Lund University Research Articles

Launching an interdisciplinary “International Summer School on Ageing” (ISSA): Aims, methodology, and outcomes

ABSTRACTDespite the increasing availability of gerontological training programs, knowledge of their contents, characteristics, methods, and outcomes remains limited. However, the transition from multidisciplinarity to interdisciplinary orientations is now fundamental to such training, providing participants from diverse academic orientations and professional backgrounds with opportunities to interact across boundaries. In response to recommendations of the European Union Futurage A road map for European ageing research (FUTURAGE, 2011) concerning training and career-development needs of future cohorts of practitioners and scholars in aging, an International Summer School on Ageing (ISSA) was developed in 2012. Its aim was to initiate the practical implementation of some of the capacity building goals identified by Futurage. The design and structure of the ISSA was informed by the experience of Canada’s Summer Programme in Ageing—run by the Institute of Aging of the Canadian Institutes of Health Research—and by the cross-border academic training activities organized by Lund University (Sweden) in Scandinavian countries. As Italy has lacked a tradition of comprehensive, interdisciplinary training programs in gerontology, the Italian National Institute of Health and Science on Ageing undertook to launch the inaugural ISSA. In this article, the core aims and methodology of the ISSA are presented, together with an analysis of its main outcomes, as measured by participant evaluations. These are discussed in the context of international debate on this topic.

Domain Adaptation in Semantic Role Labeling Using a Neural Language Model and Linguistic Resources

We propose a method for adapting Semantic Role Labeling (SRL) systems from a source domain to a target domain by combining a neural language model and linguistic resources to generate additional training examples. We primarily aim to improve the results of Location, Time, Manner and Direction roles. In our methodology, main words of selected predicates and arguments in the source-domain training data are replaced with words from the target domain. The replacement words are generated by a language model and then filtered by several linguistic filters (including Part-Of-Speech (POS), WordNet and Predicate constraints). In experiments on the out-of-domain CoNLL 2009 data, with the Recurrent Neural Network Language Model (RNNLM) and a well-known semantic parser from Lund University, we show enhanced recall and F1 without penalizing precision on the four targeted roles. These results improve the results of the same SRL system without using the language model and the linguistic resources, and are better than the results of the same SRL system that is trained with examples that are enriched with word embeddings. We also demonstrate the importance of using a language model and the vocabulary of the target domain when generating new training examples.

Cardiopulmonary resuscitation using electrically driven devices: a review.

In the treatment of sudden cardiac arrest (SCA) immediate resuscitation with chest compressions and ventilation is crucial for survival. As manual resuscitation is associated with several drawbacks, mechanical resuscitation devices have been developed to support resuscitation teams. These devices are able to achieve better perfusion of heart and brain in laboratory settings, but real world experience showed no significant improved survival in comparison to manual resuscitation. This review will focus on two mechanical resuscitation devices, the Lund University Cardiac Assist System (LUCAS) and AutoPulse devices and the actual literature available. In conclusion, the general use of mechanical resuscitation devices cannot be recommended at the moment.

Covering the Cover

Covering the Cover

Advanced technologies and diagnostic spin-outs: an interview with Carl Borrebaeck

Interview with Professor Carl Borrebaeck DSc by Claire Raison (Commissioning Editor)Professor Carl Borrebaeck DSc, is the Director of CREATE Health (Lund, Sweden), a translational cancer center, previous Vice President of Lund University and specializes in immunotechnology, diagnostics and treatments for cancer. He has had remarkable success in co-founding collaborative working groups and related spin-out companies based in Lund. Professor Borrebaeck also serves as a member of the editorial advisory board for Expert Review of Molecular Diagnostics. Here, Professor Borrebaeck talks to Expert Review of Molecular Diagnostics about his experience and what is next for cutting-edge technology in cancer diagnostics.

Class Size and Student Evaluations in Sweden

This paper examines the effect of class size on student evaluations of the quality of an introductory mathematics course at Lund university in Sweden. In contrast to much other studies, we find a large negative, and statistically significant, effect of class size on the quality of the course. This result appears to be quite robust, as almost all other influences but class size have effectively been accounted for.

Підтримка інновацій шляхом вдосконалення діючої структури вищої освіти в Україні

Глобалізація зумовлює дедалі більшу необхідність інтенсифікації генерації інновацій. Найважливіша платформа формування нових ідей – вища школа, де студенти можуть реалізовувати свої ідеї та трансформувати їх із ідей теоретичних у прибуткові бізнес-проекти. Європейський досвід такої трансформації корисний для української системи освіти. Оскільки вивченню засобів адаптації іноземного досвіду підтримки інновацій у вищій школі України достатньої уваги не приділено, виникла потреба відповідного дослідження.
 Мета дослідження – аналіз досвіду підтримки та реалізації інновацій студентської молоді в Європі у Лундському університеті та Гданському політехнічному університеті для виявлення інструментів його адаптації у вищій школі України. Методи дослідження – абстрактно-логічний, аналітичний.
 У роботі проаналізовано досвід роботи одного із найдавніших університетів у світі – Лундського та виявлено, що на його базі реалізують освіту та дослідження в напрямах інженерії, права, соціології, економіки та менеджменту, медицини, теології, мистецтва, музики та драми. Інноваційний центр «Demola», створений на основі університету, забезпечує співпрацю та відкриття інновацій шляхом міждисциплінарної взаємодії студентських груп, що працюють з реальними покупцями. На базі центру здійснюється комунікація між представниками реального бізнесу, вищою школою та реальними покупцями.
 З’ясовано, що в Гданському політехнічному університеті підтримку інновацій реалізують у межах інноваційної програми «Горизонт 2020» – фінансового інструменту, спрямованого на розвиток інновацій з метою забезпечення конкурентоспроможності економіки ЄС в умовах глобалізації.
 Виявлено, що розвиток європейської системи освіти шляхом впровадження інновацій триває уже 25 років. Цей досвід, як свідчить практика, досить успішний. Інкубатори, створені на основі університетів, дозволяють втілювати нові економіки. Фінансуючи сьогодні інноваційні процеси на базі вищої школи, європейський уряд формує платформу для розвитку прибуткового бізнесу як гарантованого платника податків у майбутньому. Зроблено висновок, що застосування даної практики в українській вищій школі дозволить активізувати процеси генерації інновацій, що, в свою чергу, спонукатиме підвищення рівня конкурентоспроможності національної вищої освіти.
 Наукова новизна роботи полягає у виявленні засобу підтримки інновацій молоді шляхом створення на базі вищої школи (університету) інноваційних інкубаторів, студентських наукових лабораторій, які дозволяють реалізувати нові ідеї молоді, створювати нові робочі місця, підвищувати рівень конкуренції національних економік.
 Практичне значення роботи полягає у тому, що використання європейського досвіду упровадження інновацій шляхом розвитку наукових лабораторій дозволить генерувати ідеї та підвищити рівень конкурентоспроможності національної освіти.
 Подальшого дослідження потребує вивчення досвіду інших провідних вищих навчальних закладів світу у підтримці інновацій.
 Рис. 4. Табл. 1. Бібл. 11.

The MAX I Facility

The 1.2 GeV synchrotron LUSY (Lund University Synchrotron), one of the first strong-focusing synchrotrons in Europe, designed for research in nuclear and particle physics, was closed in 1972. One major reason for this closing was that CERN was catching up speed and national facilities had difficulties catching up in high-energy physics.

Challenging modeling strategies for LES of non-adiabatic turbulent stratified combustion

Five different low-Mach large eddy simulations are compared to the turbulent stratified flame experiments conducted at the Technical University of Darmstadt (TUD). The simulations were contributed by TUD, the Institute for Combustion Technology (ITV) at Aachen, Lund University (LUND), the EM2C laboratory at Ecole Centrale Paris, and the University of Duisburg-Essen (UDE). Combustion is modeled by a premixed flamelet tabulation with local flame thickening (TUD), a premixed flamelet progress variable approach coupled to a level set method (ITV), a 4-steps mechanism combined with implicit LES (LUND), the F-TACLES model that is based on filtered premixed flamelet tabulation (EM2C), and a flame surface density approach (UDE). An extensive comparison of simulation and experimental data is presented for the first two moments of velocity, temperature, mixture fraction, and major species mass fractions. The importance of heat-losses was assessed by comparing simulations for adiabatic and isothermal boundary conditions at the burner walls. The adiabatic computations predict a flame anchored on the burner lip, while the non-adiabatic simulations show a flame lift-off of one half pilot diameter and a better agreement with experimental evidence for temperature and species concentrations. Most simulations agree on the mean flame brush position, but it is evident that subgrid turbulence must be considered to achieve the correct turbulent flame speed. Qualitative comparisons of instantaneous snapshots of the flame show differences in the size of the resolved flame wrinkling patterns. These differences are (a) caused by the influence of the LES combustion model on the flame dynamics and (b) by the different simulation strategies in terms of grid, inlet condition and numerics. The simulations were conducted with approaches optimized for different objectives, for example low computational cost, or in another case, short turn around.

Mass, black carbon and elemental composition of PM2.5 at an industrial site in Kingston, Jamaica

An estimated three million premature deaths yearly can be attributed to ambient particulate pollution, a majority of them in low and middle income countries. The rapid increase in the vehicle fleet in urban areas of the Caribbean countries have experienced contributes to the bad urban air quality. In this study aerosol particles with an aerodynamic diameter smaller than, or equal to, 2.5μm (PM2.5) were collected over 24h at a site along Spanish Town Road, one of the main commuter roads in Kingston, Jamaica. The study was aimed at determining the mass, black carbon and elemental composition of PM2.5 in Kingston. Although lead in the gasoline was phased out in the year 2000, up to 5000ppm of sulfur is still allowed in the diesel, leading to an extensive secondary particle formation. PM2.5 samples were collected using a Mini-vol sampler between 12 December 2013 and 21 March 2014 and analyzed for trace elements using the Particle-Induced X-ray Emission (PIXE) facility at Lund University, Sweden. Concentrations of Si, S, Cl, K, Ca, Ti, V, Cr, Fe, Ni, Cu, Zn, Br and Pb were determined. Elemental concentrations showed a high temporal variation and the average PM2.5 concentration (44μgm−3) is higher than the air quality standards that apply in the European Union (25μgm−3) and in the USA (12μgm−3). From this we can conclude that the air quality in the area is severely influenced by PM2.5 pollution and that there is a need to develop plans for improving the air quality in Kingston city.

New records of Orussus minutus Middlekauff, 1983 (Hymenoptera: Orussidae) represent a significant western range expansion.

BackgroundOrussus minutus is an uncommonly collected parasitoid sawfly known from the eastern United States.New informationWe report specimens Orussus minutus Middlekauff, 1983, from Arkansas, Iowa, Minnesota, and Manitoba, which represent new state and province records and significantly expand the known range of the species west from previous records; provide collection information for unpublished specimens housed in the United States National Museum collection, which includes new state records for West Virginia and Michigan; and report two specimens housed in the Biological Museum at Lund University that represent new state records for Connecticut.

Forensic imaging findings by post-mortem computed tomography after manual versus mechanical chest compression

Abstract Objectives The aim of this study was to compare the injuries observed after cardiopulmonary resuscitation ( 1 CPR) by means of standard or assisted chest compression by the Lund University Cardiopulmonary Assist System ( 2 LUCAS™2) device visualized by post-mortem computed tomography ( 3 PMCT). Materials and methods A retrospective study was conducted that included 44 cases delivered to our institution following CPR before death. All bodies underwent PMCT. The case group was divided into two groups: one group that underwent manual and one group that underwent mechanical CPR with the LUCAS™2 device. The main traumatic findings associated with CPR were reported, and a statistical evaluation was performed. Results The LUCAS group comprised 24 cases, the manual group 20 cases. Rib fractures were the most frequent injury in both groups. A mean of 10.38 rib fractures per case was observed in the LUCAS group, and 10.40 fractures were observed in the manual group ( p =0.999). Subcutaneous pre-sternal hematomas were described in 15/24 patients in the LUCAS group and in 6/20 patients in the manual group. The frequency of sternal factures was similar in both groups. A few trauma injuries to internal organs (i.e., retrosternal, perihepatic, and retroperitoneal hematomas and lung contusion) were recorded in both groups. Conclusion PMCT is useful for evaluating injuries related to CPR. LUCAS™2-CPR has a greater association with subcutaneous pre-sternal hematomas than standard CPR. There is no further significant difference in the incidence of injuries between mechanical and manual chest compression. From a forensic point of view, it is important to identify CPR-related injuries.

Typification of the marine siphonous green algae Caulerpa prolifera (Bryopsidales, Chlorophyta)

The typification of the marine siphonous green algae Caulerpa prolifera (Forsskål) J.V. Lamouroux (≡ Fucus prolifer Forsskål) (Caulerpaceae), including f. obovata (J. Agardh) Weber-van Bosse and f. zosterifolia Børgesen, is discussed. Original material conserved in the Natural History Museum of Denmark (Copenhagen) at C (Herbarium Forsskålii) and in the Botanical Museum of Lund University at LD are designated as the corresponding lectotypes.

Developing a Competency-based Curriculum in Basic and Clinical Pharmacology--A Delphi Study among Physicians.

A new curriculum is planned for the medical school at Lund University, Sweden. Pharmacology, in a broad sense, has been identified as a subject that needs to be strengthened based on needs in the healthcare system. The aim was to identify the competencies in basic and clinical pharmacology that a newly qualified physician needs. Using a modified three-round Delphi technique, 31 physicians were invited to list necessary competencies (round 1). After content analysis, these panel members classified the list by importance on two occasions (rounds 2 and 3) using a 4-point scale (4=necessary, 3=desirable, 2=useful, 1=not necessary). Competencies with the highest ranks based on necessity were retained. Thirty physicians accepted the invitation and 25 (83%) of them completed all three rounds. Round 1 resulted in 258 suggestions, which were subsequently reduced to 95 competencies. Of these 95 competencies, 40 were considered necessary by at least 75% of the panel members. The degree of consensus increased between round 2 and round 3. Using a modified Delphi technique, we identified 40 competencies that could be transferred to learning outcomes for a new curriculum in basic and clinical pharmacology at medical school.

Challenges for Li-Ion Batteries Working at High Temperatures

Li-ion batteries working at high temperatures (from 80 to 110 ºC) are thought to be implemented in hybrid electric heavy vehicles. The high working temperature of the battery would facilitate faster charge and discharge rates, allowing the power demands of such an application to be easily reached. Furthermore, sharing a cooling system between the battery pack and other drive train components, such as power electronics, would simplify the thermal management in the hybrid electric vehicle. Working at higher temperatures could potentially open the possibility of using electrode materials that do not normally work at room temperature due to kinetic limitations. Solid polymer and ionic liquid electrolytes could also be used, as the ionic conductivity and viscosity are improved at high temperatures. Unfortunately, increasing the working temperature of the battery will also present drawbacks. Secondary reactions kinetics are also improved when increasing the temperature, affecting the coulombic efficiency of the cell. Due to safety considerations, liquid electrolytes that are normally used in ambient temperature Li-ion batteries would have to be replaced by safer solid polymer or ionic liquid electrolytes. Finally, issues like the cold-start of hybrid vehicles and prediction of batteries life-time also need to be addressed. We will present the work done at Uppsala University on high temperatures Li-ion batteries within the Swedish HT-LIB project. Different materials have been tested in half-cells in order to study their cycling performance at 80 ºC. Iron-based cathode materials (LiFePO4 and Li2FeSIO4) were chosen as they are cheap and environmentally friendly, while titanium-based anode materials (Li4Ti5O12 and TiO2) were chosen due to their high working potential versus lithium. The later is beneficial as there is less solid electrolyte interphase formation at those potentials and there is no risk for lithium plating. Finally, cycling of Li-ion whole cells at 80 ºC will be presented. High Temperature Lithium-ion Batteries (HT-LIB) is a project funded by the Swedish Energy Agency and the collaboration between Chalmers University of Technology, Lund University, Uppsala University and Scania CV AB was created within the Swedish Hybrid Vehicle Centre.

Ionic Liquid Based Electrolytes for High Temperature Lithium-Ion Batteries

Lithium-ion batteries (LIBs) have primarily been developed for application in portable devices, but during the past decade much attention has been paid on making progress also for electric vehicles (EVs). With this aim, elevated/high temperature (HT) operation and life-length is a critical issue, but HT is also an opportunity for simplified cooling systems (working at ca. 80-110ºC) and faster charge/discharge possible. Conventional organic electrolytes such as LiPF6 in EC:DEC is not a safe option due to high volatility and flammability, ultimately leading to the ease of catching fire, dangerous fumes, and possibly also explosions. Ionic liquid (IL) based electrolytes, on the other hand, are an interesting alternative for HT-LIBs owing to negligible vapor pressures, non-flammability, and high ionic conductivities. In this work, we demonstrate that the IL Pyr13TFSI with an addition of LiTFSI is a potential electrolyte family for HT-LIBs. These electrolytes possess high thermal stability, up to 350°C, wide electrochemical stability windows, 0-5 V vs Li+/Li°, and ionic conductivities of the order of 10-3 S cm-1 at RT and 10-2 S cm-1 at HT (above 80°C). The LiTFSI0.2Pyr13TFSI0.8 electrolyte shows promising electrochemical stability in a LFP half-cell at 80°C delivering an average discharge capacity of 145 mAh g-1 at 1C (Fig.1). Additional doping of the IL based electrolytes with cyclic carbonates such as propylene carbonate (PC) and/or vinylene carbonate (VC), creating hybrid electrolytes, further improves the cycling performance in terms of capacity, stability and Coulombic efficiency. This is attributed mainly to a decrease in viscosity, leading to higher ionic conductivities and a better wetting of the electrode, and VC has the additional advantage of forming a stable SEI. High Temperature Lithium-ion Batteries is a project funded by the Swedish Energy Agency and the collaboration between Chalmers University of Technology, Lund University, Uppsala University and Scania CV AB was created within the Swedish Hybrid Vehicle Centre. Fig. 1 Specific capacity of LFP half-cells using IL based electrolytes cycled between 2.5 to 4.2 V vs Li+/Li° at 80°C and 1C rate. The open and closed circles represent the charge and discharge capacities, respectively. Figure 1

Film Music and Visual Attention: A Pilot Experiment using Eye-Tracking

Abstract This article gives an account of an eye-tracking experiment carried out during a workshop at Lund University, where the overall question was, "how does film music affect meaning?" The pilot experiment was conducted on an exploratory basis, and in this article, the tentative results and possible usefulness of laboratory experiments are discussed.

Congruence-Association Model and Experiments in Film Music: Toward Interdisciplinary Collaboration

Abstract The article draws attention to the value of objective measurement of both human responses and soundtracks for validating conjectures about the role of film music. Based on empirical research on film music as well as ideas from film theory and cognitive science, the author’s Congruence-Association Model with Working Narrative (CAM-WN) is introduced as a means for organizing ideas about the role of music in film. The application of CAM-WN to the problem of unattended film music is reviewed, and the notion of subjective silence is examined in the context of spectrographic representation of film music. While empirical research with human participants is also encouraged, the complexity of the enterprise is highlighted by a list of questions to consider in advance. Interdisciplinary collaboration is suggested as a means for overcoming the complexity of film-music behavioral research, though it is not a panacea. The Lund University Film Studies Department offers an important example in this direction.

The Structure of the Executive in Authoritarian and Democratic Regimes: Regime Dimensions Across the Globe, 1900-2014

This research project was supported by Swedish Research Council, PI: Staffan I. Lindberg, V-Dem Institute, University of Gothenburg, Sweden & Jan Teorell, Department of Political Science, Lund University, Sweden; and by by Riksbankens Jubileumsfond, Grant M13-0559:1, PI: Staffan I. Lindberg, V-Dem Institute, University of Gothenburg, Sweden.

Dual strike hints at chaos in the asteroid belt

Sometime between the demise of the dinosaurs and the rise of primates, Earth suffered a one-two punch from two unrelated asteroids. The double whammy could signify chaos in the inner solar system, triggering a cascade of events that perhaps plunged Earth into the recent ice age. The impacts that made the Popigai crater in Siberia and the Chesapeake Bay crater on the US East Coast were two of the largest asteroid strikes since the one that killed the dinosaurs, so big that their dust left thin layers of debris all over the globe. But when Birger Schmitz of Lund University in Sweden examined sediment from a site in central Italy containing debris from both impacts, he found two distinct types of meteoritic grains. Those from the part of the deposit associated with Popigai were rich in iron; those from the part associated with Chesapeake Bay were iron-poor. So the pair can't be explained by a single body breakup--they must be from two separate asteroids.