#Umeå University

[horrorhorizon]

Occupy Umeå University Okupera Umeå Universitet

Image ids and translations:

Four pictures showing the front and backs of flyers

1) a Palestinian flag is the background. White text with a black shadow reads "FREE PALESTINE!

OCCUPY UMEÅ UNIVERSITY"!

Bakgrunden är en Palistinisk flagga. Vitt text med svart skugga läser

"BEFRIA PALESTINA!

OCCUPERA UMEÅ UNIVERSITET!"

2) black text on what background reading

"CAMPUS OCCUPATION FOR PALESTINE!

We occupy the campus in solidarity with the Palestinian people. Across the world, campus occupations are spreading like wildfire from the US to Switzerland, Denmark and now Sweden

Unlike during the war in Ukraine, Umeå University has neither raised the Palestinian flag nor made any statement of support for the Palestinian people. Meanwhile, students raising awareness on campus about the genocide have been driven away by security guards.

Because of the student occupations in the US, Biden has had to stop arms shipments to Israel - as the protests have gotten too large to ignore. In Sweden, the Swedish Armed Forces signed a billion-dollar deal with Elbit Systems, which supplies Israel with drones used to kill children in Gaza. We can and we must stop the war machine, both in Sweden and in the world.

The imperialists, politicians, media and universities are on the side of the oppressors. We students and workers are on the side of the Palestinians

One thing is clear: we must take matters into our own hands. Through common struggle we can crush imperialism!

JOIN US at the Campus pond, Umeå University"

White text on a read background on the bottom reads

"WE DEMAND:

That Umeå University speaks out in solidarity with Palestine

That all universities stop their cooperation with Israel

A national student occupation for Palestine part of a general workers' mobilization to stop arms trade with Israel"

Svart text på ett vitt bakgrund läser

"CAMPUSOKUPATION FÖR PALESTINA!

Vi ockuperar campus i solidaritet med palestinier människor. Över hela världen sprider sig campusockupationer som en löpeld från USA till Schweiz, Danmark och nu Sverige

Till skillnad från under kriget i Ukraina har Umeå universitet har inte hissade den palestinska flaggan eller gjort någon deklaration av stöd för det palestinska folket. Samtidigt studenter höja medvetenhet på campus om folkmordet har drivits bort av ordningsvakter.

På grund av studentyrkena i USA har Biden varit tvungen stoppa vapentransporter till Israel – protesterna har blivit för stor att ignorera. I Sverige skrev militären på en miljardaffär med Elbit Systems, som försörjer Israel med drönare som används för att döda barn i Gaza. Vi kan och vi måste stoppa krigsmaskinen, både i Sverige och i världen.

Imperialisterna, politikerna, media och universiteten är på sidan av förtryckarnas sida. Vi studenter och arbetare står vid sidan av av palestinierna

En sak är klar: vi måste ta saken i egna händer. Genom gemensam kamp kan vi krossa imperialismen!

VA MED OSS på Campusdammen, Umeå universitet"

Vitt text på röd background på botten av bladet läser

"VI KRÄVER:

Det Umeå universitet uttalar sig solidariskt med Palestina

Att alla universitet slutar sitt samarbete med Israel

En nationell studentockupation för Palestina del av en allmän arbetarmobilisering för att stoppa vapenhandeln med Israel"

3) En svart vitt bild av en man som viftar Palistinisk flaggan. Flaggan är färgat, men resten av bilden är svart vitt. Mannens rygg är vänt imot oss och stor över en stad. Han har en tröja med keffiyeh designen. Vitt text med svart ram läser

"Lev

Palestina

Bojkotta

Isreal"

På botten, höger sidan av bilden stor det " ETT OCKUPERAT FOLK HAR

RÄTT ATT GÖRA MOTSTÅND"

Under bilden så står det "rku" och " kommunistiska partiet kommunisterna.org"

A black and white image of a man waving the Palestinian flag. The flag is colored, but the rest of the image is black and white. The man's back is turned towards us and large over a city. He has a shirt with the keffiyeh design. White text with black border reads

"Long Live

Palestine

Boycott

Isreal"

On the bottom right of the picture black text reads

"AN OCCUPIED NATION HAS

THE RIGHT TO FIGHT BACK"

Underneath the image is text "rku" and "the communist party kommunisterna.org"

4) Röd text på top av bladet står det

"DEN SJÄLVKLARA RÄTTEN ATT GÖRA MOTSTÅND"

I vänlig text står det

"75 år har gått sedan Israel bildades. 75 år har gått sedan denna stat fördrev 800 000 palestinier och stal deras land. Idag uppgår dessa flyktingar till närmare sex miljoner människor.

Både FN:s resolution 3070 och fjärde Genevekonventionen är tydlig. Alla ockuperade och koloniserade människor har rätt att göra motstånd - även väpnat motstånd.

Denna rätt till motstånd är särskilt viktig i Palestinakonflikten eftersom Israel är en apartheidstat som behandlar den egna palestinska befolkningen som andra klassens medborgare, som ständigt förtrycker, förnedrar, misshandlar, fängslar och dödar palestinier och som håller över två miljoner människor isolerade i världens största utomhusfängelse- Gaza.

Israel struntar i internationell rätt

FN:s resolutioner 194 och 242 slår fast det palestinska folkets rätt till sitt land och att alla palestinska flyktingar har rätt att återvända hem. Israel har konskevent struntat i att följa dessa FN-resolutioner

I stället har de ökat sitt förtryck och sin fördrivning av palestinierna genom dagliga övergrepp och byggande av fler olagliga bosättningar.

Köp inte israeliska varor

Ett sätt att sätta press på staten Israel är att bojkotta israeliska varor. Köp inte israelisk frukt, grönsaker eller andra produkter som börjar med streckkoden, det så kallade EAN-nummeret, 729

Semestra inte i lsrael. Kräv ett stopp för allt ekonomiskt, politiskt, kulturellt och idrottsligt utbyte med Israel till dess att det palestinska folkets rättigheter är uppfylla.

Bojkott är en ickevåldsmetod som kan göra skillnad, något omvärlden visade när apartheid i Sydafrika pressades bort."

Röd text står

"FÖR ETT FRITT OCH DEMOKRATISK PALESTINA

BOJKOTTA ISRAEL"

Svärt text i en grå låda står " Ta kontakt med Kommunistiska Partiet: info@kommumisterna.org"

I en seperat grå låda står det i rött " Läs mer om Paleistina frågan i Proletären!" Och i svart text "Proletären är Sveriges enda revolutionära arbetartidning, som kommer ut varje vecka fullmatad med inrikes- och utrikesnyheter krönikor, kultur och politiska analyser.

Läs mer på proletaren.se och ta en prenumeration!" Till höger av texten är en bild på ett magasin och en QR kod.

Red text at the top of the paper reads "THE OBVIOUS RIGHT TO RESIST" underneath in regular text it says

"75 years have passed since Israel was founded. 75 years have passed since this state displaced 800,000 Palestinians and stole their land. Today, these refugees amount to nearly six million people.

Both UN Resolution 3070 and the Fourth Geneva Convention are clear. All occupied and colonized people have the right to resist - including armed resistance.

This right of resistance is particularly important in the Palestine conflict because Israel is an apartheid state that treats its own Palestinian population as second-class citizens, that constantly oppresses, humiliates, abuses, imprisons and kills Palestinians, and that holds over two million people in isolation in the world's largest outdoor prison- Gaza.

Isreal disregards International rights

UN resolutions 194 and 242 establish the Palestinian people's rights to their land, and that all Palestinian refugees have the right to return home. Israel has consistently ignored these UN resulations.

Instead, they have increased their oppression and displacement of the Palestinians through daily abuse and the creation of more illegal settlements.

Do not buy Isreali items

One way to put pressure on the state of Israel is to boycott Israeli goods. Do not buy Israeli fruit, vegetables or other products that begin with the barcode, the so-called EAN number, 729

Do not vaction in Isreal. Demand an end to all economic, political, cultural, and sport exchange with Isreal until the Palestinian population rights are awarded.

Boycotting is a peaceful act that can make a difference, something the world showed when apartheid in South Africa was pushed away."

Red text reads

"FOR A FREE AND DEMOCRATIC PALESTINE

BOYCOTT ISREAL

Black text in a gray box reads "Contact the Communist Party: info@kommumisterna.org"

In a separate grey box, it says in red "Read more about the Palestinian debate in Proletären!" And in black text "Proletären is Sweden's only revolutionary workers' newspaper, which comes out every week packed with domestic and foreign news, chronicles, culture, and political analyses.

Read more and subscribe at proletaren.se

To the right, in the box, is a magazine cover photo and a QR code

End ids

Note I am not apart of the communist party or have any associations with any of the above (communest parties) mentioned. I am an anarchist associated with bokkafe angbett and återta pride

[dailyresultbd]

Scholarship at Umeå University in Sweden

Scholarship at Umeå University in Sweden

Scholarship at Umeå University in Sweden. Umeå University in Sweden is offering international students the opportunity to study in a two-year postgraduate program under a full or partial scholarship. Bangladeshi students can also apply for this scholarship. Interested applicants will have to apply online by February 15. The University of Umeå is a public university located in Umeå, Sweden. For…

[charlotte-of-wales]

Princess Estelle, Princess Leonore and Prince Julian receive the Royal Palace's Christmas trees from the Forest University Student Union in Umeå | December 18, 2023

[bpod-bpod]

Muscle Differences

Zebrafish model reveals molecular differences between muscle types affected and unaffected in muscular dystrophy – Fhl2b protein has a protective effect with potential for therapies

Read the published research article here

Image from work by Nils Dennhag and colleagues

Department of Medical and Translational Biology, Umeå University, Umeå, Sweden

Image originally published with a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0)

Published in Nature Communications, March 2024

You can also follow BPoD on Instagram, Twitter and Facebook

[garadinervi]

Nancy Holt / Dentro Fuera, MACBA Museu d'Art Contemporani de Barcelona, 2023

Contributions: Karen Di Franco, Elvira Dyangani Ose, Teresa Grandas, Nancy Holt, Lisa Le Feuvre, James Nisbet, Katarina Pierre Design: Lali Almonacid Photographs: Gemma Planell Exhibition: Julio 13, 2023 – January 7, 2024 Curators: Lisa Le Feuvre (Holt/Smithson Foundation), Teresa Grandas (curator of exhibitions at the MACBA), Katarina Pierre (director of the Bildmuseet, Umeå University) Assistant curators: William T. Carson and Natalie Rae Good (Holt/Smithson Foundation), Aída Roger de la Peña, in collaboration with Guim Camps (MACBA) Production: coproduced by MACBA Museu d'Art Contemporani de Barcelona and the Bildmuseet at Umeå University

[materialsscienceandengineering]

Pressure-cooking birch leaves to produce raw material for organic semiconductors

Today, petrochemical compounds and rare metals such as platinum and iridium are used to produce semiconductors for optoelectronics, such as organic LEDs for super-thin TV and mobile phone screens. Physicists at Umeå University in collaboration with researchers in Denmark and China, have discovered a more sustainable alternative. By pressure-cooking birch leaves picked on the Umeå University campus, they have produced a nanosized carbon particle with desired optical properties. "The essence of our research is to harness nearby renewable resources for producing organic semiconductor materials," says Jia Wang, research fellow at the Department of Physics, Umeå University, and one of the authors of the study that has been published in Green Chemistry. Organic semiconductors are important functional materials in optoelectronic applications. One application is organic light-emitting diodes, OLEDs, comprising ultra-thin and bright TV and mobile phone screens. Sharply increasing demand for this advanced technology is driving massive production of organic semiconductor materials.

Read more.

[darkmaga-retard]

Sasha Latypova

Aug 23, 2024

I would like to bring your attention to this paper, newly published in peer review. I know the authors, and their work is top notch. This study is the continuation of the work by Vibeke Manniche and Max Schmeling on batch variability data:

mRNA, Gene Therapies and Biomanufacturing FraudDanish lot-to-lot variability data published as a letter in European Journal of Clinical Investigations

Sasha Latypova

April 13, 2023

Link to the published letter in European Journal of Clinical Investigations

Read full story

The new paper looks at the same data in Sweden and makes comparison to the Danish data.

“Reports of Batch-Dependent Suspected Adverse Events of the BNT162b2 mRNA COVID-19 Vaccine: Comparison of Results from Denmark and Sweden”.

Authors:

Vibeke Manniche, Max Schmeling, Jonathan D. Gilthorpe, Peter Riis Hansen

Authors’ affiliations:

LIVA, Rosenvængets Allé 6A, DK-2100 Copenhagen, Denmark

Innometric, Bavnehøjvej 5, Hellum, DK-9520 Skørping, Denmark

Department of Medical and Translational Biology, Umeå University, 901 87 Umeå, Sweden

Department of Cardiology, Copenhagen University Hospital—Herlev and Gentofte, Gentofte Hospitalsvej 1, DK-2900 Hellerup, Denmark

Department of Clinical Medicine, Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Blegdamsvej 3B, DK-2200 Copenhagen, Denmark

Citation:

Medicina 2024, 60(8), 1343; https://doi.org/10.3390/medicina60081343

[duchessofvastergotland]

16th December 2022 // The Crown Princess couple received this year's Christmas trees at the Royal Palace. This year's fir trees were provided by the Forestry University's student union in Umeå. Since the 1960s, students from the Swedish University of Agriculture (SLU) have been handing over a number of Christmas trees to the Royal Palace, with different members of the family taking on responsibility for receiving the trees each year

[umichenginabroad]

Stockholm Week 4: From Northern Lights to Polar Plunging

Core Course Week is the official name of this week. I have been waiting for this week because it was my first trip outside of Stockholm. During the core course week, you travel to another city in Sweden or even another country for three days with classmates and course advisers in your core course. It is a packed schedule full of both academic and cultural activities! 

My Engineering Sustainable Environment in Scandinavia course traveled to Umeå in the second half of the week from Wednesday night to Saturday. This post is focused on my time in Umeå! 

Before the actual trip, we got a sneak peek of what our academic tours would look like. On Monday, we had an academic visit to Norrenergi's district heating plant in Solna. Looking at the reactors and walking around the plant was very different from reading about the process. 

The building was full of rooms that surprised me, just like this (this is wastewater collected in the city). Although it was wastewater, it didn’t smell too bad! 

2/7 Wed: Night Train to Umeå

On Wednesday, I packed everything in a carry-on and left for the Central Station at 10 pm. 

Taking a night train was on my bucket list. BUCKET LIST! I have been and will be saying this many more times but I am not lying. I’m a month into my studying abroad semester and already checking off several activities on my bucket list! 

The train station gave off a Hogwarts vibe and the inside of the train made me think that I was a cast member in the Murder on the Orient Express movie. Two/three of us were each given a triple room to stay the night. 

POV from my bed 

Although we had to wake up at 7 in the morning, we were too excited to sleep. We talked, took a bunch of photos, and played card games before finally going to bed. 

I took the victory in the second round of BS ٩( ᐛ )و

I fell asleep soon, looking forward to what will happen tomorrow. 

2/8 Thu: Academic Plant Visits

When we woke up to get ready, the water didn’t come out. It was an experience to wash my face and brush my teeth with a water bottle. 

The first thing we did after getting off the train was eating breakfast at Umeå University. It was followed by a series of academic sessions on sustainability and food, as well as coffee substitution and sustainability. 

It was such an aesthetic building!

Later in the day, we went on another academic visit to Umeå Energi Heating Plant. The most interesting fact I learned was that plants openly communicate and collaborate without competition because they are in different municipalities. Since they do not have to compete in any way, workers genuinely consult each other and happily share insights on ways to improve their facility and process. It naturally made me think about what makes this possible and how this positive environment can be replicated in the U.S. 

We were also given a chance to see the waste bunker and incinerator. 

Doesn’t this remind you of Toy Story?

After the two-hour trip, we had a group dinner. The good thing was that it was in a boat.

Boat restaurant! It didn't move though

The bad thing was that it took three hours. THREE hours for dinner! But the long wait let us bond over our various conversations. Besides, the long wait was THE reason why we were able to catch this view of the sky.   

There were disputes about what this light is, but I am just going to let myself believe that it was the northern lights with a hint of clouds

Our attempt in capturing the "Northern Lights"

We were returning to our hotel when we saw the ice castle with slides. Are we college students if we don’t go sledding at night?  

As educated students, we made a single file line to take turns going down the slides 

The vicinity was full of our laughter and I absolutely loved it. I made another core memory that day :) 

2/9 Fri: - Horse Carriage for Northern Lights 

I started the day with a breakfast buffet provided by the hotel. Due to the last-minute cancellation of the academic visit at city hall, we finished our breakfast leisurely and had about two hours to wander around the neighborhood. The frozen lake was our destination. 

The combination of warm sunlight and flakey snow brought me so much joy. At that moment, I understood why people need to live next to nature. I never knew all I wanted was just to lie down, buried in snow, feeling the warmth of the sunlight. 

Couldn’t be happier

This was a church next to the lake

Group lunch and the last academic visit at the Vakin Waste Water Treatment plant were next up. 

I was holding on to my phone for my dear life because all the floors and stairs had holes in them - I also held on to the rails for my dear life

However, the real fun was waiting for us in the evening. 

Finally, it was time for the Northern Lights hunt on a horse carriage. I bundled up, layer after layer, to prepare for the freezing weather in the forest (my two thermal socks were not enough to prevent my toes from freezing). 

Photo credit to Tia <3  My phone was not good enough to capture the faint light in the pitch-black darkness ;-;

It was still an extraordinary experience even though we didn’t see the northern lights. Fika around the fireplace in the middle of the woods was such a special moment. 

The guide couple's dog made it 1000000 times better. She was SO pretty &lt;3

Afterward, we grabbed a full meal at MAX for dinner. Then we all met in one of our hotel rooms and played games before going out to a pub close by. The nightlife gave us the full experience at Umeå. 

2/10 Sat: Polar Plunging and Sauna

The last day of the Umeå trip began with a polar plunge and a sauna. The plunge itself wasn’t bad at all; the worst part of the event was walking on ice bare feet. 

Cold, cold ice (literally) water

The wooden sauna took two hours to reach 40 degrees Celsius, which was just enough to thaw our numb tuckles (credit to you know who). 

After the plunge and sauna, I oddly felt warmth inside my body. Before trying it out myself, I doubted the locals when they said the plunge is good for your body and makes you warm all day. In a sense, it was a true cultural experience because I suddenly understood Swedish culture. Freedom to roam, the concept of Lagom (not too much, not too little: just the right amount), and people being reserved for the most part began to make more sense in my mind. 

The sun came out as we walked back to the bus destined for our hotel

The short but memorable trip to Umeå ended with a 6-hour train ride back to Stockholm. Even the train ride back felt shorter than what it was. I think it was because I wanted it to last longer. 

The train ride back with a beautiful sunset ended the trip on a perfect note. 

2/11 Sun: Cafe Hops  

As much as I wish this semester was just a casual life abroad, it is called study abroad for a reason. It was time to do my work!

Like a typical college student, I started my work on Sunday. But I’m a student studying abroad, so I met up with my friends to eat brunch and do homework together at cute cafes. 

This blog is the last task for me today. It marks the end of my long week. I hope you had a great week as I did! 

I’ll see you again next week with new events :) 

Hey då, 

Jiwoo Kim 

Chemical Engineering

DIS Study Abroad in Stockholm, Sweden

[allsensory]

Exciting news!

[horrorhorizon]

Umeå University is occupied for Palestine now!

Umeå universitet är ockuperat för Palestina nu!

I will make a full and dedetailed post tomorrow about this. For now I DESPERATELY need to rest.

Jag gör en hel upplägg med mera detailer imorgon. För nu är jag i STOR behöv at villa.

I will be there tomorrow afternoon if you want to meet up, look for the wheelchair that's me :)

Jag kommer att vara där imorgon äftermidag om ni vill mötas. Kolla för rullstolen, det är mig :)

[alexbkrieger13]

Very interesting https://www.dn.se/sport/sa-ska-framtidens-landslag-inte-bli-fransprunget-behover-byta-ut-lite-av-traningen/

This is not how the national team of the future should be formed: "Need to replace a bit of the training

Women's football of the future is expected to go faster and faster.

Now the Swedish Football Association is taking measures not to lose ground.

An ongoing study shows that young players may need to add more high-speed training to their everyday routine.

- It's about being able to keep up with developments internationally, so you don't stagnate, says researcher Helena Andersson.

Helena Andersson knows what she is talking about.

During ten years as an employee of the Swedish Football Association, she saw women's football develop at breakneck speed. When she left a post this year as the physio responsible for the women's national team for the university world, it was with a series of international championships on the merit list.

On Maundy Thursday, the Swedish Football Association presents a first partial summary of a project that has been ongoing since 2019.

Andersson, today a university lecturer at the Department of Community Medicine and Rehabilitation at Umeå University (majoring in sports medicine), together with the former national team player Sara Thunebro (operationally responsible from the confederation's side) has mapped the physical load of young female soccer players. Both in training and in matches.

It is about Swedish girls' national team players aged 15–18. In 2019–2021, data from 61 players has been collected using so-called GPS devices. Figures that have since been analyzed include how far the players ran (total distance), distance at high speed (here defined as over 15 kilometers per hour), acceleration and braking.

- Our conclusion is that we probably have to add more high-speed training, says Helena Andersson.

The total distance was, for obvious reasons, longer during a week's combined training than during the same week's match. But the players ran longer at high speed in a match than in a whole week of training.

None of the players in the study belong to the women's league but live in lower divisions.

- But the idea is that we (Swedish football) want to be able to keep up with the international pace, that we should be able to play international matches, says Andersson.

- We know that internationally it is important to cope with this high speed. Purely physical. That's why we wanted to do a survey.

She continues:

- Then it's also a bit about an injury perspective. If you get a handle on the load, you can work proactively to minimize the risk of damage.

A report from the international football association Fifa shows that the percentage of high-speed running has increased for every World Cup since 2011.

In the 2019 World Cup, where Sweden took bronze, England and the USA cleared the most meters at high speed of the four semi-final teams.

- Then you have to add that it doesn't mean that technically or tactically you are the best team, but now we are talking about the physical aspect, that you have to be strong, says Andersson.

The fact that the numbers for the girls' national team players look like they do in the ongoing study can have many reasons, Andersson believes. However, the high percentage of starts and stops in the GPS data from training testifies to a lot of so-called small team play.

- In the past, it has been said from the physical training side that small team games provide very good training, which is still true. But you would have to replace some of this training with exercises that challenge the high speed.

- But sometimes you can have too small a plan and some have very thin squads, and then you also don't have the opportunity to play bigger.

Do you mean that they don't have access to the whole field or that small team games are practiced by tradition?

- It is a combination, I would say. When we brought this up at a joint conference, someone said that "in our area, in the big city, we only have a half court for girls 15". Then you have to find other ways to get up to speed.

The young players who have been part of the project have already received tips to be able to take responsibility for their own training, for example adding certain exercises.

- It's about getting used to playing at this high speed, simply preparing the body. But you have to gradually increase, not just bang on, says Andersson.

When established men's clubs have invested heavily in their women's teams in Europe in recent years, the conditions for physical training have changed, she continues.

Suddenly, women's players have access to expertise in a completely different way.

Has Sweden fallen behind?

- No, I would not like to say that we have fallen behind, but perhaps rather that we are trying to be proactive, so that we do not begin to fall behind.

Are the numbers you came up with alarming?

- No I do not think so. There is really nothing to compare it to in this age category. But we know from the Fifa report that the percentage of high speed is very important.

If you turn it around, what are the risks of not rescheduling the training?

- The risk is then that the difference in load between training and match becomes greater and greater. And then you are not really physically prepared for match load.

[charlotte-of-wales]

Queen Silvia and all her grandchildren receive the Royal Palace's Christmas trees from the Forest University Student Union in Umeå | December 18, 2023

[bpod-bpod]

Reining-in Flaviviruses

Flaviviruses have existed for thousands of years and still hit the headlines, most recently with Zika virus. They can fatally infect the human brain. Your body defends against them by making the protein interferon type I (IFN-I). How IFN-I affects the ability of flaviviruses to infect different cells (tropism), which determines the infection's spread, isn't clear. Researchers investigate by infecting the brains of normal mice and mice genetically altered so they're unresponsive to IFN-I, with the flavivirus, Langat virus. Combining optical projection tomography (OPT) with MRI revealed virus distribution in the brain (pictured). In normal mice (two views left), the virus only infected grey matter in sensory brain areas. In mutants (right), it spread further, infecting white matter. The team revealed the spread into white matter-targeted cells called microglia. Normal mice brains had more IFN-I activity, which protected microglia, uncovering IFN-I's role in viral tropism.

Written by Lux Fatimathas

Image from work by Nunya Chotiwan, Ebba Rosendal and Stefanie M. A. Willekens, and colleagues

Department of Clinical Microbiology, Umeå University, Umeå, Sweden

Image originally published with a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0)

Published in Nature Communications, April 2023

You can also follow BPoD on Instagram, Twitter and Facebook

[materialsscienceandengineering]

Improved processing model can reduce limestone in cement production

The cement industry has long been a central part of infrastructure and development, but its impact on the environment remains a challenge. "The quarrying of limestone, as in cement production, affects both natural resources and groundwater. It is also very dependent on new mining permits," says Erik Viggh, doctoral student at the Industrial Doctoral School and the Department of Applied Physics and Electronics at Umeå University. In order to find raw materials for cement to reduce the need for natural limestone, metallurgical slag, a by-product from the steel industry, has been investigated. Slag has been shown to be a suitable substitute, providing a significant reduction in carbon dioxide emissions from the cement process. However, it is unclear as to how the quality of the cement is affected. Through his research, Erik Viggh has developed a chemical model that can be used by the cement industry to evaluate how changes in the process and use of raw materials affect cement quality. This makes it easier to steer production towards a lower climate impact.

Read more.

[drcare4u]

Antibiotic usage can damage the protective mucus layer in the gut

Researchers at Umeå University and Tartu University have found that a history of repeated antibiotic use causes defects in the normally protective mucus barrier of the gut, due to antibiotic-driven alterations in the microbiota. In a further study, the researchers found a bacteria-independent mechanism through which antibiotics can damage the mucus barrier directly. The results have been…