NEW STUDY. The air quality in Swedish cities has improved continuously over the last twenty years, according to a research collaboration based at the University of Gothenburg. Several thousand deaths may have been prevented every year, thanks to better air quality. However, many people are still exposed to air pollution that exceeds the World Health Organization’s recommendations. In the study, the researchers present a high-resolution data model of how air…
Method measures heat flow in individual red blood cells
NEW STUDY. The ability to measure heat flow at the nanoscaleopens a new chapter in cell biology. The method represents a breakthrough for research on metabolism in cells and is the result of a European research collaboration involving the University of Gothenburg. The method, published by the journal Science, measures the production of what is called entropy in individual red blood cells. Entropy is a concept from physics, where it…
Companies sell medical tests with feminist rhetoric
ANALYSIS. Being able to give birth and predict breast cancer. These are areas where tests and treatments, often lacking scientific support, are marketed using feminist rhetoric. University of Gothenburg is contributing to a critical analysis of this marketing. Minna Johansson, a specialist physician in general medicine and researcher at the University of Gothenburg, is one of the authors behind the scientific analysis published in The BMJ journal. The publication also…
Dissatisfaction with postnatal care during the pandemic
NEW STUDY. “An absurd decision”, “a scandal”, and “I meant nothing”. These are some harsh words when describing the ban on partners in postnatal wards during the pandemic, from a partner perspective. A study from the University of Gothenburg reveals a picture of how the exclusion was perceived. In many parts of the country, the COVID-19 pandemic meant that partners of new mothers were not allowed in the postnatal clinic.…
Disrupted cellular function behind type 2 diabetes in obesity
NEW STUDY. Disrupted function of “cleaning cells” in the body may help to explain why some people with obesity develop type 2 diabetes, while others do not. A study from the University of Gothenburg describes this newly discovered mechanism. It is well known that obesity increases the risk of insulin resistance and type 2 diabetes. It is also well known that some people who gain weight suffer from the disease…