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Comorbidities in People With Intellectual Disability With and Without Schizophrenia and Schizophrenia Without Intellectual Disability : A Swedish Register Study (IDcare)
No full textBACKGROUND: Intellectual disability (ID) and schizophrenia are known to separately carry a high risk of comorbidity of mental health and physical conditions. However, the prevalence and risk of comorbidities among people diagnosed with concurrent ID and schizophrenia have to date not been studied.METHODS: From a cohort including all people in Skåne, Sweden, the following three groups were established: (1) people with ID and concurrent schizophrenia, (2) people with ID without schizophrenia and (3) people with schizophrenia without ID. Diagnoses were determined using the Region Skåne healthcare database. Poisson regression was used to estimate relative risks (RRs) with 95% confidence intervals (CIs) of having at least one diagnosis in each ICD-10 chapter or block for group 1 versus groups 2 and 3, respectively. All analyses were adjusted for age at inclusion (i.e., 2014, continuous variable), sex and ethnicity.RESULTS: For several diagnostic chapters, there were higher risks among people with ID and schizophrenia, compared to both those with ID without schizophrenia and those with schizophrenia but without ID. These chapters included the following: I (parasites), III (blood and immunity), IV (endocrine), VII (eye), XII (skin and tissue) and XIV (genitourinary). The blocks with the highest risks compared to the other two groups were diabetes mellitus, disorders of other endocrine glands, obesity and other hyperalimentation, organic-including symptomatic and mental health conditions, extrapyramidal and movement and other respiratory diseases principally affecting the interstitium.CONCLUSIONS: People with the combination of ID and schizophrenia had an increased risk of both physical and mental health conditions that could not be explained by either ID or schizophrenia alone. A correct diagnosis for people with the combination of ID and schizophrenia is important for the provision of adequate treatment. Future research should investigate pathways and explanatory factors, as well as the provision of services for people with ID and schizophrenia
Strategic autonomy: A ‘quantum leap forward on’ European total defence?
No full textIn the last decade, the idea of total defence – a whole-of-society approach integrating civilian and military capabilities – has gained renewed prominence in Europe, including within the European Union (EU). Concurrently, the concept of strategic autonomy – the EU’s ability to act independently – has emerged as a central feature in its security policy, driving ambitions for ‘a quantum leap forward on security and defence’.1 Despite significant conceptual overlaps, the relationship between total defence and strategic autonomy remains underexplored. Drawing on discursive institutionalism and the ideational power framework, this article examines EU security discourses from 2010 to 2024, analysing how strategic autonomy has shaped the development of European total defence. The study considers three dimensions of ideational power – through, over, and in – showing that while the idea of total defence predates strategic autonomy, the latter has certainly elevated the idea of European total defence and enhanced collective capability building, especially through entwining civilian and military domains, and yet has constrained the establishment of a unified military defence. The findings underscore the long-term discursive evolution underpinning the EU’s security strategy and its ongoing efforts to consolidate a European total defence framework, now more tangible than ever
A Lifespan Perspective on Intrinsic Motivation and Workplace Democracy
No full textIn this paper we argue that too little attention has been directed to age-related psychological and relational conditions for creating viable forms of democracy in the workplace. Working life is complex and there are many factors throughout the working life journey that affect individuals and how they feel, can, want, have the energy, are heard, motivated and cope with their working life. Currently, retirement age and pensions are being postponed in most countries and more and more people will work to an older age in the future. Ageing in working life and the situation of older employees in the workplace is therefore very relevant. Age could and needs to be defined variously in relation to different areas of work-life participation and employability. Chronological, biological, cognitive and social age and ageing during an increasingly longer working life affect in different ways individuals’ opportunity for motivation, power and workplace democracy. A systematic approach as the SwAge-model, to facilitate working life for all ages, and a lifespan perspective on intrinsic motivation and workplace democracy is needed
Data-driven modelling of methane fluxes across a mire complex based on replicated eddy covariance measurements and spatially-resolved driver information
No full textNorthern mires are significant natural sources of atmospheric methane (CH4), yet estimating CH4 emissions remains challenging due to their complex spatio-temporal dynamics. While eddy covariance (EC) measurements provide valuable insights into ecosystem-scale CH4 fluxes (FCH4) over mire areas typically < 0.05 km², the predictability of FCH4 at the mesoscale (∼0.5 – 20 km²) of a mire complex based on single-site EC measurements has not been explored. In this study, we utilized a network of four EC towers and developed a machine learning approach that integrates these EC data with comprehensive spatial information on drivers to predict FCH4 across a boreal mire complex in Northern Sweden. For this purpose, environmental driver variables were mapped and area-weighted within dynamic EC flux footprints and related to FCH4 in a spatially-explicit random forest model (‘footprint-based model’). For comparison, we also considered a standard random forest model used for gapfilling of FCH4 data that is based on environmental measurements from fixed sensor locations (‘biomet model’). For both models, variable importance analysis revealed NDVI as the strongest predictor of temporal FCH4 patterns, followed by air pressure, soil temperature and water table. Adjusting for site-specific carbon-to-nitrogen (C:N) ratios substantially improved model performance. Both models significantly improved estimates of the mire complex average FCH4 compared to simple extrapolation of single-site measurements, reducing the uncertainty from ∼22 % in 2022 and 32 % in 2023 to <10 % and <25 % for the footprint-based model, and to <11 % and <30 % for the biomet model, respectively. Overall, our findings suggest that the comprehensive spatially-resolved driver information resulted in only marginally improved model performance at our study site. In comparison, the biomet model offers practical advantages through simpler implementation and wider applicability. However, we encourage testing the footprint-based model approach at other more heterogenous sites where it might become superior due to its ability to account for complex site conditions
High- and Low-Fat Dairy Consumption and Long-Term Risk of Dementia : Evidence From a 25-Year Prospective Cohort Study
No full textBACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: The association between dairy intake and dementia risk remains uncertain, especially for dairy products with varying fat contents. The aim of this study was to investigate the association between high-fat and low-fat dairy intake and dementia risk.METHODS: This study used data from a prospective cohort in Sweden, the Malmö Diet and Cancer cohort, which consisted of community-based participants who underwent dietary assessment at baseline (1991-1996). Dietary intake was evaluated using a comprehensive diet history method that combined a 7-day food diary, a food frequency questionnaire, and a dietary interview. Dementia cases were identified through the Swedish National Patient Register until December 31, 2020, and cases diagnosed until 2014 were further validated. The primary outcome of the study was all-cause dementia, and the secondary outcomes were Alzheimer disease (AD) and vascular dementia (VaD). Cox proportional hazard regression models were used to estimate hazard ratio (HR) and 95% CI.RESULTS: This study included 27,670 participants (mean baseline age 58.1 years, SD 7.6; 61% female). During a median of 25 years of follow-up, 3,208 incident dementia cases were recorded. Consumption of ≥50 g/d of high-fat cheese (>20% fat) was associated with a reduced risk of all-cause dementia (HR 0.87; 95% CI, 0.78-0.97) and VaD (HR 0.71, 95% CI 0.52-0.96) compared with lower intake (30% fat) had a 16% lower risk of all-cause dementia (HR 0.84, 95% CI 0.72-0.98). High-fat cream consumption was inversely associated with the risk of AD and VaD. Consumption of low-fat cheese, low-fat cream, milk (high-fat and low-fat), fermented milk (high-fat and low-fat), and butter showed no association with all-cause dementia.DISCUSSION: Higher intake of high-fat cheese and high-fat cream was associated with a lower risk of all-cause dementia, whereas low-fat cheese, low-fat cream, and other dairy products showed no significant association. APOE ε4 status modified the association between high-fat cheese and AD. Our study's observational design limits causal inference
Re-interpreting rationalities of risky migration : Syrian refugees´ sea journeys to Europe Dance between wisdom and despair
No full textThe thesis explores the migration experiences of Syrian refugees who arrived in Sweden and Denmark by crossing the Mediterranean Sea in small, precarious boats. It aims to illuminate how these refugees managed the risks they faced during their journey to Europe and the meanings they associated with these risks. The research focuses on the socio-cultural and individual contexts within which risk is perceived, experienced, and navigated, while recognizing the dynamic nature of risk.The thesis is guided by the central question: How did Syrian refugees construct their understanding of the risks associated with their clandestine journeys to Europe? The participants’ narratives provide insights into subjective factors that shaped their perceptions of risk and influenced their migration decisions—such as a desire for life change (as explored in Paper I) and a sense of commitment to their children's future (as discussed in Paper II). The analysis also reveals that participants' understanding of risk was fluid, evolving over time. It transpired that it was contingent on whether their risk assessment referred to the before migration or after the migrant, furthermore it changed depending on who the risk was being evaluated for (e.g., comparing their own risk-taking to that of others).Finally, the empirical studies challenged the traditional binary of rational versus non-rational approaches to understanding risk by revealing a nuanced interplay between these logics (Paper III). In the context of Syrian migration, it demonstrates that rational and non-rational modes of risk perception coexist dynamically and fluidly.The findings underscore the complexity of the decision-making processes of refugees engaged in clandestine migration and the difficult trade-offs they faced in pursuit of their goals. This research contributes to migration studies by highlighting the importance of subjective factors in understanding migration motivations and risk perceptions, thus challenging the dominance of structural explanations in the field. Furthermore, it contributes to much needed enlargement of frameworks through which risk research capture fluidity and of risk perception (Burgess, 2006)
Bringing the researcher in : methodological, ethical and institutional challenges to studying far-right politics and anti-gender mobilisations
No full textOptimisation of A Sample Preparation Method for the Determination of Multi-Elemental Compositions in Human Hair By Triple Quadrupole ICP-MS Analysis
No full textMonitoring toxic elements has a long tradition in Slovenia due to historical mining. More recently, attention has shifted to essential elements, since both deficiencies and excesses can harm health. Regular monitoring of (non-)essential elements supports risk assessment and policymaking. While urine and blood are common biomonitoring matrices, hair offers a non-invasive alternative that reflects exposure over several months, though standardised methodologies for hair analysis remain limited. This study aimed to develop and validate a sensitive and robust analytical method for the determination of 29 elements in human hair, addressing key challenges in sample preparation and contamination control. We developed a sensitive and robust method for the determination of 29 elements (Ag, Al, As, Ba, Ca, Cd, Co, Cr, Cu, Fe, Hg, K, Mg, Mn, Mo, Na, Ni, P, Pb, Rb, S, Sb, Se, Sn, Sr, Ti, U, V, and Zn) in 3 cm segments of human hair that involves a washing procedure with acetone and Milli-Q water, microwave digestion with 65% HNO3, and analysis with Triple Quadrupole Inductively Coupled Plasma Mass Spectrometry (ICP-MS/MS). Evaluation of preparation steps revealed stainless-steel scissors as a major contamination source. Glass digestion vessels were unsuitable for several elements due to high detection limits and relative standard deviations. The optimised method reduced analytical variability and improved sensitivity compared to published protocols. This validated method enables reproducible multi-elemental analysis in hair, highlights overlooked contamination risks, and is now applied in human biomonitoring studies to strengthen exposure assessment and standardisation efforts
Impaired SARS-CoV-2 vaccine responsiveness is not associated with subclinical atherosclerosis or cardiovascular disease
No full textAIMS: Although age-related immune deterioration has been implicated as a mechanistic contributor to cardiovascular disease (CVD), evidence for an impairment of adaptive immune function in individuals with clinically verified presence of atherosclerosis is lacking.METHODS AND RESULTS: To test the association between atherosclerosis and immune function, we evaluated SARS-CoV-2 vaccine responsiveness in 65- to 71-year-old individuals ( n = 644) derived from a population-based cohort, characterized for subclinical atherosclerosis by coronary computed tomography angiography and carotid ultrasound. Vaccine-specific T cells were quantified by activation-induced marker assays and antibody responses by ELISA. We did not find any significant associations between the degree of subclinical atherosclerosis or history of cardiovascular disease and vaccine-specific IgG or T cells. Vaccine immunity was not associated with lipid levels but was inversely correlated with several plasma cytokines. CONCLUSIONS: Our study demonstrates that subclinical atherosclerosis or prevalent CVD is not associated with impaired responsiveness to vaccination
Redefining social support : a scoping review of the effects of digital technologies on the social support of older workers
No full textINTRODUCTION: The rapid digitalisation of workplaces presents both challenges and opportunities for older workers. This scoping review examines how digital technologies impact social support for older workers, focusing on emotional, informational, and instrumental support within professional environments. While social support is critical for well-being and productivity in ageing workforces, the effects of digitalisation on social support dynamics remain insufficiently understood.METHODS: Following Joanna Briggs Institute and PRISMA-ScR guidelines, a comprehensive search strategy was conducted across databases like ERIH, Web of Science, Scopus, and PubMed from anytime to 2023 to identify peer-reviewed studies involving digital technologies used by older workers, generally considered as workers aged 50 years or older. Covidence software facilitated the screening of over 5000 scientific papers, study selection, and data extraction, and the Mixed Methods Appraisal Tool (MMAT) assessed quality. Findings were synthesized through descriptive statistics and narrative analysis.RESULTS: Forty-three studies met inclusion criteria. Digital technologies were found to enhance various forms of social support: remote work tools, messaging apps, and telemedicine platforms facilitated emotional connection and informational exchange. However, digitalisation also introduced barriers, some older workers reported isolation, reduced informal contact, and technostress, underscoring disparities in digital literacy and adaptation.DISCUSSION: Digitalisation exerts a dual impact on social support for older workers: it can strengthen professional connectedness yet also heighten vulnerability to stress and exclusion. Targeted digital literacy initiatives and sustained managerial engagement are crucial to ensure that technology enhances, rather than undermines, well-being and productivity among ageing employees