Climate adaptation to urban heat : A study of how Swedish municipalities with larger cities are adapting to warmer temperatures through urban planning

The world is currently facing a changing climate and the various negative effects that it entails. In recent decades, enhanced climate adaptation responses have therefore become increasingly common across the world. In Sweden, climate adaptation through urban planning has mainly focused on challenges such as flooding, erosion and sea level rise rather than heat. However, warmer temperatures are recognised as one of the main challenges of climate change, not least for urban areas and the people who live there. Thus, the aim of this thesis was to explore how Swedish municipalities with larger cities work with urban planning to address the challenges of warmer temperatures and how strategies for adaptation to urban heat are portrayed in municipal planning documents. This was done through a qualitative document analysis of municipal planning documents from three Swedish municipalities, Huddinge, Kristianstad and Norrköping. The results show that Swedish municipalities in the planning documents mainly portray urban heat as problematic but that some municipalities also choose to highlight possible positive effects. Furthermore, the results show that preserving and enhancing green structures of various sizes can be considered the main strategy for climate adaptation to urban heat in Swedish municipalities. However, some municipalities are also working with a few other strategies, including local investigations, technical measures and increased local knowledge. Lastly, some Swedish municipalities can also be understood to have as strategy to work with clearly formulated goals and measures in their planning documents

Mounting solution for bed lift system : A product development project for generating an adaptable attachment for bed lift and accessories to an existing bed

Under vårterminen 2013 har projektet ”Monteringslösning för sänglyftsystem” genomförts i kursen Examensarbete för högskoleingenjörsexamen i innovationsteknik och design (MSGC12) vid Karlstads universitet. Arbetet utfördes tillsammans med uppdragsgivare ComfortSystem Scandinavia AB, ett företag som marknadsför och utvecklar produkter inom området sängar för vård och omsorg. Projekts målsättning var att finna en ny monteringslösning för uppdragsgivarens produkt, sänglyftsystemet. Produkten är en höj och sänkbar lyft som med hjälp av monteringsbeslag kan monteras under en befintlig säng. Syftet med projektet var att ta fram en lösning som bidrar till att sänglyften går att montera på ett bredare sängsortiment. Lösningen skulle även medge en förbättrad applicerbarhet av de tillbehörshjälpmedel som sedan tidigare funnits med i ComforSystems sortiment och endast varit tillämpbara för en komplett vårdsäng. Med det utvecklade sättet att montera sänglyft och tillbehör var förhoppningarna att försäljningen av produkterna skulle öka samt att kundgruppen skulle breddas.   Projektets genomförande följer den metodik som förordas i produktutvecklingsprocessen. Den iterativa processen kännetecknas av stort fokus vid problemlösning, användaranpassning samt att bruka ett livscykelperspektiv vid utveckling av en ny produkt. Utgångspunkten i projektet var att identifiera behov hos användare av produkten. Intervjuer genomfördes med fyra olika målgrupper, tekniker, ordinatörer, vårdare samt vårdtagare. Användarstudien kompletterades bl.a. med under-sökningar i ergonomi, semantik och produkters miljöpåverkan. Kreativa metoder användes för att finna lösningar vilka i ett senare skede utvärderades genom systematiska beslutsmatriser samt avstämningar med uppdragsgivare.    Arbetet ledde fram till ett slutgiltigt konceptförslag som består av en infästningsanordning samt en tillbehörsram. Konceptet är en flexibel modullösning som går att användas med eller utan möjlighet till infästning av tillbehörshjälpmedel. Lösningen är anpassad till ett större utbud av sängar då infästningen går att variera i höjd och bredd. Tillbehörsramen kan vid behov monteras på fästena i efterhand. Lösningen är individanpassad eftersom brukaren själv kan välja i hur stor utsträckning de vill utnyttja möjligheten att fästa hjälpmedel på sängen. Med den nya lösningen har monteringen blivit både enklare och mer lättförståelig att genomföra då en säker montering av tillbehör numer går att utföra enligt tillbehörsramens uppmärkning för tillbehörsfästen. Denna uppmärkning bidrar till att användaren får större frihet att utforma sin egen säng på de sätt de anser lämpligt för den miljö den vistas i. Då den totala monteringen av infästning och ram kräver färre monteringsmoment än tidigare lösning, har även ergonomin för tekniker som installerar produkten förbättrats.   För vidare arbete mot att nå en slutgiltig produkt krävs att det föreslagna konceptet utvärderas och testas i form av en tillverkad prototyp. Detta arbete lämnas efter avslutat projekt över till uppdrags-givare ComfortSystem.During the spring semester 2013, the project “Mounting solution for bed lift system“ has  been performed in the course Bachelor’s thesis for degree of Bachelor of Science in Innovation and Design Engineering (MSGC12) at Karlstad’s University. The project was performed in cooperation with ComfortSystem Scandinavia AB, a company that develops and markets products in the area of beds for health care. The aim of the project was to find a new mounting solution for a bed lift system. The product is an adjustable lift that can be applied to an ordinary bed by installing mounting brackets.  The purpose of the project was to develop a mounting solution that would be applicable to a wider range of bed types.  In addition, the solution would also allow an improved applicability of the accessories comprising Comfort System’s assortment, that previously only been applied on health care beds. The company ambition of mounting bed lift and accessories to regular beds is to reach a broader segment of customers, thus increasing the sales.   This project follows the methodology recommended for the product development process. The process is iterative and characterizes problem solving and user customization, and includes life cycle perspective of developing a new product.  The starting-point of the project was to identify customers’ requirements. Interviews were made with four different target groups comprising, technicians, ordinators, caregivers and patients (users). The study about the user was supplemented with analysis in ergonomics, semantics and the environmental impact of products.  Creative methods were used to find solutions. Accordingly, the solutions were evaluated through the assessment of systematic matrixes for decisions, and reconciliations with the employer.   The final selection of the concept consist a gadget for attachment, and a frame for accessories.  The concept is a flexible modular solution that can be used with or without the possibility of mounting accessories. Due to the possible variations of height and width, the module is adapted to fit a broader range of beds. The frame for accessories can be added to the product afterward. The solution is customized, thus it allows for the opportunity to secure different facilities to the bed. With the new solution, the assembly has become both easier and more understandable to implement, because the fact that accessories nowadays can be fixed by a new secure mounting method with measured spaced for accessories. In addition, the solution provides the user with more freedom in designing the bed in the way that fits their personal environment. The new solution for mounting have fewer steps for assembly than previous solution, the ergonomic for technicians who install the product has also been improved.    To reach a final product, an evaluation and testing of the proposed concept required, thus a prototype must be made. When the project has been completed, the progress and results of the project are to be handed over to the employer at Comfort System

Host genetic risk factors to viral diseases - a double-edged sword : Studies of norovirus and tick-borne encephalitis virus

It is today well known that the outcome of a certain infection depends on factors of both the host and the pathogen. Studies of host genetic susceptibility to infectious diseases aim to increase the understanding of why some individuals are more susceptible than others, to a certain infection. Knowledge of genetic susceptibility to a viral disease may be used in development of new therapeutic means, and also to recognize individuals who are at increased risk of severe symptoms if infected with a pathogen. It seems however that a risk factor for one disease may play a protective role in another situation; like a double-edged sword. In this thesis I have studied genetic factors affecting susceptibility to norovirus (NoV) and factors affecting the risk of developing tick-borne encephalitis (TBE) after infection with TBE virus (TBEV). NoV is the cause of the “winter vomiting disease”, affecting millions of people every year, and causing up to 200,000 fatalities among children in developing countries, each year. It is today recognized that the secretor status of an individual, i.e. the ability to express ABO blood groups and related antigens, in secretions and on mucosa, affect the risk of being infected by NoV. By studying authentic NoV outbreaks in Denmark, Spain and Sweden and by comparing the secretor status of affected and unaffected individuals we were able to confirm that secretor status have indeed great impact on susceptibility to some NoV strains, but also that there are strains circulating, which infect individuals regardless of secretor status. TBEV is endemic in many parts of Europe and Asia but studies have shown that 70-95% of all infections are asymptomatic or sub-clinical. Some individuals do however develop TBE, a severe disease including meningitis or encephalitis with or without myelitis. Also, many patients suffer from long-time sequelae and TBEV infections may in worst case be fatal. The reason for difference in disease outcome is not known and we have chosen to study if genetic factors affecting the immune response may play a role in disease outcome. To do this we used a prospectively collected Lithuanian material with samples from patients with TBE, AME (aseptic meningoencephalitis) and matched healthy controls. So far we have found that a deletion in chemokine receptor 5 (CCR5), a gene encoding a receptor involved in cell migration, is a risk factor for developing disease. We have also data showing that toll-like receptor 3 (TLR3), a receptor recognizing double stranded RNA (dsRNA), which is a product of TBEV replication, may instead of being protective increase the risk of TBE

Climate adaptation for sea level rise : A case study of the municipalities of Karlskrona and Ystad with a focus on digital planning tools

Stigande havsnivåer är något som idag påverkar kustområden världen över, vilket har lett till att fokus behövt riktas mot att klimatanpassa den fysiska planeringen. Syftet med uppsatsarbetet är att genom en fallstudie undersöka kommunerna Karlskrona och Ystad arbete med klimatanpassning för havsnivåhöjningar. Vidare är syftet att studera vilken roll digitala planeringsverktyg har. Arbetet ska besvara två frågeställningar där den första handlar om hur respektive kommun arbetar med klimatanpassning för stigande havsnivåer och den andra behandlar digitala planeringsverktygs roll i det arbetet.  Studien bygger på kvalitativa metoder och insamlingen av empiri genomfördes med kvalitativa intervjuer samt konventionella innehållsanalyser. Det teoretiska ramverket består av begreppen: “resiliens”, “anpassningskapacitet”, “digitalisering inom fysisk planering” och “resurskoordinering”. Resultatet visar främst att Karlskrona kommun arbetar med långsiktiga lösningar och samverkan samt att Ystad kommun arbetar proaktivt och utifrån strategier och handlingsplaner. Det framkom även att digitala planeringsverktyg har en mer kompletterande roll i kommunernas arbete. Sea level rise affects coastal areas around the world, which has made urban planning move towards climate adaptation. The purpose of this paper is to understand how the municipalities of Karlskrona and Ystad work with climate adaptation for sea level rise and what part digital planning tools have. The paper has two main issues which aims to understand how climate adaptation for rising seas is implemented in the municipalities and the role of digital planning tools.  The study is based on qualitative methods and the data was collected with qualitative interviews and conventional content analysis. The theoretical framework includes: “resilience”, “adaptation capacity”, “digitalization in urban planning” and “resource coordination”. The results shows that the municipality of Karlskrona works with long term solutions and cooperation, and that the municipality of Ystad works proactively with strategies. Lastly it became clear that digital planning tools have a complementary part in the municipalities work.

The G428A nonsense mutation in FUT2 provides strong but not absolute protection against symptomatic GII.4 Norovirus infection.

In November 2004, 116 individuals in an elderly nursing home in El Grao de Castellón, Spain were symptomatically infected with genogroup II.4 (GII.4) norovirus. The global attack rate was 54.2%. Genotyping of 34 symptomatic individuals regarding the FUT2 gene revealed that one patient was, surprisingly, a non-secretor, hence indicating secretor-independent infection. Lewis genotyping revealed that Lewis-positive and negative individuals were susceptible to symptomatic norovirus infection indicating that Lewis status did not predict susceptibility. Saliva based ELISA assays were used to determine binding of the outbreak virus to saliva samples. Saliva from a secretor-negative individual bound the authentic outbreak GII.4 Valencia/2004/Es virus, but did not in contrast to secretor-positive saliva bind VLP of other strains including the GII.4 Dijon strain. Amino acid comparison of antigenic A and B sites located on the external loops of the P2 domain revealed distinct differences between the Valencia/2004/Es and Dijon strains. All three aa in each antigenic site as well as 10/11 recently identified evolutionary hot spots, were unique in the Valencia/2004/Es strain compared to the Dijon strain. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first example of symptomatic GII.4 norovirus infection of a Le(a+b-) individual homozygous for the G428A nonsense mutation in FUT2. Taken together, our study provides new insights into the host genetic susceptibility to norovirus infections and evolution of the globally dominating GII.4 viruses.Original Publication: Beatrice Carlsson, Elin Kindberg, Javier Buesa, Gustaf E Rydell, Marta Fos Lidón, Rebeca Montava, Reem Abu Mallouh, Ammi Grahn, Jesús Rodríguez-Díaz, Juan Bellido, Alberto Arnedo, Göran Larson and Lennart Svensson, The G428A nonsense mutation in FUT2 provides strong but not absolute protection against symptomatic GII.4 Norovirus infection., 2009, PLoS ONE, (4), 5, e5593. http://dx.doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0005593 Licensed under Creative Common

A Functional Toll-Like Receptor 3 Gene (TLR3) May Be a Risk Factor for Tick-borne Encephalitis Virus (TBEV) Infection

Background. Tick-borne encephalitis virus (TBEV) infections may be asymptomatic or cause severe symptoms in the central nervous system. A mutation in the chemokine receptor 5 gene has been associated with increased risk of TBE but explains only a limited number of cases. Investigations of further risk factors are needed