important explanations for incidents and actions.In this thesis, factors influencing operators' behaviour are acknowledged and attempts are made to understand how these factors affect vehicle operators in their daily work. Even though modern vehicles are equipped with new technology that supposedly aids drivers, studies of actual work typically reveal that these tools are not necessarily suited for their purpose.In a larger perspective, it is necessary not only to improve this technology, but to redesign how vehicle drivers perform their work. In practice, also traditional processes for development of technology affect how the operators work, although then simply a side effect of technology being introduced. Based on a deep understanding of the operators' work, the long-term goal here is to instead design new ways of working that allows the operators to use their skills to do meaningful driving tasks supported by technology.To acquire this understanding of how the operators work, a new method of information acquisition has been developed and tested within the rail and marine domains. These studies resulted with an understanding of what train and high-speed ferry operators are occupied with during their journeys, as well as insights into why they perform in certain manners and how they think and reason about these tasks.
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| 7. |
- Erlandsson, Mikael, 1979-
(författare)
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What's in your mind? : Collegial Verbalisation – An ecological approach to knowledge elicitation
- 2014
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Doktorsavhandling (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract
- Knowledge elicitation of the work of professional operators, using traditional methods such as concurrent or retrospective verbalization is problematic. Concurrent verbalization distracts the operators from their primary task, and the operators have difficulties in verbalizing about their automated work tasks. Retrospective verbalization on the other hand, suffers from rationalization problems. An operator might give a perfectly good explanation of some action taken and might also be completely confident about truth of the verbalized information, when it in fact is incorrect. To overcome some of these problems, this thesis presents a new complementary verbalization method called Collegial Verbalization (CV).The CV-method utilizes the shared knowledge among work colleagues to improve the quality of the resulting information. The method consists roughly of the following steps; (1) Video tape subjects while they are working. (2) Play back interesting events to the subject’s colleagues individually and let them verbalize on the subject’s actions. (3) Compare the colleagues’ verbal reports to each other to find similarities, differences, etc. Throughout my research I have formulated, defined and assessed the new method in detail. The method has been applied to study train drivers, high-speed ferry operators, train traffic dispatchers and the medical staff at intensive care units.Comparative studies have shown; (1) that CV-protocols can be used as an independent source of data, (2) that colleagues produce reports with similar characteristics of retrospective verbal reports, (3) that the CV-method can produce more information than retrospective verbalization, because of the advantage of using multiple narrators. When the intention is to gather data as input to design, rather than establishing the original thought processes form the time of the studied events, the CV-method can also produce more reliable information than retrospective verbalization, because of the advantage of using multiple narrators.Based on these results, I have concluded that the CV-method has a clear advantage as a complementary information acquisition method, when studying the work of professional operators. The thesis ends with a discussion about several additional possible applications for the CV-method, such as applied team learning or psychological research in the field of decision making.
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| 8. |
- Jansson, Ulrika, 1977-
(författare)
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Forest edges in boreal landscapes - factors affecting edge influence
- 2009
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Doktorsavhandling (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract
- The boreal forest in Fennoscandia has been subjected to major loss and fragmentation of natural forests due to intensive forestry. This has resulted in that forest edges are now abundant and important landscape features. Edges have documented effects on the structure, function and biodiversity in forests. Edge influence on biodiversity is complex and depends on interactions between many local and regional factors. This thesis focuses on sharp forest edges and their potential to influence biodiversity at the landscape-level. I have developed a method for quantification and characterization of sharp forest edges by interpretation of colour infrared (CIR) aerial photographs in combination with line intersect sampling (LIS) and sample plots. The method was used to estimate density of forest edge in 28 landscapes (each 1600 ha) in northern Sweden, differing in management intensity, landscape composition and geographical location. Forest edges were described in detail using edge, canopy and neighbourhood attributes. By combining these attributes it was possible to classify edges with respect to levels of exposure. A field experiment was conducted to examine the effect of edge contrast on growth of the old forest lichen Usnea longissima. The edge quantification method is accurate and efficient for estimating the length of sharp forest edges on an area basis (edge density, m ha-1) and for collecting detailed attributes of edges and their surroundings. In northern Sweden, the forest edge density is high (54 m ha-1) but varies extensively (12-102 m ha-1) between landscapes. Edge density is strongly correlated with the level of human disturbance and increases towards the southern part of the study area, at lower altitudes were management intensity is highest. Edge orientation, contrast and neighbourhood size shows an immense variation between edges and also varies between edge types. Regenerating edges are generally of higher contrast and face larger neighbourhoods than natural edges. Maintained edges had high contrast but small neighbourhoods. A larger proportion of edges in mature forests are highly exposed to microclimatic edge influence than edges in general. The field experiment revealed that growth of U. longissima was highest near edges where the vegetation on the adjacent area was sheltering, but not shading, the lichen. In the present thesis, I have provided a valuable tool for estimating density of forest edges with potential to yield information on important factors determining edge influence at landscape-level. The large variability in edge density, edge and neighbourhood attributes imply large differences in microclimate anf thus in the potential for ede influence. Management and conservation strategies must incorporate these factors to realistically address edge influence on biota at the landscape-level.
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| 9. |
- Johansson, Anders
(författare)
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Poesins negativitet : en studie i Karl Vennbergs kritik och lyrik
- 2000
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Doktorsavhandling (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract
- The aim of this dissertation is to investigate the theoretical views underlying Karl Vennberg's literary criticism, and then to use these views as a starting point for a study of his poetry. Thus, the book is largely divided into two parts. The first deals with Vennberg's reviews and essays, the second with his poetry.As a critic and a modernist poet, Vennberg defends the autonomy of literature, but not from the organicist or aestheticising viewpoint common to post-romantic poetics. Instead, he brings to the fore another part of the heritage from romantic literary theory: the view of literature as ironic, critical and endlessly open. In his concept of irony as an endlessly ambiguous negativity, we encounter an understanding of literature that permeates all of his work. Poetry is, thus, defined by him as a freedom in relation to everything decided - a critical, destructive force that questions ingrained ideas, concepts and ideologies in the name of nothing more than negation.This theoretical stand also characterises Vennberg's relation to mysticism. He obviously feels affiliated to it's negative, critical side, it's via negativa, but does not accept the dialectics through which it reappropriates negativity into religious belief.The final part of the dissertation consists of close readings of specific poems, brought into relief by the theoretical context found in Vennberg's critical writings.
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| 10. |
- Mikaelsson, Rickard, 1975-
(författare)
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Promoting Democracy : Sweden and the democratisation process in Macedonia
- 2008
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Doktorsavhandling (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract
- This dissertation contributes to an increased understanding of democracy promotion. Empirically, the study focuses on the multi-faced democratisation process in Macedonia; the official Swedish policy for democracy promotion; and actual Swedish attempts to promote democracy in Macedonia in the period 2000–2006. Theoretically, the study advances an analytical framework, which serves to bring clarity to democracy promotion as a concept. It is argued that democracy promotion embodies six structural components, and should be understood as activities adopted and/or supported by foreign actors, as part of a relationship between the democracy promoter and the recipient country, based on a set of motives and shaped through the use of different strategies, methods and channels. Moreover, the issue of impact is investigated. The analytical framework is used to investigate the character of Swedish democracy promotion, and to develop a typology of the roles of democracy promotion in democratisation processes. It is argued that the Swedish policy for democracy promotion is permeated by a Swedish democratic self-image, eclectic theoretical reflection, and flexibility. In addition, it is argued that Sweden is primarily driven by altruistic and ideological motives, and acts to promote legal and societal democracy, and that the allocation of democracy promotion resources is based on theoretical as well as practical considerations. Macedonia’s democratisation process is analysed, and on the basis of the Swedish attempts to promote democracy in Macedonia, the study advances a typology of the roles of democracy promotion in democratisation processes, these being: educator, initiator, and supporter. Together with the analytical framework, this role typology provides new possibilities to study, and understand, democracy promotion.
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| 11. |
- Nehlin Gordh, Christina, 1958-
(författare)
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Alcohol Use and Secondary Prevention in Psychiatric Care
- 2012
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Doktorsavhandling (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract
- Although alcohol plays an important role in psychiatric morbidity, there is a general lack of strategies within psychiatric care to intervene at alcohol problems in an early stage (secondary prevention). The aim of this thesis was to increase knowledge of adequate forms of secondary alcohol prevention in psychiatric care. The capacity of three brief screening instruments was investigated in a psychiatric outpatient sample (n=1811). The results indicate that the HED (heavy episodic drinking) screener, strongly recommended for health care settings, is not sufficiently sensitive in a psychiatric setting. Instead, the full AUDIT (Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test) is recommended.The knowledge and attitudes of psychiatric staff members to problem-drinking patients were studied and the effects of a three-hour training course were investigated. Confidence in self-perceived capacity to intervene in more severe alcohol problems was raised among all staff after training. Awareness of early signs of problem drinking was raised among psychologists and social workers. The therapeutic attitude of the psychiatric staff was higher when compared with primary care staff.Two forms of brief intervention were delivered by clinical psychiatric staff. At 12 months, 29% of all participants had improved their drinking habits, moving from hazardous to non-hazardous level (21%) or from harmful to hazardous level (8%). In the improved group, mean AUDIT score was reduced from 11.0 points at baseline to 5.5 points. Differences in outcome between the two interventions could not be identified.Nine high-risk drinking young female psychiatric patients were interviewed, focusing on reasons for excessive drinking and factors facilitating a change in drinking habits. Alcohol played an important role in the lives of the young women. It made them feel social and helped them deal with unbearable emotions. It was also used as a means of self-harm, representing the first stage in an escalating self-harm process. They expressed a need for help from their caregivers in addressing the underlying reasons for drinking.Secondary alcohol prevention strategies including appropriate screening methods, staff training and the elaboration of tailored interventions are urgently needed in psychiatric care. The findings of this thesis can be used when forming such strategies.
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| 12. |
- Stensson, Patrik
(författare)
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The Quest for Edge Awareness, Lessons not yet learned : PhD Thesis on practical and situated usefulness of advanced technological systems among inescapable uncertainties and competing interests in a world of dynamic changes
- 2014
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Doktorsavhandling (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract
- This thesis problematizes the concept of usefulness, in part by taking questions to the extreme. The starting point is the contemporary view of usefulness, a view that remains within a traditional paradigm of technical rationality in which important aspects are disregarded or not perceived because they are not part of the equation. For scrutiny of technological usefulness that is a socially situated phenomenon regarding physical systems, neither interpretivist nor positivist research approaches are sufficient. Both views are required. Critical Realism supports such duality, facilitating the combination of elements from different paradigms, and provides methodological guidelines for doing this. The critical realist approach makes it possible to transcend the boundaries of technical rationality and contribute an alternative definition of usefulness that takes into account also the situated, the contextual, and the unpredictable. The aim is that this definition will contribute to a transformation of society.Concepts related to usefulness, such as predictability, controllability, effectiveness, and safety, are revisited, redefined, or complemented. Underlying aspects and mechanisms are explored and tensions identified, resulting in a theoretical contribution with models and frameworks explaining what is argued to be the true nature of usefulness. Potentiality is suggested as a complementary concept to effectiveness, similar to how resilience complements safety. Situated usefulness is then defined using these four concepts. The phenomenon known as situation awareness is scrutinized as well, and complemented by system awareness and the thesis title concept, edge awareness.Four cases, two airline crashes and two nuclear power plant events, and three future scenarios, constitute the empirical contribution. The analysis shows that the contributed frameworks and redefinition of usefulness facilitate different or extended explanations of all four events, and that future cases lack considerations of situated usefulness. Research implications center on the human role and our responsibilities in relation to the technology that we use, and on the meaning of concepts defining this role. We are situated human beings. Our role is to be involved and responsible, a role requiring awareness and controllability. The escalating ubiquity and the character of computerized technological systems make therefore the quest for edge awareness more important than ever.
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| 13. |
- Åberg, Jan, 1977-
(författare)
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Production and emission of CO2 in two unproductive lakes in northern Sweden
- 2009
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Doktorsavhandling (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract
- Unproductive lakes are one of few natural landscape compartments with net release of carbon to the atmosphere. Lakes also generally decrease the net terrestrial carbon uptake, since most of the CO2 production in unproductive lakes are derived from organic carbon produced on land (e.g. in forests). High latitude lakes are predicted to be particularly affected by the global climate change. The carbon cycling in these lakes and their role in the landscape are therefore important to study. In this thesis, carbon turnover processes were studied in two lakes above the arctic circle (Lake Diktar-Erik and Lake Merasjärvi) in year 2004 and 2005. Both lakes were net heterotrophic, with large variations in CO2 concentrations both on shorter (30min) and longer (24h) time-scales. The pelagic habitat supported a major part of the net production of CO2, with larger dynamics in the CO2 production than the sediments. The CO2 variations of the surface water were related to respiration of allochthonous organic carbon, and were affected by the concentration and quality of the DOC, as well as the whole lake water temperatures, and vertical water movements. The emission of CO2 from Lake Merasjärvi was measured with the eddy covariance technique. The results showed that the gas transfer rate during moderate winds were higher than expected, causing the two most commonly used models to underestimate the long term fluxes of CO2 from the lake. Taken together, the results of the thesis show that the studied lakes contributed to bring terrestrial organic carbon back into the atmosphere, driven by a substantial internal CO2 production based on mineralization of allochthonous organic carbon. Major results are that the eddy covariance technique indicated that commonly used models tend to underestimate the net release rate of CO2 from lakes to the atmosphere, and that the lake CO2 dynamics can be the results of interactions between biogeochemical and physical processes in the lake water.
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