Elevperspektiv på vad som väcker intresse för litteraturhistoria

Previous research on teaching and learning of literature has called for empirical investigations on classroom practice concerning literary history. As an answer to this call, the study aims to develop knowledge about what sparks students’ interest in the teaching of literary history in upper secondary school. In relation to the introductory lesson in literary history, students’ attitudes were collected through questionnaires and interviews. 286 students from ten classes in five different schools participated, all from various university preparation programmes. Thematic analysis was applied to analyse students’ responses. The analysis showed that themes of (1) content and (2) teachers’ ways of leading and organising the teaching, contributed to spark students’ interest in literary history in various ways. In relation to content, the students’ foregrounded students’ experiences; intertextuality; similarities and differences between different periods; epochs, authors and works; and aesthetic elements. Regarding teachers’ ways of leading and organising the teaching, the students emphasised passion and engagement, content legitimation, interaction and participation, variety, structure and delimitation and grades or de-emphasis on performance. These findings are discussed in relation to theories of interest and teaching

Cardiovascular risk factors in Assyrians/Syrians and native Swedes with type 2 diabetes: a population-based epidemiological study

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>A large number of people throughout the world have diabetes and the prevalence is increasing. Persons with diabetes have a twice higher risk of cardiovascular disease than those without diabetes. There is a lack of studies focusing on cardiovascular risk factors in Assyrians/Syrians with type 2 diabetes. The aim of this study is to estimate the prevalence of some cardiovascular risk factors among Assyrians/Syrians and native Swedes with type 2 diabetes and to study whether the association between ethnicity and cardio-vascular risk factors remains after adjustment for age, gender, employment status and housing tenure.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>In the Swedish town of Södertälje 173 Assyrians/Syrians and 181 ethnic Swedes with type 2 diabetes participated in a study evaluating cardiovascular risk factors such as increased haemoglobin A1c (HbA1c), high blood lipids (total serum cholesterol and triglycerides), hypertension and high urinary albumin. The associations between the outcome variables and sociodemographic characteristics were estimated using unconditional logistic regression.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>The prevalence of increased triglycerides in Swedish-born subjects and Assyrian-Syrians was 61.5% and 39.7% respectively. Swedes had a prevalence of hypertension 76.8% compared to 57.8% in Assyrians/Syrians. In the final logistic models adjusted for gender, age, housing and employment the odds ratio (OR) for Swedish-born subjects for increased triglycerides was 2.80 (95% CI1.61-4.87) and for hypertension 2.32 (95% CI 1.35-4.00) compared to Assyrians-Syrians.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>Ethnic Swedes had higher prevalence of increased triglycerides and hypertension than Assyrians/Syrians. Total cholesterol, HbA1c and urinary albumin did not differ between the two ethnic groups.</p

Quantitative assessment of the impact of climate change on creep of concrete structures

Creep of concrete structures is in most cases regarded as a serviceability problem that may have impacts on maintenance and repair costs but cannot lead to structural collapse. However, several structural collapses during the past decades have been, at least partly, attributed to excessive creep deformations. Recent studies suggest that concrete creep may be further exacerbated by climate change. The current study demonstrates how this effect can be quantitatively assessed. For this purpose, six different creep models (i.e, Model Code 1999, Model Code 2010, MPF, B3, B4, and B4s models) are used under considerations of historical and future climatic conditions in southernmost Sweden as given by a regional climate model. Furthermore, two different simulations were performed as follows: 1) considering only climate uncertainty represented by the climate model, and 2) considering climate uncertainty, parameter uncertainty, and creep model uncertainty. The highest impact of climate change on end of century creep coefficient is observed using model B4 where the 75th percentile of the increase in creep coefficient is found to range from 8% to ∼14% depending on the climate scenario. The results of the assessment in this article show that the uncertainty related to climate change on creep of concrete structures (higher effect in RCP8.5 than in RCP2.6 and RCP4.5 which have very similar results) is much smaller than uncertainties resulting from creep modelling

Kolningkurs 2009-2010 vid SLU i Umeå

Under 2009-2010 genomfördes en kurs i kolning med både teoretiska och praktiska inslag vid institutionen för skogens ekologi och skötsel vid Sveriges Lantbruksuniversitet i Umeå. Kursen som omfattade 15 hp initierades av åtta intresserade elever från kurs 07/12; Håkan Johansson, Carl Kling, Henrik Nises, Jonas Strandberg, Erik Sundström, Jonas Svensson, Erik Söderberg, Daniel Timblad. Inom ramen för kursen så genomfördes olika aktiviteter; en serie litteratur-seminarer om kolningens historia och praktik samt om kolningen i ett internationellt perspektiv, omsorgsfullt förberedande och praktisk genomförande av milkolning samt intervjuer med äldre personer som kolat tidigare. Slutresultatet av arbetet presenteras i föreliggande rapport samt i form av ett bildspel och en kort videofilm från kolningen. Allt arbete finns tillgängligt via Epsilon på Skogsbibliotekets hemsida. Professor Lars Östlund ([email protected]) har varit ansvarig och examinerande lärare för denna kurs, men arbetet har i hög grad byggt på studenternas egna initiativ och eget arbete. Rapporten är indelad i tre avsnitt: 1) Kolningsdagbok inklusive litteraturlista 2) Kolningsintervju 1: Kurt Johansson i Långträsk 3) Kolningsintervju 2: Martin Åslin i Gnar

The Notch and TGF-β Signaling Pathways Contribute to the Aggressiveness of Clear Cell Renal Cell Carcinoma

Despite recent progress, therapy for metastatic clear cell renal cell carcinoma (CCRCC) is still inadequate. Dysregulated Notch signaling in CCRCC contributes to tumor growth, but the full spectrum of downstream processes regulated by Notch in this tumor form is unknown

Combining [(11)C]-AnxA5 PET imaging with serum biomarkers for improved detection in live mice of modest cell death in human solid tumor xenografts

BACKGROUND: In vivo imaging using Annexin A5-based radioligands is a powerful technique for visualizing massive cell death, but has been less successful in monitoring the modest cell death typically seen in solid tumors after chemotherapy. Here we combined dynamic positron emission tomography (PET) imaging using Annexin A5 with a serum-based apoptosis marker, for improved sensitivity and specificity in assessment of chemotherapy-induced cell death in a solid tumor model. METHODOLOGY/PRINCIPAL FINDINGS: Modest cell death was induced by doxorubicin in a mouse xenograft model with human FaDu head and neck cancer cells. PET imaging was based on (11)C-labeled Sel-tagged Annexin A5 ([(11)C]-AnxA5-ST) and a size-matched control. 2-deoxy-2-[(18)F]fluoro-D-glucose ([(18)F]-FDG) was utilized as a tracer of tissue metabolism. Serum biomarkers for cell death were ccK18 and K18 (M30 Apoptosense® and M65). Apoptosis in tissue sections was verified ex vivo for validation. Both PET imaging using [(11)C]-AnxA5-ST and serum ccK18/K18 levels revealed treatment-induced cell death, with ccK18 displaying the highest detection sensitivity. [(18)F]-FDG uptake was not affected by this treatment in this tumor model. [(11)C]-AnxA5-ST gave robust imaging readouts at one hour and its short half-life made it possible to perform paired scans in the same animal in one imaging session. CONCLUSIONS/SIGNIFICANCE: The combined use of dynamic PET with [(11)C]-AnxA5-ST, showing specific increases in tumor binding potential upon therapy, with ccK18/K18 serum measurements, as highly sensitive markers for cell death, enabled effective assessment of modest therapy-induced cell death in this mouse xenograft model of solid human tumors.VetenskapsrådetPublishe

Optimized utilization of Salix-Perspectives for the genetic improvement toward sustainable biofuel value chains

Bioenergy will be one of the most important renewable energy sources in the conversion from fossil fuels to bio-based products. Short rotation coppice Salix could be a key player in this conversion since Salix has rapid growth, positive energy balance, easy to manage cultivation system with vegetative propagation of plant material and multiple harvests from the same plantation. The aim of the present paper is to provide an overview of the main challenges and key issues in willow genetic improvement toward sustainable biofuel value chains. Primarily based on results from the research project "Optimized Utilization of Salix" (OPTUS), the influence of Salix wood quality on the potential for biofuel use is discussed, followed by issues related to the conversion of Salix biomass into liquid and gaseous transportation fuels. Thereafter, the studies address genotypic influence on soil carbon sequestration in Salix plantations, as well as on soil carbon dynamics and climate change impacts. Finally, the opportunities for plant breeding are discussed using willow as a resource for sustainable biofuel production. Substantial phenotypic and genotypic variation was reported for different wood quality traits important in biological (i.e., enzymatic and anaerobic) and thermochemical conversion processes, which is a prerequisite for plant breeding. Furthermore, different Salix genotypes can affect soil carbon sequestration variably, and life cycle assessment illustrates that these differences can result in different climate mitigation potential depending on genotype. Thus, the potential of Salix plantations for sustainable biomass production and its conversion into biofuels is shown. Large genetic variation in various wood and biomass traits, important for different conversion processes and carbon sequestration, provides opportunities to enhance the sustainability of the production system via plant breeding. This includes new breeding targets in addition to traditional targets for high yield to improve biomass quality and carbon sequestration potential