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Aims: During the COVID-19 pandemic, Sweden was one of the few countries that rejected lockdowns in favour of recommendations for restrictions, including careful hand hygiene and social distancing. Preschools and primary schools remained open. Several studies have shown negative impacts of the pandemic on children, particularly high levels of anxiety. The study aim was to explore how Swedish school-aged children aged 6–14 years, experienced the COVID-19 pandemic and their perceived anxiety. Methods: In total, 774 children aged 6–14 years and their guardians answered an online questionnaire containing 24 questions, along with two instruments measuring anxiety: the Children’s Anxiety Questionnaire and the Numerical Rating Scale. A convergent parallel mixed-methods design was used for analysing the quantitative and qualitative data. Each data source was first analysed separately, followed by a merged interpretative analysis. Results: The results showed generally low levels of anxiety, with no significant sex differences. Children who refrained from normal social activities or group activities ( n=377) had significantly higher levels of anxiety. Most of the children were able to appreciate the bright side of life, despite the social distancing and refraining from activities, which prevented them from meeting and hugging their loved ones. Conclusions: These Swedish children generally experienced low levels of anxiety, except those who refrained from social activities. Life was nonetheless mostly experienced as normal, largely because schools remained open. Keeping life as normal as possible could be one important factor in preventing higher anxiety and depression levels in children during a pandemic.

Empirical interaction matrix elements, fitted to the nuclei 206Pb, 206Tl and 206Hg, are used to make shell-model calculations of the wave functions and energies of 205Tl, 205Hg and 204Hg. The proton 2s1/2 spectroscopic factor for the ground state of 205Tl is calculated to 0.78 and the log ft value of the neutrino capture reaction 205Tl(ν,e−)205Pb is predicted to be 5.8. The collectivity of the ground-state band in 204Hg is explained within the framework of the shell model.

A multi-step shell-model method is applied to calculate up to four neutron holes in the core 132Sn. It is found that most low-lying states in the three- and four-hole nuclei are members of multiplets arising from the coupling of one- and two-hole states.

The multistep shell-model method is used to analyse the multiplet structure of 205Pb and 203Pb in terms of single-hole states (207Pb) coupled to two- (206Pb) and four- (204Pb) hole excitations, respectively. It is found that at least one member of a given multiplet is generally completely blocked by the Pauli principle. The standard shell-model method is also applied to analyse the spectrum of 205Pb and the results of both calculations are compared. Good agreement with the available experimental data is found.

A model consisting of protons filling the shells 1g9/2 and 2p1/2 is least-squares fitted to 63 low-lying energy levels in N = 50 isotones from 89Y to 96Pd. The single-particle energies and two-particle interaction matrix elements are treated as free parameters. A root-mean-square deviation of 64 keV is obtained for the levels included in the fit. Binding energies and excitation spectra for all the N = 50 nuclei between 88Sr and 100Sn are calculated with the resulting effective interaction.