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Topics: Science, general

Olof Rudbeck Day 2024 will focus on AI in care and health

Olof Rudbeck Day with focus on AI in care and health

What are the opportunities of using AI in healthcare? And what potential risks does it entail? These issues will be discussed during the Olof Rudbeck Day on 18 October. This year’s Rudbeck Prize winner, Ulf Gyllensten, will also give a lecture on his research into gynaecological cancer.

Håkan Rydin, Professor Emeritus of Plant Ecology, Uppsala University. Photo: Märta Gross Hulth

Are cows pickier than goats?

To answer this question, Linnaeus collected 643 different plant species that were then fed to horses, cows, pigs, sheep and goats. The results were carefully compiled but not analysed until now, 275 years later, when they are also published by the Linnean Society in London.

The 2024 Sundhnúkur eruption – main cone. Photo by L. Krmíček

Potential long-term volcanic activity on Iceland's Reykjanes Peninsula

Given the volcanic activity on Iceland over the last three years, researchers from six universities anticipate recurring, moderately sized eruptions of similar style in the coming years to decades. They therefore stress the need for preparedness in view of the risks posed to local populations and critical infrastructure. Their study was recently published in the scientific journal Terra Nova.

Zhibin Zhang, docent at the Department of Electrical Engineering at Uppsala University.

Robots' sense of touch could be as fast as humans

Research at Uppsala University and Karolinska Institutet could pave the way for a prosthetic hand and robot to be able to feel touch like a human hand. Their study has been published in the journal Science. The technology could also be used to help restore lost functionality to patients after a stroke.

The tick Ixodes ricinus can transmit the TBE-virus to humans. Photo. Tove Hoffman

Many more infected by TBE virus than previously known

The number of infections by the tick-borne TBE virus that are not detected by health services is far higher than previously assumed. This has been shown in a new study of Swedish blood donors from Uppsala University and the University Hospital in Uppsala. The results have been published in the journal Eurosurveillance, which is associated with the EU’s Centre for Disease Prevention and Control.

 Jana Rüegg has submitted her doctoral thesis at the Department of Literature, Uppsala University. Photo: Ute Rüegg

Small publishers increasingly important for translated literature

Over the period 1970–2016, small publishing houses became increasingly important for the publication of literature in translation in Sweden. More than ever, Nobel laureates are being published by relatively small independent publishers. A specialisation in translations often stems from a publisher’s personal interest in a language or geographical area.

Ruins of a mud brick structure near the town of Lusanga along the Kwilu River. Photo: Peter Coutros, Ghent University

New research sheds light on Bantu-speaking populations' expansion in Africa

About 350 million people across Africa speak one or more of the 500 Bantu languages. New genetic analysis of modern and ancient individuals suggests that these populations probably originated in western Africa and then moved south and east in several waves. The study has been published in the scientific journal Nature.

An eye tracker underneath the screen recorded where on the screen the infant looked at a moment-to-moment basis while they watched several images containing faces together with several other objects. Credit: Nature Human Behaviour

Genes influence whether infants prefer to look at faces or non-social objects

Whether infants at five months of age look mostly at faces or non-social objects such as cars or mobile phones is largely determined by genes. This has now been demonstrated by researchers at Uppsala University and Karolinska Institutet. The findings suggest that there is a biological basis for how infants create their unique visual experiences and which things they learn most about.

Agneta Siegbahn, Professor of Clinical Coagulation Science and Mikael Åberg, researcher at the Department of Medical Sciences in Affinity Proteomics lab, SciLifeLab, at Uppsala University. Photo: Anna Frejd

New instrument for precision medicine in cardiovascular disease

Researchers at Uppsala University have developed an instrument that makes it possible to measure 21 biomarkers for cardiovascular disease simultaneously with great precision by means of a simple blood test. The aim is to use this type of tool to improve the prediction of cardiovascular complications and facilitate more personalised treatment for patients.

The subthalamic nucleus is located deep in the brain of mice and primates. The study shows that stimulation of the subthalamic nucleus causes aversion and activates neurons in the brain’s aversion system.

Location of strong sense of discomfort in brain found

Researchers have identified a new neural circuit in the brain which produces a strong sense of discomfort when activated. The discovery also allows them to show for the first time that the subthalamic nucleus, a structure in the brain that controls voluntary movements, may also play a role in the development of depression. The results could lead to better treatments for Parkinson's disease.

In the study, the researchers interviewed pre-school children aged 3–6 years about their experiences of family life and conflict. Photo: Anton Dahlberg

“They yell and I yell back”

Young children are able to talk in detail about their feelings and how things are at home. They are also good at reading their parents and their emotions by describing their behaviours, facial expressions and tone of voice. This has been shown in a new study by Uppsala University, published in the Journal of Child and Family Studies.

The oldest megapredatory pliosaur, Lorrainosaurus, in the ancient Middle Jurassic sea that covered what is to day northern France 170 million years ago. Artwork by Joschua Knüppe (Germany).

Ancient sea monster remains reveal oldest mega-predatory pliosaur

The fossils of a 170-million-year-old ancient marine reptile from the Age of Dinosaurs have been identified as the oldest-known mega-predatory pliosaur – a group of ocean-dwelling reptiles closely related to the famous long-necked plesiosaurs. The findings are rare and add new knowledge to the evolution of plesiosaurs. The study has been published in the journal Scientific Reports.

Genetics influence the risk of blood clots in oral contraceptive users

Women with a high genetic predisposition for blood clots are six times more likely to develop a blood clot during the first two years of using contraceptive pills according to a new study from Uppsala University. The results have been published in the American Journal of Obstetrics and Gynaecology.

Contraceptive pills protect against rheumatoid arthritis

Contraceptive pills can reduce the risk of rheumatoid arthritis, while hormone treatment in connection with menopause can increase the risk later in life. In a new study of more than 200,000 women in the UK, researchers at Uppsala University have discovered connections between the use of sex hormones and the risk of developing rheumatoid arthritis.

Men with metastatic prostate cancer live longer thanks to new drugs

Survival rates for men with metastatic prostate cancer have increased by an average of six months, something which coincides with the gradual introduction of ‘dual treatment’ since 2016. This is according to a register study of all Swedish men diagnosed between 2008 and 2020. The results are published in the medical journal JAMA Network open.

A Large Ground-finch (Geospiza magnirostris) on Daphne Major, Galápagos Islands, Ecuador. Photo: Erik Enbody

Genome study reveals 30 years of Darwin’s finch evolution

An international team of researchers has released a study on contemporary evolutionary change in natural populations. Their study uses one of the largest genomic datasets ever produced for animals in their natural environment, comprising nearly 4,000 Darwin’s finches. The study has revealed the genetic basis of adaptation in this iconic group. The results are published in the journal Science

Nobel laureate Svante Pääbo has now been named Uppsala University’s Alumnus of the Year 2023.  Photo: Mikael Wallerstedt

Svante Pääbo named Alumnus of the Year 2023

He opened up a completely new field of research by sequencing the genome of our long-extinct relatives. For his scientific accomplishments, Svante Pääbo was awarded the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine in 2022. ​​He has now been named Uppsala University’s Alumnus of the Year 2023.

View from the archaeological site Arapouco towards the Sado Valley, Portugal. Photo: Rita Peyroteo-Stjerna

Mummification in Europe may be older than previously known

Mummification of the dead probably was more common in prehistory than previously known. This discovery was made at the hunter-gatherer burial sites in the Sado Valley in Portugal, dating to 8 000 years ago. A new study, headed by archaeologists at Uppsala University and Linnaeus University in Sweden and University of Lisbon in Portugal, presents new evidence for pre-burial treatments such as desi

How hormones may alleviate side-specific movement difficulties after brain injury

Hormones released after a brain injury contribute to movement problems on the left and right sides of the body, scientists from Uppsala University and elsewhere can now show in a new study in rats. The results also suggest that hormone-blocking treatments may help counteract these effects, a finding that has implications for treating people with traumatic brain injuries or stroke.

In the seed beetle (Callosobruchus maculatus), the male has a spiny genital structure that enhances its reproductive success. Photo: Johanna Rönn

Male beetles’ spiny genitalia both harmful and beneficial to females

Male seed beetles with genital structures that injure females may have greater reproductive success. As new research from Uppsala University shows, females that mate with such males benefit, in the sense that their offspring are healthier. This new piece of the puzzle will help scientists to understand how complex mating interactions between males and females have developedevolved.

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