Articles of the year awarded at HURS 2018

When technology exists but humans hesitate

Electric trucks are the future, don’t you agree? And yet there are so few of them on our roads and in our cities, while goods transports keep increasing. LiU’s researchers are trying to find out why.

Climate change affects greenhouse gas emissions from stream networks

Natural greenhouse gas emissions from streams and lakes are strongly linked to water discharge and temperature. This knowledge is necessary to assess how man-made climate change is altering greenhouse emissions from natural landscapes.

Portrait of a woman standing by a window looking into the camera.

The new Tage Danielsson professor is a researcher, poet and artist

She is a cultural theorist with an interest in philosophy, politics, media theory and art. In addition to this, she is also a writer and an artist. Keti Chukhrov is the new holder of Linköping University’s Tage Danielsson visiting professorship.

Woman standing on a ladder by a bookshelf reading a book.

Among noble ladies, literature and politics

What did ladies of the nobility read, and how did they read? Were they active readers who discussed books, and did literature enter their salons to become part of political discussions? Johanna Vernqvist, PhD in literature, takes an interest in this.

The sun and a thermometer showing high temperatures.

Risky climate measures studied in new research project

The climate crisis has led some experts to argue that more risky measures now have to be investigated. But how do the scientists involved reason when it comes to uncertainty? This is the subject of a new research project at Linköping University.

“A small step for research but a giant leap for utility”

Artificial intelligence is on many people’s lips thanks to Chat GPT. But is the new technology a threat or an opportunity? Or is it both? AI researcher Fredrik Heintz sees great opportunities but also challenges.

AI-generated image of robots in a classroom.

The AI-shortcut requires re-thinking of examination

Changes are ahead when it comes to testing students’ knowledge. The arrival of Chat GPT challenges both the university’s teachers and its disciplinary board.

Estrogen possible risk factor in disturbed heart rhythm

The sex hormone estrogen has a negative impact on heartbeat regulation, according to an experimental study from LiU. Estrogen impact seems to interact with hereditary changes causing a heart disease disturbing the heart’s rhythm.

A person points at something in the forest.

The forest – an eye-opener on sustainability for students

The interest in biological resources and sustainability is increasing on the programme in Industrial Engineering and Management. In one course, the students work for a fictitious company that wants to invest in more sustainable forestry.

Person in starting blocks on running track.

Fewer sports injuries with digital information

The number of injuries in youth athletics is significantly reduced when coaches and parents have access to digital information on adolescent growth. It also takes twice as long for the first injury to occur.

Magnifying glass magnifying the word corruption.

The extent of corruption in Sweden may be underestimated

There is a risk that individuals may benefit from having relatives in important posts in the public sector. This is shown in a doctoral thesis at Linköping University that investigates corruption in a mature democracy. The conclusion is that nepotism

Blood sampling in clinical setting from finger.

C-reactive protein reduces immune response in inflammatory disease

The biological function of the C-reactive protein, CRP, has long been unknown. Researchers now show that this protein has a beneficial function in SLE, an inflammatory disease. But this is true only for one of CRP’s two forms, according to the study.

Viveka Adelswärd donates millions for doctoral students

Viveka Adelswärd’s SEK four million donation to Linköping University is inspired by her own experiences as a doctoral student. Her aim is to recreate, on a small scale, the environment and atmosphere she was part of.

Students showing happiness after winning competition.

LiUstudents to compete in Brazil

Imagine spending a week in Brazil. Sun, beaches – and a global truck manufacturer wanting you to solve a logistics and sustainability-related problem. This is roughly what the spring semester will look like for two LiU students.

Post-COVID syndrome visible in DNA

A reprogramming of which genes are active, and which are not, is visible in post-COVID sufferers. In a study on a small group of individuals, genes associated with taste and smell, as well as cell metabolism, were affected.

Translucent droplet on an electronic circiut.

Electrodes grown in the brain

The boundaries between biology and technology are becoming blurred. Researchers at Linköping, Lund, and Gothenburg universities in Sweden have successfully grown electrodes in living tissue using the body’s molecules as triggers.

Gunnar Cedersund in front of image illustrating the model of different organs.

Digital twins to be tested in health care environments – LiU leads the EU project

Digital twins will now be tested in real health care environments, in an EU-financed project. The idea is that having a digital copy will make you follow advice from the health care better.

New research project for safe sport environments

How widespread are the problems of harassment, abuse and the culture of silence in Swedish sports? The answer is that nobody knows. A new research project at LiU aims to find out and come up with concrete measures to counter these problems.

Mattias Ekstedt, Nils Dahlström, Peter Lundberg, Bengt Norén and Patrik Nasr.

Adverse muscle composition linked to risk in fatty liver disease

Obesity and a sedentary lifestyle contribute to an increasing number of people developing fatty liver disease. According to a new study, poor muscle health may be a marker of risk for developing sequelae.

Magnus Berggren is awarded a medal by Norrköping Municipality

Norrköping Municipality’s honorary medal Honoris Causa, the St. Olof’s medal, has been awarded to professor Magnus Berggren. He is hoping for continued success at LiU but can also see clouds on the horizon.

A spirometer is used to measure the respiratory functions of the dolphins. It gives the researchers at Kolmården data used to diagnose health issues and how the lungs perform in a dive. - If we understand their physiological capacity, we can understand better how climate changes will affect their capability to find food, says Andreas Fahlman.

Kolmården hosts students in Zoo biology course

The International Master's Programme in Applied Ethology and Animal Biology was welcomed by Kolmården in the course Zoo biology. Students spent four weeks with the researchers to learn how research on zoo-animals is performed and why.

Man in office with hand behind his head.

Extreme earners are not extremely smart

People with higher incomes also score higher on IQ-tests – up to a point. At high incomes the relationship plateaus and the top 1% score even slightly lower on the test than those whose incomes rank right below them, shows a new study from LiU.

Two men wearing white lab coats in a lab.

AI helps researchers understand the machinery of cells

Breaking the code to understand why a protein takes on a specific shape has long been one of the major challenges in biology. A couple of years ago AI led to a breakthrough in this field. Björn Wallner’s research unites AI and bioinformatics.

Deforestation in the shape of a human fingerprint

SEK 39 million for graduate school on just climate transition

The Just Transitions graduate school, which focuses on management and organisation for a just climate transition, has been granted SEK 39 millions over five years by Formas, the government research council for sustainable development.