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  • Carlsson, Gunilla
    et al.
    Karlstad University, Faculty of Health, Science and Technology (starting 2013), Department of Engineering and Chemical Sciences (from 2013).
    Smedja Bäcklund, Anna
    Karlstad University, Faculty of Health, Science and Technology (starting 2013), Department of Engineering and Chemical Sciences (from 2013). Karlstad University, Faculty of Technology and Science, Department of Chemistry and Biomedical Sciences.
    Studentcentrerad examination av laborativt arbete i kemi2018In: Bidrag från 6:e Utvecklingskonferensen för Sveriges ingenjörsutbildningar / [ed] Lena Peterson, Kristina Edström, Oskar Gedda, Fredrik Georgsson, Liselott Lycke och Marie Arehag, Göteborg, Sverige, 2018, p. 126-129-Conference paper (Refereed)
    Abstract [sv]

    Kurser inom teknik- och naturvetenskap innehåller av tradition ofta en eller flera laborationer. När en universitetslärare designar en kurs finns ett tydligt syfte med varje laboration och koppling till lärandemål. Men hur upplever studenterna laborationernas syfte och mål i våra kurser och hur kan de bidra till studenternas lärande? För att få svar har studenter svarat på enkäter och deltagit i samtal om hur laborationer bidrar till deras lärande på kurser. 

    Från enkäter och samtal framkom att när studenterna fick samtala om sina beräkningar och resultat kunde de i diskussionen bekräfta sin kunskap. Många menade också att diskussionerna bidrog till inlärning. Ett annat sätt som visade sig bidra till ökat lärande var när studenterna rättade varandras protokoll.

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  • Public defence: 2024-01-17 09:00 1B309, Sjöströmsalen, Karlstad
    Gokan Khan, Michel
    Karlstad University, Faculty of Health, Science and Technology (starting 2013), Department of Mathematics and Computer Science (from 2013).
    Unchaining Microservice Chains: Machine Learning Driven Optimization in Cloud Native Systems2023Doctoral thesis, comprehensive summary (Other academic)
    Abstract [en]

    As the cloud native landscape flourishes, microservices emerge as a central pillar for contemporary software development, enabling agility, resilience, and scalability in modern computing environments. While these modular services promise opportunities, particularly in the transformative ecosystem of 5G and beyond, they also introduce a myriad of complexities. Notably, the migration from hardware-centric to software-defined environments, culminating in Virtual Network Functions (VNF), has facilitated dynamic deployments across cloud data centers. In this transition, VNFs are often deployed within cloud native environments as independent services, mirroring the microservices model. However, the advantage of flexibility in cloud native systems is shadowed by bottlenecks in computational resource allocation, sub-optimal service chain placements, and the perpetual quest for performance enhancement. Addressing these concerns is not just pivotal but indispensable for harnessing the true potential of microservice chains.

    In this thesis, the inherent challenges presented by cloud native microservice chains are addressed through the development and application of various tools and methodologies. The NFV-Inspector is introduced as a foundational tool, employing a systematic approach to profile and analyze Virtual Network Functions, subsequently extracting essential system KPIs essential for further modeling. Subsequent research introduced a Machine Learning (ML) based SLA-Aware resource recommendation system for cloud native functions. This system leveraged regression modeling techniques to correlate key performance metrics. Following this, PerfSim is proposed as a performance simulation tool designed specifically for cloud native computing environments, aiming to improve the accuracy of microservice chain simulations. Further research is conducted on Service Function Chain (SFC) Placement, emphasizing the equilibrium between cost-efficiency and latency optimization. The thesis concludes by integrating Deep Learning (DL) techniques for service chain optimization, employing both Graph Attention Networks (GAT) and Deep Q-Learning (DQN), highlighting the intersection of DL techniques and SFC performance optimization.

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  • Beckman, Linda
    et al.
    Karlstad University, Faculty of Health, Science and Technology (starting 2013), Department of Health Sciences (from 2013). University of Florida, USA.
    Gustavsson, Johanna
    Karlstad University, Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences (starting 2013), Center for Societal Risk Research, CSR (from 2020).
    Coping strategies for increased wellbeing and mental health among older adults during the COVID-19 pandemic - a Swedish qualitative study2023In: Ageing & Society, ISSN 0144-686X, E-ISSN 1469-1779Article in journal (Refereed)
    Abstract [en]

    Older adults were particularly vulnerable to the COVID-19 pandemic, necessitating significant efforts to avoid contamination. This extraordinary situation posed an increased risk of mental pressure, and the ability to handle stressful situations is affected by several aspects. Therefore, this study aims to explore the coping strategies employed by older adults during the early months of the COVID-19 pandemic. A sample of 41 Swedish older adults aged 70-85 participated in phone interviews regarding their experiences with social distancing due to COVID-19. The interviews were conducted between April and May 2020, with nine follow-up interviews conducted in November and December 2020. The findings revealed results that despite the challenging circumstances, the participants demonstrated a strong mindset and resilience. Strategies utilised to improve their wellbeing and manage the situation included following recommendations, accepting the situation and maintaining a positive outlook. The influence of previous experiences on their coping strategies was evident. Additionally, the participants expressed a longing for their relatives and a need to adopt new technologies to manage their everyday lives. The follow-up interviews indicated no significant changes in worry or behaviour; if anything, participants were less worried at the beginning of the pandemic. This study contributes to the ongoing discussion on vulnerability among older adults by highlighting the diverse range of coping strategies employed during a prolonged crisis such as the COVID-19 pandemic. It demonstrated that though they are medically vulnerable, they are situationally resilient and, in many ways, well set to handle a challenging situation. During crises, older adults might need practical assistance. On the other hand, they can be a resource regarding mental preparedness during crises. Further research should explore the possibilities of balancing the needs of older adults and, at the same time, viewing them as a resource during long-time crises. 

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  • Ghai, Shashank
    et al.
    Karlstad University, Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences (starting 2013), Department of Political, Historical, Religious and Cultural Studies (from 2013). Karlstad University, Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences (starting 2013), Center for Societal Risk Research, CSR (from 2020). Technische Universität Dresden, Germany.
    Hitzig, Sander L.
    University of Toronto, Canada; Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre, Canada.
    Eberlin, Lindsay
    University of Toronto, Canada.
    Melo, Joshua
    University of Toronto, Canada.
    Mayo, Amanda L.
    Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre, Canada; University of Toronto, Canada.
    Blanchette, Virginie
    Centre intégré universitaire de santé et services sociaux de la Capitale-Nationale, Canada; Université du Québec à Trois-Rivières, Canada.
    Habra, Natalie
    Université de Montréal, Canada; Centre intégré universitaire de santé et de services sociaux du Centre-Sud-de-l'Île-de-Montréal, Canada.
    Zucker-Levin, Audrey
    University of Saskatchewan, Canada.
    Zidarov, Diana
    Centre intégré universitaire de santé et de services sociaux du Centre-Sud-de-l'Île-de-Montréal, Canada; Université de Montréal, Canada.
    Reporting of Rehabilitation Outcomes in the Traumatic Lower Limb Amputation Literature: A Systematic Review2023In: Archives of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, ISSN 0003-9993, E-ISSN 1532-821XArticle, review/survey (Refereed)
    Abstract [en]

    Objective: To synthesize the outcomes reported in the rehabilitation and community literature for adults with traumatic lower limb amputation (LLA). Data Sources: The search strategy was conducted in 3 databases (Medline, EMBASE, and CINAHL) from inception to April 2022. Study Selection: To be eligible, articles could be of any design but were required to have at least 50% adult individuals with traumatic LLA and had to report on interventions and outcomes in either a rehabilitation or community setting. Data Extraction: The extracted outcomes were classified using Dodd’s framework, which is designed for organizing research outcomes. Heterogeneity was observed in the outcome measures (OMs) used for evaluation. Two reviewers independently conducted the data extraction, which was verified by a third reviewer. Data Synthesis: Of the 7,834 articles screened, 47 articles reporting data on 692 individuals with traumatic LLA, met our inclusion criteria. Four core areas encompassing 355 OMs/indicators were identified: life effect (63.4%), physiological/clinical (30.1%), resource use (5.1%), and adverse events (1.4%). Physical functioning (eg, gait, mobility) was the most frequently reported outcome domain across studies, followed by nervous system outcomes (eg, pain) and psychiatric outcomes (eg, depression, anxiety). Domains such as global quality of life and role/emotional functioning were seldomly reported. Conclusion: The study provides a list of outcome indicators explicitly published for adults with traumatic LLA, highlighting inconsistent reporting of outcome indicators. The lack of a standardized set of OMs is a barrier to performing meta-analyses on interventions, preventing the identification of effective care models and clinical pathways. Developing a core outcome set that includes OMs relevant to the needs of the traumatic LLA population may address these issues. 

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  • Nobis, Harrison
    et al.
    Royal Institute of Technology, Sweden.
    Schlatter, Philipp
    Royal Institute of Technology, Sweden; Friedrich-Alexander-Universität (FAU) Erlangen–Nürnberg, Germany.
    Wadbro, Eddie
    Karlstad University, Faculty of Health, Science and Technology (starting 2013), Department of Mathematics and Computer Science (from 2013).
    Berggren, Martin
    Umeå University, Sweden.
    Henningson, Dan S.
    Royal Institute of Technology, Sweden.
    Topology optimization of Superhydrophobic Surfaces to delay spatially developing modal laminar–turbulent transition2023In: International Journal of Heat and Fluid Flow, ISSN 0142-727X, E-ISSN 1879-2278, Vol. 104, article id 109231Article in journal (Refereed)
    Abstract [en]

    Super-Hydrophobic Surfaces (SHSs) have been shown to reduce skin friction of an overlying fluid as a consequence of gas pockets trapped within the surface’s microstructure. More recently, they have also been shown capable of delaying laminar–turbulent transition. This article investigates the applicability of topology optimization in designing the macroscopic layout of SHSs in a channel that are able to further delay K-type transition in a spatial setting. Unsteady direct numerical simulations are performed to simulate the transition scenario. This is coupled with adjoint–based sensitivity analysis and gradient based optimization. The optimized designs found through this procedure are capable of moving the transition location further downstream compared to a homogeneous counterpart by inhibiting the growth of secondary instability modes. This article provides the first application of topology optimization to a spatially developing transition scenario. 

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  • Støre, Siri Jakobsson
    Karlstad University, Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences (starting 2013), Department of Social and Psychological Studies (from 2013).
    Lean, mean sleep machine?: Effects and experiences of a sleep robot intervention for adults with insomnia2024Doctoral thesis, comprehensive summary (Other academic)
    Abstract [en]

    Many adults suffer from insomnia disorder, struggling to fall asleep, stay asleep, or with early morning awakenings. Hyperarousal is an important predisposing, precipitating and perpetuating factor to insomnia. Anxiety, depression and ADHD are common comorbid disorders, with shared cognitive, behavioral, genetic, and neurological features. Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for insomnia (CBT-I) is the gold-standard treatment, more effective and economical than pharmacological treatments, though not suitable or available for everyone. Unfortunately, sleeping pills are still more common than CBT-I, despite known risks. One potential treatment avenue is consumer sleep technology, including interventional sleep robots. 

    This thesis aimed to assess the safety, acceptability, effects, and experiences of a commercial sleep robot for insomnia in adults. Overall, the thesis does not strongly support the sleep robot as an effective insomnia treatment. The intervention might not have addressed important precipitating factors of the participants’ insomnia, and the robot’s impact on stress reactivity and other potentially important factors remain uncertain. Until more robust research studies are conducted, the current sleep robot intervention should not be considered an evidence-based treatment for adults with insomnia.

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  • Rock, Sebastian L.
    et al.
    Karlstad University, Faculty of Health, Science and Technology (starting 2013), Department of Environmental and Life Sciences (from 2013). Maastricht University, Netherlands.
    Oudendijk, Zowi
    Maastricht University, Netherlands; University of Helsinki, Finland.
    Kürten, Fabian T.
    Maastricht University, Netherlands.
    Veglia, Leonardo
    Maastricht University, Netherlands.
    Tyukosova, Valentina
    Maastricht University, Netherlands.
    Bourtzi, Ioanna
    Maastricht University, Netherlands.
    Verzé, Nicholas
    Maastricht University, Netherlands.
    Sloggett, John J.
    Maastricht University, Netherlands.
    The effect of stress on rates of asexual reproduction in an invasive planarian2023In: Ecotoxicology, ISSN 0963-9292, E-ISSN 1573-3017Article in journal (Refereed)
    Abstract [en]

    Animal reproduction under stressful conditions is often reduced, with current survival and future reproduction being generally traded off against current reproductive activity. This study examines the impacts of physical and chemical stressors on the rates of asexual reproduction of the invasive planarian Girardia tigrina. 320 wild-caught planaria (mixed size class) were kept individually in Petri dishes such that their individual rates of fission through fragmentation could be easily monitored. Four treatment groups were compared, one chemical (5 mg/L ammonia) and one physical (decapitation), in comparison to a negative control (animals were starved of food) and a positive control where the animals were given an abundance of food. The two treatment groups immediately began reproducing asexually and accumulated the highest number of fissions over the course of the 12-day investigation period, while the positive control only began to fission after 7 days. We propose that the reproductive response observed here is an adaptive one to stressful conditions, whereby the likelihood of survival through numerical abundance is enhanced, although the size and vulnerability of resulting fragments may impose a balancing cost. The response may play a role in the invasiveness of G. tigrina by making it able to colonize environments where adverse conditions prevail. 

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  • Andersson, Peter
    et al.
    Stockholm University, Sweden.
    Schön, Ulla-Karin
    Stockholm University, Sweden.
    Svedberg, Petra
    Halmstad University, Sweden.
    Grim, Katarina
    Karlstad University, Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences (starting 2013), Department of Social and Psychological Studies (from 2013).
    Exploring stakeholder perspectives to facilitate the implementation of shared decision-making in coordinated individual care planning: [Utforskande av stakeholderperspektiv för att stödja implementeringen av delat beslutsfattande i samordnad individuell vårdplanering]2023In: European Journal of Social Work, ISSN 1369-1457, E-ISSN 1468-2664Article in journal (Refereed)
    Abstract [en]

    This article explores conditions for implementing shared decision-making (SDM) in coordinated individual care planning (CIP) with individuals with complex mental health needs. SDM in CIP are described as central, although such user centred collaboration still remains to be realised. Research underlines the need for a changed way of working, where user expertise is valued and a balance of power is promoted. The aim of the present study is to investigate the conditions for implementing SDM in connection with CIP for and with people with mental illness. To better understand the context and conditions that can promote such an implementation, altogether 15 participants were interviewed in three regions in Sweden within the scope of a stakeholder analysis. Both hindering and supporting factors were identified with respect to an implementation process, such as staff turnover, differences in work culture and committed leadership. Further focus should be directed specifically towards professionals working more closely with CIP and towards in-depth analysis of the construct of culture in terms of implementation processes. 

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  • Rahnert, Katharina
    Karlstad University, Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences (starting 2013), Karlstad Business School (from 2013).
    Enhancing morality through charity accounting during the Swedish famine of 1867–18692023In: Accounting History, ISSN 1032-3732, E-ISSN 1749-3374Article in journal (Refereed)
    Abstract [en]

    The objective of this article is to describe instances of charity accounting relating to a natural disaster in Sweden and to analyse the relationship between charity accounting and dimensions of moral conception prevailing in Sweden in the second half of the nineteenth century. Drawing on accounts of the Stockholm Relief Committee for Norrland, a temporary charity organisation established during the Swedish Famine of 1867–1869, the study shows that moral conceptions affected not only the distribution of relief but also what was accounted for. There are also indications that accounting was used to enhance the morality of the propertied class to act in the interest of those in need. In this way, the broader social implications of accounting history are considered, and previous conceptions of accounting as a one-sided technology exclusively favouring propertied interests and enhancing the morality of the poor are challenged. 

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  • Hansen, Henry
    et al.
    Karlstad University, Faculty of Health, Science and Technology (starting 2013), Department of Environmental and Life Sciences (from 2013).
    Schneider, Matthias
    sje-Ecohydraulic Engineering GmbH, Germany.
    Hägele, Tobias
    sje-Ecohydraulic Engineering GmbH, Germany.
    A habitat connectivity reality check for fish physical habitat model results and decision-making for river restoration2023In: Ecological Solutions and Evidence, E-ISSN 2688-8319, Vol. 4, no 4, article id e12291Article in journal (Refereed)
    Abstract [en]

    Fish physical habitat models are a tool for guiding restoration efforts in lotic ecosystems, but often they overestimate restoration outcomes because currently they do not incorporate habitat connectivity. This persistent issue can, in extreme cases, result in little or no improvement to fish populations after the restoration, wasting valuable conservation resources. We present a case study where practitioners applied a fish habitat model for multiple life stages of gravel spawning fishes to a 52-km stretch of the Iller River but did so at a microscale implementation by setting up a model based on cross sections with a maximum of 200 m distance from each other. This approach provided an opportunity to assess the connectivity of habitats for gravel spawning fishes, that is, European Grayling (Thymallus thymallus) and Common Nase (Chondrostoma nasus), integrating probabilities to find suitable habitats for all life-history stages and seasonal movements. We used the assessed habitat estimates (availability of distinct habitat types within reaches defined by the 200 m cross sections) to calculate the minimum distance a fish would need to overcome to change from one habitat type into the other as it hypothetically ‘grew up’ from egg to full spawning adult. This approach can be interpreted as a life cycle habitat check as it considers all habitat types that are necessary to fulfil the life cycle of gravel spawning fishes including their size, distance and flow direction-related orientation (e.g. larvae habitats only used when downstream of spawning areas). Our results show that the assumption of complete connectivity would require long movement distances for vulnerable life stages to find suitable habitat. This puts the high priority on the creation of migration corridors and passability of migration barriers in question. Without consideration of habitat types for all life stages of a species and their spatial context, restoration will not be successful. Shortly said: A perfect migration corridor does not necessarily provide habitat connectivity. We recommend the application of the habitat connectivity approach when predicting the effect of restoration measures and particularly setting the priority of measures for mitigation of fish migration.

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  • Hägglund, Maria
    et al.
    Uppsala University, Sweden; Uppsala University Hospital, Sweden.
    Kharko, Anna
    Uppsala University, Sweden; Uppsala University Hospital, Sweden; University of Plymouth, United Kingdom .
    Hagström, Josefin
    Uppsala University, Sweden; Uppsala University Hospital, Sweden.
    Bärkås, Annika
    Uppsala University, Sweden; Uppsala University Hospital, Sweden.
    Blease, Charlotte
    Uppsala University, Sweden; Uppsala University Hospital, Sweden; Harvard Medical School, United States .
    Cajander, Åsa
    Uppsala University, Sweden.
    DesRoches, Catherine
    Harvard Medical School, United States.
    Fagerlund, Asbjørn Johansen
    University Hospital of North Norway, Norway.
    Haage, Barbara
    Tallinn University of Technology, Estonia.
    Huvila, Isto
    Uppsala University, Sweden.
    Hörhammer, Iiris
    Aalto University, Finland.
    Kane, Bridget
    Karlstad University, Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences (starting 2013), Karlstad Business School (from 2013).
    Klein, Gunnar O.
    Uppsala University Hospital, Sweden.
    Kristiansen, Eli
    University Hospital of North Norway, Norway.
    Luks, Kerli
    Tallinn University of Technology, Estonia.
    Moll, Jonas
    Örebro University, Sweden.
    Muli, Irene
    Uppsala University, Sweden; Uppsala University Hospital, Sweden.
    Raphaug, Eline Hovstad
    University Hospital of North Norway, Norway.
    Rexhepi, Hanife
    University of Skövde, Sweden.
    Riggare, Sara
    Uppsala University, Sweden; Uppsala University Hospital, Sweden.
    Ross, Peeter
    Tallinn University of Technology, Estonia.
    Scandurra, Isabella
    Örebro University, Sweden.
    Simola, Saija
    Aalto University, Finland.
    Soone, Hedvig
    Tallinn University of Technology, Estonia.
    Wang, Bo
    University Hospital of North Norway, Norway.
    Ghorbanian Zolbin, Maedeh
    Aalto University, Finland.
    Åhlfeldt, Rose-Mharie
    University of Skövde, Sweden.
    Kujala, Sari
    Aalto University, Finland.
    Johansen, Monika Alise
    University Hospital of North Norway, Norway; Arctic University of Norway, Norway.
    The NORDeHEALTH 2022 Patient Survey: Cross-Sectional Study of National Patient Portal Users in Norway, Sweden, Finland, and Estonia2023In: Journal of Medical Internet Research, E-ISSN 1438-8871, Vol. 25, article id e47573Article in journal (Refereed)
    Abstract [en]

    BACKGROUND: Although many surveys have been conducted on patients accessing their own health records in recent years, there is a limited amount of nationwide cross-country data available on patients’ views and preferences. To address this gap, an international survey of patient users was conducted in the Nordic eHealth project, NORDeHEALTH. OBJECTIVE: We aimed to investigate the sociodemographic characteristics and experiences of patients who accessed their electronic health records (EHRs) through national patient portals in Norway, Sweden, Finland, and Estonia. METHODS: A cross-sectional web-based survey was distributed using the national online health portals. The target participants were patients who accessed the national patient portals at the start of 2022 and who were aged ≥15 years. The survey included a mixture of close-ended and free-text questions about participant sociodemographics, usability experience, experiences with health care and the EHR, reasons for reading health records online, experience with errors, omissions and offense, opinions about security and privacy, and the usefulness of portal functions. In this paper, we summarized the data on participant demographics, past experience with health care, and the patient portal through descriptive statistics. RESULTS: In total, 29,334 users completed the survey, of which 9503 (32.40%) were from Norway, 13,008 (44.35%) from Sweden, 4713 (16.07%) from Finland, and 2104 (7.17%) from Estonia. National samples were comparable according to reported gender, with about two-thirds identifying as women (19,904/29,302, 67.93%). Age distributions were similar across the countries, but Finland had older users while Estonia had younger users. The highest attained education and presence of health care education varied among the national samples. In all 4 countries, patients most commonly rated their health as "fair" (11,279/29,302, 38.48%). In Estonia, participants were more often inclined to rate their health positively, whereas Norway and Sweden had the highest proportion of negative health ratings. Across the whole sample, most patients received some care in the last 2 years (25,318/29,254, 86.55%). Mental health care was more common (6214/29,254, 21.24%) than oncological care (3664/29,254, 12.52%). Overall, most patients had accessed their health record "2 to 9 times" (11,546/29,306, 39.4%), with the most frequent users residing in Sweden, where about one-third of patients accessed it "more than 20 times" (4571/13,008, 35.14%). CONCLUSIONS: This is the first large-scale international survey to compare patient users’ sociodemographics and experiences with accessing their EHRs. Although the countries are in close geographic proximity and demonstrate similar advancements in giving their residents online records access, patient users in this survey differed. We will continue to investigate patients’ experiences and opinions about national patient-accessible EHRs through focused analyses of the national and combined data sets from the NORDeHEALTH 2022 Patient Survey. 

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  • Al-Hazmi, Hussein E.
    et al.
    Gdańsk University of Technology, Poland.
    Łuczak, Justyna
    Gdańsk University of Technology, Poland.
    Habibzadeh, Sajjad
    Amirkabir University of Technology (Tehran Polytechnic), Iran.
    Hasanin, Mohamed S.
    National Research Centre, Egypt.
    Mohammadi, Ali
    Karlstad University, Faculty of Health, Science and Technology (starting 2013), Department of Engineering and Chemical Sciences (from 2013).
    Esmaeili, Amin
    College of the North Atlantic—Qatar, Qatar.
    Kim, Seok-Jhin
    Oklahoma State University, United States.
    Khodadadi Yazdi, Mohsen
    Gdańsk University of Technology, Poland.
    Rabiee, Navid
    Murdoch University, Australia; Macquarie University, Australia.
    Badawi, Michael
    Universit´e de Lorraine, France.
    Saeb, Mohammad Reza
    Medical University of Gdańsk, Poland.
    Polysaccharide nanocomposites in wastewater treatment: A review2024In: Chemosphere, ISSN 0045-6535, E-ISSN 1879-1298, Vol. 347, article id 140578Article, review/survey (Refereed)
    Abstract [en]

    In modern times, wastewater treatment is vital due to increased water contamination arising from pollutants such as nutrients, pathogens, heavy metals, and pharmaceutical residues. Polysaccharides (PSAs) are natural, renewable, and non-toxic biopolymers used in wastewater treatment in the field of gas separation, liquid filtration, adsorption processes, pervaporation, and proton exchange membranes. Since addition of nanoparticles to PSAs improves their sustainability and strength, nanocomposite PSAs has gained significant attention for wastewater treatment in the past decade. This review presents a comprehensive analysis of PSA-based nanocomposites used for efficient wastewater treatment, focusing on adsorption, photocatalysis, and membrane-based methods. It also discusses potential future applications, challenges, and opportunities in adsorption, filtration, and photocatalysis. Recently, PSAs have shown promise as adsorbents in biological-based systems, effectively removing heavy metals that could hinder microbial activity. Cellulose-mediated adsorbents have successfully removed various pollutants from wastewater, including heavy metals, dyes, oil, organic solvents, pesticides, and pharmaceutical residues. Thus, PSA nanocomposites would support biological processes in wastewater treatment plants. A major concern is the discharge of antibiotic wastes from pharmaceutical industries, posing significant environmental and health risks. PSA-mediated bio-adsorbents, like clay polymeric nanocomposite hydrogel beads, efficiently remove antibiotics from wastewater, ensuring water quality and ecosystem balance. The successful use of PSA-mediated bio-adsorbents in wastewater treatment depends on ongoing research to optimize their application and evaluate their potential environmental impacts. Implementing these eco-friendly adsorbents on a large scale holds great promise in significantly reducing water pollution, safeguarding ecosystems, and protecting human health. 

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  • Leonardsen, Ann-Chatrin Linqvist
    et al.
    Ostfold University College, Norway; Ostfold Hospital Trust, Norway.
    Hardeland, Camilla
    Ostfold University College, Norway.
    Hallgren, Jenny
    University of Skövde, Sweden.
    Femdal, Ingrid
    Ostfold University College, Norway.
    Thapa, Dip Raj
    University of Skövde, Sweden.
    Helgesen, Ann Karin
    Ostfold University College, Norway.
    Bååth, Carina
    Karlstad University, Faculty of Health, Science and Technology (starting 2013), Department of Health Sciences (from 2013). Ostfold University College, Norway.
    Halvorsrud, Liv
    Ostfold University College, Norway; Oslo Metropolitan University, Norway.
    Grøndahl, Vigdis Abrahamsen
    Ostfold University College, Norway.
    Gillsjö, Catharina
    University of Rhode Island, USA; University of Skövde, Sweden.
    Nursing students’ attitudes towards the use of digital technology in the healthcare of older adults- a cross-sectional study in Norway and Sweden2023In: BMC Nursing, ISSN 1472-6955, E-ISSN 1472-6955, Vol. 22, no 1, article id 428Article in journal (Refereed)
    Abstract [en]

    Background: Implementation of digital technology has been suggested as a potential solution to future healthcare challenges. Healthcare personnel’s attitudes are important in the acceptance and implementation of digital technologies. Aim: The aims of this study were to (1) translate and validate two different questionnaires to Norwegian and Swedish respectively, and then (2) use these to examine nursing students’ attitudes towards digital technology in healthcare, as well as their attitudes towards older adults’ abilities to use digital technology. Design: Cross-sectional. Methods: A web-based questionnaire was distributed in first year nursing students in a Norwegian and a Swedish university college, respectively. The questionnaire consisted of the short form of the ‘Information Technology Attitude Scales for Health (ITASH)’ and the ‘Attitudes Towards Older Adults Using Digital technology (ATOAUT-11)’ questionnaire. The questionnaires were translated and validated in both countries. Frequencies, Student’s t-test, and one-way ANOVA were used to analyze the data. Results: In total 236 students responded to the questionnaire in the period September 2022 to April 2023. Students mainly reported positive attitudes towards digital technology use in general. They most agreed with the items ‘Using digital technology devices makes my communication with other health professionals faster’, ‘The sort of information I can get from the digital technology devices helps me give better care to patient’, and ‘Digital technology skills are becoming more and more necessary for healthcare professionals’. However, they reported more negative attitudes towards older adults using digital technology. They most agreed with the items ‘One needs a lot of patience to explain to an older adult how to use digital technologies’, ‘It’s hard to explain to older adults how to use digital technology’, ‘Using digital technology is harder for most older adults’, and ‘Most older adults fear using digital technology because they fear of being scammed or cheated’. Conclusion: The ITASH and the ATOAUT-11 is appropriate for use in a Norwegian and Swedish setting. Even if nursing students are positive to digital technology in healthcare in general, they are sceptical to older adults using digital technology. This may impact on their attitudes to using digital technology in the healthcare of older adults. These aspects need emphasis when revising nursing education curricula focusing on developing technological competencies in nursing, and gaining knowledge regarding older adults’ use of digital technology. 

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  • Maqbool, Bilal
    et al.
    Karlstad University, Faculty of Health, Science and Technology (starting 2013), Department of Mathematics and Computer Science (from 2013).
    Herold, Sebastian
    Karlstad University, Faculty of Health, Science and Technology (starting 2013), Department of Mathematics and Computer Science (from 2013).
    Potential effectiveness and efficiency issues in usability evaluation within digital health: A systematic literature review2024In: Journal of Systems and Software, ISSN 0164-1212, E-ISSN 1873-1228, Vol. 208, article id 111881Article in journal (Refereed)
    Abstract [en]

    Context: Digital Health (DH) is widely considered essential for sustainable future healthcare systems. Software quality, particularly usability, is crucial for the success and adoption of most DH products. However, concerns about the effectiveness and efficiency of usability evaluation of DH products have been raised. Objective: This article aims to analyse the prevalence and application contexts of usability evaluation methods in DH and to highlight potential issues related to their effectiveness and efficiency. Method: A systematic literature review of usability evaluation studies, published by (academic) practitioners between 2016 and April 2023, was conducted. 610 primary articles were identified and analysed, utilising five major scientific databases. Results: Our findings show a preference for inquiry (85%) and testing (63%) methods, with inspection used less frequently (17%). The published studies employed methods like questionnaires (75%); notably the SUS (49%), semi-structured interviews (25%), and heuristic evaluations (73%), with percentages based on their group. Data collection mainly involved the use of participant feedback (45%), audio/video recordings (44%), and system logs (20%), with both qualitative and quantitative data analyses prevalent in studies. However, several usability characteristics such as accessibility, memorability, and operability were found to be largely overlooked, and automation tools or platforms were not widely used. Among the systems evaluated were mHealth applications (70%), telehealth platforms (36%), health information technology (HIT) solutions (29%), personalized medicine (Per. Med.) (17%), wearable devices (12%), and digital therapeutics (DTx) interventions (6%), with the participation of general users, patients, healthcare providers, and informal caregivers varying based on the health condition studied. Furthermore, insights and experiences gathered from 24 articles underscored the importance of a mixed-method approach in usability evaluations, the limitations of traditional methods, the necessity for sector-specific customisation, and the potential benefits of remote usability studies. Moreover, while eye-tracking emerged as a promising evaluation technique, careful execution and interpretation are crucial to avoid data misinterpretation. Conclusion: The study’s findings showed that employing a combination of inquiry and testing-based methods is prevalent for evaluating DH platforms. Despite an array of DH systems, method distribution remained consistent across platforms and targeted user groups. The study also underlines the importance of involving target user groups in the process. Potentially affected cognitive abilities of participants and potential user groups of interest have to be taken into account when choosing evaluation methods, and methods might therefore need to be tailored. Complementary inspection methods might be particularly useful when recruiting representative participants is difficult. Several potential paths for future research are outlined, such as exploring novel technologies like artificial intelligence, for improved automation tool support in the usability evaluation process. 

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  • Karpen, Ingo Oswald
    et al.
    Karlstad University, Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences (starting 2013), Service Research Center (from 2013). University of Adelaide, Australia.
    Edvardsson, Bo
    Karlstad University, Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences (starting 2013), Service Research Center (from 2013).
    Tronvoll, Bård
    Karlstad University, Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences (starting 2013), Service Research Center (from 2013). Inland Norway University of Applied Sciences, Norway.
    Jaakkola, Elina
    University of Turku, Finland.
    Conduit, Jodie
    University of Adelaide, Australia.
    Circular service management: toward conceptual understanding and service research priorities for a more sustainable future2023In: Journal of Service Management, ISSN 1757-5818, E-ISSN 1757-5826, Vol. 34, no 6, p. 50-69Article in journal (Refereed)
    Abstract [en]

    Purpose: Service managers increasingly strive to achieve sustainability through strategies centered on circularity. With a focus on saving, extending and (re)generating resources and their enclosing service systems, circularity can contribute to environmental, social and financial gains. Yet, the notion of circularity is surprisingly understudied in service research. This article seeks to provide an initial conceptual understanding of circular service management, introducing illustrative strategies and research priorities for circular service management. This paper provides a roadmap for scholars, practitioners and policymakers to develop a deeper understanding of the opportunities from adopting circular services. Design/methodology/approach: The authors explore the concept of circular service management by drawing upon existing literature on sustainability, circularity and service research. Strategies of circular service management and research priorities emerge on the basis of industry best practice examples and research on sustainability challenges and opportunities. Findings: Service researchers have largely ignored the concept and role of circularity for service businesses. Extant research on the topic nearly exclusively features in non-service journals and/or does not seek to advance service theory through circularity. This article argues that circular service management enables the implementation of service thinking in the pursuit of sustainability and outlines four types of circular service management strategies. Originality/value: The authors introduce the concept of circular service management and highlight the role of service research for designing and managing circular systems and operations. This article also offers a research agenda connecting managerial challenges and opportunities with key service research priorities for circular service management. This provides a roadmap for scholars, practitioners and policymakers to develop a deeper understanding of pursuing circular services, thereby contributing to a more sustainable future. 

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  • Ekelund, Rebecka
    et al.
    Umeå University, Sweden.
    Holmström, Stefan
    Umeå University, Sweden.
    Gustafsson, Henrik
    Karlstad University, Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences (starting 2013), Department of Educational Studies (from 2013).
    Ivarsson, Andreas
    University of Agder, Norway; Halmstad University, Sweden.
    Lundqvist, Carolina
    Linköping University, Sweden.
    Stenling, Andreas
    Umeå University, Sweden; University of Agder, Norway.
    Interventions for improving mental health in athletes: a scoping review2023In: International Review of Sport and Exercise Psychology, ISSN 1750-984X, E-ISSN 1750-9858Article, review/survey (Refereed)
    Abstract [en]

    The aims of this scoping review were to map the current literature on interventions for improving mental health in athletes, identify knowledge gaps, and generate future research questions. The Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Review and Meta-Analyses Extension for Scoping Reviews (PRISMA-ScR) guided this review. A systematic literature search was conducted in SPORTDiscus, PsycINFO, and SCOPUS and 44 intervention studies met the inclusion criteria. Results showed that 22 studies (50%) implemented cognitive behavioural principles, and the majority of these studies were influenced by various mindfulness programmes. Most studies (93%) included healthy athlete samples, and athletes aged 15–19 were the most examined age group (43%). Only three studies used clinical criteria in their sampling of participants and mediators were examined in two studies. The scarcity of studies examining mediators and subclinical or clinical samples revealed critical knowledge gaps in the literature. Furthermore, the critical appraisal showed that regardless of study design, most studies demonstrated low internal validity. We propose the use of high-quality single-case studies with athletes who experience subclinical or clinical mental health issues, and further investigation of mechanisms of change linking intervention components to outcomes of interest. 

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  • Raw, Juliana
    et al.
    University of São Paulo, Brazil.
    Franco, Leandro R.
    Karlstad University, Faculty of Health, Science and Technology (starting 2013), Department of Engineering and Physics (from 2013).
    de C. Rodrigues, Luiz Fernando
    University of São Paulo, Brazil; Brazilian Center for Research in Energy and Materials (CNPEM), Brazil.
    Barbosa, Leandro R. S.
    University of São Paulo, Brazil; Brazilian Center for Research in Energy and Materials (CNPEM), Brazil.
    Unveiling the Three-Step Model for the Interaction of Imidazolium-Based Ionic Liquids on Albumin2023In: ACS Omega, E-ISSN 2470-1343, Vol. 8, p. 38101-38110Article in journal (Refereed)
    Abstract [en]

    The effect of the ionic liquids (ILs) 1-methyl-3-tetradecylimidazolium chloride ([C14MIM][Cl]), 1-dodecyl-3-methylimidazolium chloride ([C12MIM][Cl]), and 1-decyl-methylimidazolium chloride ([C10MIM][Cl]) on the structure of bovine serum albumin (BSA) was investigated by fluorescence spectroscopy, ultraviolet-visible (UV-vis) spectroscopy, small-angle X-ray scattering (SAXS), and molecular dynamics (MD) simulations. Concerning the fluorescence measurements, we observed a blue shift and a fluorescence quenching as the IL concentration increased in the solution. Such behavior was observed for all three studied imidazolium-based ILs, being larger as the number of methylene groups in the alkyl chain increased. UV-vis absorbance measurements indicate that even at relatively small IL/protein ratios, like 1:1 or 1:2, ([C14MIM][Cl]) is able to change, at least partially, the sample turbidity. SAXS results agree with the spectroscopic techniques and suggest that the proteins underwent partial unfolding, evidenced by an increase in the radius of gyration (Rg) of the scattering particle. In the absence and presence of ([C14MIM][Cl]) = 3 mM BSA Rg increases from 29.1 to 45.1 Å, respectively. Together, these results indicate that the interaction of BSA with ILs is divided into three stages: the first stage is characterized by the protein in its native form. It takes place for protein/IL ≤ 1:2, and the interaction is predominantly due to the electrostatic forces provided by the negative charges on the surface of BSA and the cationic polar head of the ILs. In the second stage, higher IL concentrations induce the unfolding of the protein, most likely inducing the unfolding of domains I and III, in such a way that the protein’s secondary structure is kept almost unaltered. In the last stage, IL micelles start to form, and therefore, the interaction with protein reaches a saturation point and free micelles may be formed. We believe that this work provides new information about the interaction of ILs with BSA. © 2023 The Authors. Published by American Chemical Society.

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  • Bärkås, Annika
    et al.
    Uppsala University, Sweden; Uppsala University Hospital, Sweden.
    Kharko, Anna
    Uppsala University, Sweden; Uppsala University Hospital, Sweden; University of Plymouth, United Kingdom.
    Blease, Charlotte
    Uppsala University, Sweden; Uppsala University Hospital, Sweden; Harvard Medical School, Boston, USA .
    Cajander, Åsa
    Uppsala University, Sweden.
    Johansen Fagerlund, Asbjørn
    University Hospital of North Norway, Norway.
    Huvila, Isto
    Uppsala University, Sweden.
    Johansen, Monika Alise
    University Hospital of North Norway, Norway; Arctic University of Norway, Norway.
    Kane, Bridget
    Karlstad University, Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences (starting 2013), Karlstad Business School (from 2013).
    Kujala, Sari
    Aalto University, Finland.
    Moll, Jonas
    Örebro University, Sweden.
    Rexhepi, Hanife
    University of Skövde, Sweden.
    Scandurra, Isabella
    Örebro University, Sweden.
    Wang, Bo
    University Hospital of North Norway, Norway.
    Hägglund, Maria
    Uppsala University, Sweden; Uppsala University Hospital, Sweden.
    Errors, Omissions, and Offenses in the Health Record of Mental Health Care Patients: Results from a Nationwide Survey in Sweden2023In: Journal of Medical Internet Research, E-ISSN 1438-8871, Vol. 25, article id e47841Article in journal (Refereed)
    Abstract [en]

    BACKGROUND: Previous research reports that patients with mental health conditions experience benefits, for example, increased empowerment and validation, from reading their patient-accessible electronic health records (PAEHRs). In mental health care (MHC), PAEHRs remain controversial, as health care professionals are concerned that patients may feel worried or offended by the content of the notes. Moreover, existing research has focused on specific mental health diagnoses, excluding the larger PAEHR userbase with experience in MHC. OBJECTIVE: The objective of this study is to establish if and how the experiences of patients with and those without MHC differ in using their PAEHRs by (1) comparing patient characteristics and differences in using the national patient portal between the 2 groups and (2) establishing group differences in the prevalence of negative experiences, for example, rates of errors, omissions, and offenses between the 2 groups. METHODS: Our analysis was performed on data from an online patient survey distributed through the Swedish national patient portal as part of our international research project, NORDeHEALTH. The respondents were patient users of the national patient portal 1177, aged 15 years or older, and categorized either as those with MHC experience or with any other health care experience (nonmental health care [non-MHC]). Patient characteristics such as gender, age, education, employment, and health status were gathered. Portal use characteristics included frequency of access, encouragement to read the record, and instances of positive and negative experiences. Negative experiences were further explored through rates of error, omission, and offense. The data were summarized through descriptive statistics. Group differences were analyzed through Pearson chi-square. RESULTS: Of the total sample (N=12,334), MHC respondents (n=3131) experienced errors (1586/3131, 50.65%, and non-MHC 3311/9203, 35.98%), omissions (1089/3131, 34.78%, and non-MHC 2427/9203, 26.37%) and offenses (1183/3131, 37.78%, and non-MHC 1616/9203, 17.56%) in the electronic health record at a higher rate than non-MHC respondents (n=9203). Respondents reported that the identified error (MHC 795/3131, 50.13%, and non-MHC 1366/9203, 41.26%) and omission (MHC 622/3131, 57.12%, and non-MHC 1329/9203, 54.76%) were "very important," but most did nothing to correct them (MHC 792/3131, 41.29%, and non-MHC 1838/9203, 42.17%). Most of the respondents identified as women in both groups. CONCLUSIONS: About 1 in 2 MHC patients identified an error in the record, and about 1 in 3 identified an omission, both at a much higher rate than in the non-MHC group. Patients with MHC also felt offended by the content of the notes more commonly (1 in 3 vs 1 in 6). These findings validate some of the worries expressed by health care professionals about providing patients with MHC with PAEHRs and highlight challenges with the documentation quality in the records. 

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  • Näslund, Hilda
    et al.
    Umeå University, Sweden.
    Grim, Katarina
    Karlstad University, Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences (starting 2013), Department of Social and Psychological Studies (from 2013).
    Markström, Urban
    Umeå University, Sweden.
    Starting up user-focused monitoring projects: trust and conflicting expectations in user involvement practices2023In: Nordic Social Work Research, ISSN 2156-857X, E-ISSN 2156-8588Article in journal (Refereed)
    Abstract [en]

    User-focused monitoring (UFM) is an emerging method for user involvement and quality development in the Swedish mental health sector. It involves people with lived experience conducting a systematized evaluation of a mental health service or support programme. The aim of this study is to analyse motives and central concerns when initiating a UFM project. Five UFM projects in Sweden were sampled, 16 semi-structured interviews were performed with user monitors and commissioners and analysed using conventional content analysis. Our results showcase a range of motives for conducting UFM, illustrate the centrality of trust in the relationships of the UFM practice and the varying degrees of user autonomy in UFM projects. We further discuss our results in relation to epistemic trust and organizational learning theories. Accountability processes are discussed as important for securing continuous trust between the stakeholders. Furthermore, trust is required for UFM being applied to engage in continuous learning and review of organizational norms and goals together with service users. 

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  • Zendejas Medina, León
    et al.
    Uppsala University, Sweden.
    Tavares da Costa, Marcus Vinicius
    Karlstad University, Faculty of Health, Science and Technology (starting 2013), Department of Engineering and Chemical Sciences (from 2013).
    Donzel-Gargand, Olivier
    Uppsala University, Sweden.
    Nyholm, Leif
    Uppsala University, Sweden.
    Gamstedt, E. Kristofer
    Uppsala University, Sweden.
    Jansson, Ulf
    Uppsala University, Sweden.
    Magnetron sputtered high entropy alloy/amorphous carbon nanocomposite coatings2023In: Materials Today Communications, ISSN 2352-4928, Vol. 37, article id 107389Article in journal (Refereed)
    Abstract [en]

    Magnetron sputter deposition of metal/carbon nanocomposites has been explored for many metals and a few alloys. In this paper, the formation of nanocomposites based on complex high entropy alloys (HEAs) was explored, focusing on the effect of the average carbon affinity on the phase formation. Two HEA systems were compared: CoCrFeMnNi and Cr26Fe27Ni27Ta20. For each alloy, around 20–50 at% carbon was added through combinatorial co-sputtering. Thermodynamic calculations predicted decomposition of these materials into multiple alloy phases, metal carbides, and, at higher concentrations, free graphitic carbon. Free carbon was found in the coatings at carbon concentrations above 28 and 33 at% for the CoCrFeMnNi and Cr26Fe27Ni27Ta20 systems, respectively, which agreed with the theoretical predictions. However, the segregation of metallic elements and the formation of crystalline carbides were suppressed by the rapid quenching during deposition. All coatings were, instead, amorphous and consisted of either a single metallic phase or a mixture of a metallic phase and sp2- and sp3-hybridized carbon. Mechanical and electrochemical tests were performed, including in-situ fragmentation tests to quantify the crack resistance. The presence of free carbon made the coatings softer than the corresponding single-phase materials. Under tensile strain, the nanocomposite coatings formed a larger number of narrower cracks and exhibited less delamination at high strains. 

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  • Caruelle, Delphine
    et al.
    Kristiania University College, Norway.
    Shams, Poja
    Karlstad University, Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences (starting 2013), Service Research Center (from 2013).
    Gustafsson, Anders
    BI Norwegian Business School, Norway.
    Lervik-Olsen, Line
    BI Norwegian Business School, Norway.
    Emotional arousal in customer experience: A dynamic view2024In: Journal of Business Research, ISSN 0148-2963, E-ISSN 1873-7978, Vol. 170, article id 114344Article in journal (Refereed)
    Abstract [en]

    Customer emotion in services has been extensively studied, but prior research has overlooked the dynamics of emotion over time. Our research addresses this gap by studying how emotional arousal varies throughout a service encounter. Drawing from the psychology literature, we identify certain features (or patterns) that characterize how arousal varies throughout a service encounter and predict how they may affect customer approach response (e.g., spending, unplanned purchases). We explore the effect of these features in field studies in two stores using a psychophysiological measure (electrodermal activity) to capture arousal over time. We find that (1) the highest arousal level reached during the encounter and (2) the skewness of the distribution of arousal levels (i.e., the frequency of lower arousal levels relative to higher ones) predict customer approach response. This paper opens new avenues for understanding customers from an emotional perspective, which can improve the customer experience in service encounters. 

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  • Wagman, Petra
    et al.
    Jonkoping University, Sweden.
    Gunnarsson, A. Birgitta
    Gothenburg University, Sweden; Region Kronoberg, Sweden.
    Hjärthag, Fredrik
    Karlstad University, Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences (starting 2013), Department of Social and Psychological Studies (from 2013).
    Hedin, Katarina
    Region Jönköping County, Sweden; Linköping University, Sweden; Lund University, Sweden.
    Hakansson, Carita
    Lund University, Sweden.
    Quality of life, sense of coherence and occupational balance one year after an occupational therapy intervention for people with depression and anxiety disorders2023In: Work: A journal of Prevention, Assessment and rehabilitation, ISSN 1051-9815, E-ISSN 1875-9270, Vol. 76, no 2, p. 561-568Article in journal (Refereed)
    Abstract [en]

    BACKGROUND: Quality of life (QOL), sense of coherence (SOC) and occupational balance (OB) have been found to increase after rehabilitation among people living with depression and anxiety. However, these aspects have not been investigated over time in participants with different paid work situations, such as being on sick leave or not. OBJECTIVE: To describe and compare the self-rated QOL, SOC and OB after participation in occupational therapy in three groups of people with depression and anxiety disorders based on their work situation during the study period: continuous sick leave, return to work and continuous work. METHODS: Forty-seven women and seven men, 19-60 years old with depression and anxiety were followed over time. They completed questionnaires on QOL, SOC and OB on four occasions. Data were analyzed with non-parametric statistics. RESULTS: No statistically significant differences between the groups were identified. All groups improved in at least one of the studied areas over time: the sick leave group in OB; the return-to-work group in QOL and OB; and the Work group in QOL and SOC. CONCLUSION: The results indicate variations in QOL, SOC and OB between people with different work situations over time after occupational therapy. Studies with larger samples are, however, warranted.

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  • Forsler, Annika
    et al.
    Halmstad University, Sweden.
    Nilsson, Pernilla
    Halmstad University, Sweden.
    Walan, Susanne
    Karlstad University, Faculty of Health, Science and Technology (starting 2013), Department of Environmental and Life Sciences (from 2013).
    Collective pedagogical content knowledge for teaching sustainable development2023In: International Journal of Science and Mathematics Education, ISSN 1571-0068, E-ISSN 1573-1774Article in journal (Refereed)
    Abstract [en]

    It is vital that upper secondary students gain a rich and deep knowledge of sustainability issues, as they will enter adulthood and working life within a short time. The students belong to a generation that will be intensely involved in managing several environmental issues to achieve sustainable development for our Earth. However, earlier research indicates that many teachers have a low self-efficacy for teaching sustainability issues. This study aimed to explore how science teacher teams in Swedish upper secondary schools can develop their knowledge and expertise in sustainable development (SD) through collective reflections with the support of the reflective tool Content Representation (CoRe). Science teachers' pedagogical content knowledge (PCK) development in teaching SD was examined. Twelve in-service science teachers participated in the study. The qualitative research design included semi-structured interviews and science teacher teams' collective meetings. The findings covered four themes about how the collective reflections with support of the CoRe tool stimulated teachers' PCK development: (1) creating structure and a focus for learning conversations, (2) modification of the teaching approach, (3) development of new content knowledge and pedagogical knowledge in SD, and (4) shared language to stimulate equal opportunities for students to learn SD. The conclusion is that with the support of CoRe, the teacher team's collective PCK in SD was developed; therefore, we recommend that decision-makers within the school system organize regular meetings in science teacher teams and introduce CoRe to the teachers.

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  • Bäccman, Charlotte
    et al.
    Karlstad University, Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences (starting 2013), Service Research Center (from 2013).
    Bergkvist, Linda
    Karlstad University, Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences (starting 2013), Service Research Center (from 2013).
    Wästlund, Erik
    Karlstad University, Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences (starting 2013), Service Research Center (from 2013).
    Personalized Coaching via Texting for Behavior Change to Understand a Healthy Lifestyle Intervention in a Naturalistic Setting: Mixed Methods Study2023In: JMIR Formative Research, E-ISSN 2561-326X, Vol. 7, article id e47312Article in journal (Refereed)
    Abstract [en]

    Background: Digital health interventions, such as personalized SMS coaching, are considered affordable and scalable methods to support healthy lifestyle changes. SMS, or texting, is a readily available service to most people in Sweden, and personalizedSMS coaching has shown great promise in supporting behavior changes.

    Objective: This study aims to explore the effectiveness of highly personalized SMS coaching for behavior change according to the Capability, Opportunity, Motivation–Behavior (COM-B) model on a sample of physically inactive adults in a nonprofit fitness organization in Sweden.

    Methods: The study used a mixed methods design in which clients acted as their own controls. The participants were clients(n=28) and fitness consultants (n=12). Three types of data were collected: (1) quantitative data at baseline and after the SMS intervention and the waitlist from the clients, (2) qualitative data from semistructured interviews with the fitness consultants, and(3) pseudonymized texting conversations between the fitness consultants and clients.

    Results: Overall, the results showed that personalized SMS coaching was effective in supporting the clients’ behavior changes. The quantitative analysis showed how the clients’ capabilities (Cohen d=0.50), opportunities (Cohen d=0.43), and relationship with the fitness consultants (Cohen d=0.51) improved during the SMS intervention in comparison with baseline. Furthermore, the qualitative analysis revealed how personalized texts added value to existing work methods (eg, increasing continuity and flexibility) and how the relationship between the clients and fitness consultants changed during the intervention, which helped motivate the clients.

    Conclusions: Personalized SMS coaching is an effective method for supporting healthy behavior changes. The human connection that emerged in this study needs to be further explored to fully understand the effectiveness of a digital health intervention.

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  • Parsberg, Cecilia (Artist, Researcher)
    Karlstad University, Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences (starting 2013), Department of Artistic Studies (from 2013).
    Vid Regnbågens början: Skissuppdrag för offentlig skulptur2021Artistic output (Refereed)
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  • Ramaswamy, Arunselvan
    Karlstad University, Faculty of Health, Science and Technology (starting 2013), Department of Mathematics and Computer Science (from 2013).
    Gradient Clipping in Deep Learning: A Dynamical Systems Perspective2023In: Proceedings of the 12th International Conference on Pattern Recognition Applications and Methods - ICPRAM, SciTePress, 2023, Vol. 1, p. 107-114Conference paper (Refereed)
    Abstract [en]

    Neural networks are ubiquitous components of Machine Learning (ML) algorithms. However, training them is challenging due to problems associated with exploding and vanishing loss-gradients. Gradient clipping is shown to effectively combat both the vanishing gradients and the exploding gradients problems. As the name suggests, gradients are clipped in order to prevent large updates. At the same time, very small neural network weights are updated using larger step-sizes. Although widely used in practice, there is very little theory surrounding clipping. In this paper, we analyze two popular gradient clipping techniques-the classic norm-based gradient clipping method and the adaptive gradient clipping technique. We prove that gradient clipping ensures numerical stability with very high probability. Further, clipping based stochastic gradient descent converges to a set of neural network weights that minimizes the average scaled training loss in a local sense. The averaging is with respect to the distribution that generated the training data. The scaling is a consequence of gradient clipping. We use tools from the theory of dynamical systems for the presented analysis. 

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  • Public defence: 2023-12-12 13:15 12A 226, Karlstad
    Magnusson, Patrik
    Karlstad University, Faculty of Social and Life Sciences, Centre for the Studies of Social Sciences Didactics. CSD.
    Geografilärares ämnesförståelse: Ämnesdidaktiska berättelser som reflektionsarena skapar kunskap om skolans geografi2023Licentiate thesis, monograph (Other academic)
    Abstract [sv]

    Kunskaper om och perspektiv på skolämnet geografi är viktiga när relationen mellan lärare och ämne sätt i fokus, särskilt om lärares ämnesspecifika förståelse betraktas som bärande för hur geografiämnet blir till i skolan.

    Syftet med denna studie är att utforska hur geografilärares ämnesspecifika förståelse kommer till uttryck och kan förstås när lärare själva får reflektera över ämnet och undervisningen. Resultaten visar på en bred variation i hur lärare förstår och resonerar om det egna ämnet. Analysen uppvisar skillnader i hur denna förståelse kan tolkas där två av fynden rör hur vardagens geografier inkluderas samt geografiämnets roll som beredskapsämne. Till det förs en diskussion om det ömsesidiga beroendeförhållandet mellan vad lärare upplever som möjligt och tillåtet, den kapacitet de har att agera, samt geografilärarens roll som medskapare av ämnet.

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  • Lesko, Marek
    et al.
    Karlstad University, Faculty of Health, Science and Technology (starting 2013), Department of Engineering and Chemical Sciences (from 2013).
    Kaczmarski, Krzysztof
    Rzeszów University of Technology, Poland.
    Jora, Manasses
    AstraZeneca, Sweden.
    Stavenhagen, Kathrin
    AstraZeneca, Sweden.
    Leek, Tomas
    AstraZeneca, Sweden.
    Czechtizky, Werngard
    AstraZeneca, Sweden.
    Fornstedt, Torgny
    Karlstad University, Faculty of Health, Science and Technology (starting 2013), Department of Engineering and Chemical Sciences (from 2013).
    Samuelsson, Jörgen
    Karlstad University, Faculty of Health, Science and Technology (starting 2013), Department of Engineering and Chemical Sciences (from 2013).
    Strategies for predictive modeling of overloaded oligonucleotide elution profiles in ion-pair chromatography2023In: Journal of Chromatography A, ISSN 0021-9673, E-ISSN 1873-3778, Vol. 1711, article id 464446Article in journal (Refereed)
    Abstract [en]

    Due to their potential for gene regulation, oligonucleotides have moved into focus as one of the preferred modalities modulating currently undruggable disease-associated targets. In the course of synthesis and storage of oligonucleotides a significant number of compound-related impurities can be generated. Purification protocols and analytical methods have become crucial for the therapeutic application of any oligonucleotides, be they antisense oligonucleotides (ASOs), small interfering ribonucleic acids (siRNAs) or conjugates. Ion-pair chromatography is currently the standard method for separating and analyzing therapeutic oligonucleotides. Although mathematical modeling can improve the accuracy and efficiency of ion-pair chromatography, its application remains challenging. Simple models may not be suitable to treat advanced single molecules, while complex models are still inefficient for industrial oligonucleotide optimization processes. Therefore, fundamental research to improve the accuracy and simplicity of mathematical models in ion-pair chromatography is still a necessity. In this study, we predict overloaded concentration profiles of oligonucleotides in ion-pair chromatography and compare relatively simple and more advanced predictive models. The experimental system consists of a traditional C18 column using (dibutyl)amine as the ion-pair reagent and acetonitrile as organic modifier. The models were built and tested based on three crude 16-mer oligonucleotides with varying degrees of phosphorothioation, as well as their respective n – 1 and (P = O)1 impurities. In short, the proposed models were suitable to predict the overloaded concentration profiles for different slopes of the organic modifier gradient and column load. 

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  • Kaatari, Henrik
    et al.
    University of Gävle, Sweden.
    Larsson, Tove
    Northern Arizona University, USA.
    Wang, Y.
    Karlstad University, Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences (starting 2013), Department of Language, Literature and Intercultural Studies (from 2013).
    Acikara-Eickhoff, Seda
    Northern Arizona University, USA.
    Sundqvist, Pia
    University of Oslo, Norway.
    Exploring the effects of target-language extramural activities on students’ written production2023In: Journal of second language writing, ISSN 1060-3743, E-ISSN 1873-1422, Vol. 62, article id 101062Article in journal (Refereed)
    Abstract [en]

    Frequent engagement in English extramural activities (i.e., activities that take place outside the classroom) has been found to have a positive impact on EFL learners’ vocabulary knowledge and reading comprehension. In the present study, we aim to extend our knowledge of the possible impact of extramural activities into the realm of second-language writing. Specifically, we investigate the relationship among a number of English extramural activities and two aspects of writing development: lexical diversity and noun phrase complexity. The data are drawn from the Swedish Learner English Corpus (SLEC) which includes texts produced by Swedish secondary school students. The corpus also includes information on how many hours per week students (i) engage in conversations in English, (ii) communicate in English while playing computer/video games, (iii) read in English, (iv) spend time on social media with English content, (v) and watch TV shows or movies in English. The results show that reading in English leads to higher frequency of adjectival modification, whereas conversing in English and watching TV programs positively impact lexical diversity. The results of the study have implications for discussions about the role of L2 classroom instruction vis-à-vis learners’ extramural activities. 

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  • Engström, Maria
    et al.
    Uppsala University, Sweden.
    Lindqvist, Sara
    Uppsala University, Sweden.
    Janson, Staffan
    Karlstad University, Faculty of Health, Science and Technology (starting 2013), Department of Health Sciences (from 2013).
    Feldman, Inna
    Uppsala University, Sweden.
    Dubowitz, Howard
    University of Maryland School of Medicine, USA.
    Lucas, Steven
    Uppsala University, Sweden.
    Validation of the Swedish version of the safe environment for every kid (SEEK) parent screening questionnaire2023In: BMC Public Health, E-ISSN 1471-2458, Vol. 23, no 1, article id 1989Article in journal (Refereed)
    Abstract [en]

    Background: Psychosocial risk factors in the home may impair children’s health and development and increase the risk of maltreatment. The Safe Environment for Every Kid (SEEK) model was developed to provide pediatric primary care professionals with a structured way to identify common psychosocial problems. The SEEK model includes use of the Parent Screening Questionnaire (SEEK-PSQ) at routine preventive child health visits, discussion with parents about their responses and, when indicated, referral to relevant services. The SEEK-PSQ has not previously been available in Swedish. The aim of the present study was to evaluate the psychometric properties of an adapted Swedish version of the SEEK-PSQ (PSQ-S). Methods: This study is part of a cluster-randomised controlled trial of SEEK in the Swedish child health services. To validate the PSQ-S, parents (n = 852) with children 0–18 months of age were invited to complete a survey including the PSQ-S as well as evidence-based standardized instruments for the targeted psychosocial risk factors: economic worries, depressive symptoms, parental stress, alcohol misuse and intimate partner violence (IPV). Baseline data from 611 (72%) parents were analysed regarding sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value (PPV) and negative predictive value (NPV) for each risk factor. Results: As a whole, the PSQ-S had a sensitivity of 93%, specificity of 52%, PPV of 67% and NPV of 87%. For mothers and fathers combined, sensitivity was 80% for economic worries, 89% for depressive symptoms, 78% for parental stress, 47% for intimate partner violence (IPV) and 70% for alcohol misuse. Specificity was highest for IPV and alcohol misuse (91%) and lowest for depressive symptoms (64%). NPV values were high (81–99%) and PPV values were low to moderate (22–69%) for the targeted problems. Sensitivity was higher for mothers compared to fathers for economic worries, depressive symptoms and IPV. This difference was particularly evident for IPV (52% for mothers, 27% for fathers). Conclusion: The SEEK-PSQ-S demonstrated good psychometric properties for identifying economic worries, depressive symptoms, parental stress and alcohol misuse but low sensitivity for IPV. The PSQ-S as a whole showed high sensitivity and NPV, indicating that most parents with or without the targeted psychosocial risk factors were correctly identified.

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  • Ghai, Shashank
    et al.
    Karlstad University, Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences (starting 2013), Department of Political, Historical, Religious and Cultural Studies (from 2013). Karlstad University, Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences (starting 2013), Center for Societal Risk Research, CSR (from 2020). Technische Universität Dresden, Germany.
    Ghai, Ishan
    niversity Bremen, Germany.
    Narciss, Susanne
    Technische Universität Dresden, Germany.
    Influence of taping on force sense accuracy: a systematic review with between and within group meta-analysis2023In: BMC Sports Science, Medicine and Rehabilitation, E-ISSN 2052-1847 , Vol. 15, no 1, article id 138Article in journal (Refereed)
    Abstract [en]

    Taping is a common technique used to address proprioceptive deficits in both healthy and patient population groups. Although there is increasing interest in taping to address proprioceptive deficits, little is known about its effects on the kinetic aspects of proprioception as measured by force sense accuracy. To address this gap in the literature, the present systematic review and meta-analysis was conducted to evaluate the impact of taping on force sense accuracy. A search for relevant literature was conducted following PRISMA guidelines across seven databases and one register. Eleven studies with 279 participants were included in the review out of 7362 records. In the between-group analyses, we found a significant improvement in absolute (p < 0.01) and relative (p = 0.01) force sense accuracy with taping compared to no comparator. Likewise, a significant improvement in absolute (p = 0.01) force sense accuracy was also observed with taping compared to placebo tape. In the within group analysis, this reduction in the absolute (p = 0.11) force sense accuracy was not significant. Additional exploratory subgroup analyses revealed between group improvement in force sense accuracy in both healthy individuals and individuals affected by medial epicondylitis. The findings of this meta-analysis should be interpreted with caution due to the limited number of studies and a lack of blinded randomized controlled trials, which may impact the generalizability of the results. More high-quality research is needed to confirm the overall effect of taping on force sense accuracy. 

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  • Gustafsson, Marcus
    et al.
    Karlstad University, Faculty of Health, Science and Technology (starting 2013), Department of Mathematics and Computer Science (from 2013).
    van Bommel, Jorryt
    Karlstad University, Faculty of Health, Science and Technology (starting 2013), Department of Mathematics and Computer Science (from 2013).
    Liljekvist, Yvonne
    Karlstad University, Faculty of Health, Science and Technology (starting 2013), Department of Mathematics and Computer Science (from 2013).
    Resources for planning and teaching mathematics: A Swedish upper-secondary school case study2023In: Journal of Curriculum Studies, ISSN 0022-0272, E-ISSN 1366-5839, p. 1-19Article in journal (Refereed)
    Abstract [en]

    This study investigates resource use by upper-secondary mathematics teachers in the context of collaborative planning. A thematic content analysis is conducted on audio-recorded teacher discussions in order to find out what resources are used by the teachers, how they are used, and for what reasons. The findings show that although teachers use a variety of resources to support their instructional enactment as well as instructional design, there is a difference in how they use different resources to support different planning practices. For instructional design, curriculum resources provide support for the mathematical content, while social resources, self-generated documents, and cognitive resources provide support for the design of instructional activities. Authority is given by teachers to curriculum resources, but conflicts of authority emerge in discussions, when teachers’ abilities to exert their agency are not supported by curriculum resources. We discuss the findings in relation to authority and resource use, as well as for established conceptualizations of resources. The findings bear practical implications for the design of curriculum resources.

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  • Bååth, Carina
    et al.
    Karlstad University, Faculty of Health, Science and Technology (starting 2013), Department of Health Sciences (from 2013). Östfold University College, Norway.
    Hommel, Ami
    Malmö University; Skåne University Hospital, Sweden.
    Wound Management2024In: Fragility Fracture and Orthogeriatric Nursing: Holistic Care and Management of the Fragility Fracture and Orthogeriatric Patient / [ed] Karen Hertz, Julie Santy-Tomlinson, Springer, 2024, 2, p. 159-170Chapter in book (Refereed)
    Abstract [en]

    Wound healing is the process by which the function of damaged tissue is restored following surgery, trauma or other sources of tissue damage. The management of wounds is a fundamental aspect of the management of the patient following a fragility fracture, especially following a hip fracture and associated surgery. Ageing skin and multiple comorbidities are significant factors in skin injury and wound healing problems.

    The effective evidence-based management of surgical wounds following surgery after a fragility fracture can be challenging as ageing and comorbidities affect wound healing. Skin and wound care involves careful skin and wound assessment and attention to infection prevention measures while managing the factors affecting wound healing. Clinical considerations in wound management also include maintaining adequate nutrition, moisture, treating oedema and preventing further injury.

    This chapter aims to provide an overview of skin and wound assessment and evidence-based care interventions that can optimise wound healing in older people with fragility fractures.

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  • Bååth, Carina
    et al.
    Karlstad University, Faculty of Health, Science and Technology (starting 2013), Department of Health Sciences (from 2013). Östfold University College, Norway.
    Brent, Louise
    National Office of Clinical Audit, Ireland.
    Santy-Tomlinson, Julie
    Odense University Hospitals, University of Southern Denmark, Denmark.
    Hommel, Ami
    Malmö University; Skåne University Hospital, Sweden.
    Pressure Ulcer Prevention2024In: Fragility Fracture and Orthogeriatric Nursing: Holistic Care and Management of the Fragility Fracture and Orthogeriatric Patient / [ed] Karen Hertz, Julie Santy-Tomlinson, Springer, 2024, 2, p. 147-157Chapter in book (Refereed)
    Abstract [en]

    Preventing pressure ulcers is fundamental in managing and caring for the patient following a fragility fracture. Patients who have sustained a hip fracture and have had associated surgery are at high risk as ageing skin, frailty, immobility, and multiple comorbidities are significant factors in skin injury.

    The causes of pressure ulcers are complex, and their prevention is the responsibility of the entire multidisciplinary team. Accessing evidence and education for practitioners is vital to making a difference in all aspects of care.

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  • Parsberg, Cecilia (Researcher, Artist)
    Karlstad University, Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences (starting 2013), Department of Artistic Studies (from 2013).
    Don't be stupid2021Artistic output (Refereed)
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  • Parsberg, Cecilia (Researcher, Artist)
    Karlstad University, Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences (starting 2013), Department of Artistic Studies (from 2013).
    The chorus of Begging and the chorus of Giving: What Images does the Begging face? What Images does the Giving face?2023Artistic output (Refereed)
    Abstract [en]

    The Chorus of Begging and The Chorus of Giving, 2014, (installation with two screens in the entrance hall of SSE) is part of the doctoral thesis in Fine Art “How do you become a successful beggar in Sweden? An inquiry into the images of begging and giving 2011 to 2016”, by Parsberg (Lund University).

    People who usually beg take part in the Begging Choir. People who usually give to those who beg participate in the choir of giving. Giving and receiving money is often a non-verbal transaction, which is why the Choir of Begging and the Choir of Giving sing without words. With their own individual voices as well as with their collective choral voice, they try to sing the feelings that exist between these begging and giving people. The choirs stood about five meters apart when the video was recorded.

    “The political happens every day. That is the premise for my artistic practice. I perceive, with all of my senses, a physical and mental distance between those who kneel on the street and passers-by, between begging and giving people. Here I invite the spectator into that “gap”. A dialogue, or a lack of dialogue is going on between the two choruses, between voices, between facial expressions, and between bodies. The installation The Chorus of Begging and The Chorus of Giving is an embodiment of this experiential space. A reflection of a situation that many experience every day on our streets. It is my hope that art can make it possible to see such gaps – which seem to be difficult to talk about – as spaces for action; and thus contribute to the possibility of political acts in and about these spaces.” – Cecilia Parsberg

    What Images does the Begging face? (2014)

    What Images does the Giving face? (2014)

    The two films screened in the north corridor of the grond floor (at lill-skärmen) are also part of Parsberg´s dissertation and they accompany the video installation in the main entrance hall. In “What Images does the Begging face?” Parsberg hired an interpreter and interviewed, with consent, fifteen begging persons about how they experience the giving, how they are treated on the streets of Sweden and what image they have of giving. In “What Images does the Giving face?” Parsberg hired a professional market researcher to conduct two qualitative group interviews with eight respondents. Each interview lasted two hours and was filmed, by consent, with two cameras. The starting point was to find out what a beggar in Sweden could do to get more money. The market researcher asked questions such as: How should the beggars behave in order for you to give? What should they wear? etc.

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  • Conduit, Jodie
    et al.
    University of Adelaide, Australia.
    Karpen, Ingo Oswald
    Karlstad University, Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences (starting 2013), Service Research Center (from 2013). University of Adelaide, Australia.
    Willmott, Taylor
    University of Adelaide, Australia.
    User circularity practices: Adopting a user stewardship perspective for a circular economy2023In: AMS Review, ISSN 1869-814XArticle in journal (Refereed)
    Abstract [en]

    Humanity is depleting the planet’s natural resources at an unsustainable rate. The pursuit of a circular economy is a strong, viable means of reversing this trend; however, it will require users to take responsibility for the proper application and protection of resources for future generations. While the daily practices of users play a significant role in enabling a circular economy, this role has largely been overlooked in current literature. Our research synthesizes knowledge from the circular economy and marketing literatures, and draws on stewardship theory to better understand the user’s role in the circular economy. Specifically, we introduce a resource stewardship framework from a user perspective. This framework specifies a set of user circularity practices to minimize the extraction of finite resources, while conserving and regenerating resources already in circulation for future use. These practices occur at various stages in the resource life cycle and include minimizing the sourcing and use of finite resources, (re)designing products and services to use less resources, and optimizing the value potential from resources through extending their life cycle and recovering resources for future use. With this framework, we redefine the role of users as resource stewards and advance the rather narrow and fragmented considerations of user contributions to the circular economy, laying the foundation for more caring and responsible users and a future research agenda. 

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  • Kitkowska, Agnieszka
    et al.
    Jönköping University, Sweden.
    Karegar, Farzaneh
    Karlstad University, Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences (starting 2013), Karlstad Business School (from 2013).
    Wästlund, Erik
    Karlstad University, Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences (starting 2013), Department of Social and Psychological Studies (from 2013).
    Share or Protect: Understanding the Interplay of Trust, Privacy Concerns, and Data Sharing Purposes in Health and Well-Being Apps2023In: ACM International Conference Proceeding Series / [ed] Cristina Gena, Luigi De Russis, Davide Spano, Rosa Lanzilotti, Tania Di Mascio, Catia Prandi, Salvatore Andolina, Association for Computing Machinery (ACM), 2023, article id 15Conference paper (Refereed)
    Abstract [en]

    The popularity of health and well-being applications is on the rise. These applications often collect and process personal and sensitive information about individuals for different purposes. Nonetheless, users’ freedom of choice around protection and sharing may be compromised, for example, by forwarding such information to third parties without user awareness or control, especially with current developments in AI-based complex data processing technologies. Despite the popularity of health and well-being applications, the purpose of sharing and its interplay with trust, privacy concerns, and their antecedents is seldom explored. The present article addresses this gap by conducting an online study (N = 315), which shows that, generally, people’s sharing preferences depend on their trust and privacy concerns. However, the findings indicate potential differences between male and female participants considering sharing information for the greater good, such as scientific research. Our findings are discussed in light of sociocultural and social role theories of prosocial behavior and previous research. Considering the growing interest in building usable infrastructures for data sharing and user empowerment, practical implications for designers and policymakers are highlighted. 

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  • Nammouchi, Amal
    et al.
    Karlstad University, Faculty of Health, Science and Technology (starting 2013), Department of Mathematics and Computer Science (from 2013).
    Aupke, Phil
    Karlstad University, Faculty of Health, Science and Technology (starting 2013), Department of Mathematics and Computer Science (from 2013).
    D’Andreagiovanni, Fabio
    , French National Centre for Scientific Research (CNRS), France; Sorbonne Universités, France.
    Ghazzai, Hakim
    King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST), Saudi Arabia.
    Theocharis, Andreas
    Karlstad University, Faculty of Health, Science and Technology (starting 2013), Department of Engineering and Physics (from 2013).
    Kassler, Andreas
    Karlstad University, Faculty of Health, Science and Technology (starting 2013), Department of Mathematics and Computer Science (from 2013). Deggendorf Institute of Technology, Germany.
    Robust opportunistic optimal energy management of a mixed microgrid under asymmetrical uncertainties2023In: Sustainable Energy, Grids and Networks, E-ISSN 2352-4677, Vol. 36, article id 101184Article in journal (Refereed)
    Abstract [en]

    Energy management within microgrids under the presence of large number of renewables such as photovoltaics is complicated due to uncertainties involved. Randomness in energy production and consumption make both the prediction and optimality of exchanges challenging. In this paper, we evaluate the impact of uncertainties on optimality of different robust energy exchange strategies. To address the problem, we present AIROBE, a data-driven system that uses machine-learning-based predictions of energy supply and demand as input to calculate robust energy exchange schedules using a multiband robust optimization approach to protect from deviations. AIROBE allows the decision maker to tradeoff robustness with stability of the system and energy costs. Our evaluation shows, how AIROBE can deal effectively with asymmetric deviations and how better prediction methods can reduce both the operational cost while at the same time may lead to increased operational stability of the system.

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  • Nilsson, Anton
    et al.
    Lund University, Sweden.
    Björk, Jonas
    Lund University, Sweden; Skåne University Hospital, Sweden.
    Strömberg, Ulf
    University of Gothenburg, Sweden.
    Bonander, Carl
    Karlstad University, Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences (starting 2013), Center for Societal Risk Research, CSR (from 2020). University of Gothenburg, Sweden.
    Can non-participants in a follow-up be used to draw conclusions about incidences and prevalences in the full population invited at baseline?: An investigation based on the Swedish MDC cohort2023In: BMC Medical Research Methodology, E-ISSN 1471-2288, Vol. 23, no 1, article id 228Article in journal (Refereed)
    Abstract [en]

    Background: Participants in epidemiological cohorts may not be representative of the full invited population, limiting the generalizability of prevalence and incidence estimates. We propose that this problem can be remedied by exploiting data on baseline participants who refused to participate in a re-examination, as such participants may be more similar to baseline non-participants than what baseline participants who agree to participate in the re-examination are. Methods: We compared background characteristics, mortality, and disease incidences across the full population invited to the Malmö Diet and Cancer (MDC) study, the baseline participants, the baseline non-participants, the baseline participants who participated in a re-examination, and the baseline participants who did not participate in the re-examination. We then considered two models for estimating characteristics and outcomes in the full population: one (“the substitution model”) assuming that the baseline non-participants were similar to the baseline participants who refused to participate in the re-examination, and one (“the extrapolation model”) assuming that differences between the full group of baseline participants and the baseline participants who participated in the re-examination could be extended to infer results in the full population. Finally, we compared prevalences of baseline risk factors including smoking, risky drinking, overweight, and obesity across baseline participants, baseline participants who participated in the re-examination, and baseline participants who did not participate in the re-examination, and used the above models to estimate the prevalences of these factors in the full invited population. Results: Compared to baseline non-participants, baseline participants were less likely to be immigrants, had higher socioeconomic status, and lower mortality and disease incidences. Baseline participants not participating in the re-examination generally resembled the full population. The extrapolation model often generated characteristics and incidences even more similar to the full population. The prevalences of risk factors, particularly smoking, were estimated to be substantially higher in the full population than among the baseline participants. Conclusions: Participants in epidemiological cohorts such as the MDC study are unlikely to be representative of the full invited population. Exploiting data on baseline participants who did not participate in a re-examination can be a simple and useful way to improve the generalizability of prevalence and incidence estimates. 

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  • Wojas, Natalia A.
    et al.
    KTH Royal Institute of Technology, Sweden.
    Tyrode, Eric
    KTH Royal Institute of Technology, Sweden.
    Corkery, Robert
    KTH Royal Institute of Technology, Sweden; Australian National University, Australia.
    Ernstsson, Marie
    RISE, Sweden.
    Wallqvist, Viveca
    RISE, Sweden.
    Jarn, Mikael
    RISE, Sweden.
    Swerin, Agne
    Karlstad University, Faculty of Health, Science and Technology (starting 2013), Department of Engineering and Chemical Sciences (from 2013).
    Schoelkopf, Joachim
    Omya International AG, Switzerland.
    Gane, Patrick A. C.
    Aalto University, Finland; University of Belgrade, Serbia.
    Claesson, Per M.
    KTH Royal Institute of Technology, Sweden.
    Calcite Surfaces Modified with Carboxylic Acids (C2 to C18): Layer Organization, Wettability, Stability, and Molecular Structural Properties2023In: Langmuir, ISSN 0743-7463, E-ISSN 1520-5827, Vol. 39, no 42, p. 14840-14852Article in journal (Refereed)
    Abstract [en]

    A fundamental understanding of the interactions between mineral surfaces and amphiphilic surface modification agents is needed for better control over the production and uses of mineral fillers. Here, we controlled the carboxylic acid layer formation conditions on calcite surfaces with high precision via vapor deposition. The properties of the resulting carboxylic acid layers were analyzed using surface-sensitive techniques, such as atomic force microscopy (AFM), contact angle measurements, angle resolved X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), and vibrational sum-frequency spectroscopy. A low wettability was achieved with long hydrocarbon chain carboxylic acids such as stearic acid. The stearic acid layer formed by vapor deposition is initially patchy, but with increasing vapor exposure time, the patches grow and condense into a homogeneous layer with a thickness close to that expected for a monolayer as evaluated by AFM and XPS. The build-up process of the layer occurs more rapidly at higher temperatures due to the higher vapor pressure. The stability of the deposited fatty acid layer in the presence of a water droplet increases with the chain length and packing density in the adsorbed layer. Vibrational sum frequency spectroscopy data demonstrate that the stearic acid monolayers on calcite have their alkyl chains in an all-trans conformation and are anisotropically distributed on the plane of the surface, forming epitaxial monolayers. Vibrational spectra also show that the stearic acid molecules interact with the calcite surface through the carboxylic acid headgroup in both its protonated and deprotonated forms. The results presented provide new molecular insights into the properties of adsorbed carboxylic acid layers on calcite.

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  • Public defence: 2023-12-08 10:00 21A342, Eva Erikssonsalen, Karlstad
    Marker, Jeffery
    Karlstad University, Faculty of Health, Science and Technology (starting 2013), Department of Environmental and Life Sciences (from 2013).
    Forests, Functions, and Food Webs: Riparian processes through an ecological and molecular lens2023Doctoral thesis, comprehensive summary (Other academic)
    Abstract [en]

    Riparian systems are critical ecological interfaces that have a significant impact on the surrounding aquatic and terrestrial ecosystems. The riparian and surrounding systems have significant roles in regulating energy flow, providing essential nutrients, and supporting unique species, making them important for ecosystem function. Both the aquatic and terrestrial ecosystems are reliant on the reciprocal exchange of energy subsides to maintain productive and stable food webs. Retention of forested buffers along streams during tree felling operations is a common management technique used to protect aquatic resources and conserve the surrounding ecosystem processes. Measuring the effects of forestry practices on the function and food webs of riparian predators is vital to making forest management decisions that strengthen and protect these fundamental services. Insight into predator function and predator-prey interactions using powerful molecular techniques can further the understanding of these complex systems and help to mitigate the effects of forestry practices.

    This thesis explores the functional diversity, food webs, and predator-prey interactions in riparian systems impacted by forestry felling practices. I have studied the effects of clear-cutting and forested buffer zones on riparian functional diversity through the assessment of functional richness and redundancy of spider and plant communities. In addition, I have both validated and used stable isotope analysis and DNA metabarcoding to investigate the primary food sources and prey choices of riparian predators. Riparian buffer size had no direct effect on the functional richness or redundancy of riparian spiders and vascular plants. However, riparian buffer variables such as canopy closure, buffer density, and vegetation coverage did have direct impacts on both spider and plant function. Most riparian spiders and brown trout received a significant majority of their food source from the terrestrial environment and the presence or absence of a riparian buffer did not effect this outcome. However, web-weaving spiders in unbuffered systems were more likely to exploit aquatic resources as a primary food source. Overall, the responses of predator function and food webs to forestry practice are site-specific.

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  • Parsberg, Cecilia (Artist, Researcher)
    Karlstad University, Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences (starting 2013), Department of Artistic Studies (from 2013).
    Skissuppdrag för ”Strategiska projekt”2020Artistic output (Refereed)
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    Skissuppdrag för Strategiska projekt
  • Parsberg, Cecilia (Artist, Researcher)
    Karlstad University, Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences (starting 2013), Department of Artistic Studies (from 2013).
    Those who hunger for life2022Artistic output (Refereed)
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    Those who hunger for life/De Levnadshungriga
  • Tjernberg, Catharina Cesilia
    et al.
    Karlstad University, Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences (starting 2013), Department of Educational Studies (from 2013).
    Forsling, Karin
    Karlstad University, Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences (starting 2013), Department of Educational Studies (from 2013).
    Teachers’ Perspectives on Supportive and Inclusive Practices: A Study of Four Schools With Diverse Literacy Practices2023In: Nordic Journal of Literacy Research, E-ISSN 2464-1596, Vol. 9, no 2Article in journal (Refereed)
    Abstract [en]

    Previous research states that accessibility and participation are prerequisites for students, regardless of ability, to be able to develop in school. The point of accessibility and participation is that everyone should be able to feel included and have access to learning. From an inclusive education perspective, the interest of this study is how teachers work in diverse literacy practices to address a variety of student conditions and needs. By studying how some primary education teachers describe how they design and stage learning environments, we want to contribute new knowledge about inclusive literacy practices.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;The data collection was carried out through focus group discussions. We analysed the data with Critical Literacy (CL) as a theoretical framework, and the related concepts of domination, access, diversity, and design were used. The general impression that emerges from our study is that teachers design literacy activities based on both supportive and inclusive aspects and with a focus on variation and diversity. In the study, more similarities than differences emerged, for instance a focus on multimodal methods and the importance of didactic flexibility. The teachers also highlighted the importance of producing text, not just consuming and processing existing texts. Sometimes the analysis reveals differences. Even so, the teachers’ intentions to include all students in the classroom education remain significant.

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  • Zhang, Chao
    et al.
    Uppsala University, Sweden.
    Cheng, Jun
    Xiamen University, China.
    Chen, Yiming
    Argonne National Laboratory, USA.
    Chan, Maria K. Y.
    Argonne National Laboratory, USA.
    Cai, Qiong
    University of Surrey, United Kingdom; The Faraday Institution, United Kingdom.
    Carvalho, Rodrigo P.
    Uppsala University, Sweden.
    Marchiori, Cleber
    Karlstad University, Faculty of Health, Science and Technology (starting 2013), Department of Engineering and Physics (from 2013).
    Brandell, Daniel
    Uppsala University, Sweden.
    Araujo, Moyses
    Karlstad University, Faculty of Health, Science and Technology (starting 2013), Department of Engineering and Physics (from 2013). Uppsala University, Sweden.
    Chen, Ming
    Huazhong University of Science and Technology, China.
    Ji, Xiangyu
    Huazhong University of Science and Technology, China.
    Feng, Guang
    Huazhong University of Science and Technology, China.
    Goloviznina, Kateryna
    Sorbonne Université, France.
    Serva, Alessandra
    Sorbonne Université, France.
    Salanne, Mathieu
    Sorbonne Université, France; Institut Universitaire de France, fRANCE.
    Mandai, Toshihiko
    National Institute for Materials Science, Japan.
    Hosaka, Tomooki
    Tokyo University of Science, Japan.
    Alhanash, Mirna
    Chalmers University of Technology, Sweden.
    Johansson, Patrik
    Chalmers University of Technology, Sweden; Alistore-ER, France.
    Qiu, Yun-Ze
    Tsinghua University, China.
    Xiao, Hai
    Tsinghua University, China.
    Eikerling, Michael
    Forschungszentrum Jülich GmbH and RWTH Aachen University, Germany.
    Jinnouchi, Ryosuke
    Toyota Central R&D Labs, Japan.
    Melander, Marko M.
    University of Jyväskylä, Finland.
    Kastlunger, Georg
    Technical University of Denmark, Denmark.
    Bouzid, Assil
    Institut de Recherche sur les Céramiques (IRCER), France.
    Pasquarello, Alfredo
    Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL), Switzerland.
    Shin, Seung-Jae
    Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology, South Korea; Yonsei University, South Korea.
    Kim, Minho M.
    Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology, South Korea.
    Kim, Hyungjun
    Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology, South Korea.
    Schwarz, Kathleen
    National Institute of Standards and Technology, USA.
    Sundararaman, Ravishankar
    Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, USA.
    2023 Roadmap on molecular modelling of electrochemical energy materials2023In: Journal of Physics: Energy, E-ISSN 2515-7655, Vol. 5, no 4, article id 041501Article, review/survey (Refereed)
    Abstract [en]

    New materials for electrochemical energy storage and conversion are the key to the electrification and sustainable development of our modern societies. Molecular modelling based on the principles of quantum mechanics and statistical mechanics as well as empowered by machine learning techniques can help us to understand, control and design electrochemical energy materials at atomistic precision. Therefore, this roadmap, which is a collection of authoritative opinions, serves as a gateway for both the experts and the beginners to have a quick overview of the current status and corresponding challenges in molecular modelling of electrochemical energy materials for batteries, supercapacitors, CO2 reduction reaction, and fuel cell applications.

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  • Nilsson, Kristofer
    et al.
    Karlstad University, Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences (starting 2013), Department of Social and Psychological Studies (from 2013).
    Egan Sjolander, Annika
    Umeå University, Sweden.
    Landstedt, Evelina
    Karlstad University, Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences (starting 2013), Department of Social and Psychological Studies (from 2013).
    No clear connections: a study of the association between news media use, public trust, and Swedish social services2023In: European Journal of Social Work, ISSN 1369-1457, E-ISSN 1468-2664Article in journal (Refereed)
    Abstract [en]

    News and media reports on social work have had policy and legislative consequences for social work practice in Sweden. Generally, it is often argued that media reports have negative implications for public perception and public trust towards social services. However, empirical studies supporting such claims are rare. Going back to the classic theory of cultivation regarding media effects, this study investigates possible associations between news media use, public trust in news, and public trust towards social services in Sweden. Analyses are based on survey data from a representative sample of Swedish adults and young adults (n = 1 697) and linear regressions have been applied. In contrast to assumptions in the existing literature, no associations were identified between the level of news use, preferred news outlet and public trust towards the social services, whereas trust in news predicted trust in social services. The findings challenge dominating notions on the implications of news media use and public trust in social services. In short, news reports of the social services do not simply translate into public (dis)trust. This also enable, linear regressions has been applied. In contrast to assumptions in existing literature, no associations.

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  • Markström, Urban
    et al.
    Umeå University, Sweden.
    Näslund, Hilda
    Umeå University, Sweden.
    Schön, Ulla-Karin
    Stockholm University, Sweden.
    Rosenberg, David
    Umeå University, Sweden.
    Bejerholm, Ulrika
    Lund University, Sweden.
    Gustavsson, Anneli
    The Swedish Partnership for Mental Health, NSPH, Sweden.
    Jansson, Marten
    The Swedish Partnership for Mental Health, NSPH, Sweden.
    Argentzell, Elisabeth
    Lund University, Sweden.
    Grim, Katarina
    Karlstad University, Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences (starting 2013), Department of Social and Psychological Studies (from 2013).
    Engdahl, Patrik
    Lund University, Sweden.
    Nouf, Faten
    Umeå University, Sweden.
    Lilliehorn, Sara
    Umeå University, Sweden.
    Svedberg, Petra
    Halmstad University, Sweden.
    Developing sustainable service user involvement practices in mental health services in Sweden: the "Userinvolve" research program protocol2023In: Frontiers in Psychiatry, E-ISSN 1664-0640, Vol. 14, article id 1282700Article in journal (Refereed)
    Abstract [en]

    Background: The purpose of this paper is to outline the protocol for the research program "UserInvolve," with the aim of developing sustainable, service user involvement practices in mental health services in Sweden.Methods: This protocol outlines the knowledge gap and aim of the UserInvolve-program. It further provides an overview of the research infrastructure, with specific focus on the organization and management of the program as well as the design of the six underlying research projects. These six research projects form the core of the UserInvolve-program and will be carried out during a six-year period (2022-2027). The projects are focused on examining articulations of experiential knowledge in user collectives, on four specific user involvement interventions (shared decision-making, peer support, user-focused monitoring, and systemic involvement methods) and on developing theory and method on co-production in mental health research and practice.Results or conclusion: The knowledge gained through the co-production approach will be disseminated throughout the program years, targeting service users, welfare actors and the research community. Based on these research activities, our impact goals relate to strengthening the legitimacy of and methods for co-production in the mental health research and practice field.

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  • Hansson, Susanne
    et al.
    Karlstad University, Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences (starting 2013), Department of Educational Studies (from 2013).
    Bengtsson, Karin
    Karlstad University, Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences (starting 2013), Department of Educational Studies (from 2013).
    Lindqvist, Gunilla
    Uppsala University, Sweden.
    Klang, Nina
    Uppsala University, Sweden.
    Göransson, Kerstin
    Karlstad University, Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences (starting 2013), Department of Educational Studies (from 2013).
    Construction of learning environments: A multiple case study in special education settings2023In: Journal of Research in Special Educational Needs, E-ISSN 1471-3802Article in journal (Refereed)
    Abstract [en]

    Education in segregated settings for pupils with intellectual disability (ID) has often been portrayed as a unified form of schooling. There is a risk of providing a simplified picture of these settings and of what pupils with ID need to learn. This is generally stipulated in policy documents, leaving room for staff in school to interpret curricula and form learning environments. The aim of this study is to explore how four different learning environments are constructed in segregated settings where pupils with ID are educated in Sweden. The study was conducted as a multiple case study, using observations and interviews with teachers and pupils in four special classes for pupils with ID (SCIDs). Drawing on curriculum theory, the four learning environments, in the results named as Alpha, Beta, Gamma and Delta class, respectively, appeared to be characterized by different ideas of schooling, labelled as knowledge-mediating, socializing, functional life skills and caring as well as teacher-centred classrooms. The study contributes to a deepened understanding of the complexity of education for pupils with ID in segregated settings.

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  • Kleinaltenkamp, Michael
    et al.
    Freie Universität Berlin, Germany.
    Kleinaltenkamp, Moritz J.
    Copenhagen Business School, Denmark.
    Karpen, Ingo Oswald
    Karlstad University, Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences (starting 2013), Service Research Center (from 2013). The University of Adelaide, Australia.
    Resource entanglement and indeterminacy: Advancing the service-dominant logic through the philosophy of Karen Barad2023In: Marketing Theory, ISSN 1470-5931, E-ISSN 1741-301XArticle in journal (Refereed)
    Abstract [en]

    Resources are central to value creation processes. Hence, marketing and service research rely heavily on conceptualisations of resources and resource integration for theory building efforts. One of the most widely accepted marketing lenses on resources and resource integration is the service-dominant (S-D) logic. Depicting resources as becoming and contextual, S-D logic argues that their usefulness co-depends on other resources. Some assumptions of S-D logic have been challenged particularly its dichotomous categorisation of operand and operant resources. To inform ongoing S-D logic theorising, our article problematises the multiple and contradictory ontological views upon resources and resource integration present within S-D logic. Moving beyond critique, we propose concrete means for reconciling these contradictions. Seeing a parallel between S-D logic's ontological inconsistencies and past ontological disagreements in the philosophy of science, we draw on the philosophical perspective of Karen Barad to develop a consistent onto-epistemological foundation for conceptualising the becoming nature of resources in S-D logic. The theory adaptation we perform enhances the applicability and explanatory capacity of S-D logic, while also offering a more robust and rigorous foundation for marketing and service research at large and giving managers new means to make sense of co-dependent resource phenomena.

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