This work introduces a dual-polarized metamaterial absorber with a wide transmission window located between two absorption bands. The structure is designed to achieve strong out-of-band absorption while maintaining broad in-band transmission. The top resonator includes four modified split-ring resonators with lumped resistors to achieve broad out-of-band absorption on both sides of the transmission window. The lower layer consists of a rectangular slot that operates as a parallel LC resonator, forming a band-pass frequency-selective surface (FSS) that provides a broad in-band transmission window while simultaneously serving as a defected ground plane to enhance out-of-band absorption. With an overall thickness of 0.075 λ_L, the proposed design achieves a 120% fractional bandwidth and maintains absorptivity greater than 80% over the 2.5-10.0 GHz frequency range, while exhibiting a low insertion loss of 1.0 dB at the center frequency of 5.98 GHz. The proposed rasorber demonstrates excellent overall performance by combining a wide out-of-band absorption, a broad in-band transmission, a high fractional bandwidth, low electrical thickness, angular stability, dual-polarization characteristics, and a simple, cost-effective fabrication approach. Equivalent circuit modeling, parametric analysis, polarization analysis, and surface current distribution studies are performed to investigate the operating mechanism and validate the performance of the proposed rasorber. The measured results of the fabricated prototype are in close agreement with the simulated results. The proposed rasorber exhibits significant potential for deployment in radomes, high-data-rate multiband communication systems, and other RCS-sensitive platforms.

This paper presents a comparative review of ferrite-based traction motors for electric vehicle (EV) applications. While numerous studies have examined ferrite-based motor designs in isolation, the literature still lacks a systematic comparative assessment across three levels: (i) the performance benchmarks of current commercial EV motors, (ii) the suitability of ferrite compared with rare-earth (RE) and other emerging permanent magnets, and (iii) the feasibility of ferrite-based motor topologies. A structured review, drawing on manufacturers' datasheets, government and third-party reports, material databases, and peer-reviewed literature, is conducted to systematically compare these three levels and address the identified gap.

The analysis shows that ferrite offers the most practical RE-free alternative, combining low cost, supply stability, and environmental sustainability, despite its lower remanence and coercivity compared with RE magnets. Design studies reveal that spoke-type, ferrite-assisted synchronous reluctance, and axial flux topologies can mitigate these limitations. Recent prototypes already demonstrate torque and power densities within the range of commercial EV motors, confirming that ferrite-based designs are no longer confined to theoretical feasibility. Overall, the evidence synthesized in this review indicates the practical viability of ferrite-based traction motors for EV applications.

Bacteria rarely live alone. Instead, they exist in complex communities where interactions between neighbouring cells affect their survival, adaptation, and ability to thrive in a shared environment. These interactions range from cooperative behaviours that help bacteria survive together to antagonistic strategies that suppress competing microorganisms. Understanding how bacteria balance cooperation and competition is important for explaining microbial community behaviour, especially in biofilms associated with chronic and recurrent infections.

Biofilms are a major challenge in healthcare because they are difficult to treat and often resist antibiotics. They are involved in many diseases, including catheter-associated urinary tract infections (CAUTI), ventilator-associated pneumonia (VAP), chronic wound infections, and infections associated with medical devices. These infections often involve multiple bacterial species coexisting at the same site. However, it is still not fully understood what determines whether bacteria compete, coexist, or support each other's survival.

This thesis studies how bacterial communities interact in different environments, focusing on how nutrient conditions, metabolic adaptation, and antagonistic behaviour shape bacterial survival. Using clinical isolates, laboratorystrains, biofilm models, metabolomics, and screening methods, this work examines interactions ranging from cooperationvia shared metabolism (Papers I-III) to direct chemical competition via growth inhibition (Paper IV).

Paper I studied the growth of Staphylococcus aureus and Pseudomonas aeruginosa in mono- and dual-cultures using clinical isolates from patients with VAP. Prior growth of S. aureus did not help P. aeruginosa subsequently attach to a surface. However, growing the two species together altered the bacterial growth, biofilm formation, the balance between species, and their metabolism. Higher biofilm biomass did not necessarily mean both species benefited equally; viable cell counts indicated that P. aeruginosa grew more than S. aureus in dual-species biofilms in the presence of glucose. These effects clearly depended on nutrient conditions and differed between clinical isolates and laboratory reference strains, showing that each patient's microenvironment can shape how bacteria survive.

Paper II studied interactions between Escherichia coli and P. aeruginosa under conditions similar to those in a urinary catheter. In an artificial urine medium, P. aeruginosa was the dominant species in dual-species biofilms, while nutrient-rich conditions allowed E. coli to compete more effectively or even become dominant in co-culture. Metabolomics analyses showed that both species adapted differently under varying growth conditions, and that their co-culture metabolic profile differed from those of either monoculture. This suggests that nutrient availability, together with how each species adjusts its metabolism, determines which species becomes dominant in catheter-associated biofilms.

Paper III, building on these findings, used a criss-cross sequential cultivation method to test whether the two species exchange metabolites directly. It was observed that E. coli consistently released succinate, which was later taken up by P. aeruginosa, showing a clear producer–consumer relationship. Other metabolites, including citrate, itaconate, cadaverine,and phenylalanine, showed patterns suggesting additional, more complex forms of metabolic exchange or species-specificmetabolism. These results suggested that nutrient sharing between species helps explain how these two clinically relevant bacteria coexist in nutrient-poor, host-associated environments, such as those in CAUTI. Unlike these cooperative interactions, bacterial communities can also be shaped by competition.

Paper IV studied the ability of marine bacteria to produce antimicrobial compounds as an example of this competitive strategy. One Bacillus subtilis isolate excreted compounds with antibacterial activity against other bacterial species, indicating that competition is an important survival strategy and that this isolate could be a potential source of new antibacterial compounds.

Overall, this thesis demonstrated that bacteria could interact in many different ways, from sharing nutrients and adapting together to actively suppressing one another. Which strategy occurs depends on the bacterial species involved and the environment they live in, showing that bacteria adjust their behaviour rather than relying on a single fixed way of coexisting. These findings offer new insight into how microbial communities function and may help improve the treatment of biofilm-related infections and also the discovery of new antibacterial compounds.

Kapitlet tar sin utgångspunkt i diskussioner om replikeringskrisen, en ökande misstro mot vetenskaplig expertis samt de förändrade villkor som digitala forskningsmiljöer innebär. Mot denna bakgrund analyseras begreppen tillit och autenticitet i forskningssammanhang, med fokus på arkiveringens funktion. Kapitlet problematiserar antagandet att ökad transparens i sig leder till ökad tillit, särskilt i digitala miljöer där forskningsmaterial är distribuerat över olika plattformar och där öppenhet måste balanseras mot sekretess och integritetsskydd. Trots att arkivering ofta motiveras genom juridiska krav, kulturarvsskäl och behovet av verifiering har dess betydelse för vetenskaplig legitimitet fått begränsad analytisk uppmärksamhet. Med stöd i tre teoretiska perspektiv (epistemisk tillit, den faktiska sanningens sårbarhet och relationell kunskap) utvecklar kapitlet modellen relationell vetenskaplig tillit. Modellen visar hur arkivering bidrar till tillit genom tre sammanlänkade funktioner: spårbarhet, förståelse och ifrågasättande. Genom att möjliggöra granskning och återskapande av forskningsprocesser fungerar arkivering som en infrastruktur för ansvarsutkrävande och kunskapsproduktion samt som ett skydd för den faktiska sanningen. Kapitlet positionerar därmed arkivering inte som ett administrativt efterarbete, utan som en central praktik för hur vetenskaplig tillit etableras, prövas och upprätthålls.

The COVID-19 pandemic led to substantial changes in working conditions in academia. This study aimed to explore how academics’ perceptions of job demands, resources and occupational well-being have changed since the COVID-19 pandemic, as well as their expectations and concerns regarding future working practices. To achieve this aim, we conducted a qualitative follow-up study with 16 academics who participated in our previous study during the COVID-19 pandemic (interviews conducted in 2020–2021) and were re-interviewed in 2025. Data were collected through semi-structured interviews and analyzed using qualitative content analysis. The findings indicated that academics continued to experience job demands related to reduced face-to-face communication, hybrid-remote working practices and work overload. In addition, institutional pressure to return to pre-pandemic working conditions was reported as a new job demand. Digital communication options, organizational support and individual digital skills continued to be perceived as resources that supported occupational well-being. Regarding future academic work, some expectations reported during the pandemic period continued into the post-COVID era, particularly flexibility in the choice of workspace, followed by increased use of digital technologies. Some participants also mentioned improved research opportunities and enhanced knowledge production. Concerns regarding reduced face-to-face interaction, management actions and their implications and fully digital education continued over time; however, management-related concerns became broader in the post-COVID era, encompassing issues such as resource constraints, pressure to return to pre-pandemic working conditions and employment insecurity. Some participants also raised new concerns regarding the increasing role of AI in academic work. This study contributes to understanding how academics’ perceptions of working conditions and occupational well-being have evolved since the pandemic. The findings highlight the diverse and sometimes competing perspectives among academics that universities need to consider when organizing and managing future academic work.

Jag intervjuade Bengt Alexanderson (f. 1932), pensionerad docent i grekiska och tidigare förste bibliotekarie vid Göteborgs universitetsbibliotek. Samtalet handlade om Bengts erfarenheter av studier och forskning i grekiska och latin i Göteborg, 1900-talets svenska klassiska filologi i allmänhet och grecismens fortsatta relevans idag.

This article analyses the emotion work of commercial mediators, a category oflegal professionals whose emotions have received scant attention in previous socio-legalresearch. To date, the law and emotion literature has extensively examined emotions incriminal proceedings, focusing particularly on the emotions of judges, jurors,prosecutors, and lawyers. Far less is known about emotions in commercial disputeresolution, where conflicts are often assumed to be governed by emotionless rationalcalculation. Drawing on observations of commercial mediations and interviews withcommercial mediators in Italy, the article shows different dimensions of mediators’emotion work: navigating epistemic emotions, such as gut feelings and fear, managingprofessional identities, performing impartiality, and calibrating empathy. It furtherdemonstrates how mediators instil feelings of hope and doubt in the parties to sustainengagement and loosen certainty. In this way, the article contributes to socio-legalscholarship on emotions in legal professions, dispute resolution, and economic conflicts

This article examines the narrated memory of a Swedish settler colony in northeast Argentina. Recently, scholarly attention has turned to how migrants of the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries contributed to colonizing processes in the Americas as they established themselves on lands already inhabited by Indigenous Peoples. The settlement of Swedish migrants in Misiones is here regarded as part of a strategy of settler colonialism advocated by the Argentine state in order to extend the agrarian frontier further and thereby ‘civilise’ and secure the nation’s rural landscape through the presence of white settlers. From this perspective, the aim of the article is to understand how the historical macropolitical framework of settler colonialism in Argentina is interwoven in the collective and individual narratives of Swedish descendants in present-day Misiones. The article draws on ethnographic interviews and observations made in Misiones between 2017 and 2019. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 34 individuals along with walk-along observations at seven Swedish community sites. The article argues that a central narrative of memory among the descendants of Swedish settlers relies upon certain elements crucial to settler colonial societies. However, while this narrative structure is intrinsic to settler colonialism, it must also be analysed as part of a migration narrative. This article brings forth new empirical material from a site in Latin America where Swedish migration history has not previously been studied ethnographically. Further, it brings the study of migration, colonial settlement, and indigenous dispossession together through its analysis of a settler narrative in the particular context of settler colonial history of Misiones.

This article explores how residents in rural Sweden experienced the 2018 forest wildfires. Using the concepts of dislocatory experiences and relocatory trajectories, it examines how disasters like wildfires disrupt meaning- making and social relations. Based on ethnographic interviews conducted from 2020 to 2021 in two rural communities, the article focuses on directly affected residents of evacuated areas and forest owners. It analyses how the wildfires disrupted their understandings of place, landscape, identity and time. The findings suggest that the wildfire functioned as a dislocatory event unfolding across a temporal dimension. It threatened material structures such as homesteads and forest areas and involved identity losses tied to people’s sense of belonging in both spatial and generational terms, disrupting their orientations towards the past, present and future.

The article explores 'off the grid' representations in social media, with a focus on how these representations reproduce imaginaries of nature, place and gender. The analysis material consists of content produced by three influencers who left urban life for a simpler lifestyle in northern Sweden. We find that the social media content draws on numerous ideals: neoliberal ideals on digital entrepreneurship, anti-capitalist ideals on ‘escaping’ modern consumerist society and romantic (sometimes colonial) envisioning of northern Sweden as wild and empty land. We conclude that the ‘off grid’ social media representations and the various ideals they incorporate should be understood as expressions of a contemporary era of neoliberal romanticism: a trend that exists both online and offline.

The rise of Maritime Autonomous Surface Ships (MASS) introduces critical challenges for emergency preparedness and response. This study examines a multiple-emergency sequence involving man-overboard, onboard fire, passenger evacuation, and loss of ship-shore connectivity on an uncrewed autonomous passenger river ferry. A simulated Remote Operations Center (ROC) operator, simulated passengers, and professional rescue services participated in the scenarios. Field observations and interviews revealed challenges related to coordination, communication, situational awareness, and physical access. The findings highlight the need for clearly defined operational roles and ROCresponder collaboration; improved decision-support tools; robust fallback systems with standardized onboard emergency controls and equipment; and effective bidirectional passenger communication. Overall, these insights inform future regulatory, technical, and procedural developments for emergency-management frameworks in urban autonomous ferry operations.

This dissertation applies an assemblage-informed analytical framework to the empirical case of The Satanic Temple (TST) to examine a contemporary religious movement engaged in social change. It explores how dynamics of alignment and tension shape the assemblage of TST, including its negotiations of stigma. Grounded in the sociology of religion, the study analyses TST across multiple levels: its positioning in relation to wider society, its internal cohesion and its enactment through individual practice. Particular attention is given to the role of value alignment, discourses, and aesthetic and emotional regimes in processes that stabilise or fragment the assemblage, as well as to how these dynamics are reflected in practice across digital and physical social spaces.

Empirically, the study draws on a mixed-methods design comprising digital material produced within TST, an online survey, semi-structured interviews, and participant observation. The study demonstrates how perspectives of alignment and tension, assemblage and practice can be integrated into a coherent analytical framework for the study of religious movements. It highlights how synergies between regimes of social ordering contribute to processes of territorialisation that stabilise the assemblage of TST, while tensions surrounding leadership, governance and activism generate processes of deterritorialisation. The findings confirm and extend previous research by demonstrating that activism alone cannot account for the assembling of TST. Stigma constitutes a central analytical concept, illuminating how the movement assembles under conditions of stigma and how members employ various forms of stigma management. The study also challenges understandings of alternative religiosity as primarily individualised by demonstrating how personal practices are shaped through collective frameworks and situated within broader socio-political contexts. Beyond the case of TST, the dissertation highlights the analytical value of assemblage-informed approaches for understanding dynamics in religious movements as relational processes of becoming.

We present a detailed chemical analysis of seven extremely metal-poor (EMP) star candidates observed with X-Shooter, combining them with 16 EMP candidates from Paper I. We measured abundances for 16 elements, showing excellent agreement with previously published results. The sample was further extended using high-resolution literature data for 315 metal-poor stars. The full sample was then kinematically separated into prograde disc, retrograde disc, GSE (GaiaSausage Enceladus), and halo classifications. Combining dynamics with chemistry, we demonstrate that the prograde disc exhibits a distinct negative linear trend in [Sc/Mg] with increasing metallicity, with a slope of -0.6 dex per dex. This contrasts with the halo trend at -0.04 dex per dex, a difference significant at the 3.95 sigma level. Within the metallicity range -4.2 <= [Fe/H] <=-1.9, the prograde disc trend is driven by low [Mg/Fe] at lower metallicities, along with low [Sc/Fe] at higher metallicities. This could be due to reduced early Mg enrichment in the progenitor prograde disc, followed by subsequent Mg enrichment, possibly associated with a later gas accretion event. However, the physical origin of the highermetallicity Sc depletion remains unexplained by current nucleosynthesis models. The resultremainssignificant at the >3 sigma level across kinematic classifications derived from a different Galactic potential. Additionally, we also identified an r-I star with enhanced Ti, moderately enhanced Sc, and depleted in C (unrelated to its evolutionary state). These abundances suggest a massive jet-induced hypernova progenitor, though a measurement of Zn is needed to verify this.

Lightning interaction with grounded structures and electrical systems is commonly modeled through partially decoupled steps, from long-gap breakdown parameterization to attachment modeling and network transient analysis. This thesis addresses the resulting lack of methodological coherence by developing a consistent, electric-field-driven leader progression framework in which exposure, attachment, and system-level performance are treated as linked outcomes of a common discharge process. The framework resolves streamer inception, corona charge development, leader inception, propagation, and breakdown and is applied from laboratory long air-gap discharges to power-system interaction.In Part I, the framework quantifies lightning exposure and attachment to grounded structures. For mountaintop towers, self-initiated upward lightning is described through a stabilization-field criterion yielding an effective height controlled by tower-to-mountain slenderness, demonstrating terrain-induced field enhancement governs exposure. For downward lightning to buildings and competing electrodes, attachment is modeled as the interaction between descending stepped leaders and upward connecting leaders, producing geometry- and direction-dependent attractive zones that depart from electrogeometric assumptions. Long air-gap studies show that, in competitive attachment, the final strike point is governed by the coupled timing of streamer activity and upward-leader development rather than geometric clearance.In Part II, the same modeling components are embedded in engineering performance assessment. A probabilistic framework estimates failure rates of transmission lines by combining simulation-based attachment modeling, parameterized return-stroke currents, network transient modeling, and Monte Carlo sampling. Results show that the choice of attachment model influences flash collection rate, current distribution, and outage rate, with differences increasing at higher tower footing impedance. Full-wave simulations of a wave energy converter in seawater show how conductive environments redistribute injected currents and attenuate high-frequency components, highlighting limitations of circuit-based representations.Part III examines the discharge-physics foundations through long air-gap experiments and modeling. Measurements under positive switching impulses show that streamer regions exhibit time-varying geometry and charge content controlled by the local field. Studies of leader propagation confirm that leader velocity is a derived outcome of field and charge-injection conditions, differing between non-overvoltage and overvoltage regimes and between rod–plane and sphere–plane configurations.Overall, the thesis demonstrates that engineering metrics such as effective height, striking distance, attractive radius, return-stroke current representation, and long air-gap parameters emerge from discharge physics, geometry, and environment within a coherent modeling framework. Exposure, attachment, and system-level performance are coupled outcomes of a common electric-field-driven process, providing a basis for assessing when simplified geometric approaches are sufficient and when physics-consistent modeling is required for lightning-resilient infrastructure design.

We set out to uncover how processes of mutual adaptation over iterative encounters inform the ways in which participants design their turns and actions. Analyzing assessment practices between an au pair and her host mother during mealtime interactions over nine months, we document both local, in situ adaptations in the course of single assessment activities and longitudinal change across repeated interactions over time. As their relationship evolves, participants move toward increased affect displays, stronger epistemic claims, and enhanced sharing of personal experiences. The findings show how local interactional practices are reflexively related to evolving social rapports between participants in regard not only to shared knowledge but also to the affective dimension of sociality. They also offer a methodological contribution to longitudinal CA by documenting how interactional histories shape the very opportunities for accomplishing precise actions in precise ways, which raises critical questions for comparability over time. Data are in French.

The punch-shear behaviour of jute fibre-reinforced epoxy composites containing biochar at 0, 5, 10, and 15 wt% was systematically investigated under quasi-static punch-shear loading using two indenter geometries: a flat circular nose and a hemispherical nose. Ten mechanical response parameters, including maximum shear strength, initial stiffness, yield stress and displacement, modulus of resilience, shear toughness, ductility index, brittleness index, and post-peak softening rate, were analysed. Under flat circular loading, the unfilled composite exhibited a low initial stiffness of 2.76 MPa/mm but a relatively high total toughness of 23.99 MPa mm attributable to its large displacement capacity. Biochar addition at 5 wt% raised stiffness dramatically to 11.83 MPa/mm whilst peak strength was maximised at 10 wt% (10.97 MPa). Under hemispherical loading, the composite with 15 wt% biochar produced the greatest total energy absorption of 41.88 MPa mm. Indenter geometry strongly modulated failure mode and energy absorption across all compositions. The findings provide practical guidance for optimising biochar content in jute composite panels for applications governed by concentrated or distributed punch shear loading.

Modern critical infrastructures heavily rely on large networked control systems whose sensing and communication layers are vulnerable to incidents such as cyber attacks. This thesis focuses on enhancing their security against stealthy false-data injection and spatio-temporal attacks. In the first part of the thesis, stealthy false-data injection attacks are first investigated for how they can cause significant performance degradation while remaining undetected. To alleviate the performance degradation, the thesis considers the security allocation problem: how to place limited monitoring and defense resources in a network so as to minimize the worst-case impact subject to stealthiness constraints. The problem becomes more practical when adversarial resources and information are assumed to be uncertain or incomplete. We develop optimization-based formulations that yield provably optimal allocation strategies and, under suitable control design, admit computationally efficient solutions for large networks. We then show how graph structure can be exploited to obtain interpretable design rules, including cases in which optimal monitoring decisions can be linked to centrality-based criteria in positive networks. Furthermore, we extend security allocation beyond fully rational players by modeling human-type adversary-defender interactions through cognitive security games, thereby capturing bounded rationality and strategic reasoning. In the second part of the thesis, we study the resilient state estimation problem in large networked control systems with non-periodic and asynchronously sampled measurements, in which sensors must transmit not only measurements but also sampling timestamps to the fusion center. This measurement and communication setup is well-suited to the operation of large control systems and, at the same time, leaves the system vulnerable to spatio-temporal attacks. To handle this possible vulnerability, we develop a secure estimation algorithm that (i) exactly recovers the oracle Kalman estimate in the absence of attacks and (ii) produces a secure state estimate that remains within a neighborhood of the oracle Kalman estimate in the presence of spatio-temporal attacks. Overall, the thesis provides mathematical and computational tools for designing secure monitoring and secure state estimation for large networked control systems.

This article examines working conditions in small-scale needlework production in eighteenth-century Stockholm, when many women turned to the needle trades to support themselves. Generally operating without formal recognition, their work was undocumented and thus difficult to trace. Employing a microhistorical approach, this article examines how personal circumstances as well as formal regulations shaped the work of individual practitioners. It highlights the working lives of two women who gained formal recognition by being granted manufacturing licences for needlework. While the benefits of institutional inclusion are hard to evaluate, the work was long-term and enabled one of the women to make strategic choices and thereby build a career to maintain independence.

Transparent hydrogen-evolution electrodes are essential for photoelectrochemical and optoelectronic energy-conversion devices, yet typically suffer from a trade-off between catalytic activity and optical transmission. Here, we demonstrate that an ultra-low loading of Pt single atoms (SA, 0.03 at%) directly anchored on fluorine-doped tin oxide (FTO) via a reactive deposition delivers hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) kinetics approaching bulk Pt, while remaining optically invisible. At this low SA loading, HAADF-STEM directly resolves atomically isolated Pt sites, while x-ray photoelectron and absorption spectroscopy confirm exclusively cationic Ptδ+ (δ ≈ 2) in Pt–O4 coordination. The Pt SA/FTO electrodes exhibit pH-universal HER activity, alongside turnover frequencies exceeding 500 s−1 at moderate overpotentials. Density Functional Theory calculations support the high stability of Pt SA/FTO and explain exceptional HER activity by optimized energetics of intermediate formation. Achieving comparable kinetics with conventional sputtered Pt films requires >1000-fold higher Pt loading and leads to substantial optical losses. Owing to its optical neutrality, the Pt SA/FTO electrode enables 2–3 × higher photocurrents than activity-matched Pt films when used as a counter electrode in sandwich-type photoelectrochemical cells. These results on Pt SA-decorated FTO thus describe a general strategy to unite noble-metal utilization, high catalytic efficiency, and optical transparency in electro- and photoelectrochemical devices.

Background: Chronic back pain is a major cause of disability and a socioeconomic burden. Previous studies on back pain have suggested a moderately increased risk for cardiovascular mortality in elderly women, but evidence in elderly men is lacking. We investigated the association between continuous chronic back pain for more than a year and incident cardiovascular events in a cohort of elderly men.

Methods: The Uppsala Longitudinal Study of Adult Men (ULSAM), a community-based cohort of elderly men (mean age, 71 years; n=1,024), was used to investigate the association between continuous back pain lasting more than one year and incident cardiovascular events (defined as a composite of coronary heart disease, cerebrovascular disease or cardiovascular mortality).

Results: During up to 20 years follow-up, 504 individuals developed a cardiovascular event. In Cox proportional-hazards models adjusted for a large number of established cardiovascular risk factors, socioeconomic factors, and lifestyle factors (age, systolic blood pressure, antihypertensive treatment, high- and low-density lipoprotein-cholesterol, triglycerides, lipid-lowering treatment, glomerular filtration rate, urinary albumin excretion, body mass index, diabetes, diabetes medication, insulin-sensitivity, C-reactive protein, educational level, smoking, physical activity) continuous chronic back pain was robustly associated with a more than 70 % increased risk for cardiovascular events (multivariable hazard ratio 1.71, 95 % confidence intervals 1.23-2.37, p<0.001).

Conclusions: Continuous chronic back pain for more than a year is a risk factor for cardiovascular events in elderly men. Our findings confirm previous evidence, highlighting chronic pain as a clinically relevant and under-recognized risk factor for cardiovascular disease that warrants consideration in future clinical guidelines.

Emotions, and their intersections in the spaces and places of our everyday lives, matter, especially because these emotions very often provide us with reminders of the past, mediate our present and shape the future. This research agenda continues the now consistent conceptual and method-based engagement of emotional geographies, discussing how and why emotions matter, while also providing a forum for multidisciplinary and interdisciplinary debate on theoretically informed research on the emotional intersections between people and place. These objectives are broadly conceived and seek to encourage investigations of feelings, encounter and affect in various spatial and social contexts, environments and landscapes. This introductory chapter charts how we, as authors, have navigated creating and sustaining emotional geographies through writing collaboratively and with close cognisance of our own positions. We identify four key opening themes – emotion(al) politics, emotions and performativity, emotions and movement, and emotion(al) technologies – that we think both showcase the intersections of emotional geographies to everyday life and cognate scholarship, but which also permeate through the following chapters too.

Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) is characterized by a highly desmoplastic and hypoxic tumor microenvironment that limits drug delivery and contributes to immune evasion and therapeutic resistance. Current in vitro models often fail to reproduce the selforganized stromal architecture of patient tumors. Here, we present a pancreatic tumor-on-chip model based on compartment-specific surface functionalization using a layer-by-layer cellulose nanofibril (CNF) coating to support 3D organization of pancreatic cancer cells and pancreatic stellate cells (PSCs). CNF functionalization promoted the formation and long-term maintenance of compact multicellular structures and distinct spatial organization of tumor and stromal cells compared with Pluronic F-127-coated and uncoated microfluidic environments. CNF-supported 3D organization was observed across multiple pancreatic cancer cell lines, while PSC organization varied depending on the co-cultured pancreatic cell type. Integration of an endothelial compartment further demonstrated coating-dependent spatial retention of HUVECs within the reconstructed tumor microenvironment. Together, these findings establish compartment-specific surface functionalization as an approach for generating spatially organized multicellular PDAC models within microfluidic devices.

Importance: Population-based colorectal cancer (CRC) screening with fecal occult blood tests (FOBT) is widely implemented. Estimating associations of invitation to and participation in the screening program with CRC mortality is challenging due to lack of valid control groups and uncertainties about optimal follow-up time.

Objective: To estimate associations of invitation to and participation in screening with CRC mortality reduction when adjusting death from CRC diagnosed more than 2 years after cessation of screening and nonadherence.

Design, Setting, and Participants: This prospective cohort study was conducted in the Stockholm-Gotland region of Sweden between 2008 and 2021. Yearly birth cohorts of individuals aged 60 to 69 years (born 1938-1954) were randomly assigned to a study group (SG) invited to screen between 2008 and 2012 or to a control group (CG) who were either invited to screen between 2013 and 2015 or were not invited to screen. Analyses were performed between May 2024 and February 2026.

Exposure: Invitation to and participation in CRC screening, adjusting for contamination in the SG (exposed), invitations in the CG (not exposed), and nonadherence. Main Outcome and Measures: CRC-specific mortality, defined as CRC in the Cancer Register (2008-2020) or the Swedish Quality Register for Colorectal Cancer (2021), with CRC as underlying cause of death in the Cause of Death Register. Poisson regression was used to estimate mortality rate ratios (RRs) with 95% CIs, adjusting for follow-up year, attained age at follow-up, contamination from CRC deaths diagnosed more than 2 years after screening in the SG, invitations in the CG, and nonadherence.

Results: The study included 376 511 individuals, with 203 692 in the SG (99 472 men [48.8%]; mean [SD] age at start of follow-up, 63.6 [3.2] years) and 172 819 in the CG (84 705 men [49.0%]; mean [SD] age at start of follow-up, 62.8 [3.5] years). During follow-up, 856 CRC deaths occurred in the SG and 812 CRC deaths occurred in the CG. After adjustment for CRC deaths diagnosed more than 2 years after the last SG invitation (455 deaths) and invitations in the CG (166 deaths), the RR was 0.74 (95% CI, 0.58-0.94), a 26% reduction. After further adjustment for nonadherence in the SG (196 deaths) and participation in the CG (82 deaths), the RR for participation was 0.57 (95% CI, 0.40-0.80), a 43% reduction.

Conclusions and Relevance: In this cohort study of population-based FOBT screening, screening invitation was associated with a 26% reduction in CRC mortality and participation was associated with a 43% reduction, after accounting for contamination and nonadherence. These findings suggest that bias adjustment is important when evaluating screening programs, and these findings support efforts to increase screening uptake.

Idiopathic normal pressure hydrocephalus (iNPH) is a neurological disorder of older adults characterised by gait and balance impairment, cognitive dysfunction, urinary symptoms, and ventriculomegaly. Cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) shunt surgery can produce clinically meaningful improvement, but no single test reliably identifies individual responders or distinguishes iNPH from all relevant neurodegenerative disorders. This thesis investigated the diagnostic, prognostic, and biological relevance of routine and inflammation-related CSF biomarkers in iNPH, together with postoperative changes in CSF proteins and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) measures.

Study I included 455 shunted patients with iNPH, of whom 376 had 12-month outcome data. Higher preoperative CSF levels of neurofilament light chain (NfL) and total tau (T-tau) were associated with less improvement after surgery. However, many patients with abnormal biomarker levels improved, and adding biomarkers to clinical and imaging variables did not improve outcome prediction. Study II compared inflammation-related CSF proteins in iNPH with Alzheimer’s disease, mild cognitive impairment, frontotemporal dementia, and healthy controls. MCP-1 and CCL4 were higher and PD-L1 lower in iNPH than in most comparison groups; a four-protein model showed good internally cross-validated discrimination. Study III found no robust associations between preoperative inflammatory proteins and baseline symptom severity after correction for multiple testing. CST5 was negatively associated with postoperative improvement in balance and continence. Study IV showed postoperative increases in routine and inflammatory CSF proteins, together with increased callosal angle and reduced ventricular and periventricular white matter hyperintensity volumes. These biomarker changes were not robustly associated with clinical outcome.

CSF biomarkers provide information about biological processes and group-level differences in iNPH, but none of the studied markers was sufficiently validated to serve as a stand-alone diagnostic or prognostic test. Clinical assessment, neuroimaging, and physiological testing therefore remain central, while the biomarker findings require validation in independent cohorts.

Background: Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is highly prevalent among refugees due to their exposure to traumatic events; however, many demonstrate resilience that mitigates its impact. Given the ethnocultural diversity of refugee populations, questions remain regarding whether their symptom presentation aligns with diagnostic and therapeutic frameworks developed in Western contexts. Furthermore, evidence is limited on how resilience relates to PTSD symptom clusters.

Objective: We examined (a) the contribution of PTSD symptom clusters to the overall PTSD construct in traumatized individuals with a refugee background, and (b) the structural relationships between PTSD symptom clusters and psychological resilience.

Method: The study included 267 (61% male) young adults (Mage = 25.21) with a refugee background who had experienced trauma. Questionnaires measured PTSD symptoms, psychological resilience and socio-demographic characteristics. Confirmatory factor analyses (CFA) and structural equation modeling (SEM) were utilized.

Results: Hyperarousal, negative alterations in cognition and mood (NACM), and re-experiencing symptom clusters were stronger indicators of PTSD, compared to avoidance symptoms. Additionally, resilience exhibited a stronger association with hyperarousal and NACM than re-experiencing, while its association with avoidance was not significant.

Conclusions: Hyperarousal represents an important symptom cluster within this population, possibly reflecting the impact of migration-related ongoing stressors. The findings also suggest patterns that may be related to ethnocultural differences in symptom expression and coping strategies. Higher resilience is associated with lower PTSD symptoms, but this association is contingent upon the strength of individual PTSD symptom clusters. Further research is warranted to replicate and extend these results.

This thesis aims to assess the remaining useful life of two representative bridge types in Sweden by combining full-scale experimental tests, Finite Element Analysis (FEA), and time-dependent reliability analysis. The combination of these methods seeks to enhance solution accuracy and reduce uncertainties. As the bridge population approaches its intended design life, concerns regarding their current condition start to rise. Recent bridge failures are proof of the need for experts to increase their efforts to accurately assess existing bridges' remaining useful life. However, structural remaining lifetime prediction is a challenging task given the complexity of structural behavior and the various environmental threats the structure faces. Additionally, inherent uncertainties are part of any engineering problem, making an exact solution difficult to achieve. Therefore, introducing probabilistic-based concepts to determine the structure capacity helps account for those uncertainties typically addressed in structural reliability analysis. Time-dependent reliability analysis offers a tool to assess the remaining useful life of a structure, expressed in terms of its time to failure. 

The first case study corresponds to a road existing bridge in north Sweden that has been already demolished. The structure is a prestressed box-girder concrete bridge, and it was 66 years old at the time of experimental data collection. The second case is a reinforced concrete (RC) trough railway bridge, which is a representative bridge type in Sweden. The trough bridge was cast at LTU in 2021 as a replica of the design of a decommissioned trough bridge from the Iron Ore Line. The experiments performed in both case studies are used for two main purposes: the calibration of the Finite Element (FE) models and the update of the probability distributions of the parameters involved in the time-dependent reliability analysis. This will help a better FE model to represent structural behavior and more accurate probabilistic models. Different sensors were implemented during the experimental data collection, such as fiber optic sensors (FOS), traditional strain gauges, and linear variable differential transformers (LVDTs).

Given that the communication between FE and reliability analyses can be computational overwhelming, this thesis proposes an improved metamodel-based reliability algorithm which integrates the advantages of kriging, learning, and copula functions. The proposed algorithm aims to reduce the number of performance function evaluations, so the number of model runs is feasible when using FEA. 

The results of this research provide a practical understanding of the stochastic process for resistance deterioration in both cases.  This includes degradation due to prestressing losses for the Kalix bridge and fatigue for the trough bridge. By considering the stochastic process over the years and the random nature of the loads over time, we were able to calculate the remaining useful life for the cases of no experimental information and updated using experimental data. These findings have direct implications for the maintenance and management of similar structures, providing valuable insights for the field of civil engineering and structural reliability analysis. 

Den här rapporten sammanfattar utfallen av forskningsprojektet ”Modellering av mikromobilitet (M3) – fortsättningsprojekt kring parkering och ruttval” som genomfördes vid Avdelningen för transportplanering, KTH och Trafikanalys och logistik, VTI, från januari 2024 till juni 2026. Projektet finansierades av Trafikverket genom Centre for Traffic Research (CTR) och forskningsportföljen Möjliggöra. Per F Eriksson har varit handläggare av projektet hos Trafikverket.

Projektet har letts av Erik Jenelius, KTH. Boel Berg Wincent, KTH har genomfört merparten av arbetet med datainsamling, bearbetning och analys. Wilco Burghout, KTH har tillsammans med Erik Jenelius varit handledare för Boels doktorandstudier under projektet. Chengxi Liu, VTI har lett arbetet med att implementera elsparkcyklar i MatSim. Filip Kristofersson, VTI, har genomfört merparten av det arbetet.

En referensgrupp bestående av Per F Eriksson, Matilda Mårtensson och Johan Irvenå från Trafikverket, Tina Ghasemi Liljekvist och Sofie Cederberg från Voi, Tobias Carlsson från Region Stockholm, Henrik Söderström från Stockholms stad och Markus Aarflot, Göteborgs stad, har följt projektet och bidragit med värdefull input. Vi vill tacka alla medlemmar för deras tid och engagemang som bidragit till projektets framgång. Vi vill särskilt tacka Voi för deras delning av data som varit ovärderlig för projektet, samt Stockholms stad för deras hjälp med kompletterande data.

Rapporten inleds med en beskrivning av bakgrunden till projektet, följt av syfte och mål, metodik, projektledning och genomförande. Rapporten avslutas med sammanfattning av våra viktigaste slutsatser och några utpekade riktningar för vidare forskning, följt av redovisningar av genomförd resultatspridning och forskningsrapporter.

The challenge of low electric outputs of triboelectric nanogenerators limits their large-scale practical applications. Although considerable efforts have been focused on improving the output, e.g., enhancing the surface charge densities of tribo-materials, the improvements are either too weak or too complicated. Here, we show that optimizing the running-in process with dimethyl sulfoxide solvent can increase the charge density of polyimide-based triboelectric nanogenerators to 2.5 mC m−2, a fourfold enhancement compared with untreated devices. The solvent-assisted running-in process removes the worn radicals, debris, or transferred materials on the contact surface, reducing electron transfer hindrance issues. Through time-of-flight secondary ion mass spectrometry, molecular dynamics simulations and density functional theory analyses at the molecular and electronic levels, the results indicate that running-in friction further induces the breakage of the N–C bonds in polyimide, resulting in the freedom to release amide groups. Together with the function of dimethyl sulfoxide-driven extraction, the amide-containing chains rearrange into “molecular brushes” towards contact surfaces, among which the highly electron-withdrawing C = O bonds are thus exposed and capture electrons from the counter tribolayer. This solvent-assisted running-in strategy improves electrical output in engineering polymers without material modification and clarifies how tribological running-in can be used to regulate triboelectric performances.

This thesis evaluated long-term outcomes for adults with UCLP treated with Skoog's lip repair, using complementary quantitative and qualitative methods across five papers.

Paper I examined whether objective nasal function measures (acoustic rhinometry and rhinomanometry) correlated with self-reported symptoms and clinical findings. Smaller anterior nasal cavity area/volume on the operated side was linked to a greater desire to improve nasal function and more frequent reported obstruction. Greater septal deviation was associated with a more affected posterior nasal cavity, but not with higher airflow resistance.

In Paper II, adults with UCLP reported significantly lower satisfaction with lip appearance than non-cleft controls, and also expressed a higher desire to change their appearance. Secondary lip revisions correlated with a greater desire to change lip appearance, but not with satisfaction itself.

Findings in Paper III showed that all panels rated lip appearance in UCLP patients as worse than controls. Professionals gave the most favorable ratings, followed by the CLP panel, while the lay panel was most critical. Intra-rater agreement was moderate to good for the professional and lay panels but poor for the CLP panel; inter-rater agreement was generally poor. No panel's ratings correlated with self-assessments.

In Paper IV, median lip asymmetry was 18%, calculated using SymNose. Intra-rater agreement ranged from good to excellent, while inter-rater agreement was moderate. Asymmetry measurements did not correlate with panel ratings or self-assessments.

Paper V was a qualitative study based on semi-structured interviews with twelve individuals, at a mean follow-up of approximately 49 years. Three themes were identified. (1) Experiences of living with an altered appearance: appearance perception ranged from positive and accepting to persistent dissatisfaction, with acceptance coming gradually over time even as awareness of appearance persisted throughout life. (2) Impact on self-esteem and social interactions: bullying was predominantly verbal and directed at facial appearance during school years, with consequences enduring into adulthood. Supportive parenting and loyal peer networks emerged as key protective factors. (3) Experiences of healthcare and support: experiences were mixed, with gratitude for staff warmth and clinical skill, but also unmet surgical expectations, gaps in psychosocial support, inadequate communication, and insufficient information.

Refugees and asylum seekers have commonly experienced substantial adversity and trauma, and are continuously exposed to postmigration stressors. Both previous and ongoing stress increase the risk for mental health problems, and high prevalence of psychiatric symptoms is consistently found in refugee populations. Despite this, mental health services tend to be underused, and access is compromised by structural, linguistic, and cultural barriers, resulting in a treatment gap. Digital screening, particularly using a hierarchical, multi-disorder design, could increase efficiency of identification and early assessment, and facilitate access to mental health services. The overall aim of this thesis was to develop and evaluate an efficient, accurate, and accessible tiered screening tool for identification of clinically relevant symptoms of major depressive disorder, anxiety disorder, post-traumatic stress disorder, and insomnia disorder among individuals with a refugee background in Sweden.  

We designed the i-TAP, an internet-based, adaptive screening model with three tiers. This thesis includes three studies with the respective aims to develop the i-TAP, evaluate its criterion validity, and investigate the user experience, acceptability, and content validity of the i-TAP from a user perspective. In Paper I, the tiered model was developed and optimised, and the first two tiers were evaluated for accuracy; the hierarchical design could decrease item burden without compromising accuracy. Symptom burden was high in the sample with 73.6% reporting moderate to severe symptoms. In Paper II, the i-TAP was tested against a clinical reference standard. In this sample, just over half of the participants met criteria for one or several psychiatric disorders, of whom the i-TAP correctly identified 91.7%. Diagnostic accuracy was 84.3% for any disorder, and somewhat lower for the specific disorders (77.1-78.6%). In Paper III, semi-structured interviews conducted in conjunction with data collection for Paper II were analysed using reflexive thematic analysis. Four themes were constructed addressing the content, usability, prospective implementation, and emotional and cultural aspects of addressing mental health issues. Findings suggested generally high acceptability of the i-TAP, contingent on established trust and follow-up. Participants found the i-TAP relevant and comprehensible, supporting content validity from a user perspective, though not fully comprehensive, as reflected in a clear wish to say more about one’s history and current situation.  

Taken together, findings from the three papers support the i-TAP as an accurate, efficient, and acceptable mental health screening tool that could be used among individuals with a refugee background in Sweden. At the same time, results underscore the importance of follow-up and further assessment: the i-TAP should complement, not replace, a health care visit, and should not be used as a diagnostic tool. Combined with the high symptom prevalence found in both samples, these results support routine mental health screening in this population, with the i-TAP as a suitable tool for this purpose, provided that it is implemented in a system with the resources to act on its findings.

Ensemble forecasts of extreme wind and precipitation provide essential information for early warning systems. In this study, we present two forecasting approaches that combine a stochastic weather generator (SWG) with atmospheric circulation analogs to forecast extreme precipitation and extreme wind speed in Europe. The first approach, which we term HC-SWG, combines ECMWF ensemble reforecasts with the stochastic weather generator to forecast extreme precipitation at different locations in Europe. The second approach, which we term MA-SWG, uses multivariate atmospheric analogs as input to the SWG to forecast extreme 10 m wind speed. These ensemble forecasts of precipitation and wind speed extremes display a higher forecast skill than ECMWF numerical reforecasts at lead times up to 10 d, using station data as the ground truth. As a final step, we evaluate the forecasted and observed frequencies of simultaneous and sequential precipitation and wind speed extremes in Europe, which are a class of high-impact compound events. Our forecasts yield comparable occurrence frequencies to the observations.

This year marks the 10th anniversary of the journal Nordic Welfare Research. In this publication, ten articles from the journal’s inception to the present are re-published.

The Editors in chief Terje Olsen, NOVA – OsloMet and David Pålsson, Stockholm University have selected articles that reflects the breadth of topics, research methods and academic disciplines represented among the contributing authors. The selection includes both well-established as well as emerging authors, it demonstrates the Nordic scope, and highlights collaboration among professionals across several of the countries.

Zoonotic diseases disproportionately burden settings where humans and livestock coexist, yet community-level knowledge, attitudes, and practices (KAP) remain poorly characterized in West Africa. This study aimed to assess KAP regarding zoonotic diseases and document household biosecurity gaps among livestock-keeping community members in Ada East Distrct in Ghana. A concurrent mixed-methods design was employed, integrating a quantitative cross-sectional survey with a qualitative focus group discussion. Livestock-keeping adults were recruited from five health facilities in Ada East District. A structured survey measured knowledge, attitudes, and livestock-handling practices. Composite KAP scores were dichotomized using a modified Bloom's cutoff (>= 60%). Multivariable logistic regression analyses were conducted to identify factors associated with good knowledge, positive attitudes, and good practices. A focus group discussion (FGD) explored perceptions of transmission, livestock management, and outbreak preparedness. Among 252 survey participants, 66.3% demonstrated good overall knowledge of zoonotic diseases; however, only 10.6% had good knowledge of Ebola virus disease symptoms. Positive attitudes were observed in 44.0% of respondents, while 86.9% reported good livestock-handling practices. Education beyond primary school was independently associated with higher odds of good knowledge (adjusted odds ratio (aOR) 1.97, 95% confidence intervals (CI) 1.05-3.69). Animal-related occupations were associated with lower odds of positive attitudes (aOR 0.46, 95% CI 0.25-0.85) but higher odds of good practices (aOR 3.58, 95% CI 1.26-11.8). FGD (n = 8) identified bats and sick animals as transmission sources, described economic barriers, and expressed variable beliefs regarding prevention and stigma. These findings highlight the need for locally tailored, One Health-oriented risk communication and biosecurity interventions targeting groups with lower educational attainment and limited access to animal health services.

Background: Objective methods for assessing abdominal muscle function in women with diastasis recti abdominis (DRA) are currently limited. This study aimed to determine the test-retest reliability, convergent validity, and feasibility of a five-sit-to-stand test (5-STS) from three different chair heights in women with and without DRA.

Methods: Forty age- and body-mass-index-matched women with and without DRA were included in a cross-sectional study with a test-retest design. The performances of three 5-STS tests were assessed in random order, from chair heights of 43 cm, 20 cm, and an individually set height, along with an isometric abdominal muscle strength test for comparison. Relative test-retest reliability was assessed by Intraclass Correlation Coefficients (ICC), absolute reliability using Standard Error-of-Measurement (SEM) and minimal detectable change (MDC). Convergent validity was explored through correlations with key clinical characteristics, including age, inter-recti distance width, body perception, back pain, and quality-of-life. Feasibility measures included completion rates, symptoms, and adverse events.

Results: All 5-STS tests were feasible, with moderate to excellent relative reliability (ICC = 0.681–0.949) and comparable absolute reliability (SEM = 0.70–0.86 s, MDC = 1.95–2.39 s). Among the women with DRA, convergent validity measurements revealed significant moderate to very large correlations between the 5-STS test results, specifically the 5-STS 43 cm chair height test, and inter-recti distance width, abdominal circumference, body perception, and back paine (rho −0.549 to 0.735).

Conclusion: The 5-STS test performed from a standard 43 cm chair height emerged as the most promising due to feasibility, moderate to excellent test-retest relative reliability, good absolute reliability, and convergent validity.

Objective: Adjacent segment disease (ASD) is a recognized long-term complication after anterior cervical discectomy and fusion (ACDF). Cervical disc arthroplasty (CDA) was introduced as a motion-preserving alternative, thought to reduce stress at adjacent levels and lower ASD risk. This study aimed to compare the risk of ASD requiring reoperation after ACDF and CDA and identify factors associated with ASD. Methods: This retrospective cohort study used prospectively collected data from the Swedish Spine Registry (Swespine) and included adult patients undergoing anterior cervical surgery for degenerative cervical disease between 2006 and 2026. ASD was defined as a secondary operation at an adjacent level >= 12 months after the index procedure. Cumulative incidence was estimated using Kaplan-Meier analysis, and associations with ASD were evaluated using multivariable Cox proportional hazards regression. Radiological or conservatively treated ASD were not assessed. Results: A total of 9,338 patients were included (ACDF, n = 9,005; CDA, n = 333). During 45,666 person-years follow-up, 509 ASD events occurred (incidence rate 11.1 per 1,000 person-years). Cumulative incidence was 4.9% at 5 years and 10.4% at 10 years. CDA was associated with lower ASD hazard than ACDF (hazard ratio [HR], 0.61) though this association was not significant after propensity score matching (HR, 0.88). Multilevel procedures (HR, 0.61), increasing age (HR, 0.96 per year), and radiculopathy were associated with lower risk, while myelopathy or stenosis was associated with higher risk (HR, 1.22). Conclusion: The long-term risk of ASD requiring reoperation was lower than previously reported. After adjustment, CDA was associated with lower ASD risk compared to ACDF, although the absolute difference was small, and the clinical significance remains uncertain.

This article studies a compound extreme climate event and one of the last major mortality events that occurred in southern Sweden during the years 1783–1785. Harvest failures and grain shortages in large parts of the Swedish realm followed one the worst agricultural droughts in the historical record in the late spring and summer of 1783. In addition, contemporaries observed anomalous amounts of sun-smoke in the summer of 1783, likely related to the Lakagígar volcanic eruption that began in June of that year. The subsequent winters after the eruption were extremely cold, contributing to an already tenuous situation of malnutrition and poverty following the agricultural drought. Using detailed climate, agricultural, and demographic data, this article tracks the development of the crisis and attempts to establish a causal chain of events. We find that southern Sweden experienced clearly elevated grain prices following the harvest in 1783, building on an already constrained situation with high grain prices since 1781, with increased mortality beginning in September 1783, and in particular during the late winter and spring of 1783/1784 and lasting throughout most of 1785 and, to a lesser extent, 1786. Births also decreased in the period 1784–1787. A substantial part of these adverse demographic outcomes can be attributed to widespread malnutrition following the 1783 drought and the anomalously cold conditions during the subsequent winters.

Tillgänglighet i landsbygder och mindre tätorter har länge betraktats som en fråga om transporter. När service centraliseras förväntas invånarna resa längre för att nå vård, handel, utbildning och andra samhällsfunktioner. Projektet ”Vänd på tänket för ökad tillgänglighet i glesa geografier" har studerat hur tillgängligheten på landsbygder kan öka genom att i stället låta service och tjänster komma till invånarna.

Forskningsprojektet finansierades av Trafikverket och genomfördes under perioden 2024-2026 i samarbete mellan IVL Svenska Miljöinstitutet, Trivector Mobility och VTI – Statens väg- och transportforskningsinstitut. Triple Access Planning-modellen har fungerat som teoretisk utgångspunkt och projektet bygger på enkätstudier, fallstudier, intervjuer, workshops och samhällsekonomiska analyser av lösningar från olika delar av Sverige. I projektet har tre olika strategier identifierats för att vända på tänket och öka tillgängligheten till service i landsbygder: servicen etableras lokalt, den digitaliseras eller den blir mobil och kommer till invånarna. Exempel på lösningar är allt från hybridbutiker och multifunktionella servicepunkter till fjärrundervisning, digital vård, bokbussar, mobila vårdtjänster eller fritidsverksamheter som flyttar mellan olika orter. När service finns närmare människor minskar behovet av resor.

Samtidigt visar studien att lösningarna ofta skapar fler nyttor än bara ökad tillgänglighet. Färre transporter innebär lägre klimatpåverkan, men lösningarna kan även stärka den sociala sammanhållningen genom att skapa mötesplatser och lokalt engagemang, bidra till arbetstillfällen och göra det lättare att bo kvar i mindre orter. Många av de framgångsrika exempel som beskrivs i rapporten bygger på lokalt engagemang och eldsjälar. Samtidigt visar projektet att ideella krafter inte kan bära utvecklingen ensamma. För att fler ska kunna använda och utveckla vänd- på- tänket-lösningar krävs stödjande strukturer från offentliga aktörer.

Tillgänglighet behöver få större plats i samhällsplaneringen och inte enbart behandlas som en transportfråga. Kommuner och regioner behöver planera för tillgänglighet bredare än transporter och aktivt stödja de aktörer som redan idag bygger framtidens landsbygdsservice. Rekommendationen är också att fler funktioner samlas i lokala servicenoder, att avtal och upphandling används mer strategiskt och att kommuner och regioner avsätter resurser för samverkan med näringsliv och civilsamhälle. En viktig uppgift för Tillväxtverket och andra organisationer som arbetar med att stötta landsbygdsutveckling är att sprida kunskap om nya arbetssätt till fler aktörer. Sist men inte minst behöver regering och riksdag se till att det finns en grundläggande finansiering så att kommuner och regioner kan stötta innovativa lösningar som ökar tillgängligheten i glesa geografier genom att vända på tänket.

A bridge failure can result in significant social, economic, and environmental problems; therefore, its reliability and risk management are essential. Bridges’ system reliability and risks are governed mainly by their redundancy and robustness, which currently are not adequately included in most design code specifications. Thus, in this study, a comprehensive comparison between relevant importance, redundancy, and robustness indicators found in the literature with different levels of complexity is carried out. The indicators under analysis have been used separately in different studies but have never been addressed together. Therefore, this study presents a joint evaluation of deterministic, reliability- and risk-based indicators to evaluate the differences in interpretation and information provided by the indicators. The approach is exemplified by analyzing a prestressed concrete bridge subjected to continuous degradation due to chloride ingress. A procedure is implemented to couple a metamodel-based reliability approach with a Nonlinear Finite Element Analysis (NLFEA). Based on the analysis performed, the comparison between indicators showed how different interpretations can be obtained depending on the implemented approach. Thus, creating more uniform formulations and agreeing on target values is necessary to help with redundancy and robustness interpretation.

Overset grid methods handle complex geometries by overlapping simpler, geometry-fitted grids to cover the original, more complex domain. However, ensuring their stability—particularly at high orders—remains a theoretical challenge: although overset grid methods perform robustly in extensive practical use, general stability proofs are not available. In this work, we address this gap by developing a discrete counterpart to the recent well-posedness analysis of Kopriva, Gassner, and Nordström for continuous overset domain initial-boundary-value problems. To this end, we introduce the novel concept of sub-cell summation-by-parts (SBP) operators. These discrete derivative operators mimic integration by parts at a sub-cell level. By exploiting this sub-cell SBP property, we develop provably conservative and energy-stable overset grid methods for fixed one-dimensional overset domains that do not change with time or under grid refinement, providing a step toward stability proofs for overset grid methods based on the energy method.

INTRODUCTION: This study evaluates a professional ice hockey team from the Swedish Hockey League (SHL) using comprehensive player profiling to examine positional differences and to identify how individual age, anthropometric, and physical characteristics predict sprint performance.

METHODS: Twenty-three players from one SHL team underwent an off-ice test battery, including anthropometric and physical assessments. The anthropometric assessment included body fat percentage using dual-energy X-ray. Physical performance assessments included isometric mid-thigh pull, vertical jump, off-ice sprints over 5, 10, and 20 meters, and aerobic power. A correlation matrix was computed to examine relationships between physical characteristics. Significant correlations with age were included as predictors for regression models with sprint performance.

RESULTS:  > 0.05).

DISCUSSION: These cohort-specific findings indicate comparable physical performance and anthropometric profiles across SHL positions, and that age and body fat percentage are independent predictors of short-distance sprint performance.

Over the last few decades, evaluating the performance of existing structures has become increasingly important, particularly as the number of bridges reaching their design life continues to rise. As a result, there is a growing need for effective and accurate procedures to guide the assessment of the current structures' capacity and safety levels to implement appropriate maintenance and rehabilitation strategies. Evaluating a structure's performance involves assessing its ability to carry loads, resist external forces, and maintain its functionality over time. This is a complex process that requires a deep understanding of the structure's behavior, as well as knowledge of the environmental conditions it is subjected to.

In recent years, technological advances and an increased understanding of reliability concepts have allowed for the development of more sophisticated tools and methods for structural evaluation. Thus, engineers and researchers can obtain more accurate and reliable data about a structure's performance, which can inform decision-making processes related to maintenance, repair, and replacement.

This study aims to present a methodology that guides the assessment of existing structures' performance effectively and accurately. Precisely, the performance is measured in terms of redundancy and robustness. Thus, a comparison of existing reliability- and risk-based indicators is performed through an example application presented in one of the appended papers. The comparison allows an overview of the difference between the available measures and the type of information provided by each one of them.

Also, in one of the appended papers a new algorithm for evaluating the failure probability value is proposed. The algorithm is based on metamodel strategies and integrates the advantages of kriging, learning, and copula functions. The proposed algorithm aims to reduce the number of performance function evaluations, so the number of model runs is feasible when using Finite Element Modeling (FEM).

By comparing the available redundancy and robustness indicators, it was possible to observe that each measure provides different insights into these two structural properties. Additionally, direct comparison between them is challenging since their units can differ, and the lack of a target or standard values makes their interpretation difficult. Therefore, when using a specific indicator, it is required to specify the definition adopted clearly.

Furthermore, the proposed algorithm showed through the validation examples and the case study that it can obtain the failure probability accurately and effectively. Its application resulted in a more economical methodology, in terms of computational cost, compared to other existing reliability methods. 

Background: Evidence-based interventions (EBIs) are frequently modified in practice. It is recommended that decisions to modify EBIs should be made deliberately to ensure fidelity-consistency, yet the relationship between fidelity-consistency and deliberateness is not well understood. This study aims to explore modifications in a sample of practitioners delivering evidence-based parenting programs (i.e., interventions to strengthen parent–child relationships, reduce harmful interactions, and improve child health and well-being). The study investigated three research questions: (1) What kind of modifications are made during the delivery of parenting programs? (2) To what degree are the identified modifications consistent with the core functions of each program? and (3) Is deliberateness associated with the fidelity-consistency of the identified modifications?

Methods: In total, 28 group leaders of five widely disseminated parenting programs in Sweden participated in five focus groups, and two participants from each group also participated in individual interviews (n = 10). A content analysis approach was used where the identification of modifications was directed by the Framework for Reporting Adaptations and Modifications-Enhanced (FRAME) and then assessed for fidelity-consistency and four levels of deliberateness (universal, situational, conditional, and unintentional). Chi-square tests were performed to compare consistent and inconsistent modifications, and logistic regression was performed to explore whether deliberateness predicted consistency.

Results: A total of 137 content modifications were identified, covering most of the content modification categories in FRAME. The most common were tailoring/tweaking/refining, adding elements, shortening/condensing, lengthening/extending, and integrating another treatment. Modifications were mostly fidelity-consistent but consistency varied greatly among categories. Furthermore, modifications made unintentionally or situationally were more likely to be fidelity-inconsistent.

Conclusions: These results indicate that explicit consideration of modifications and their impact could be essential for sustaining the fidelity-consistent use of EBIs, even as such interventions are continuously modified.

This paper presents a multi-level reliability framework for assessing the fatigue life of reinforced concrete (RC) railway trough bridges subjected to cyclic loading. The framework incorporates increasing levels of analytical complexity and real-world data in four steps. First, an analytical model applies S–N curves and the Palmgren–Miner rule with constant stress assumptions. Second, monitored strain data refine stress estimates. Third, a calibrated finite element (FE) model is used to simulate degradation and structural response. Fourth, survival information conditions the reliability on observed performance. The framework is applied to a RC trough bridge tested under representative railway loading using traffic data from Sweden’s Iron Ore Line. Results demonstrate the value of combining monitoring, FE modelling, and probabilistic methods for evaluating remaining service life (RSL). From step 1 to step 3, the methodology extended the RSL estimates by 39 years, allowing an increase in mean axle load by approximately 20%. 

Background: Implementing evidence-based parenting programs often involves navigating fidelity-adaptation decisions. While research has explored various aspects of this dilemma, little is known about how practitioners’ outcome preferences influence their decisions in real-world scenarios.

Methods: This study employed a discrete choice experiment (DCE) to investigate the relative importance of five outcomes (Relationship Quality, Satisfaction, Workload Strain, Value Conflict, and Reach) in fidelity-adaptation decisions among 209 practitioners delivering evidence-based parenting programs in Sweden. The DCE presented 25 choice sets across five contextual scenarios, analyzed using Bayesian hierarchical logistic regression.

Results: All five outcomes significantly influenced practitioners’ choices, with Relationship Quality emerging as the most impactful (log-odds: 4.56, 95% CI [4.16, 4.91]). Satisfaction and minimizing Value Conflict showed similar importance (log odds: 2.45 and -2.40, respectively), while Workload Strain and Reach had slightly less impact (log odds: -2.10 and 1.96, respectively).

Conclusions: This study offers a novel perspective on the role of outcome preference in navigating fidelity-adaptation decisions. The strong preference for improving parent-child relationships aligns with core parenting program goals, while consideration of other outcomes reflects practitioners’ holistic approach to implementation. These findings can inform the design of interventions and implementation strategies that balance effectiveness with real-world constraints, potentially enhancing parenting programs’ adoption, sustainability, and impact.

Nuvarande regel om “betryggande avstånd” vid omkörning är otydlig och svår att tillämpa. Minskat omkörningsavstånd ökar kollisionsrisken och otryggheten. Forskningen visar samtidigt att nära omkörningar är vanligt förekommande. Ett införande av en fast avståndsregel (t.ex. 1,5 meter) riskerar att bli svårt att efterleva och kontrollera. Denna policy brief föreslår i stället en tydligare och mer tillämpbar princip: att cyklister inte ska köras om av motorfordon inom samma körfält. Förslaget bedöms ha goda förutsättningar att för bättra trafiksäkerheten och öka tryggheten, samtidigt som det är enklare att kommunicera, följa upp och efterleva.

Reinforced concrete (RC) trough bridges form a crucial part of Europe's railway infrastructure. These structures consist of a U-shaped cross-section (two longitudinal beams and a slab) designed to accommodate the ballast. For the case of the Iron Ore Line, a critical corridor located in the north of the country, RC trough bridges represent about 40 % of the railway bridge population. Many of these bridges have surpassed 50 years of service, enduring over 10 million cycles of fatigue loading, with increases of axle loads since their construction due to demands associated with the iron ore extraction and transportation. As these structures approach critical maintenance or replacement decisions, understanding their long-term performance and remaining capacity is essential. This study experimentally investigates the degradation behavior of a full-scale RC trough bridge subjected to progressive cyclic loading, simulating fatigue effects over time. During the controlled laboratory tests, the overall performance of the bridge is assessed, focusing on the stiffness loss of slab and beams, cracking, and force redistribution. Fatigue verifications based on Eurocode EN1992–1–1 and fib Model Code 2020 are performed alongside the reliability analysis using the First-Order Reliability Method (FORM) to evaluate structural safety levels. While fatigue damage is evident in the slab's tensile zone, the overall structural response indicates that the bridge maintains its functional capacity after simulating 48 years of service. However, the code-based reliability analysis indicates lower-than-target reliability levels for reinforcement, suggesting a conservative estimation of reinforcement capacity to withstand cyclic loading.

This presentation aims to exemplify and problematize how students in the early grades engage in talking mathematics concerning functional relationships, and how such engagement can foster the development of functional thinking through pattern generalizations. The terminology associated with functional thinking, such as linear functions, coordinates, rate of change, covariation and independent and dependent variables is not only novel to students but frequently unfamiliar and challenging to teachers in lower grades (Wilkie, 2020). For teachers working with younger students, this specialized terminology can seem abstract and disconnected from everyday classroom practice. However, research demonstrates that these concepts can be made accessible and pedagogically meaningful, even for young students, A central question arises: What mathematical concepts might be important for supporting the development of functional thinking in young learners, and in what ways can these concepts be explored through mathematical talk? One approach to engage students in mathematical talk about functional relationships is focusing on pattern generalization and relations through the lens of Smith’s (2008) three modes of functional thinking: recursive patterning, covariational thinking and correspondence relationships. These modes provide a conceptual structure for identifying how functional thinking can be introduced and developed in the early years. By situating mathematical talk within these modes, teachers can create opportunities for deepening students’ understanding of generalizations and promoting functional thinking from an early age (Sterner, 2022; 2024). An intervention study involving Grade 1 (seven-year-olds) and Grade 6 (twelveyear-olds) students and their teachers demonstrated that the graph representation, often considered complex, can serve as an accessible tool for supporting students’ functional thinking, particularly pattern generalization (Sterner, 2022; 2024). Through engagement with graphs and patterns exploration, both students and teachers were able to conceptualize and articulate the three modes of functional thinking. Classroom activities enable students to identify and interpret functional relationships and formulate generalizations. Notably, the mathematical talk in the classroom shifted from a focus on recursive patterning toward richer conversations about covariational thinking and correspondence relationships. These latter modes became visible when the students used the graph in linear relationships and using discrete values. For instance, students talked about the meaning of proportionality by interpreting the structure and the correspondence relationships within a general formula. In Grade 1, students referred to the slope of the graph using the metaphor of “big and little tents” to talk about rate of change along the 𝑦-axis and 𝑥-axis, an intuitive way of expressing rate of change despite Proceedings of Madif 15 241 NON-REFEREED ABSTRACT not having access to formal variable notation. Such examples illustrate how young students can engage meaningfully with functional relationships through specific pattern generalizations.  It is worth mentioning that the use of graphical representation does not automatically contribute to mathematical talk about covariational thinking and correspondence relationships. Intentional and reflecting teaching is required to ensure that the graphs contribute to the development of students’ functional thinking. A challenge identified by participating teachers was the national curriculum. In Lgr22 (Skolverket, 2022), functional thinking is only implicitly referenced through terms such as relationships and change (samband och förändring). This lack of explicitness of functional thinking poses a risk that teachers may struggle to grasp or convey the core ideas of functional thinking in the early years. Furthermore, the absence of a shared and accessible terminology complicates the planning and implementation of learning activities that meaningfully support students’ development of functional thinking through mathematical talk (Sterner, 2022; 2024). Research (Wilkie, 2020) underscores that instruction related to functional relationships is often absent in the early grades, largely due to teachers’ limited experience and support in teaching algebraic ideas grounded in functional thinking.