Computer simulations can help people gain a better understanding of the situation faced by migrants. This is shown by a new study in which 148 teenagers were assigned random migration pathways, with different start and end points. Along the way, they encountered unforeseen events that affected their journey. Experiences from the game led to a partial shift in attitudes towards migration.
Researchers have identified a previously unknown species of leaf warbler in Japan. Once thought to be a single species, Ijima’s Leaf Warbler, has now been revealed to consist of two: Ijima’s Leaf Warbler and the Tokara Leaf Warbler. It is not their appearance that primarily distinguishes them, but analyses of their DNA and song. The researchers are calling for them to be classified as vulnerable.
Antibiotic treatments can affect the composition of the community of bacteria living in the gut, known as the gut microbiome, for a long time. A new study shows that certain types of antibiotics can be linked to changes in the gut microbiome as long as four to eight years after treatment. The findings have now been published in the scientific journal Nature Medicine.
Researchers have discovered that severe brain tumours in children that appear to be completely different actually arise from the same type of cell. This cell type can give rise to tumours in the pineal gland, the retina and the cerebellum. The discovery that these tumours are related may make it possible to treat them in similar ways.
The climate crisis is not just a physical but also an existential challenge. A new thesis in theology shows how religious faith can complement climate science. While the science often gives rise to climate anxiety, faith offers hope, meaning and motivation for continued action. The study is based on interviews with activists in Sweden and South Africa, from pastors to climate strikers.
People who work at night have a higher risk of coronary artery disease, a type of heart disease. A new study suggests that a higher fibre intake in the diet may help reduce this risk. The study included over 220,000 adults in the UK and is published in the European Journal of Epidemiology.
More cases of colorectal cancer are detected at an early stage with screening. This is according to new research based on data from over 278,000 60-year-olds, who were randomly selected to undergo one of two interventions or no screening at all (usual care). The study, which is a collaboration between Uppsala University and Karolinska Institutet, has been published in Nature Medicine.
In a new study, researchers at Uppsala University have clarified family relationships in four graves from a 5,500-year-old hunter-gatherer culture at Ajvide on Gotland. DNA analyses suggest that the people were well aware of family lineages and that relationships beyond the immediate family played an important role.
Generative AI can help fight misinformation but can also worsen it by creating convincing, hard‑to‑detect manipulations that spread quickly. A new study identifies seven roles AI can play in the information environment and examines their strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and risks.
With extreme weather events, fires and floods growing increasingly common, general warnings are no longer adequate. Researchers at Uppsala University, in collaboration with the World Meteorological Organization and others, now call for change – from mass mailings to personalised warnings that actually persuade people to act.
People affected by traumatic brain injury (TBI) have an increased risk of work disability that can recur even years after the injury, regardless of its severity. This has been shown in a new national registry study from Uppsala University in collaboration with Karolinska Institutet (KI) and is based on close to 100,000 people with a traumatic brain injury.
In two new studies on 28,000 individuals, researchers are able to show that genetic variants in 11 regions of the human genome have a clear influence on which bacteria are in the gut and what they do there. Only two genetic regions were previously known. Some of the new genetic variants can be linked to an increased risk of gluten intolerance, haemorrhoids and cardiovascular diseases.
The number of patients diagnosed with cardiomyopathy has increased substantially over the past two decades. This is the finding of a new study from Uppsala University that mapped all cases of cardiomyopathy in Sweden. Despite identifying this increase, it is still unclear whether this is due to more people developing cardiomyopathy or to healthcare becoming better at diagnosing it.
Individuals with a birth weight of less than one kilogram have an increased risk of cerebral palsy, intellectual disabilities and attention deficit disorders. Nonetheless, they rate their quality of life as high as individuals with normal birth weight. This finding emerges from a new study of 201 adults who were born prematurely and followed from birth to the age of 26–29 in Sweden.
A brisk extra five-minute walk per day could potentially prevent many deaths. This is shown by new research based on data from more than 135,000 middle-aged and older adults. The study, conducted by researchers at the Norwegian School of Sport Sciences in collaboration with Uppsala University and others, has been published in The Lancet.
The novel "The Surgeon’s Stories" by Zacharias Topelius has had a significant influence on the way people in Finland, and in Sweden, have come to understand their history. In the novel, the Lutheran faith has a key role in the depiction of Finland as an emerging nation. Lutheranism provides a model for the organization of society, but also dictates which religious minorities are excluded.
Legal proceedings addressing PFAS emissions are in progress in many municipalities in Sweden. Johanna Chamberlain, legal scholar and researcher in tort law, has analysed the relevant legislation and several ongoing cases. Her research results in proposals for making legal proceedings more efficient and making it more difficult to dismiss cases with reference to the statutory limitation period.
Patients who start their blood pressure treatment with ARB drugs continue with the same medicine to a greater extent than patients who start out with other drugs. Choosing the right drug from the outset can therefore improve both health and quality of life – as well as bringing down healthcare costs. This is shown in a new study based on data from 340,000 patients.
People who have been exposed to both PFAS and PCBs are more likely to be diagnosed with multiple sclerosis (MS). These new research findings are based on analyses of blood samples from more than 1,800 individuals in Sweden, one of the most comprehensive studies to date on the influence of chemical environmental exposure on the development of MS.
People from the Nordic countries are often selected as international mediators in wars and armed conflicts. Martti Ahtisaari, Erik Solheim, Anna Lindh among others. In a new book, peace researchers at Uppsala University describe what makes mediators specifically from the Nordic countries so popular. Where do they come from, why do they take on these missions and what sort of mandate do they have?
