State of the knowledge on European marine habitat mapping and degraded habitats

During the last decades, several EU Directives and other international legislations have generated a large number of national initiatives (e.g. marine atlases) and EU programmes on habitat mapping. Nevertheless, the outcomes of these initiatives are fragmented and, to our best knowledge, to date there is no systematic assessment regarding the nature, quality and availability of information across the European seas. One of the main goals of the MERCES project (www.merces-project.eu) is to produce a census of available maps of European key marine habitats, along with their degradation status and restoration potential in the European Seas, providing a potential basis for future discussion on restoration activities. MERCES is producing a census of European marine key habitat maps, degraded habitat maps and investigating key habitat restoration potential. To do this MERCES has i. reviewed known existing habitat maps of European regional seas and provided source citations for all of the information ii. reviewed degraded habitat map resources by regional sea and habitat type (e.g. seagrass, macroalgae, coral gardens, sponge aggregations, seamounts, vents), associated habitat deterioration (e.g. extent of decline), the most common human activities and pressures reported, and the recovery and restoration potential of these habitats iii. reviewed 6 key habitats (including kelp and macroalgal forests, seagrass meadows, coralligenous assemblages, coral gardens and deep-sea bottom communities) and linked 6 major habitat features, such as dynamics, connectivity, structural complexity and vulnerability, to consequences for restoration and the likelihood of restoration succes

The neurovascular niche after irradiation to the developing brain

Radiotherapy is commonly used in the treatment of pediatric brain tumors but is unfortunately associated with debilitating negative effects, such as impaired memory and learning. Historically, vascular damage following radiotherapy was considered the primary injury which in turn caused ischemia and necrosis. This hypothesis was supported by studies reporting structural changes to blood vessels, such as thickening of the vessel walls, vessel dilation and enlargement of the endothelial cell nucleus. Furthermore, quantitative studies observed time- and dose-dependent loss of endothelial cells, vessel length and density after irradiation. Most experimental studies have, however, focused on the mature brain and used high doses of irradiation. Moreover, the adult brain is capable of generating new neurons throughout life in discrete areas of the brain, and these regions are consistently affected by irradiation. Hence, much research has focused on the neural stem and progenitor cells, since a loss of these cell types has been coupled to cognitive decline after irradiation. Other important cell types have therefore been neglected and need to be examined in order to see the full picture. In this thesis we investigated the effects after a single moderate dose of cranial irradiation (8 - 10 Gy) to the juvenile brain and focused on the vasculature in different areas. Analysis of vascular structure and complexity up to 1 year after irradiation indicated that the vasculature adjusted to the needs of the surrounding tissue. This was observed in both the hippocampus (gray matter) and the corpus callosum (white matter). We did not observe any apparent endothelial cell death, nor any upregulation of genes involved in endothelial cell death acutely after irradiation. The reduction of neural progenitor cells in the hippocampus was however irreversible and we demonstrated that irradiation in fact accelerated the natural decline in neurogenesis with age. We also investigated the neurovascular niche and found a disruption early after irradiation that however seemed to normalize with time. This hence demonstrated dissociation between the morphological patency of the neurovascular niche and hippocampal neurogenesis. Using flow cytometry we isolated endothelial cells and investigated gene expression after irradiation. We then surprisingly observed that endothelial cells upregulated proinflammatory genes acutely after irradiation. This has previously not been observed in endothelial cells after in vivo irradiation, but indicates that although endothelial cells seem to be less sensitive to radiation, they are involved in the inflammatory response after irradiation

Trygghet - på vems villkor? Uppfattningar om och erfarenheter av trygghet hos äldre personer med behov av omsorg

Syftet med avhandlingen var att bidra till ökad förståelse av hur äldre personer med skiftande omsorgsbehov uppfattade och erfor trygghet, i ordinärt och särskilt boende. Avhandlingens två första studier baserades på material från fokusgruppintervjuer med totalt 45 äldre personer boende i seniorboende. Intervjuerna analyserades med kvalitativ innehållsanalys (I, II). Den tredje studien bestod av en sekundäranalys av en brukarenkät till 350 äldre personer i ordinärt boende med hemtjänst och 145 äldre personer i särskilt boende. Materialet bearbetades med deskriptiv och analytisk statistik (III). I den fjärde studien följdes tre äldre personer, genom djupintervjuer och observationer under 12-16 veckor, vid flytt till särskilt boende och den första tiden på särskilt boende. Även detta material analyserades med kvalitativ innehållsanalys (IV). Avhandlingens resultat visar bland annat att de trygghetslarm som de äldre hade erfarenhet av uppfattades som begränsande då larmets korta räckvidd gav orsak till minskad frihet, otrygghet, oro och rädsla (I). Övervakningsteknik, där den äldres person och position övervakas i större omfattning, ansågs inte som något problem att använda när omsorgsinsatserna ökade, så länge detta medförde ökad trygghet (II). Upplevd hälsa, relationstrygghet samt kunskap och kontroll var faktorer som var positivt relaterade till hur äldre personer med äldreomsorg uppfattade och erfor trygghet i vardagen, både i ordinärt och i särskilt boende (III). Flytt till särskilt boende som innebar att stegvis överlämna sitt livoch sin kontroll till omsorgspersonalen, ledde till en känsla av ökad säkerhet för de äldre personerna men inte nödvändigtvis till känsla av trygghet (IV). Resultatet tolkades i förhållande till Antonovskys salutogena teori där de tre koncepten meningsfullhet, hanterbarhet och begriplighet, tillsammans utgör grunden för känsla av sammanhang (KASAM). Sammanfattningsvis uppfattade och erfor äldre personer trygghet som så meningsfull att de kunde tänka sig att ge avkall på en del av sin frihet, integritet, självständighet och självbevarande för att uppnå den. De äldre personerna beskrev att resurser som personal och trygghetslarm stärkte tryggheten, men att hanterbarheten av dessa resurser kan stärkas ytterligare, i både ordinärt boende och särskilt boende. Resultaten visaratt äldre personers begriplighet av vardagen relaterar positivt till uppfattningar och erfarenheter av trygghet. Äldre personer saknar dock begriplighet avseende exempelvis trygghetslarm och nya rutiner, vilket får negativ inverkan på deras trygghet. Äldre personer bör ges större utrymme att själva beskriva trygghet utifrån sina unika villkor. För att stärka trygghet på äldre personers villkor, oavsett deras omsorgsbehov, bör således hanterbarheten, men framförallt begripligheten, stärkas.The aim of this thesis was to increase the knowledge and understanding of how older people with varying needs of care perceive and experience sense of security in ordinary homes and in nursing homes. This thesis comprised four studies, which are to be found at the end of this manuscript. The first two studies were based on the same data material, collected using focus group interviews with 45 elderly individuals living in senior housing with minimal care needs. The interviews were analyzed using qualitative content analysis (I, II). The third study was based on secondary analysis of a user survey of 350 older individuals in ordinary housing with some kind of elder care/service and 145 older individuals with around-the-clock care needs living in nursing homes. The material was processed using descriptive and analytical statistics (III). The fourth study followed three older individuals for 12-16 weeks, using four in-depth interviews and observations to examine the move from ordinary into nursing homes. This material was also analyzed using qualitative content analysis. The use of a personal emergency response system (PERS) was perceived as limiting the lives of elderly people, because the alarm only functions within a person’s apartment. The limited range of the PERS was perceived as reducing elders’ freedom and increasing insecurity, anxiety, and fear (I). Increased reliance on care interventions using monitoring technology, with which the individual and their position is monitored on a larger scale, was not considered a problem, as long as it led to increased security and allowed older individuals to maintain control and a sense of self (II). Perceived health, secure relationships, knowledge, and control were factors that were related to perceived sense of security in the daily lives of older individuals with care, both in ordinary homes and in nursing homes (III). Moving to a nursing home and gradually transferring the control of one’s belongings and daily routines to care staff led to a feeling of greater safety for the older person, but not necessarily a sense of security (IV). In summary, older individuals value, prioritize, and perceive sense of security as very important in their life, but do not always experience a sense of security in ordinary housing and nursing homes. Security is perceived as something so important in life that older people will consider sacrificing their privacy and integrity in lieu of security. Because the sense of security is not always perceived and experienced as good, older individuals search for strategies that contribute to their sense of security through material objects and through relationships with other people. These results indicate that it is essential to support older individuals’ everyday life, regardless of care type, to promote a sense of security on their terms

Does canon rule? : A study of Swedish teachers’ attitudes towards fiction and canon

En stor del av det här arbetet har grundat sig i det politiska förslaget om att införa en läslista i skolan. Syftet med vår studie var därför att ta reda på sambandet mellan lärares syn på, och undervisning i, skönlitteratur samt deras inställning till en litterär kanon. Vi har använt oss av en metodkombination med muntliga och skriftliga intervjuer, och en enkät. Enkäten besvarades av 63 respondenter och i intervjuerna deltog 8 lärare. Med utgångspunkt i receptionsteori, forskning om läroplan och lärares undervisning samt kanonteori och kanondebatt kan vårt resultat visa flera samband. Resultatet visade att majoriteten av lärarna var negativa eller osäkra till ett införande av en litterär kanon. De som ställde sig negativa eller är osäkra till en kanon läser mer frekvent på fritiden jämfört med de som är positivt inställda till en kanon. Gemensamma uppfattningar hos de positivt inställda till kanon är att en litteraturkanon kan bidra till likvärdighet och kulturarv. En återkommande åsikt hos de negativt inställda till en kanon är att de önskar välja litteratur själva, och att de ifrågasätter vem som ska bestämma urvalet i en kanon. Resultatet visar också att det finns en konflikt mellan lärares litteratursyn och hur de undervisar i skönlitteratur.The idea for this study was initiated by the political proposal of establishing a reading list in the Swedish school. The aim of our study was therefore to examine the connection between middle school teachers’ views on, and teaching of, fiction and their attitudes towards a literary canon. Our study is based on a combination of methods, using both written and oral interviews with 8 teachers, and a questionnaire with 63 participating respondents. Based on reception theories, curriculum studies and research of teaching literature, as well as canon theory and the debate, our result can reveal several connections. A majority of the teachers were negative or uncertain towards a literary canon in the Swedish school. The negative or doubtful are reading more often in their spare time compared to those who are positive towards a canon. Common opinions among those with a positive attitude concern equivalence and cultural heritage. A recurring opinion of those with a negative attitude towards a canon is regarding their own choice of literature for teaching, as well as they question who decides the canon content. The result indicates that there is a conflict between the teachers’ views on literature and how they are teaching literature

Does canon rule? : A study of Swedish teachers’ attitudes towards fiction and canon

En stor del av det här arbetet har grundat sig i det politiska förslaget om att införa en läslista i skolan. Syftet med vår studie var därför att ta reda på sambandet mellan lärares syn på, och undervisning i, skönlitteratur samt deras inställning till en litterär kanon. Vi har använt oss av en metodkombination med muntliga och skriftliga intervjuer, och en enkät. Enkäten besvarades av 63 respondenter och i intervjuerna deltog 8 lärare. Med utgångspunkt i receptionsteori, forskning om läroplan och lärares undervisning samt kanonteori och kanondebatt kan vårt resultat visa flera samband. Resultatet visade att majoriteten av lärarna var negativa eller osäkra till ett införande av en litterär kanon. De som ställde sig negativa eller är osäkra till en kanon läser mer frekvent på fritiden jämfört med de som är positivt inställda till en kanon. Gemensamma uppfattningar hos de positivt inställda till kanon är att en litteraturkanon kan bidra till likvärdighet och kulturarv. En återkommande åsikt hos de negativt inställda till en kanon är att de önskar välja litteratur själva, och att de ifrågasätter vem som ska bestämma urvalet i en kanon. Resultatet visar också att det finns en konflikt mellan lärares litteratursyn och hur de undervisar i skönlitteratur.The idea for this study was initiated by the political proposal of establishing a reading list in the Swedish school. The aim of our study was therefore to examine the connection between middle school teachers’ views on, and teaching of, fiction and their attitudes towards a literary canon. Our study is based on a combination of methods, using both written and oral interviews with 8 teachers, and a questionnaire with 63 participating respondents. Based on reception theories, curriculum studies and research of teaching literature, as well as canon theory and the debate, our result can reveal several connections. A majority of the teachers were negative or uncertain towards a literary canon in the Swedish school. The negative or doubtful are reading more often in their spare time compared to those who are positive towards a canon. Common opinions among those with a positive attitude concern equivalence and cultural heritage. A recurring opinion of those with a negative attitude towards a canon is regarding their own choice of literature for teaching, as well as they question who decides the canon content. The result indicates that there is a conflict between the teachers’ views on literature and how they are teaching literature

Personal emergency response system (PERS) alarms may induce insecurity feelings

(PERS) alarms have been used in Sweden since 1974 to enable older people to age safely at home. Despite this long use, we found no studies describing independent older users’ opinions of these devices. Aim Our aim was to describe how people living in Swedish independent senior housing perceive the alarms and to highlight their wishes for further developments and innovations. Methods We conducted five focus group interviews with residents of senior housing who used or had used a PERS alarm and analysed the data qualitatively for latent content. Results The data analysis revealed five themes in participants’ opinions and feelings about the PERS alarms: (i) safety, (ii) anxiety, (iii) satisfaction, (iv) being informed, and (v) older persons as active innovators. Conclusion The 40-year-old Swedish PERS used in senior housing seems to limit rather than liberate users in their daily lives and cause feelings of insecurity rather than security. Older Swedish people require a more personalized alarm with a built-in positioning system that would allow them a greater range of movement beyond their homes

Stärka tryggheten i flytt till särskilt boende

De flesta kan kanske känna igen sig i en situation då flytt till särskilt boende blir aktuellt, oavsett om det gäller en nära anhörigs flytt eller sin egen. Våra skäl och orsaker till flytten kan variera men behovet av vård och omsorg är ofta detsamma. I en tid av livet då skörheten gör sig påmind och behovet av hjälp och stöd ökar, kan flytten bli ett känslosamt möte mellan det förflutna och en oviss framtid. Att arbeta för att få den äldre personen att känna trygghet under hela flyttprocessen och även under den första tiden på det särskilda boendet blir därför viktigt. Socialtjänsten och Hälsohögskolan har sedan 2013 genomfört ett samverkansprojekt i syfte att fördjupa kunskapen om äldres upplevelse av trygghet i flyttprocessen, för att på så vis förbättra och stärka den