Högskolan i Skövde

Predictive maintenance (PdM) plays an important role in the transition toward Industry 4.0, offering the potential to increase operational efficiency and reduce unexpected downtime. A central application of PdM involves the estimation of a system component’s remaining useful life (RUL) to enable informed maintenance decisions. Deep learning (DL) models have demonstrated strong performance in RUL prediction tasks. However, these models often lack the capability to reliably quantify predictive uncertainty, which is essential for risk-aware decision-making in industrial applications. Bayesian approximation models, like Stochastic Weight Averaging Bayesian and Variational Inference, can yield a distribution of predictions while avoiding the prohibitively costly process of true Bayesian inference. This distribution can be used to reason about the uncertainty of the model, but often shows the model being overconfident. We propose empirical likelihood stacking, a method for improving uncertainty quantification for DL models. By applying stacking and deep ensembles to estimate the RUL of turbofan engines, we show the trade-offs between these two methods when applied to DL models. We find that the stacked model has a better calibrated uncertainty at a small cost to point prediction accuracy, when compared to the ensemble.

This study examines the significance of mentorship for young new managers ability to establish legitimacy within the public sector. The background of the study is based on the ongoing generational shift in which many experienced managers are approaching retirement, while younger individuals are increasingly being recruited into managerial positions. The public sector is characterized by complex structures, extensive demands for accountability and political governance, which may create particular challenges for young and less experienced managers. Previous research shows that young managers often need to manage uncertainty regarding their role while simultaneously gaining acceptance and trust from employees and organizations. Against this background, the purpose of this study is to examine how mentorship influences young new managers opportunities to establish legitimacy in managerial roles within the public sector.

The study is based on a qualitative research approach in which nine young managers within healthcare and social care services were interviewed through semi-structured interviews. The empirical material was analyzed using thematic analysis with an abductive approach.

The findings show that young new managers in the public sector experience the transition into the managerial role as complex and challenging as they need to handle both new responsibilities and changed relationships with employees. Mentorship is perceived as an important source of support through guidance, reflection, exchange of experience and increased confidence in the managerial role. Informal mentorship was found to be particularly significant because it was perceived as more flexible and easily accessible. Mentorship contributes to strengthening managers legitimacy by helping them understand organizational norms, manage relationships and develop a more confident and accepted leadership style. The results of the study also show that legitimacy is not solely based on formal position but is created through social processes in which the manager's actions are continuously evaluated by others.

The conclusion shows that mentorship functions as an important support structure for young new managers in the public sector and plays a significant role in establishing legitimacy in managerial roles. Mentorship contributes not only to learning and competence development but also strengthens confidence, self-assurance and the ability to exercise consistent leadership. In this way, mentorship can indirectly strengthen managers opportunities to be accepted and recognized as legitimate leaders within the organization. The study also highlights that the quality of the mentoring relationship is highly important for how valuable and effective the support is perceived to be.

This thesis examines whether an online Monte Carlo Tree Search (MCTS)-based scheduler can improve robot path selection compared with a static First-In-First-Out (FIFO) baseline within a simulated human–robot collaborative assembly cell characterised by stochastic worker behaviour. The study focuses on reactive path planning, defined as the online selection of pre-validated robot motion paths, rather than online trajectory generation or inverse kinematics. An ABB RobotStudio virtual cell was integrated with a Python scheduling layer through an OPC UA–MQTT–Softing communication stack, using a finite RAPID path library, a stochastic two-worker model, and event-based metrics collection. The final evaluation comprised three matched FIFO/MCTS experimental pairs, with each run lasting six hours and each pair using a different workerparameter configuration. Across these scenarios, the MCTS condition produced an average of 224.3 defect-free assemblies per run, compared with 201.0 for FIFO, increasing average defect-free throughput from 33.49 to 37.38 assemblies per hour. MCTS also reduced the average robot idle fraction from 19.7% to 1.1%. The largest absolute defect-free throughput gain appeared in the asymmetric speed–quality scenario, while the smallest appeared in the symmetric high-throughput scenario. While the results are descriptive and limited to simulation-based evaluation, they suggest that MCTS has practical potential as an online scheduling mechanism when the action space is structured, the environment can be simulated, and robot execution is restricted to pre-validated paths. 

Camelops hesternus was one of the very last camelids to go extinct in North America, at the end of the Pleistocene, approximately 13,000 years ago. As an extinct species, C. hesternus population dynamics studies are only possible through the fossil record and ancient DNA analysis. Previous genomic studies were limited to mitochondrial and low-coverage nuclear genomes, severely restricting demographic modeling. Thanks to a sample from Yukon, Canada presenting high endogenous DNA content, this project aimed to reconstruct a high-coverage nuclear genome through iterative mapping that would allow for population genetic analysis. The OC24-092 (YG 328.259) sample was deep sequenced and the reads were iteratively mapped on the Camelus dromedarius reference genome six times. The resulting reconstructed C. hesternus genome was used in a Pairwise Sequential Markovian Coalescent (PSMC) analysis as well as a run of homozygosity estimation. The reconstructed nuclear genome had an average coverage of 9.1×, just below the 10× target but still representing a substantial improvement from the previously published genomes for the species (0.057× - 0.310×). Although the sample is too old for precise radiocarbon dating, the demographic history yielded by the PSMC analysis suggests an effective population maximum of C. hesternus around 110,000 individuals during the middle of Marine Isotope Stage (MIS) 7 interglacial, followed by a rapid population collapse in the MIS 6 glacial. The run of homozygosity estimation revealed that the specimen did not suffer from heavy inbreeding, which could be interpreted either as a sign of a sufficiently large founder population or a sign of an ongoing gene flow between the Beringian and continental populations during MIS 5. These results provide the first individual-level demographic reconstruction for the Beringian C. hesternus population, showing a population decline that started well before the arrival of Homo sapiens in North America. The absence of notable inbreeding in the OC24-092 specimen could also be seen as a sign of a genetically healthy population, supporting the interpretation that the MIS 5/4 Beringian extirpation was driven by the same kind of climatic stress as the MIS 6 population collapse. Human pressure may then have only contributed to the final extinction, acting on a population already weakened by the prolonged climatic cooling of the Last Glacial Period, thus offering new context for the North American late Pleistocene megafaunal extinction.

Preterm birth (PTB), defined as delivery before 37 completed weeks of gestation, remains a major contributor to neonatal morbidity and mortality worldwide. Bacterial vaginosis (BV), characterised by disruption of the normal Lactobacillus-dominated vaginal microbiota and overgrowth of anaerobic bacteria, has been proposed as a potentially modifiable risk factor for PTB. However, the strength and consistency of this association remain uncertain. The aim of this study was to systematically review and quantitatively synthesise observational evidence on the association between BV and PTB in pregnant women using studies published between 2010 and 2026. A systematic review and meta-analysis were conducted in accordance with the PRISMA 2020 guidelines. Searches were performed in PubMed, Scopus, Web of Science, and DiVA. Study quality was assessed using the Newcastle-Ottawa Scale (NOS), and a random-effects meta-analysis was conducted using R statistical software. Ten observational studies involving 2,551,739 pregnant women from nine countries met the inclusion criteria. The pooled odds ratio was 1.81 (95% CI: 1.26–2.61; p = 0.005), indicating significantly higher odds of PTB among BV-positive women. Moderate heterogeneity was observed (I² = 44.5%; Q = 16.22; p = 0.063), and Egger's test showed no statistically significant evidence of publication bias (p = 0.398). Subgroup analysis demonstrated a weaker but still significant association in high-quality studies (NOS ≥7; OR 1.50, 95% CI: 1.04–2.16), while leave-one-out sensitivity analysis confirmed the robustness of the findings. Overall, BV was associated with an increased risk of PTB across diverse populations. However, the reduced effect estimates in higher-quality studies and inconsistent evidence regarding BV-targeted interventions suggest that the relationship may be more complex than a simple causal pathway. Further research should focus on standardised molecular diagnostic methods and targeted preventive strategies for women at greatest risk.

Peanut allergy is a severe and often lifelong condition driven by IgE-mediated immune responses and is a major cause of food-induced anaphylaxis. Increasing evidence suggests that long-term allergic memory is maintained by specialized memory B-cell populations capable of regenerating pathogenic IgE responses. This study aimed to identify and characterize memory B-cell populations associated with persistent peanut allergy, focusing on FCER2 high type 2- associated memory B cells and their role in IgE-related immunity. 

To investigate this, publicly available multimodal single-cell datasets were re-analyzed, including single-cell RNA sequencing (scRNA-seq) data and B-cell receptor (BCR) repertoire data generated using 10x Genomics and PacBio sequencing. In addition, clonal lineage reconstruction and computational antibody–epitope docking analyses were performed to further characterize allergen-associated B-cell responses. Peripheral blood immune cells from peanut-allergic and non-allergic individuals were analyzed to examine transcriptional profiles, immunoglobulin isotypes, somatic hypermutation (SHM), and allergen-associated antibody features. 

A distinct FCER2 high memory B-cell population was identified, characterized by elevated expression of FCER2, IGHE, IL4R, IL13RA1, and HOPX, consistent with a type 2-associated memory phenotype. These cells showed high SHM frequencies, enrichment of mutated IgG isotypes, and evidence of transcriptional priming toward IgE class switching through germline IGHE expression. Integration of PacBio and 10x datasets further identified convergent allergen-associated BCR features shared across peanut-allergic donors. 

Together, these findings support a model in which FCER2 high IgG memory B cells act as a reservoir for persistent allergic memory and pathogenic IgE responses in peanut allergy, providing insight into food allergy mechanisms and potential future therapeutic targets. 

The study examines the relationship between psychological safety, leadership styles and employee performance in the healthcare sector. The study also looks at how leadership styles directly affect performance, as well as how psychological safety affects employee performance. The aim is to create a better understanding of how these factors are connected to employee performance in organizations.

The study contributes to a greater understanding of how leadership and psychological safety can affect employees’ performance, especially in complex work environments such as healthcare organisations. These types of environments often require good communication, cooperation, and trust between employees. By using previous research together with the study’s own results, the study provides useful information for both managers and employees. The study mainly highlights factors that are important for creating psychological safety and improving employee performance.

The study was carried out using a quantitative research method where surveys were distributed to respondents working in healthcare units. The collected data was analyzed using correlation analysis and multiple regression analysis. The results show a connection between psychological safety and employee performance. The findings also show a relationship between transformational leadership, psychological safety, and performance. Transactional leadership showed a weaker connection to psychological safety, but a somewhat stronger connection to employee performance.

Overall, the results suggest that psychological safety is an important factor for improving employee performance, as well as employees’ views on cooperation, goal achievement, and quality in the workplace. The results also show that leadership plays an important role in creating psychological safety, although its impact depends on how leadership is practiced. Effective leadership can therefore contribute to better performance within teams and organizations.

This study examines managerial leadership in a hybrid work environment, focusing on understanding managers´ experiences regarding the relationship between control, governance, and empowerment. The research was based on nine semi-structured interviews with managers from various industries within the private sector. The collected data was analysed using thematic analysis and interpreted through theories such as technocratic control and structural empowerment. The results of the study show that the introduction of hybrid work has often been implemented as an adaptation following the pandemic or to attract workers. The results also indicate that the loss of informal conversations constitutes one of the most prominent challenges of this way of working. This has contributed to managers´ difficulties in identifying employee well-being and has limited spontaneous knowledge exchange. Furthermore, it emerged that managers' attitudes toward the concepts of control and governance varied. Most respondents reported negative associations with the term control. Instead, they emphasized the importance of management by objectives and working with supportive leadership. In this context, trust, clear results, accountability, and autonomy were used instead of direct control. At the same time, the study shows that direct control is necessary in certain situations to ensure that work aligns with the organization's goals and direction. In summary, the conclusion demonstrates that hybrid work requires leadership that can balance empowerment with control and governance. Leadership needs to be built on trust and effective communication to create a clear structure.

The study aims to examine how age-related perceptions, social categorization, and relative age influence employees’ views of young managers. Furthermore, the study seeks to deepen the understanding of how the legitimacy of young managers is shaped, negotiated, and renegotiated through the interaction between younger managers and older employees within operational contexts. In the context of an ongoing generational shift in the labour market, questions arise regarding how age and experience influence perceptions of leadership, particularly in operational contexts where experience is often highly valued.

To address the purpose of the study, a qualitative research design with a hermeneutic perspective was applied. Data were collected through ten semi-structured interviews with five young managers (up to 30 years old) and five older employees working in operational contexts. A strategic sampling approach was used to capture experiences from relationships where the manager is younger than their employees. The empirical material was analysed using a deductive thematic analysis, supported by a theoretical framework consisting of Role Congruity Theory, Social Identity Theory, and the 3I model.

The findings show that the legitimacy of young managers is not granted through formal position alone but must be actively established in relation to employees. Age itself does not appear to be the determining factor, rather, it is the perceptions and expectations associated with age that shape how young managers are viewed. These perceptions may act as obstacles by leading to initial scepticism, reduced trust, or a lack of respect.

The study shows that young managers often face initial scepticism and a need to prove their competence, while at the same time being perceived in practice as present, responsive, and relationship oriented. It also emerges that relative age is a central factor in how relationships and trust are developed. In conclusion, the legitimacy of young managers is shaped through a complex interplay of stereotypical perceptions, social categorization, and everyday interactions within the work group. Legitimacy thus appears as a dynamic process, where initial perceptions can be challenged and renegotiated through the manager’s actions over time.

This study aims to investigate the use of generative AI as decision support for bank managers in the banking sector and responsible use in AI-based decision-making processes. The study takes its starting point in the rapidly digitalized development and focuses on the interaction between human judgment and technology in decision-making processes.

The theoretical framework is based on theories of AI. generative AI, leadership, responsibility, decision-making processes, bounded rationality and risks of GenAI use. This is then problematized with concepts such as generative AI and decision support. The study was then conducted as a qualitative case study based on semi-structured interviews with eight bank managers in different areas of operation in a specific organization and region within the banking sector. The empirical material was analyzed through thematic analysis and with an applied abductive approach, which then shaped the analysis.

The results highlight that bank managers’ use of generative AI is situational and influenced by both work area and area of responsibility. The study shows that generative AI is used as a valuable support tool at the beginning of the decision-making process, but never at the moment of decision itself. At the same time, the study indicates that the ultimate responsibility for decisions still lies with humans, despite the use of generative AI to support decision-making processes. Risks linked to bias, overreliance and lack of transparency in AI systems are managed through critical review and professional judgment.

The conclusion shows that generative AI offers significant benefits by streamlining and supporting decision-making, but that its use also requires that humans retain decision-making authority, especially in situations where experience, contextual understanding and human judgment are crucial.

Non-typeable Haemophilus influenzae (NTHi) is an opportunistic respiratory pathogen that can survive many environmental challenges during infection. Many NTHi genes remain poorly characterized. In this study, the possible roles of two uncharacterized genes, HI_1599 and HI_1600, in bacterial adaptation to stress were investigated. HI_1600 expression has been evaluated using quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR) and the expression increased under oxidative stress, metal limitation, and antibiotic treatment. HI_1600 was particularly upregulated after treatment with ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid (EDTA) and carbenicillin, suggesting it may be part of general stress-response pathways. To learn more about HI_1600, a ΔHI_1600 deletion mutant was created using Gibson Assembly-mediated allelic exchange. The mutant was confirmed by colony PCR, antibiotic selection, and qRT-PCR. The ΔHI_1600 mutant strain showed slower growth, smaller, differently shaped colonies, and reduced bacterial clustering than the wild-type NTHi 3655. This suggests that HI_1600 contributes to normal bacterial growth and colony organization. HI_1600 was overexpressed and a pull-down assay showed a potential interacting protein. AlphaFold 3 structural modelling predicted a potential stable interaction between HI_1600 and the nearby gene product HI_1599, suggesting they may work together. The results hint that HI_1600 is a gene with a potential function in stress response that supports bacterial growth and adaptation in NTHi. This study describes an initial functional characterization of HI_1600 and can be taken as the foundation for future research into its role in NTHi physiology and infections.

The aim of this paper is to compare anomaly detection algorithms in robotic environments and develop a real time solution. The results of the simulated and real robot experiments were used in order to choose the most suitable algorithm in this context, were various types of anomalies were introduced. The algorithms were selected between a fixed set of candidates based in an initial study and attending to their performance on the experiments considering quantitative metrics results, as well as a qualitative analysis of outputs contrasted with the expected results. The selected algorithm was PaDiM, as its adaptability allowed the detection of different types of anomalies both in simulated an real scenarios. The final real time system uses camera and a pre-trained PaDiM model to detect the presence of anomalies that may present a safety risk to the corresponding robotic operation. 

The rapid development of electric vehicles increases the need for reliable testing procedures for drivetrain power electronics. The inverter becomes a key component within this context, being responsible for converting the DC energy stored in the battery into the AC supply the motor requires. This component operates under demanding conditions, including high temperatures, high power demands, mechanical vibrations and continuous electrical stress.

To address this, this thesis focuses on designing and studying the implementation of a test bench for inverter characterisation, aiming to evaluate inverter electrical performance under controlled load conditions and to assess the feasibility of an pass/fail evaluation methodology.This study includes the development of the experimental setup, the configuration of the measurement system, the implementation of the current control system, and the acquisition of electrical data under an automated load operating sequence. A statistical reference curve was constructed from repeated measurements to support objective evaluation. The test bench is based on a controlled inverter leg operating as a single-phase half-bridge, with a resistive load and an added inductance. The system is controlled through an Arduino-based platform, allowing different current references to be generated. Data acquisition is performed and synchronised with the current control system through a LabVIEW-based interface, coordinating the measurement instruments, current control and data logging in an automated test sequence.

The results show that the proposed prototype is able to reproduce predefined current profiles and acquire synchronised electrical data. Among the tested profiles, the step sequence provided the most stable and repeatable conditions for efficiency evaluation. Further study between functional and faulty configurations demonstrates the feasibility of the proposed approach. 

Introduction: The United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child became Swedish law in 2020 to strengthen children’s rights and their right to participate in matters affecting them. However, previous research and national reports show that children’s right to be heard in healthcare is not always fulfilled in practice. From a public health perspective, children’s participation is important as it may influence safety, well-being, and health equity. 

Aim: The aim was to examine how children’s participation and right to be heard within the Swedish public sector, with a focus on healthcare, are described in previous research from a child rights perspective. The study also aimed to identify factors that promote or limit children’s participation. 

Method: A structured literature review was conducted based on 22 original scientific articles. Data were collected from MEDLINE (EBSCO), Web of Science, and Scopus. The material was analyzed using thematic analysis according to Braun and Clarke (2006), supported by Bronfenbrenner’s ecological systems theory and a child rights perspective. 

Results: Children’s participation increased when healthcare professionals used childadapted communication, responsiveness, and child-centred approaches. Barriers such as time constraints, organizational limitations, and adult-centred norms restricted participation. The implementation of the Convention on the Rights of the Child varied across settings. 

Conclusion: The development toward a more child-centred and rights-based approach has strengthened within Swedish healthcare. Continued efforts are needed to ensure that children’s rights are fully implemented in practice.  

Introduction 

Burnout and work-related mental ill-health are common within elderly care and may affect both employees’ health and the ability of care organizations to maintain high-quality care services. Against the backdrop of an ageing population and an increasing demand for health and social care services, organizational working conditions have become increasingly important for promoting health, preventing mental ill-health, and creating conditions for sustainable elderly care. 

Aim 

The aim of the study was to investigate organizational factors and their significance for burnout and other forms of work-related mental ill-health within elderly care. 

Methods 

The study was conducted as a structured literature review based on systematic searches in the databases MEDLINE and Web of Science. A total of 24 scientific original articles were included and critically appraised using the CASP framework. The results were analyzed using a combination of inductive analysis and narrative synthesis and were interpreted with support from the Job Demands–Resources (JD-R) model 

Results 

The analysis resulted in three overarching categories: job demands, resources, and outcomes and consequences. Factors associated with an increased risk of burnout included high workload, staff shortages, time pressure, emotional demands, conflicts, unclear leadership, and limited opportunities for recovery. Factors associated with lower levels of burnout included supportive leadership, collegial support, organizational support, autonomy, participation in decision-making, clear work roles, and work–life balance. Support in emotionally demanding situations, such as death and loss, also emerged as an important resource. Furthermore, burnout was associated with emotional exhaustion, mental ill-health, reduced job satisfaction, increased intention to leave the profession, and negative consequences for quality of care and patient safety. 

Conclusion 

The findings indicate that burnout and work-related mental ill-health within elderly care cannot be understood through individual organizational factors alone, but rather through the interaction between job demands and available resources. Workload, staffing levels, leadership, and opportunities for recovery emerged as particularly important factors. To promote employees mental health and create conditions for sustainable elderly care, organizational interventions are needed that strengthen workplace resources while reducing adverse working conditions. 

Industrial automation systems have traditionally relied on Programmable Logic Controllers (PLCs) to coordinate communication between robots, sensors, and external equipment. Although this architecture is widely adopted in manufacturing, it often increases hardware costs, system complexity, and integration effort. In response to the growing demand for leaner and more flexible automation solutions, this thesis investigates the development of a standardised software library for industrial communication in a PLC-free robotic environment. 

The project was carried out in collaboration with Aurobay Sweden AB at the Skövde plant and focused on the design of a reusable shell project for ABB OmniCore robot controllers programmed in RAPID. The proposed architecture transfers the coordination logic normally handled by a PLC directly to the robot controller, enabling communication with external devices through TCP/IP-based protocols and modular background tasks. The work includes the implementation of a structured framework for job handling, error recovery, operator interaction, and visual signalling, together with an HMI developed for the FlexPendant interface. 

To evaluate the feasibility of the proposed approach, two industrial functionalities were implemented and tested: a laser scanner safety system and a light curtain supervision system. Both functionalities were integrated directly into the robot controller without intermediary PLC hardware. In addition, communication between RAPID and a Pythonbased gateway was developed to support higher-level data exchange and future MQTT integration. 

The results demonstrate that a PLC-free architecture can provide a reliable and scalable alternative for low-cost automation cells while maintaining safe operation and modularity. The standardised library reduced integration complexity, improved code reusability, and simplified deployment across different robotic applications. Furthermore, the separation between reusable framework components and application-specific logic proved beneficial for maintainability and future expansion. 

This work shows that decentralised robot-centred control architectures represent a practical solution for modern industrial automation environments where flexibility, reduced commissioning time, and lower system costs are increasingly important. 

The purpose of the study was to compare the user experience between social media with and without recommendation systems (RS). With billions of users worldwide, social media has been established as a huge part of many users’ everyday lives. In this study, two types of social media are discussed. Centralized social media (CSM) often uses collected personal data to optimize the experience to make it more personal and relevant to the user. Mastodon that was chosen for this study is a social media platform under the category of decentralized social media (DCSM). The use of recommendation systems is often, amongst other aspects, the difference between the two categories. RS uses the collected personal data to generate recommendations of digital content related to the users’ interests and preferences. Through a diary approach and complementing interviews, data has been collected about the participants’ experience with Mastodon and CSM. The diary was conducted over five subsequent days, during which the participants were asked to note their experiences with Mastodon. To identify patterns and themes, a thematic analysis was used. During the analysis, there were five identified general themes: 1.) Advantages, 2.) Disadvantages, 3.) Suggestions for improvement, 4.) Activity and 5.) Opinions and thoughts. The conclusion showed that there were similarities and differences in the user experience between the two categories. Boredom and lack of activity were noted as the two main reasons for a lacking user experience with Mastodon among the participants. The experience with centralized social media was, however, different. As opposed to the experience with Mastodon, the participants noted that boredom was the reason for using CSM. It was the escape from that feeling that drove their engagement more prominently. The conclusion of the study potentially gave a better understanding of the user of both categories are affected, as well as suggestions for improvement.  

Well-being-supportive technology is a relatively new field in Human-Computer-Interaction. AI assistants are a new type of technology that is being developed at a great pace and there is limited knowledge about how they affect individuals’ well-being. The know-ledge that is available at the moment describes the risks of negative well-being in relation to problem-solvning. Two essential aspects of well-being seem to be percieved/experienced autonomy and competence. Therefore, this study aimed to investigate how, to what extent, and why the usage of an AI assistant affects these two aspects of individuals well-being when problem-solving. To do this, the participants underwent two stimuli in the form of problem-solvning with and without an AI assistant. The study was conducted exploratively using mixed methods. The methodological basis of the study was a form that has its theoretical basis in Self-Determination-Theory (BPNS-TU) which was expected to answer the question of: how, to what degree and why AI assistants affect individuals percieved autonomy and competence while problem-solving. The remaining methods were chosen to create as broad an understanding as possible about the question of why: theoretically grounded form (General Causality Orientations Scale), semi-struccctured interviews, observation and think-aloud method. The results of the study indicate that the problem-solving with the usage of an AI assistant affects individuals’ percieved autonomy and competens noticeably more negatively than without usage of an AI assistant. In addition, the perceived individual differences when using an AI assistant seemed to vary quite largely, which in itself indicates that experienced autonomy and competence when problemsolving with an AI assistant, to a certain extent, depends on individual differences, not only the AI assistant in itself. The main reason that the participants were percieved to expereince lower autonomy and competence with the usage of an AI assistant seemed to be grounded in the AI assistanst inability to support a mechanism that is essential for supporting perceived autonomy and competens: cultivating knowledge/learning.

This project aims to develop cost-efficient automation solutions for material handling processes on assembly lines at Aurobay Technologies. The focus is on the future integration of the Gen 3 and Gen 4 engine assembly lines into a single line, which will increase the number of required variants.

The methodology used in the project was the Design Research Methodology (DRM), employing qualitative methods to gather data, including observations, informal interviews, and analysis of current assembly line operations. The material handling operations were analysed to identify space constraints and potential areas for improvement. Based on the gathered information, various proposals were presented and evaluated on feasibility, functionality, and cost-efficiency.

The proposals include a vertical carousel, an overhead conveyor system, a rail distribution system for hanging components, guided pallets and a robot arm. The evaluation showed that the vertical carousel and the overhead conveyor better suit the criteria. These two proposals can be combined to improve material flow, reduce operator movement, and leverage available space.

The study concludes that cost-efficient automation proposals can improve the material handling operations if supported by standardised packaging and simplified component preparation processes. The proposed concepts provide a foundation for future pilot implementations and further development. 

This work-in-progress paper presents the design and development of a serious game aimed at supporting auditory rehabilitation for cochlear implant users. While cochlear implants effectively restore access to sound, many users experience challenges with pitch discrimination and listening in noisy environments. Traditional rehabilitation methods are often speech-focused and clinic-based, which may limit user engagement and training frequency. To address these limitations, this study explores the application of technical ear training, a methodology from audio engineering education, as a foundation for interactive, game-based auditory training.

Following a design science research approach, the project involves iterative prototyping and participatory design with cochlear implant users and rehabilitation professionals. The resulting game integrates technical ear training-based listening tasks, such as timbre recognition, pitch discrimination, and audio effect identification, into multiple gameplay modes. Emphasis was placed on player experience, gradual difficulty progression, and meaningful audiovisual feedback.

Findings from the design process highlight the importance of aligning gameplay mechanics with auditory training goals, accommodating variability in cochlear implant hearing, and addressing technical constraints such as audio latency. The prototype explores a language-independent and engaging complement to traditional rehabilitation. Future work will evaluate the prototype with CI users in a rehabilitation context.

Automated testing is well established in software engineering but rarely supported in game design tools. This paper presents an automated testing module for a visual scripting tool used to design narrative-driven point-and-click games, combining model-based testing using Extended Finite State Machines (EFSMs) with LLM-based analysis of playthrough scripts. We evaluate the system on games produced in a game design course, demonstrating that complete EFSM traversal was achieved for 15 out of 23 games within practical computational bounds. LLM-based batch queries, such as automated age rating estimation, show potential for helping teachers rapidly characterise student work. The results indicate that even simple automated testing can reduce the mechanical burden on teachers, freeing supervision time for higher-level design feedback. Ongoing work is focused on evaluating broader integration into educational practice.

Introduction: The built environment constitutes a key determinant of health, within which vehicle-centric urban planning risks generating social barrier effects in children's neighborhoods. 

Aim: The aim was to investigate how traffic-related barriers affected children's social health, and how urban planning could be designed as a preventive risk management strategy to reduce these obstacles. 

Method: The study was conducted as a structured literature review based on eleven scientific original articles published between 2016 to 2026 in the Web of Science and Scopus databases. The material was analyzed through a deductive analysis process in accordance with Bryman (2018), applying the Theory of Change (ToC) framework as an analytical interpretative tool to structure data based on its stages of change. 

Results: The empirical material showed that fragmented pedestrian infrastructure and high vehicle speeds constituted prominent physical barriers in children's living environments. These risks were linked to a secondary barrier in the form of parental safety concerns, which was found to restrict children's independent mobility and outdoor play, subsequently increasing the risk of involuntary social isolation. To reduce these obstacles, the material highlighted proactive interventions such as secured school routes and car-free zones, which were facilitated by utilizing participatory methods to integrate the child's own perspective into the planning process. 

Conclusion: Traffic-related barriers restrict children's social health by limiting their action radius, a pattern that in this study proved to be universal regardless of the country studied. However, urban planning can be proactively shaped as a preventive risk management strategy. By reducing material risks and integrating the child's perspective, spatial conditions are created that support independent mobility to promote social health. Future studies should focus on longitudinal evaluations as well as age-stratified subanalyses of specific urban planning interventions at the local level.  

Introduction: In the Nordic countries, mental health problems among post-secondary students have increased compared to the working population. This is due to students being a vulnerable group that is exposed to individual, social and institutional factors that can act as both protective and risk factors for mental health. 

Aim: The aim of this literature review was to examine which protective and risk factors postsecondary students in the Nordic countries perceive as affecting their mental health on various levels. 

Method: A structured literature review was conducted using Medline EBSCO and Web of Science. 20 relevant articles were chosen using selection criteria, a search strategy and a quality review template. To analyze the data, a thematic analysis was carried out. 

Results: Through the thematic analysis, three main themes were identified. 1. Individual factors where personal development, balancing life as a student and stress management strategies were identified as subthemes. 2. Social factors where social support, exchange of experiences and social networks were identified as subthemes. 3. Institutional factors where study-related factors, pedagogical relationships, campus activities and responsibilities and new roles were identified as subthemes. In all three main themes, both protective and risk factors were identified. 

Conclusion: This literature review contributes to a Nordic overview of protective and risk factors that affect post-secondary students’ mental health on various levels. This can be used to create a shared strategy to protect and promote students' mental health. 

Sustainable development has in recent years become a central strategic question on today’s market. For companies in the energy sector the pressure of environmental responsibility is particularly high as they operate in an environmentally sensitive sector with high external scrutiny. This study focuses on these small and medium-sized energy companies to investigate how they work strategically to implement sustainability into their operation.

The purpose of this study is to explain how energy companies motivate and integrate their strategic priorities into their sustainability work. As well as understanding the impact of internal control mechanisms on the balance of substantive and symbolic communication of the companies sustainability work.

In this study, Suchman’s (1995) Legitimacy theory serves as an important starting point to explain the motivations behind organization’s strategic priorities. To understand how these priorities are integrated into operations, Simons (1995) Levers of Control is crucial. Lastly, this study used Ashforth and Gibbs (1990) research on substantive and symbolic communication. Their research helps to understand if the sustainability communication reflects actual results or if communication only becomes a way to uphold legitimacy.

The study is based on information obtained through qualitative methods. Data collection was conducted through semi-structured interviews with selected representatives from energy companies. A qualitative method was chosen to get a deeper understanding of the internal processes involved in integrating sustainable development in small and medium-sized enterprises.

The study shows that energy companies motivate their sustainability work through a combination of pragmatic and moral legitimacy. For some companies, sustainability is a prerequisite for their competitiveness which shows pragmatic thinking, while for some it is more deeply rooted in the companies identity which indicates moral legitimacy.

Integration of sustainability happens mostly through the companies Belief Systems, through their core beliefs and Diagnostic Control Systems through environmental goals and metrics. Companies use specific projects and goals to control operations. This occurs, for example through reducing plastic in waste incineration or research on biodiversity in power line streets.

A central conclusion that this study shows is the concept from Wickert et. Al. (2016) of ’Big Walk vs. Small Talk’. The companies conduct extensive and substantial sustainability work with concrete projects and specific initiatives. Their communication about their sustainability work is unfortunately limited in its scope. Which is often due to lack of resources and a perception that sustainability work is such a natural part of the company's operations. Therefore, the risk of symbolic communication is very low in these small and medium sized energy companies as their communication rests on a stable foundation of substantial measures.

The structural dependency of industrial manufacturing on external energy grids remains a key barrier to achieving net-zero emissions and sustainable economy. The main purpose of this degree project is to evaluate the technical feasibility of achieving absolute thermal self-sufficiency for the G2 Foundry Building at Volvo Skövde by improving internal process heat recovery loops and reduce reliance on purchased municipal district heating.

The methodology employed follows an integrated approach based on a single case study, combining qualitative on-site technical inspections with quantitative analytical thermodynamic models. To carry out this study, simplified schematic diagrams were drawn up of the recovery system in the furnaces and casting moulds, as well as of the general network together with the air conditioning system, in order to systematically isolate the individual subsystems and map out the physical layout. Next, steady-state control volume formulations governed by the first and second laws of thermodynamics were applied to evaluate the historical sensor records from the plant corresponding to the reference month of February of 2026, comparing them with the energy baseline consumption of 2025 and part of 2026.

It was found that the G2 facility had an annual heat demand of 2864 MWh, and that the existing recovery circuits covered only 33% (945 MWh) of this requirement. The technical assessment of the primary plate heat exchangers reveals a robust average thermal efficiency of 74.98%, confirming that the physical heat transfer surfaces are in good condition. Furthermore, the insulated casting mould circuit has been shown to be very stable.

To sum up, it is concluded that thermal autonomy is not limited by a lack of primary energy resources, but rather by a lack of control and regulation of the system. Consequently, a proposal has been developed to improve the automated hydraulic control system, at low investment cost, with the aim of dynamically adjusting flow rates in response to real-time loads. The aim of this thesis is to study a practical proposal applicable both in this case and in other possible situations, with the aim of reducing energy consumption and improving the efficiency of industrial systems.

Today's boating industry is facing higher demands in terms of sustainability and efficiency, so methods that can analyze and design production flows are required. By using Discrete Event Simulation (DES) and Lean principles, craft-based production systems can be developed and optimized to meet growing demand. Interest in simulations in industry has increased as they enable evaluations of layouts and resource utilization before investments in physical changes are made. 

This study is carried out at Nimbus Boat's production in Lugnås. The focus of the study is on the production assembly of the boat model Flybridge 495, which does not have a high enough production capacity to achieve the company's future goals. The goal of the study is therefore to investigate how the production can be redesigned to achieve an increase from 11 to 30 boats per year by 2030 by using Lean tools and making layout changes with Discrete Event Simulation. 

This study used the Design Research Method (DRM), a four-step method that extends from current situation description to support evaluation. The current situation analysis shows that the craft-based production has a limited working area, high variability and lack of material placement standards. The most obvious bottleneck was identified as the test pool where the current design stops the largest model Flybridge 495 from being tested in the pool. 

Through simulations with the Siemens Plant Simulation software, three alternatives were evaluated to best achieve the annual capacity target. Alternative 1 is an assembly with two parallel lines along one wall of the production and was calculated to increase capacity by around 100%. Alternative 2 is another parallel production with the lines centered in the production which also gave an increase of around 100%. Alternative 3 maintains a single line and saw no increase in capacity as no changes in working methods were used in the simulation. All alternatives were also tested with an expanded test pool which gave an increase of up to 135.3% for alternative 1 and 2. 

The study concludes that alternative 1 gives the greatest positive effect on the production capacity of the Flybridge 495 model. This is assuming that production is successfully synchronized to handle limited unloading ports. To fully achieve the target of 30 boats per year, future work with Lean principles and methods to minimize waste, create standards and invest in redevelopments is recommended.

The digital era of infrastructure has witnessed many challenges, one of which is ransomware attacks. Ransomware attacks have evolved from encrypting to exfiltrating the user’s data, adding a layer of extortion over the victim. Despite this attack method becoming frequently used among criminal groups, the majority of existing academic works overlook the exfiltration element of this attack, leaving the information on defensive measures against this attack scattered. The goal of this study is to collect the scattered information of this field and transparently present it in one accessible overview source for future research. to achieve that, the study conducts a scoping review in alignment with inductive thematic coding, focusing on presenting a general overview of the detection and mitigation defensive strategies against data-exfiltration ransomware in critical sectors. The findings are later evaluated to their presence in the cyber threat intelligence framework MITRE ATT&CK. A total of 30 sources were gathered, where thematic coding was used to organize the data. The results showed that technical defensive measures are most frequently documented. Core strategies such as multi-factor authentication, least privilege, backups, and patch hygiene had confirmed entries in the MITRE ATT&CK framework. A set of strategies such as Governance, Risk and Compliance (GRC) and anti-data exfiltration (ADX) software had no MITRE ATT&CK entry, while other strategies, such as zero trust architecture and defense in depth (DiD), were acknowledged in the framework but lacked standalone entries. 

Batch processing machines are among the largest energy consumers on the factory floor in energy-intensive industries such as semiconductor manufacturing, where electricity costs can constitute a significant share of total product cost. Existing batch scheduling models predominantly rely on time-of-use tariffs and overlook hybrid energy systems that combine grid procurement with onsite generation and net metering. This study addresses multi-objective non-identical parallel batch scheduling under spot electricity pricing, onsite renewable generation, net metering, and flexible preventive maintenance. A mixed-integer linear programming formulation simultaneously minimizes total tardiness cost, net energy cost, and total grid export. To solve this problem, a cooperative multi-objective variable neighborhood search (CMOVNS) is proposed, in which three island populations with specialized shaking and neighborhood operators are coordinated through a global Pareto archive and migration mechanism. The framework is further extended to include an energy storage system, a preventive maintenance timing-cost penalty, and an information gap decision theory robustness analysis. Computational experiments on 100 instances across five problem scales and four seasonal scenarios, using real NordPool spot prices and historical photovoltaic generation profiles, show that CMOVNS consistently outperforms four established multi-objective metaheuristics. The storage extension reduces net energy cost by 66% and grid export by 79% at the same tardiness level, and the robustness analysis shows that the nominal schedule absorbs joint adverse deviations of up to 65–75% in prices and renewable generation within prescribed economic tolerances. Seasonal analysis reveals that net energy cost amplifies by 8–15 times from summer to winter while tardiness cost remains stable.

Sepsis is one of the leading causes of death worldwide. Early identification of high-risk patients is critical for improving patient outcomes. However, the clinical heterogeneity and lack of reliable biomarkers continue to limit timely diagnosis and targeted treatment strategies. This study investigated whether a biomarker panel, combined with machine learning (ML) approaches, could predict survival in sepsis and distinguish between severe sepsis and septic shock, using a dataset from Lin et al. (2017). To identify biomarkers most strongly associated with sepsis outcomes, feature selection was carried out using random forest (RF), elastic net regression (ENR), and support vector machine (SVM). Predictive models were developed using linear discriminant analysis (LDA), logistic regression (LR), and RF. Modelling was repeated with reduced biomarker panels to determine the minimum number of biomarkers that maintained acceptable prognostic accuracy. Model training and validation were carried out using repeated 10-fold cross-validation to improve the robustness of performance estimates. Model performance was assessed using the area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUC), sensitivity, specificity, accuracy, and balanced accuracy. The RF model using a three-biomarker panel achieved the strongest performance for hospital mortality prediction, with an AUC of 0.795 (95% confidence interval of 0.764–0.827) and balanced accuracy of 0.699. For sepsis severity prediction, performance was comparable across biomarker panels and models, with AUC values ranging from 0.593 to 0.741. These findings suggest that simplified biomarker panels combined with ML models may contain prognostic information for sepsis outcomes. However, the results should be interpreted as exploratory, as they were derived from internal validation of a small cohort and require validation in larger independent cohorts before clinical use can be considered. 

The development of prosocial behavior through childhood is proposed to have far-reaching implications for functioning by catalyzing adaptive developmental trajectories. Its neurocognitive basis remains debated, however, with much research studying social behavior in isolation or focusing solely on synchronization between brains. The present study investigated how a child’s prosocial disposition interacts with neural recruitment and task performance during cooperative joint action. 14 parent-child pairs engaged in alternating blocks of cooperative and independent puzzle solving, while brain activity in the temporoparietal junction and dorsolateral prefrontal cortex was measured using functional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS). As predicted, TPJ recruitment was significantly increased during cooperation, relative to individual task solving, and cooperative performance surpassed individual performance. Contrary to what was hypothesized, prosociality did not moderate neural recruitment. Prosociality did, however, significantly moderate behavioral performance – children rated lower on prosociality appeared to benefit disproportionately from cooperation. 

This bachelor's thesis was carried out in collaboration with Furhoffs Rostfria AB and aimed to develop a robust and foldable table for temporary and permanent workstations. The project originated from the need for a portable work surface that is easy to transport, quick to assemble and sufficiently durable for use in environments such as the Swedish Armed Forces, the food industry, and event operations. An additional requirement was that the solution had to be manufacturable using Furhoffs existing production facilities.

The project followed the Double Diamond design process and included literature studies, market analysis, user studies, requirement specifications, concept development, CAD design, and the manufacturing of a full scale prototype. User studies were conducted through interviews and observations with representatives from the Swedish Armed Forces, the food industry, and the event sector to identify user needs and product requirements.

The result was a concept for a foldable table made of stainless steel with a work surface measuring 1500 × 650 mm. The table was developed with an integrated folding mechanism that reduces its transport volume while maintaining a large work surface when deployed. The design was developed to meet requirements regarding dimensions, folded height, and manufacturability within Furhoffs existing production. A full scale prototype was manufactured and evaluated through functional testing and analysis.

The evaluation showed that the concept fulfilled several requirements regarding weight, hygiene, and foldability. However, shortcomings were identified in both the folding and height adjustment mechanisms. The selected locking mechanism was unable to generate sufficient frictional torque to reliably lock the components in their intended positions. Furthermore, the placement of the folding mechanism prevented the legs from being fully secured in the folded position. The results therefore demonstrated both the potential of the concept and the need for further development of certain design details. The project eventually resulted in a complete CAD model, manufacturing documentation, and a physical prototype that can serve as a foundation for future product development at Furhoffs Rostfria AB. 

Family firms constitute a significant part of the Swedish business sector and are characterized by the overlap between family, ownership and management. Research shows that management control in these firms is largely based on the use of informal control mechanisms, with a strong emphasis on trust, shared values and interpersonal relationships. This is often explained by the presence of socioemotional wealth (SEW), which the owning family seeks to preserve. At the same time, research indicates that the need for formal control mechanisms increases as the firm grows in size and organizational complexity. The purpose of this study is to develop an understanding of, and where possible, explain the use of formal and informal management tools in medium-sized family firms and how these vary in relation to socioemotional wealth. 

A theoretical framework has been developed that incorporates two contrasting theoretical perspectives, agency theory and stewardship theory, in order to understand the formal and informal control mechanisms where SEW serve as a guiding lens through which variations in firms use of these management tools can be assessed. 

The study was conducted using a qualitative research method in which six semistructured interviews were conducted with respondents from four medium-sized family businesses in Skaraborg. The empirical material was then analyzed based on a developed analysis model linked to SEW, formal and informal management and agency, and stewardship theory. 

The study shows that medium-sized family businesses in Skaraborg use a combination of formal and informal management tools. Formal management tools are mainly used for planning, monitoring, and investments, while informal management tools such as trust, family values and close relationships have a great importance in daily work and decision-making. Companies with a high SEW tend to use more informal management tools and are characterized by stewardship thinking where long-term perspective and family influence are prioritized. The conclusion is therefore that management tools in medium-sized family businesses are based on a mix of formal and informal management tools.  

The thesis examines Swedish auditors' experiences of the risk-based approach and the stricter requirements imposed by modern AML legislation in relation to their profession. The thesis is grounded in the increasingly extensive changes to AML regulations at the EU level, which have introduced more comprehensive requirements regarding documentation, customer due diligence (KYC), and reporting. The purpose of the study is to describe auditors' experience and to analyze how the current regulatory framework relates to the auditing profession's autonomy, self-regulation, and professional judgement from a professional theory perspective. 

The study adopts a qualitative approach and the empirical data was collected through six semi-structured interviews with authorized auditors and one audit assistant. All of them were active in the Swedish region called Västra Götaland. The data was analyzed using four dimensions of professional theory: education and authorization, ethics and responsibility, discretion and standardization, and external regulation and self-regulation. 

The findings indicate that formal education is primarily perceived as a theoretical foundation, while the competence required to handle AML-related issues is largely developed through practical experience, mentorship, and internal training. The results also reveal a tension between increased standardization and professional judgement, where systems contribute to structure and clarity, but auditors experience some concern about a growing “checklist mentality”. This may lead to a loss of competence over time. Furthermore certain aspects of the auditors work are perceived as symbolic actions aimed at satisfying supervisory authorities rather than effectively preventing money laundering, particularly regarding documentation requirements. The study also highlights differences between small and large audit firms in terms of perceived professional autonomy, where smaller firms tend to rely more on professional judgement, while larger firms rely more heavily on standardized systems. 

The analysis shows that AML legislation creates a tension between increased professionalization and increased external control. While the legalisation strengthens the responsibility and legitimacy of the auditor profession, it also risks limiting the auditors professional scope for action increased regulatory requirements.  

Background: Suicide attempts can lead to life-threatening conditions that require intensive care. In such situations, patients often experience existential fear when cared for in highly technological and unfamiliar environments such as the intensive care unit. The circumstances surrounding the suicide attempt, together with their critical condition, may further influence their ability to cope and shape their experience of care. Understanding these experiences is important to ensure that the therapeutic relationship supports the recovery process. Interprofessional collaboration and communication are essential for coordinated, recovery-oriented care.

Aim: To map the existing evidence on how patients, family members and healthcare personnel experience care in intensive care units following a suicide attempt, to identify key themes, knowledge gaps and implications for clinical practice and future research.

Study Design: This scoping review was conducted using the Arksey and O'Malley methodology and the PRISMA-ScR list. Six databases were systematically searched using predefined keywords. All English-language studies addressing the review aim were included.

Results: The search yielded 1107 articles. After screening, 13 were assessed in full, and five met the inclusion criteria. These studies, published between 1985 and 2011, comprised four surveys and one qualitative interview study. Findings indicate that patients felt misunderstood, families lacked information and support, and personnel experienced emotional strain. Attitudes varied widely, and healthcare personnel expressed a need for further education and reflective practice in suicide care.

Conclusions: Only five relevant studies were identified, all published between 1985 and 2011, with just one including patient or family perspectives. This limited and dated research highlights a clear gap in research on intensive care following suicide attempts and precludes firm conclusions about care experience. With these constraints, the findings tentatively suggest the importance of compassionate, holistic and collaborative approaches to care, as well as the potential value of personnel's support and training and policies that attend to the mental health needs of suicidal patients and their families.

Relevance to Clinical Practice: The findings may suggest the potential relevance of a holistic approach to caring for patients after a suicide in ICU practice, where physical, psychological, social and emotional aspects of care are considered in supporting recovery and well-being.

Impact Statements 

What is known about the topic

○Suicide is a prevalent global health issue, and many individuals who attempt suicide require advanced, life-saving treatment in the ICU.

○Patients admitted after a suicide attempt often experience severe psychological distress and therefore require empathetic and supportive interactions from healthcare professionals.

○The highly technological and intensive environment of the ICU can pose additional challenges for these patients, influencing their emotional state and overall experience of care.

What this paper adds

○This study underscores the marked scarcity of research and limited development of expertise in this area, highlighting an urgent need for further investigation and targeted educational initiatives.

○This study provides an initial glimpse into the vulnerability experienced by patients, family members and healthcare personnel in the context of ICU care following a suicide attempt.

○This study suggests that gaps in knowledge and uncertainty among healthcare personnel may be associated with countertransference reactions, potentially influencing how care is experienced and delivered.

Automation is a method for creating a system that operates independently. The system should be designed to meet a specific production requirement that corresponds to a specific number of products per unit of time or maximum production. At the same time, it should be implemented with minimal resources and minimal impact on the environment. It also eliminates dangerous elements that create a safe working environment for the personnel working in connection with the system. This report describes how a reconfiguration of an automated solution is possible with, for the most part, only existing resources.

This thesis was done with RMIG Solutions AB and explores the possibility of reconfiguring and automating the production of sheet metal shelves to replace the current bending machine with a new one, Salvagnini P2L-2120, which is already available and in place today. The work utilized several methods and tools within improvement work, such as Lean production, Gemba Kaizen, PDSA, FMEA and brainstorming. Through study visits, analysis of current production and possible improvements in the current process were developed

From a sustainable perspective, the project places great focus on getting as much effect as possible, while keeping the economic strain to a minimum by reusing machines and peripheral equipment. New additions are made to ensure that the system runs smoothly and allows for the accumulation of a buffer within production.

As a result, OEE is increased by 13%, cycle time is reduced by 19% and RMIG saves approximately two hours of production per shift with the solution proposal. The proposal also allows for future upgrades as accessibility is increased and a new workspace is opened up that can be used in any way.

Research on the neural correlates of consciousness (NCC) has increasingly questioned whether late neural activity observed in traditional report-based paradigms reflects conscious perception itself or instead post-perceptual cognitive processes associated with reporting, decision-making, and attention. The present systematic review examined ERP correlates of visual consciousness across report-based, reduced-report, and no-report paradigms, with particular focus on the Visual Awareness Negativity (VAN) and P3/P3b components. Studies were classified according to paradigm type, report requirements, ERP components investigated, and awareness-related findings. The reviewed studies consistently demonstrated that early awareness-related ERP activity generalized more successfully across paradigms minimizing explicit report requirements than late positivity components such as P3/P3b. Across multiple paradigms, including visual masking, attentional blink, and inattentional blindness paradigms, late positivity effects were substantially reduced, absent, or dissociated from awareness when reporting requirements or task relevance were minimized. By contrast, awareness-related negativities within the VAN/N2 time range persisted across several methodological conditions. Comparisons between report paradigms and paradigms progressively minimizing post-perceptual processing further suggested a methodological continuum rather than a strict report versus no-report dichotomy. Overall, the findings support interpretations proposing that late ERP components primarily reflect post-perceptual cognitive operations, whereas earlier ERP activity constitutes a more plausible candidate correlate of conscious visual perception. The review additionally highlights the importance of paradigm design in interpreting candidate NCCs and contributes to ongoing theoretical debates concerning the relationship between conscious perception, cognitive access, and report-related processing.

Volvo TTI has assigned the task of investigating and improving a coupling plate that shows cracks and must therefore be scrapped. The coupling plate is used to connect a dynamometer to an engine. The engine is started and tested by the dynamometer, which applies a braking torque that is transferred using the coupling plate. To gain an understanding of the problem, a literature study was conducted in which topics such as fracture mechanics, stress concentration and vibrations were investigated. Along with the literature study and observations, FEM calculations and hand calculations were performed to find the cause of the cracking. Calculations and simulations indicated that the cracks were caused by fatigue. This fatigue occurred due to several factors, such as stress concentrations, vibrations and uneven loading due to tightening torque. With a complete picture of the current situation, concepts were developed using various idea generation methods. The concepts were evaluated and a solution was developed regarding material, joining and geometry. The proposed solution is expected to reduce the risk of crack initiation and thus reduce costs over time.

This paper presents the redesign of the front wing of a Formula Student car, in which, following a methodology similar to the engineering design process, redesigns have been carried out through iterative improvements and analysed using CFD simulations, with the aim of enhancing the wing’s performance, such as the generated downforce. For the redesign, profile comparison charts were produced to select the most suitable one, with information obtained from well-established databases, and various elements were added and adjusted in order to improve the wing’s functions and correct the various errors that emerged. All the changes made were carried out in accordance with current competition regulations, as the base model was completely outdated. Finally, several possible future improvements of aerodynamic elements have been analysed and proposed.

Background: Female genital mutilation is a form of gender-based violence that may lead to extensive physical, psychological, and social consequences for girls and women. School nurses play a central role within school health services and may serve as important sources of support for students who have undergone or are at risk of undergoing female genital mutilation.

Aim: The aim of this study was to illuminate factors influencing the encounter between school nurses and students who have undergone or are at risk of undergoing female genital mutilation.

Method: The study was conducted as a systematic literature review with a narrative approach. Literature searches were performed in the PubMed and CINAHL databases, and a total of 15 scientific articles were included. The material was analysed using thematic analysis.

Findings: The findings showed that encounters between school nurses and students affected by or at risk of female genital mutilation are influenced by professional, relational, communicative, and organizational factors. Key prerequisites for safe and trusting encounters were knowledge of female genital mutilation, a trauma-informed and culturally sensitive approach, and professional confidence, while barriers included time constraints, uncertainty, lack of experience, and insufficient organizational support.

Conclusion: The study shows that school nurses’ competence in encounters with students who have undergone or are at risk of female genital mutilation needs to encompass medical, psychosocial, and communicative aspects, as well as a person-centred and intercultural approach. The findings highlight the need for continued education and organizational support within student health services.

Background: Local governments have a key role in the development of local business communities. This means that there is a necessity for development of capabilities for municipalities to identify ways for business life to grow and create employment as well as attraction for their communities. This essay analyses Skövdes approach where an imbalance has been perceived which requires further study.

Purpose: The purpose of the essay is to analyse how local municipalities identify business life’s needs and form their strategies to develop based on business size, focusing on Skövde and comparing to similar municipalities based on population size.

Method: An abductive case study using resource-based view (RBV) applied to the public sectors as an analytical frame. A custom-made analysis model integrates public data and semi-structured interviews for the purpose of triangulation of problem areas guided by an a priori theme.

Results: Skövde has shown a bias to the large corporation section of their local business life where their clear signals take precedence over the small to medium segments more subtle cues. This explains the rather underwhelming performance in business climate publications and leaves the municipality vulnerable to business cycle fluctuations. Furthermore identified is an under-utilization of resources from an RBV perspective which causes a lack of diversification of the current business life.

Conclusion: Through application of RBV in a public context its theoretical value is increased. Practically the essay contributes through KPI recommendations and suggestions for a proactive approach to improve business life. The study is limited by data from local, non public actors with their seat in the local municipality. This leaves an opening for future research to include the wider business life including companies with their seats outside of the local municipality. Parallely this leaves an opening for longitudinal studies regarding the current municipal investments in their respective business lives and if these investments were deemed successful.

Background: Mental health problems and suicide among children and adolescents are a growing public health issue. Many young people with suicidal thoughts are not in contact with healthcare services which makes the school an important setting for early identification and support. The school nurse plays a central role in suicide prevention work, but their experiences of working with students at risk of suicide have so far been relatively underexplored.

Aim: To illuminate school nurses’ experiences of working with students at risk of suicide.

Method: The study was conducted as a systematic literature review with a qualitative approach. Article searches were carried out in relevant databases, and the results were analysed using qualitative content analysis. A total of ten articles were included in the analysis.

Findings: Four main categories were identified: Identifying and managing suicide risk, Collaborating around suicide prevention, Working within organizational conditions and Carrying professional responsibility. The overarching theme was Navigating a complex responsibility across personal, professional, and organizational levels. The work is characterized by suicide risk often being expressed indirectly, placing demands on experience, relational work, and collaboration, and encompassing both acute and long-term interventions. At the same time, it is influenced by high workload, limited resources, unclear roles, and entails a significant ethical and emotional responsibility.

Conclusion: The study shows that school nurses have a central yet challenging role in working with students at risk of suicide. The work requires organizational support, continuous professional development, and effective collaboration between professions.

As organizations adopt new digital technologies and work practices, also known as Digitally Transforming (DT), research exploring how this phenomenon impacts employee well-being has become of significant interest. This study explores this new topic by investigating how employees experience changes in well-being as a result of DT through a qualitative interpretive case study of an Indonesian retail SME and a thematic analysis of 15 problem-centred employee interviews. This is analyzed through the lens of two theoretical frameworks: TheJob Demands-Resources (JD-R) model and Self-Determination Theory (SDT).

The findings highlight how employees experience the initial face of DT through an increase in learning and emotional demands that are accompanied with feelings of confusion, stress and anxiety leading to reduced feelings of competence. However, over time, these demands transform into resources that boost feelings of competence through familiarity, increased efficiency and performance. This does however come with a new form of demands in technological and infrastructure dependence. This demand is shown when the system fails and employees are left feeling frustrated, unable to complete their tasks while in the meantime they have to help with customers or other worktasks. Moreover, DT seems to not simply make social relatedness better or worse, but instead it reconfigures how communication is conducted. Organizational support plays a pivotal role in reducing excess job demands and acts as a buffer.

This thesis contributes to the understanding that DT is in addition to a technical organizational process also a social and psychological process that must account for employee wellbeing experiences. The findings conclude that sustaining employee well-being during DT is critical for DT implementation success.

Introduction: Digitalization within somatic healthcare has changed how information is communicated, documented and managed within healthcare organizations. At the same time, issues related to patient safety, organizational responsibility, information security and ethical aspects have become increasingly important in relation to digital health communication. Aim: The aim of the study was to identify and analyze how organizational responsibility for patient safety and ethical aspects related to data protection is presented in research concerning digital health communication and information transfer within somatic healthcare. Method: The study was conducted as a structured literature review based on scientific articles identified through systematic searches in relevant databases PubMed, Web of Science, Scopus and CINAHL. The included studies were critically appraised using CASP and analyzed through qualitative content analysis. Results: The results show that organizational responsibility is closely related to how digital systems are designed, implemented and used within healthcare organizations. The analysis resulted in four categories and an overarching theme describing digital health communication as a complex process in which organizational responsibility is shaped through the interaction between actors and organizational structures. Digitalization affects the distribution of responsibility, work processes and information transfer, while increasing demands on organizational structures, digital competence and risk management. The results also show that digitalization may contribute to inequalities in healthcare and raise legal and ethical issues related to information security and patient data. Conclusion: The study demonstrates that patient safety in digital health communication needs to be understood from a sociotechnical and risk-based perspective, where organizational responsibility includes technical, human and structural factors within somatic healthcare.

Introduction: Digitalization has changed how individuals access health-related information. AI chatbots and social media have become common sources, but the reliability of information varies, highlighting the importance of critical evaluation.

Aim: The aim of this study was to investigate how young adults use AI chatbots and social media for health-related information, examine their trust and critical evaluation of these sources, and explore whether differences exist depending on education level, gender, and place of residence.

Method: A quantitative survey study was conducted among young adults aged 18–30. Data were collected through an anonymous online questionnaire distributed via social media and student networks. Totally 36 participants answered the online questionnaire. The data were analysed using descriptive and analytical statistics in SPSS.

Results: The results showed that the majority of participants (75.1%) used digital sources for health-related information at least a few times per month. AI chatbots were generally perceived as more trustworthy and easier to understand than social media, particularly regarding symptoms and general health information. At the same time, levels of critical evaluation varied among participants, and some reported using information from AI chatbots without checking its reliability. No statistically significant differences were observed between groups based on education level, gender, or place of residence.

Conclusion: The study may contribute to a better understanding of young adults’ use of digital health information sources and highlight the importance of health literacy in a digital environment.

Background: School absenteeism is a globally increasing problem that can negatively affect pupils´ learning and health. Early involvement of the school nurse is essential, and efforts should be guided by clear policies and procedures. At the same time, research on the school nurse´s specific interventions in school absenteeism remains limited.

Aim: The study aims to explore the school nurse efforts in relation to identified school absenteeism and describe the school nurse´s experience of these efforts.

Method: A semi-structured interview study with eight informants was conducted, where qualitative content analysis with an inductive approach was used.

Findings: School nurses’ efforts in school absenteeism are varied and important. Key efforts include obtaining consent for information sharing, assessing attendance patterns and health, identifying underlying causes through medical expertise, and supporting pupils through health-promoting conversations and relationship-building. Support also extends to parents, guidance within the pupil health team, and collaboration with internal and external professionals. The school nurse’s broader competence is not fully applied when absenteeism is not considered medically based.

Conclusion: The school nurse cannot work alone in cases related to school absence. Early efforts, a structured team-based approach, and relationship-building are essential prerequisites for successful outcomes.

In today's society, which is characterized by companies' contributions to sustainability practices, it is necessary for companies to establish a structured way of working to achieve legitimacy for the companies' environmental impact. To structure their sustainability practices, many companies choose to implement an environmental management system (EMS) according to the globally accepted standard ISO 14001.

This study examines the use of ISO 14001 in large companies, why they have chosen to implement the standard and how the companies perceive that their competitiveness is affected. The study draws on institutional theory and Orsato's (2006) sustainability strategies. Within institutional theory are the concepts legitimacy and isomorphism used to explain why companies make certain decisions. Orsato's (2006) sustainability strategies are used to explain how companies can increase their competitiveness.

The study utilizes semi-structured interviews, a qualitative method, to identify the reasons for the companies' choice to implement the EMS ISO 14001. Furthermore, were seven companies in different industries interviewed, with a total of ten informants in similar professional roles.The study’s findings show that institutional pressure, legitimacy and isomorphism have a major impact on decisions to implement ISO 14001. Additionally, the findings indicate that a commitment throughout the company is a key to being able to increase the company's competitiveness.

It was found that the size of the profit margins of the companies’ products impacted which strategy was adopted.

Introduction: Adolescents’ psychological well-being is strongly influenced by their socioeconomic living conditions. The World Health Organization emphasizes that mental health is shaped by economic resources, educational level, and social circumstances. Psychological well-being among young people in relation to socioeconomic conditions is an area with limited research, which highlights the need to deepen knowledge within this field. Aim: The aim of this literature review was to describe the influence of socioeconomic factors on adolescents’ psychological well-being. Method: The study was conducted as a structured literature review, and 10 articles were retrieved from the databases Medline EBSCO and Web of Science. The analysis was carried out using thematic analysis according to Braun and Clarke (2006). Results: The findings show that socioeconomic factors constitute a central and significant foundation for adolescents’ psychological well-being. The following main themes were identified: economic living conditions affecting mental health, social relationships and support as protective or risk factors, and socioeconomic life situations influencing psychological health. Conclusion: This thesis demonstrates that socioeconomic factors play an important role in adolescents’ psychological well-being. Young people living in socioeconomically disadvantaged situations have limited opportunities, which may increase their vulnerability to mental health problems, self-harming behaviors, and suicidal thoughts. The study underscores the need to incorporate a socioeconomic perspective into preventive efforts aimed at strengthening adolescents’ mental health.

Introduction: The textile industry employs millions of people globally, particularly in China, where a large proportion of the world’s textile production takes place. Previous research has shown that textile workers are often exposed to dust, chemicals, and other occupational hazards that may negatively affect health. Occupational health problems within the textile industry can also be understood in relation to sustainable development and the Sustainable Development Goals concerning health, working conditions, and sustainable production. Aim: The aim of the study was to describe somatic diseases among textile workers in China in relation to occupational exposure and working conditions. Method: The study was conducted as a structured literature review. A total of 20 original scientific articles were analyzed using thematic analysis based on an inductive approach. Results: The analysis generated four main themes concerning occupational exposure, health effects, associations between work environment and health, and uncertainty and variation within the findings. The results showed associations between work in the textile industry and several somatic diseases as well as other work-related health effects, mainly respiratory diseases, skin diseases, and cancer. Dust, endotoxins, chemicals, and solvents emerged as recurring risk factors. Conclusion: The study shows that work environment and health within the textile industry are closely interconnected. To reduce occupational health problems and promote equitable health, further research, preventive occupational health measures, and safe working conditions are needed within the global textile industry. 

Introduction: The consumption of sugar-sweetened beverages (SSBs) has increased globally and has been identified as a contributing factor to obesity and health problems. Previous research shows that both SSB consumption and the prevalence of obesity vary across socioeconomic groups. Socioeconomic factors such as education, income, and living conditions may influence people’s health behaviours and opportunities to make healthy choices. 

Aim: The aim of this literature review was to examine how the relationship between sugarsweetened beverage consumption and obesity among adults varies across socioeconomic groups. 

Method: The study was conducted as a structured literature review using an inductive approach. Scientific articles were searched in the databases Medline (EBSCO) and Web of Science. The included studies were quality assessed and analysed through thematic analysis, resulting in two main themes and four subthemes. 

Results: The analysis generated two main themes: Socioeconomic factors influence the relationship between SSB consumption and obesity. The risk for obesity associated with SSB consumption varies across different socioeconomic groups. Individuals with lower education, lower income, and socioeconomic disadvantage were more likely to have a higher consumption of sugar-sweetened beverages, higher BMI, and increased prevalence of obesity. Variations between groups and populations suggest that the relationship is influenced by several interacting factors. 

Conclusion: The literature review demonstrates that socioeconomic factors and living conditions were important in the relationship between sugar-sweetened beverage consumption and obesity among adults. The findings highlight the importance of public health interventions that consider socioeconomic differences and people’s opportunities to make healthy choices.  

Background: Accounting for development expenditures under IAS 38 requires professional judgment and may significantly affect a company's financial reporting. Within the computer game industry, this issue is particularly relevant because development expenditures constitute a substantial part of business operations. At the same time IAS 38 allows for interpretative flexibility, which may lead to differences in accounting practices among firms.

Purpose: The purpose of this study is to examine how Swedish listed computer games companies apply IAS 38 when choosing between capitalizing or expensing development expenditures. Also to investigate the factors influencing these accounting choices.

Method: The study was conducted using a qualitative research approach. The empirical material consists of annual reports from eleven listed computer games companies for the years 2023–2024, as well as semi-structured interviews with two accounting specialists with experience in IFRS and IAS 38.

Findings: All companies capitalize development expenditures, although the application of capitalization varies across firms. Accounting choices are influenced by both economic incentives and company-specific factors. Capitalized development expenditures have a significant impact on companies financial performance and financial position, while variations in disclosure affect the transparency available to stakeholders.

Conclusion: IAS 38 provides considerable room for professional judgement, resulting in variations in accounting practices among companies. The findings suggest that these variations cannot be explained solely by economic incentives but are also influenced by uncertainty and internal organizational conditions. The study further indicates that more extensive and transparent disclosure could improve both transparency and comparability between companies.