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Principals’ views and reported actions on sustainability from a whole school approach perspective : A comparative study of eco- and non-eco-certified preschools in Sweden
No full textAlthough preschool principals are important for integrating sustainability,studies on this topic are scarce. Using an embedded mixed methodsapproach, this study explored and compared 50 principals’ views andactions relating to sustainability in the operations of 25 eco- and 25non-eco-certified randomly sampled preschools from 25 municipalities(of a total 290) in Sweden. Using a semi-structured questionnaire, datawas collected from the principals of the preschools. Whole SchoolApproach Flower Model was used as an analytical framework to analyzequalitative data, while quantitative data was subject to OrthogonalProjections to Latent Structures Discriminatory Analysis. According to theparticipating principals, eco-certified preschools focused on increasingchildren’s knowledge about and interests in sustainability, whereasnon-eco-certified preschools focused on strategies to develop teachers’sustainability competence. This is consistent with findings that principalsat eco-certified preschools have a more nuanced and multifaceted viewof sustainability in their leadership practice, indicating thateco-certification, to some extent, plays an important role in making adifference. The study also highlights the potential of adopting a wholeschool approach to sustainability within preschool education.Cross-validation supported the generalizability of the conclusions, at leastwithin a Swedish context
Techno-economical assessment of battery storage combined with large-scale Photovoltaic power plants operating on energy and Ancillary Service Markets
No full textA significant challenge is to determine the specific services Battery Energy Storage System (BESS) should provide to maximize profits. This study investigates the most profitable markets and sizes of BESS with utility-scale solar Photovoltaics (PV) power plants using techno-economic analysis frameworks. The objective is to maximize profitability in energy and frequency markets, focusing on primary regulation and day-ahead markets for Sweden and Germany. The inputs are historical market prices and frequency data, as well as real measurement PV power data. The results show that adding a BESS to an existing PV park does not result in a lower payback period than if implementing a stand-alone BESS. However, the payback period differs between Sweden and Germany during 2023, i.e., being 1.8 and 6.8 years, respectively. This is explained by the lower frequency market prices for Germany compared to Sweden. The technical results indicate that the BESS energy capacity after 10 years of operation is approximately 83% for Germany, whereas, for Sweden, it is around 87%. Also, combining the operating of BESS on primary regulation and day-ahead markets showed a 6-year payback period with a slight increase in loss of energy capacity (from 83 to 80%) for Germany. Moreover, combining various PV-BESS sizes showed a discrepancy in economic and technical metrics for the BESS in Germany, resulting in a best-case of a 6-year payback period. A sensitivity analysis, which examines a drop in the frequency control prices in the future relative to 2023 (by 20% and 50% for Germany and Sweden, respectively), reveals an increase in the payback period for both countries by approximately 1 year
Lärande genom spel: Historiska datorspel som en actionfylld väg till engagemang : En undersökning kring elevers tankar om digitala spel för inlärning
No full textDenna studie syftar till att synliggöra elevers spelvanor och i hur stor utsträckning de spelar historiska dator-/tv-spel. Den syftar också till att fånga deras uppfattningar kring spel som ett medium för att lära sig mer om historia. Undersökningen är genomförd med en enkät och kompletterande intervjuer. Enkäten visar att majoriteten av alla de tillfrågade eleverna spelar någon form av spel i dagsläget och att de lägger stor del av sin fritid på att spela. Eleverna i undersökningen har under intervjuerna fått svara på frågor kring hur de upplever spelande kopplat till inlärning av historia och vad de tycker om att potentiellt använda spel som ett inlärningsmedium i skolan. Eleverna i studien är eniga om att spel vore ett bra komplement till den traditionella undervisningen och tror att det skulle vara lättare att ta till sig mer information när intrycken blir fler och att de skulle uppleva att de blir mer delaktiga och på ett annat sätt upplever historien istället för att läsa om den
Integrating sexual and reproductive health in higher education and healthcare services in Ukraine : A sustainable initiative for empowering war-affected youth
No full textIntegrating Sexual Reproductive Health and Rights (SRHR) into educational programs and healthcare services supports the EU Eastern Partnership and the UN's Agenda 2030. A Swedish Institute (SI)-funded project empowers undergraduate students in medicine, psychology, and social work to support SRHR among youth and young adults in wartime and post-war Ukraine by incorporating the subject into university curricula. In August 2024, a study tour to Sweden was conducted by managers and faculty from Ukrainian universities, during which the visitors to Sweden identified the need to establish Youth Clinics at Ukrainian universities to address the SRHR needs of the war-affected youth population
The contribution of the visual in qualitative participatory art-based research methods within the mental health field
No full textPurpose The aim of this study is to advance the understanding of the visual in arts-based participatory research, by using the concept of theorizing processes as an analytical lens. Design/methodology/approach A secondary data analysis was conducted, using data collected in a qualitative study exploring sustainable living environments for people with mental ill-health. Findings The visual allowed for new perspectives to be gained by the process including (1) viewing the visual data, (2) exploring the visual data with words and (3) explaining, recognizing and understanding the insights acquired from the initial visuality. Originality/value This study suggests how the use of the visual in participatory art-based qualitative research methods could contribute to the gain of new perspectives. This finding is the contribution of this study to the field of arts and health
Biomarkers in the Newborn with Fetal Growth Retardation and Early Impairment of Heart Function
No full textIntroduction: Children born with lower birth weight face an increased risk of developing cardiovascular disease later in life. We hypothesize that cardiovascular protein biomarkers in cord blood, associated with birth weight SDS and systolic cardiac function, may reveal mechanisms behind early programming of cardiovascular function. Methods: We investigated the association between birth weight SDS and plasma levels of 184 circulating proteins determined by Proximity Extension Assay (PEA) in cord blood from 48 children. The birth weight-associated proteins were correlated with left ventricular longitudinal strain (LVLS) determined by echocardiography at birth and 3 months of age. Results: We identified seven cardiovascular protein biomarkers associated with birth weight SDS: stem cell factor, leptin, elafin, insulin-like growth factor-binding protein-1, follastatin, paraoxonase, and epithelial cell adhesion molecule (Ep-CAM). Among these, Ep-CAM significantly correlated with LVLS at 3 months of age. Conclusion: PEA successfully identified both established and novel proteins associated with fetal growth and birth size, including one novel protein related to LVLS. This indicates that our approach is promising for uncovering biological pathways that may be involved in direct programming of cardiovascular function in children and affect the risk of cardiovascular disease in adulthood
Global, regional, and national burden of chronic kidney disease in adults, 1990-2023, and its attributable risk factors : a systematic analysis for the Global Burden of Disease Study 2023
No full textBACKGROUND: Chronic kidney disease (CKD) is common and ranks among the leading causes of mortality and morbidity. This analysis aimed to present global CKD estimates using the Global Burden of Diseases, Injuries, and Risk Factors Study (GBD) 2023 to inform evidence-based policies for CKD identification and treatment. METHODS: This analysis focused on adults aged 20 years and older over the period 1990 to 2023, from 204 countries and territories. Data sources used were published literature, vital registration systems, kidney failure treatment registries, and household surveys. Estimates of CKD burden, including deaths, incidence, prevalence, and disability-adjusted life-years (DALYs), were produced using a Cause of Death Ensemble model and a Bayesian meta-regression analytical tool. A comparative risk assessment approach estimated the proportion of cardiovascular deaths attributable to impaired kidney function and estimated risk factors for CKD. FINDINGS: Globally, in 2023, 788 million (95% uncertainty interval 743-843) people aged 20 years and older were estimated to have CKD, up from 378 million (354-407) in 1990. The global age-standardised prevalence of CKD in adults was 14·2% (13·4-15·2), a relative rise of 3·5% (2·7-4·1) from 1990. The region with the highest age-standardised prevalence was north Africa and the Middle East (18·0%; 16·9-19·4). Most people had stage 1-3 CKD, with a combined prevalence of 13·9% (13·1-15·0). In 2023, CKD was the ninth leading cause of death globally, accounting for 1·48 million (1·30-1·65) deaths, and the 12th leading cause of DALYs, with an age-standardised DALY rate of 769·2 (691·8-857·4) per 100 000. Impaired kidney function as a risk factor accounted for 11·5% (8·4-14·5) of cardiovascular deaths. High fasting plasma glucose, body-mass index, and systolic blood pressure were all leading risk factors for CKD DALYs. INTERPRETATION: CKD is a major global health issue, with rising prevalence and increasing importance as a cause of death and as a risk factor for cardiovascular death. A better understating of aetiology, appropriate screening, and implementation programmes are needed to translate advances in CKD treatment into improved patient outcomes. FUNDING: Gates Foundation, Wellcome, US National Kidney Foundation, and US National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases.GBD 2023 Chronic Kidney Disease Collaborators</p
Job loss and underemployment : a qualitative study from the Swedish hotel sector
No full textThis article contributes to the discussion about job loss, underemployment and labour market transition by exploring displaced workers’ experiences and navigation following job loss. With a focus on their movement in the liminal space between employment, underemployment and unemployment, the article explores the factors that influence the strategies displaced workers employ during transition. The study is based on 28 interviews with hotel workers (including five follow-up interviews) in Sweden who lost their jobs during the COVID-19 pandemic. The findings show how participants navigated a changed and constrained labour market where individual strategies were influenced by the ability to utilise skills, combined with family and life situations. Temporary employment solutions were often used to avoid unemployment; however, this did not effectively prevent hourly and skill-based underemployment. In addition, the findings reveal that the participants’ life and family situations acted as both barriers and facilitators in job search, which affected how participants prioritised and navigated their job transition. © 2025 Elsevier B.V., All rights reserved
Assisted infant toilet training and the prevalence of functional gastrointestinal disorders up to the age of 9 months : a randomised, controlled trial
No full textBACKGROUND: It is suggested that late initiation of toilet training contributes to functional gastrointestinal disorders in children. This study aims to evaluate if assisted infant toilet training can reduce the prevalence of functional gastrointestinal disorders during the first 9 months of life. METHODS: The ongoing Bowel And Bladder function in Infant Toilet Training (BABITT) study is a randomised, controlled trial that recruited infants aged 0-2 months at six Child Health Centres in Sweden. Infants were randomly assigned (1:1) to either start parent-assisted infant toilet training at the age of 0-2 months (intervention) or as controls. The intervention group was encouraged to practise at a moderate frequency of 1-3 times/day, 5-7 days/week. A validated web questionnaire was answered at ages 2, 3, 6 and 9 months. RESULTS: 271 infants (145 males, 54%) were randomly assigned at median age of 34 days (136 intervention; 135 controls). The intention-to-treat analysis with complete cases (127 intervention; 132 controls) showed no difference in the total period prevalence of functional gastrointestinal disorders (infant colic, infant dyschezia and/or functional constipation, defined by Rome IV criteria) between the intervention group and controls (52.0% vs 49.6%, difference 2.4% (95% CI -9.8 to 14.7); p=0.6956) up to the age of 9 months. Parent-reported intervention adherence ranged between 53% and 63%. CONCLUSIONS: This study does not support that assisted infant toilet training, practised at a moderate frequency, reduces the prevalence of gastrointestinal disorders during infancy. Long-term effects are being evaluated in the ongoing BABITT study up to the age of 4 years. TRIAL REGISTRATION NUMBER: NCT04082689
Högläsningens roll i att stärka elevernas läsmotivation : En intervjustudie med lärare i lågstadiet
No full textDenna studie har haft som syfte att undersöka sex lågstadielärares upplevelser och tillvägagångssätt gällande arbetet med hur högläsningstillfällen av skönlitteratur kan stärka elevernas läsmotivation. Den sociokulturella teorin har legat till grund för studien för att förstå hur ett socialt samspel och lärarstöttning inom högläsning kan stärka elevernas läsmotivation. Studiens resultat är grundade på informanternas uttalanden som utgår ifrån kvalitativa semistrukturerade intervjuer som är den metod som använts i arbetet. Arbetet synliggör att högläsning med hjälp av anpassade strategier och metoder har stora möjligheter att gynna elevernas läsmotivation. Resultatet kunde utgöra flera olika faktorer som påverkade elevernas läsmotivation i en positiv riktning. Skapandet av positiva läsupplevelser, engagerande undervisning samt nyttjandet av sociala samspel under aktiviteten visade sig vara tre centrala aspekter att förhålla sig till för att möjliggöra läsmotivation. Däremot visade det sig att det finns flertalet utmaningar gällande att kunna skapa ett optimalt lektionsupplägg där tidsbrist och organisatoriska förutsättningar är faktorer som försvårar arbetet. Studien drar slutsatsen att högläsning som grundas i ett arbete där anpassad interaktion stöttning existerar främjar elevernas läsmotivation.Svenska</p