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Global interest in the field of extended education has increased over the past two decades. Extended education in the context of Swedish school-age educare has a unique position in the school system due to its voluntariness and governance as well as the free time and leisure activities it offers pupils and the lack of set learning outcomes. These features create dilemmas for teachers; thus, this study aims to generate knowledge about the complex and challenging dilemmas of school-age educare teachers in their professional work. The results are derived from a thematic analysis of two sets of data: oral and written reflections from 22 school-age educare teachers. The three themes of the teachers' dilemmas identified concern compulsory school vs. SAEC, offering pupils attractive teaching methods and content, and differing experiences and perspectives among the staff. The dilemmatic spaces that are recognised actualise positions and negotiations in everyday practices in relation to the teachers' professional identities. The findings are expected to be useful as a constructive starting point for policymakers, teacher trainers, and school-age educare teachers to understand this specific educational context and the need for professional development. This study contributes to a further understanding of the multifaceted professional identities of school-age educare teachers.

Research has shown that peer victimization and bullying are common phenomena among pupils in different educational institutions, yet we know little about these issues in the educational context of the leisure-time centre. This study addresses leisure-time teachers' reflections on their work regarding peer victimization in the everyday practice of Swedish leisure-time centres. Methodologically, the study is based on written reflections from about a hundred teachers who have been participating in a continuing professional course. The results indicate that leisure-time teachers hold a quite unique professional position within the school organization due to their opportunities to work with pupils in various contexts during the day and their collaborations with other staff within the school organization. Yet the results also reveal a professional culture and material context where collaborations between different professionals are quite limited. The professional culture does not always support the leisure-time centre teachers' wish to have more opportunities to meet and discuss different issues with other staff members and to create a joint platform for collaboration and understanding about victimized pupils. It is hoped that this study will give professionals and policy makers new insights into how to make the leisure-time centre a safe and secure educational setting.

This study investigated how gender and sports capital are expressed in sports leaders' talk about sports for young people with a refugee background. Empirical data were derived from four focus group interviews representing 21 sports club leaders in Sweden. The leaders defined boys and girls as distinct groups but also as groups within which there are differences. Compared with the boys, the girls were presented with lesser possibilities to participate in sports. According to the leaders, the differences in the group of girls rested on that the sports culture in the girls' country of origin, which may be more or less permissive for girls to be engaged in sports, whereas differences within the group of boys were understood in terms of bodies and mentalities.

In Sweden and other countries, children's everyday lives and educational opportunities depend on their living conditions and class backgrounds. The current study examined the manifestation of issues of social injustice and unequal childhoods in the daily practices of leisure-time centres in Sweden. The empirical data were derived from the written reflections of practitioners enrolled in a continuing education course. The results indicate that leisure-time centres play an important role by compensating for unequal childhoods and other inequalities in the society. The practitioners discussed the importance of the centres' maintaining supplies of clothing and equipment for children who lack these essentials for participation in outdoor activities. This compensation for unequal childhoods was also expressed through the provision of a free snack every afternoon and free meals during excursions.

The aim of this article is to explore and discuss the tension between certain aspects of governance and voluntariness for children in the context of Swedish leisure-time centres meant for younger school children. The data consists of interviews with leisure-time teachers in five settings. The results show that there appears to be a paradox in that not offering children organized activities may be interpreted as childminding while at the same time the leisure-time teachers emphasize the importance of letting the children choose which activities they wish to be involved in. This may be a question of how the leisure-time teachers interpret and understand the concept of leisure and its consequences in everyday practice. In absence of a task to evaluate the learning outcomes of the children, the leisure-time teachers need to find other ways to describe and show the high quality of the activities offered. Working with carrying out quality reports may be such a means.

In times of global tendencies on governance of the public sector, 'quality' has become a keyword, an ideal. In Sweden, all municipalities, school heads and teachers are required to carry out systematic quality work to meet the demand on goal attainment. Working with documentation is a crucial aspect of this process. The Swedish leisure-time centre aimed for younger school children has goals to strive towards but not goals to attain. This study aims to gain knowledge of leisure-time teachers' reflections on their work with documentation. Based on written reflections from 22 groups of leisure-time teachers engaged in a continuing professional development course, the article call for a discussion on meanings of 'quality' and what effect systematic quality work has on views of valued activities, content and professional skills, and on the holistic notion of pupil's learning and development.

This article aims to gain knowledge on how gender and profession are accounted for and expressed in leisure-time teachers' (LtTs) work in Sweden, with a specific focus on the caring aspects of the profession. Our results show that LtTs take up various positions in navigating between aspects connected to managerialism and external auditing as well as trust and internal valuation. We argue that the need exists for an expanded understanding of care in order to recognise and reward various gendered actions and activities in teachers' caring orientation. The article provides knowledge to both researchers and practitioners on gendered nuances of care that by tradition have been connected to women.

With more electric vehicles introduced in society, there is a need for the further implementation of charging infrastructure. Innovation in electromobility may result in new charging and discharging strategies, including concepts such as smart charging and vehicle-to-grid. This article provides an overview of vehicle charging and discharging innovations with a cable connection. A MATLAB/Simulink model is developed to show the difference between an electric vehicle with and without the vehicle-to-grid capabilities for electricity grid prices estimated for Sweden for three different electric vehicle user profiles and four different electric vehicle models. The result includes the state-of-charge values and price estimations for the different vehicles charged with or without a bidirectional power flow to and from the electric grid. The results show that there is a greater difference in state-of-charge values over the day investigated for the electric vehicles with vehicle-to-grid capabilities than for vehicles without vehicle-to-grid capabilities. The results indicate potential economic revenues from using vehicle-to-grid if there is a significant variation in electricity prices during different hours. Therefore, the vehicle owner can potentially receive money from selling electricity to the grid while also supporting the electric grid. The study provides insights into utilizing vehicle-to-grid in society and taking steps towards its implementation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article focuses on how leisure-time teachers (LtT) in Sweden both confirm and resist the array of new demands related to leisure-time centres (LtC). The data consist of interviews with six LtTs. The results are interpreted as representing different parts of the LtT's professionalism and show that the LtTs through their tellings constructs certain children, problems and solutions as a response to the demands in their work, thereby both confirming and resisting an underdog position. By constructing a manageable child they legitimise their professionalism and vice versa: constructing a child they are not capable of handling underlines their work conditions and offers a response to the discussion of insufficient quality, thereby confirming the low status of LtTs.

The article explores how male primary school teachers view and relate to other people's expectations of them as teachers. The empirical data consists of interviews with seven teachers working in compulsory school grades three to five in a large-sized town in Sweden. The theoretical work on relations among masculinities developed by Connell and the theoretical concept of care discussed by Noddings are used in the analysis work. Results show on one hand that the teachers view themselves as privileged due to their minority position and on the other hand feel considerable pressure from others as well as from themselves to perform a certain kind of masculinity. The teachers' descriptions of their everyday practices show that they sometimes gather in homo-social groups and demonstrate a care orientation by trying to constitute the welfare of the pupils.

Background: Patient participation is considered to promote well‐being and is, therefore, central in care contexts. Care‐dependent older persons living at home constitute a vulnerable population with increased ambulance care needs. Care transfers risk challenging participation in care, a challenge that can be accentuated in situations involving acute illness. Aim: To illuminate meanings of older persons' participation in ambulance care in the presence of municipal care personnel from the perspective of ambulance personnel. Method: A phenomenological hermeneutical method was used to analyse transcripts of narrative interviews with 11 ambulance personnel. Results: The ambulance personnel's lived experience of older persons' participation includes passive and active dimensions and involves a balancing act between an exercise of power that impedes participation and equalisation of power that empowers participation. The main theme 'Balancing dignity in relation to manipulating the body' included the themes Providing a safe haven and Complying with bodily expressions, which means shouldering responsibility for existential well‐being and being guided by reactions. The main theme 'Balancing influence in relation to perceived health risks' included the themes Agreeing on a common perspective, Directing decision‐making mandate, and Sharing responsibility for well‐being, which means shouldering responsibility for health focusing on risks. Influence is conditional and includes performance requirements for both the older person and municipal care personnel. Conclusion: Care‐dependent older persons' participation in care from the perspective of ambulance personnel means recognising passive and active dimensions involving human dignity, the ability to influence care, and optimising care efforts through collaboration. This study provides a deepened understanding of the balancing of power involved in ambulance care determining participation, where power is equalised or exercised depending on personal engagement, health risks, and available care options. The knowledge provided holds the potential to improve ambulance care to benefit older persons in critical life situations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Sons (daughters) with criminal fathers have 2.06 (2.66) times higher odds of having a criminal conviction than those with noncriminal fathers. One additional paternal sentence increases sons' (daughters') convictions by 32 (53) percent. Compared to traditional labor market measures, the intergenerational transmission of crime is lower than that for high school completion but higher than that for poverty. At the intensive margin, the intergenerational crime relationship is as strong as those for earnings and years of schooling. Parental human capital and parental behaviors can account for 60-80 percent of the intergenerational crime relationship. Paternal role-modeling also matters. (Contains 7 tables and 44 footnotes.)

The aim of this paper was to investigate the feasibility and impact of dialectical behaviour therapy (DBT) for patients with borderline personality disorder (BPD) in a clinical outpatient setting. Eighteen clinicians were trained and supervised in using DBT. Twenty-seven female patients were assessed on a number of variables before the treatment, as well as 5 and 12 months after the start of the DBT. Despite some barriers, DBT could be implemented successfully, and the professionals reported increased competence 1 year after the start of the therapy. Low treatment dropout rates suggested that DBT was well accepted by the patients. One year after the start of treatment, the patients reported significant decrease on most variables measuring psychological distress and number of parasuicidal behaviours. The study provides preliminary support for the feasibility and impact of DBT in the outpatient treatment of BPD in a cultural setting outside the United States. (Contains 5 tables.)

Some 35 cultivars of Fragaria are preserved in the Swedish National Gene Bank for vegetatively propagated crops, which opened in 2016. The genebank includes a field collection in Alnarp, southern Sweden, and a back-up collection of virus-free plants at the Swedish Elite Plant Station. Here we document how the cultivars, the so-called mandate cultivars, were selected. Swedish origin was the primary criteria used in the selection process. In this category cultivars from historic Swedish breeding programmes are of particular interest. During 80 years, starting in the 1920s and ending in the late 1990s, 16 strawberries including three Fragaria × vescana hybrids were developed by Swedish breeders. Unfortunately, for three of these the accessions in the genebank are uncertain and four have not yet been recovered. The 16 cultivars bred in Sweden are presented with their year of introduction, parentage and short descriptions. Additionally, we also briefly describe local cultivars of strawberries and wild strawberries. Another category of mandate cultivars are foreign cultivars with a growing tradition in Sweden dating back to before 1966. Their age, country of origin, and importance for Swedish cultivation are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aims: Renal dysfunction in patients with heart failure (HF) has traditionally been attributed to declining cardiac output and renal hypoperfusion. However, other central haemodynamic aberrations may contribute to impaired kidney function. This study assessed the relationship between invasive central haemodynamic measurements from right‐heart catheterizations and measured glomerular filtration rate (mGFR) in advanced HF. Methods and results: All patients referred for heart transplantation work‐up in Sweden between 1988 and 2019 were identified through the Scandiatransplant organ‐exchange organization database. Invasive haemodynamic variables and mGFR were retrieved retrospectively. A total of 1001 subjects (49 ± 13 years; 24% female) were eligible for the study. Analysis of covariance adjusted for age, sex, and centre revealed that higher right atrial pressure (RAP) displayed the strongest relationship with impaired GFR [β coefficient −0.59; 95% confidence interval (CI) –0.69 to −0.48; P < 0.001], followed by lower mean arterial pressure (MAP) (β coefficient 0.29; 95% CI 0.14–0.37; P < 0.001), and finally reduced cardiac index (β coefficient 3.51; 95% CI 2.14–4.84; P < 0.003). A combination of high RAP and low MAP was associated with markedly worse mGFR than any other RAP/MAP profile, and high renal perfusion pressure (RPP, MAP minus RAP) was associated with superior renal function irrespective of the degree of cardiac output. Conclusions: In patients with advanced HF, high RAP contributed more to impaired GFR than low MAP. A higher RPP was more closely related to GFR than was high cardiac index. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

People with high emotional intelligence (EI) understand themselves and others well, and perform well at work. Trait EI has been described as "a constellation of emotion-related self-perceptions and dispositions" (Petrides and Furnham 2006), and can be measured by the Trait Emotional Intelligence Questionnaire Short Form (TEIQue-SF). The aims were to validate the Swedish version of TEIQue-SF by (1) investigating its internal consistency; (2) exploring its relationships with "Big Six" and "Dark Triad" personality traits as well as with self-perceived individual work performance; and (3) identifying which personality traits best explain variations in Trait EI, and whether this trait can predict variations in work performance over and above personality traits. Multi-occupational employees in Sweden (N = 228; M = 34 years, SD = 12.6, range 16–71 years, 66% women) with an average work experience of 14 years (SD = 11.5) were surveyed. In line with past research, internal consistency of TEIQue-SF was good, for the global Trait EI scale score (.86), and for one of its subdimensions (Well-Being) (.81). Global trait EI scale score and its subscales correlated negatively with Neuroticism and Machiavellianism, and positively with Extraversion, Agreeableness, Conscientiousness, Openness to Experience, and Narcissism. Sociability and Self-Control had, however, almost zero correlations with Machiavellianism. All subscales of global trait EI scale score correlated positively with Task Performance and Contextual Performance. On separate regression analyses, Big Six traits explained 48%, and Narcissism 14%, of the variation in global trait EI scale score. Trait EI accounted for a significantly larger proportion of the variation in Contextual Performance than any of the Big Six traits, and an additional 6% of the variation in Task Performance when controlling for gender, age, Neuroticism and Conscientiousness. The Swedish version of TEIQue-SF has good reliability as a global trait EI scale, reasonably theoretically and empirically grounded relationships with relevant variables for the workplace, and incremental validity over and above Big Six traits in predicting work performance in younger people with relatively high educational levels. Its reliability on the subscale level and its item functioning need to be further investigated in more heterogeneous samples. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Cardiac sarcoidosis (CS) and giant cell myocarditis (GCM) are rare diseases that share some similarities, but also display different clinical and histopathological features. We aimed to compare the demographics, clinical presentation, and outcome of patients diagnosed with CS or GCM.Method: We compared the clinical data and outcome of all adult patients with CS (n = 71) or GCM (n = 21) diagnosed at our center between 1991 and 2020.Results: The median (interquartile range) follow-up time for patients with CS and GCM was 33.5 [6.5-60.9] and 2.98 [0.6-40.9] months, respectively. In the entire cohort, heart failure (HF) was the most common presenting manifestation (31%), followed by ventricular arrhythmias (25%). At presentation, a left ventricular ejection fraction of < 50% was found in 54% of the CS compared to 86% of the GCM patients (P = 0.014), while corresponding proportions for right ventricular dysfunction were 24% and 52% (P = 0.026), respectively. Advanced HF (NYHA ≥ IIIB) was less common in CS (31%) than in GCM (76%). CS patients displayed significantly lower circulating levels of natriuretic peptides (P < 0.001) and troponins (P = 0.014). Eighteen percent of patients with CS included in the survival analysis reached the composite endpoint of death or heart transplantation (HTx) compared to 68% of patients with GCM (P < 0.001).Conclusion: GCM has a more fulminant clinical course than CS with severe biventricular failure, higher levels of circulating biomarkers and an increased need for HTx. The histopathologic diagnosis remained key determinant even after adjustment for markers of cardiac dysfunction. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aims and objectives: To examine nurses' experiences of working with issues of sexuality in palliative care. Background: Sexuality has value for human lives and relations and is important for one's overall well‐being throughout life. Guidelines for palliative care state that sexuality should be addressed. Previous research shows that the inclusion of sexuality in general health care is deficient, and there is a knowledge gap on how sexuality is addressed in palliative care. Method: Within a qualitative design, the empirical material was obtained through three focus group interviews with eleven registered nurses working in palliative care. The interviews were analysed using qualitative content analysis. Result: Nurses experience that sexuality has an indistinct place in their work, "sexuality" is a word difficult to use, and differing views are held on whether it is relevant to address sexuality, and if so, when? Although they have experiences involving patient and partner sexuality, which is viewed as sexuality in transformation during the palliative care process, nurses seldom explicitly address patient or partner sexuality. Despite the lack of knowledge, routines and organisational support, they acknowledge the importance of addressing sexuality in palliative care, as they express that they want to do right. Conclusion: Overall, nurses appear to follow differing cultural, interpersonal and intrapsychic scripts on sexuality rather than knowledge‐based guidelines. This underlines the importance of managers who safeguard the adherence to existing palliative care guidelines where sexuality is already included. In this work, it is important to be aware of norms to avoid excluding patients and partners that differ from the nurses themselves as well as from societal norms on sexuality. Relevance to clinical practices: The results can be used as a point of departure when implementing existing or new guidelines to include and address sexuality and sexual health needs in palliative care. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: The aim of was to identify and illustrate in what situations and with what qualities people with early RA experience participation in every day's life. Methods: Fifty-nine patients (age 18–63 years) were interviewed; 25 men and 34 women. Content analysis was used to identify meaning units that were sorted based on the type of situations described and later on, categories based on quality aspects of participation were developed. Results: Participation was described as: 1. being part of a group, where a sense of belonging arose. 2. In doing activities with others for example at work or in leisure. 3. When sharing everyday chores and responsibilities for example in domestic duties. 4. When experiencing influence on actions such as when being asked for opinions on how to conduct a specific task. 5. When having the possibility to give direction of goals in rehabilitation, or elsewhere. 6. When sharing decision making and experiencing a high degree of influence in the situation. Conclusions: Participation from an individual's perspective is about belonging and having influence that mediates a positive feeling of being included and that you matter as a person. The results are important when using participation as a goal in clinical care. It is important to expand participation beyond the definitions in ICF and guidelines to include the patients' socio-emotional participation in order to promote health. Facilitation of participation in daily activities is an important part of rehabilitation. Participation is expressed as determined by a person's unique life circumstances often in engagement with others. It is important to expand participation beyond the definitions in ICF and guidelines to include the patients' socio-emotional participation in order to promote health. Collected information about socioemotional participation can serve as a starting point for interventions aimed at the patient's social environment and also provide support for health professions how to involve significant others in the rehabilitation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article reviews the history of plum cultivation and cultivars in Sweden with the aim to describe important heirloom cultivars and to explain how they are conserved in the Swedish National Gene Bank. Commercial plum production in Sweden started around 1890 and was initially in part based on small-fruited local cultivars grown on their own roots. Along with the development of a modern Swedish nursery industry and experimental research the use of grafted trees grew in importance. In the mid-1950s, the yearly plum production in Sweden was estimated to be approximately 2000 tonnes. Since the mid-1980s, production has declined and it is now only about 250 tonnes per year. The work to safeguard heirloom cultivars began with a national inventory in 2005 and since 2012, so-called mandate cultivars have been planted in the Swedish National Gene Bank at Alnarp. Today 45 plum cultivars are preserved with two trees in the gene bank at Alnarp and two trees in local clonal archives. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Citizen science is a term used to describe science where the general public is involved in scientific research. This article reports on a citizen science project carried out in Sweden during the autumn of 2018, where 135 secondary school classes (pupils of age 13–16) participated by collecting mushrooms, soil samples, and animal droppings. In addition, they prepared samples and performed preliminary analyses before submitting their samples and results to Uppsala University (UU) and the Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences (SLU) for further compilation and analysis. This was an interdisciplinary project where the involved departments from UU were Physics and Astronomy together with Earth Sciences. The collaboration was further strengthened with the inclusion of the Department of Forest Mycology and Plant Pathology at SLU. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

There is limited knowledge on the impact of economic resources on adverse peer relations during adolescence. This study used a nationally representative sample ( n = 4725, 51% girls) of Swedish eighth-grade students (approximately age fourteen) to examine associations between economic resources and adverse peer relations in the form of peer rejection and bullying victimization. Adolescents from households in the lowest within-school household income quintile were found to be rejected by school class peers to a greater extent than more advantaged students, but an association was not found between relative household income and bullying victimization. In contrast, adolescents unable to participate in activities with peers for economic reasons experienced more rejection and were at higher risk of victimization. The results underline the multidimensionality of adverse peer relations and advance our knowledge on how economic resources relate to peer relations in youth. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article studies the causal effect of educational attainment on conviction and incarceration using Sweden's compulsory schooling reform as an instrument for years of schooling and a 70% sample from Sweden's Multigenerational Register matched with more than 30 years of administrative crime records. We find a significant negative effect of schooling on male convictions and incarceration; one additional year of schooling decreases the likelihood of conviction by 6.7% and incarceration by 15.5%. Though OLS estimates for females are of a similar magnitude to those for males, we find no evidence of a significant causal effect for women. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To reduce healthcare costs associated with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and vacate hospital beds without compromising patient satisfaction with healthcare, alternatives for hospital treatment have been developed; however, few studies have qualitatively investigated patients’ experiences of these alternatives. This study aimed, first, to explore patients’ experiences of Sweden’s first COPD mobile care programme through semi-structured interviews with twelve patients, and, second, to evaluate if a human rights-based analysis could provide additional information. Data were, first, analysed using latent content analysis, resulting in three themes: security (effective follow-up, positive encounters), availability (convenience), and suggestions for improvement (increased amount of personnel, longer enrolment period, continued follow-up upon discharge from the programme). Security and availability contributed to high acceptability of and satisfaction with the programme; COPD mobile care can, thus, constitute an acceptable alternative to inpatient care for COPD patients. Findings were then further analysed using the AAAQ framework (availability, accessibility, acceptability, and quality) to determine how the COPD mobile care programme corresponds to the Right to health. This human rights-based analysis enabled the uncovering of certain groups being excluded from the programme, thereby generating valuable information for improving the programme by ensuring equal access and care for all COPD patients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper combines backcasting and policy analysis to identify the opportunities for and barriers to the increased use of renewable energy and energy-efficient vehicles in an urban road transport system, namely, that of Stockholm, Sweden, in 2030. The combination of methods could bridge the implementation gap between scenario-based research and actual policy implementation and thus increase the chances of research being implemented in practise. In the case study, backcasting identifies a need for diverse fuels and vehicles and for immediate policy action. However, analysis of policy integration demonstrates that such action is unlikely given current policy structures. The fundamental lack of integration between energy and transport policy obstructs measures to increase the use of renewable fuels and more energy-efficient vehicles, which in turn obstructs the reduction of CO 2 emissions from transport. The combination of backcasting and policy analysis is demonstrated to improve our understanding of the prerequisites for transitioning to a system based on renewable energy, and could thus be useful in further research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the frequency and severity of positioning errors in panoramic radiography in general dentistry. A total of 1904 digital panoramic radiographs, taken by the Public Dental Service in the county of Sörmland, Sweden, were analysed retrospectively. The study population consisted of all patients who underwent a panoramic examination during the year 2011. One experienced oral radiologist evaluated all radiographs for 10 common errors. Of the 1904 radiographs examined, 79 per cent had errors. The number of errors varied between 1-4 errors per image. No errors were found in 404 images (21%). Fifty-five images (3%) had severe errors, which made it impossible to make correct diagnostics. The most common error was the tongue not being in contact with the hard palate during exposure. However, this did not greatly affect the diagnostic usefulness of the image due to the ability to enhance the image.The patient's head was tilted too far upwards in 23 per cent of the images and the patient's head was rotated during exposure in 15 per cent. The least common error was due to patient movement during exposure (1%). Panoramic radiographs taken in general dental clinics in a Swedish county show several errors. Proper positioning of the patient is necessary to achieve panoramic images with good image quality. Some of the errors could be adjusted with the digital technique used.This allowed assessment of the images, which reduces radiation dose by avoiding retakes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

OBJECTIVE: Employment rates are significantly lower among individuals with arthritis compared to a general population. There is, however, limited research about how men with arthritis perceive their ability to maintain working. The aim of this study was thus to explore their perception of this.PARTICIPANTS: Nine employed men with arthritis were purposively sampled.METHODS: Interviews were performed and were informed by the central concepts of the Model of Human Occupation. The Empirical Phenomenological Psychological method was modified and used to analyze and interpret collected data. RESULTS: The findings showed that men with arthritis perceived a desire to work, adjusted their activity pattern, were aware of their own capabilities, had good work conditions, had environmental support and used effective medication to maintain their ability to work. CONCLUSIONS: The findings suggest that health care professionals can help men with arthritis to find strategies and a balance between recreation and work. Ultimately, this knowledge could guide health care professionals to target men needing interventions to prevent sick leave. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: The Baltic Sea is one of the largest estuarine systems on earth. Two narrow straits, Öresund and The Belt Sea, together with a large transition area consisting of Kattegat and Skagerrak hamper interactions with the North Sea. The Baltic Sea water is low in salinity due to the large freshwater input from river runoff to the Baltic Sea but has an excess of inorganic carbon from dissolution of carbonate minerals in the river drainage basins. In this study we use dissolved inorganic carbon data from the Baltic Sea and the Kattegat together with modelled water transport to evaluate the dissolved inorganic carbon exchange between the Baltic Sea and the North Sea during 2006. The total inorganic carbon export from the Baltic Sea in the straits area is 5.5±0.3Tg Cyear− 1, or 0.45±0.03 1012 molyear− 1. These numbers are about 1/3 lower than earlier reported export values and will hence have a corresponding effect on budget computations of the connected seas. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

The purpose of this article is to shed light on informal resistance among home health aides in Sweden. Although they endure stressful working conditions, down-sizing, and management-initiated changes that are in some cases considered irrelevant and even stupid, surprisingly few formal resistance actions are carried out by home health workers in Sweden. This doesn't mean that they (and other workers too) are passive victims of management power, nor does it mean that they are free riders acting only according to their self-interest. Their resistance strategies are characterized by divided loyalties and competing interests rather than conscious and rational choice. The results of this study show that the home health aides do not engage in formal resistance even though they are unionized and have the opportunity of collective action; instead they engage in informal resistance. The main reason for their informal resistance, I argue, is the loyal attitude and loyal way of thinking and acting that is embedded in their professional identity. It holds them back and hinders them from expressing resistance in a loud manner. At the same time, their loyalty can also be considered as a form of resistance when they use it in a selective manner as a way of creating scope for action. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The implementation of information and communication technologies (ICT) is in line with a general transformation of the work of home help services in Sweden. One strong motivation behind the introduction of new technology was to change the ways of working towards greater efficiency in order to reduce costs and at the same time raise the value of care-giving work. This article discusses the introduction of ICT in home help services as a part of the increasing rationalization of care-giving work and its consequences for the workers. The results of an ethnographic study of the introduction of hand-held computers in a working team in home help services in Sweden shows that the motives for the implementation of ICT run counter to the basic norms that are supposed to govern care-giving work. The technology participates in reproducing the subordinate position of care-giving work as well as that of the front-line workers. The workers act according to personal decision-making ability and show a form of limited resistance to the technology while, at the same time, taking part in their own subordination. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of this study was to investigate the incidence of influenza-related encephalitis in Sweden during 11.5 years. Studies from Japan report an increased incidence of influenza-related encephalitis/encephalopathy. Few other studies are available. We conducted a retrospective register-based study on the Swedish National Inpatient Register, which covers all Swedish hospitals. In 1987–1998, a total number of 14,250 hospitalized individuals had an influenza diagnosis (population incidence: 137 per million personyears). In-hospital mortality was 4.1%. Using three different approaches, only 21 cases of influenza-related encephalitis were found, corresponding to a rate of 1.5 per 1,000 hospitalized persons with an influenza diagnosis (population incidence 0.21 per million person-years). We conclude that encephalitis following influenza occurs rarely, or is an infrequently recognized, diagnosed or reported complication. The cases we studied in detail have all recovered without sequels. Copyright © 2009 S. Karger AG, Basel [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Methods. In Sweden, a nationwide retrospective study of the incidence, morbidity, and mortality associated with HSE during the 12-year period 1990-2001 was conducted. The national inpatient register data were used, and diagnostic data from the virus laboratories were validated. Results. In the study period, 638 patients hospitalized in Sweden received a primary diagnosis of HSE. Of these, 236 patients had a confirmed infection of the central nervous system due to herpes simplex virus type 1. This corresponds to an incidence of confirmed HSE due to herpes simplex virus type 1 of 2.2 cases per million population per year. Of the survivors, 87% were readmitted to the hospital. The most frequent diagnosis at readmission was epilepsy, which was found in 49 patients (21% of the 236 total patients; 24% of 203 survivors), with a median onset 9.3 months after the diagnosis of HSE. This corresponds to a 60- to 90-fold increase in risk, compared with that for the general population. Neuropsychiatric sequelae were evident in 45 (22%) of 203 surviving patients. The incidence of venous thromboembolism, including pulmonary embolism, was 5-14 times higher than that in the general population. Among patients with HSE due to herpes simplex virus type 1, the 1-year mortality was 14% (33 of 236 patients died), which was 8 times higher than expected. Conclusions. This is, to our knowledge, the first study to report long-term, nationwide follow-up data for patients with virologically confirmed HSE. There is considerable morbidity after HSE, with epilepsy being the most common diagnosis. This demonstrates the need for expanding our knowledge of the pathogenesis of HSE to direct more effective antiviral and antiinflammatory treatments. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Study objective: Is there any epidemiologically visible influence on the cancer incidence after the Chernobyl fallout in Sweden? Design: A cohort study was focused on the fallout of caesium-137 in relation to cancer incidence 1988-1996. Setting: In northern Sweden, affected by the Chernobyl accident in 1986,450 parishes were categorised by caesium-137 deposition: <3 (reference), 3-29, 30-39, 40-59, 60-79, and 80-120 kiloBecquerel/m². Participants: All people 0-60 years living in these parishes in 1986 to 1987 were identified and enrolled in a cohort of 1 143 182 persons. In the follow up 22 409 incident cancer cases were retrieved in 1988-1996. A further analysis focused on the secular trend. Main results: Taking age and population density as confounding factors, and lung cancer incidence in 1988-1996 and total cancer incidence in 1986-1987 by municipality as proxy confounders for smoking and time trends, respectively, the adjusted relative risks for the deposition categories were 1.00 (reference <3 kiloBecquerel/m²), 1.05, 1.03, 1.08, 1.10, and 1.21. The excess relative risk was 0.11 per 100 kiloBecquerel/m² (95% Cl 0.03 to 0.20). Considering the secular trend, directly age standardised cancer incidence rate differences per 100 000 person years between 1988 to 1996 and the reference period 1986-1987, were 30.3 (indicating a time trend in the reference category), 36.8,42.0,45.8,50.1, and 56.4. No clear excess occurred for leukaemia or thyroid cancer. Conclusions: Unless attributable to chance or remaining uncontrolled confounding, a slight exposure related increase in total cancer incidence has occurred in northern Sweden alter the Chernobyl accident. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The purpose of this paper is to analyse the impact of the deregulation of the Swedish banking industry in the mid-1980s, and the consequent banking crisis, on productive efficiency and productivity growth in the industry. An unbalanced panel of Swedish banks is studied over the period, 1984 to 1995. A total of 1275 observations are analysed for 156 banks that were observed for between two and twelve years. We adopt a translog stochastic frontier model to estimate the labour-use requirements in terms of the variables, loans, deposits, guarantees, number of branches and total inventories, together with the year of observation. The inefficiency effects in the labour-use frontier are modelled in terms of the number of branches, total inventories, the type of bank and year of observation. The technical inefficiencies of labour use of Swedish banks were found to be significant, with mean inefficiencies per year estimated to be between about 8 and 15 per cent over the years of study. However, the confidence interval predictions for these inefficiencies were found to be quite wide. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Examines the effect of genotype and environment on vegetative and reproductive characteristics of lingonberry in Balsgard, Sweden. Effect of the genotype of wild lingonberry accessions on the their ability to spread; Influence on growth; Determination of the total number of shoots and berry set.

This article examines the efficiency of electricity retail distributors in Sweden in a multiple output multiple input framework. Productive efficiency measures are calculated by use of different versions of the non-parametric Data Envelopment Analysis (DEA) method. Comparisons are made between different types of ownership and between different types of service areas. The study indicates a rather low level of technical efficiency, a high level of scale efficiency in urban service areas, but a fairly low level of scale efficiency in rural areas. The results show no significant differences in efficiency between different types of ownership or economic organization. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Considers the estimation of production functions in panel data models in Sweden. Estimates of the parameters of flexible input requirement function; Estimates of technical inefficiency; Analysis of the labor-use efficiency of Swedish local social insurance offices from 1974 to 1984.

In this paper Farrell's measures of productive efficiency have been elaborated and generalised to inhomogeneous production functions. Several new measures of efficiency have been introduced and applied to the Swedish milk processing industry. The development of the industrial structure is studied by the change in the efficiency distributions for the individual plants through time and the aggregate performance of the sector is studied by examining the development of the different measures of structural efficiency. The most remarkable result is the rather large distance between best-practice and average performance measured by different measures of structural efficiency. Moreover, this distance shows an increasing trend during the period. These results are explained by rapid technical progress in combination with an underlying putty-clay technological structure and a slow growth of investment. The distribution of the individual measures of technical efficiency and scale efficiency reveals a large variation in efficiency between the units for all years. Some of these differences in efficiency can be explained by the modernity of equipment and others by differences in management capability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper examines productivity growth in electricity retail distribution in Sweden in a multiple output-multiple input framework. The approach used is nonparametric Data Envelopment Analysis (DEA). Productivity is measured by means of the Malmquist index. Productivity comparisons are made between different types of ownership and between different service areas. The study indicates a high rate of productivity growth, due to economies of density, when measured over a period of 17 years. The results show no significant differences in productivity growth between different types of ownership or economic organization. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Since the vast majority of older adults in Sweden live in their private homes throughout life, the emergency medical services need to adapt accordingly. Hence, we aimed to describe characteristic patterns of dyadic staffed emergency ambulance assignments for older adults aged > 70 years compared with adults aged 18-69 years requiring emergency care at home in Sweden.Methods: A descriptive retrospective study was performed using anonymized registry data from the emergency medical services in a region of Sweden during 2017-2018. One-sample χ2 test, one-way analysis of variance, and binary logistic regression models were used for investigating group differences. Variables for analysis were age, gender, clinical assessments, on-scene time, priority levels, result of response, and temporal patterns.Results: Of all included emergency ambulance assignments (n = 28,533), 59.9% involved older adults, of which 53.8% were women. The probability for older adults to receive the highest priority was decreased for both dispatch (p < 0.001, odds ratio [OR] 0.63, 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.59-0.66), and transport priorities (p < 0.001, OR 0.74, 95% CI 0.68-0.80). Older adults were more likely to receive dispatch priority levels 2 (p < 0.001, OR 1.48, 95% CI 1.40-1.56), and 3 (p < 0.001, OR 1.73, 95% CI 1.46-2.06). The older adults were similarly more likely to receive transport priority level 3 (p < 0.001, OR 1.40, 95% CI 1.28-1.52) compared with adults. Age had a small but additive effect in relation to on-scene time (p < 0.001, R2 = 0.01, F = 53.82). Distinguishing initial clinical assessments for older adults were circulatory, respiratory, trauma, infection, and nonspecific assessments. Emergency ambulance assignments for older adults were more frequently occurring on Mondays (p < 0.001, χ2 = 232.56), and in the 08:00-11:59 interval (p < 0.001, χ2 = 1224.08).Conclusion: The issues of the lower priority level preponderance, and the decreased probability for receiving the highest priority warrant further attention in future research and clinical practice. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Young Swedish people tend to expect higher housing-price increases than old people. • Age effect is seen in recent Swedish survey data but not in corresponding US data. • Results are consistent with personal experiences affecting expectations. Expectations about future housing prices are arguably an important determinant of actual housing prices, and an important input in decisions on whether and how to transact in the housing market. Using micro-level survey data on Swedish households, we analyse households' expectations of housing prices and how these expectations relate to the characteristics of the respondents. Results show that age is found to be significantly related to housing-price expectations, with the youngest households – whose adulthood largely corresponds to the extended period of rapid housing-price growth in Sweden – having the highest housing-price expectations. This is consistent with the hypothesis that expectations are influenced by personal experiences. Our findings suggest that aggregate measures of expectations might hide important features of the data, which could be of interest to policy makers when choosing regulatory actions or formulating macroprudential policies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

BACKGROUND Most trials that have shown a benefit of beta-blocker treatment after myocardial infarction included patients with large myocardial infarctions and were conducted in an era before modern biomarker-based diagnosis of myocardial infarction and treatment with percutaneous coronary intervention, antithrombotic agents, high-intensity statins, and renin-angiotensin-aldosterone system antagonists. METHODS In a parallel-group, open-label trial performed at 45 centers in Sweden, Estonia, and New Zealand, we randomly assigned patients with an acute myocardial infarction who had undergone coronary angiography and had a left ventricular ejection fraction of at least 50% to receive either long-term treatment with a beta-blocker (metoprolol or bisoprolol) or no beta-blocker treatment. The primary end point was a composite of death from any cause or new myocardial infarction. RESULTS From September 2017 through May 2023, a total of 5020 patients were enrolled (95.4% of whom were from Sweden). The median follow-up was 3.5 years (interquartile range, 2.2 to 4.7). A primary end-point event occurred in 199 of 2508 patients (7.9%) in the beta-blocker group and in 208 of 2512 patients (8.3%) in the no-beta-blocker group (hazard ratio, 0.96; 95% confidence interval, 0.79 to 1.16; P=0.64). Beta-blocker treatment did not appear to lead to a lower cumulative incidence of the secondary end points (death from any cause, 3.9% in the beta-blocker group and 4.1% in the no-beta-blocker group; death from cardiovascular causes, 1.5% and 1.3%, respectively; myocardial infarction, 4.5% and 4.7%; hospitalization for atrial fibrillation, 1.1% and 1.4%; and hospitalization for heart failure, 0.8% and 0.9%). With regard to safety end points, hospitalization for bradycardia, second- or third-degree atrioventricular block, hypotension, syncope, or implantation of a pacemaker occurred in 3.4% of the patients in the beta-blocker group and in 3.2% of those in the no-beta-blocker group; hospitalization for asthma or chronic obstructive pulmonary disease in 0.6% and 0.6%, respectively; and hospitalization for stroke in 1.4% and 1.8%. CONCLUSIONS Among patients with acute myocardial infarction who underwent early coronary angiography and had a preserved left ventricular ejection fraction (>50%), long-term beta-blocker treatment did not lead to a lower risk of the composite primary end point of death from any cause or new myocardial infarction than no beta-blocker use. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In Sweden the ground gamma radiation, due to uranium containing granite, contribute to the population's total radiation dose. After the Chemobyl nuclear power plant accident in 1986 as much as five percent of the released caesium-137 was deposited in Sweden, especially in the Northern part of the country. Our hypothesis was that this radiation caused increased cancer incidence, after adjustment by ground gamma radiation exposure.The study base included the population of eight counties with the highest fallout after the Chernobyl accident, but also with unaffected areas in these counties serving as the reference. Each person 0-60 years of age living in the same parish at 31 December 1985 and 31 December 1987 were included in a cohort. With the coordinate of each person's dwelling from the National Land Survey of Sweden a total of 1 137 106 individuals could be given 1) ground gamma radiation exposure from the digital map of the Swedish Geological Agency and 2) caesium-137 exposure from a similar map created by Swedish Radiation Protection Institute. Accuracy of the dwelling coordinate was 100 metres and for the radiation exposures 200 metres as done by aeroplane measurements. Three time periods were analysed 1988-1991, 1992-1995 and 1988-1999.Population density, lung cancer incidence 1988-1999 and total cancer incidence 1986-1987 was risk factors for total cancer outcome in 1988-1999. Age adjusted ERR per 100 nGy/h for ground gamma radiation and total cancer incidence did not show any significant dose response measured, either in each three years time intervals or in the total period of 1988-1999. For caesium the ERR per 100 nGy/h (adjusted by population density, lung cancer incidence, total cancer incidence 1986-1987 and ground gamma radiation) was significant in 1988-1991 followed by a decline in risk 1992-1995 and then a slight but not complete return in risk. The ERR of 0.042 (95% CL 0.001;0.084) per 100 nGy/h for caesium exposure 1988-1999 is therefore dependent on the first three years increase, and to less extent by the following six years.We have found an early effect of the Chernobyl fallout in Northern Sweden. However, even in the ERR of 0.101 per 100 nGy/h is relatively low in 1988-1991, it is stable in a stepwise regression, and therefore indicating a true effect. An interpretation of our results could be that the sudden exposure of ionizing radiation from Chernobyl might have acted as a late stage general promotor for cancer. Such an early effect can hitherto been overlooked in previous studies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Two hundred forty two gooseberry accessions were analysed by 15 SSR markers enabling the identification of 153 unique genotypes. • The genetic diversity of the analysed accessions indicated a slightly negative assortative mating as expected for an outcrossing species. • Cultivars that have been wide spread in cultivation in sweden had a large number of synonymous samples. • The studied genotypes clustered into four posterior groups corresponding to the three a priori anticipated groups: old cultivars, modern cultivars, eastern cultivars, and an additional northern swedish cluster. • Pedigrees for a number of cultivars were confirmed and supported the true-to-typeness of the involved accessions. Additionally three likely parent-parent-offspring relationships were identified. European gooseberry (Ribes uva-crispa L.) is a popular berry crop in many European countries, including Sweden, Denmark and Ukraine. There is no active gooseberry breeding programme in either Sweden or Denmark, but a successful programme is operating in Ukraine. In Sweden and Denmark, research on gooseberries is primarily focused on collection and phenotypic evaluation of genetic resources. As part of these activities, a large number of inventory finds have been collected but have not yet been characterised morphologically or molecularly. The goal of this study was thus to characterise gooseberry germplasm with 15 simple sequence repeat (SSR) markers. From 242 accessions analysed, 153 unique genotypes were identified. Cultivars that have been in widespread cultivation in Sweden, such as the Finnish cultivars 'Hinnonmäen Keltainen' and 'Hinnonmäen Punainen', had relatively large numbers of synonymous samples. While many inventory finds were identifiable as synonyms of known cultivars, several were found to constitute unique genotypes within the germplasm studied. The studied genotypes clustered relatively well in three posterior groups, consisting of cultivars originating before and after the American gooseberry mildew (Sphaerotheca mors-uvae) outbreak around 1900 and cultivars originating from the territory of the former Soviet Union. A fourth genetic cluster consisting mainly of inventory finds from central and northern Sweden was also identified. In addition, it was possible to verify recorded and stipulated parentages for some of the cultivars studied and to identify three likely parent-parent-child trios. Thus, inventories of local gooseberry germplasm and a subsequent genotyping proved successful in finding unique local genotypes, with potential local adaptation. The data obtained provide a foundation for future studies of gooseberry genetic resources, while also illustrating the importance of a well-curated and phenotypically characterised set of reference cultivars for future studies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: We have measured light-ion (p, d, t, 3He and α) production in the interaction of 175 MeV neutrons with iron and bismuth with low-energy thresholds and for a wide angular range (from 20° to 160°, in steps of 20°). Measurements have been performed with the Medley setup, semi-permanently installed at the The Svedberg Laboratory, Uppsala (Sweden), where a quasi-monoenergetic neutron beam is available and well characterized. Medley is a conventional spectrometer system and consists of eight telescopes, each of them composed of two silicon surface barrier detectors, to perform particle identification, and a CsI(Tl) scintillator to fully measure the kinetic energy of the produced light-ions. We report preliminary double-differential cross sections for production of protons, deuterons and tritons in comparison with model calculations using TALYS-1.0 code. These show better agreement for the production of protons, while the theoretical calculations seem to overestimate the experimental production of deuterons and tritons. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Apple cultivars in Swedish local clonal archives were characterized by SSR markers. • Assessment of genetic diversity and identification of suitable sources of bud wood. • Analysis of the Central Collection with the 20k SNP array revealed its present status. • Identification of likely synonymous cultivars and parent-offspring relationships. • Some cultivars suggested as possible sources of genetic variation for future breeding. Cultivated apple is one of the most widely grown fruit crops worldwide. With the introduction of modern apple cultivars, from foreign and national breeding programs, the use of local cultivars decreased during the 20th century. In order to minimize genetic erosion and avoid loss of special genotypes, a number of local clonal archives were established across Sweden, with the goal of retaining old and local cultivars. About 220 apple cultivars, appointed for preservation, obtained the status of mandate cultivars. Initially, they were identified based on pomological traits, but prior to the establishment of the Swedish Central Collection they were genotyped with simple sequence repeat (SSR) markers. SSR markers helped to evaluate the status of the preserved material, as well as to find the best possible true-to-type source for propagation, thus guiding the establishment of the Central Collection. Recently, 215 accessions from this collection were genotyped using the 20 K apple Infinium® single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) array, in order to gain insight into its genetic structure. The initial SSR analysis confirmed the identity of multiple samples with the same cultivar name grown in different locations and identified several mislabeled samples. In the subsequent SNP analysis we identified 30 clonal relationships and a number of parent-offspring relationships, including 18 trios. We also identified five cultivar samples with inconsistent ploidy levels between the SNP and SSR data, in some cases indicating problematic samples preserved in either the Central Collection or some of the local clonal archives. These cultivars need further investigation to ensure their true-to-typeness. Furthermore, the Swedish Central Collection has continued to grow since the onset of this work and now contains additional cultivars, which should be included in future studies. The results indicate that a number of the preserved mandate cultivars holds high potential value for modern breeding programs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Participation in care is considered to promote safe and qualitative care. Care-dependent older persons ageing in place have increased emergency care needs, which initiate inter-organisational collaboration involving municipal home care and ambulance services. Previous research concludes that uncertainties exist regarding what participation in care means in clinical practice, which necessitates the need to illuminate the phenomenon for older persons in critical life situations., Aim: This study aimed to illuminate meanings of participation in prehospital emergency care from the perspective of care-dependent older persons experiencing acute illness at home., Design: This study has a qualitative design with a lifeworld approach., Method: A phenomenological hermeneutical method was used to analyse transcribed telephone interviews with eleven care-dependent persons aged 70-93 years., Results: Care-dependent older persons' participation in prehospital emergency care means 'Entrusting life to professional caregivers' when being in helpless solitude and existentially unsafe, which emphasises a deepened interpersonal dependence. Meanings of participation in care from the perspective of older persons involve Being reassured in togetherness, Being pliant in trust of emergency expertise, Being enabled through the agency of professional caregivers, and Encountering readiness in the emergency care chain., Conclusion: Care-dependent older persons' participation in prehospital emergency care is existential and involves interpersonal dependence. Togetherness brings reassurance, safety and opportunity for emotional rest while accessing the professional caregivers' power, competence and abilities which provide opportunities for existence and movement towards well-being and continued living., Implications for Practice: Prehospital emergency care from the perspective of care-dependent older persons transcends organisational boundaries and includes the municipal mobile safety alarm service. The involved municipal and regional organisations need to provide support by implementing lifeworld-led care models and care alternatives that enable professionals to recognise the existential dimension of participation in care., (© 2023 The Authors. Scandinavian Journal of Caring Sciences published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd on behalf of Nordic College of Caring Science.)

The effect when persons quit smoking was studied in a prospective study of 855 50-year old men randomly selected from the general population of Gothenburg, Sweden. These men have been followed since 1963. For this report, data from the first ten years of follow-up were used. The survivors from this period were divided into three groups: those who had never smoked, those who were smokers at the first examination but not since (ex-smokers), and those who were smokers at all three examinations. Compared to ex-smokers, the smokers had a steeper decrease of bronchial peak flow, more days of sick leave, more complaints and poorer self-assessed life situation score. After adjusting for possible confounding factors and differences in morbidity prevalence between the groups at the start of the study, the smokers still had a more unfavorable health course than the ex-smokers.