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News

• 2024-05-31

  Continued funding for collaboration project with a focus on digital health innovations in Värmland

  In the interdisciplinary research project DHINO, Digital Health Innovation, Karlstad University and Region Värmland are working together to develop new knowledge that will promote increased digitalisation of the healthcare services in Värmland. The project is now entering the second phase where focus will be on economic, social and environmental sustainability for innovation processes.

  – Through demand-driven research conducted in collaboration with both public and private actors, the project aims to increase the innovation capacity of the public sector and enable small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) to develop and test new digital health services that meet the needs of the public sector, says project leader Erik Wästlund, professor of psychology at the Service Research Center (CTF), Karlstad University. 

• 2024-05-30

  Sustainable and efficient pellets production

  There is a great interest in sustainable energy production and pellets provide an energy source that is both efficient and renewable. A recently published thesis looks at how pellets can be produced more efficiently through different sawdust mixtures and storage times.

  – In my research, I have looked at how sawdust from different parts of the tree affects the final product and the role of the drying process, says Workson Siwale, who recently completed his PhD in environmental and energy systems. The goal is to produce pellets with more consistent quality, avoid storage losses and at the same time increase knowledge of how different sawdust mixtures affect the end product. 

• 2024-05-29

  Walks and exercise increase quality of life for older people

  During the COVID-19 pandemic, many older people isolated themselves at home, and research shows that isolation and enforced social distancing can increase feelings of depression and loneliness, while physical exercise can enhance the quality of life and bring several health benefits. In the research project “Livskvalitet och fysisk aktivitet för äldre” (Quality of life and physical activity for older people), doctoral student Anna Nilstomt has studied how to engage older people in physical activities.

  Since COVID-19, the ways of social interaction have changed. More activities are offered on site and/or online. Physical activity is one example of this. Although many people are aware of the benefits of exercise, many of us have a sedentary lifestyle, especially older people. Many older people also tend to drop out of fitness programmes or refrain from doing regular exercise.

  – A greater understanding of what motivates older people to exercise or what causes them to stop exercising can improve the development of fitness programmes for older people, says Anna Nilstomt.

• 2024-05-27

  Student at Elite Sports University won gold medal in weightlifting at the European Junior Championships

  Axel Isberg, 19 years old, a student at the Elite Sports University, Karlstad University, recently became the European champion in equipped powerlifting at the Junior European Championships in Luxembourg. This marks the third time he has achieved this feat, having also won gold medals at the European Championships in 2022 and 2021.

  In total, he lifted nearly a ton and set junior records in three events. Congratulations!

  "Thank you, it was fun; it’s just as enjoyable every time. I lifted 390 kg in squat, 220 kg in bench press, and 325 kg in deadlift. In equipped powerlifting, we use a squat suit that supports the body and tightly wraps the knees for additional support. It provides more assistance than classic powerlifting, where I lift 330 kg in squat."

• 2024-05-24

  Hello there, Fanny Andersson, student at the Music Teacher Programme...

  You and an ensemble from Musikhögskolan Ingesund traditionally played during the Polar Music Prize earlier this week.

  Where and when did you play in connection to the award ceremony?

  “We played at the beginning of the red carpet outside the Grand Hotel as all the guests arrived, from 4:00 PM and for a good hour until the royal family arrived. 

  How did it feel to play for all of Sweden’s music elite, as well as for the award winners and other musicians who flew in?

• 2024-05-24

  Cybersecurity researcher have developed new protection against AI analysis

  Researcher Tobias Pulls from the Department of Computer Science at Karlstad University, together with the Gothenburg-based company Mullvad VPN, has developed a new protection named DAITA ("Defense against AI-guided Traffic Analysis").

  The protection against the rapid AI development in traffic analysis is available in Mullvad's VPN app on various platforms throughout the year, which has over a million downloads worldwide.