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Investigating the bonding mechanisms in ultrasonic welded multilayered copper foils in electric vehicle battery cells
No full textThe present study unveils a comprehensive analysis of ultrasonic welding bonding mechanisms for multilayer copper foil combinations, notably Electrolytic Tough Pitch (ETP) copper, in pouch cell-based battery packs. Pouch cell-based battery packs utilize multilayer copper foils for their tabs, requiring a strong connection to the busbar to meet strict requirements for joint strength and electrical conductivity. Ultrasonic welding is employed for this purpose, specifically focusing on analyzing the bonding mechanisms of multilayer copper foil combinations. This study investigates the effects of key weld parameters like weld time, weld force, and weld energy on microstructure. Micrographs are analyzed to categorize welds as ‘under-welded’, ‘well-welded’, or ‘over-welded’. Light optical microscopy identifies various joint behaviors and weld defects such as swirls, interfacial waves, microbonds, interfacial gaps, voids, and delamination. A pattern in the distribution of certain joint features is noted, dividing the weld nugget into three regions: top, middle, and bottom. The top and bottom regions show signs of material mixing, while the middle region is characterized by microbond formation.CC BY 4.0</p
Identifying school-level factors predicting academic resilience in Sweden : evidence from PISA studies
No full textThe study investigates the academic resilience of Swedish students, focusing on how school-level factors contribute to achievement diferences between resilient and non-resilient students. Using data from PISA cycles from 2000 to 2015, the study employs propensity score matching and hierarchical linear modeling to examine the impact of individual, teacher, and school-level factors on student achievement in science, mathematics, and reading. The findings highlight the importance of school resources, teacher-student relationships, and school climate in fostering resilience among students from low socioeconomic backgrounds. The study also addresses limitations like reduced sample size and variability in data across PISA cycles, suggesting future research to enhance statistical power and cross-cycle comparisonsOpen Access</p
To break the absence pattern : a literature review about experienced factors contributing to school absence when having mental illness
No full textBakgrund: Denna litteraturstudie grundar sig i en ökad problematik i samhället. Skolan har många syften för elever, och miljön bidrar till mer än bara pedagogik. Skolans syfte är också att bidra till den socioemotionella utvecklingen, skapa trygghet och stödja utveckling av unga individers psykiska och fysiska hälsa. Skolan bör vara en trygg plats för de elever som inte har detta hemma. Detta innebär i sin helhet att om en elev får en problematisk frånvaro tidigt under skolgången så leder detta till sämre prestationer i skolan vilket i sin tur kan leda till ett försämrat psykiskt mående och risken för depression senare i livet ökar. En fullgjord grundskola och gymnasieexamen är därför en skyddsfaktor. Syfte: Syftet med studien är att undersöka elevers och skolpersonals uppfattningar av orsaker till skolfrånvaro hos elever med psykisk ohälsa. Metod: Metoden var en systematisk litteraturöversikt. Litteratursökning genomfördes i databaserna Cinahl, PsycInfo och PubMed. Både kvalitativa och kvantitativa artiklar valdes ut. Inkluderande studier handlade om psykisk ohälsa och frånvaroproblematik i skolan där åldern riktas mot elever från 7–18 år. Resultat: Den tematiska analysen genererade två teman, Begränsad förståelse och anpassningsförmåga samt psykosociala påfrestningar med tillhörande subteman. Framträdande i resultatet har varit dels, hemmiljöns påverkan på en elevs förmåga att bibehålla en hög närvaro i skolan, dels att det har en större påverkan på skolnärvaro än vad som tidigare visats. Det framträdde att skolpersonal upplevs ha en bristande förståelse för hur de kan anpassa skolgången för elever med olika typ av problematik. Bristande kunskap om psykisk ohälsa inom skolan identifierades, och detta i samband med skolstress, oro och höga krav kan skapa en ovilja att befinna sig i skolmiljön. Slutsats: Skolfrånvaro är ett komplext fenomen där olika faktorer ständigt påverkar varandra och det bildas en ond cirkel som behöver brytas för att skapa en vilja att vara i skolan. Det behöver finnas tidiga insatser som all skolpersonal har kunskap om för att kunna hjälpa elever som befinner sig i riskzonen för att hamna i en situation där de har en hög skolfrånvaro.Background: This literature review is grounded in a growing problem in society. The school has many purposes for its students, and the environment contributes to more than just learning. The school’s purpose is also to contribute to the student’s socioemotional development, create a sense of security and help develop a child’s mental and physical health. The school is supposed to be a secure place that creates a sense of security for those who do not have this at home. This as a whole means that if a child develops a problematic pattern of school absence early in their schooling, their grades go down which is a risk factor for worse mental health, and the risk for depression later in life increases. A completed elementary school and high school is therefore a protection factor. Aim: The aim of this literature review is to examine student and school personal’s perceptions of reasons for school absence in students with mental health. Method: The method was a systematic literature review, and the following databases were used: Cinahl, PsycInfo and PubMed. Both qualitative and quantitative articles were chosen for a overall view of the subject. The included studies contained mental health issues and absence problems in school where the children were in the ages 7–18. Results: The thematic analysis generated two themes, Limited understanding and adaptability and Psychosocial stress with associated subthemes. Prominent in the results has been, the impact of the home environment on students’ ability to maintain a high level of attendance at school, and this seems to have a greater impact on school attendance than previously been shown. It emerged that school staff are perceived to have a lack of understanding of how they can adapt schooling for students with different types of problems. Lack of knowledge about mental illness within the school was identified, and this in conjunction with school stress, anxiety and high demands can create a reluctance to attend school. Conclusion: School absence is a complex phenomenon where different factors constantly affect each other, and it creates a vicious circle which must be broken to later create a will to attend school. School personnel must get access to early interventions that they can use to help students that are at risk of getting in situations where high school absence is an issue
Motivation, European Identity, and Learning: Erasmus+ and the Internationalisation of Higher Education in Rural Sweden : Campus Västervik and Högskolan Väst: a comparative study
No full textThis thesis examines the ways in which educational institutions in rural areas intend to promote motivation for higher education and to contribute to the fostering of a European identity through the implementation of the Erasmus+ programme and in contexts where the programme is not available. The thesis further investigates how the presence and absence of the Erasmus+ programme influence organisational learning. To that end, two educational institutions in rural Sweden are examined: Högskolan Väst, a university in western Sweden, which implements the programme, and Campus Västervik, a small-scale higher education institution in the southeastern part of the country that does not participate in the programme. The study employs a qualitative approach, with data emerging from interviews with faculty members from both institutions, while institutional strategy documents are also analysed to complement and contextualise the findings. The findings regarding Campus Västervik reveal that the institution’s strategy concerning motivation for higher education is primarily aligned with the needs of the local labour market and employability, rather than with an international and European framework, although efforts are made in that direction. Conversely, Högskolan Väst is able to implement the Erasmus+ programme within the context of its resources, contributing, thus, to the internationalisation of higher education, enhancing motivation and reinforcing organisational learning. The study identifies the opportunities and challenges both the implementation and non-implementation of the Erasmus+ programme presents in a rural context, with the results suggesting that European Union policies are not always applicable across Europe nor have the intended effect
En kvantitativ studie om sambandet mellan självkänsla och upplevd stress med personlighet som moderator
No full textUniversitetsstudenter utsätts ofta för hög akademisk press, vilket gör att sambandet mellan självkänsla och upplevd stress är ett relevant forskningsområde. Tidigare studier har visat ett negativt samband mellan dessa variabler, där högre självkänsla samvarierar med lägre stressnivåer och tvärtom. Personlighetsforskning har belyst att individuella skillnader i personlighet kan ha en inverkan i hur stress upplevs och hanteras. Denna studie syftar till att undersöka om sambandet mellan självkänsla och upplevd stress förändras när personlighet har inkluderats som en moderator. Studien har en kvantitativ design där data samlades in genom en webbaserad enkät. Tre mätinstrument användes: Rosenberg Self-esteem Scale (RSES) för att mäta global självkänsla, Perceived Stress Scale (PSS) för att mäta upplevd stress och Big Five Inventory-10 (BFI-10) för att mäta personlighetsdrag enligt Big Five. Kontrollvariabler såsom kön, ålder och utbildning inkluderades för att säkerställa validiteten i resultaten. Totalt deltog 113 studenter i studien. Resultaten visar ett negativt signifikant samband mellan självkänsla och upplevd stress. Personlighetsdragen extraversion, vänlighet och öppenhet hade ingen signifikant samvarians till upplevd stress. Däremot hade personlighetsdragen neuroticism och samvetsgrannhet en signifikant samvarians till upplevd stress, men hade ingen modererande effekt på sambandet mellan de två huvudvariablerna. Detta indikerar att personlighet inte har någon inverkan på sambandet mellan självkänsla och upplevd stress. Studien understryker vikten av självkänsla för upplevd stress och uppmuntrar fortsatt forskning för att fördjupa förståelsen av dessa samband.University students often experience high academic pressure, making the correlation between self-esteem and perceived stress a relevant research topic. Previous studies have shown a negative correlation between these variables, where higher levels of self-esteem are associated with lower perceived stress. Personality research has highlighted that individual differences in personality traits can influence how stress is perceived and managed. This study aims to examine whether the correlation between self-esteem and perceived stress changes when personality is included as a moderator. The study employs quantitative design, with data collected through an online survey. Three instruments were used: the Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale (RSES) to measure global self-esteem,Perceived Stress Scale (PSS) to measure perceived stress, and the Big Five Inventory-10 (BFI-10) to measure personality traits according to the Big Five model. Control variables such as gender, age, and education were included to ensure the validity of the results. A total of 113 students participated in the study. The results indicate a negativ significant correlation between self-esteem and perceived stress. The personality traits extraversion, agreeableness and openness had no significant correlation with perceived stress. However, the personality traits neuroticism and conscientiousness had a significant correlation with perceived stress but did not have a moderating effect on the correlation between the two main variables. This indicates that personality did not influence the correlation between self-esteem and perceived stress. The study highlights the importance of self-esteem for perceived stress and encourages further research to deepen the understanding of these correlations
Threats and violence at HVB – a balancing act between professional role and the unpredictability of the treatment environment : A qualitative study on treatment staff's experiences of threats and violence
No full textDet är höga nivåer av hot och våld på HVB-hem (hem för vård eller boende) där behandlingspersonalen beskriver situationen som ohållbar. Brist på stöd samt verktyg och strategier ökar sårbarheten. Yrkesvardagen präglas därmed av olika utmaningar, påfrestningar och dilemman. Studiens syfte var att öka förståelsen för behandlingspersonalens erfarenheter av hot och våld i sin yrkesroll på HVB-hem. Det teoretiska ramverket utgörs av symbolisk interaktionism, med centrala begrepp som rolltagande och interaktion. Studien bygger på en kvalitativ metod där fem semistrukturerade intervjuer genomfördes med behandlingspersonal som arbetat på HVB-hem mellan nio och 20 år. Empirin analyserades genom en tematisk analys. Resultatet visar att definitioner av hot och våld varierar samt att hot delas upp som acceptabla och oacceptabla. Hot och våld är en del av arbetsvardagen och relationer samt det egna omdömet är centralt för hur behandlingspersonalen agerar vid en hot- och våldssituation. De påverkas positivt av en tillgång till organisatoriska resurser i form av utbildning, kollegial samverkan samt stöd från arbetsplatsen. Resultaten indikerar att alla dessa faktorer är sammanvävda och påverkar både behandlingspersonalen och det praktiska arbetet
Retail chain adaptation and emerging high street retail collaboration in response to polycrisis
No full textThis study investigates how polycrisis-induced strategic shifts in Scandinavian retail chains affect their dynamic capabilities and interconnectedness with high streets, and the implications for city center resilience and revitalization. The research addresses a significant gap in understanding how retail chains strategically adapt to polycrisis challenges in ways that could contribute to city center regeneration. By integrating dynamic capabilities theory with systems thinking and a multi-stakeholder place lens, we develop a holistic framework for analyzing retail adaptation within broader city center ecosystems. The study employs a qualitative longitudinal methodology, conducting 60 semi-structured interviews with 12 senior executives from seven Swedish retail chains across diverse sectors during 2020–2022. Using template analysis guided by sensemaking principles, we examined how retail chains developed collaborative capabilities in response to the evolving polycrisis conditions. Our findings reveal three key adaptive strategies: cost-sharing initiatives (including condominium-style property management and joint logistics operations), innovation alliances (such as cross-industry knowledge sharing and flexible pop-up concepts), and recognition of interdependency with local environments. The study demonstrates that retailers exercise nonlinear capability development, fundamentally altering the temporal logic of adaptation by requiring concurrent rather than sequential learning, experimentation, and transformational processes. We identify a paradigm shift from firm-centric to place-oriented approaches, where retail capabilities are co-created and shaped by specific city center contexts. The research contributes a novel ‘systems-based territorial capabilities perspective’ that operationalizes the synthesis of dynamic capabilities, multi-stakeholder collaboration, and systems theory. However, cultural inertia limits implementation, as retailers recognize their interdependence while not seeing them-selves as primarily responsible for placemaking. The study suggests that successful city center revitalization requires transcending traditional isolated retail roles through collaborative territorial development processes that cross-leverage community assets.CC BY 4.0FundingThis work was supported by the Handelsrådet.</p
The experience of pregnancy for women with congenital heart disease : a qualitative study of women in Sweden
No full textAims An increasing number of women with congenital heart disease (CHD) reach childbearing age. These women have a higher occurrence of cardiac events, such as heart failure and arrhythmia, than women without CHD. We aimed to illuminate women’s experiences in connection with pregnancy and how they understand and manage signs and symptoms in relation to their heart defects. Methods and results Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 18 women with CHD of varying complexity registered at four tertiary adult CHD centres in Sweden. The interviews were conducted by video call online via Zoom, and 30–60 min in duration. The qualitative content analysis method according to Graneheim and Lundman was used to analyse the recorded interview data. he analysis revealed one overarching theme, Concerned but feeling safe during pregnancy, which was built up from three themes: Feeling confident, Having concerns and fear, and Understanding bodily changes. These themes emerged from seven subthemes. Conclusion Despite concerns, the women in this study reported feeling confident during pregnancy. They needed support throughout their pregnancy to manage the many worries and fear they experienced, both for themselves and for their unborn child. They found it somewhat difficult to interpret symptoms, but with the establishment of regular follow-up, the need for acute and unplanned interventions might decrease since the women could recognize symptoms connected to their CHD and reportt hem earlier. The availability of a multidisciplinary team to provide support to this patient group is therefore of utmost importance.*CC BY 4.0</p
Leveraging Generative AI for Academic Support : A Qualitative Study of University Students in Resource-Constrained Settings in Global South
No full textThe application of Artificial Intelligence in education (AIEd) has expanded rapidly, attracting significant scholarly and practical interest in recent years. Among the most transformative developments in AIEd is Generative Artificial Intelligence (GenAI), a class of AI technologies capable of creating original content, including text, images, audio, and code. GenAI tools are enabling new ways to engage in academic activities globally, offering innovative solutions to enhance learning experiences. In the Global South, particularly in West African nations like Ghana and Nigeria, GenAI holds immense potential to address challenges in resource-constrained higher education systems. Studies show that challenges that higher institutions face in the Global South include inadequate and outdated textbooks, overcrowded classrooms, and a high student-to-teacher ratio, and these challenges hinder effective learning, motivating students to seek new ways to support learning. The cognitive functionality GenAI offers students new ways to learn effectively amid these challenges. This study adopted an abductive approach within a qualitative research design, employing semistructured interviews with 14 university students from Ghana and Nigeria. The data were analysed using Reflexive Thematic Analysis and interpreted through the lens of Sociotechnical Systems Theory, supported by relevant literature. Findings reveal that students use GenAI for a variety of academic tasks, including academic content summarisation, explanation of concepts, assignment and examination preparation, brainstorming, solving STEM problems, and code generation. GenAI was found to be useful in mitigating in adequate and outdated academic resources, addressing inadequate access to lecturers and providingpersonalised, on-demand learning support. While some students reported enhanced critical thinking and academic performance, others raised concerns about overreliance and ethical uncertainty due to lack of institutional guidelines. The study shows that GenAI offers a useful academic support system for students in resource-scarce environments. However, its effective integration depends on improved digital access and AI literacy, and clearly defined ethical guidelines and institutional policies to ensure ethical and responsible use