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"English as a lingua franca (ELF)" is a well-known concept for English used as an international contact language among people from diverse linguacultural backgrounds. Using a questionnaire, we explored the attitudes of Spanish and Swedish pre-service primary school teachers towards English and its users after their collaboration on a virtual platform, during which they were "ELF users." The findings showed that the ELF user attitudes of the two European student cohorts tended to be ambivalent, mixed, and self-contradictory. After discussing factors for participants' attitudinal tendencies, we conclude that the ambivalence in their overall attitudes seems to mirror the ambivalence of the 'double' definitions of English in educational policy documents, which may affect the goals of teaching English in the classroom. We suggest that university teaching help pre-service teachers develop critical perspectives towards English and English users, as well as reflecting on why they teach English to their future pupils.

We are analysing Stockholm, Sweden's regulated rental housing market, by analysing the distribution of rental apartments based on a person's position in the housing agency queue. Our objective is to examine queue times and estimate the demand for rent-regulated apartments, as well as the market's income elasticity. Using the hedonic two-step approach, we use empirical data from rental contracts provided by the Stockholm Housing Agency to investigate the relationship between individual waiting times and their characteristics, such as income, age, and family composition. The empirical analysis found a strong willingness to pay for rent-regulated apartments, especially for larger homes in better locations with lower regulated rent. The demand for rental apartments increases with increasing income, but this effect is less pronounced in the current distribution system. The findings will be valuable to real estate developers, property owners, and city planners to improve policies for the rental housing market. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Migratory birds play a dual role as potential reservoirs of tick-borne pathogens, and potential dispersers of pathogen-containing ticks during their migratory journeys. Ixodes ricinus, a prevalent tick species in Northern and Western Europe, serves as a primary vector for Anaplasma phagocytophilum—a bacterium with implications for human and animal health. There is limited information available regarding A. phagocytophilum in birds. Our investigation focused on A. phagocytophilum prevalence in ticks collected from migratory birds in southeastern Sweden. The identification of ticks involved both molecular analyses for species determination and morphological classification to ascertain the developmental stage. The presence of A. phagocytophilum was determined using real-time PCR. Of the 1115 ticks analyzed from 4601 birds, 0.9% (n = 10), including I. ricinus and Ixodes frontalis, tested positive for A. phagocytophilum. Notably, common blackbirds (Turdus merula) yielded the highest number of A. phagocytophilum-infected ticks. The findings suggest that A. phagocytophilum is present in a small proportion of ticks infesting migratory birds in southeastern Sweden. Consequently, the role of birds as hosts for ticks infected with A. phagocytophilum appears to be low, suggesting that birds seem to play a minor indirect role in the geographic dispersal of A. phagocytophilum. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article presents the result from a study comparing the perception and understanding of a game story between sighted and visually impaired players playing the same game. In particular, whether sighted and visually impaired players could experience and recount the same story construed from the plot elements that are either manifested by audio and graphics in the case of sighted players or primarily by audio in the case of visually impaired players. To this end, we have developed a graphical point-and-click adventure game for iOS and Android devices that aims to show how inclusive game design may be used to facilitate a shared gaming experience between sighted and visually impaired players. The game provides players with audio feedback that enables visually impaired players to interact with and experience the game, but in a manner that does not interfere with the overall appearance and functionality of the game. Thus, it has been designed to be fully inclusive to both groups of players and to give the same gaming experience when it comes to story content. The game has been evaluated through formal user tests where subjects have been asked to play the first chapter of the game followed by an interview. The study shows that the perception of the story was almost identical between the two groups. Generally it took visually impaired players a little longer to play the game but they also seem to listen more carefully to the dialogue and hence also build a slightly deeper understanding of the characters. The study also shows that the sighted players did not respond negatively towards the inclusive game design employed in the game.

The value of a property tends to decrease over time as it ages, resulting in a reduced ability to generate the same value. Property depreciation is a multifaceted concept that encompasses both technical and economic aspects. The purpose of the study is to evaluate whether additional information on the quality of older single-family homes affected the depreciation factor. We collected specific data from property owners on the frequency of various maintenance and reinvestment operations, both internal and external, such as the roof, foundation, heating, and kitchen. Our database consists of nearly 10,000 owner-occupied single-family houses in Sweden sold between the beginning of 2021 and 2022 that are over 30 years old. Our results show, as expected, that the depreciation per year for older properties is lower. However, for older properties that have been renovated, the age-related price effect is an appreciation. This is especially true for older properties built before 1940. Renovating and maintaining older properties can mitigate the age-related decline in prices and should be taken into account when valuing properties, especially properties older than 80 years. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Recent reports on children and adolescents’ physical activity indicate that approximately 80% do not meet the World Health Organisation’srecommended levels of physical activity. Childhood is a critical period of development; assuch, it isimportant to prioritize health promotion in this phase of one’s life. Use of gamification in mobile apps has been shown to positively influence physical activity levels in children and adolescents. Inclusion of behaviour change techniques (BCTs) has been noted to increase the effect of health promoting interventions. Previous research highlights that children and adolescents find the BCTs of goal setting/planning, feedback, reward, selfmonitoring, social comparison, and social support to be of interest. The aim of this study was to explore Swedish adolescents’ experience with physical activity and apps with a focus on the influence of BCTs. Three focus group interviews were undertaken with a total of 18 participants (11-15 years of age). The data were explored using reflective thematic analysis. In addition to the BCTsidentified in previousresearch, participantsin the presentstudy indicated they were positive about mobile apps providing instruction on how to perform a behaviour, demonstration of the behaviour, and the influence of removal of reward. Other attractive features of physical activities apps included developing a streak, competition, and provision of an adequate level of challenge. The present study contributes to a deeper understanding of how BCTs and other features can be implemented in physical activity apps, where individualization and renewal appear to be more important than the actual content features. These findings are important for future work to create interventions that increase the level of physical activity among adolescents both in Sweden and other countries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ixodes ricinus nymphs and adults removed from humans, and larvae and nymphs from birds, have been analysed for infection with Babesia species and Borrelia species previously in separately published studies. Here, we use the same data set to explore the coinfection pattern of Babesia and Borrelia species in the ticks. We also provide an overview of the ecology and potential public health importance in Sweden of I. ricinus infected both with zoonotic Babesia and Borrelia species. Among 1952 nymphs and adult ticks removed from humans, 3.1% were PCR-positive for Babesia spp. Of these Babesia-positive ticks, 43% were simultaneously Borrelia-positive. Among 1046 immatures of I. ricinus removed from birds, 2.5% were Babesia-positive, of which 38% were coinfected with Borrelia species. This study shows that in I. ricinus infesting humans or birds in Sweden, potentially zoonotic Babesia protozoa sometimes co-occur with human-pathogenic Borrelia spp. Diagnostic tests for Babesia spp. infection are rarely performed in Europe, and the medical significance of this pathogen in Europe could be underestimated. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Researchers have established a relationship between greater education and training and higher earnings but it is difficult to infer that the former causes the latter if those with higher earnings tend to engage in more education and training. The present study attempts to control for ability and family background to see if stronger inferences can be made about education and training as the independent variable. The study focuses upon advanced vocational education and training (AVET) in Sweden. This is post-secondary school education for individuals who are 20 years of age or older. The aim of this article is to estimate the effects of AVET on earnings by controlling for selection bias. We used various approaches such as instrumental variables, Hausman-Taylor estimates, fixed effects estimates and propensity score matching to achieve this aim. A panel, or longitudinal, data set for eight different labor markets in Sweden for the period 1996-2008 was used. The results indicate that earnings from AVET are higher than the return on investment in comprehensive education. The average effect on income is estimated to be in the range of 3-8 percent.

An important factor for success in project-based learning (PBL) is that the involved project groups establish an atmosphere of social interaction in their working environment. In PBL-scenarios situated in distributed environments, most of a group's work-processes are mediated through the use of production-focused tools that are unconcerned with the important informal and social aspects of a project. On the other hand, there are plenty of tools and platforms that focus on doing the opposite and mainly support informal bonding (e.g., Facebook), but these types of environments can be obtrusive and contain distractions that can be detrimental to a group's productivity and are thus often excluded from working environments. The aim of this paper is to examine how a game-based multi-user environment (MUVE) can be designed to support project-based learning by bridging the gap between productivity-focused and social software. To explore this, the authors developed a game-based MUVE which was evaluated in a PBL-scenario. The result of the study revealed several crucial design elements that are needed to make such a MUVE work effectively, and that the acceptance towards game-based MUVEs is high, even with a rudimentary execution.

Background: Birds can cross geographical and environmental barriers and thereby facilitate dispersal of tick-borne pathogens both as carriers of infected ticks and as reservoirs of pathogenic microorganisms. Ixodes lividus (Ixodida: Ixodidae) is an endophilic tick in the Palearctic region that is highly specialized on its host, the European sand martin Riparia riparia. The purpose of this study was to determine whether I. lividus ticks sampled from sand martin nests in Sweden carry vector-borne pathogens. Materials and Methods: Fed ticks were collected in the autumns of 2017 and 2019 from the nests of a European sand martin colony in southern Sweden. Ticks were identified morphologically to developmental stage and species and were tested for tick-borne pathogens using PCR-based methods. Results: None of the 41 ticks tested positive for five tick-borne pathogens including Borrelia spp., tick-borne encephalitis virus (TBEV), Neoehrlichia mikurensis, Anaplasma phagocytophilum, and Babesia spp. Thirty-seven (13 females, 23 nymphs and 1 larva) of the 41 ticks tested positive for the gltA gene of Rickettsia spp. The sequences of the 17 kDa and gltA genes were most closely related to Candidatus Rickettsia vini. Conclusion: Our study confirms other reports that I. lividus ticks associated with the European sand martin have high infection prevalence of Ca. R. vini. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Our study aims to analyse whether the capitalisation of a property's energy performance is affected by how it is presented. In place since 2002, there is an EU directive mandating the introduction of an energy performance certificate (EPC) when selling detached houses. This directive was implemented in Sweden in 2009. We analyse how EPC capitalised on housing prices during 2012–2018 for detached houses in Stockholm. This was previously carried out, but our contribution is to analyse both the effect of energy rating or labelling (A–G) and energy consumption (kWh/m²). How energy performance is communicated or displayed to potential buyers conveys that the format, style, and content of energy performance information may influence how buyers perceive its value and impact on the property's market price. We have information on energy rating, consumption, or both for selected properties. This allows us to test the hypothesis that how energy performance is presented affects pricing. We also tested whether information affects different age cohorts differently. The results indicate that how energy performance is presented and visualised is important and that information about rating and consumption might be considered as a substitute for each other. It is also clear that the capitalisation effect differs depending on the age of the building. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Incidence of tick-borne encephalitis (TBE) has increased during the last years in Scandinavia, but the underlying mechanism is not understood. TBE human case data reported between 2010 and 2021 were aggregated into postal codes within Örebro County, south-central Sweden, along with tick abundance and environmental data to analyse spatial patterns and identify drivers of TBE. We identified a substantial and continuing increase of TBE incidence in Örebro County during the study period. Spatial cluster analyses showed significant hotspots (higher number of cases than expected) in the southern and northern parts of Örebro County, whereas a cold spot (lower number of cases than expected) was found in the central part comprising Örebro municipality. Generalised linear models showed that the risk of acquiring TBE increased by 12.5% and 72.3% for every percent increase in relative humidity and proportion of wetland forest, respectively, whereas the risk decreased by 52.8% for every degree Celsius increase in annual temperature range. However, models had relatively low goodness of fit (R2 < 0.27). Results suggest that TBE in Örebro County is spatially clustered, however variables used in this study, i.e., climatic variables, forest cover, water, tick abundance, sheep as indicator species, alone do not explain this pattern. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

New residential construction in many countries with rapid urban growth is often interrelated with smaller housing units being built. Sweden is not an exception. It is of interest to investigate the driving forces behind this tendency. Our presumption is that municipal land price policies and building permit regulations might play a certain role in this process. Contrary to previous studies that focus on the number of new dwelling units in housing construction, our purpose is to analyze the average size of new housing units and the factors that affect it on an aggregate level. We apply seemingly unrelated regressions for analysis of the average apartment size in new residential construction in the three largest metropolitan regions in Sweden as a function of the changes in population, apartment rent and prices, mortgage interest rates, land prices, and building permits per capita as a proxy for regulation. The unbalanced panel dataset includes the period between 1998 and 2017 and covers both the rental and the housing cooperative sectors. The analysis demonstrates that land prices and building policies along with market fundamentals are the underlying factors that affect the average size of an apartment in new residential construction in Sweden. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Soprano pipistrelle bat, Pipistrellus pygmaeus, is a common species in large parts of Sweden. Many of its natural habitats are near human habitations. This creates opportunities for ticks infesting these bats to encounter humans and possibly transmit zoonotic pathogens by tick bites. The bats are often infested with Carios vespertilionis, a tick species that, in addition to bats, has been recorded to bite humans on occasion. This study aimed to investigate if C. vespertilionis acts as a reservoir for Anaplasma phagocytophilum, Neoehrlichia mikurensis, Tick-borne encephalitis virus, and species of Babesia and Rickettsia and to improve currently used conventional PCR protocols for molecular species determination of Rickettsia spp. Ninety-two C. vespertilionis ticks were collected from underneath a bat-box harbouring P. pygmaeus. Pathogen-specific PCR assays showed that 58.4% were positive for Rickettsia spp. and negative for the other pathogens analysed. Phylogenetic analyses indicate that the species belong to R. parkeri, R. conorii, R. slovaca, R. sibirica subsp. mongolotimonae, R. rickettsii, and a hitherto uncultured Rickettsia sp. Several of these species are considered pathogenic to humans. Given the ecology and behaviour of C. vespertilionis, it may be a vector of these rickettsiae among bats and occasionally humans. To determine the Rickettsia species with certainty, and to determine if C. vespertilionis may be a reservoir and vector of the Rickettsia spp., further studies are needed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Bacteria of the Borrelia burgdorferi sensu lato complex are the causative agents of Lyme borreliosis (LB). Even if the conventional diagnosis of LB does not rely on the species itself, an accurate species identification within the complex will provide a deepened epidemiological scenario, a better diagnosis leading to a more targeted therapeutic approach, as well as promote the general public's awareness. A comparative genomics approach based on the 210 Borrelia spp. genomes available in 2019 were used to set up three species-specific PCR protocols, able to detect and provide species typing of Borrelia afzelii, Borrelia burgdorferi sensu stricto (s.s.) and Borrelia garinii, the three most common and important human pathogenic Lyme Borrelia species in Europe. The species-specificity of these protocols was confirmed on previously identified B. afzelii, B. burgdorferi s.s. and B. garinii specimens detected in Ixodes ricinus samples. In addition, the protocols were validated on 120 DNA samples from ticks collected in Sweden, showing 88% accuracy, 100% precision, 72% sensitivity and 100% specificity. The proposed approach represents an innovative tool in epidemiological studies focused on B. burgdorferi s.l. occurrence in ticks, and future studies could suggest its helpfulness in routine diagnostic tests for health care. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We present a model for conducting dynamic treatment unit (DTU) forest planning using a heuristic cellular automata (CA) approach. The clustering of DTUs is driven by entry costs associated with treatments, thus we directly model the economic incentive to cluster. The model is based on the work presented in the literature but enhanced by adding a third phase to the CA algorithm where DTUs are mapped in high detail. The model allows separate but nearby forest areas to be included in the same DTU and shares the entry cost if they are within a defined distance. The model is applied to a typical long-term forest planning problem for a 1 182 ha landscape in northern Sweden, represented by 4 218 microsegments with an average size of 0.28 ha. The added phase increased the utility by 1.5–32.2%. The model produced consistent solutions—more than half of all microsegments were managed with the same treatment program in 95% of all solutions when multiple solutions were found. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As in many other countries, the population of Sweden is getting older. This means that the number of older people in society will increase in absolute numbers and relative terms. Consequently, the need for elderly housing will increase, and the cost of these investments will be high. The following study aims to perform a quantitative analysis of the spatial distribution of the number and size of housing units for the elderly in Sweden in 2013–2018. The number of elderly housing units per capita is not evenly distributed, and a large part of the explanation is, of course, that the number of older people is not evenly distributed between municipalities. Nevertheless, we can also state that the municipality's income level and tax base, as well as the geographical size and degree of urbanization, play a role. If the municipality has a surplus or deficit in the supply of special housing for the elderly, it does not correlate with the distribution of COVID-19 cases. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Since the size of the homeownership ratio differs significantly between countries, it is important to understand the mechanisms that lie behind the decrease or growth of certain sectors of the housing market such as rentals and housing cooperatives. The aim of this study is to analyze the long-term dynamics of the new residential supply in Sweden's three largest cities for the period of 1990–2020 and estimate in what way market fundamentals affect it through new construction and housing conversions. We apply panel data methodology and, in distinction to previous research, consider the development of the housing market (urban growth) as physical volume. The results demonstrate that structural changes are driven mainly by fundamental demand factors and that the displacement effect occurs primarily in the market's rental sector and not in the owner-occupied segment. The apartment price per square meter, together with mortgage interest rates, are the major driving factors in the process of converting dwellings into housing cooperatives. Fundamental variables that affect new construction in both the rental and housing cooperative sectors are population and income growth. In the presence of a rent control environment, the rent or price level does not contribute to adding new units to the total housing stock. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article is about the eriksgata, a journey undertaken by a Swedish king-elect across the realm to be confirmed as new leader by the local provincial assemblies. The focus is on the centuries between 800 and 1300, which saw a period of state formation, and important socio-economic and religious developments. The aim of the article is to look at the eriksgata from several perspectives, including as a ritual, but also as a political and diplomatic act. It seeks to answer several questions about the intent behind the tradition, and its practical consequences. In a first section, further details about the eriksgata will be given. Its history and development will be explained, and comparisons will be made with similar traditions in other Germanic kingdoms during the same period. In a second instance, the question of whether the eriksgata should be seen as a ritual and/or religious act, as medieval coronation ceremonies often were, will be addressed. The journey's legal aspect and necessity in enabling a smooth power transition will be scrutinised too. The third part will look at the more concrete role that the eriksgata played in enabling the political minority to have a say in the election of their leader. Following a brief overview of the ancient rules governing the election of kings in medieval Sweden, it will also be suggested that the eriksgata allowed the people outside of Svealand to reaffirm their own ethnic identity. It will be concluded that rather than being a diplomatic effort to unite the realm, the journey could also have served to accentuate regional differences. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Migratory birds can cross geographical and environmental barriers and are thereby able to facilitate transmission of tick-borne pathogens both as carriers of infected ticks and as reservoirs of pathogenic microorganisms. Ixodes ricinus is one of the most abundant tick species in the Northern Hemisphere and a main vector of several Babesia species, some which pose a potential threat to human and animal health. At present only two cases of overt babesiosis in humans have so far been reported in Sweden. To better understand the potential role of birds as disseminators of zoonotic Babesia protozoan parasites, we investigated the presence of Babesia species in ticks removed from migratory birds. Methods: Ticks were collected from birds captured at Ottenby Bird Observatory, south-eastern Sweden, from March to November 2009. Ticks were molecularly identified to species, and morphologically to developmental stage, and the presence of Babesia protozoan parasites was determined by real-time PCR. Results: In total, 4601 migratory birds of 65 species were examined for tick infestation. Ticks removed from these birds have previously been investigated for the presence of Borrelia bacteria and the tick-borne encephalitis virus. In the present study, a total of 1102 ticks were available for molecular analysis of Babesia protozoan parasites. We found that 2.4% of the ticks examined, all I. ricinus, were positive for mammal-associated Babesia species. Out of all Babesia-positive samples, Babesia venatorum was the most prevalent (58%) species, followed by Babesia microti (38%) and Babesia capreoli (4.0%). B. venatorum and B. capreoli were detected in I. ricinus larvae, whereas B. microti was only present in I. ricinus nymphs. This supports the view that the two first-mentioned species are vertically (transovarially) transmitted in the tick population, in contrast to B. microti. The largest number of Babesia-infected ticks was removed from the common redstart (Phoenicurus phoenicurus) and European robin (Erithacus rubecula). Conclusions: This study reveals that Babesia protozoan parasites are present in ticks infesting migratory birds in south-eastern Sweden, which could potentially lead to the dissemination of these tick-borne microorganisms into new areas, thus posing a threat to humans and other mammals. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In forest management planning, the dynamic treatment unit (DTU) approach has become an increasingly relevant alternative to the traditional planning approach using fixed stands, due to improved remote sensing techniques and optimization procedures, with the potential for the higher goal fulfillment of forest activities. For the DTU approach, the traditional concept of fixed stands is disregarded, and forest data are kept in units with a high spatial resolution. Forest operations are planned by clustering cells to form treatment units for harvest operations. This paper presents a new model with an exact optimization technique for forming DTUs in forest planning. In comparison with most previous models, this model aims for increased flexibility by modelling the spatial dimension according to cell proximity rather than immediate adjacency. The model is evaluated using a case study with harvest flow constraints for a forest estate in southern Sweden, represented by 3587 cells. The parameter settings differed between cases, resulting in varying degrees of clustered DTUs, which caused relative net present value losses of up to 4.3%. The case without clustering had the lowest net present value when considering entry costs. The solution times varied between 2.2 s and 42 min 6 s and grew rapidly with increasing problem size. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The main objective is to answer the question: What role does the housing market play for the transmission mechanism and (in particular) is the impact constant over time? The research question also includes analyzing the importance of the housing market for the transmission mechanism. We estimate an eight-variable structural vector autoregression (SVAR) model of the Swedish economy over the period 1993 and 2018 using quarterly data, covering both the internet bubble in 2000 and the financial crises in 2008. The results indicate that interest rates have both a direct effect on housing prices and an indirect impact through the bank lending channel. Over time, the traditional interest rate channel importance has been stable. On the other hand, the role of the bank lending channel has increased over time. Household debt has increased substantially in Sweden and elsewhere. That means that the interest rate sensitivity in society has increased. Based on the results, it is possible to evaluate and forecast potential house price effects (both direct and indirect) when the interest rate changes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Our knowledge about what happens to housing values when properties are close to places with high concentrations of crime, often called 'hot spots', is limited. Previous research suggests that crime depresses property prices overall, but crime hot spots affect house prices more than crime occurrence does and may affect prices of single-family houses more than prices of flats. Here we employ hedonic price modelling to estimate the impact of crime hot spots on housing sales, controlling for property, neighbourhood and city characteristics in the Stockholm metropolitan region, Sweden. Using a Geographic Information System (GIS), we combine property sales by coordinates into a single database with locations of crime hot spots. The overall effect on house prices of crime (measured as crime rates) is relatively small, but if its impact is measured by distance to a crime hot spot, the effect is non-negligible. By moving a house 1 km further away from a crime hot spot, its value increases by more than SEK 30,000 (about EUR 2,797). Vandalism is the type of crime that most affects prices for both multi- and single-family housing, but that effect decreases with distance from a crime hot spot. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article is about Swedish royal titulature and Finland's absence from it. It is concerned with understanding why Finland, which was officially integrated into the Swedish kingdom in the thirteenth century, was never acknowledged in the short form of the Swedish royal title although others were, despite not being officially Swedish subjects. The article looks at the development of early medieval royal titles, including their meaning, and the context of their introduction and use. It then proposes several theories to try and address Finland's lack of representation. These hypotheses require an investigation of alternative historical definitions of some of the ethnonyms used in royal titulature, and revaluate our understanding of Finland's relationship with Sweden in the medieval and Early Modern periods. The study concludes that while a definite answer cannot be given, Finland's native population might have been eclipsed from public view by the cultural Swedish elite. In addition, a historically negative reputation may have encouraged its exclusion from royal honours. It is also possible that Finland was included under a different terminology born out of the Early Modern Period's reinterpretation of the past. Finally, evidence points to Finland being treated as its own entity separate from the rest of the kingdom. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A milder climate has during the last decade contributed to an increased density and spreading of ixodid ticks, thus enhancing their role as emerging vectors for pathogenic microorganisms in northern Europe. It remains unclear if they contribute to the occurrence of infections caused by the bacteria Bartonella spp., Francisella tularensis subspecies holarctica and the parasite Toxoplasma gondii in Sweden and on the Åland islands, Finland. In this study, we want to improve understanding of the tick-borne transmission of these pathogens. Volunteers were recruited at primary healthcare centers. Ticks and blood samples were acquired from participants recruited in 2008 and 2009. Health questionnaires were completed, and medical records were acquired where applicable. Feeding time was estimated and screening of pathogens in the ticks was performed through real-time PCR. Ticks (n = 1849) were of mixed developmental stages: 76 larvae, 1295 nymphs, 426 adults and 52 undetermined. All analyzed ticks were considered negative for these pathogens since the CT-values were all below the detection limit for Bartonella spp. (1663 ticks), Francisella spp. (1849 ticks) and Toxoplasma gondii (1813 ticks). We assume that infections with these pathogens are caused by other transmission pathways within these regions of Sweden and the Åland islands, Finland. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We report 2 human cases of Borrelia miyamotoi disease diagnosed in Sweden, including 1 case of meningitis in an apparently immunocompetent patient. The diagnoses were confirmed by 3 different independent PCR assays and DNA sequencing from cerebrospinal fluid, supplemented by serologic analyses. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Rough handling by drivers increase the odds of stress related pig behaviour. • Rough handling by drivers increase the odds of a disrupted pig flow. • Stress related pig behaviour increase the odds of rough handling by drivers. • Gentle handling by drivers increase the odds of relaxed pig body positions. Finishing pigs and transport drivers (TDs) interact closely when pigs are loaded for transport, which can be very stressful for both. We aimed to investigate relationships between TD handling actions and pig behaviours during loading for slaughter transport. In total 2,476 finishing pigs were loaded by 18 TDs (2 women, 16 men) during 18 loadings at 18 pig farms in Sweden over a 6 month period. Tactile, vocal and visual TD handling actions were recorded and characterized as 'moderately-strongly negative', 'mildly negative' or 'positive'. In the pigs, 'stress related', 'flow', 'disrupted flow' and 'relaxed' behaviours were recorded in all animals within 2 m in front of the TDs, using continuous video recordings, and summarized in 5-s intervals. Logistic models were constructed to estimate associations between actions and behaviours, including the preceding one or two intervals. The odds of stress related behaviour in the pigs was found to increase 5.4 and 4.1 times when a moderately-strongly negative and any negative TD action, respectively, occurred in the same interval. When a moderately-strongly negative and any negative TD action occurred in the preceding interval, the odds of stress related behaviour increased 2.0 times and 1.4 times, respectively. The odds of disrupted flow increased 1.6 times when any negative TD action occurred in the same interval. Furthermore, the odds of moderately-strongly negative TD action increased 5.4, 3.4 and 1.9 times, and the odds of any negative TD action increased 3.6, 2.9 and 2.1 times when stress related pig behaviour occurred in the same interval, the preceding interval and the interval before that, respectively. Positive TD action in the same or preceding interval was associated with relaxed pig behaviour. This study suggests a reciprocal relationship between TD actions and pig behaviour, which provides an opportunity to improve TD actions through training in order to reduce stress behaviours in pigs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Tick-transmitted diseases are an emerging health problem, and the hard tick Ixodes ricinus is the main vector for Borrelia spp., tick-borne encephalitis virus and most of the spotted fever Rickettsiae in Europe. The aim of the present study was to examine the incidence of rickettsial infection in the southernmost and south central parts of Sweden and the Åland Islands in Finland, the risk of infection in humans and its correlation with a bite of a Rickettsia-infected tick, the self-reported symptoms of rickettsial disease, and the prevalence of co-infection between Rickettsia spp. and Borrelia spp. Persons with a recent tick bite were enrolled through public media and asked to answer a questionnaire, provide a blood sample and bring detached ticks at enlistment and at follow-up three months later. Blood samples were previously analysed for Borrelia spp. antibodies and, for this report, analysed for antibodies to Rickettsia spp. by immunofluorescence and in 16 cases also using Western Blot. Ninety-six (44.0%) of the 218 participants were seropositive for IgG antibodies to Rickettsia spp. Forty (18.3%) of the seropositive participants had increased titres at the follow-up, indicating recent/current infection, while four (1.8%) had titres indicating probable recent/current infection (≥1:256). Of 472 ticks, 39 (8.3%) were Rickettsia sp. positive. Five (31.3%) of 16 participants bitten by a Rickettsia-infected tick seroconverted. Experience of the self-reported symptoms nausea (p = 0.006) and radiating pain (p = 0.041) was more common among those with recent, current or probable infection compared to those who did not seroconvert. Participants who showed seroreactivity or seroconversion to Rickettsia spp. had more symptoms than those who were seronegative. Seven (3.2%) participants showed seroconversion to Borrelia spp., and three (1.4%) of these showed seroconversion to both Rickettsia spp. and Borrelia spp., in accordance with previous studies in Sweden. Symptoms of rickettsial disease were in most of the cases vague and general that were difficult to differentiate from other tick-borne diseases. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aim The purpose of this qualitative study was to explore and understand from the perspectives of nurses and surgeons the situations and processes that are important in the context of surgical care support or are obstacles to achieving good care. Background Medical advances and inpatients with multiple illnesses are on the increase. In addition, a high turnover of registered nurses has been identified. This contributes to an increasingly inexperienced nursing staff. Concurrently, studies have shown that patient safety and quality of care are linked to organisational structures and staffing education levels. Method Eight nurses and six surgeons from three hospitals were interviewed and data were analysed by systematic text condensation. Results This identified three themes: shifting focus away from the patients, emphasising good communication, and using the competence of the team. Conclusion This study contributes to a deeper understanding that many interruptions, insufficient communication and unused competence can be a threat to patient safety. Sweden has a high standard but this study elucidates that challenges remain to be resolved. Implications for nursing management The focus on patients can increase by a balance between direct/indirect patient work and administration and by the support of clinicians using their full professional competence. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Candidatus Neoehrlichia mikurensis (CNM; family Anaplasmataceae) was recently recognized as a potential tick-borne human pathogen. The presence of CNM in mammals, in host-seeking Ixodes ticks and in ticks attached to mammals and birds has been reported recently. We investigated the presence of CNM in ornithophagous ticks from migrating birds. A total of 1,150 ticks (582 nymphs, 548 larvae, 18 undetermined ticks and two adult females) collected from 5,365 birds captured in south-eastern Sweden was screened for CNM by molecular methods. The birds represented 65 different species, of which 35 species were infested with one or more ticks. Based on a combination of morphological and molecular species identification, the majority of the ticks were identified as Ixodes ricinus. Samples were initially screened by real-time PCR targeting the CNM 16S rRNA gene, and confirmed by a second real-time PCR targeting the groEL gene. For positive samples, a 1260 base pair fragment of the 16S rRNA gene was sequenced. Based upon bacterial gene sequence identification, 2.1% (24/1150) of the analysed samples were CNM-positive. Twenty-two out of 24 CNM-positive ticks were molecularly identified as I. ricinus nymphs, and the remaining two were identified as I. ricinus based on morphology. The overall CNM prevalence in I. ricinus nymphs was 4.2%. None of the 548 tested larvae was positive. CNM-positive ticks were collected from 10 different bird species. The highest CNM-prevalences were recorded in nymphs collected from common redpoll (Carduelis flammea, 3/7), thrush nightingale (Luscinia luscinia, 2/29) and dunnock (Prunella modularis, 1/17). The 16S rRNA sequences obtained in this study were all identical to each other and to three previously reported European strains, two of which were obtained from humans. It is concluded that ornithophagous ticks may be infected with CNM and that birds most likely can disperse CNM-infected ticks over large geographical areas. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aims and objectives The aim of this study was to develop a self-assessment tool aiming to raise telenurses' awareness of their communication and interpersonal competence, and highlight areas in need of improvement. Background Several studies have revealed the need for development of communication competence in telenursing. Structured analyses of conversations with patients/callers, is one way to increase telenurses' awareness of their unique communication and interpersonal competence. Design Instrument development, Validation assessment using the method Content Validity Index. Method The process to determine content validity was done in two stages; the development stage and the assessment stage. The development stage started with a literature search. The assessment stage was separated into two phases, assessment by an expert group and assessment and test by telenurses. The telenurses also participated in consensus discussions. Results A telenursing self-assessment tool with 58 items was developed. The items were sorted into five sections according to the nursing process. Conclusion This study describes the thorough development process of the telenursing self-assessment tool to be used by telenurses in order to become aware of their unique communication and interpersonal competence when analysing their own conversations with patients/callers. As a formative tool it is meant to provide self-direction, feedback and coaching, and create learning opportunities. Relevance to clinical practice The self-assessment tool helps the telenurse to follow the nursing process, to be patient-centred, and it is meant to provide self-direction, feedback, and coaching, as well as create learning opportunities. The tool can contribute to the development of communication and interpersonal competence in telephone advice nursing. Further development of the tool may provide an objective scoring instrument for evaluating communication training and education in the field. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Context: Improved and cost-efficient predictions of detailed product recovery from logging operations may increase efficiency and improve value chains based on modern cut-to-length harvesting (CTL). • Aims: The objective of this study was to investigate and evaluate the use of individual tree data estimates from two inventory techniques: (a) established airborne laser scanner inventory (ALS case) and (b) traditional field inventory (BAU case) for predicting product recovery in a Swedish case study. • Methods: Statistics from previous harvester production files within the region were used to generate realistic levels of simulated stem defects. Bucking simulations were performed to optimise log products according to stem profiles, stem defects, and an operational price list expressing the demand of the industry customer. All simulation results at the stand level were compared to operational harvester production data that were used to provide an accurate measure of the 'true' product recovery. The total harvested area was 139 ha including 16 forest stands. Seven groups of log products were included in the analysis. The predicted versus real top diameter distributions of sawlogs were evaluated using an error index to express deviations. • Results: At the stand level, the average error index values were 0.15 and 0.18 for the ALS and BAU approaches, respectively. As a consequence of an overall bias of the ALS tree lists the opposite was found at the total wood flow level, with the field-based data yielding a lower error index. • Conclusions: The volume predictions for different log product groups were slightly more accurate in the ALS case than in the BAU case. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Housing shortages and urbanization have led to higher house prices and higher levels of household debt. • Sweden's Financial Supervisory Authority has introduced several macroprudential tools over the last ten years. • The question is whether the Financial Supervisory Authority's use of macroprudential tools has exerted the intended effect. • We combine a hedonic regression modelling approach with a regression discontinuity design to estimate the causal impact on house prices. • Using microdata of 1 million housing transactions over the period 2008 and 2019, the effect of these macroprudential tools is estimated on the single-family housing market and the tenant-owner market. • The 2010 LTV ratio requirement did not exert any impact on the prices of dwellings. The amortization requirement in 2016 exerted a negative impact of around 7 percent on the Swedish housing market while a slightly lower impact of the 2018 amortization requirement was experienced. Housing shortages and urbanization have led to higher house prices and higher levels of household debt. Sweden's Financial Supervisory Authority has introduced several borrower-based, macroprudential tools to control debt growth over the last ten years. In 2010, a mortgage loan-to-value (LTV) ratio was introduced, and in 2016, the amortization of 1 percent of the loan balance was mandated by law if a mortgage's value was higher than 50 percent of the property value. Furthermore, in 2018, the amortization requirement was tightened, as all households with a mortgage valued at larger than 4.5 times their annual income were forced to be amortized by 1 percent of the loan balance. The question is whether the Financial Supervisory Authority's macroprudential tools have exerted the intended effect. We combine a hedonic regression modeling approach with a regression discontinuity design (RDD) to estimate the causal impact on house prices. The effect of these macroprudential tools is estimated on the single-family housing market and the condominium market. We are using microdata of one million housing transactions between 2008 and 2019. Our estimates indicate that the amortization requirement in 2016 resulted in a negative impact of around 7 percent on housing prices but that a slightly lower impact resulted from the 2018 amortization requirement. The 2010 LTV ratio requirement did not impact the prices of dwellings. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Spina bifida is a congenital birth defect, resulting in physical and cognitive dysfunctions. Condition-related knowledge among children and adolescents with spina bifida is essential to facilitate independent management of their condition. The aim was to describe the condition-related knowledge among children and adolescents with spina bifida in a Swedish county. Thirteen persons with spina bifida (10 to 17 years) participated. Condition-related knowledge was assessed (n = 13) using a questionnaire (KOSB) and a semi-structured interview (n = 8). Interview data were analyzed using qualitative content analysis. The participants had well-developed knowledge concerning proper bladder management, but were lacking knowledge of signs of shunt malfunctioning and etiology. Some participants were uninterested in learning about their condition, despite being aware that they lacked knowledge. The findings indicate potential areas that may be included in local educational initiatives. It should be considered that persons with spina bifida may not be motivated to learn more about their condition. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The academic literature on the construction of regional house price indexes usually uses geographic areas whose boundaries are administratively drawn. However such administrative regions might not be optimal for the construction of regional price indexes. When producing housing price indexes, we often encounter problems with insufficient number of observations. One way to remedy this problem is to estimate a quarterly index instead of a monthly index. Another possible way to mitigate the thin markets problem is to construct indexes for geographically aggregated regions. However, the literature that discusses methods of dealing with the problem of thin markets and especially geographical aggregation is very rare. The goal of this paper is to construct a housing price index for a major part of Sweden, and to construct price index series for a number of regions. The number of regions, and how their boundaries should be created in order to construct reliable regional price indexes, is however an open question. We apply traditional hedonic methodology in order to estimate house price indexes for both predefined regions whose boundaries are based on a division of labor markets in Sweden, as well as a division of regions based on statistical cluster analysis. The results from this study suggest that regions should be clustered together based on regional price levels and/or price development as clustering variables. If only geographical proximity is used as clustering variable, our computations show that there is a high risk that we end up with some clusters having large standard errors, which in turn might result in inaccurate indexes. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

The aim of this study was to describe and gain an understanding of clients’ experiences of psychotherapy contracts and processes in cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) and psychodynamic psychotherapy (PDT). Fourteen participants were interviewed after ending their psychotherapy. To get information richness they were selected with as great a variation as possible in relation to their life context. Qualitative content analysis was used to analyse the descriptions and the significance of the descriptions. Similarities between the two therapy orientations emerged throughout the informants’ experiences. These similarities were expressed in the two themes: The creation of a new context and The working method and the cooperation with the psychotherapist made up a whole. The psychotherapy process was described as ‘hard work’ in a new context, markedly different from the ordinary social context. From the informants’ perspective, the creation of a new context offered a possibility to give full attention, together with the psychotherapist, to oneself and to the problems one was grappling with. A salient feature was the informant’s responsibility for agreements in the psychotherapy contract, especially in relation to the number of sessions and the creation of cooperation with the psychotherapist. Irrespective of therapy orientation the therapeutic techniques were described as inextricably linked to the cooperation with the psychotherapist. An implication for practice and research from these findings is to give more weight to the influence of cooperation in psychotherapy techniques, irrespective of therapy orientation. Another implication is an awareness that the client’s knowledge of her/his difficulties, needs and desire for change, capacity to make an effort and to assume responsibility always have to be highlighted and have an impact on the psychotherapy contract and process. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Abstract: The aim of this paper is to contribute to the discussion on how satisfaction with different aspects of indoor environment contributes to occupants'' overall satisfaction. The analysis is based on survey responses collected during a unique project commissioned by The Swedish National Board of Housing, Building and Planning. The results are representative of adults living in multi-family buildings in Sweden. The analysis shows that generally satisfaction with air quality has the highest impact on occupants'' overall satisfaction. The occurrence of problems with indoor environment quality, particularly draught, dust and too low indoor temperature may affect occupants'' overall satisfaction. However, it is demonstrated that the importance impact of perceived indoor environment quality on overall satisfaction is affected by individual and building characteristics. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Today interprofessional education (IPE) is spread throughout the world. In Sweden only one of the existing nursing programs has an IPE curriculum on several levels during the training. The aim of this study was to examine how nurses who recently graduated from universities with IPE or non-IPE curricula perceive the importance of different educational goals and whether they found themselves prepared for their profession, and especially for collaboration with other professions. Three universities with different commitments to IPE were studied. We used a survey with eight different targets: communication skills, cooperation with other professions, problem-solving capability, self-directed learning skills, whether their education has prepared them to work professionally, to perform research, to take care of acutely ill patients, to work preventively and working as a nurse. The participants were asked whether their undergraduate education had prepared them for these targets and whether they perceived that the targets were important goals for their education. A main result in this study was that nurses who had recently graduated from the IPE university perceived to a greater extent that their undergraduate training had prepared them to work together with other professions in comparison with nursing students from non-IPE universities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: The purpose of this study was with a multifaceted intervention model improve the nutritional status of elderly people living in residential homes to increase their energy intake and to maintain improvements over time. Setting: Three different municipal residential homes in the south-east of Sweden. Participants: The study population consisted of 67 elderly people. A within-subjects design was used which means that the participants were their own controls. Intervention: A multifaceted intervention model was chosen, which included education on both theoretical and practical issues, training and support for staff, and individualized snacks to the residents. Measurements: Nutritional status was measured by Mini Nutritional Assessment (MNA), the consumption of food was recorded by the staff using a food record method for 3 consecutive days. The length of night-time fasting has been calculated from the food records. Results: Nutritional status improved after 3 months of intervention and was maintained after 9 months. Weight increased during the whole study period. Night-time fasting decreased but not to the recommended level. Conclusion: This study shows that it is possible by a multifaceted intervention model to increase energy intake including expanding snacks and thereby improve and maintain nutritional status over a longer period in the elderly living in residential homes. This result was possible to achieve because staff received education and training in nutritional issues and by provision of support during a period when new routines were introduced. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Refugees needing long-term health care must adapt to new healthcare systems. The aim of this study was to examine the viewpoints of nine refugees in a county in Sweden, with a known chronic disease or functional impairment requiring long-term medical care, on their contacts with care providers regarding treatment and personal needs. Methods: Semi-structured interviews with nine individuals and/or their next of kin. Inductive content analysis was used to identify experiences. Results: ‘‘Care organisations/resources’’ and ‘‘professional competence’’ were the categories extracted. Participants felt cared for due to accessibility to and regular appointments with the same care provider. Visiting different clinics contributed to a negative experience and lack of trust. The staff ’s interest in participants’ lives and health contributed to a sense of professionalism. Most participants said the problems experienced were not related to their backgrounds as refugees. Many patients did not fully understand which clinic they were attending or the purpose of the care that the specific clinic provided. Some lacked knowledge of their disease. Conclusions: Health care was perceived as equal to other Swedish citizens and problems experienced were not explained by refugee backgrounds. Lack of information from care providers and being sent to various levels of care created feelings of a lack of overall medical responsibility. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

This study uses data of about 9,000 apartment sales in Stockholm, Sweden, to assess the impact of crime on property prices. The study employs hedonic pricing modelling to estimate the impact of crime controlling for other factors (property and neighbourhood characteristics). Geographic Information System (GIS) is used to combine apartment sales by coordinates with offences, land use characteristics and demographic data of the population. The novelty of this research is threefold. First, it explores a set of land use attributes created by spatial techniques in GIS in combination with detailed geographical data in hedonic pricing modelling. Second, the effect of crime in neighbouring zones at one place can be measured by incorporating spatial lagged variables of offence rates into the model. Third, the study provides evidence of the impact of crime on housing prices in a capital city of a traditional welfare state, information otherwise lacking in the international literature. Our results indicate that apartment prices in a specific area are strongly affected by crime in its neighbouring zones, regardless of crime type. When offences were broken down by types, residential burglary, theft, vandalism, assault and robbery individually had a significant negative effect on property values. However, for residential burglary such an effect is not homogenous across space, and apartment prices in central areas are often less discounted by being exposed to crime than those in the city's outskirts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: The aim was to study the effect of individualised meals on nutritional status among older people living in municipal residential homes and to compare the results with a control group. An additional aim was to estimate direct health care costs for both groups. Setting: Six different municipal residential homes in the south-east of Sweden. Participants: Older people living in three residential homes constituted the intervention group n=42 and the rest constituted the control group n=67. Intervention: A multifaceted intervention design was used. Based on an interview with staff a tailored education programme about nutritional care, including both theoretical and practical issues, was carried through to staff in the intervention group. Nutritional status among the elderly was measured by Mini Nutritional Assessment (MNA), individualised meals were offered to the residents based on the results of the MNA. Staff in the control group only received education on how to measure MNA and the residents followed the usual meal routines. Measurements: Nutritional status was measured by MNA at baseline and after 3 months. Cost data on health care visits during 2007 were collected from the Cost Per Patient database. Results: Nutritional status improved and body weight increased after 3 months in the intervention group. Thus, primary health care costs constituted about 80% of the total median cost in the intervention group and about 55% in the control group. Conclusion: With improved knowledge the staff could offer the elderly more individualised meals. One of their future challenges is to recognise and assess nutritional status among this group. If malnutrition could be prevented health care costs should be reduced. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective. To examine whether the perceived poor outcome of dietary treatment makes Swedish women with coeliac disease (CD) prone to use more health care services than other women. Material and methods. The health care consumption over 36 consecutive months was examined for 137 Swedish women aged 20-80 years with CD in remission after living on a gluten-free diet for a median of 4 years (range 1-8 years). Comparisons were made with the health care consumption of 411 women in the general population matched for age and residence. Results. The results show that women with CD use health care services annually a median of 5.0 times (range 0-76) that is more than female controls 3.6 (0-311) (p < 0.05) mainly in primary care and for complaints related to mental and behavioral disorders (ICD F), diseases of the digestive system (ICD K) and diseases of the musculoskeletal system and connective tissue (ICD M). Conclusions. Women with CD used health care services in keeping with studies indicating reduced health-related quality of life of people with this condition. The results provide evidence that women with CD in remission suffer from co-morbidities that may signal a need for a multidisciplinary follow-up of subjects with CD in Sweden. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: To investigate and analyse the quality of nursing care in a primary care setting from the perspective of patients with leg ulcers and determine the subjective importance that patients attach to various aspects of quality of care. Method: All of the patients with leg ulcers at 15 primary care centres in the south east of Sweden were invited to participate. They were given the short version of the Quality from the Patient's Perspective questionnaire (QPP) to fill in. This included a number of closed and open questions relating to their perceptions of the quality of their nursing care and the importance of this care to them. Results: Overall, the patients in this study perceived that the quality of nursing care was high. However, important areas for improvement were revealed, including the need for an increase in patient-focused care, continuity of care and better pain relief. Conclusion: To address the weak points highlighted by the study, we recommend that nurses explore patient perceptions of pain in greater detail and invite patients take a more active role in the management of their leg ulcers. Conflict of interest: None. This study was funded by the county council of Östergötland and by Linköping University, Sweden. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper proposes a hedonic apartment price index construction method that can increase the quality of price index data for condominiums in Sweden. Currently, the public condominium price index that different actors usually refer to is based on mean and median prices per square metre. With access to a unique database with the most recent transactions data from real estate agents firms, I estimate alternative hedonic price indexes, and compare them both with each other, as well as with arithmetic mean and median price indexes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Inventor networking has become both more feasible with improved telecommunication and more important as it usually produces research of higher quality. Despite overwhelming evidence on the benefits of collaboration, patent data from 1994 to 2001 in Sweden demonstrate that inventor networks are not very common. Moreover, the spatial distribution of inventor networks is not uniform. It appears that agglomeration measured both as employment density and as industry diversity, plays a role in explaining networking. Our results indicate that inventor networks are more likely to exist in densely populated areas with a diversified industry. Market size has a negative impact on networking in that we can observe that inventor networks are less common in large metropolitan areas, ceteris paribus. Hence, it supports the proposition that networking can act as a substitute to agglomeration. Our results also suggest that researchers in dense areas will not only collaborate more; they will also collaborate over longer distance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Little is known about the effects of offshore energy installations on the marine environment, and further research could assist in minimizing environmental risks as well as in enhancing potential positive effects on the marine environment. While biofouling on marine energy conversion devices on one hand has the potential to be an engineering concern, these structures can also affect biodiversity by functioning as artificial reefs. The Lysekil Project is a test park for wave power located at the Swedish west coast. Here, buoys acting as point absorbers on the surface are connected to generators anchored on concrete foundations on the seabed. In this study we investigated the colonisation of foundations by invertebrates and fish, as well as fouling assemblages on buoys. We examined the influence of surface orientation of the wave power foundations on epibenthic colonisation, and made observations of habitat use by fish and crustaceans during three years of submergence. We also examined fouling assemblages on buoys and calculated the effects of biofouling on the energy absorption of the wave power buoys. On foundations we demonstrated a succession in colonisation over time with a higher degree of coverage on vertical surfaces. Buoys were dominated by the blue mussel Mytilus edulis. Calculations indicated that biofouling have no significant effect in the energy absorption on a buoy working as a point absorber. This study is the first structured investigation on marine organisms associated with wave power devices. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

A pioneering and ground-breaking effort to organize interprofessional education (IPE) was initiated in 1986 at the Faculty of Health Sciences at Linkoping University in Sweden. The so-called “Linkoping IPE model” has now yielded practical experience and development of curricula for over 20 years. The basic idea of this model is that it is favorable for the development of students' own professional identity to meet other health and social professions already into their undergraduate studies. Interprofessional learning is a process over time that requires several integrated stages to gain interprofessional competence, i.e., the skills required to work together interprofessionally in practice. We believe that defined IPE modules early in the curriculum combined with student-training ward placement as the final module is an encouraging example of how to implement undergraduate IPE among health science students. It is strengthened by problem based learning (PBL) in small groups and student-centered learning. Based on these experiences, this paper aims to contribute to the discussion on how to implement and achieve the aims of IPE and to keep it sustainable. It is not a description of “how to do it” but rather a summarizing of our experiences for successful performance of IPE. The article presents how the Linkoping model was developed, the outcomes, experiences and some outlines for future challenges. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The impact of COVID-19 on various aspects of our life is evident. Proximity and close contact with individuals infected with the virus, and the extent of such contact, contribute to the intensity of the spread of the virus. Healthy and infected household members who both require sanctuary and quarantine space come into close and extended contact in housing. In other words, housing and living conditions can impact the health of occupants and the spread of COVID-19. This study investigates the relationship between housing characteristics and variations in the spread of COVID-19 per capita across Sweden's 290 municipalities. For this purpose, we have used the number of infected COVID-19 cases per capita during the pandemic period—February 2020 through April 2021—per municipality. The focus is on variables that measure housing and housing conditions in the municipalities. We use exploratory analysis and Principal Components Analysis to reduce highly correlated variables into a set of linearly uncorrelated variables. We then use the generated variables to estimate direct and indirect effects in a spatial regression analysis. The results indicate that housing and housing availability are important explanatory factors for the geographical spread of COVID-19. Overcrowding, availability, and quality are all critical explanatory factors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]