Vårdande gärningar och vanor för en caritativ hållning I den vårdande akten

The research interests address a need for knowledge regarding the importance of ‘acts of caring’ for a caritative approach when performing tasks in the care of the elderly. The overall aim of the research was to deepen the understanding of ethics and describe the actions and habits that are important in the ‘acts of caring’ for both patients and caregivers in relation to the caritative nursing and ethics of care relevant to the caritative care theory. The design of the study design is based on and from a human-scientific perspective and founded on a hermeneutic tradition based on Gadamer's philosophy. Data was collected partly from qualitative interviews with patients and caregivers and partly from a questionnaire for caregivers. The interviews were carried out in several home healthcare contexts. The data has been analysed and interpreted by means of qualitative content analysis. The result shows that the caregiver’s caring and non-caring deeds have significance for caregiving and this is manifested in the caregiver’s attitude, consciously or unconsciously. And it also shows that repetition results in either good habits or bad habits. With caritative ethics of care, good habits appear that alleviate suffering and promote health in an ‘act of caring’. Bad habits, which lead to bad deeds, have no place in the ethics of care and nursing theory, because a non-caring deed cannot create an ‘act of caring’. All forms of caring deeds and good habits can be connected to the character traits, virtues and moral integrity of the caregiver, and intertwine in such a way that the good habits of care may arise from another good habit or lead to a new good habit

Comparison of two pilot cropping systems for vertical cultivation of lettuce

Commercial cultivation of greenhouse crops is today dominated by horizontal hydroponic cropping systems. But with greater demand for local food production, increased urbaniza-tion and expanding cities creates an interest of improved space utilization and crop optimi-zation per square meter. This study was initiated to investigate the possibility of vertical cultivation of lettuce. Two pilot cropping prototypes, P1 and P2, designed for vertical cul-tivation of lettuce were compared to define the potentials and limitations for commercial lettuce production. Results look promising and both P1 and P2 showed potential produc-tion of lettuce (Lactuca sativa, Lollo rosso, cv. fortress) with respect to canopy fresh weight. Lettuce with acceptable commercial size was produced. The results also showed that light intensity is the limiting factor in terms of crop size and to produce a uniform crop in vertical cropping systems. Conclusion is that both prototypes P1 and P2 are interesting candidates for cultivation of lettuce in vertical hydroponic cropping systems, but they need improvements regarding irrigation strategy and for a more even irradiation