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This paper describes how the ecovillage model for sustainability is currently spreading in Denmark through two different avenues. The first avenue is the creation of new eco-communities inspired by the ecovillage movement but created through top-down municipal support or from the side by the involvement of professional community builders. The second avenue is the spread of some aspects of the ecovillage model to mainstream housing neighbourhoods through the green neighbourhood movement, when neighbours meet, discuss what kind of sustainable interests they share, and act together to live more sustainably. Although eco-communities and green neighbourhoods will probably achieve less impressive carbon footprint reductions than ecovillages, they are exploring interesting avenues through which the spread of the ecovillage model, which is slow, costly, and exclusive, can be speed up and can trigger a mass movement that has the potential of bringing widespread changes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

For almost 10 years, several central banks in advanced economies have cut and maintained their key policy rates below zero. Central banks in Denmark, the euro area, Japan, Sweden, and Switzerland had turned to such policies in response to persistently below-target inflation rates and a very low neutral real interest rate. However, negative rate policies remain controversial, and their potential side effects are subject to much debate. This paper surveys the body of research that has grown out of the experience with the policy to date, and takes stock of the evidence. Overall, the experience with negative rates has broadly been positive. Lending and deposit rates fell following the adoption of NIRP. Bank lending volumes rose, and bank profits for the most part did not significantly deteriorate. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: To validate a computer version of the Danish Prostatic Symptom Score (DAN-PSS) questionnaire and compare it with the paper version. Material and methods: Ninety-three male patients (aged 25-87 years), referred to a department of urology for lower urinary tract symptoms (LUTS), filled in a personal computer (PC) version and a paper version of the DAN-PSS questionnaire. Subsequently they answered a questionnaire concerning their preferences and computer experience. Results: A fair correlation between the total scores from the paper and PC versions was found. The differences were independent of both total score and age. In the PC version all LUTS questions were answered while 9.8% were left blank in the paper version. The sexual questions were answered by 71% of patients in the paper version and by 87.5% in the PC version. For the questions in the PC version a learning curve was observed in terms of the time taken to answer the questions. Previous computer experience did not influence answering time, difference in score between paper and PC versions or total score. Almost all patients preferred the PC version to the paper version. Conclusion: The PC scores are reasonably reliable judging by comparison with previously validated traditional paper scores. The PC questionnaire had a higher response rate and was preferred by the majority of patients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Simple Summary: In this paper, you will find recommendations on how to prevent post-weaning diarrhea in pigs kept in indoor pig herds. The recommendations are based on the scientific knowledge that is currently available. The authors first validated that Danish veterinarians working with pigs demanded such recommendations. Then, we collected papers written by other researchers who had summarized the scientific knowledge on different topics related to post-weaning diarrhea. From the papers, we extracted and synthesized 79 specific recommendations that may help veterinarians and pig producers make good decisions for their pig herd. The paper exemplifies a novel approach to summarizing and transferring science into practice that may be of interest to people that are not involved with pigs and post-weaning diarrhea. Aided by their advising veterinarians, pig producers need to make difficult decisions regarding herd health management strategies. For instance, the preventive use of antimicrobials and medicinal zinc oxide must be substituted with more sustainable preventive approaches to porcine post-weaning diarrhea. Veterinarians and pig producers may find assistance in knowledge based on evidence in this regard; however, the overwhelming scientific literature is not always readily available. The overall aim of this paper is to suggest herd health management decision-support tools that can aid veterinary-assisted decision making in the control of porcine post-weaning diarrhea at a tactical level. The first objective was to validate the need for a herd health management concept, including two decision-support tools. The second objective was to develop evidence-based recommendations that can aid veterinary-assisted decision-making for the herd health management of post-weaning diarrhea. The first objective was investigated by a questionnaire-based study among veterinary pig practitioners in Denmark. For the second objective, we conducted a scientific summary based on scientific review papers identified through a systematic search in three databases. From the papers, we synthesized and extracted 79 specific recommendations. In this paper, we report comprehensive evidence-based recommendations for the herd health management of post-weaning diarrhea. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A letter to the editor in response to the article "Influence of mammography screening on use of mastectomies in Denmark" by K. Jørgensen and others in a 2015 issue is presented.

This paper explores how dignity is articulated and pursued by care workers in two currently prominent policy initiatives seeking to reform Danish care services for older people. Based on ethnographic case studies of 'reablement' practices and the use of 'welfare technologies', the paper shows how these attempts to create dignified care services transform interactions between care recipients and care workers. The analysis is inspired by a socio-material perspective on dignity as 'crafted' and 'co-laboured' in daily practices, in an interplay between multiple human and non-human actors. In the cases studied, dignity is articulated as closely related to older people's increasing autonomy and independence of formal care, and is pursued through enhancing care recipients' self-care ability, and through technological automation of care tasks. However, these articulations and pursuits of dignity do not stand alone. When everyday care practices are closely examined, dignity is also pursued by care workers as increased co-operation and equality between care workers and care recipients, as de-objectification, and as promotion of enjoyment and quality of life. In these practices, care is ambivalently positioned as both a potential threat to dignity, and as a prerequisite to achieving it. The paper concludes by discussing the risks of policy agendas pursuing a narrow understanding of dignity as simply independence of care. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The present paper explores how aging bodies of middle-aged women can enable and constrain participation in physical activity. The study is inspired by the process sociology of Norbert Elias and builds on qualitative empirical material from passive observations (N = 57), focus groups (N = 51), and individual follow-up interviews (N = 21) with middle-aged Danish women who participated in a 3-month research project with exercise intervention. The qualitative study found that awareness of bodily aging enabled the taking up of exercise in the intervention. Additionally, taking up regular exercise in midlife can be understood as a highly rationalized leisure-time activity in relation to societal moral norms of self-responsibility for own physiological health. Furthermore, the qualitative material indicates that participation enabled a self-realization among the middle-aged women, as strong and capable bodies counter to the biomedical view of decline in the aging body. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In extant research, the concept of student engagement refers to individual behavioural patterns and traits. Recent research indicates that engagement not only should be related to the individual but also should be anchored in the social context. This ethnographic field study of students and teachers in a Danish vocational education and training school responds to the need for more knowledge on this theme by exploring the social dynamics of engagement perceptions. Results show that teachers and students held diverging perceptions of student engagement that rested on educational goals as well as goals related to the perceived future work settings. The misrecognition of the students' perception of engagement had direct negative consequences for student performance and school attachment. The implications of the findings are discussed in detail. (Contains 1 table.)

The research dimension of higher education programmes is usually discussed in association with doctoral studies. Against a background of scarce literature investigating research in a Master's degree, this article aims to analyse the place of research in Master's qualifications, first, as envisaged by official European and national documents acting as reference frameworks for degree design (i.e. qualification frameworks) and, second, in its practical manifestations in Master of Science (MSc) degrees in Physics in three national contexts (England, Portugal and Denmark). It highlights different understandings of the importance and roles assigned to research in Master's degrees by national policy actors in the three countries. Simultaneously, it argues that research is an essential component of MSc degrees in Physics, perceived as a gateway to a Physics research profession on account of disciplinary specificity. Research translates into a number of concrete practices, of which the Master's thesis is the main manifestation, with, however, variation in the purpose of research (instrumental or an end in itself). The article discusses implications of these different understandings and expressions of research in Master's programmes for the comparability of higher education degrees and ensuing recognition and student mobility in the European Higher Education Area, as envisaged by the Bologna process reforms. It is suggested that similar studies could be performed in other disciplines to make up for the gap in evidence and scholarship on the research dimension of Master's programmes and their degree of convergence. (Contains 1 note.)

This article presents the special issues of the "Journal of Sandwich Structures and Materials" dedicated to original manuscripts selected among the papers presented at the "7th International Conference on Sandwich Structures and Materials." The conference was held at Aalborg University, Denmark on August 29-31, 2005.

Presents a selection of papers discussed at the Fifth International Meeting on Thermodiffusion which took place at the Technical University of Denmark on August 5-9, 2002. Rayleigh-Benard convection in non-uniformly heated liquids; Thermodiffusion coefficients; Thermodiffusion measurements in magnetic colloids, ionic liquids and water-alcohol solutions.

This paper presents a pilot study of audioguides concerning paintings from museums in Italy, Germany and Denmark. The study combines an analysis of speech actions based on categories from the theory of Funktionale Pragmatik with a frame-oriented analysis of knowledge relevant for understanding the audioguide texts, which can be assessed from the formulation choices made by the authors. The focus of the paper is on building a descriptive and analytical tool to identify characteristics of German, Danish and Italian art audioguides. The aim of the study is to establish first results to be substantiated in future work also concerning the receiver modelling (Hörer:innen-Modellierung) in the investigated audioguides and furthermore to see whether intercultural differences are visible in the texts. The study shows that the same speech actions are present in audioguides from different cultures, but that they occur in different proportions according to the specific culture. Along similar lines, it was possible to create a consistent coding system concerning types of knowledge conveyed in the audioguides that enables us to assess and compare the results of analysing the texts. This analysis, too, indicates intercultural differences. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper explores the lives and agency of three generations free colored women on St. Croix, an island in the Danish-Norwegian West-Indies from the period 1760–1850. Different social strategies these women adopted in finding and defining their identities in a racially prejudiced society and how their social networks and family bonds affected their choices and lives have been studied. By applying a combination of prosopography and microhistory, new insights, and perspectives of free colored women's agency is gained. This paper suggests that free women of color were resourceful and independent and consciously employed complex social practices to climb the social ladder. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Research funding is an important factor for public science. Funding may affect which research topics get addressed, and what research outputs are produced. However, funding has often been studied simplistically, using top-down or system-led perspectives. Such approaches often restrict analysis to confined national funding landscapes or single funding organizations and instruments in isolation. This overlooks interlinkages, broader funding researchers might access, and trends of growing funding complexity. This paper instead frames a 'bottom-up' approach that analytically distinguishes between increasing levels of aggregation of funding instrument co-use. Funding of research outputs is selected as one way to test this approach, with levels traced via funding acknowledgements (FAs) in papers published 2009–18 by researchers affiliated to Denmark, the Netherlands or Norway, in two test research fields (Food Science, Renewable Energy Research). Three funding aggregation levels are delineated: at the bottom, 'funding configurations' of funding instruments co-used by individual researchers (from single-authored papers with two or more FAs); a middle, 'funding amalgamations' level, of instruments co-used by collaborating researchers (from multi-authored papers with two or more FAs); and a 'co-funding network' of instruments co-used across all researchers active in a research field (all papers with two or more FAs). All three levels are found to include heterogenous funding co-use from inside and outside the test countries. There is also co-funding variety in terms of instrument 'type' (public, private, university or non-profit) and 'origin' (domestic, foreign or supranational). Limitations of the approach are noted, as well as its applicability for future analyses not using paper FAs to address finer details of research funding dynamics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this study, the diurnal atmospheric grass pollen concentration profile within the Danish city of Aarhus was shown to change in a systematic manner as the season progressed. Although diurnal grass pollen profiles can differ greatly from day-to-day, it is common practice to establish the time of day when peak concentrations are most likely to occur using seasonally-averaged diurnal profiles. Atmospheric pollen loads are highly dependent upon emissions, and different species of grass are known to flower and emit pollen at different times of the day and during different periods of the pollen season. Pollen concentrations are also influenced by meteorological factors -- directly through those parameters that govern pollen dispersion and transport, and indirectly through the weather-driven flowering process. We found that three different profiles dominated the grass pollen season in Aarhus -- a twin peak profile in the early season, a single evening profile in the mid-season, and a single midday peak in the late season. Whilst this variation could not be explained by meteorological factors, no inconsistencies were found with the theory that the variation was driven by a succession of different grass species with different diurnal flowering patterns dominating atmospheric pollen loads as the season progressed. The potential for exposure was found to be significantly greater during the late season period than during either the early or mid season periods. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article examines Erik Jörgen Hansen's paper concerning Danish educational equalization. He starts by discussing a certain specified goal, social equality in the field of education. He then deals with a number of obstacles which according to him prevent the realization of the desired goal in existing school systems. Finally he proposes certain measures to clear away the obstacles or minimize their importance. The goals discussed by Hansen is social equality in the field of education. What this means to him he discusses at some length and comes out with a number of definitions. One of these, consistent equality, he then tries to operationalize. This means in its general version that equality is reached when the educational system is so constructed, that it for all leads to a result that does not make it possible to find any useful criterion according to which individuals can be singled out in relation to the education obtained. In a more limited way this goal can be said to have been reached if the individuals in various categories, examples are social groups, geographical area, sex and others, on the average, regardless of category, reach a completely identical educational result.

Accessible Summary: What is known about the subject: Treatment groups in Mental Health Service is cost‐effective, increases patients´ self‐understanding and stimulate changeResearch shows that people with mental illness have different barriers to attend group sessions which often originates from a lack of trust in other people, but it is known that the possibility to build gradual trust among the participants encourages attendance. What the paper adds to existing knowledge: This study is based on the experience from outpatients and illuminates how discovery groups from the Tidal Model can be used as introductory sessions to build gradual trust among people with mental illness before engaging in a person‐centred group intervention.The study fills a research gap in methods to create a safe and trusting environment in treatment groups for people with mental illness working with recovery‐oriented person‐centred interventions. What are the implications for practice: This study emphasizes the importance of meeting concerns about social interactions in persons with mental illness when joining treatment groups. It presents a recovery‐oriented method which meets this requirement and is easy to implement in practice. Introduction: Recovery‐oriented interventions delivered individually or in groups are more and more common within mental health nursing. However, persons with mental illness may be cautious about engaging in groups. Therefore, it is important to provide a trusting basis in the group to allow for the best opportunities to promote engagement, attendance and impact of treatment. Aim: The aim was to explore how discovery group sessions were experienced as introductory sessions from the perspectives of participants and facilitators before engaging in a person‐centred group intervention. Method: A qualitative interview study was conducted, involving four group facilitators and 16 participants with mental illness from five completed groups. Data were analysed with Ricoeur's theory of interpretation. Results: The findings showed that the two discovery group sessions were experienced as useful and meaningful to all and created a safe atmosphere and a trusted relationship among group participants and facilitators. Discussion: Feeling safe and sharing experiences and emotions contribute to the relational climate in a group. Implication for practice: Addressing concerns about social interactions in persons with mental illness is important in group treatment. This study proved that engaging patients in designing or adapting interventions for mental health services is important to improve quality. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aim: The aim was to describe and discuss the process of establishing and leading a cross‐institutional partnership to regain focus on and reconceptualize fundamental nursing care in clinical practice, nursing education and research in one region in Denmark. Design: A discursive paper. The case study method is used as an adapted frame for describing and discussing the establishment and strategic decisions of a cross‐institutional partnership. Data sources This discursive paper draws on the authors' experiences with establishing a cross‐institutional partnership and related literature. Implications for nursing: The paper addresses the challenges surrounding fundamental care. Establishing cross‐institutional partnerships can contribute to a reconceptualization of fundamental care and initiate discussions on what nursing care is and requires. The paper provides an example of how a cross‐institutional partnership can be established and describes and discusses the opportunities and challenges in doing so. Conclusion: A key step in the process of establishing a partnership is to actively involve key stakeholders and stimulate their commitment to investing time and resources in the partnership. This requires commitment, clear strategic direction and leadership. Another key step is engaging and informing executive management leaders, and continuously nurture their interest. Impact The paper aims to inform clinicians, educators, nursing leaders, researchers and policy makers on how to organize a formal partnership structured around a strategic research, development and implementation programme where the focal point of the collaboration is improving nursing care by integrating the conceptual FoC framework. No patient or public contribution: Patients, service users, caregivers or members of the public were not involved in this study as it is a discursive paper based on the authors' experiences and relevant literature. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Recovery-orientated approaches have grown more and more common in psychosocial rehabilitation in Denmark, thus shifting the focus to the dynamic status of mental health issues that were historically regarded as chronic. This change has caused an important shift towards recognizing service users as humans with equal rights and possibilities. But the recovery-oriented approach is also complex and difficult to apply in practice. Drawing on phenomenological concepts of bodies and orientations in space, the paper discusses how bodies, which are perceived as queer, seek to reorientate themselves. The discussion draws on three empirical cases involving service users from fieldwork at housing facilities for people with severe mental health issues. The paper concludes that psychosocial rehabilitation housing facilities may benefit from adopting a broader perspective on body orientations because this contributes with a focus on service users as active agents who strive to inhabit space. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Acute otitis media (AOM) in children is one of the leading causes of health care visits and antibiotic prescriptions worldwide. The overall aim of the current study is twofold: 1. to analyze and discuss the antibiotic prescription patterns in AOM in children without complications or risk factors and 2. to assess to what extent the watchful-waiting approach is a real practice or a mere desideratum. We performed an electronic search in the PubMed and Embase databases from 2013 to 2023 to capture original research studies investigating antibiotic prescribing patterns for AOM in children. Among the 12 papers included in the analysis, the antibiotic prescription rate ranged from 44.8% to 98%. Our study reveals similarities regarding the use of amoxicillin as a first-line antibiotic in pediatric AOM, but also discrepancies in the watchful-waiting approach attitude and in the choice of second or third-line antimicrobial agents. The proportion of cases managed with the watchful-waiting approach ranged from 7.5% (Australia) to 55.2% (Finland). Denmark was the only country reporting penicillin V as a first-choice regimen for children with AOM, which fulfils the guidelines' recommendations. The most unsatisfying rate of amoxicillin use was recorded in Japan, contrary to the recommendations of local guidelines. The use of quinolones was reported in two out of twelve studies, with the highest proportion in Japan, where tosufloxacin was used in 21.4% of the total number of cases. The duration of the antibiotic regimens was analyzed in three out of twelve papers. Since global antibiotic overuse contributes to the emergence of antibiotic resistant bacteria, new strategies are needed to increase the rate of watchful waiting and to promote the judicious use of antibiotics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper examines how the logic of surveillance capitalism manifests itself within the public sector with a specific interest in how the government's use of data about its citizens may reconfigure rights and power. In Denmark, for example, the public administration relies heavily on the processing of vast quantities of data about the individual and increasingly uses predictive analytics to identify specific areas of intervention, such as fraud or vulnerability, as part of its decision-making processes. Methodologically, the paper uses Denmark as an example of the digital welfare state, including two public sector cases of automated decision support, namely Gladsaxe municipality and the central processing of welfare benefits (Udbetaling Danmark). It further investigates Danish digitalisation strategies, particularly the governments AI strategy from 2019. The case is examined with a view to understand how technology (and automated decision support in particular) is deployed by state actors, which interests it serves, and how it may benefit or disadvantage the individual. Theoretically, the paper leans towards theories of surveillance capitalism, governance in the digital era, and data politics and rights. The paper argues that unless a more critical and human-centric approach to 'smart governance' is taken, the digital welfare state will advance a digital technocracy that treats its citizens as data points suited for calculation and prediction rather than as individuals with agency and rights. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Artificial intelligence (AI) and algorithmic decision-support are relatively new technologies within the field of social work. This paper investigates how the social work profession in Denmark responds to the current technological changes. Analysing articles from professional journals associated with the Danish Association of Social Workers, online content on the association's website, and interviews with key actors involved in the association's work on technology, this paper shows how professional agents legitimize and criticise these technologies, thereby performing different kinds of boundary work. The paper will show how such boundary work, carried out by the profession of social work in Denmark, change over time, and how, in the discussion on artificial intelligence, the profession reinforces its own position within the welfare state, demarcates the boundaries between the profession of social work and other occupational groups, and formulates a new professional project. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: The present paper describes the interplay between the "why" and "how" in co-production based on a case study of community-based healthcare in Denmark involving municipalities and voluntary sports clubs. So far, policy practice and research have focussed on the "why" – the rationales and pre-requisites – of co-production. However, there seems to be a lack of knowledge about the "how" of co-production in the interplay between professionals and volunteers. The paper asks how co-production is being perceived and practised according to existing norms and objectives of public healthcare and civil society, drawing on the theory of institutional logics. Design/methodology/approach: The paper uses a critical case study approach to examine the practice of co-production. The analysis builds on qualitative data from nine semi-structured interviews, two information interviews and project documents. Interviews were recorded, transcribed verbatim and coded. Findings: This paper demonstrates that compatibility of institutional logics was not given, nor did the co-existence of potentially competing logics necessarily result in conflict in co-production. Instead, in this case study co-production emerged as highly contingent, reflecting the dynamic interaction between logics and context-specific management. Originality/value: This paper makes an original contribution to the conceptual understanding of co-production in emphasising the benefit of paying attention to the network logic when building bridges between public healthcare and civil society – and to unite the seemingly contradictory "why" and "how" of co-production in practice. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Mental health services are increasingly employing peer workers (PWs), individuals who have lived experiences with mental health problems, to support patients and be part of mental health care teams. While the employment of PWs continues to increase, little is known about how the function unfolds in practice. This paper explores the broader context in which the PWs navigate and the concrete outcomes and everyday issues that exist at the individual level. Methodologically, the paper draws on 22 interviews with PWs employed in the mental health services in Denmark. Theoretically, it combines Lipsky's (1980) theory on street-level bureaucrats with sociological discussions concerning the lay-expert divide. The analysis shows that PWs experience both role ambiguity and goal uncertainty and that they use substantial discretion in determining the nature, amount and quality of their peer practices. This – combined with the PWs' diverse lived experiences – calls for a heterogeneous understanding of peer work and therefore the analysis presents three categories of peer workers: PWs as (1) a representative of patients' lifeworld, (2) an interdisciplinary professional and (3) an 'expert by experience'. These categories display PWs different enactments of their lived experiences and reveal ambiguities tied to the lay-expert divide. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The paper investigates changes to Copenhagen's landscape of commemoration concerning its former colony, the Danish West Indies (DWI), prompted by the 2017 centennial anniversary of the Islands' sale to the US. It argues that Denmark, like other European nations, navigates a postcolonial identity crisis and that the landscape of commemoration plays a significant role within it. The paper advances our understanding of postcolonial Europe's identity crisis not only by shedding light on the under-explored case of Denmark, but also by emphasizing the role of the landscape of commemoration in this crisis. In addition to demonstrating how landscapes function as 'arenas' for negotiating expressions of hegemonic identity and territorial claims, it argues that the commemorative landscape is pivotal in tackling the construction of 'Europe' as a detached, self-made entity rather than a space (re)produced through connections with other (ed) places and people. It underscores that Europe's allegedly monochromatic historical fabric is woven from diverse global threads. Re-membering Europe with the people and regions vital to its (re)production re-writes them into European history and re-locates detached Europe (with)in the world. • Denmark can be situated within (post)colonial Europe's identity crisis. • Memories of the Danish West Indies are leveraged to negotiate Danish identity. • Copenhagen's commemorative landscape is instrumental in navigating the crisis. • Copenhagen's commemorative landscape redefines 'the Dane' and 'Denmark.'. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Public service media (PSM) are grappling with structural shifts in the audio-visual sector, notably the shift of audiences towards over-the-top (OTT) or subscription video-on-demand (SVOD) services. They have also heavily invested in online platforms, adapting their policies to engage digital users on their video-on-demand (VOD) platforms. This paper assesses PSM policies in Britain, Denmark, and Greece, examining initiatives regarding adaptation to the digital era. It explores whether they implement new strategies to expand their digital reach. Data from policy documents and interviews with BBC, DR, and ERT leading executives inform the analysis. Findings showed varied responses among PSM organisations, influenced by market dynamics and the evolution of broadcasting traditions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Patients previously examined for cancer with a negative result may present in general practice with ongoing or new symptoms or signs suggestive of cancer. This paper explores the potential existence of a relatively safe period for cancer occurrence after receiving negative examination results for specific types of cancer, including lung (CT thorax), upper gastrointestinal (gastroscopy), colorectal (colonoscopy), bladder (cystoscopy), and breast (clinical mammography). Register-based time-to-event analyses. Denmark. All 3.3 million citizens aged 30–85 years who on January first, 2017, had not previously been diagnosed with the specific type of cancer were categorized based on the time since their most recent examination. Using 1-year follow-up, we calculated the age- and sex-adjusted hazard ratios of being diagnosed with the related cancer, with non-examined individuals as reference. Negative examination results were defined as the absence of a cancer diagnosis within 6 months following the examination. Previous negative examination results were common, also among those diagnosed with cancer during follow-up. For 10 years after a negative colonoscopy the risk of diagnosing a colorectal cancer was nearly halved. However, already 1 year after a clinical mammography and 2 years after a CT thorax the risk of diagnosing the related cancers was significantly higher among those with a previous negative result compared to non-examined individuals. This study did not identify a post-examination period in which the cancer risk, compared to non-examined individuals, was sufficiently low to confidently rule out any of the investigated cancers. What should one expect when considering re-examining a patient with a negative result of a previous examination for cancer? We found that previous negative examination results are common in the general population and among those subsequently diagnosed with cancer. We did not find a safe period after any of the examinations in which a negative result alone could safely rule out the presence of cancer. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Simple Summary: Virtual fencing is an alternative to the ubiquitously used physical fences. It uses GPS to determine the location of livestock relative to a virtual line. The system deters livestock from leaving the enclosure by using an auditory warning followed by an electric impulse during approach and crossing of the fence line. This paper assessed the social effects on learning between cattle with and without prior experience with virtual fencing through three case studies: one with a gradual and two with an instant introduction method. These were applied to assess if improvements in associative learning could be made. Due to the non-standardised experiments, it was not possible to analyse the effect across the case studies and therefore to conclude whether the number of experienced cattle or the different introduction methods influenced the inexperienced cattle. Agricultural industries rely on physical fences to manage livestock. However, these present practical, financial, and ecological challenges, which may be solved using virtual fencing. This study aimed to identify how experienced cattle through social facilitation and the introduction method influence inexperienced cattle. Based on three stocks held in Fanø, Denmark, containing 12, 17 and 13 Angus (Bos taurus), we examined the virtual fence learning in three case studies using one gradual introduction with zero experienced cattle (A) and two different instant introductions with one (B) and ten (C) experienced cattle. Gradual introduction had the virtual fence moved 20 m every other day for eleven days, and in the two instant introductions, the physical fence was removed in one day. Warnings and impulses were recorded during an 11-day learning period and a 26-day post-learning period, using the impulses per warning to quantify if the cattle adapted. Case studies A and B showed a significant reduction in the warnings and impulses, but only A showed a significant reduction in the impulses per warning when comparing the learning period to the post-learning period. Due to the non-standardised experiments, it was not possible to conclude if the number of experienced cattle or the introduction method had an effect on the results. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The Danish cardiovascular screening (DANCAVAS) trial, a nationwide trial designed to investigate the impact of cardiovascular screening in men, did not decrease all-cause mortality, an outcome decided by the investigators. However, the target group may have varied preferences. In this study, we aimed to evaluate whether men aged 65 to 74 years requested a CT-based cardiovascular screening examination and to assess its impact on outcomes determined by their preferences. Methods and findings: This is a post hoc study of the randomised DANCAVAS trial. All men 65 to 74 years of age residing in specific areas of Denmark were randomised (1:2) to invitation-to-screening (16,736 men, of which 10,471 underwent screening) or usual-care (29,790 men). The examination included among others a non-contrast CT scan (to assess the coronary artery calcium score and aortic aneurysms). Positive findings prompted preventive treatment with atorvastatin, aspirin, and surveillance/surgical evaluation. The usual-care group remained unaware of the trial and the assignments. The user-defined outcome was based on patient preferences and determined through a survey sent in January 2023 to a random sample of 9,095 men from the target group, with a 68.0% response rate (6,182 respondents). Safety outcomes included severe bleeding and mortality within 30 days after cardiovascular surgery. Analyses were performed on an intention-to-screen basis. Prevention of stroke and myocardial infarction was the primary motivation for participating in the screening examination. After a median follow-up of 6.4 years, 1,800 of 16,736 men (10.8%) in the invited-to-screening group and 3,420 of 29,790 (11.5%) in the usual-care group experienced an event (hazard ratio (HR), 0.93 (95% confidence interval (CI), 0.88 to 0.98; p = 0.010); number needed to invite at 6 years, 148 (95% CI, 80 to 986)). A total of 324 men (1.9%) in the invited-to-screening group and 491 (1.7%) in the usual-care group had an intracranial bleeding (HR, 1.17; 95% CI, 1.02 to 1.35; p = 0.029). Additionally, 994 (5.9%) in the invited-to-screening group and 1,722 (5.8%) in the usual-care group experienced severe gastrointestinal bleeding (HR, 1.02; 95% CI, 0.95 to 1.11; p = 0.583). No differences were found in mortality after cardiovascular surgery. The primary limitation of the study is that exclusive enrolment of men aged 65 to 74 renders the findings non-generalisable to women or men of other age groups. Conclusion: In this comprehensive population-based cardiovascular screening and intervention program, we observed a reduction in the user-defined outcome, stroke and myocardial infarction, but entail a small increased risk of intracranial bleeding. Trial registration: ISRCTN Registry number, ISRCTN12157806https://www.isrctn.com/ISRCTN12157806. In this post-hoc analysis of the DANCAVAS trial, Axel Diederichsen and colleagues explore how cardiovascular screening impacts on outcomes as defined by patients themselves. Author summary: Why was this study done?: Stroke and heart attack remain a prevalent cause of decreased quality of life and premature death. Coronary atherosclerosis serves as an important risk modifier and is easily identifiable by cardiac imaging. Despite this, screening for cardiovascular disease by cardiac CT in the Danish cardiovascular screening (DANCAVAS) trial did not lead to a decrease in death from cardiovascular causes. However, it is essential to recognise that patients may have preferences other than death, and these preferences play a critically important role in informed and shared decision-making between caregivers and patients. What did the researchers do and find?: The DANCAVAS trial included men aged 65 to 74 from specific areas of Denmark, with some receiving invitations to screening (16,736 men) and others receiving usual care (29,790 men). Patients with significant atherosclerosis were treated with atorvastatin, aspirin, and underwent surveillance or surgery in case of aneurysms. Here, the study outcomes were determined based on patient preferences, which were assessed through a survey of a random sample of 9,095 men aged 65 to 74. The surveyed men expressed a preference for preventing stroke and heart attack over death. Screening reduced the absolute risk of stroke and heart attack by 0.7%, but it also increased the risk of intracranial haemorrhage by 0.2%. What do these findings mean?: The DANCAVAS trial met patient preferences, but the benefits were modest and accompanied by a slight increase in the risk of intracranial haemorrhage. These data suggest that there is limited benefit to the widespread implementation of cardiovascular screening programmes. The trial specifically targeted men aged 65 to 74, meaning the findings cannot be generalised to women or men outside this age group. Future cardiovascular screening programs should encompass both sexes and accommodate patient preferences. Additionally, they might consider excluding aspirin from the intervention arm. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: To strengthen palliative care for children in the Nordic countries, an updated status of current needs, resources, clinical services, education, and research is necessary to align and consolidate future research. A Nordic research collaboration initiative for children with palliative care needs was assembled in 2023. Building on this initiative, this paper presents an overview of pediatric palliative care (PPC) in the Nordic countries' (a) population characteristics, (b) care models and setting of care, (c) education and training, and (d) research. Methods: The Nordic initiative researchers collaboratively gathered and assessed available data on the characteristics of PPC within Denmark, Finland, Greenland, Iceland, Norway, the Faroe Islands, Sweden, and Åland. Data were compiled in a matrix with population characteristics, models- and setting of care, education and training, and areas of research in a Nordic context. The findings are narratively and descriptively presented, providing an overview of Nordic PPC. Results: In total, the Nordic child population comprises around six million children (0–19 years), of which about 41.200 are estimated to be living with a life-limiting and/or life-threatening condition. Healthcare services are provided through various care models, ranging from specialized care to homecare settings. Overall, there remain few opportunities for education and training with some exceptions. Also, Nordic research within PPC has been shown to be a growing field although much remains to be done. Conclusion: This overview is the first outline of the current PPC in Nordic countries. Although some differences remain important to acknowledge, overall, the strengths and challenges faced within PPC in the Nordic countries are comparable and call for joint action to increase evidence, services, and education to better serve the children, families, and healthcare personnel within PPC. Despite the varying structural premises for PPC, research endeavors aiming to provide evidence in this field seem increasing, timely and relevant for the Nordic countries, as well as the international context. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper is based on findings of a study that examined challenges to innovation and the greening of economies identified by businesses, TVET institutions, and other organisations with the aim to formulate options for strategic actions to increase 'sustainable competitiveness' of Hong Kong SAR, China as measured by The Global Sustainable Competitiveness Index (GSCI). This article focuses on Hong Kong but refers to Denmark (one of the Nordic countries participated in the study) as it scores much higher than China on the GSCI. The assumption of this study is that Denmark's experience can help formulate policies and the strategic actions required for building sustainable development (SD) solutions for economic green growth through innovation and skills development in Hong Kong. The study used a qualitative methodology. Data was collected through desk-top research and interviews with stakeholders from both settings. The results identified a clear distinction between innovation and greening in terms of education and skills, the business sectors involved, support modalities (policies), investment, as well as culture in both Denmark and Hong Kong SAR. Despite the very different approaches to innovation and variations in both industry structure and the environment for training and skills development, the challenges to industry and their implications for TVET in terms of greening and innovation were found to be very similar in the two contexts. Thus, contrary to the study's assumptions, this article discusses the similar policy responses to these 'green' challenges for both contexts, as well as recommended policy goals and strategic actions with implications for TVET that can support green innovation in both settings. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A host of different factors affect health and longevity, ranging from genetic endowments to public policy. Physicians have a substantial influence on patients' health and health-related costs, but we know little about the extent of this influence beyond clinical decisions, such as adequate diagnosis and treatment. This paper demonstrates that the health management styles of primary care physicians significantly affect the health outcomes of their patients. Using data on the population of statin users in Denmark and matching patients to their primary care physicians, we show that the physician's ability to facilitate adherence with prescription medications has significant positive effects on patient outcomes and health costs, even after controlling for observable and unobservable patient characteristics. Policy interventions aimed at improving this aspect of physicians' health management styles have important implications for patient outcomes and healthcare costs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Several northern European countries have announced ambitious plans to become carbon neutral already before the year 2050. Recent research has, however, highlighted how potential bottlenecks in raw material and resource availability could significantly delay or hinder wind and solar photovoltaic (PV) expansion and continued biomass usage in parts of Europe. To address this issue, this paper assesses how exposed the national energy and climate plans (NECPs) of Finland, Estonia, Germany, Sweden, and Denmark are to resource limitations and techno-economic risks by reviewing and analysing 2030 NECP targets compared to statistical energy use data in these countries. The results indicate that the NECPs of Denmark and Germany are particularly exposed to risks related to global raw material availability, as Denmark plans to rapidly grow the share of wind and solar PV in electricity generation to 81% and 13% by 2030, respectively, followed by Germany, which outlines a 39% and 16% share of wind and solar PV in its national climate strategy. The NECPs of Finland and Germany are also shown to be vulnerable to limitations in biomass availability, as there is a significant disparity between the projected biomass usage and legally binding European Union (EU) targets for land use, land use change, and forestry (LULUCF) sector emissions in 2030 in these countries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The full atmospheric greenhouse gas (GHG) budget of a restored wetland in Western Denmark could be established for the years 2009-2011 from eddy covariance measurements of carbon dioxide (CO2) and methane (CH4) fluxes. The water table in the wetland, being restored in 2002, was unregulated, and the vegetation height was limited through occasional grazing by cattle and grass cutting. The annual net CO2 uptake varied between 195 and 983 gm-2 and the annual net CH4 release varied between 11 and 17 gm-2. In all three years the wetland was a carbon sink and removed between 42 and 259 gCm-2 from the atmosphere. However, in terms of the annual GHG budget (assuming that 1 g CH4 is equivalent to 25 g CO2 with respect to the greenhouse effect) the wetland was a sink in 2009, a source in 2010 and neutral in 2011. Complementary observations of meteorological factors and management activities were used to explain the large inter-annual variations in the full atmospheric GHG budget of the wetland. It is shown that the largest impacts on the annual GHG fluxes, eventually defining their sign, came from site management through changes in grazing duration and animal stocking density and from extreme weather patterns through an unusually long period of snow cover in the second year of observations. Since integrated CO2 and CH4 flux data from restored wetlands are still very rare, it is concluded that more long-term flux measurements are needed to predict the role of this land use type in the atmospheric GHG budget more accurately. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The act of balancing between an intensive agriculture with a high potential for nitrate pollution and a drinking water supply almost entirely based on groundwater is a challenge faced by Denmark and similar regions around the globe. Since the 1980s, regulations implemented by Danish farmers have succeeded in optimizing the (nitrogen) management at farm level. As a result, the upward agricultural surplus trend has been reversed, and the surplus has reduced by 30-55% from 1980 to 2007 depending on region. The reduction in the surplus served to reduce the losses of from agriculture, with documented positive effects on nature and the environment in Denmark. In groundwater, the upward trend in nitrate concentration was reversed around 1980, and a larger number of downward nitrate trends were seen in the youngest groundwater compared with the oldest groundwater. However, on average, approximately 48% of the oxic monitored groundwater has nitrate concentrations above the groundwater and drinking water standards of 50mgl-1. Furthermore, trend analyses show that 33% of all the monitored groundwater has upward nitrate trends, while only 18% of the youngest groundwater has upward nitrate trends according to data sampled from 1988-2009. A regional analysis shows a correlation between a high level of surplus in agriculture, high concentrations of nitrate in groundwater and the largest number of downward nitrate trends in groundwater in the livestock-dense northern and western parts of Denmark compared with the south-eastern regions with lower livestock densities. These results indicate that the livestock farms dominating in northern and western parts of Denmark have achieved the largest reductions in surpluses. Groundwater recharge age determinations allow comparison of long-term changes in surplus in agriculture with changes in oxic groundwater quality. The presented data analysis is based on groundwater recharged from 1952-2003, but sampled from 1988-2009. Repetition of the nitrate trend analyses at five-year intervals using dating of the groundwater recharged in the coming years and a longer time series of the nitrate analyses can reveal the evolution in nitrate leaching from Danish agriculture during the past 10 yr. Similar analyses can be carried out to compare with other regions internationally. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Over the past twenty years, prominent theorists of citizenship envisaged cosmopolitan openings, the re-making of national identity, and progressive multicultural change. The paper explores perspectives on civic inclusion in Kymlicka's Multicultural Odysseys, Soysal's Limits of Citizenship, and Benhabib's Another Cosmopolitanism. It explores this work in light of two recent political episodes, the formulation of an "anti-separatism" law in France and "anti-ghetto" policies in Denmark. The paper contrast tendencies that theorists of inclusive citizenship envisage with the denial of associational rights in France and the assertion of racial logics in Denmark. It illustrates blinds spots in prominent accounts of civic inclusion, in particular the reliance on a prescriptive account of minority and post-migrant agency, a disembodied logic of human rights, and limited regard for status differentials on the inside of citizenship. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Homeownership rates have declined in several countries including Denmark and Turkey since 2010. A majority of the decline in homeownership has been observed among low income holders. This variation finding comparative case study compares similar patterns of neoliberal housing policies to examine wealth inequalities based on homeownership despite fundamental differences in housing markets and welfare state provision. The comparison of Denmark and Turkey reveals similar adoption of policies that support financialization as a strategy to recover from financial crises. This paper examines how states have supported financialization with policies that allowed deregulations in the housing market to create an enabling environment for construction and real estate-specific growth, and how neoliberal housing policies positioned homeownership, a wealth symbol, as the core tenet of asset-based welfare that increased wealth inequalities. The outcome of this paper shows that neoliberal housing policies have generated new forms of inequality between low and high-income earners to access housing in both countries in different ways to produce a similar outcome. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Video consultations are becoming an important telemedicine service in Nordic countries. Its use in specialized healthcare increased significantly during COVID-19 pandemic. Despite advantages video consultations have, it may also produce challenges for practitioners. Identifying and understanding these challenges may contribute to how managers can support these practitioners and thereby improve work related wellbeing and quality of care.Methods: We designed this study as systematic review of the literature with narrative synthesis and conducted a thematic analysis. We conducted review about the use of video consultations in specialized healthcare in Nordic countries to identify and categorize challenges experienced and/or perceived by practitioners. We searched Ovid MEDLINE(R), EMBASE, APA PsycINFO, and CINAH, from 2011 to 2021. Eligibility criteria were population - practitioners in specialized healthcare with experience in video consultations to patients, interest - challenges experienced and/or perceived by practitioners and, context - outpatient clinics in Nordic countries.Results: We included four qualitative and one mixed method studies, published between 2018 and 2021 in Norway, Denmark, and Sweden. By thematic analysis we identified three main themes: challenges related to video consultation, challenges related to practitioner and, challenges related to patient. These themes are composed of 8 categories: technology uncertainties, environment and surroundings, preparation for requirements, clinical judgment, time management, practitioners' idiosyncrasies, patients' idiosyncrasies and patients' suitability and appropriateness. Challenges from technology uncertainties category were most frequent (dominant) across all clinical specializations.Conclusion: Findings indicate the scarcity of the research and provide rationale for further research addressing challenges in providing video consultations in the Nordic context. We suggest updating this review when the amount of available research increases. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: This study highlights areas of key importance for building event resilience and provides best-practice industry examples that foster innovative, adaptable and transformative event environments, which are areas of high academic and managerial relevance in times of uncertainty. Design/methodology/approach: The study employs a multicase study research design that draws on interviews with the leaders of four event organizations in Denmark and Norway: (1) the Steinkjer Festival, (2) Run Alone Denmark, (3) FC Midtjylland and (4) the Bergen International Festival. Findings: The events demonstrated the critical necessity of understanding innovation and its contribution to resilience in the event sector, particularly in times of uncertainty, such as the COVID-19 pandemic. These organizations achieved success by continuously fostering innovative environments before COVID-19 by being value-driven and customer-centric organizations. Digital technologies were not used as makeshift solutions but rather to enhance event attendees' experiential platforms and expand each event's business potential. Practical implications: The paper answers the call for event and festival research during the COVID-19 pandemic to explore the importance of understanding failure, crisis, innovation and recovery. Originality/value: The paper's contributions to event management research are (1) adding to the ongoing discussion about building a resilient event sector in times of uncertainty, (2) screening how event organizers achieve innovation in their organizations and (3) providing insights on future requirements for events in a post-COVID world. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]