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This paper explores how participants in a Swedish secondary school do gender talk with comics. Swedish schools are tasked with working with gender, but this can be a challenge for many teachers, and finding materials to work with gender aspects can be difficult. Meanwhile, literary research on comics has shown them to be a potential tool for problematising gender, but little educational research has investigated the gender discussions that comics can promote. Therefore, using conversation-analytical methodology, we have documented situated classroom talk through video observations, focusing on the social construction of gender. Five excerpts are shown, where different aspects of gender talk are displayed and discussed. Results indicate that although students deconstruct and criticise gendered binaries in characteristics and behaviour from comics' imagery, this critique remains superficial, revolving around the hypersexualised body imagery of the muscular superhero the Phantom or the outdated femininity of the girly Daisy Duck. Although comics present an opportunity for discussions of norm critique in the classroom, we suggest that more social-realistic comics, wherein gender roles are more subtle and nuanced, be used for furthering the research on this topic and allowing students more width when it comes to deconstructing gender binaries.

Sustainable forestry requires efficient regeneration methods to ensure that new forests are established quickly. In Sweden, 99% of the planting is manual, but finding labor for this arduous work is difficult. An autonomous scarifying and planting machine with high precision, low environmental impact, and a good work environment would meet the needs of the forest industry. For two years, a collaborative group of researchers, manufacturers, and users (forest companies) has worked together on developing and testing a new concept for autonomous forest regeneration (Autoplant). The concept comprises several subsystems, i.e., regeneration and route planning, autonomous driving (path planning), new technology for forest regeneration with minimal environmental impact, automatic plant management, crane motion planning, detection of planting spots, and follow-up. The subsystems were tested separately and integrated together during a field test at a clearcut. The concept shows great potential, especially from an environmental perspective, with significantly reduced soil disturbances, from approximately 50% (the area proportion of the area disturbed by disc trenching) to less than 3%. The Autoplant project highlights the challenges and opportunities related to future development, e.g., the relation between machine cost and operating speed, sensor robustness in response to vibrations and weather, and precision in detecting the size and type of obstacles during autonomous driving and planting. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Summary: Background: It is uncertain if functional dyspepsia (FD) or irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) are linked to smoking, and smoking cessation is not part of the routine advice provided to these patients. Aim: To assess if smoking is an independent risk factor for FD and IBS. Methods: Three population‐based endoscopy studies in Sweden with 2560 community individuals in total (mean age 51.5 years, 46% male). IBS (14.9%), FD (33.5%), and associated symptoms were assessed using the validated abdominal symptom questionnaire, and smoking (17.9%) was obtained from standardised questions during a clinic visit. The effect of smoking on symptom status was analysed in an individual person data meta‐analysis using mixed effect logistic regression, adjusted for snuffing, age and sex. Results: Individuals smoking cigarettes reported significantly higher odds of postprandial distress syndrome (FD‐PDS) (OR 10‐19 cig/day = 1.42, 95% CI 1.04‐1.98 P = 0.027, OR ≥20 cig/day = 2.16, 95% CI 1.38‐3.38, P = 0.001) but not epigastric pain. Individuals smoking 20 or more cigarettes per day reported significantly higher odds of IBS‐diarrhoea (OR = 2.40, 95% CI 1.12‐5.16, P = 0.025), diarrhoea (OR = 2.01, 95%CI 1.28‐3.16, P = 0.003), urgency (OR = 2.21, 95%CI 1.41‐3.47, P = 0.001) and flatus (OR = 1.77, 95%CI 1.14‐2.76, P = 0.012) than non‐smokers. Smoking was not associated with IBS‐constipation or IBS‐mixed. Conclusion: Smoking is an important environmental risk factor for postprandial distress syndrome, the most common FD subgroup, with over a twofold increased odds of PDS in heavy smokers. The role of smoking in IBS‐diarrhoea, but not constipation, is also likely important. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

From 1973 to 1983 the number and proportion of mentally retarded persons in the total population of Sweden has not changed, but there are fewer children and young persons and more adults. The changes are hypothetically attributed to prenatal diagnosis, improved obstetrical techniques, and the introduction of antibiotics in 1948. (Author/VW)

Background and study aims: Barrett's esophagus is a premalignant condition in the distal esophagus associated with esophageal adenocarcinoma. Since gastroesophageal reflux is known to be of etiological importance in both Barrett's esophagus and esophageal adenocarcinoma, we aimed to study which endoscopic alterations at the Z-line can be attributed to a previous history of reflux symptoms. Patients and methods: From 1988, a population cohort in Sweden has been prospectively studied regarding gastrointestinal symptoms, using a validated questionnaire. In 2012, the population was invited to undergo a gastroscopy and participate in the present study. In order to determine which endoscopic alterations that can be attributed to a previous history of gastroesophageal reflux, three different endoscopic definitions of columnar-lined esophagus (CLE) were used: (1) ZAP I, An irregular Z-line with a suspicion of tongue-like protrusions; (2) ZAP II/III, Distinct, obvious tongues of metaplastic columnar epithelium; (3) CLE ≥1 cm, The Prague C/M-classification with a minimum length of 1 cm. Results: A total of 165 community subjects were included in the study. Of these, 40 had CLE ≥ 1 cm, 99 had ZAP I, and 26 had ZAP II/III. ZAP II/III was associated with an over threefold risk of previous GER symptoms (OR: 3.60, CI: 1.49–8.70). No association was found between gastroesophageal reflux and ZAP I (OR: 2.06, CI: 0.85–5.00), or CLE ≥1 cm (OR: 1.64, CI: 0.77–3.49). Conclusions: In a general community, the only endoscopic alteration to the Z-line definitely linked to longstanding GER symptoms was the presence of obvious tongues of metaplastic columnar epithelium (ZAP II/III). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The optimal time to surgery (TTS) after neoadjuvant chemoradiotherapy (nCRT) for oesophageal cancer is unknown and has traditionally been 4-6 weeks in clinical practice. Observational studies have suggested better outcomes, especially in terms of histological response, after prolonged delay of up to 3 months after nCRT. The NeoRes II trial is the first randomised trial to compare standard to prolonged TTS after nCRT for oesophageal cancer. Patients with resectable, locally advanced oesophageal cancer were randomly assigned to standard delay of surgery of 4-6 weeks or prolonged delay of 10-12 weeks after nCRT. The primary endpoint was complete histological response of the primary tumour in patients with adenocarcinoma (AC). Secondary endpoints included histological tumour response, resection margins, overall and progression-free survival in all patients and stratified by histologic type. Between February 2015 and March 2019, 249 patients from 10 participating centres in Sweden, Norway and Germany were randomised: 125 to standard and 124 to prolonged TTS. There was no significant difference in complete histological response between AC patients allocated to standard (21%) compared to prolonged (26%) TTS (P = 0.429). Tumour regression, resection margins and number of resected lymph nodes, total and metastatic, did not differ between the allocated interventions. The first quartile overall survival in patients allocated to standard TTS was 26.5 months compared to 14.2 months after prolonged TTS (P = 0.003) and the overall risk of death during follow-up was 35% higher after prolonged delay (hazard ratio 1.35, 95% confidence interval 0.94-1.95, P = 0.107). Prolonged TTS did not improve histological complete response or other pathological endpoints, while there was a strong trend towards worse survival, suggesting caution in routinely delaying surgery for >6 weeks after nCRT. • The optimal timing of surgery after completed nCRT for oesophageal cancer is not known. • Merely based on observational studies clinical practice has moved towards prolonged delay of surgery for up to 12 weeks. • This randomised controlled trial compared standard 4-6 weeks' TTS to prolonged delay of 10-12 weeks. • No significant differences in histological complete response, tumour regression or complete tumour resections were found. • A strong trend of worse overall survival was found after prolonged TTS, suggesting caution in routinely delaying surgery. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]