This thesis advances the understanding and application of synthetic data for manufacturing parts recognition. Vision-based inspection systems in manufacturing rely heavily on real image data, which are costly to collect, annotate, and adapt across products and environments. To address these challenges, this work presents a systematic investigation of how synthetic data can be effectively generated, evaluated, and applied for robust and scalable performance. The research introduces a series of new industrial benchmark datasets covering multiple manufacturing use cases and factory environments: SIP-17, SIP15-OD, and SIP2A-OD, to enable unified evaluation of sim-to-real transfer in classification and detection tasks. Building on these datasets, a domain randomization pipeline is developed to systematically explore the effects of rendering parameters, material variability, and illumination on model generalization. To further automate data generation, the thesis proposes Synthetic Active Learning (SAL), a closed-loop framework that identifies model weaknesses and adaptively refines synthetic data generation without requiring real samples or manual tuning. Experiments across the benchmark datasets show that the proposed method improves model robustness compared to existing approaches while reducing manual labeling requirements. Collectively, these contributions provide new insights into how synthetic data can be systematically leveraged to build data-efficient, automated, and reliable vision systems for manufacturing, aiming to support future development of intelligent and flexible production systems.

Enveloped viruses enter host cells by fusing their lipid envelope with a host membrane, thereby releasing their genome into the host cytoplasm. While fusion can occur directly at the plasma membrane following attachment, most viruses preferentially fuse with the endosomal membrane after endocytosis. This thesis addresses the central question of why so many enveloped viruses exploit endosomal entry, using influenza A virus (IAV) as a model. I hypothesised that the endosomal membrane is generally more permissive to viral fusion, compared to the plasma membrane, partly due to differences in their lipid composition and the resulting physicochemical membrane properties.

To test this, I developed and applied single-virus fusion assays that report on either viral lipid or content mixing events. In Paper I, we established a novel genome exposure assay by loading target liposomes with a nucleic acid–sensitive dye, enabling direct detection of productive pore formation events. In Paper II, we leveraged this assay to demonstrate that the endosomally enriched phospholipid bis(monoacylglycero)phosphate (BMP) increases the likelihood that a hemifusion intermediate can progress to pore formation, during IAV fusion. This effect was largely attributable to BMP’s negatively charged headgroup, with a contribution from its unique chemical structure. In Paper III, we developed a plasma membrane content mixing assay using dye-loaded plasma membrane vesicles (PMVs). IAV fusion with PMVs was markedly less efficient than with BMP-containing liposomes, but BMP supplementation in PMVs did not restore fusion, indicating additional restrictive factors at the plasma membrane. Modest cholesterol depletion in PMVs enhanced IAV fusion kinetics and reduced membrane order, whilst modest cholesterol depletion in whole cells increased productive IAV infection at the plasma membrane. These findings demonstrate that the specific characteristics of the plasma membrane in terms of lipid order, largely driven by cholesterol and sphingomyelin, constitutes a significant barrier to influenza virus fusion at the cell surface.

Together, this work suggests that the lipid composition of the endosomal and plasma membranes promotes and inhibits fusion of the endosome-adapted influenza virus, respectively. I propose that influenza, and possibly other enveloped viruses, have evolved to exploit the inherently higher permissiveness of the endosomal membrane during cell entry.

Multiple myeloma (MM) is a hematological disease of the plasma cell that remains clinically challenging despite the development of novel therapies. Epigenetic alterations have been demonstrated to contribute to MM pathogenesis, yet comprehensive studies into the links between different epigenetic regulatory systems in myeloma progression and drug resistance, though clinically relevant, are largely lacking. G9a and the DNA methyltransferases (DNMTs) are epigenetic modifiers that exhibit increased activity in MM, correlating with poor prognosis. To investigate the partnership between G9a and DNMTs, we used a combinatorial treatment approach involving small-molecule inhibitors. In-depth molecular analysis of the histone H3 lysine dimethylation distribution, the DNA methylome and the transcriptome of MM revealed a silencing mechanism involving G9a and DNMTs that represses key tumor suppressor genes. Moreover, dual inhibition of G9a and DNMTs reduced cell viability in primary MM cells and induced apoptosis in MM cell lines. This was accompanied by increased expression of apoptosis-related genes and decreased protein levels of the MM-associated oncoproteins IRF4, XBP1, and MYC. To assess the translational relevance of our in vitro findings, we evaluated the combination therapy in an in vivo preclinical xenograft MM model. Specifically, we demonstrate that the G9a inhibitor A366 synergizes with the DNMTs inhibitor decitabine to promote a robust tumor regression in vivo. Together, these data provide new insights into the cooperative role of G9a and the DNMTs in regulating gene silencing in MM, and support dual epigenetic inhibition as a promising therapeutic strategy.

Coastal eutrophication results from increased riverine loads of inorganic nutrients, including phosphorus (P), which may co-occur with increased dissolved organic carbon (DOC) loading. These DOC molecules are often pigmented, causing water darkening, but they also contain dissolved organic P (DOP), which could exacerbate eutrophication. However, it is unclear how the bioavailable DOP (BDOP) pool responds to the individual and interactive effects of increased DOC, higher inorganic nutrient concentrations, and water darkening in coastal ecosystems. To explore these interactions, we conducted bioassays to estimate BDOP in a fully factorial mesocosm experiment manipulating the supply of labile DOC (glucose), inorganic nutrients and pigmented compounds that cause darkening. Whereas the evidence for labile DOC (glucose) effects on BDOP was weak, inorganic nutrient enrichment caused increases in BDOP concentrations in clear-water mesocosms. By contrast, in experimentally darkened waters, the addition of inorganic P did not contribute to BDOP but mainly persisted in its inorganic form. Our results suggest that water management efforts aimed at preventing or reversing coastal darkening could increase the removal of excess inorganic P from the water due to light-enhanced algal uptake. However, the total dissolved bioavailable P pool may not decrease but rather shift from dominance by inorganic to organic forms. Therefore, mitigating both coastal darkening and eutrophication in these ecosystems is essential for reducing total bioavailable P to a level that supports their ecological balance and functionality.

Bioplastics are promising alternatives to conventional plastics, but their potential entry into marine ecosystems highlights the need for a better understanding of their interactions with microbial communities, including their role in the plastisphere. Here, we characterized the early biofilm formation on traditional plastics and bioplastics using a mesocosm approach. We tested the hypothesis that distinct bacterial communities selectively colonize traditional and biodegradable plastics in the marine environment. Specifically, fragments of the petroleum-based plastic polypropylene (PP) and the bioplastics Poly(3-hydroxybutyrate)- hydroxyvalerate (PHBv) and polylactic acid (PLA) were submerged in Baltic Sea mesocosms for three weeks. Biofilm colonization, prokaryotic abundance, and community composition were assessed through scanning electronic microscopy analysis, epifluorescence microscopy and 16S rRNA gene metabarcoding, respectively. Biofilm development increased over time on both traditional and bioplastics, with photosynthetic organisms appearing after 3 weeks. However, prokaryotic abundance decreased over time except on PLA surfaces. Prokaryotic communities’ composition differed among biofilms formed on the different polymers. The microbial community associated with conventional plastic PP was more similar to that of the seawater in the control treatment, while biofilms on PLA and PHBv shared a higher degree of similarity with each other. These findings suggest that microbial communities selectively colonize different plastic types, with bioplastics supporting distinct and specific bacterial biofilm assemblages over three-week exposure. The great diversity observed in bioplastics, particularly PLA, suggests they may support more complex and potentially active plastisphere communities after only three weeks of exposure to the Baltic Sea.

The present study focuses on the selective extraction of potassium from a hydrochloric acid-based feldspar leachate using solvent extraction with crown ethers, CE (dibenzo-18-crown-6 and 12-crown-4). The effects of hydrochloric acid concentration, extractant type, diluent, extractant concentration, and organic-to-aqueous phase ratio on potassium extraction efficiency have been examined. Dibenzo-18-crown-6 diluted in m-cresol was shown to preferentially extract potassium (≈85 %) from highly acidic hydrochloric acid solutions (2 to 6 M), with minimal co-extraction of impurities, such as aluminum and sodium, in a single extraction step. Aluminum, however, was shown to be extracted efficiently (≈99 %) at lower acidities (<0.1 M). The extraction mechanisms were explored using various analyses, such as slope analysis, nuclear magnetic resonance, and scanning electron microscopy showing that dibenzo-18-crown-6 forms a highly stable complex with potassium at 1:1 M ratio, (KCl)(CE), driven by the size compatibility between potassium ions and the crown ether cavity. For aluminum, the extraction mechanism likely involves the formation of a cooperative complex where aluminum ions are associated with the potassium-crown ether complex (AlKCl4)(CE). Increasing the concentration of hydrochloric acid increased potassium ion activity, chloride ion activity, and ionic strength in the solution. These changes would enhance selective potassium extraction over the formation and extraction of the aluminum‑potassium cooperative complex.

This study explores how student-generated comic books can provide insight into students? meaning making about evolution. Despite the complexity of evolution, previous research indicates that students can grasp concepts like natural selection through age-appropriate activities. In this study, we followed a group of Grade 4 students over seven weeks as they engaged in meaning making about evolution. As part of the lessons, the students read comics about evolution, learnt about comic conventions, and at the end of the unit, they created their own comics to represent their understanding of evolution. Building on multimodal theory rooted in social semiotics, we have analysed 14 student comics, focusing on what evolutionary principles are shown in the texts and the semiotic resources used to express these. Findings reveal that all targeted evolutionary principles (variation, heredity, and selection) were represented in the comics, though not all comics included every concept. Evolutionary ideas were expressed multimodally, with common patterns showing evolution at a population level. The sequentiality of the comic format facilitated the depiction of adaptation through natural selection. This study provides insights into the potential of using comics as a tool for students to make meaning and communicate their knowledge about evolutionary concepts.

The COVID-19 pandemic influenced urban mobility worldwide, prompting travel restrictions, physical distancing, and lockdowns. Active transport modes, particularly cycling, emerged as socially distanced and adaptable alternatives. In response, many cities rapidly implemented cycling-friendly measures, such as repurposing streets, e-bike subsidies, and traffic-calming initiatives. Investigating these trends statistically, this study centers on three hypotheses: (1) pandemic conditions spurred a notable rise in cycling relative to pre-pandemic levels; (2) new biking infrastructure and lockdown policy interventions were drivers of this rise; and (3) an important motivation for biking under the pandemic was essential errands, like shopping for groceries. Drawing on publicly available weekly bicycle counts from Paris and Barcelona, we employed time series regression models to address our hypotheses. Results confirmed a substantial surge in cycling in both cities. Lockdown policy stringency was associated with increased cycling in both cities. Paris seemed to show a stronger sensitivity to infrastructure interventions. The findings underscore that this devastating health crisis also served as a catalyst for a shift toward more sustainable travel.

Single Particle Imaging techniques at X-ray lasers have made significant strides, yet the challenge of determining the orientation of freely rotating molecules during delivery remains. In this study, we propose a novel approach to partially retrieve the relative orientation of proteins exposed to ultrafast X-ray pulses by analyzing the fragmentation patterns resulting from Coulomb explosions. We simulate these explosions for 85 proteins in the size range 100 - 4000 atoms using a hybrid Monte Carlo/Molecular Dynamics approach and capture the resulting ion ejection patterns on two virtual detectors. We exploit information from the explosion to infer orientations of proteins at the time of X-ray exposure. Our results demonstrate that partial orientation information can be extracted, particularly for larger proteins. We conclude that knowledge on ion data from X-ray laser induced explosions can directly provide the sample's relative orientation, complementary to traditional orientation-retrieval algorithms based on diffraction patterns.

BACKGROUND: The Covid-19 pandemic has posed challenges to maternal healthcare systems worldwide, impacting women’s access to and utilisation of reproductive healthcare services, particularly highlighting health inequities among minority populations. Maternal awareness of fetal movements is a measure to evaluate fetal well-being. In Sweden, women are encouraged to contact healthcare if they experience decreased fetal movements. It is unknown whether women in Sweden faced greater challenges accessing such care during the Covid-19 pandemic. The objective of this study was to examine whether the proportion of healthcare contacts for decreased fetal movements changed during the Covid-19 pandemic, and if this varied according to women’s demographic characteristics.

METHODS: This retrospective population-based cohort study included 18,791 who contacted healthcare due to decreased fetal movements before (1 January 2017 to 31 December 2019) and after (13 March 2020 to 31 March 2022) the onset of the Covid-19 pandemic in Region Stockholm. Women with a singleton pregnancy from gestational week 22 were included. Data were retrieved from the Swedish Pregnancy Register and the National Patient Register.

RESULTS: There was no significant difference in healthcare contacts for decreased fetal movements before compared to during the Covid-19 pandemic (17.3% vs. 17.7%). Subgroup analyses showed an increase in healthcare contacts for decreased fetal movements after the onset of the pandemic among women born in Sweden, women with a university-level education, and students. In contrast, healthcare contacts among women with BMI ≥ 30.0 kg/m² significantly declined during the pandemic period.

CONCLUSIONS: Overall, contacts with healthcare due to decreased fetal movements remained consistent before and during the Covid-19 pandemic. However, variations were observed among specific subgroups, defined by BMI, region of birth, occupation, and educational level. These findings underscore the complex interplay between sociodemographic factors and maternal healthcare utilisation. To ensure equitable access to essential prenatal care during future health crises, healthcare services and communication strategies must be adapted to reflect the needs and circumstances of all demographic groups.

Increased cycling contributes to more sustainable mobility, and better insight into the drivers behind this mode is important for the design of policies that will effectively promote it. In this study we identified correlates with cycling in three European cities: Tallinn (Estonia), Braga (Portugal), and Istanbul (Turkey), using data from a six-month cycling incentive program.

Specifically, we investigated the impacts of wind speed, car ownership, and public transport use on weekly cycling frequency by estimating mixed ordinal probit models. An important early finding was that only 15% of participants accurately reported their observed cycling frequency. Further, across all the examined cities, wind speed had a significant (p-value <0.001), negative relationship, with estimates of -0.125 (Braga), -0.079 (Istanbul), and -0.058 (Tallinn). This suggest that higher wind speeds prevented people from cycling. Likewise, private car ownership generated significant (p-value < 0.001) negative associations of -0.423 (Braga), -0.419 (Istanbul), and -0.949 (Tallinn). Thus, car access seems to reduce cycling frequency. Lastly, public transport usage was positively correlated with cycling: 0.225 (p-value = 0.008) (Braga), 0.339 (p-value = 0.003) (Istanbul), and 0.714 (p-value < 0.001) (Tallinn). To promote cycling, the findings highlight the importance of infrastructure such as wind-protected bike lanes, as well as policies that reduce car ownership for instance car-sharing solutions. The positive relationship between public transport use and cycling underscored the potential benefits of better integrating these modes, for example through bike-sharing facilities near transit hubs. As the effects varied notably across cities, we recommend that future research address the drivers behind these differences, which may relate to extant infrastructure.

This article summarises the activities of the International Committee on Taxonomy of Viruses Bacterial Viruses Subcommittee, detailing developments in the classification of bacterial viruses. We provide here an overview of all new, abolished, moved and renamed taxa proposed in 2024, approved by the Executive Committee, and ratified by membership vote in 2025. Through the collective efforts of 74 international contributors of taxonomy proposals in this round, 43 ratified proposals have led to the creation of one new phylum, one class, four orders, 33 families, 14 subfamilies, 194 genera and 995 species. These proposals mark significant progress in refining the taxonomy of bacterial viruses. Key updates include the creation of new orders and families that include existing taxa to better reflect genomic and evolutionary relationships. As sequencing and bioinformatics approaches continue to advance, further expansion and refinements in viral taxonomy can be anticipated in the coming years.

The alloherpesvirus esocid herpesvirus 1 (EsHV-1) causes epidermal hyperplasia on the skin and fins of northern pike (Esox lucius). For the first time, we present a near-complete genome sequence of EsHV-1, directly obtained from a pike skin sample. The 223,553 bp sequence of the genome has a GC-content of 56.47% and is organised into a long, unique segment (148,159 bp) and a short, unique segment (45,925 bp). The short segment is flanked by inverted repeat sequences (IRSs) of 14,733/6 bp, with the IRS length difference attributed to a codon deletion. The genome is predicted to contain 144 open reading frames, including eight duplicated within the IRSs. The leftmost third of the genome contains genes of unknown function, but many of which exhibit extensive inter-gene homology, suggesting gene duplication. Six paralogous groups were identified, each containing two to thirteen gene members. Homologues of all twelve alloherpesvirus core genes are present. The ATPase subunit of the terminase and the DNA polymerase is composed of three and two exons, respectively. However, an alternate splicing pattern is found, for which, speculatively, a role is suggested in the terminase assembly at the capsid portal.

Large independently evolved supergenes control colony social organization and queen reproductive strategies in several ant lineages. Their independent origins, as well as the similarities of the associated phenotypes, make ant supergenes a promising system for studying the parallel evolution of genome organization and adaptability. However, the genetic basis of differences in social organization and queen phenotypes remains unknown in many ant species, limiting the potential power of this system for comparative studies. We investigated the genetic basis of colony social organization in the queen-size dimorphic ant Myrmica ruginodis by sampling 95 queens from 31 colonies in southern Finland. Whole-genome sequencing revealed a novel 9 Mb supergene associated with both queen size and social organization. Queens homozygous for the AA haplotype were larger and found only in single-queen colonies, while queens in multiple-queen colonies were smaller and carried only AB and BB genotypes. This supergene is not homologous to previously identified supergenes in ants, suggesting it arose through a distinct evolutionary pathway.

Do people favour a strong presidency because they support theincumbent president, or do such attitudes reflect endorsement ofnon-democratic regimes and strongman rule? We examine thisresearch question among seven semi-presidential democracies inCentral and Eastern Europe. Our findings from Bulgaria, Croatia,Czech Republic, Poland, Romania, Slovenia, and Slovakia showthat public support for a strong presidency with broad executivepowers is associated with support for autocratic governance,rather than simply with general support for the presidentialoffice. This highlights the potential for illiberal shifts towardstrongman rule in semi-presidential democracies where thepresident holds capacity for significant power.

This thesis concerns key questions in the epistemology and semantics of the mental. How are we to explain the distinctive way in which I know that I am in pain – when I know it, as we might say, 'from the inside'? How should we understand attitude attributions such as 'Sam believes that Anne is Pam'? That is, how should we understand introspection and identification?

Paper I addresses the familiar fact that each person has special access to her own mental states. In introspectively knowing that I am in pain, I know this in a way no one else can. What explains this? Drawing on a framework developed by David Enoch and Joshua Schechter, I argue that introspective de se knowledge – e.g. knowledge that I am in pain – is indispensable, whereas introspective knowledge that Carl is in pain, even if possible, would not be. This difference in indispensability explains why introspective knowledge is necessarily limited to the de se case, and thereby accounts for special access.

Paper II challenges pluralist theories – views that posit multiple capacities for introspection – which distinguish between active and passive forms of introspective knowledge. I argue that such views face serious and under-appreciated difficulties, which ultimately motivate rejecting the very idea of active introspective knowledge. I further show that these problems sharply constrain the overall space of viable pluralist theories.

Paper III examines what I call the asymmetry phenomenon: sentences like 'Sam believes that Anne is Pam' and 'Sam believes that Pam is Anne' can differ in truth-value, despite the symmetry of identity. I develop a revisionary semantic account on which ‘be’ sometimes functions to specify who someone is. I argue that this account better explains the observed asymmetries than standard views, which treat ‘be’ as either predicative or synonymous with numerical identity.

Sedimentary rocks can provide information about the Earth paleoenvironment and are studied extensively to understand the causes and consequences of global climate changes in deep time. They facilitate long-time perspectives that constrain climate models and provide analogues for how Earth systems may respond to, and recover from, intervals of profound environmental change, including projected anthropogenic change. The Norwegian Svalbard archipelago offers an extensive Phanerozoic stratigraphic record that reflects the geological evolution of the northern flanks of continental assemblages that include Laurentia, Eurasia, and Pangea. Svalbard's Phanerozoic sedimentary and paleoclimatic archive is controlled largely by Svalbard's overall northward plate-tectonic motion from equatorial to high latitudes but also by regional to local formation of topography and basins in response to long-term plate reorganization, as well as the near- and far-field influence of large igneous province activity on the tectono-stratigraphic and paleoclimatic development. Various sedimentary and geochemical proxies, such as bentonite beds and carbon isotope excursions associated with the far-reaching environmental effects of the Siberian Traps, the High Arctic Large Igneous Province, and the North Atlantic Igneous Province, are present in Svalbard's near complete geological record. As such, Svalbard is unique in that these and numerous other global environmental perturbations are recorded within a relatively restricted study area, with most of the key events preserved and recorded in easily accessible drill cores and well-exposed outcrop sections. Here we review deep-time paleoenvironmental and paleoclimate research in Svalbard by summarizing 148 peer-reviewed scientific articles. The review builds on the well-established tectono-stratigraphic and lithostratigraphic framework, as well as state-of-the art environmental reconstructions, to provide insights into the Earth system during the Phanerozoic northward drift of Svalbard and the many major biotic crises in the geological past. We focus on globally significant events including (i) the expansion of Devonian vegetation, (ii) the Carboniferous–Permian response to icehouse conditions during the Late Paleozoic Ice Age (LPIA), (iii) the End-Permian Mass Extinction (EPME) and the subsequent Triassic recovery, the (iv) Carnian Pluvial Episode, (v) Jurassic–Early Cretaceous climate perturbations including the Volgian Isotopic Carbon Excursion (VOICE) and the Aptian Ocean Anoxic Event 1a (OAE1a), and (vi) the Paleocene–Eocene Thermal Maximum (PETM). We present and synthesize existing core and outcrop data that preserve biological and geochemical proxies and climate-sensitive sedimentary facies that reflect environmental change in terrestrial and marine settings. Finally, we discuss the Phanerozoic climate recorded in Svalbard and its role in providing high-latitude calibration points for several global paleoclimate events to provide a higher-latitude perspective to complement the dominance of mid- and low-latitude locations and datasets in the literature.

This thesis investigates, explores and describes critical care nurses' and family members' experiences of end-of-life care in an intensive care context. Both qualitative and quantitative methods were used. Data was collected through individual interviews with critical care nurses and family members, as well as questionnaires distributed to family members. The analyses employed qualitative content analysis, interpretive description, reflexive thematic analysis, and statistical analyses to provide a comprehensive understanding of the findings. The findings showed that critical care nurses view the integrity of patients as a fundamental component of quality care (studies I, II). However, the concept of integrity was considered elusive, with critical care nurses indicating that their own integrity is essential for recognizing and respecting the integrity of patients (study I). Ethical challenges encountered by critical care nurses ranged from decisions about life-sustaining treatments and the administration of pain relief to considerations regarding patient preferences and organ donation (study II). From the perspectives of family members, overall satisfaction with end-of-life care in intensive care units was reported (studies III, IV). Nonetheless, several deficiencies were identified, particularly a lack of attention to the individual needs, such as the emotional needs of family members. Also, those family members who rated their health as worse compared to a year ago, generally rated lower satisfaction in the decision-making sub-scale (study III). Additionally, family members frequently struggled to recognize the imminence of death and perceived that patients were suffering, despite the provision of pain relief as part of the end of-life care (study IV).

Many of the most widespread neurodegenerative diseases, such as Alzheimer’s disease and Parkinson’s disease, stem from protein misfolding and aggregation, in part as a consequence of an imbalance in the protein homeostasis (proteostasis). These diseases are devastating for the affected patients, their relatives, and our society. Today, these diseases are notoriously hard to cure or even treat.

Molecular chaperones make up the cellular machinery that handle unfolded, misfolded, and aggregated proteins. Throughout evolution chaperones have been a prerequisite for the existence of complex proteins. This has made chaperones essential for biological life as we know it.

Utilizing chaperones as a pharmaceutical drug is a novel treatment approach for neurodegenerative disease. By adding molecular chaperones to the system, one could potentially improve the cells’ ability to handle the cellular stress that comes because of the imbalance of the proteostasis. Today there are several chaperone candidates that are being explored for this purpose.

HSP10 is an essential co-chaperone to HSP60. However, HSP10 has also been found to act alone. HSP10 has been shown to inhibit autoimmune activity. The co-chaperone is systemically overexpressed in the early stages of pregnancy. The overabundance of HSP10 in the brain compared to HSP60 and association with neurodegenerative disease suggests that the co-chaperone could have more functions than previously documented.

This thesis investigates how HSP10 interacts with several different amyloid proteins during amyloid fibrillation both in an in vitro and in an in vivo setting. For in vitro studies, interactions between recombinant proteins were scrutinized using a range of biophysical measurement techniques, e.g. aggregation kinetics, transmission electron microscopy, small angle X-ray scattering among others. The in vivo model Drosophila melanogaster was utilized to monitor how the combination of HSP10 and aggregation prone protein expression affects a complex organism.

Aggregation kinetics of the neurodegenerative peptide Aβ1-42, associated with Alzheimer´s disease, was performed in the presence of different concentrations of HSP10. Aggregation inhibition of Aβ1-42 was evident when HSP10 was present at high concentrations. However, low concentration of HSP10 in contrast accelerated the aggregation of Aβ1-42. This was followed by aggregation kinetics with α-synuclein, a protein associated with Parkinson´s disease. The presence of HSP10 at high concentration yielded a complete inhibition of α- synuclein aggregation. However, no acceleration of α-synuclein fibrillation was seen when the concentration was lowered. Further investigation of aggregation kinetics with the familial disease associated α-synuclein mutant A30P revealed the dual property of inhibition at high concentration of HSP10 and acceleration at lower concentration of HSP10.

To investigate how HSP10 would act in vivo, we used Drosophila melanogaster (Drosophila) as a model system. HSP10 was overexpressed in the neurons of Drosophila with and without the presence Aβ1-40 and Aβ1-42 and the lifespan and activity of the flies were monitored and were compared with controls. Overexpression of HSP10 in wild type flies without Aβ1-42 significantly prolonged the lifespan of Drosophila compared to control flies demonstrating that HSP10 rendered a protective effect against aging. Overexpression of Aβ1-42 decreased the lifespan of Drosophila. Surprisingly, the overexpression of both HSP10 and Aβ1-42 lead to an even shorter lifespan than expression of Aβ1-42 alone, suggesting an accelerated fibril formation process with enhanced neurotoxicity.

To investigate if the dual property of concentration dependent inhibition and acceleration of amyloid formation was unique to HSP10, fibril formation studies of Aβ1-40 and Aβ1-42 was conducted in the presence of the molecular chaperones αB-crystallin (from the small HSP chaperone family) and DNAJB1 (from the HSP40 chaperone family). DNAJB1 and αB-crystallin are classified as canonical ATP-independent holdases. Both DNAJB1 and αB-crystallin chaperones showed a clear inhibition of amyloid fibril formation when they were present at high concentration while they accelerated the fibril formation when the chaperone concentrations were lowered. Hence, we concluded that chaperone acceleration of amyloid formation appeared to be a general chaperone mechanism of holdases and not a unique feature for HSP10.

Herein, we have investigated fundamental mechanisms of molecular chaperones in the context of modulation of amyloid fibril formation. Our results uncovered a new chaperone property: acceleration of amyloid fibril formation and provided valuable insights into the molecular mechanisms of chaperones. This thesis contributed with crucial knowledge needed for development of molecular chaperones as pharmaceutical agents targeting neurodegenerative disease.

Preeclampsia affects 2–8% of all pregnancies worldwide. This multi-system disorder, increases the risk of adverse pregnancy outcomes, maternal death, and adverse short- and long-term consequences for the women and infants. Impaired cardiovascular adaptations to pregnancy may contribute to preeclampsia. These women run an elevated risk of future cardiovascular disease (CVD). The mechanisms connecting adverse cardiovascular adaptions, preeclampsia, and CVD remain unclear. To address the rising CVD prevalence in women, identification of sex-specific pathways is needed, particularly in women with prior preeclampsia.

This thesis explores the pathophysiological and predictive role of cardiovascular biomarkers before preeclampsia and preeclampsia´s impact on long-term CVD, using proteomics and register-based data.

In Papers I and II, 92 cardiovascular plasma proteins were analysed. In Paper I, machine learning approach identified Matrix metalloproteinase (MMP)-12 as a novel biomarker for subsequent preeclampsia, including early- and late-onset preeclampsia. In Paper II pathophysiological pathways were explored by comparing cardiovascular proteins in women with subsequent preeclampsia, small for gestational age (SGA) birth, or combined outcomes, with normotensive pregnancies. Only subsequent preeclampsia, was associated with dysregulation of several cardiovascular biomarkers. All outcomes were associated with MMP-12 and placental growth factor (PlGF).

In Paper III, the risk of future CVD in multi-fetal pregnancies complicated by preeclampsia was assessed by adjusted Cox proportional hazard models, comparing them to normotensive singleton pregnancies. Multi-fetal pregnancies complicated by preeclampsia were not associated with increased long-term CVD-risk as observed in singleton pregnancies with preeclampsia.

In Paper IV, a regression model assessed cardiovascular risk factors at the first-time myocardial infarction (MI), comparing women with to without prior pregnancy-induced hypertensive disorders (PIH). Chronic hypertension and elevated body mass index were more prevalent and smoking less prevalent, in those with prior PIH.

In conclusion, analysing cardiovascular biomarkers revealed MMP-12 as a promising predictive cardiovascular biomarker for preeclampsia, and dysregulation of the cardiovascular system specifically in women with subsequent preeclampsia. Women with multi-fetal pregnancies and preeclampsia lack the increased long-term CVD risk observed in corresponding singleton pregnancies, indicating different pathways to preeclampsia. The strong association between chronic hypertension and prior PIH at first MI, indicates its key role in their elevated MI-risk.

Modeling and simulation are used to solve real-world problems safely and efficiently. For example, we can conduct simulations and analyze the results by constructing digital models of cyber-physical systems to make informed decisions. The field of Modeling and Simulation has recently grown and is tackling systems with increased complexity and size. Hence, modeling and simulating cyber-physical systems are becoming increasingly complex, requiring traditional modeling languages and tools to adapt. Modelica is an open-standard declarative equation-based object-oriented language used to model various systems. Existing tools allow modelers to model and simulate large, complex systems. However, the language and existing tooling cannot express some concepts, such as radical structural changes to the components or the behavior of systems during simulation. We propose several language extensions to support modeling variable-structure systems (VSS), that is, systems in which the system’s structure may radically change during simulation. To achieve these goals, we have developed a new modeling framework that supports the language itself alongside several extensions. The proposed extensions can handle explicit and implicit modeling of VSS by new operators and, consequently, new semantics for the language. Furthermore, we introduce and investigate additional features in terms of operators and semantics to aid VSS modeling and simulation.

One such extension is dynamic-overconstrained connectors (DOCC), which are helpful, for instance, when modeling AC transmission systems, particularly large ones. In the thesis we provide a technique to better handle such models by relaxing existing modeling constraints. Another extension is the inclusion of a experimental operator for inline integration and investigating the practical benefits of its introduction. The environment has been used to develop a new language that merges aspects of Context-Oriented Programming and declarative equation-based modeling, utilizing the introduced primitives. Furthermore, we have also validated the framework by using it to simulate relvant and recent climate models.

Explicit VSS modeling is based on extensions, which provide the possibility of switching configuration at runtime between model definitions resolved at compile time. The implicit modeling supports reconfiguration during runtime via recompilation. A just-in-time compiler was implemented to handle the new semantics using the symbolic-numeric programming language Julia. We investigate the performance of our new framework and compare it to existing state-of-the-art tooling on models with over 100,000 equations.

The results show that the extensions, framework and methods are viable for simulating both regular models and models with structural variability. We demonstrate that the Modelica language can be extended to support systems with variable structures by providing additional operators and enhanced runtime system support.

One of the most significant changes in modern Western European party systems is the birth and growth of radical right parties. These parties have demonstrated considerable power in setting political agendas, impacting the overall dynamics of multiparty systems. In some systems, radical right parties have even managed to become feasible government coalition partners. The literature speaks of a normalisation process of parties previously thought of as extreme. Numerous scholars have sought to delineate the characteristics of the electoral segment voting for radical right-wing parties, as well as account for how mainstream parties have responded to the emergence of these new political actors. Yet, to date, we lack a systematic and detailed understanding of political parties’ considerations in this normalisation process. Across three independent papers, this dissertation offers a comprehensive analysis of such party internal contemplations.

Drawing on experiences from Sweden, the dissertation employs qualitative research methods involving a concept operationalisation and application, a small-n comparison, and a within-case study. Until the Sweden Democrats entered the Riksdag in 2010, Sweden represented an exception where no radical right-wing party had gained a durable position in national parliament. In their early days in the Riksdag, the Sweden Democrats were conspicuously ostracised by the established parties. However, since the party passed the electoral threshold, they have fortified their electoral support, as well as secured a position as a formalised support party of the national government. This dissertation analyses these developments from both the perspective of the Sweden Democrats and that of the established parties within the political system. By doing so, the dissertation generates three key contributions.

First, the dissertation offers a novel way to consider pariah party status as well as demonstrates the usefulness of the suggested operationalisation, using the Sweden Democrats as an empirical example. Specifically, I argue that we should conceive of pariah status in terms of two continuous dimensions involving a party's coalition potential and legislative cooperation potential. Second, the dissertation establishes the importance of social relations in interparty dynamics. By examining local level decisions to (not) govern municipalities together with the Sweden Democrats after the 2018 election, the dissertation distinguishes social relations as a matter of (dis)satisfaction, (in)appropriate behaviour, (dis)trust, (un)familiarity, and leadership. Third, the dissertation illustrates how candidate selection processes can serve as a strategic tool in facilitating integration. This, by examining how the Sweden Democrats conceive of the ideal candidate for representation, depicted as a matter of balancing six core traits: adaptability, stability, trustworthiness, social capacity, firmness, and familiarity. Together, these contributions not only aid in comprehending the complexity of radical right normalisation but also improve the conditions for future research.

Failure-transparent programming models abstract from failures by fully masking them from the programmer. They are widely used for programming distributed systems, as failures otherwise are considered a core difficulty. The most widely used of its kind for processing data is stateful dataflow streaming, a model restricted to static, directed, acyclic graphs of stateful stream processors. However, its restrictions limit the applicability of the model, as it lacks support for compositional patterns and replicated data types, making it difficult to express certain applications. Moreover, there is a lack of formal foundations and proofs of failure transparency.

This thesis contributes a semantics-agnostic definition of failure transparency, and two proofs of failure transparency, one of which is for a model of a stateful dataflow streaming system. It additionally contributes two novel programming models based on stateful dataflow streaming. The first provides extensions for compositional patterns, allowing it to express use cases such as a shopping cart. The second provides extensions for windowed conflict-free replicated data types, implemented in a low-latency programming system for global aggregations.

This thesis demonstrates the utility of failure-transparent programming models for distributed systems by contributions to its formal foundations and by making it applicable to a wider range of applications.

This paper gives an in-depth theoretical analysis of the direction and speed selectivity properties of idealized models of the spatio-temporal receptive fields of simple cells and complex cells, based on the generalized Gaussian derivative model for visual receptive fields. According to this theory, the receptive fields are modelled as velocity-adapted affine Gaussian derivatives for different image velocities and different degrees of elongation.  By probing such idealized receptive field models of visual neurons to moving sine waves with different angular frequencies and image velocities, we characterize the computational models to a structurally similar probing method as is used for characterizing the direction and speed selective properties of biological neurons. It is shown that the direction selective properties become sharper with increasing order of spatial differentiation and increasing degree of elongation in the spatial components of the visual receptive fields. It is also shown that the speed selectivity properties are sharper for increasing order of spatial differentiation, while they are for the inclination angle $\theta = 0$ independent of the degree of elongation.

By comparison to results of neurophysiological measurements of direction and speed selectivity for biological neurons in the primary visual cortex, we find that our theoretical results are qualitatively consistent with (i) velocity-tuned visual neurons that are sensitive to particular motion directions and speeds, and (ii)~different visual neurons having broader {\em vs.\/}\ sharper direction and speed selective properties.  Our theoretical results in combination with results from neurophysiological characterizations of motion-sensitive visual neurons are also consistent with a previously formulated hypothesis that the simple cells in the primary visual cortex ought to be covariant under local Galilean transformations, so as to enable processing of visual stimuli with different motion directions and speeds.

This article studies whether asymmetries in volatility help explain the cross section of commodity returns. We decompose realized variance into upside and downside components and construct a normalized difference measure, the relative signed jump (RSJ), following Bollerslev et al. (2020). A trading strategy that goes long the top tercile of commodities with the highest RSJ and shorts the bottom tercile delivers a statistically and economically significant annualized excess return of-6.29%. We also find that our tradable RSJ factor explains the cross section of commodity returns beyond well-established factors in a multivariate price setting context. Our results also show that the pricing ability of volatility asymmetries is distinct from other higher order moments such as realized skewness.

This paper expands on stochastic volatility models by proposing a data-driven method to select the macroeconomic events most likely to impact volatility. The paper identifies and quantifies the effects of macroeconomic events across multiple countries on exchange rate volatility using high-frequency currency returns, while accounting for persistent stochastic volatility effects and seasonal components capturing time-of-day patterns. Given the hundreds of macroeconomic announcements and their lags, we rely on sparsity-based methods to select relevant events for the model. We contribute to the exchange rate literature in four ways: First, we identify the macroeconomic events that drive currency volatility, estimate their effects and connect them to macroeconomic fundamentals. Second, we find a link between intraday seasonality, trading volume, and the opening hours of major markets across the globe. We provide a simple labor-based explanation for this observed pattern. Third, we show that including macroeconomic events and seasonal components is crucial for forecasting exchange rate volatility. Fourth, our proposed model yields the lowest volatility and highest Sharpe ratio in portfolio allocations when compared to standard SV and GARCH models.

Current moral values and ethical practices towards adoption are significantly different from the methods employed in the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. Before adoption became a legally mandated practice in Canada and England, households often took in young orphaned or abandoned children who were allowed to co-habit within a household in exchange for performing housework or farm labor. 

My thesis investigates evolving attitudes towards adoption in the late nineteenth century and the early twentieth centuries through the lens of three fictional texts: R. M. Ballantyne’s Dusty Diamonds Cut and Polished: A Tale of City-Arab Life (1884) and L. M. Montgomery’s Anne of Green Gables (1908) and Rainbow Valley (1919). Here, I demonstrate that in Dusty Diamonds, adoption is a transactional practice in which children are adopted for the economic value that they bring to their respective homes. In Anne of Green Gables, although Anne’s adoption is initially motivated by the practical need for cheap labor, she eventually becomes an integral part of the family. In Rainbow Valley, Mary Vance’s adoption is driven by philanthropic sensibilities and a sense of communal duty. 

The thesis is informed by the child emigration movement in the late nineteenth century in which over a hundred thousand street-children from England were exported to colonies such as Canada, New Zealand and Australia as cheap labor sources. The chapter on Dusty Diamonds presents the perspective of the country that exported the street children and the chapter on the Anne books represents contemporary Canadian attitudes and reception towards orphaned children with particular attention to the children’s social class. 

My research provides a critical framework to study the various sociocultural factors that initiated child adoption and to trace out evolving attitudes towards adoptive practices. The thesis follows a new historicist approach which is combined with relevant theoretical frameworks. In the first chapter, the new historicist approach is combined with theories on propaganda studies. Here, I support my work through the framework of Jacques Ellul’s work, Propaganda: The Formation of Men’s Attitudes (1965). In the second chapter, the new historicist approach is supported by John Cawelti’s book on formula fiction, Adventure, Mystery and Romance: Formula Stories as Art and Popular Culture (1976). 

In the first chapter, through the framework of propaganda studies, I investigate the socio-cultural and socio-political climate that legitimized and normalized the mass emigration of pauper children. In the second chapter, through Cawelti’s theories on formula fiction, in which he suggests that formula fictions evolve over time and adapt the formulaic patterns to changing cultural contexts, I study the evolution of attitudes towards adoption in Anne of Green Gables (1908) and Rainbow Valley (1919). 

In my thesis, I aim to answer two main questions: How do the stories of the orphan children in the selected texts reflect contemporary attitudes towards adoption? How are class distinctions conveyed through attitudes towards adoption? 

Background

Parental leave generosity is protective for mothers’ mental health in the postpartum period and beyond. Strong work requirements exist for parents in Sweden to receive more generous benefits which might penalise individuals who, due to poor health, have a weak labour market attachment. The aim of the study was to examine whether mothers with poor health prior to pregnancy are less likely to be eligible for more generous benefits in Sweden.

Methods

We used total population registers to study first-time mothers, aged 25–45 years, who were resident in Sweden and gave birth between 1 January 2009 and 30 September 2013 (n = 151,452). We used logistic regression to examine the association between health one and two consecutive years prior to pregnancy (to assess chronicity) and eligibility for earnings-related parental leave benefits.

Results

Mothers who were admitted to hospital or received specialist outpatient care for any health condition in the year prior to pregnancy were less likely to be eligible for earnings-related benefits (OR 0·79, 95%CI 0·76–0·83) compared to healthy mothers, particularly those with chronic health issues (OR 0·64, 95%CI 0·62–0·68). Findings were driven by mothers with mental disorders (OR 0·22, 95%CI 0·20–0·23 for the year before pregnancy), and associations were stronger for those with chronic health issues and for Swedish-born mothers.

Conclusion

Mothers with prior health conditions, particularly mental disorders, are less likely to benefit from the protective health effect of parental leave as they may not meet the eligibility requirements for more generous remunerations. This study highlights how the strong work requirement for accessing generous parental leave benefits could unintentionally exacerbate socioeconomic inequalities between mothers with and without poor mental health. Easing work requirements for eligibility to more generous parental leave remuneration could help reduce these inequalities and thus promote better mental health for all, particularly among more disadvantaged groups. As such, our findings empirically support the need for adopting the Health in All Policies framework when designing parental leave policies in order to minimise health inequalities.

This study examines COVID-19 mortality across long-term care settings comparing migrants and Swedish-born during the first 2 years of the pandemic. Previous research shows that migrants faced higher risks of severe COVID-19 outcomes, contrasting with the observed Migrant Mortality Advantage. Using Swedish total population data (2019–22), we stratified participants aged 70+ by care setting and migration status. We analysed the first pandemic year (March 2020–February 2021) and the second year (March 2021–February 2022), alongside pre-pandemic mortality data for context. Outcome measures included all deaths from COVID-19 and other causes. Cox proportional hazards models were employed adjusting for sociodemographic and health variables. Our findings highlight the significant impact of care settings on COVID-19 mortality in the first pandemic year, exceeding that for other causes of death. Migrants born in low- or middle-income countries in institutional care had higher mortality rates (HR = 42.88, 95% CI = 36.69–50.13) than Swedish-born individuals in institutional care (HR = 25.83, 95% CI = 24.12–27.65) relative to Swedish-born with no care. This contrasts with mortality patterns for non-COVID causes before and during the pandemic, indicating a specific migrant disadvantage during the first year. In the second year, the excess COVID-19 mortality in care settings decreased yet continued to be higher for migrants than for Swedish-born, likely influenced by the equalizing effect of vaccinations. Despite mitigation efforts, a clear migrant mortality disadvantage persisted among those receiving home care or living in care homes.

The COVID-19 pandemic generated major health, social, and economic concerns that also influenced individuals’ childbearing decisions. Migrants have been disproportionately affected compared to natives, experiencing higher mortality rates, greater job losses, and more severe financial hardships. In Sweden, these disparities are reflected in a sharper decline in birth rates among migrants relative to Swedish natives in 2021, likely due to the pandemic’s more adverse effects on migrant communities. Drawing on data from the 2021 Swedish Gender and Generation Survey, this study employs Ordinary Least Squares (OLS) regression models to examine how pandemic-related concerns—and the perceived impact of the pandemic across various domains (work and financial conditions, relationship quality, and wellbeing)—are associated with short-term fertility intentions across different migrant groups (Swedish natives, European migrants, and migrants from elsewhere). Our findings reveal distinct patterns by both migrant background and domain. Among all migrant groups, deteriorating work conditions were linked to a reduced desire to have children. Financial concerns further discouraged childbearing among European migrants. In contrast, Swedish natives’ fertility plans were more strongly influenced by personal wellbeing and relationship quality than by economic factors. Notably, improved financial or employment conditions were associated with a decreased desire to have children among European migrants, possibly reflecting a prioritization of career over family among this highly educated group during the crisis. Conversely, for migrants from elsewhere, concerns about future pandemics were linked to a higher short-term fertility desire, suggesting a ‘now or never’ mindset, akin to fertility responses observed after natural disasters.

Numerous studies have explored the influences of family policies, such as formal childcare use, and migration on fertility, with mixed findings. However, limited research has examined how formal childcare use (or the lack thereof) affects both fertility intentions and behaviours among native and migrant women. This study uses Italy as a case study, where the familistic welfare system creates challenges in work–family reconciliation and female workforce participation, particularly for migrant women facing precarious jobs and higher fertility. This results in employment disparities between migrant and native women, especially among mothers. Using the 2012 Birth Sample Survey from the Italian National Institute of Statistics, we address two research questions: (i) Does formal childcare use for one child positively influence mothers' fertility intentions and behaviours to have another? (ii) Does this effect vary according to migration background? We apply multinomial logistic regression models to analyse the relationship between mothers' fertility intentions and behaviours and childcare use by migration background, migratory generation, and partner's nationality. Our results show that mothers using formal childcare—either stable or occasional—are more likely to have positive fertility behaviours than those with unmet needs, with differences by migration background. Among mothers using formal care, natives show higher positive short-term fertility intentions than migrants, while natives with unmet childcare needs are less likely to have another child than migrants. While formal childcare has limited effect on fertility, unmet childcare needs emerge as a crucial factor, highlighting the need for policies addressing broader socio-economic and cultural factors shaping fertility decisions.

In this article, we summarise recent developments, identify gaps, and propose a research agenda for quantitative health impact assessment (HIA) of environmental exposures linked to urban transport and land use. This is based on a workshop of 30 experts, complemented by targeted literature identified by participants to illustrate the state of research and practice gaps. The practice of quantitative HIA in urban transport and land use interventions covers a diverse range of methods, models, and frameworks. The selection of an appropriate model depends upon the use case, i.e., the research question, resources and expertise, and application. The plurality of models can be a strength if differences are explicit and their implications are understood. A major gap in most assessments and frameworks is the lack of equity consideration. This should be integrated into all stages of the HIA, considering exposures, susceptibility, disease burden, capacity to benefit, household budgets, responsibility for harm, and participation in the process. Scenarios of environmental exposures in urban transport and land use interventions are often overly simple, while the scenario design process of spatial planning is often opaque. Researchers should specify the involvement of stakeholders and the data, evidence, or behavioural model used to construct the scenario. Recent developments in exposure assessment (remote sensing and modelling) have increased the capacity to conduct HIAs for small geographies at scale. At the same time, advances in simulation have enabled the representation of behaviours at high spatial and temporal resolution. The combination can enable person-centric measures accounting for location, activities, and behaviours, with HIA proceeding ahead of epidemiology. Most HIAs still use Comparative Risk Assessment. This is suitable for estimating the disease burdens of environmental exposures, but more advanced longitudinal methods are better suited for studying interventions. Beyond health outcomes, well-being must be incorporated. The monetisation of health outcomes through welfare economics remains contentious. Representation of uncertainty is increasingly acknowledged. Value of Information methods can inform where new data collection would most efficiently reduce final result uncertainty. In the context of the climate crisis and related environmental limits, methods are needed that consider adaptation alongside mitigation and prevention and test robustness to an increasingly unstable future.

The classical best-subset selection method has been demonstrated to be nondeterministic polynomial-time-hard and thus presents computational challenges. This problem can now be solved via advanced mixed integer optimization (MIO) algorithms for linear regression. We extend this methodology to linear instrumental variable (IV) regression and propose the best-subset instrumental variable (BSIV) method incorporating the MIO procedure. Classical IV estimation methods assume that IVs must not directly impact the outcome variable and should remain uncorrelated with nonmeasured variables. However, in practice, IVs are likely to be invalid, and existing methods can lead to a large bias relative to standard errors in certain situations. The proposed BSIV estimator is robust in estimating causal effects in the presence of unknown IV validity. We demonstrate that the BSIV using MIO algorithms outperforms two-stage least squares, Lasso-type IVs, and two-sample analysis (median and mode estimators) through Monte Carlo simulations in terms of bias and relative efficiency. We analyze two datasets involving the health-related quality of life index and proximity and the education-wage relationship to demonstrate the utility of the proposed method.

The ratio of prompt production cross-sections of ψ(2S) and J/ψ mesons in their dimuon final state is measured as a function of centrality, using data collected by the LHCb detector in PbPb collisions at √s_NN = 5.02 TeV, for the first time in the forward rapidity region. The measured ratio shows no dependence on the collision centrality, and is compared to the latest theory predictions and to the recent measurements in literature.

Developmental stuttering is a disorder with a high degree of heterogeneity, both behaviourally and neurologically. Research from different perspectives of stuttering indicates that sex is a potentially differentiating factor. In our study we explored if sex is related to variability of grey matter volume (GMV) patterns in adults with developmental stuttering. We used MRI to collect data on GMV from 24 righthanded adults who stutter (9 women and 15 men) and 29 righthanded fluent controls (10 women and 19 men). We analysed the following for 24 ROIs of the language system: 1) whole-group differences between the stuttering group and controls and 2) interaction between group (adults with stuttering versus controls) and sex. Our explorative results indicate that differences in grey matter volume between adults with stuttering and fluent adults are sexspecific for several areas involved in speech and language processing. We found an interaction between group and sex for the right BA45. The interaction indicates that men who stutter have larger GMV in this area compared to fluent men while women who stutter have smaller GMV compared to fluent women. Further, we found indications of sex-specific patterns in other areas of the bilateral inferior frontal cortex, but not the BA44, as well as in the cerebellum and the striatum.

Background: Migrant health, including reproductive health, is an important public health priority. The postpartum period is a critical window for establishing healthy behaviors that can impact long-term health. Mobile health interventions offer a scalable solution, but existing tools are often not culturally or linguistically adapted for diverse populations. To the best of our knowledge, no previous study has evaluated the effectiveness of a culturally targeted mobile health intervention delivered after childbirth to promote a healthy diet and physical activity among migrant women.

Objective: The PRIMI(Promoting Reproductive Health inMigrant Women)trial will determinetheeffectivenessofasmartphone app (the PRIMI app) on primary (diet quality and moderate-to-vigorous physical activity) and secondary (health literacy, BMI, self-efficacy, and self-rated health) outcomes in first-generation migrant women after childbirth.

Methods: A 2-arm randomized controlled trial will be conducted to examine the effectiveness of the PRIMI app. First-generation migrant women who have given birth within 6 months, are aged 18 years or older, and prefer to receive health-related information in any of the provided languages are eligible to participate in the study and will be recruited through health care services in Sweden. Thewomen will be randomized to the control group (standard care, eg, parental guidanceand support within child health care) or the intervention group (PRIMI app+standard care) in a 1:1 ratio. A total of 200 women (100 per group) will be included in the study. A waitlist control strategy will be applied so that women in the control group will receive the PRIMI app after the follow-up measurement at 6 months. Outcomeswill be assessed at baseline and at the 6-month follow-up. The PRIMI app, developed within the PRIMI project, is compatible with both Android and iOS. It contains weekly changing themes focusing on physical activity, diet, and health literacy throughout the 6-month intervention period. The app integrates behavior change techniques such as feedback and monitoring, goal setting, and instructions on how to perform the behavior. The app's language can be switched among 4 common languages (Arabic, Somali, English, and Swedish), and all textual content can be accessed through audio files for listening. All procedures have been approved by the Swedish Ethical Review Authority (reference 2022-06733-01 and 2024-00135-02).

Results: Recruitment of study participants is planned to begin in September 2025. We anticipate completing recruitment in 2026 and that the results of the PRIMI trial will be available in 2027.

Conclusions:This study will provide novel evidence on the effectiveness of the PRIMI app in promoting healthy behaviors and supporting postpartum health among migrant women. This is highly relevant given the lack of previous comparable studies and the urgent need for tailored postpartum interventions for migrant populations. 

We present the first near-simultaneous observations of the altitudinal and latitudinal evolution of electron temperature (T_e) in the topside ionosphere during a superstorm, using Swarm and DMSP data. During the 10-11 May storm, a strong prompt penetration electric field (PPEF) induced a superfountain effect, intensifying the Equatorial Ionization Anomaly (EIA) crests and shifting them to mid-latitudes. This led to significant increases in plasma density (N_e) at Swarm A (474 km) and DMSP (840 km) altitudes. At Swarm altitudes, T_e increased by 1500 K within the EIA trough, while at DMSP altitudes, T_e decreased by 1000 K in the EIA crests. Enhancement in the T_e at Swarm altitudes results from reduced electron-ion cooling from rapid N_e removal via upward EXB drift. Meanwhile, the elevated N_e at DMSP altitudes likely reduced T_e locally while enhancing heat conduction along magnetic field lines to Swarm altitudes. These novel observations highlight the crucial role of the EIA in regulating low-latitude T_e, leading to a reversal in the topside ionospheric temperature structure during the evening-sector superstorm.

Cerebral palsy (CP), the most prevalent childhood-onset motor disability, frequently entails progressive musculoskeletal complications. This comprehensive review synthesizes existing knowledge of microscopic and molecular alterations in CP skeletal muscle. Considerable methodological variability, heterogeneous patient cohorts, and inconsistent control groups significantly complicate comparative interpretations across studies. Nonetheless, some structural abnormalities consistently emerge, including increased variability in muscle fibre size, altered fibre type distribution, long sarcomeres at standardized joint positions, increased collagen content, disrupted neuromuscular junction integrity, reduced capillary density, and mitochondrial and satellite cell impairments. Investigations of satellite cell function in vitro further underscore potential mechanistic alterations, although findings remain inconsistent. Remarkably, few studies have systematically explored the cellular and molecular consequences of standard clinical interventions, revealing a notable research gap. In conclusion, the overall literature reveals considerable divergence in reported outcomes, reflecting the profound complexity of CP muscle biology. We believe that resolving this complexity will require more coordinated and collaborative research approaches.

The first observation of the Ξ_b⁰ → J/ψΞ^-π⁺ decay and the most precise measurement of the branching fraction of the Λ_b⁰ → J/ψΞ^-K⁺ decay are reported, using proton-proton collision data from the LHCb experiment collected in 2016-2018 at a centre-of-mass energy of 13 TeV, corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 5.4 fb^-1. Using the Λ_b⁰ → J/ψΛ and Ξ_b^- → J/ψΞ^- decays as normalisation channels, the ratios of branching fractions are measured to be

B(Λ_b⁰ → J/ψΞ^-K⁺)/B(Λ_b⁰ → J/ψΛ) =(1.17±0.14±0.08) x 10^-2,

B(Ξ_b⁰ → J/ψΞ^-π⁺)/B(Ξ_b^- → J/ψΞ^-) = (11.9±1.4±0.6) x 10^-2

where the first uncertainty is statistical and the second systematic.

Venous thromboembolisms (VTEs) are a leading cause of morbidity and mortality. Although many genetic risk factors have been identified, a substantial portion of the heritability remains unexplained. In this study, we employed a genome-wide association study (GWAS) for VTE across 9 international cohorts of the Global Biobank Meta-Analysis Initiative to address this question, along with in vivo functional validation. In this multipopulation GWAS (VTE cases, 27 987; controls, 1 035 290), 38 genome-wide significant loci were identified, 4 of which were potentially novel. For each autosomal locus, we performed gene prioritization using 7 independent, yet converging, lines of evidence. Through prioritization, we identified genes associated with VTE through GWAS and/or functional studies (eg, F5 F5, F11, VWF, STAB2, PLCG2, TC2N), functionally validated those that did not have evidence other than GWAS ( (TC2N (TC2N, TSPAN15), and discovered 1 not previously associated with coagulation ( (RASIP1 (RASIP1). We evaluated the function of 6 prioritized genes with strong genetic evidence, including F7 as a positive control, using laser-mediated endothelial injury to induce thrombosis in zebrafish after CRISPR/Cas9 knockdown. From this assay, we have supportive evidence for the role of RASIP1 and TC2N in the modification of human VTE and suggestive evidence for STAB2 and TSPAN15. This study expands on the currently identified genomic architecture of VTE through biobank-based, multipopulation GWASs, in silico candidate gene predictions, and in vivo functional followup of candidate genes.

Objective: Gross total resection is strived for in intramedullary spinal cord lesion surgery. Intraoperative neurophysiological monitoring (IONM) is the gold standard, but there is no consensus on the optimal IONM workflow. This study details our institutional workflow.

Methods: We retrospectively reviewed all adults who underwent intramedullary resection at Karolinska University Hospital, 2007-2021 (n = 70). Continuous multimodal IONM (somatosensory-evoked potentials (SSEP), motor-evoked potentials (MEP) and epidural D-waves) was conducted by an in-room neurophysiologist. Alarm thresholds were preset (≥ 50% SSEP amplitude drop/10% latency rise; ≥ 80% MEP reduction; ≥ 50% D-wave loss) and triggered a standardized four-step rescue protocol (halt manipulation, raise MAP to 80-90 mm Hg, topical papaverine, observation). Motor/sensory function, modified McCormick (mMC) grade, pain, and sphincter control were documented pre-operatively, at 3 months, and ≥ 12 months.

Results: Seventy patients were included. Most harboured ependymoma (51%), hemangioblastoma (18%) and cavernoma (8.5%). A neurophysiologist was present during every procedure. A ≥ 50% intra-operative SSEP-amplitude decrease was not followed by a sensory deficit (OR:3.0, 95% CI 0.86-10.6; p = 0.085) or mMC deterioration (OR:1.6, 0.33-7.5; p = 0.57) at either short- or long-term follow-up. In contrast, complete SSEP loss markedly increased the risk of postoperative sensory deficit (3-months-OR:25.2, 4.7-135; p < 0.001; long-term-OR 11.0, 2.8-43.8; p < 0.001) and poorer mMC grade (3-months-OR:7.8, 2.0-31; p = 0.004; long-term-OR:11.0, 2.8-43.8; p < 0.001). Loss of MEPs predicted a decline in mMC at long-term follow-up (OR:4.0, 1.06-15.1; p = 0.041).

Conclusions: Live data from continuous intraoperative neurophysiological monitoring, expertly interpreted in the OR, could potentially be used to make surgical and anesthesiologic adjustments with the goal of minimizing the risk of negative neurological outcomes. Significant associations were found between decreased or lost IONM signals and poorer sensorimotor function and mMC score at short- and long-term follow-up. Implementation of the IONM workflow is suggested in all intramedullary surgery.

This study presents the design optimization and experimental validation of a Line-Start Permanent Magnet Synchronous Motor (LSPMSM) aimed at achieving IE4 efficiency class. An IE1 class induction motor (IM) was used as a reference. Only the rotor structure was modified, while the stator geometry, winding, and mechanical components were kept unchanged. The optimization process focused on rotor slot geometry, magnet placement, magnet dimensions, and core length, employing a Multi-Objective Genetic Algorithm (MOGA) to maximize efficiency while maintaining cost-effectiveness. Following the optimization, six candidate designs were evaluated based on demagnetization prediction, synchronization performance, and starting torque capability. Among them, Design C demonstrated the highest overall performance. Finite Element Analysis (FEA) confirmed that Design C met IE4 efficiency standards with a calculated efficiency of 92.15%. This result was later experimentally verified at 91.95% through thermal testing. The study further examined the cost and payback period scenarios for adopting LSPMSMs in industrial applications. Three implementation strategies were analyzed: replacing only the rotor, purchasing a new IE4 LSPMSM instead of an IE1 motor, and replacing an operational IE1 motor with an IE4 LSPMSM. The results indicated that efficiency improvement could be achieved with minimal modifications. The payback period varied depending on the investment strategy. The findings demonstrate that high-efficiency LSPMSMs can serve as direct replacements for induction motors, offering energy savings and improved performance while maintaining compatibility with existing motor housings and components. 

The present study explored acute responses of heart rate (HR) variability (HRV) metrics, incorporating the nonlinear index alpha 1 of detrended fluctuation analysis (DFAa1) during passive recovery, providing information about correlation properties of HR time series during the regulation of recovery processes. Recreationally active female (n = 13) and male (n = 13) participants participated. In a first session, a graded exercise test was conducted to determine peak HR (HR<inf>PEAK</inf>) and peak oxygen consumption (VO<inf>2PEAK</inf>). In a second and third session, participants completed an endurance training with moderate intensity (MOD) on a treadmill and an exergaming training with vigorous intensity (VIG), randomized and counterbalanced. Before and up to 45 min after the respective exercise sessions, RR-interval and hemodynamic measurements (peripheral systolic, SBP; diastolic blood pressure, DBP; and pulse wave velocity, PWV) were conducted. Internal load analysis of MOD versus VIG revealed significant differences and appropriate prescription of intensity domains during exercise (%HR<inf>PEAK</inf>: ∼66% vs. 86% and %VO<inf>2PEAK</inf>: ∼48% vs. 66%). The present data showed significant main effects of time, intensity, and their interaction for all RR-interval outcomes, PWV, and SBP. DFAa1 demonstrated a stronger correlated reorganization and overcompensation after VIG, with higher values and therefore increased correlation properties throughout the recovery process. The present data suggest that VIG transiently delays the recovery of cardiac parasympathetic activity and the normalization of correlation properties of HR time series. Regarding acute early and delayed recovery processes, higher correlation properties may reflect more order (less complexity) and interaction of involved physiological subsystems, supporting the assumption of increased systemic control to process the demands of higher exercise intensity.