Background: Children as relatives of a family member admitted to an intensive care unit may be affected in several ways in their everyday lives, both physically and emotionally. Children have a legal right to receive information, support, and attention from the healthcare system. Therefore, it is important to highlight how children’s situation as relatives can be understood and acknowledged within intensive care. Aim: The aim was to describe children as relatives of patients receiving care in an adult intensive care unit. Method: A systematic literature study with a qualitative method and an inductive approach, based on seven scientific articles. The data were analyzed according to the reflexive thematic analysis described by Braun and Clarke. Results: Children who are relatives of a family member receiving care in an intensive care unit develop an awareness of the situation, which evokes various emotions. Children describe a desire to be involved and present with their loved one. Three themes were identified: A changed everyday life, which describes how children’s daily lives are affected and characterized by uncertainty and a longing for normality; Understanding influences children’s emotions, where awareness of the situation evokes feelings such as fear, powerlessness, and relief; and The importance of being present, which highlights children’s need for presence, involvement, and individually adapted information. Conclusion: The results show that children who are relatives of a family member in an intensive care unit are emotionally affected and have a need to be included in the situation. By acknowledging children from the perspective of their lifeworld and paying attention to their needs, healthcare professionals can contribute to increased security and understanding for the children, which in turn can promote children’s health and well-being.

Background: Nursing care is the core area of competence for nurse anesthetists, withresponsibility for planning, implementing, and evaluating care processes based on thepatient’s individual conditions. Anesthesia is a drug-induced, reversible state involvingaltered sensation and consciousness, enabling surgical and other painful procedures.Nurse anesthetists’ care is grounded in six core competencies, including person-centeredcare, to meet each patient’s individual needs. Patients are particularly vulnerable in theperioperative care environment and during anesthesia, which may increase suffering. Thetheoretical framework Person-Centered Nursing Framework consists of fiveinterconnected domains that together describe the prerequisites and implementation ofperson-centered care in all contexts, including the perioperative setting. The domains careenvironment and care processes were selected to examine whether person-centered carein this context can reduce unnecessary patient suffering.

Aim: To compile nurse anesthetists’ experiences of nursing care based on the Person-Centered Nursing Framework in a perioperative context.

Method: A systematic literature review with thematic synthesis was conducted accordingto Thomas and Harden.

Results: The findings are presented through two main themes and four subthemes. Themain theme Strategies for person-centered perioperative care processes describes nurseanesthetists’ person-centered perioperative nursing work based on the domain of careprocesses, illustrated by two subthemes: Trust-building strategies that place the patient atthe center and Strategies that maintain the patient at the center. The main theme Theimportance of the care environment for person-centered care includes factors that mayinfluence nurse anesthetists’ perioperative nursing work based on the domain of the careenvironment, illustrated by two subthemes: Challenging factors in providing personcenteredcare and Success factors in providing person-centered care.

Conclusion: Nurse anesthetists describe how medical knowledge and technical skillsform the foundation of the profession, but it is through the application of the nursingtheory of person-centered care that good care and reduced patient suffering can beachieved

Introduction: Feedback within ambulance care improves clinical skills, contributes to professional development, enhances team collaboration, and promotes more effective communication. In turn, this increases patient safety. Ambulance nurses are expected to share their expertise and actively engage in feedback practices. A strong feedback culture leads to workplaces characterized by engagement, with reduced rates of sick leave and staff turnover. Despite this, feedback is often lacking in prehospital care.

Aim: The aim was to describe ambulance nurses´ experiences of feedback within the ambulance team.

Method: A qualitative interview study with an inductive approach was conducted with five ambulance nurses working within ambulance services. A qualitative content analysis was conducted. The study was preceded by research ethical considerations and an advisory statement from the Ethics Committee South-East. The study was conducted with careful consideration for the participants.

Results: The analysis resulted in three categories: Work environment, Relationships and Individual differences. The findings revealed a need for structured feedback as a natural component of the ambulance nurses´ role. Organizational changes were needed to establish a strong feedback culture in order to support professional development, strengthen teamwork, improve quality of care, and thereby enhance patient safety. Hierarchical structures impeded feedback to the extent that it could be entirely absent.Conclusion: The stude indicates a gap between the existing and the desired amount of feedback. The absence of feedback may lead to uncertainty in professional practice, and weak feedback cultures may pose a potential threat to patient safety. Insufficient skillns in feedback techniques can create feelings of discomfort, which may result in feedback being withheld – particularly when directed toward more experienced colleagues or when there is a desire to maintain a positive atmosphere within the team. There is therefore a need for competence development initiatives related to feedback, as well as a need to develop critical awareness of norms in order to examine how power dynamics and hierachical structures may threaten equitable care.

Background: Prehospital medical command constitutes a central function within Swedish ambulance services during major incidents, where complexity, uncertainty, and resource limitations place high demands on professional responsibility, prioritization, and leadership. Despite established organizational structures, there is limited knowledge about how ambulance nurses themselves experience and manage this role in practice.

Aim: The aim of this study was to describe ambulance nurses’ experiences of performing prehospital medical command during major incidents.

Method: The study employed a qualitative design with an inductive approach. Eleven semi-structured interviews with specialist nurses in ambulance care were analyzed using conventional content analysis.

Results: The analysis resulted in four categories: role distribution and responsibility in prehospital medical command, experiences of performing the role of prehospital medical command, carrying patient safety responsibility within prehospital medical command, and the significance of experience in prehospital medical command. The findings showed that prehospital medical command was experienced as a structured way of working that created clarity in complex situations while simultaneously involving cognitive and emotional demands. Decision-making occurred under uncertainty and required continuous reassessment. Experience contributed to confidence and preparedness but did not eliminate the complexity of the situation. Patient safety emerged as a practice created through active and reflective leadership.

Conclusion: Prehospital medical command can be understood as a situated and responsibility-laden professional practice in which structure, experience, and ethical judgement interact. Continuous training, reflection, and organizational support are essential for strengthening sustainable leadership and patient safety during major incidents.

Background: Patients who have intentionally intoxicated themselves in suicide or self-harm attempts constitute a recurring patient group within ambulance services. Ambulance nurses are required to make medical and ethical decisions under time pressure and with limited information. Intoxication in combination with mental illness may affect the patient’s ability to communicate and participate in care, which can complicate both the clinical assessment and the caring encounter. Aim: The aim was to describe ambulance nurses’ experiences of caring for patients who have intentionally intoxicated themselves in suicide or self-harm attempts. Method: A qualitative interview study with an inductive approach was conducted. Ten ambulance nurses from two regions in southern Sweden participated in individual semi-structured interviews. The data were analyzed using qualitative content analysis according to Erlingsson and Brysiewicz (2017). The study was conducted in accordance with research ethical principles concerning informed consent, voluntary participation and confidentiality. Results: The analysis resulted in four categories: the caring encounter, clinical assessment, autonomy – an ethical dilemma, and challenges and opportunities in caring. The findings show that ambulance nurses, when encountering patients who have intoxicated themselves in suicide or self-harm attempts, need to balance relationship-building communication, clinical assessment and ethical considerations regarding patient autonomy and patient safety. The caring process was characterised by uncertainty and emotional impact. Conclusion: The study shows that caring for patients who have intoxicated themselves in suicide or self-harm attempts involves a complex responsibility in which ambulance nurses navigate between patient participation and the need to ensure patient safety. The findings indicate that increased knowledge and organisational support may strengthen ambulance nurses’ ability to care for this patient group in the prehospital setting.

This research explores how User-Centered Design (UCD) principles are integrated into Virtual Reality (VR) development workflows for training applications within the space industry. As VR technology expands across sectors such as healthcare, manufacturing, and aerospace, it has proven invaluable for enhancing training, simulation, and design collaboration. Despite VR’s growing use in space mission planning and training, due to its effectiveness and cost-efficiency; the adoption of UCD remains limited by organizational silos, engineering hierarchies, and development methodologies that often deprioritize user feedback.

To address this gap, qualitative interviews with eight experts in the space sector, complemented by a follow-up survey, were conducted to investigate the practical challenges and enabling factors in embedding UCD into VR development. Findings reveal that UCD integration is shaped by emergent negotiation and coordination processes rather than standardized procedures, with success depending on organizational structures, tools, and cultural factors. Survey results validated key findings: all participants emphasized the importance of UCD and need of a framework, while highlighting the lack of formal roles, difficulties accessing users throughout development stages, and the need for shared tools and frameworks. This triangulation confirms that challenges in UCD integration are systemic, spanning organizational culture, roles, infrastructure, and processes.

This study builds on established conceptual frameworks that highlight the importance of considering work subcultures, purposeful work, and self-organization in supporting UCD within Agile software development. Expanding beyond Agile contexts, it proposes a conceptual framework for VR development. The framework identifies four interrelated dimensions: cultural legitimacy, role embeddedness, feedback temporalities, and material negotiability, that influence the effectiveness of UCD integration across various VR development methodologies.

The study contributes this conceptual framework to guide VR development teams in overcoming systemic barriers, emphasizing that successful UCD integration requires organizational support, continuous user engagement, and adaptable workflows.

Humanitarian supply chains (HSCs) operate under severe time constraints and uncertainty, where delays in aid delivery can result in prolonged suffering and loss of life. This dissertation explores how lead-timeeffectiveness—a critical performance outcome—can be enabled in HSCsthrough integration between humanitarian organizations (HOs) and donors. Performance management and information systems are proposed as mechanisms supporting this integration during disaster preparedness. This dissertation employs a mixed-methods approach, combining systematic literature reviews, multiple-case studies, and survey-based empirical analysis. Five appended papers collectively address four researchquestions by (1) conceptualizing lead-time effectiveness holistically, (2)explaining integration challenges and mechanisms through agency theory,(3) adapting and applying performance management for integration, and (4)examining how information systems influence integration in performancemanagement. Key findings reveal a holistic conceptualization of lead‑time effectiveness as lead‑times across humanitarian supply chain actors, resources, and activities planned in the disaster preparedness stage and enabled in the disaster response stage, contributing to timeliness, reliability, accuracy, and beneficiary satisfaction. This dissertation also develops a dictionary of performance metrics for lead-time effectiveness, so HOs and donors can define and measure them. The application of these metrics depends on HOdonorintegration.Integration remains challenging due to agency assumptions, including self-interest, bounded rationality, and goal conflicts. Agency theory explains these challenges and provides a basis for identifying mechanisms to address them. One mechanism is performance management, which supports integration through five activities: selecting performance variables, defining metrics, setting targets, measuring, and analyzing/acting. An adaptedperformance management framework for HSCs is proposed, emphasizingdisaster preparedness and providing recommendations. Another mechanism is information systems, which support integration in performance management: characteristics (e.g., standardization) and capabilities (e.g., adaptability) significantly influence information for joint activities, whereas information flow remains constrained by, e.g., access restrictions and resource limitations. Suggestions include shared data formats, joint reporting templates, and staff training. Together, these contributions develop an updated conceptual framework and a pathway showing how performance management and information systems support integration and enable lead-time effectiveness in humanitarian supply chains, offering theoretical and practical implications to strengthen disaster preparedness for a better response.

Asphyxia during birth is critical and effects both the flow of oxygen and the blood flow to the brain, a condition usually referred to as Hypoxic ischemic encephalopathy (HIE). HIE increases the risk of getting long term disabilities such as cerebral palsy, epilepsy and intellectual impairment, but it also increases the risk of dying before two years of age. HIE consist of a primary and a secondary loss of oxygen, with a timespan in between where it is possible to give an intervention to minimize the injury to neurons. Current research focus on these interventions, which is set to work as adjuvant therapies to the existing clinical approved hypothermia. One of the candidates is erythropoietin (EPO), a glycoprotein produced by the liver and kidneys, that has neuroprotective properties through the binding to its receptor that eventually effect the proliferation and differentiation of the cell. 

Studies of the effect of EPO on HIE and its outcomes is currently contradictory, why this study aims to investigate properties that may or may not play a role in the outcome of the treatment. Specifically, the dosing of EPO, severity of diagnosis and aspects of hypothermia from randomized controlled trials that test hypothermia and EPO versus hypothermia and placebo will be investigated. Moreover, the study aims to explore whether there is any plasma biomarkers or specific measure of injury from magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) that can determine effect of EPO or show differences in its effect. To examine the aim randomized control trials were searched for in the database PubMed and a total of seven articles were chosen for further analysis. 

One of the articles could see statistical significance in effect between the two treatment groups, where participants treated with EPO had less injury to the cerebellum and fewer cases of moderate to severe brain injury in general. Other articles could not establish any statistical significance between EPO- and placebo groups when looking at outcomes such as death and neurological impairment. When comparing the studies regarding dosing of EPO, the participants diagnoses and the different aspects of hypothermia, any significant differences that would correlate with the variations in effect could not be observed. No specific measure of injury could be seen that would correlate with the effect of EPO, but one study showed a difference between the two treatment groups in the sense that injury to the perirolandic regions where more commonly found in the group receiving EPO. One biomarker that could correlate with the effect of EPO was found in a study that showed that the Tau-protein correlated with outcomes seen on the imaging from the MRI, but other than this no other biomarker showed statistic significant difference between the two treatment groups. 

The result from this study is not sufficient to draw conclusions about whether the effect of EPO correlates with any of the named surrounding aspect of the treatment, nor is it enough to establish biomarker or measures of injury that for example could direct the treatment to the patient that would benefit from it the most. However, this study shows that one biomarker in particular, the Tau-protein, demonstrate tendence to correlate with the effect of EPO on treatment of HIE, which makes it of interest for further research. 

 Title: (In)visible names and visible needles – How anonymity and motivation forms needle exchange programs in Sweden and Finland.  This study examines how policy documents in Sweden and Finland articulate and assign meaning to the concepts of anonymity and motivation within needle exchange services, and how the relationship between these concepts is constructed. The aim is to compare how the two Nordic countries frame anonymity and motivation in relation to needle exchange activities. The empirical material consists of national-level policy documents regulating or guiding needle exchange services in both countries. The analysis is conducted using critical discourse analysis, specifically Fairclough’s critical discourse analysis which is a three dimensional model which includes text analysis, discursive practice and social practice. The results show that although Sweden and Finland share similar welfare state structures, their implementation and framing of needle exchange services differ significantly. Swedish policy documents emphasize control, identification, and documentation, presenting motivation as a requirement for participation and positioning needle exchange primarily as an entry point to other forms of treatment. In contrast, Finnish policy documents highlight anonymity, internal motivation, and low-threshold access, constructing needle exchange as a harm reduction intervention and a form of care in its own right. While both countries aim to reduce the negative health consequences associated with drug use, their policy traditions lead to different discursive constructions of responsibility, access, and the role of needle exchange services. These findings illustrate how language in policy documents shapes both the understanding of harm reduction and the conditions under which individuals may access support. 

This thesis is based on Ethical Literary Criticism as developed by Nie Zhenzhao and elaborated by Hui Su, focusing on ethical choice as a fundamental element in both human life and literary creation. Using Suzanne Collins’ Sunrise on the Reaping, the essay analyzes how ethical identity and ethical environment shape characters’ decisions, with particular attention to Haymitch Abernathy, Plutarch Heavensbee, and President Snow. The analysis highlights conflicts between personal morality and oppressive systems, as well as the role of propaganda and power. Drawing on pedagogical theories by Janet Alsup and Suzanne Choo, the thesis also discusses how Ethical Literary Criticism can be applied in the classroom to promote critical thinking, empathy and moral reflection. The thesis argues that Ethical Literary Criticism is an appropriate approach for teaching, as its foundation lies in ideas of human rights and justice. The Swedish National Agency for Education directs that these themes should be integrated in teaching. The thesis concludes that Ethical Literary Criticism provides a valuable framework for literary analysis and pedagogy by linking fictional narratives to real-world ethical issues.

Skogsbruk och renskötsel har länge brukat samma marker i norra Sverige, vilket har medfört att vinterbetesområden påverkats av skogsbrukets avverkningsåtgärder. Syftet med studien var att beskriva hur renskötare i Västerbotten upplevde att vinteravverkningar påverkade renskötselns förutsättningar, med fokus på renarnas betestillgång, trygghet och möjligheten till en hållbar renskötsel.   

Studien genomfördes med en kvalitativ metod där semistrukturerade intervjuer genomfördes med sex renskötare verksamma i samebyar i Västerbotten. Det transkriberade materialet analyserades genom en kvalitativ innehållsanalys.  

Resultatet visade att vinteravverkningar upplevdes försämra tillgången till mark- och hänglav, fragmentera betesmarker samt förändra snö- och markförhållanden. Avverkningar bidrog även till ökad störning, vilket påverkade renarnas beteende och renskötarnas arbetsbelastning. Studien visade att förbättrad samverkan och tidig dialog upplevdes vara avgörande för en hållbar samexistens mellan skogsbruk och renskötsel.  

Vinteravverkning, Renskötsel, lavtillgång, samråd  

Winterlogging, reindeer husbandry, lichen availability, consultation  

The technology organization at Volvo Construction Equipment (VCE) aims topredict and verify the performance of machines like Wheel loaders (WL) andArticulated haulers (AH) to enhance product development, requirements engineering,and customer service, etc. Hence, it is needed to virtualize machinesand components using the existing sensors on the machines and infrastructureof the central server. Over the years, virtualization has been achieved throughthe use of digital twins (DTs) across different industries, but realizing it ondynamically complex construction machines (CE) has its own challenges. It isalso an important step in this digital transformation journey for VCE and otherCEs.This PhD thesis describes and investigates how the digital twin (DT) needs tobe developed for machines like AH, and more specifically for WL, and can begeneralized for other CEs. Further, a variety of actions are needed to incorporateinto the framework of the DT. The framework needs to support different machinesand their predictive journey, which can be different based on their usage andwhere they are being used.This DT is the virtual replica of the physical machines that feed the twins(simulation model) with data from sensors and edge-based algorithms. Thealgorithms are built using a machine learning (ML) model. The algorithmsthat are implemented into machines are often called machine logs or virtualsensors. Further, a high-fidelity simulation supports the different force-drivenmaneuvers of different machine operators. A new co-simulation frameworkhas been developed that integrates the operators’ model of the wheel loader(WL) and its interaction with the power source model, i.e., the drive train, thehydraulics, and the material. By using the simulations and physical machinedata, visualizations are built to illustrate the results, which support variousdepartments in providing customers with predictive services.The edge-based virtual sensors align well with their accuracy in predictingdifferent failures in the machines. Furthermore, the results show that the cosimulationmodel aligns well with measurement data, validating the model’saccuracy in different types of machine operator driving. The integration of virtualsensors, machine logs, simulation, and results visualization paves the way for asuccessful DT of the machines.The results are useful for engineers in product development, sales, and theaftermarket to create services and develop existing and future machines.The successful validation of the framework also paves the way for futureresearch to enhance the virtual simulation techniques for WL and AH machineperformances with different types of machine operators. It also paves the wayand inspires to improve ML algorithms on the edge and, therefore, create servicesunder the shadow of DTs for VCE and other CEs.

The purpose of this study is to examine students' perceptions and attitudes towards science subjects in Swedish primary and lower secondary schools, focusing on grades 4 and 8. The study explores how students experience subjects such as biology, physics, and chemistry, and identifies factors influencing their interest and engagement. A qualitative approach was employed, based on interviews and questionnaires analyzed through thematic analysis. The findings reveal that students in grade 4 are generally curious and positive, particularly towards biology, while students in grade 8 demonstrate decreased interest, especially in physics and chemistry, often perceived as difficult and abstract. The study concludes that practical, varied, and engaging teaching methods are crucial for maintaining students' interest in science over time.

Keywords: science education, students’ attitudes, interest, primary school, teaching methods

Mental health problems among young people are increasing and constitute agrowing public health concern. The transition from adolescence to adulthood is aparticularly sensitive period, during which school counsellors play an importantrole. According to the Swedish education act and governing school documents,school counsellors are assigned to work preventively and in a health promotingmanner. However, previous research indicates that the counsellors assignmentoften is unclear, their workload is high, and school organizations differ in terms ofstructure and available resources. These factors may limit counsellors professionaldiscretion and reduce their opportunities to engage in long-term preventive work.The purpose of this study is to examine how school counsellors work preventivelyto counteract mental health problems among upper secondary school students andhow their professional discretion influences this work. The study is based on ahermeneutic approach and employs a qualitative method. Empirical data werecollected through semi-structured interviews with school counsellors working inupper secondary schools and were analysed using thematic analysis. Thetheoretical framework is based on the concept of professional discretion, whichrefers to the degree of autonomy professionals have when made decisions withinorganizational frameworks. This perspective enables an analysis of howorganizational structures and regulations shape school counsellors opportunities tocarry out preventive and health-promoting work. By highlighting schoolcounsellors experiences of both opportunities and constraints in preventive mentalhealth work, the study contributes to a deeper understanding of how thepreventive mission within student health services is implemented in practice andwhat organizational conditions influence this work.

This thesis examines the impact of different types of migrants on income inequalityacross Swedish municipalities from 2004 to 2023. Using a panel dataset and a fixedeffects model, the analysis examines whether changes in the share of migrants areassociated with changes in the local income gap between natives and migrants, whilecontrolling for key demographic and economic factors. The findings indicate thatmigration does not systematically increase income inequality at the municipal level.Instead, demographic factors such as age structure, marital composition, andunemployment rates emerge as significant determinants of income disparities acrossmunicipalities.The heterogeneity analysis by migrant origin reveals that the presence of Europeanmigrants is associated with a slight reduction in income inequality, suggesting thatsmoother labor market integration among this group may contribute positively tolocal income distribution. In contrast, non-European and Nordic migrants do notexhibit a statistically significant effect on the income gap, reflecting the role ofSweden's labor market institutions and welfare policies in mitigating inequalitypressures during periods of substantial migration inflows.Overall, the study aligns with prior research indicating that the impacts of migrationon inequality are mediated by labor market conditions and integration pathways ratherthan by the volume of migration alone. These findings underscore the importance ofmaintaining effective labor market integration policies and targeted support measuresto ensure that migration contributes to inclusive and equitable economic outcomes atthe local level in Sweden.

During the twenty-first century, the sport for development and peace (SDP) movement has emerged, which conceptualizes sport’s contribution to international development. As of today, there are hundreds of programs worldwide where sports are used to obtain different development and peace objectives. The SDP movement has subsequently turned into a recognized and legitimate component of the global development sector. In this respect, it has evolved into an institution, not least given the social construction of sport as a vehicle to bring about development and peace. In this article, two Scandinavian SDP programs serve as examples: LdB FC for Life in South Africa (sport and HIV/AIDS prevention) and Open Fun Football Schools in Moldova (sport and peace building). Drawing on a case study methodology, representatives (i.e., initiators, sponsors/donors and local personnel affiliated with the two programs) have been interviewed. Furthermore, observations in South Africa and Moldova have been made targeting the practical implementation of each endeavor. Finally, websites and additional written documentation about current programs have been analyzed to see if the proclaimed objectives match the practical outcome. Consequently, the aim of the article is to analyze the relationship between rhetoric and practice surrounding both projects. Even if both programs have good intentions, the result in this article shows it can be hard to align the proclaimed objectives with the practical implementation. Drawing on neo-institutional theory, this relationship is further investigated using the concepts of rational myths, decoupling, organizational hypocrisy, mimetic isomorphism, and moral legitimacy. On this basis, the findings suggest that the presumed positive notion of sport as a means for different societal outcomes can be both praised and criticized.

This paper examines a pilot project in a major Swedish municipality, "Ourtown," where the testing of a crime-preventive model that works according to early interventions, and by collaboration, resulted in challenges for the organizations involved. The crime preventive model is inspired by GIRFEC and aimed at children and youth aged 0-15. Participating organizations were preschool, primary school, social services and child psychiatry. Based on ethnographic material, the paper explores how collaboration is constructed through meeting interactions involving project documents. The significance of boundary work, conflicts, and the role of documents is highlighted asboth sacred and boundary objects in fostering or hindering collaboration. Findings reveal that while organizational agreements and formal meetings provide a framework, successful collaboration is dynamically built through everyday interactions, including discursive exchanges and joint efforts. This underscores the importance of understanding cultural differences in participating organizations and the impact of cocreation processes on collaboration.

The purpose of this study is to gain new knowledge about practical work with children and young people (aged 0-15) who are at risk of social exclusion and criminality. The study explores how professional actors within preventive work practice and negotiatetheir scope for action when confronted with complex social situations. The particular focus is on how gut feeling (“magkänsla” in Swedish) influences assessments and how certain children and young people become visible or invisible in these situations. The empirical material for the study was collected in connection with a pilot project in a big Swedish city (“Ourtown”) through participant observations at 15 project meetings, qualitative interviews with seven staff members, and documents produced within the project. The study’s analysis and interpretation of the collected material show that professionals’ “gut feeling” is central to identifying and supporting children and young people at risk. However, subjective assessments and organisational constraints simultaneously render some children and young people invisible. Gut feeling functions as a tool for managing uncertainty and prioritising interventions, while policy andeveryday practice sometimes diverge. For practice, this implies that organisational structures, coordination, and shared assessment frameworks need to support professionals’ judgement-based assessments to reduce the risk of children and young people becoming invisible. The study also demonstrates that ethnographic methods are particularly useful for making visible the everyday assessments that shape children’s and young people’s access to support, thereby opening possibilities for further research on inclusive and effective preventive strategies.

En betydande del av Sveriges skogar består av gran och påverkas årligen av barkborreangrepp, vars omfattning kan förväntas öka till följd av extremväder och klimatförändringar. Syftet med studien var att beskriva hundförares erfarenheter av barkborresök med hund för att öka förståelsen för metodens potential som ett stöd i skogsbrukets klimatanpassning. Sju hundförare verksamma i sökekipage intervjuades och materialet analyserades med kvalitativ innehållsanalys. Resultatet visade att arbetet präglades av hög arbetsglädje och starkt engagemang trots fysiska risker, höga kostnader och begränsad ekonomiska ersättning. Hundarnas förmåga att effektivt och träffsäkert identifiera angripna träd, även på långa avstånd och i oväntade miljöer, framstod som en central styrka. Studien visade att barkborresök med hund upplevdes som en verkningsfull men krävande metod, vars framgång var beroende av kompetenta hundförare, förtroende från skogsägare samt ökat samarbete inom skogssektorn.

Syftet med studien är att synliggöra vilka arbetssätt förskollärare använder sig av för att inkludera barn i behov av särskilt stöd i samlingar. Studiens teoretiska ansats utgår ifrån det relationella och kategoriska perspektivet. I studien samlas data in med hjälp av semistrukturerade intervjuer samt observationer med slutna kategorier. Empirin har samlats in på åtta olika förskolor i södra Sverige, både intervju och observation har genomförts på samtliga. För att bearbeta materialet har en tematisk analys använts där följande tre teman framkommit: Samlingens utformning, interaktivt stöd och miljön som pedagogiskt stöd. Studiens resultat visar att förskollärare använder sig av flera olika typer av arbetssätt för att inkludera alla barn i samlingssituationer. Resultatet visar även att förskollärarna har ett stort fokus på att inkludera barn i behov av särskilt stöd. Samtliga förskollärare i studien har som ambition att arbeta inkluderande, resultatet visar dock att ekonomiska brister kan försvåra arbetet. 

This thesis examines how cultural values are considered in Swedish demolition rulings and explores how datafication, supported by Critical Data Studies (CDS), can facilitate the analysis. A mixed-methods approach was used: 1,024 rulings from 17 municipalities were analysed using text extraction, large language models, and keyword searches. A smaller case study focused on 15 rulings referencing cultural value expert reports.

The analysis applied CDS concepts, data assemblage, omission, and reduction, to better understand the strengths and limitations of the dataset. The study also explored how digital methods can support both large-scale pattern recognition and targeted qualitative inquiry.

Results show that only 1% of demolition applications were denied and that one in three involved residential buildings. Cultural values were referenced in most rulings, but only 14% contained more detailed discussions. Municipalities with cultural protection programs were nearly twice as likely to include such content than those without.

The findings suggest that while cultural values are often mentioned in the rulings, the depth and consistency of the assessments vary widely. While datafication can help better understand demolition, it also reveals a general knowledge-gap in the field.

Highly skilled migrants in Sweden are at risk of exclusion from professions commensurate with their qualifications, particularly in regulated fields like nursing. In response, national policies and programmes have been introduced to facilitate the recognition of foreign qualifications and support the integration of skilled migrants. This paper explores how the competencies of internationally educated nurses (IENs) are constructed within bridging programmes, where professional regulators function as gatekeepers to professional re-entry. Drawing on the concept of a ‘regime of skill’, the study employs a qualitative approach to examine how university educators, administrators and supervisors in clinical training define and evaluate migrant competencies and how such constructions may enable or constrain the professional inclusion of IENs in the Swedish health care system. The analysis identifies two dominant constructions of skill and competency: IENs as an untapped resource and IENs as linguistically and professionally deficient. Both constructions position IENs as ‘others’, contrasting them with Swedish-trained nurses and reinforcing boundaries around professional belonging, albeit not exclusively through exclusionary practices. This paper argues for the importance of examining sector-specific skill regimes to better understand migrant inclusion or exclusion into the labour market. 

 The following study examines how women are represented in print advertising. The study

applies a qualitative semiotic image analysis on twelve advertisements published in the

magazine ELLE Sweden during three different periods of time: 2005, 2015 and 2025. The

purpose of the study is to analyse female representation and framing of women in the

mentioned sample and to compare the representation between the twelve advertisements.

This with a theoretical framework built on three relevant theories: framing theory,

representation theory and male gaze.

The results can not be generalised but seen only to the twelve advertisements that the

study includes, women are consistently portrayed with elements of sexualization, beauty

ideals, and power relations, although these expressions evolve over time. In 2005 and

2015, representations are largely characterized by objectification and passivity in relation

to men, aligning with previous research. By 2025, more complex and seemingly

empowering portrayals emerge, where women are sometimes depicted as independent

and active (rather than passive objects). However, subtle forms of objectification persist.

The study suggests that female representation in advertising does not develop linearly

toward greater equality but is instead reshaped by cultural influences.

Major depressive disorder (MDD) is a prevalent psychiatric disorder associated with substantial functional impairment and reduced quality of life. Lumateperone, an atypical antipsychotic, is approved as adjunctive therapy for MDD. Despite this, clinical knowledge remains limited, as the drug has only recently been investigated for this indication and the available evidence is derived from a relatively small number of trials.  

The aim of this study was to evaluate the antidepressant efficacy, safety and tolerability of lumateperone compared with placebo in patients with MDD, focusing on changes in depression rating scales, response, remission and adverse events.

A literature search was conducted in PubMed. After applying filters for the last year and randomized controlled trials (RCT), six studies were identified. Following title and full-text screening, four RCTs investigating lumateperone as monotherapy or adjunctive therapy in MDD were included for analysis. No other RCTs investigating lumateperone in MDD were identified, highlighting the limited available evidence for this recently approved indication.

Lumateperone demonstrated a statistically significant reduction in depressive symptoms compared with placebo in all studies. Effect sizes were moderate (ES/Cohen’s d 0,56-0,67) and relatively consistent across trials. Response and remission rates were higher in lumateperone groups than in placebo groups, although statistical significance varied by study and outcome measure. The treatment was generally well tolerated, with a favorable safety profile and few treatment-related adverse events reported.

These findings support the established use of lumateperone as adjunctive therapy in MDD, demonstrating moderate and consistent antidepressant effects, with improved rates of response and remission compared with placebo. However, short follow-up periods and differences in the study population limit conclusions about long-term efficacy, underscoring the need for further research to assess sustained clinical benefit and safety.

Bakgrund: Demenssjukdomar är en växande global och nationell vårdutmaning som påverkar kognition, identitet och dagliga aktiviteter samt ofta medför beteendemässiga och psykiska symtom. Sjukhusmiljön kan vara särskilt utmanande, då högt tempo, vårdövergångar och en obekant miljö kan öka oro och förvirring och försvåra kommunikation och delaktighet. När kognitiv svikt påverkar förmågan att förstå information, uttrycka behov och tolka symtom blir det mer krävande för sjuksköterskan att ge trygg och personcentrerad omvårdnad, vilket kan påverka vårdrelation, patientsäkerhet och värdighet. 

Syfte: Syftet är att beskriva sjuksköterskans erfarenheter av att vårda personer med demens i sjukhusmiljö. 

Metod: Designen är en allmän litteraturöversikt. Artiklar söktes i CINAHL och PubMed. Efter en systematisk sökning inkluderades elva vetenskapliga artiklar om sjuksköterskors erfarenheter från olika länder och avdelningar. Data analyserades enligt Fribergs i fyra steg genom upprepad fulltextläsning, identifiering av meningsenheter, jämförelse av likheter och skillnader samt tematisering i under- och huvudkategorier. 

Resultat: Analysen utmynnande i tre huvudkategorier ”Utmaningar” ”Samarbete – resurser och hinder” och ”Aktiviteter och hjälpmedel”. Utmaningar som första huvudkategori bestod av tre underkategorier: ”Patientens komplexitet”, ”Otillräcklig kunskap” samt ”Arbetsmiljö och organisation”. Samarbete – resurser och hinder som andra huvudkategori bestod av två underkategorier: ”Anhöriga” och ”Vårdpersonal”. Aktiviteter och hjälpmedel som tredje huvudkategori utan underkategori.

Slutsats: Sjuksköterskor beskriver övervägande utmanande erfarenheter av vården av personer med demens, relaterade till patientens komplexitet, brister i arbetsmiljön och otillräcklig kunskap om demenssjukdomar. Detta orsakar stress, frustration, tvivel, trötthet, oro och rädsla. Teamarbete, familjens delaktighet och olika aktiviteter kan underlätta vården.

Denna studie undersöker sambandet mellan upplevd stress och självskattad sömnkvalitet samt betydelsen av sömnhälsa och sömnregelbundenhet. Tre etablerade självskattningsinstrument användes: Perceived Stress Scale (PSS-10), Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI) och RU-SATED. Datamaterialet samlades in via en webbaserad enkät med ett bekvämlighetsurval (N = 100) och analyserades med deskriptiv statistik, korrelationsanalyser, ANOVA samt linjära och hierarkiska regressionsanalyser.

Resultaten visade att högre nivåer av upplevd stress var signifikant associerade med sämre självskattad sömnkvalitet. Stress korrelerade positivt med PSQI och negativt med RU-SATED. Vidare visade analyserna att sambandet mellan stress och sömnkvalitet var starkare än sambandet mellan stress och sömnhälsa. Regressionsanalyser indikerade att sömnhälsa bidrog med betydande unik förklarad varians i sömnkvalitet utöver stress. Stressnivåer varierade beroende på kön medan inga gruppskillnader observerades för sömnkvalitet eller sömnhälsa.

Sammantaget bekräftar resultaten den nära relationen mellan stress och sömn och belyser vikten av att inkludera sömnregelbundenhet i studier av sömn och stress. Fynden har implikationer för förebyggande insatser som syftar till att främja både stresshantering och stabila sömnvanor för ökat psykologiskt välbefinnande.

The new Swedish social service act, which came into force 2025, emphasized the importance ofensuring that social service are based on scientific knowledge and proven experience. In this study,systematic follow-up of care interventions is highlighted as a central component in the development ofknowledge-based and evidence-based practice in social work and even so there are challenges with theexecution of follow-up care interventions. The study aimed to examine how and to what extent thestaff in residential care homes (HVB) conduct follow-up of care intervention in their professionalpractice and how such follow-up may be related to knowledge development at both individual andorganizational level, the study is of a quantitative nature and questionnaires were sent to residentialcare homes in Sweden via intranet and some relevant forums online, after that the collected data wasanalyzed and made into different chart to showcase the results of the questionnaire. The resultsindicated /showed to contribute to a deeper understanding of how follow-up of care interventions isused in practice and its significance for the development of knowledge based social work. The studymay therefore provide knowledge that is relevant for practitioners working in residential care as wellas for the continued development of evidence-based practice within the social work field The resultsshowed that there are still challenges with the executions of follow-up care interventions duringpractice even so the results showed that follow-up care interventions are integrated in the residentialcare homes (HVB). The results indicated that follow-up care interventions do contribute to knowledgedevelopment both individually and organizational level.

The aim of this study is to explore how social workers reason about the principle of the best interests of the child in cases involving children with mental health issues. The study is based on a qualitative approach and consists of semi-structured interviews with social workers working within social services. The collected material has been analysed using thematic analysis.The results show that assessments of the best interests of the child are often experienced as complex and characterised by uncertainty, particularly in cases where the child’s mental health makes their needs difficult to interpret. Social workers describe that assessments are largely based on holistic evaluations, where several factors are considered, such as the child’s well-being, family situation and access to support. The study also shows that the child’s voice is considered important, but that children’s participation in practice may be limited due to the child’s mental health, age and organisational conditions.Furthermore, organisational factors such as time pressure, limited resources and demands for collaboration are shown to influence social workers’ discretion. The results are analysed using the theory of street-level bureaucracy, highlighting how professional assessments are shaped in the interaction between individual needs and organisational constraints. The study contributes to a deeper understanding of how the principle of the best interests of the child is applied in practice in complex cases involving children with mental health issues.

Klimakteriet är en naturlig biologisk livsfas som innebär en övergång från reproduktiv till icke-reproduktiv ålder till följd av minskad ovarial funktion och sjunkande östrogennivåer. Denna hormonella förändring kan ge upphov till flera symtom, där vasomotoriska symtom såsom värmevallningar och nattliga svettningar är de vanligaste. Dessa symtom kan påverka sömn, daglig funktion och livskvalitet hos många kvinnor och kan kvarstå under flera år. Hormonell behandling är den mest effektiva behandlingen för vasomotoriska symtom, men den är inte lämplig för alla kvinnor på grund av kontraindikationer eller personliga preferenser. Därför finns ett behov av alternativa behandlingsmetoder. Fezolinetant är ett relativt nytt icke-hormonellt läkemedel som verkar genom att blockera neurokinin-3-receptorer i hypotalamus och därigenom påverka kroppens temperaturreglering. Syftet: Arbetet syftade till att utvärdera effekten av det icke-hormonella läkemedlet fezolinetant på frekvens och svårighetsgrad av klimakterierelaterade vasomotoriska symtom. 

Metod: Arbetet genomfördes som en litteraturstudie. Vetenskapliga artiklar identifierades genom sökning i PubMed med sökordet fezolinetant. Av de 23 identifierade artiklarna inkluderades fem randomiserade kontrollerade studier efter granskning enligt inklusions- och exklusionskriterier. Studierna omfattade främst fas II och fas III kliniska prövningar. 

Resultat: I de fas III-studierna (studier 3 och 4) gav doserna 30 mg och 45 mg en statistiskt signifikant minskning av både frekvens och svårighetsgrad av VMS vid veckor 4 och 12 jämfört med placebo. Förbättringar noterades redan efter en veckas behandling och effekten bibehölls konsekvent under 52 veckor. För kvinnor olämpliga för hormonbehandling visade studie 5 att 45 mg fezolinetant signifikant minskade antalet dagliga symtom (LSM-skillnad –1,93) samt symtomens svårighetsgrad vid vecka 24 jämfört med placebo, samtidigt som betydande förbättringar i sömn- och livskvalitet observerades. I studie 1 uppnåddes signifikans gällande symtomfrekvens redan vid dosen 15 mg vid vecka 8, med en snabb mediantid till 50 % symtomreduktion på endast 8–9 dagar. Studie 2 på östasiatiska kvinnor nådde inte statistisk signifikans för de primära effektmåtten gällande frekvens och svårighetsgrad på grund av en hög placeborrespons, men uppvisade en signifikant högre andel responders (50 % reduktion) i fezolinetantgruppen (63,3 %) jämfört med placebo (47,0 %) vid vecka 12. Behandlingen var genomgående väl tolererad med huvudvärk som vanligaste biverkan och inga fall av allvarlig läkemedelsinducerad leverskada  rapporterades. Slutsats: Fezolinetant är ett effektivt och väl tolererat icke-hormonellt behandlingsalternativ för kvinnor med klimakterierelaterade vasomotoriska symtom. Behandlingen minskar symtomen och kan även förbättra sömnkvalitet och hälsorelaterad livskvalitet. Genom att påverka temperaturregleringen centralt i hjärnan utan att tillföra hormoner utgör fezolinetant ett viktigt alternativ för kvinnor som inte kan eller vill använda hormonell behandling. Eftersom läkemedlet är relativt nytt behövs dock ytterligare forskning för att klargöra långtidseffekter och säkerhet.

Background

Exercise-induced muscle damage (EIMD) is known to impair neuromuscular performance, provoke inflammation, and delay recovery. Tart cherry (TC) juice, a polyphenol-rich nutritional product, has been proposed as a strategy to support recovery in athletes; however, findings across studies remain inconsistent.

Objective

The aim was to conduct a systematic review combined with a meta-analysis and corroborate the certainty of evidence underpinning the effects of TC juice supplementation on physical, biochemical, and perceptual recovery markers following EIMD in trained athletes.

Methods

A systematic review and meta-analysis were conducted following PRISMA 2020 guidelines. PubMed, ScienceDirect, Web of Science and SPORTDiscus were searched from inception to 25 December 2025.

Results

Nineteen trials were included. Our results revealed TC juice supplementation significantly improved MVC recovery in the main analysis across all time points (post: ES = 0.63; 24 h: ES = 1.12; 48 h: ES = 1.29; 72 h: ES = 2.14; 96 h: ES = 4.82), with substantial heterogeneity (I² 69–93%). CMJ showed no significant effects post-exercise or at 24h but improved at 48 h (ES = 1.41; I² = 72%). TC juice significantly reduced CRP post-exercise and up to 48 h (post: ES = −0.46; 24 h: ES = −0.73; 48 h: ES = −0.68), whereas no significant pooled effects were found for muscle soreness, CK, IL-6, TNF-α, ROM, or most subgroup time points. Subgroup analyses suggested model-specific responses (e.g., MVC improvements at 24–48 h in whole-body protocols and at 72 h in isolated protocols). Sensitivity analyses indicated that statistical significance at selected time points (MVC post and 72 h; CMJ 48 h; CRP 24–48 h) was influenced by individual studies. Certainty of evidence ranged from very low to moderate.

Conclusions

TC juice supplementation may support recovery of selected functional and inflammatory markers following exercise-induced muscle damage in trained athletes; however, findings are heterogeneous and supported by low-to-moderate certainty of evidence, warranting cautious interpretation.

This thesis investigates how women peacekeepers contribute to everyday production of security through forms of labour that are largely overlooked within dominant peacekeeping frameworks. Drawing on qualitative interviews with women deployed in UN missions, the study shows that relational, emotional and communicative practices are central to building trust, gathering information and maintaining stability, yet these activities remain marginal within institutional reporting systems shaped by militarised and masculine norms. Using a Gender and Security lens, the analysis reveals a persistent contradiction that women’s contributions are essential to mission functioning, but the structures surrounding them rarely recognise or support the kinds of expertise they provide.

These findings demonstrate that women enact security across interpersonal, community and organisational levels, challenging narrow definitions of operational effectiveness and exposing the limits of gender-neutral policy approaches. Methodologically, the study highlights the value of qualitative, interview-based research for uncovering forms of labour that quantitative indicators cannot capture. The conclusion argues that meaningful progress requires structural and cultural change within peacekeeping institutions, including the recognition of relational and emotional labour. The thesis identifies several avenues for future research, including comparative mission studies, examination of male peacekeepers´ engagement with emotional labour and analyses of community perceptions of women peacekeepers. Together, these insights deepen understanding of how gender shapes security practices and point toward pathways for more effective and inclusive peacekeeping.

 Alcohol and cannabis are two of the most commonly used psychoactive substances and play a major role in public health debates and societal norm systems. Attitudes towards intoxicants such as alcohol and cannabis are created through an interaction between social, structural and individual factors, which makes this a relevant area of ​​research. The aim of the study was to investigate university students' attitudes towards alcohol and cannabis, how these substances are attributed to social status and how different factors correlate with individuals' attitudes. A survey study was conducted with 64 students from the social pedagogy program, where the participants reported both their own attitudes and the perceived attitudes of parents and peers as well as their agreement with various statements. The study shows that overall there are no clear relationships between background variables such as gender, age, place of upbringing and the participants' attitudes. What emerged was the significant influence of family, friends and own experiences of being close to individuals with substance use problems. The results indicate that students have risk awareness regarding substances such as alcohol and cannabis, however, alcohol is perceived as more socially accepted and has a higher social status and cannabis is seen as problematic. The study shows that individuals' surroundings have a major influence on attitudes and are a large part of how they are shaped.

Background: Health information systems (HISs) are essential for strengthening health systems in underserved areas. However, many HISs in Africa are still in the early stages of implementation, and existing systems often suffer from imbalances in data availability. Their optimization is faced with various challenges, including limited resources, which restricts their scalability.

Objective: The aim of this study is to identify contextual barriers that hinder the optimization of HIS in African underserved settings. Specifically, the study adopts the lens of frugal innovation (FI) and information and communication technologies for development (ICT4D) to explore ways to enhance the quality of health care delivery for low-income populations.

Methods: A qualitative research approach involving 32 participants was used. The study was guided by the central theme: contextual barriers and challenges hindering the optimization of HISs.

Results: Four major thematic categories emerged from the data: HIS contextualization, health system factors, service provider issues, and HIS integration. The findings offer valuable insights that can contribute to transforming HISs in underserved settings and improving health care quality.

Conclusions: The findings reflect stakeholder experiences in underserved communities in Nairobi, Kenya, and may be transferable to similar settings, subject to local governance, resources, and workflows. Despite the transformative potential of HISs in low-and middle-income countries, progress remains limited due to poor digital infrastructure and contextual barriers resulting in minimal impact from capital-intensive digital health investments and persistent data challenges. Using FI and ICT4D lenses, 4 key barriers were identified: health system, HIS contextualization, HIS integration, and HIS service provider. Rethinking HIS strategies through FI and ICT4D can enable affordable and sustainable, user-centered solutions. Future research should test scalability, sustainability, and interoperability impact in diverse settings.

Reliable control of skyrmion lifetime is essential for realizing spintronic devices, yet the role of higher-order exchange-which can lead to skyrmion stabilization-remains largely unexplored. Here we calculate lifetimes of isolated skyrmions and antiskyrmions at transition-metal interfaces based on an atomistic spin model that includes all fourth-order exchange terms. Within harmonic transition-state theory, we evaluate both energetic and entropic contributions and find substantially enhanced lifetimes when higher-order exchange is included. The four-spin four-site interaction raises the energy barrier and lowers the curvature of the energy landscape at the collapse saddle point, increasing the pre-exponential factor. We show that skyrmions and antiskyrmions can remain thermally stable even without Dzyaloshinskii-Moriya interaction (DMI), and that tuning the four-spin term by a small amount modulates the prefactor over orders of magnitude. Our results identify higher-order exchange as a promising route to stabilize topological magnetic textures-in particular in systems lacking DMI-and to engineer their thermally activated decay.

This study investigates the mechanical and physical properties of a wood-based polymer composite DuraSense® 3D S50 Flex K to enhance its potential in large-scale additive manufacturing by studying the influence of printing orientation on the mechanical characteristics of the product. To assess performance, the specimens were produced with different printing layer orientations: at 0°, 30°, 45°, and 90° to the sample length, which corresponds to load application during the tests. Tensile strength, flexural strength, modulus of elasticity, hardness, water absorption, thermophysical properties and microstructure were determined for the samples. The 0° specimens exhibited the highest tensile (15.39 MPa) and flexural strength (26.05 MPa), while the 90° orientation specimens showed reductions in strength of 72% and 69%, respectively. The modulus of elasticity also decreased by 71% at 90°, confirming anisotropy. Additional tests revealed a Brinell hardness of 179.9 N/mm2, a water absorption of 19.75%, with minimal dimensional change, and a thermal conductivity of 0.1553 W/m·K. Microscopic analysis showed porosity and uneven fibre distribution, indicating the need for composite optimisation. These findings confirm the importance of orientation-aware design in large-scale additive manufacturing and provide the background for future work focusing on the development of printing strategies and computational modelling to enhance print quality, interlayer adhesion, and performance in applications.

Invasive forest pests represent a major threat to ecosystems and the economy. They are often first detected in urban forests, making these environments strategic for early warning and global forest protection efforts. Although early detection is crucial to the success of eradication measures, the surveillance capacity of official authorities is limited. Citizen science can help bridge this gap-provided that citizens are aware of the stakes and prepared to play an active role. In this context, mainstream media may serve as a key channel to raise public awareness. We surveyed mainstream media coverage of 14 native, invasive alien non-regulated, and quarantine forest pests across 15 European countries, mostly over the 2011-2024 period. Searching for the scientific or common name of these pests in each national language returned more than 16,000 outputs. While quarantine species were mentioned less frequently than native pests, they were more likely to be mentioned in countries where they have occurred, remain present, or have been eradicated. Interestingly, we also found references to quarantine pests in countries where they were not officially reported. This last finding highlights the potential of mainstream media to attract public attention to tree pests before the surge of an outbreak-an opportunity that should be more systematically leveraged to support early detection and citizen engagement, particularly in cities where the risk of introduction and the potential for early detection is the highest.

Context: Ensuring high levels of dependability in modern computer-based systems has become increasingly challenging due to their complexity. Although systems are validated at design time, their behavior can be different at runtime, possibly showing control-flow anomalies due to "unknown unknowns". Objective: We aim to detect control-flow anomalies through software monitoring, which verifies runtime behavior by logging software execution and detecting deviations from expected control flow. Methods: We propose a methodology to develop software monitors for control-flow anomaly detection through Large Language Models (LLMs) and conformance checking. The methodology builds on existing software development practices to maintain traditional V&V while providing an additional level of robustness and trustworthiness. It leverages LLMs to link design-time models and implementation code, automating source-code instrumentation. The resulting event logs are analyzed via conformance checking, an explainable and effective technique for control-flow anomaly detection. Results: We test the methodology on a case-study scenario from the European Railway Traffic Management System/European Train Control System (ERTMS/ETCS), which is a railway standard for modern interoperable railways. The results obtained from the ERTMS/ETCS case study demonstrate that LLM-based source-code instrumentation can achieve up to 82.849% control-flow coverage of the reference design-time process model, while the subsequent conformance checking-based anomaly detection reaches a peak performance of 95.957% F1-score and 93.669% AUC. Conclusion: Incorporating domain-specific knowledge to guide LLMs in source-code instrumentation significantly allowed obtaining reliable and quality software logs and enabled effective control-flow anomaly detection through conformance checking.

Previous research suggests that gender shapes how liberals and conservatives are perceived in terms of stereotype content. However, whether these tendencies extend to discrimination against job applicants who express a dissimilar political affiliation is yet to be examined. We conducted a preregistered online experiment with Democrats and Republicans (N= 1684) to examine whether applicant affiliation interacts with gender to produce discrimination and stereotyping of political opponents, focusing on hiring judgments, willingness to cooperate and socialize with the applicant, and perceptions of warmth and competence. Besides replicating previous findings of substantial discrimination against political opponents, the results revealed that for hiring judgments and willingness to cooperate and socialize, political affiliation interacted with gender. Specifically, the tendency to discriminate against applicants with an opposing political affiliation was stronger when the applicants were men rather than women. These findings have implications for understanding discrimination and stereotyping in personnel selection.

Studien undersöker hur ungdomar som är placerade på HVB-hem upplever samhällets bemötande samt hur detta påverkar deras självbild och möjligheter till återanpassning. Genom semistrukturerade intervjuer med fyra ungdomar analyseras deras erfarenheter utifrån Beckers stämplingsteori och Goffmans teori om stigma. Resultaten visar att ungdomarna ofta möter misstro och negativa föreställningar, vilket bidrar till stigmatisering och begränsar deras identitetsutveckling. Samtidigt framkommer att positiva relationer med vuxna som visar tillit stärker ungdomarnas självbild och framtidstro. Trots stark vilja till förändring upplever de hinder i form av svårigheter att få arbete och brist på långsiktigt stöd. Studien visar att minskad stigmatisering och ökad samhälleligt stöd är centrala förutsättningar för en hållbar återanpassning efter HVB-placering. 

Bakgrund Osteoartrit (artros) är en kronisk, degenerativ och irreversibel ledsjukdom. Sjukdomen utgör en växande global hälsoutmaning och drabbar cirka 10 % av män och 18 % av kvinnor över 60 år, vilket innebär en betydande belastning för både individer och samhälle. Sjukdomen kännetecknas av en störning i ledens homeostas, där katabola processer successivt bryter ned ledbrosket och leder till strukturella förändringar i leden. Detta resulterar i symtom såsom smärta, stelhet och nedsatt rörlighet. Den traditionella farmakologiska behandlingen fokuserar huvudsakligen på symtomlindring med icke-steroida antiinflammatoriska läkemedel (NSAID). Effekten av denna behandling är dock ofta otillräcklig och användningen begränsas av biverkningar. Mot denna bakgrund har biologiska behandlingsstrategier utvecklats, där monoklonala antikroppar, såsom tanezumab, riktas mot nerve growth factor (NGF) för att hämma smärtsignaleringen. Syfte Syftet med detta examensarbete var att utvärdera effekten och säkerheten av tanezumab vid behandling av osteoartrit i knä eller höft, både som monoterapi och i kombination med NSAID. Metod Artiklar till denna litteraturstudie söktes fram i databasen PubMed med söktermen ”tanezumab versus NSAID osteoarthritis”. Totalt inkluderades fem randomiserade kontrollerade studier som utvärderade tanezumabs effekt på smärta, fysisk funktion och säkerhet. Resultat Samtliga inkluderade studier visade att tanezumab gav en statistiskt signifikant förbättring av både smärta och fysisk funktion jämfört med placebo, och i flera fall även jämfört med behandling med enbart NSAID. Den kliniska effekten var mest uttalad vid doser om 5 mg och 10 mg. Kombinationsterapi med tanezumab och NSAID resulterade i signifikant bättre utfall i samtliga primära effektmått jämfört med monoterapi med NSAID. Det kliniska mervärdet jämfört med tanezumab som monoterapi bedömdes dock vara begränsat. Samtidigt rapporterade samtliga studier en högre förekomst av biverkningar i tanezumabgrupperna, framför allt i form av perifera sensoriska symtom såsom parestesi och hypoestesi. Allvarliga ledrelaterade biverkningar, särskilt snabbt progredierande artros (rapidly progressive osteoarthritis, RPOA), observerades i högre grad hos patienter som behandlades med tanezumab. Risken för RPOA var särskilt förhöjd vid kombinationsbehandling med NSAID, där incidensen i vissa studier var upp till tio gånger högre än vid behandling med enbart NSAID. Slutsats Tillgänglig forskning tyder på att tanezumab är ett effektivt behandlingsalternativ för att reducera smärta och förbättra funktion vid måttlig till svår artros. På grund av risken för ledrelaterade biverkningar bör läkemedlet främst övervägas som monoterapi och kräver noggrann monitorering av ledsäkerheten. Ytterligare långtidsstudier behövs för att bättre klarlägga läkemedlets roll i framtida klinisk praxis. 

A steady-state, finite element analysis of brittle, dynamic crack propagation in PMMA is presented. The steady-state assumption means that all time derivatives are translated into a spatial derivative instead. The bulk PMMA is modelled as a linear elastic, isotropic material. The crack is modelled by use of a non-standard cohesive zone model that ensures that material stability is maintained. The cohesive zone contains two lengths, which allows for a regularisation of the crack problem. The boundary conditions were adjusted so that the results could be compared to experimental studies. The stress and strain fields at the crack tip resulting from the numerical analysis were shown, and the possible implications for damage evolution and crack branching were discussed. The study supports the idea that microcracks are initiated at some distance from the crack plane and then grow and join the main crack. The study suggests that the propagating crack goes from a ’simple crack’ to an unstable crack when the peak in the maximum principal strain – which appears at some distance from the crack plane – exceeds the dynamic fracture strain of the material. 

Uppdraget var att utvärdera hur omställningen till sammanhållen journalföring med Cosmic har utvecklat sig och vad den har resulterat i för länets kommuner och för aktuella verksamheter inom Region Kalmar län (RKL). Utvärderingen innefattade en enkät och därefter en fokusgrupp där enkätsvaren presenterades och diskuterades.

The decision-making process in asylum claims involves two distinct professional roles – the case worker who investigates and processes the case, and the decision-maker who guides the process and is ultimately responsible for approving or rejecting the claim. While research on decision-making in asylum claims suggests that professionals in this field have a relatively generous discretionary space, their work and decisions are also constrained by uncertainty, ethical dilemmas, and ongoing legal and organizational changes. For example, the Swedish Migration Agency (SMA) is currently implementing digitalization measures to increase administrative effectiveness, shorten the time of admission processes and enhance legal certainty in case administration. As part of a comparative research project on Welfare professional decision-making, this study explores how professional discretion is supported or constrained by inter-collegial negotiations and the use of different ‘principles’ and ‘programs’ in the decision-making process of asylum applications. To conduct this analysis, the study draws on semi-structured interviews with approximately 15 case workers and decision-makers working with asylum applications at the SMA. The paper aims to shed light on the complex and dynamic nature of welfare professional decision-making in this field and contribute to knowledge on the balance between professional discretion and digital solutions (AI-based technologies). 

Background: Ambulance clinicians increasingly refer patients to self-care, positioning ambulance service within a wider gatekeeping role and necessitating the assessment of whether self-care is a safe option or if further support is needed. Contrary to primary healthcare centre (PHC) referrals, self-care referrals often lack structured follow-ups, with the decision consequences remaining underexplored. This study investigates the outcomes and predictors of subsequent healthcare contact (SHC) and mortality among patients referred to self-care by ambulance services in three Swedish regions.

Methods: This retrospective cohort study included 6,452 (954 children and 5,498 adults) ambulance assignments between 1 January 2023 and 31 December 31 2023 that resulted in self-care referrals. The primary outcome was SHC (PHC visits, ambulance service recontact, emergency department visits, and hospitalisations) and all-cause mortality within 72 h and 30 days. Bayesian multilevel logistic regression models were used to estimate the probability of recontact and mortality.

Results: Approximately 30% and 25% of the adults and children sought SHC, respectively, with the majority being PHC visits. Mortality was < 2% within 30 days, and no deaths were observed among the children. Respiratory, infectious, and medical symptoms predominated among the children, compared with medical, surgical, and neurological symptoms among adults. Predictors of SHC included increased age, longer on-scene time, advisory decision support system (ADSS) use, and distance to hospital.

Conclusion: Approximately one-third (30%) of patients sought SHC within 72 h of a self-care referral decision. Whilst this does not necessarily indicate adverse events, the lack follow-up and patient-reported data limits interpretation. Although the ADSS have the potential to reduce ED conveyance, they cannot replace nuanced clinical judgment, risking inequitable care for patients in rural areas, those with low health literacy, and frail older adults. Non‑conveyance decisions for patients aged 80 years or older should therefore be approached with heightened caution. Future research should explore patient perspectives to better understand re-engagement and improve the safety of self-care referrals.

Background: Discrimination and inequities in healthcare have gained increased attention worldwide. Although many healthcare systems strive to provide equal care, evidence indicates that treatment can be influenced by patient characteristics such as gender, age, race/ethnicity, and socioeconomic status. In particular, research exploring healthcare professionals’ perceptions on equality in acute, life-threatening conditions remains limited. This study aimed to describe Swedish healthcare professionals’ perceptions of unequal and equal care when treating patients with cardiac arrest.

Methods: The study adopted a qualitative inductive design, using semi-structured interviews with 12 physicians and nurses who work in acute care clinics in Sweden. Data were analysed using thematic analysis.

Results: The overarching theme, “Equal care under pressure—guided by principles, shaped by context”, captured how professionals perceive the provision of cardiopulonary resuscitation (CPR) during sudden cardiac arrest as fundamentally equal. CPR was described as an automatic, protocol-driven intervention offered to all patients, reinforcing the principle of equality and without any clear discrimination based on ethnicity, gender, or socioeconomic background. However, equality in practice was nuanced. Decision-making about CPR introduce ethical complexity, particularly for older patients from whom prognostic uncertainty and emotional factors could influence care. Team competence was critical for maintaining equity under pressure, while contextual factors such as location, cultural norms, and safety concerns could delay or complicate treatment. Finally, professionals emphasize the need for structured reflection, recognizing its role in learning and ethical decision-making. Together, these findings illustrate that while CPR was guided by principles of equal care, its delivery was shaped by clinical judgment, team dynamics, and situational realities.

Conclusions: Healthcare professionals perceive cardiac arrest care as predominantly equal. However, subtle vulnerabilities challenge this perception. Older age emerged as the most influential factor in CPR decisions, raising concerns about potential ageism and the need for clearer Do Not Attempt Resuscitation (DNAR) criteria and patient involvement. Promoting equality requires team competence, structured reflection, and proactive communication about resuscitation preferences. Further research should examine age, multimorbidity, psychiatric illness, DNAR practices, and gender differences to strengthen equity in cardiac arrest care.

This chapter delves into the strategic judicial practices of the Court of Justice of the European Union (CJEU or the Court) when it opts not to make definitive rulings in certain cases, revealing a nuanced approach to its mandate. In order to do so, the CJEU employs a number of methods and techniques as part of its legal reasoning, three of which are explored in this chapter: dismissal, narrowing, and relinquishment. Dismissal can involve ruling cases inadmissible or premature, allowing the Court to sidestep substantive issues by focusing on procedural shortcomings. Narrowing encompasses both constraining the types of cases the Court hears and limiting the scope of its rulings. Institutional reforms, such as the introduction of an appeal filtering mechanism and the reassignment of certain preliminary ruling cases to the General Court, demonstrate some efforts to control its docket. Additionally, however, the Court’s attempt to limit the erga omnes effect of its rulings confines the applicability of judgments to specific factual circumstances, ensuring that national courts continue to refer cases to the Court, while avoiding broader implications. Relinquishment involves providing referring national courts with more than one answer to a given question, leaving the ultimate decision to the national court. Through these methods and techniques, the chapter argues that the Court’s practice of deciding not to decide is a deliberate and multifaceted strategy that serves various purposes, including managing its workload, avoiding contentious issues, and maintaining its position within the EU institutional architecture. Understanding these strategies offers a clearer basis for comprehending the Court’s actions in both past and future cases, highlighting the complexity and sophistication of its judicial role.

This paper addresses how a managing director in a social initiative formsand sustains herself as an ethical subject at work. Drawing onethnographic material and Simon Critchley’s philosophy, I theorize herethical subjectivity through the concepts of ethical experience andfaithless faith. The analysis shows how she, through an ethicalexperience, is passively moved by a felt demand (creating equalopportunities) and then actively binds herself to a notion of good(being a spokesperson). It further shows how her ethical subjectivity issustained through her faithless faith (practical commitment andcontinuous striving). The paper extends research on whether ethicalsubjectivity should be viewed as passive or active by highlighting howit unfolds as both over time. It also contributes to research on howethical subjectivity can be sustained amid multiple demands andchallenges. These insights advance research on ethical subjectivity as amessy, situated, embodied, meaningful, and relational practice.