The experience of pregnancy among women living with HIV in Nordic countries: A qualitative narrative enquiry

Objective: The success of antiretroviral therapy has resulted in the normalization of pregnancy among women living with HIV and a very low risk of perinatal transmission of HIV. Despite these advances, women living with HIV still face complex medical and psychosocial issues during pregnancy. The purpose of this study is to describe experiences of pregnancy and the relevance of social support among women living with HIV in Nordic countries. Methods: This qualitative study examined data from pregnant women living with HIV from sites in Denmark, Sweden and Finland from 2019 to 2020. Data were collected in the third trimester via individual interviews using a hybrid, narrative/semistructured format. The transcribed interviews were analyzed using narrative thematic analysis. Results: In total, 31 women living with HIV were enrolled, of whom 61% originated from an African country and 29% from a Nordic country. The analysis generated four primary narrative themes: just a normal pregnancy, unique considerations and concerns, interactions with healthcare, and social support. Women living with HIV have a strong desire to have normal pregnancies and to be treated like any other pregnant woman. However, this normality is fragile, and being pregnant and living with HIV does come with unique considerations and concerns, such as fear of transmission, antiretroviral therapy, and the need for specialized care, which are fundamental to the women’s experiences. Interactions with healthcare providers and social support influence their experiences in both positive and negative ways. Conclusion: The findings emphasize a sense of normality in pregnancy among women living with HIV. However, pregnancy does come with unique considerations and concerns, which highly influence the women’s experience of pregnancy. Healthcare providers should focus on person-centered care, ensuring continuity and that women living with HIV do not feel discriminated against throughout their pregnancy.

Among-individual variation of risk-taking behaviour in group and solitary context is uncorrelated but independently repeatable in a juvenile Arctic charr (Salvelinus alpinus) aquaculture strain

Behavioural traits have been shown to have implications in fish welfare and growth performances in aquaculture. If several studies have demonstrated the existence of repeatable and heritable behavioural traits (i.e., animal personality), the methodology to assess personality in fishes is often carried out in solitary context, which appears to somewhat limit their use from a selective breeding perspective because these tests are too time consuming. To address this drawback, group-based tests have been developed. In Nordic country, Arctic charr (Salvelinus alpinus) is widely used in aquaculture, but no selection effort on behavioural traits has yet been carried out. Specifically, in this study we examined if risk-taking behaviour was repeatable and correlated in group and solitary context and if the early influences of physical environment affect the among-individual variation of behavioural trait across time in order to verify whether a group risk-taking test could be used as a selective breeding tool. Here, we found that in both contexts and treatments, the risk-taking behaviour was repeatable across a short period of 6 days. However, no cross-context consistency was found between group and solitary, which indicates that Arctic charr express different behavioural trait in group and solitary.

End-of-life dreams and visions as perceived by palliative care professionals: A qualitative study

Objective End-of-life dreams and visions (ELDVs) have been suggested to be prevalent psychic phenomena near death that can provide meaning and comfort for the dying. There is a lack of studies from the secular Nordic countries. The aim of this study was to determine whether palliative care professionals in a Nordic country have experience of patients expressing dreams, visions, and/or inner experiences and, if so, how they are perceived. Method Focus-group interviews with 18 professionals in end-of-life palliative care were subjected to qualitative content analysis. Results Most (15/18) professionals had experience of patients with ELDVs. A dominant content was deceased loved ones. According to most professionals, many patients perceived their ELDVs as real and could report them with clarity. The experience could result in peacefulness for patients, as well as loved ones, and reduce fear of death. Some professionals themselves perceived ELDVs to be real and a normal part of dying while a few found them scary. Most professionals, however, found ELDVs hard to grasp. Many tried to explain the phenomena as the result of medical circumstances and confusion, although reporting that they considered most patients to be normal and of sound mind in connection with their reports on ELDVs. Most patients wanted to talk about their ELDVs, but some could be reluctant due to fear of being considered crazy. The professionals were open-minded and reported having no problem talking about it with the patients and tried to normalize the experience thereby calming the patient and loved ones. Significance of results The results strengthen the suggestion that ELDVs are common phenomena near death, worldwide. Although most professionals in palliative care recognized ELDVs as beneficial to patients, many found the phenomena hard to grasp and sometimes difficult to distinguish from confusion, indicating a continuous need for exploration and education.

Risk factors for SARS-CoV-2 infection and hospitalisation in children and adolescents in Norway: A nationwide population-based study.

Objective: To determine risk factors for SARS-CoV-2 infection and hospitalisation among children and adolescents. Design: Nationwide, population-based cohort study. Setting: Norway from 1 March 2020 to 31 April 2021. Participants: All Norwegian residents <18 years of age. Main outcome measures: Population-based health care and population registries were used to study risk factors for SARS-CoV-2 infection, including socioeconomic factors, country of origin, and pre-existing chronic comorbidities. All residents were followed until age 18, emigration, death, or end of follow-up. Hazard ratios (HR) estimated by Cox regression models were adjusted for testing frequency. Further, risk factors for admission to the hospital among the infected were investigated. Results: Of 1 182 796 residents, 22608 (1.9%) tested positive by polymerase chain reaction or lateral flow tests, of whom 107 (0.5%) were admitted to a hospital. Low family income (aHR 1.40, 95% confidence interval 1.36 to 1.46), crowded housing (1.35, 1.30 to 1.39), household size, age, and area of living were independent risk factors for infection. A non-Nordic country of origin was the strongest risk factor (aHR 2.37, 95% CI 2.30 to 2.49), whereas chronic comorbidity was not associated with the risk of infection. Chronic comorbidity was associated with hospitalisation (aHR 4.15, 2.63 to 6.56), in addition to age, whereas socioeconomic status and country of origin did not predict hospitalisation among those infected. Conclusions: Socioeconomic factors, country of origin, and area of living were associated with the risk of SARS-CoV-2 infection. However, these factors did not predict hospitalisation among those infected. Chronic comorbidity was associated with the risk of admission but not with the overall risk of acquiring SARS-CoV-2.

Criminal justice in a small Nordic country: The case of Iceland

Crime concerns have deepened in Iceland in the new millennium. The number of criminal court decisions increased until 2013, when it temporarily levelled off before reaching a new peak in 2019. This development has put pressure on the prison system, as a long list of convicts awaiting completion of their sentences has accumulated. This paper uses official data, previous research and media accounts to examine the response of Icelandic authorities to this trend. One of the main questions addressed in the article is whether the criminal policy adopted by Icelandic authorities suggests a movement toward punitive or non-custodial measures. As it turns out, the Icelandic prison system has undergone major changes to meet this penal challenge. A new modern prison has recently been built close to Reykjavík to replace three smaller, older facilities that have beenclosed. This suggests a punitive turn. Yet at the same time, non-custodial sanctions have been increasingly introduced and implemented in lieu of sentences to closed security prisons. These non-custodial sanctions include electronic surveillance, additional community service work and an increased possibility to serve time in open prison units. It is contended here that a combination of practical budget concerns and rehabilitation sentiments lies behind this criminal policy development.AbstractKriminaliteten i Island har skabt voksende bekymringer i det nye årtusind. Antallet af strafferetlige afgørelser var stigende indtil 2013, hvor det fladede ud for en tid. Men i 2019 nåede antallet nye højder. Denne tendens har skabt et pres inden for fængselssystemet, der bl.a. viser sig i ophobning af domfældte, der må vente på at afsone deres dom. I denne artikel undersøges de islandske myndigheders reaktion på denne udvikling på baggrund af officielle data, tidligere forskning og mediernes dækning. Et af de mange spørgsmål, der bliver stillet i denne artikel, går ud på hvorvidt den islandske kriminalpolitik går i retning af mere eller mindre indespærring. Det islandske fængselssystem har gennemgået gennemgribende ændringer. Et moderne fængsel er for nylig blevet opført i umiddelbar nærhed af Reykjavik, hvilket ville antyde en straffende tendens, mens tre mindre og ældre fængselsinstitutioner er blevet lukket. Samtidigt har myndighederne i stigende grad anvendt ikke-frihedsberøvende straffe som alternativ til de lukkede fængsler. Blandt de nye metoder er elektronisk overvågning, mere samfundstjeneste og øgede muligheder for afsoning i åbne fængsler. Artiklen vil vise, at såvel budget- som resocialiseringshensyn står bag denne udvikling i straffepolitikken. Artiklens danske titel er: Straf i et lille nordisk land: Tilfældet Island.

Phycoremediation of tertiary municipal wastewater: a new insight of filamentous algae coculture in Nordic country

This study demonstrated that the application of filamentous co-culture could be a promising supplementary approach to further purify municipal tertiary wastewater in Nordic country. Initial screening of 25 algae strains across multiple genera revealed that Spirogyra sp. and Klebsormidium sp. were suitable for use as a coculture for phycoremediation of the tertiary effluent from a wastewater treatment plant, and this result was validated in three consecutive outdoor pilot tests at 10–15 oC. In the first two batches of pilot tests, the total prosperous and ammonium were depleted close to zero in 24 hours, while the pH in the wastewater increased from 7 to 9. In the 3rd batch, CO2 was thereby added for pH control. Macronutrients (N and P) were successfully removed from the treated wastewater. The total algae biomass increased 2 to 3 times over 7 days with average algae productivity of 1.68 g m2 d− 1. Meanwhile, the produced algae biomass accumulated notable mineral elements (Ca, Mg, K, Fe and Al) and some heavy metals at levels of g kg− 1 and mg kg− 1, respectively. In light of circular economy concept, the produced biomass could be used for different valorizations based on the analytical analysis. This study provides a new insight of phycoremediation for further purification of municipal treated wastewater, by effectively using filamentous algae coculture. Given a great potential for further optimization and improvement, this proof of concept will benefit to the green transition of wastewater treatment plants in Nordic country.

Socioeconomic Inequalities in Civic Learning in Nordic Schools: Identifying the Potential of In-School Civic Participation for Disadvantaged Students

This chapter provides an analysis of the complex role of Nordic schools in both enhancing and reducing socioeconomic inequalities in civic competences. A multilevel analysis method was used to examine the IEA International Civic and Citizenship Education Study (ICCS) 2009 and 2016 data of all four Nordic countries. The results show that unequal access to civic learning (in-school civic participation and open classroom climate) exist in all Nordic countries. We found differences in access within schools in which students with more advantages experienced greater opportunities to participate. Additionally, we found differences between schools. Those schools that had an intake with a higher proportion of socioeconomically advantaged students tended to provide more civic learning opportunities and open classroom climates. Inequalities in access to civic learning activities manifested itself in different ways in schools across the Nordic countries. There is some evidence that this happens more regularly in Sweden than Finland, though Norway recorded the highest levels of unequal access inside schools, and no Nordic country provides equal access to all the forms of civic learning we studied. At the same time, however, there were forms of civic learning in Nordic schools that were found to reduce socioeconomic inequalities in civic competences. The results showed that when disadvantaged students gained access to civic learning, they mostly appeared to benefit either the same or more from the experience than their more advantaged peers. A unique contribution of this chapter to the field of citizenship education is that we found that in-school civic participation can compensate for a disadvantaged background for developing future electoral participation and civic knowledge in students from disadvantaged backgrounds.

Finnish Education

Finland represents an educational utopia for many educators and decision-makers around the world. The Nordic country is known for its excellence in learning results and the emphasis it lays on equality/equity in education. This paper focuses on the way the latter has been presented and constructed in two popular commercial products on Finnish education: a book and a 60-minute documentary. Audiences for both include educational scholars and practitioners, decision-makers and the general public. The authors examine assumptions, ideologies, and silences in the discussions of equality and equity behind the discourse of excellence in Finnish education. As Finland is actively involved in marketing its education around the world, this calls for a review of the myths and realities of Finnish education.

Market-Making Practices of Private Tutoring in Finland: Commercialization of Exam Preparation for Admission to Higher Education

Purpose: This study focuses on courses that prepare applicants for universities’ highly competitive entrance examinations in Finland. The analysis clarifies the market-making practices and the construction of this field. Design/Approach/Methods: To understand these processes, we use Çalişkan and Callon’s five framings for studying marketization as a heuristic framework. In our analysis, we combine different data sets, including data on course provision, thematic interviews, documents, and ethnographic notes. Findings: In this article, we argue that the preparatory course markets in Finland are an example of private tutoring which operates in the privacy of the university applicants’ exam preparation process, thus commercializing this process. The market making of this type of private tutoring is an assemblage of a variety of agents that interact in parallel with each other. Originality/Value: This study aims to contribute to the systemic understanding of the assemblage of private tutoring markets in an equality-focused Nordic country by providing new heuristic lenses from economic sociology through which to view private tutoring.

Evaluation of incomplete maternal smoking data using machine learning algorithms: a study from the Medical Birth Registry of Norway

Background The Medical Birth Registry of Norway (MBRN) provides national coverage of all births. While retrieval of most of the information in the birth records is mandatory, mothers may refrain to provide information on her smoking status. The proportion of women with unknown smoking status varied greatly over time, between hospitals, and by demographic groups. We investigated if incomplete data on smoking in the MBRN may have contributed to a biased smoking prevalence. Methods In a study population of all 904,982 viable and singleton births during 1999–2014, we investigated main predictor variables influencing the unknown smoking status of the mothers’ using linear multivariable regression. Thereafter, we applied machine learning to predict annual smoking prevalence (95% CI) in the same group of unknown smoking status, assuming missing-not-at-random. Results Overall, the proportion of women with unknown smoking status was 14.4%. Compared to the Nordic country region of origin, women from Europe outside the Nordic region had 15% (95% CI 12–17%) increased adjusted risk to have unknown smoking status. Correspondingly, the increased risks for women from Asia was 17% (95% CI 15–19%) and Africa 26% (95% CI 23–29%). The most important machine learning prediction variables regarding maternal smoking were education, ethnic background, marital status and birth weight. We estimated a change from the annual observed smoking prevalence among the women with known smoking status in the range of − 5.5 to 1.1% when combining observed and predicted smoking prevalence. Conclusion The predicted total smoking prevalence was only marginally modified compared to the observed prevalence in the group with known smoking status. This implies that MBRN-data may be trusted for health surveillance and research.