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E-commerce is a complex societal challenge with an enormous potential to contribute to sustainable development. In order to capture this potential and transform e-commerce into a sustainable system requires radical change. But which areas are in need of change in order to achieve a grand effect and what key issues must addressed

Genomic divergence and a lack of recent introgression between commercial and wild bumblebees (Bombus terrestris)

The global movement of bees for agricultural pollination services can affect local pollinator populations via hybridization. When commercial bumblebees are of the same species but of different geographic origin, intraspecific hybridization may result in beneficial integration of new genetic variation, or alternatively may disrupt locally adapted gene complexes. However, neither the existence nor the extent of genomic introgression and evolutionary divergence between wild and commercial bumblebees is fully understood. We obtained whole-genome sequencing data from wild and commercial Bombus terrestris collected from sites in Southern Sweden with and without long-term use of commercially imported B. terrestris. We search for evidence of introgression, dispersal and genome-wide differentiation in a comparative genomic analysis of wild and commercial bumblebees. Commercial B. terrestris were found in natural environments near sites where commercial bumblebees were used, as well as drifting wild B. terrestris in commercial bumblebee colonies. However, we found no evidence for widespread, recent genomic introgression of commercial B. terrestris into local wild conspecific populations. We found that wild B. terrestris had significantly higher nucleotide diversity (Nei's pi, pi), while the number of segregating sites (Watterson's theta, theta w) was higher in commercial B. terrestris. A highly divergent region on chromosome 11 was identified in commercial B. terrestris and found to be enriched with structural variants. The genes present in this region are involved in flight muscle contraction and structure and pathogen immune response, providing evidence for differing evolutionary processes operating in wild and commercial B. terrestris. We did not find evidence for recent introgression, suggesting that co-occurring commercial B. terrestris have not disrupted evolutionary processes in wild B. terrestris populations

Colorectal cancer-associated SNP rs17042479 is involved in the regulation of NAF1 promoter activity

A novel risk locus at 4q32.2, located between the Nuclear Assembly Factor 1 (NAF1) and Follistatin Like 5 (FSTL5) genes, was associated with increased risk of developing colorectal cancer (CRC), with SNP rs17042479 being the most associated. However, the link between CRC development and the risk locus at 4q32.2 is unknown. We investigated the promoter activity of NAF1 and FSTL5 and analyzed the risk locus at 4q32.2 as gene regulatory region. Our results showed that the activity of the FSTL5 promoter was low compared to the NAF1 promoter. Analyses of the NAF1 promoter in conjunction with the region containing the risk locus at 4q32.2 showed that the region functions as gene regulatory region with repressor activity on NAF1 promoter activity. The SNP rs17042479(G) increased the repressor effect of the region. CRC patients’ biopsies were genotyped for SNP rs17042479(A/G), and NAF1 expression profiles were examined. We found an association between SNP rs17042479(G), cancer stage and tumor location. Additionally, patients with SNP rs17042479(G) showed lower NAF1 expression in comparison to patients with SNP rs17042479(A) in tumor tissue and the NAF1 expression in tumor tissue was lower compared to healthy tissue. The results in the study imply that reduced NAF1 expression in the tumor contribute to a more aggressive phenotype. Furthermore, this study suggests that the SNP rs17042479(G) change the expression of NAF1 and thereby increases the risk of developing CRC

Association between convalescent plasma treatment and mortality in COVID-19: a collaborative systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized clinical trials.

Funder: laura and john arnold foundationBACKGROUND: Convalescent plasma has been widely used to treat COVID-19 and is under investigation in numerous randomized clinical trials, but results are publicly available only for a small number of trials. The objective of this study was to assess the benefits of convalescent plasma treatment compared to placebo or no treatment and all-cause mortality in patients with COVID-19, using data from all available randomized clinical trials, including unpublished and ongoing trials (Open Science Framework, https://doi.org/10.17605/OSF.IO/GEHFX ). METHODS: In this collaborative systematic review and meta-analysis, clinical trial registries (ClinicalTrials.gov, WHO International Clinical Trials Registry Platform), the Cochrane COVID-19 register, the LOVE database, and PubMed were searched until April 8, 2021. Investigators of trials registered by March 1, 2021, without published results were contacted via email. Eligible were ongoing, discontinued and completed randomized clinical trials that compared convalescent plasma with placebo or no treatment in COVID-19 patients, regardless of setting or treatment schedule. Aggregated mortality data were extracted from publications or provided by investigators of unpublished trials and combined using the Hartung-Knapp-Sidik-Jonkman random effects model. We investigated the contribution of unpublished trials to the overall evidence. RESULTS: A total of 16,477 patients were included in 33 trials (20 unpublished with 3190 patients, 13 published with 13,287 patients). 32 trials enrolled only hospitalized patients (including 3 with only intensive care unit patients). Risk of bias was low for 29/33 trials. Of 8495 patients who received convalescent plasma, 1997 died (23%), and of 7982 control patients, 1952 died (24%). The combined risk ratio for all-cause mortality was 0.97 (95% confidence interval: 0.92; 1.02) with between-study heterogeneity not beyond chance (I2 = 0%). The RECOVERY trial had 69.8% and the unpublished evidence 25.3% of the weight in the meta-analysis. CONCLUSIONS: Convalescent plasma treatment of patients with COVID-19 did not reduce all-cause mortality. These results provide strong evidence that convalescent plasma treatment for patients with COVID-19 should not be used outside of randomized trials. Evidence synthesis from collaborations among trial investigators can inform both evidence generation and evidence application in patient care

New genetic loci link adipose and insulin biology to body fat distribution.

Body fat distribution is a heritable trait and a well-established predictor of adverse metabolic outcomes, independent of overall adiposity. To increase our understanding of the genetic basis of body fat distribution and its molecular links to cardiometabolic traits, here we conduct genome-wide association meta-analyses of traits related to waist and hip circumferences in up to 224,459 individuals. We identify 49 loci (33 new) associated with waist-to-hip ratio adjusted for body mass index (BMI), and an additional 19 loci newly associated with related waist and hip circumference measures (P < 5 × 10(-8)). In total, 20 of the 49 waist-to-hip ratio adjusted for BMI loci show significant sexual dimorphism, 19 of which display a stronger effect in women. The identified loci were enriched for genes expressed in adipose tissue and for putative regulatory elements in adipocytes. Pathway analyses implicated adipogenesis, angiogenesis, transcriptional regulation and insulin resistance as processes affecting fat distribution, providing insight into potential pathophysiological mechanisms

Supporting parents who lost a child.

SAMMANFATTNING Att förlora ett barn är något av det värsta en förälder kan vara med om. När dödsfallet är plötsligt och oväntat är det extra svårt för föräldrarna eftersom de inte haft tid att förbereda sig. Bemötandet av föräldrar som förlorat ett barn är oerhört viktigt, men många sjuksköterskor är osäkra på denna uppgift. Bakgrunden tar upp statistik och föräldrars upplevelser av att förlora barn samt beskriver begreppen: socialt stöd och stödgrupper, sorg, kris, coping och KASAM samt familjecentrerad omvårdnad. Syftet var att beskriva vad föräldrar som förlorat ett barn genom plötslig och oväntad död önskar för stöd och sjuksköterskors syn på det stöd de ger. Litteraturstudien gjordes genom att söka artiklar i databaserna PubMed och Cinahl och resultatet delades in i kategorierna: Under sjukhusvistelsen; stöd vid mottagandet, stöd vid dödsbeskedet, stöd vid avskedet, behovet av socialt och professionellt stöd och Efter sjukhusvistelsen; stödgruppsmedverkan och att hitta mening med barnets död och uppföljning efter barnets död. Föräldrars upplevelser av vad som var viktigt i bemötandet skiljde sig från sjuksköterskans upplevelser. Att hålla föräldrarna uppdaterade om barnets tillstånd ansågs viktigt. Föräldrarna tyckte att kommunikation, känslighet och empati hos vårdpersonal kunde förbättras. De uttryckte att sjuksköterskan ofta fick ”översätta” det läkaren sagt och önskade en öppen och ärlig kommunikation. De uppskattade att få tillräckligt med tid att ta avsked och att hålla sitt döda barn. Föräldrarna ville att deras tro och traditioner skulle respekteras. De önskade hjälp med praktiska saker och beskrev det stöd de tyckte hade hjälpt dem som trovärdigt, ärligt och medkännande. Endast hälften av sjuksköterskorna kände att de var redo för den svåra uppgiften att stödja sörjande föräldrar. De föräldrar som hade deltagit i en stödgrupp hade större chans att hitta mening med barnets död. Socialt stöd var viktigt och föräldrar kände behov av uppföljning efter dödsfallet

"For the fact that I'm black" : Analysing black peoples' accounts of everyday racism in South Africa, employing the theories of Frame Analysis and Othering

With the purpose of contributing to the field of social science research regarding racism in South Africa, this thesis aims to investigate how peoples’ experiences of everyday racism manifest in their lives. As well as explore their views of changes in society, regarding everyday racism, during their lifetime employing the theoretical frameworks of Erving Goffman’s (1986) Frame Analysis, and Othering. The purpose was achieved through semi-structured qualitative interviews with five black South Africans. The interviews generated an empirical data which displayed patterns of microaggressions, radicalisation, and white supremacy. The study concluded that the respondents have different views on changes regarding everyday racism in South Africa, some identifying a more progressive society, while others believe that apartheid still has a hold on society. I syfte att bidra till området av samhällsvetenskaplig forskning om rasism i Sydafrika, syftar denna studie till att undersöka hur människors upplevelser av vardagsrasism tar sig uttryck i deras liv. Vidare utforskar studien respondenternas syn på förändringar i samhället angående vardagsrasism under sin livstid genom att använda de teoretiska ramverken Inramningsteori av Erving Goffman (1986), och Andrafiering. Syftet uppnåddes genom semistrukturerade, kvalitativa intervjuer med fem svarta sydafrikaner. Intervjuerna genererade empiriska data som visade mönster av mikroaggressioner, rasifiering och vit överlägsenhet. Studien kom fram till att de tillfrågade besitter varierande åsikter angående förändringar kring vardagsrasism i Sydafrika, vissa identifierar ett mer progressivt samhälle, medan andra anser att apartheid fortfarande har ett grepp om samhället.

”Fake News” : A comparative discourse analysis of established and alternative newsmedia’s representation of fake news

Under det amerikanska presidentvalet 2016 blev falska nyheter ett omtalat fenomen, vilketkarakteriserades av att avsiktligt falsk eller vilseledande information spreds över internet ochsociala medier. Falska nyheter är falska eller vilseledande påståenden som avsiktligtpresenteras som sanna nyheter. Utvecklingen av internet och sociala medier medför att detidag finns en distinktion mellan etablerade och alternativa medier. För att förstå fenomenetfalska nyheter har studien undersökt hur begreppet påverkats av denna medieutveckling.Syftet var att undersöka hur rapporteringen kring falska nyheter ser ut i etablerade medierrespektive alternativmedier. Huvudfrågan var: Hur konstrueras begreppet falska nyheter i deetablerade och alternativa nyhetsmedier i Sverige som valts för denna uppsats? Studien haranvänt sig av diskursanalys för att undersöka olika diskursiva gestaltningar av falska nyheter,och hur alternativmedier förhåller sig till övrig media i medielandskapet. Resultatet visar attetablerad media huvudsakligen har en internationell diskurs medan alternativmedier fokuserarmer på den nationella diskursen. Vid analysen av resultatet har teorier om ideologi,diskursanalys samt gestaltning använts. Analysen visar att falska nyheter används avnyhetsmedierna som ett ideologiskt begrepp för att visa på skillnader mellan etablerad mediaoch alternativmedier samt att förståelsen av begreppet ”falska nyheter” är beroende av englobal intertextualitet.During the US presidential election in 2016, “fake news” became a well-known phenomenon,which was characterized by the deliberate spread of false or misleading information over theinternet and social media. False news is false or misleading claims intentionally presented asreal news. The development of internet and social media means that there is today adistinction between established and alternative media. To understand the phenomenon of fakenews, the study has investigated how the concept was affected by this media development.The purpose was to investigate how reporting on false news appears in established media andalternative media. The main question was: How is the concept of fake news constructed inestablished and alternative news media in Sweden? The study has used discourse analysis toinvestigate various discursive news reports of fake news, and how alternative media relate toother news media. The result shows that established media mainly have an internationaldiscourse while alternative media focus more on the national discourse. The result has beenanalyzed with theories of ideology, discourse analysis and framing. The analysis shows thatfake news is used by the news media as an ideological concept to show differences betweenestablished media and alternative media and the understanding of the term "fake news" isdependent on a global intertextuality

Motiv till energiinvestering inom fastighetsbranschen : En fallstudie av två kommunala fastighetsbolag och de väljer att energiinvestera

Debatten om hållbar utveckling och miljö är högst aktuell i dagens samhälle. Miljöinvesteringar kräver ekonomiska resurser och det är samtidigt dessa resurser som styr världen. Fastighetsbolagen står idag inför omfattande renoveringsbehov samt nybyggnationer. Många av dagens fastigheter står för en stor del av den totala energiförbrukningen, cirka en tredjedel. EU har sedan år 2007 arbetat fram en kommande byggnorm som tas i bruk senast år 2020 som innebär att alla nybyggnationer samt större renoveringar ska vara så nära noll-energibyggnader som möjligt. Redan i dagsläget finns möjlighet att utföra nybyggnationer och renoveringar som uppfyller dessa krav. Många fastighetsbolag inser inte den långsiktiga lönsamheten i energiinvesteringar och anser sig därför inte kunna få någon vinst i en sådan investering.  Syftet med studien var att skapa förståelse för de beslutsunderlag fastighetsbolag lutar sig mot vid större investeringar i form av energieffektivitet, och om det där skulle finnas möjligheter att ta hänsyn till miljön. För att bäst besvara forskningsfrågan har en kvalitativ fallstudie tillämpats i studien och det empiriska resultatet har främst insamlats genom semi-strukturerade intervjuer. Intervjuerna genomfördes med informanter i ledande position hos AB Eidar och AB Vänersborgsbostäder. Vidare har vi använt oss av fastighetsbolagens årsredovisningsdokument och tillgänglig information om den kommande EU normen. Studiens teoretiska referensram utgick ifrån den institutionella teorin, legitimitetsteorin samt beslutsteorin. Teorin belyser bland annat hur omgivningen påverkar bolagen i sitt beslutfattande men även hur bolag inom samma bransch tenderar att påverkas av varandra.  Vi har i analysen kommit fram till att det finns en medvetenhet och vilja att energiinvestera. Trots att de båda fastighetsbolagens uttrycker en positiv inställning till att energiinvestera kunde vi ändå se en skillnad mellan deras agerande. Detta berodde till stora delar på historiska och ekonomiska förutsättningar. Vi kunde vidare identifiera hur ledningens personliga inställning i respektive fastighetsbolag till viss del kunde återspegla bolagens värderingar. Analysen har även präglats av fastighetsbolagens skilda uppfattning av hyresgästernas betalningsvilja. The debate on sustainable development and the environment is a hot topic in today's society. Environmental investments require financial resources and it is also these resources that control the world. Real estate companies are now facing major renovation and new construction needs. Many of today's buildings are responsible for a large portion of the total energy consumption, about one-third. The EU has since 2007 worked out an upcoming building code placed in service by 2020, which means that all new buildings and major renovations need to be "nearly zero energy buildings" as possible. Even in the current situation it is possible to perform new construction and renovations that meet these requirements. Many real estate companies do not realize the long-term profitability of investments in energy and therefore believes that it is not able to get any profit in such an investment. The aim of the study was to create an understanding about the decision-making basis of real estate companies and how they use the decisions in major investment in terms of energy efficiency, and if there could be opportunities to consider the environment. To answer the research question, a qualitative case study has been applied in the study and the empirical results were mainly collected through semi-structured interviews. The interviews were conducted with informants with leading position of AB Eidar and AB Vänersborgsbostäder. Furthermore, we have used the real estate companies’ annual report documents and information available on the forthcoming EU norm. This paper's theoretical framework has been based on institutional theory, legitimacy theory and decision theory. The theory illustrates how the environment affects companies in their decision-making, and also how companies in the same industry tend to be influenced by each other.  We have in the analysis concluded that there is an awareness and willingness to invest in energy. Despite the two real estate companies express a positive attitude towards investing in energy, we can still see a difference between their actions. This is due largely to the historical and economic conditions. We could further identify how management's personal attitude of each real estate company to some extent could reflect the company's values. The analysis has also been characterized by the real estate companies' differing perceptions of tenants' willingness to pay