Introduction – The aim of this report is to map and analyze the reuse of concrete elements in Jönköping County. Reuse of concrete elements has the potential to reduce the climate impact of the construction sector through decreased resource consumption and reduced emissions. The study examines both the current extent of reuse and the industry's attitude towards reuse in demolition projects. The study contributes with a regional overview of the current state of reuse of concrete elements, which can serve as a basis for future development in the field.

Method – The study was conducted as a survey study in which both quantitative and qualitative data were collected. Data collection consisted of a survey and multiple interviews with actors in the construction industry who have insight into relevant recently completed demolition projects.

Results – The results show that the reuse of concrete elements currently occurs in a limited proportion of the studied projects. Furthermore, it is found that clear requirements for reuse are rarely formulated in demolition projects.

Analysis – The analysis indicates that reuse is not yet an established practice within the construction industry in Jönköping County. Several factors, such as economic, legal, and technical challenges, affect the possibility of implementing reuse in practice.

Discussion – The results are consistent with previous research, which shows that reuse of building components is still limited at a national level. To enable increased reuse, improved planning, increased knowledge, and developed incentives within the construction process are required.

The aim of this literature study is to develop a deeper understanding of teaching controversial topics and issues within lower secondary education. The study is guided by two main research questions. The first one: How are controversial issues presented and taught in social studies education? And the second being: what didactic considerations characterize teaching about controversial issues? Through analysis of existing research, the study contributes to a broader understanding of the role of controversial issues in social studies education and their significance for democratic education. The results show that controversial issues play a central role in social studies education, as they are closely related to the school’s democratic mission and the development of students’ critical thinking. Teaching is primarily characterized by discussion- based approaches, where students are given opportunities to encounter different perspectives and participate democratic dialogue. At the same time, the findings indicate that teaching controversial issues involve didactic considerations regarding neutrality, student safety, and the schools’ democratic values.

This study examines how digital tools, particularly Large Language Models (LLMs), can support resource planning during the design phase of construction projects. The study was conducted through a literature review and a case study based on an educational construction project. In the case study, ChatGPT was tested using project data exported from Tekla Structures. An initial attempt to use an IFC file directly did not provide usable information for cost estimation. When the project data was instead presented as a structured part list, ChatGPT was able to process the information and generate a cost estimate after several detailed prompts and manual adjustments.The final ChatGPT estimate was compared with an existing cost estimate produced in Bidcon. Although the results were relatively close, the Bidcon estimate was known during the prompting process, which made it possible to identify unreasonable results and adjust the instructions. The comparison should therefore not be considered independent of ChatGPT's accuracy. The study concludes that ChatGPT can be used as a complementary tool for processing and structuring project information. However, cost estimates generated by the model should not be considered sufficiently reliable for independent use without review by a person with relevant experience and knowledge in construction cost estimation. LLMs should therefore be viewed as a support tool rather than a replacement for established software and professional expertise.

Digital subscription services increasingly use free-trial offers that automatically

convert into paid subscriptions. Previous research suggests that renewal and pricing

information is often presented with low visibility, which may affect users’ perceptions

of transparency and trust. This study investigated how the visibility and clarity of

renewal and pricing information in free-trial interfaces influence perceived

transparency and trust in digital subscription services.

A quantitative between-subjects experiment was conducted using four interactive

Figma prototypes: two high-visibility and two low-visibility versions. The prototypes

differed in the placement, font size, and visual emphasis of renewal and pricing

information, while all other interface elements remained unchanged. Data were

collected through an online questionnaire, with 39 participants taking part (21 in the

high-visibility condition and 18 in the low-visibility condition). The data were

analyzed using descriptive statistics, exploratory factor analysis, Welch’s t-tests,

Pearson correlation analysis, and Cronbach’s alpha.

The results revealed significant differences between the two conditions. Participants

exposed to high-visibility interfaces reported higher levels of perceived transparency

and trust, particularly regarding pricing clarity, renewal visibility, and understanding

of financial terms. Correlation analysis also showed a strong positive relationship

between perceived transparency and trust. In contrast, participants in the low-visibility

condition were more likely to perceive important information as hidden or misleading.

The findings support previous research on transparency, trust, and dark patterns in

digital interfaces. Overall, the study suggests that transparency in subscription

interfaces depends not only on the availability of information but also on how clearly

and visibly it is presented to users.

Number sequences are a part of mathematics education that contribute to the development of students’ understanding of mathematical relationships and algebraic thinking. The purpose of this study is to contribute knowledge about the variation of aspects that teachers perceive as important for students’ understanding of number sequences in the early school years. This study is inspired by a phenomenographic approach and is based on qualitative semi-structured interviews with nine teachers working from primary school up to Grade 3. The material from the interviews was analysed with a focus on the variation of aspects that teachers perceived as important. The identified aspects were then organised into two overarching areas. 

The results show seven identified aspects that teachers perceived as important for students’ understanding of number sequences. The aspects include the importance of knowledge about the properties and relationships of numbers, as well as basic arithmetic. Furthermore, the aspects include students need to know how regularity can be identified, understand the function of regularity, understand variation between regularities, and know how regularities can be used and expressed. The discussion addresses the complexity of what it means to identify, understand, use and express regularity in number sequences.

Gender differences in retirement income remain an important issue in labour and pension economics. Despite improvements in female educational attainment and labour force participation, pension inequalities persist across many countries. This study examines whether regional labour market structures are associated with gender differences in private pension payouts across Swedish municipalities. Using municipality level panel data for 2015–2024, the analysis combines private pension payout data from the Swedish Pension Agency (Pensionsmyndigheten) with historical labour market indicators constructed from employment data covering 1993–2015. The outcome variable is the gender pension payout gap in voluntary private pension savings (individuellt pensionssparande, IPS), the third pillar of the Swedish pension system measured as the difference between average male and female IPS payouts per recipient across municipalities. OLS regression models with year fixed-effects and municipality clustered standard errors are employed, with interaction models and municipality fixed effects as robustness checks. The results reveal a substantial and persistent gender pension payout gap. On average, men receive approximately SEK 9,689 more annually than women in real terms (2015 kronor), in nominal terms the mean gap is SEK 10,718. The nominal gap increased by 19 percent between 2015 and 2024 however, this largely reflects price inflation of 29 percent over the same period. In real terms the gap declined by 7.4 percent and the relative gap, female payout as a share of male payout, remained stable at approximately 76 percent throughout the decade, indicating that the proportional disadvantage did not worsen over the observation period. Municipalities with higher historical concentrations of women in lower paying sectors exhibit significantly larger pension gaps. This finding holds across all three gap measures and all robustness checks. The effect of female labour force participation becomes insignificant once i labour market composition and local economic conditions are controlled for, suggesting that the type of employment matters more than participation quantity alone. This result is consistent whether the total association (M1) or the association net of municipal income (M2) is the reference specification. Interaction models further show that low sector concentration is disproportionately associated with lower pension accumulation among women relative to men, and that municipalities with stronger male concentration in higher paying sectors show a narrower gender pension gap. The findings indicate that pension inequality should be understood as a long-term reflection of labour market inequalities accumulated throughout working life, contributing new municipality level evidence from Sweden. 

Background: In early 2025, a nationwide TikTok ban in the United States triggered a large-scale digital migration of Western users toward alternative platforms. Among the most unexpected destinations was Xiaohongshu (known internationally as RedNote), a Chinese lifestyle-sharing platform primarily designed for domestic users. This phenomenon, dubbed the "TikTok Refugee" movement, represented not merely a technical platform shift, but a complex socio-cultural encounter as users navigated linguistic and aesthetic unfamiliarity.  

Purpose: While existing research effectively addresses initial platform switching using frameworks like Uses and Gratifications Theory or the Push-Pull-Mooring (PPM) model, few studies examine long-term retention within culturally distant digital environments. This thesis investigates how Western users achieve and sustain long-term engagement on Xiaohongshu following their initial migration. To operationalize this goal, the inquiry examines three interrelated analytical dimensions: (1) translingual practices and geosemiotics, (2) the negotiation of symbolic capital and identity performance, and (3) motivational transformations over time.

Method: Adopting a qualitative abductive approach, this study combines theory-informed frameworks with empirical data from thirty-two Western Xiaohongshu users across a two-phase, asynchronous written interview protocol (n=619 responses). The data were analyzed through theoretically sensitized thematic analysis, balancing established frameworks from sociolinguistics, sociology, and motivational psychology with inductive patterns emergent from user accounts.

Conclusion: Findings indicate that sustained retention on Xiaohongshu is not a passive outcome driven by utility alone, but an active process of digital acculturation. Western users achieve settlement by deploying translingual communicative strategies, navigating local aesthetic norms to accumulate symbolic capital, and undergoing a motivational shift from extrinsic ban-evasion to intrinsic engagement and relational embeddedness. By bridging the "why of leaving" with the "how of staying," this study extends digital migration models and illustrates how non-native users cultivate a translingual digital habitus within a cross-cultural platform ecology.

The increasing integration of artificial intelligence (AI) into digital commerce hasintroduced a new challenge for online platforms: how to communicate the AI origin ofgenerated content without undermining consumer trust. This study investigated howthe presence of an AI-generation disclosure label on a hotel review summary affectsconsumer trust, and whether this effect is moderated by consumers’ prior attitudestoward AI. The study employed a between-subjects experimental design (N = 227) inwhich participants were randomly assigned to view either a control version showingtwo individual guest reviews under a standard “Reviews” section, or an AI-labelledversion showing a synthesized review summary labelled “AI-Generated Summary.”Prior to exposure, participants completed an 8-item AI attitude scale. Trust wasmeasured using a 10-item Likert-based scale. Data were analysed using independentsamples t-tests and two-way ANOVA. One expert interview complemented theexperimental data.The results showed no significant main effect of the AI disclosure label on trust (d =0.13, p = .334). However, prior AI attitude had a large main effect (η² = .168, p <.001), with positive-attitude participants trusting summaries significantly more thannegative-attitude participants regardless of labelling. The interaction was notstatistically significant, though directional patterns and correlation analyses (r = .572under disclosure vs. r = .419 under control) suggested that disclosure heightens thesalience of prior attitudes.The findings contribute to the literature on AI transparency and consumer behaviour,suggesting that mandatory AI disclosure may be less harmful than previously thoughtfor AI-familiar populations, and that individual attitudes toward AI are a strongerpredictor of trust than the presence of a disclosure label.

The rapid expansion of e-commerce and the contraction of brick-and-mortar store networks have elevated last-mile distribution from an operational concern to a strategic priority in omni-channel retailing. Omni-channel retailers face a fundamental tension: consumers increasingly expect a wide range of delivery alternatives and free delivery options, while last-mile distribution costs constitute a substantial proportion of retail revenues. Retailers can create last-mile distribution competitive advantages by strategically influencing consumers’ delivery choices. This thesis seeks to advance understanding of strategic consumer steering in omni-channel last-mile distribution and its role in creating competitive advantage. The purpose was to develop an understanding of strategic consumer steering in omni-channel last-mile distribution and its role in creating competitive advantage.

The research presented in this thesis establishes consumer steering as a distinct research area within last-mile distribution in omni-channel retailing and demonstrates its strategic importance. The findings show that last mile is highly configurable, and a last-mile configuration framework was developed. Last-mile distribution cost minimisation and free last-mile distribution service performance are conceptualised as potential sources of last-mile distribution competitive advantage. Free last-mile distribution service performance may be achieved through either selective or widespread free last-mile delivery coverage. Last-mile consumer steering is conceptualised as comprising single, dual, and simultaneous consumer steering capabilities that orchestrate last-mile distribution resources and support last-mile distribution competitive advantages and superior financial performance. The findings further identify potential sources of last-mile distribution competitive advantage arising from consumer steering capability configurations associated with superior performance that orchestrate last-mile distribution resources across four distinct retailer groups. These findings are consistent with recent research suggesting that lower last-mile distribution costs can generate competitive advantages, for example by enabling the development of new and profitable consumer offerings. Furthermore, the findings suggest that simultaneous steering, conditionally free remote deliveries, and delivery partner steering formed part of configurations associated with superior financial performance across four distinct retailer groups characterised by different firm sizes and sales channel mixes.

The research contributes to the resource-based view by conceptualising last-mile consumer steering capabilities as capabilities that orchestrate last-mile distribution resources; by identifying last-mile distribution and consumer steering capabilities that may constitute sources of competitive advantage; by demonstrating that consumer steering is highly configurable; by identifying potential strategic fits between consumer steering capability configurations associated with superior financial performance and different retailer groups; and by showing which last-mile distribution capabilities these configurations may support. The research contributes to transaction cost economics in the last-mile context by providing insights into delivery partner governance and the minimisation of transaction costs associated with last-mile distribution. Finally, it contributes to configuration theory by demonstrating that last mile is highly configurable, by developing a last-mile configuration framework, and by identifying last-mile configurations associated with superior performance.

From a practical perspective, the research presented in this thesis offers actionable insights for managers responsible for last-mile decisions in increasingly competitive retail environments.

It should be acknowledged that the causal relationships between consumer steering capabilities, strategically aligned configurations, last-mile distribution competitive advantages, and superior financial performance have not been conclusively established. Nevertheless, the findings provide a valuable foundation for further research on strategic consumer steering and last-mile distribution in non-grocery omni-channel retailing.

When a company is added to a stock market index, investors who track that index must buy the share. This mechanical demand can move the price and change how easily the share trades, even though nothing about the company itself has changed. This thesis asks whether the same holds for climate benchmark indices, and whether it changed after Russia's invasion of Ukraine on 24 February 2022, an event that made European markets considerably more volatile and unsettled investors' willingness to pay. The method is an event study of 88 European firms added to Bloomberg's Paris-Aligned Benchmark and Climate Transition Benchmark indices between April 2021 and March 2023, measured against the STOXX Europe 600. Inclusion produces no reliable price gain. The average abnormal return over the eleven days around inclusion is −1.23 percent, significant only at the 10 percent level, and it disappears in narrower windows. The evidence on long-established sustainability indices is itself mixed — positive for DJSI inclusion (Robinson et al., 2011), negative for German firms added to the DJSI World (Oberndorfer et al., 2013), and null for FTSE4Good (Curran & Moran, 2007) — and this result sits within that range rather than against it, alongside the heterogeneous findings of more recent ESG index work (Hawn et al., 2018; Adamska & Dąbrowski, 2021). This price response is no different before and after the invasion. Liquidity, however, is. Firms added before the invasion became measurably easier to trade afterward, as measured by the Amihud illiquidity ratio and the quoted bid–ask spread as a robustness check, whereas firms added after the invasion show no such improvement. Cross-sectional analysis indicates why the average price effect is weak: the return is concentrated among firms that were hardest to trade beforehand, as the price-pressure hypothesis predicts. Because the comparison is cross-sectional, between different firms included at different dates rather than the same firms observed under both regimes, the invasion cannot be separated from the energy and interest rate shocks that accompanied it. The results therefore describe the period rather than isolate the war as its cause.

Litteraturen öppnar världen! Genom läsning kan barn och elever förstå sig själva och andra, upptäcka nya perspektiv och utveckla en livslång relation till berättelser, språk och läsning.

För att alla elever ska få möjlighet att bli läsare behöver läsningen vara en självklar och central del i undervisningen. I det här inspirationsmaterialet får du som är lärare i lågstadiet exempel på hur skönlitteraturen kan engagera, uppmuntra till samtal, och väcka nyfikenhet som förhoppningsvis lever kvar långt efter lektionens slut. Exemplen utgår från litteraturen på läslistorna. Arbetssätt och modeller kan användas med annan litteratur.

Förslagen är tänkta som inspiration och stöd. Du kan välja, anpassa, kombinera och vidareutveckla dem utifrån dina erfarenheter och elevgruppens behov. Hur du arbetar med litteratur har stor betydelse för elevernas intresse för läsning – och tillsammans med dina kollegor kan du göra stor skillnad.

Utforska gärna också de delar av materialet som riktar sig till andra skolformer. Innehållet är, precis som litteraturen själv, ofta relevant för barn och elever i olika åldrar och stadier. Det kompletterande materialet för lärare i de anpassade skolformerna är tänkt att läsas tillsammans med övriga delar.

Läs mycket skönlitteratur, läs aktivt och låt tankar om det lästa mötas i samtal. På så sätt får elevernas upplevelser av texter och bilder den plats i undervisningen som de förtjänar.

Materialet för lågstadiet är framtaget av Catarina Schmidt, Jönköping University. Martin Hellström, Linnéuniversitetet samt Karin Helander och Eva Österlind, Stockholms universitet, har medverkat med textunderlag om dramatik. Alla texter har granskats av forskare, lärare och sakkunniga på myndigheter.

Läslistorna hittar du på skolverket.se

Vår förhoppning är att materialet ska bidra med nya tankar och inspiration till litteraturundervisningen! Vi önskar er många gemensamma läsupplevelser!

In the context of the green transition and growing geopolitical concerns over secure access to critical raw materials, debates on how to secure strategic supplies of rare earth elements (REEs) have intensified in Sweden. While public and policy discussions largely prioritise new, so-called "virgin" extraction as the primary solution, alternative approaches emphasising recycling, reprocessing, and the use of by-products, mine tailings, slag, and end-of-life products have also gained prominence, particularly within environmental movements. This paper examines how these competing orientations are enacted through different extractive practices and imaginaries.

The paper brings together two figures that increasingly shape Sweden's extractive landscape, "mineral hunters" and "scavengers", through three interrelated empirical entry points. First, it explores Mineraljakten (the Mineral Hunt) as an example of initiatives oriented towards the identification of new mineral resources, mobilising citizens in support of renewed exploration. Second, it analyses how the EU's Critical Raw Materials Act (CRMA) frames both primary extraction and secondary resource recovery as strategically important projects. Third, it engages with arguments advanced by environmental movements and civil society actors that emphasise increased recycling, reprocessing, and the use of by-products, mine tailings, and end-of-life products as alternatives to further virgin extraction.

Drawing on an analysis of policy documents and industry- and civil society-oriented texts, the paper explores how land, waste, and material residues are differently valued and re-sited as energy resources. Conceptually, the paper contributes to debates on situating energy by foregrounding how contemporary extractivism extends both forward into new frontiers and backward into the residues of past extraction. It shows how the green transition is materially grounded not only in opening new mines, but also in contested efforts to rework extractive legacies into strategic energy resources.

The increasing role of generative artificial intelligence (GenAI) in higher education has prompted universities to introduce guidelines promoting responsible use and transparent disclosure of AI-assisted academic work. However, it remains unclear whether and to what extent such institutional guidelines provide students with practical and pedagogical guidance. The study addresses this policy-practice gap by examining students’ perspectives on existing AI guidelines and their pedagogical enactment. Using a mixed-method approach, the study followed a three-stage process comprising a pre-intervention survey, a pedagogical intervention, and a post-intervention survey. Thirty-one students from diverse study backgrounds, enrolled in two German courses at a Finnish university, participated in the study and evaluated an approach designed to support the transparent disclosure of GenAI. The analysis adopts the three dimensions of Chan’s (2023a) AI Ecological Education Policy Framework: Pedagogical, Operational, and Ethical. The aim is to examine students’ perceptions of AI in higher education, their compliance with transparency requirements, and actual disclosure practices. The findings unravelled three distinct student positioning patterns: (1) rejection of AI use and distrust toward AI systems, (2) conditional acceptance accompanied by ethical and operational uncertainty, and (3) pragmatic and confident AI use. While the quantitative results indicated a general awareness of institutional AI guidelines, qualitative responses revealed a lack of clarity, consistency, and practical examples regarding the use and disclosure of GenAI in academic contexts. This lack of guidance contributed to uncertainty, concerns about unintentionally violating academic expectations, as well as distrust regarding the legitimacy of AI use. Overall, the study demonstrates that the effectiveness of institutional AI policies depends not only on their existence but also on their pedagogical enactment through assessment design and reciprocal communication between teachers and students.

Synchronous online language teaching increasingly combines teacher-controlled digital materials with collaborative digital environments, yet limited research has examined how these instructional configurations relate to learner engagement, interaction, and language production. This systematic review compared Static Digital Media (SDM) and Synchronous Collaborative Workspaces (SCWs) in online ESL/EFL learning and examined their relationship with behavioural, emotional, and cognitive engagement, interactional patterns, language production, and reported language-learning outcomes. An adapted Best-Fit Framework Synthesis (Carroll et al., 2011, 2013) was conducted using studies identified through systematic searches of Scopus and ERIC. Eight studies published between 2020 and 2026 met the final eligibility and quality criteria. Thirty-oneevidence units were extracted and coded according to instructional configuration, interaction, behavioural and emotional engagement, language production, reportedlanguage-learning outcomes, and cognitive engagement operationalised through the ICAP framework. Inductive coding was used to identify additional cross-study themes. The synthesis showed that both SDM and SCWs supported meaningful learner activity, but differed in the opportunities they provided for organising participation and interaction. SDM evidence more prominently involved teacher-student interaction andteacher-mediated scaffolding, whereas SCWs more frequently provided opportunities forreal-time peer interaction and learner contribution to shared digital content. However, these patterns were not absolute. Reciprocal peer interaction and interactive ICAP engagement also occurred within SDM, while shared collaborative workspaces did not automatically result in reciprocal or interactive engagement. Behavioural engagement appeared in both configurations; emotional engagement was represented more clearly in SCW evidence, partly reflecting differences in study design. Language production occurred across both configurations, but no evidence unit demonstrated a reportedlanguage-learning outcome beyond immediate production. Overall, the findings suggest that SDM and SCWs are better understood as different instructional opportunity structures than as a hierarchy of technological effectiveness. The educational significance of each configuration depends on how its affordances are realised through task organisation, teacher mediation, and learner interaction. The review also revealed a limited and heterogeneous evidence base, with no included study directly comparing SDM and SCW configurations as operationalised in this synthesis, and none providing evidence of sustained language development. Further configuration-focusedand longitudinal research is therefore needed to determine how these instructional environments relate to demonstrated language-learning outcomes.

This study examines how the COVID-19 pandemic affected the profitability and operational efficiency of large listed European banks. The analysis is based on a balanced semi-annual panel of large listed commercial banks across thirteen EU member states, observed from the second half of 2018 to the first half of 2024. The pandemic is represented by two distinct phases: an acute phase covering the onset of the crisis and the near-zero interest rate environment, and a post-acute phase covering the subsequent period of monetary tightening. Bank performance is captured through return on assets and net interest margin as profitability indicators and through the cost-to-income ratio as an efficiency indicator. Bank performance is captured through return on assets and net interest margin as profitability indicators and through the cost-to-income ratio as an efficiency indicator. Efficiency in this study refers specifically to operational cost efficiency - the operating expenses a bank incurs per unit of operating income - measured by the cost-to-income ratio (CIR), so that a lower ratio denotes greater efficiency. Bank size, the short-term policy rate, non-performing loans and the country-level level of digital adoption are included as control variables. PSD2 is treated as part of the digitalisation background rather than as an estimated treatment, because the harmonised supervisory data begin at almost the same time as the directive entered into force, leaving no clean pre-PSD2 period against which its effect could be identified. The results show that the acute phase of the pandemic was associated with a clear deterioration in both profitability and interest margins. In the post-acute phase, profitability recovered in raw terms, but this recovery disappears once the policy rate is held constant, which indicates that the rebound was driven mainly by the interest rate cycle rather than by the pandemic itself. Efficiency, by contrast, shows no significant deterioration during the acute phase but a lasting improvement afterwards, consistent with the view that pandemic-era digital investment durably lowered the operating cost base. A comparison between banks operating in more and less digitally mature environments suggests that less digitally advanced banks experienced the sharpest profitability losses during the acute phase and achieved the largest efficiency gains afterwards, while more digitally advanced banks changed relatively little, a pattern consistent with a ceiling effect. This study examines how the COVID-19 pandemic affected the profitability and operational efficiency of large listed European banks. The analysis is based on a balanced semi-annual panel of large listed commercial banks across thirteen EU member states, observed from the second half of 2018 to the first half of 2024. The pandemic is represented by two distinct phases: an acute phase covering the onset of the crisis and the near-zero interest rate environment, and a post-acute phase covering the subsequent period of monetary tightening. Bank performance is captured through return on assets and net interest margin as profitability indicators and through the cost-to-income ratio as an efficiency indicator. Bank performance is captured through return on assets and net interest margin as profitability indicators and through the cost-to-income ratio as an efficiency indicator. Efficiency in this study refers specifically to operational cost efficiency - the operating expenses a bank incurs per unit of operating income - measured by the cost-to-income ratio (CIR), so that a lower ratio denotes greater efficiency. Bank size, the short-term policy rate, non-performing loans and the country-level level of digital adoption are included as control variables. PSD2 is treated as part of the digitalisation background rather than as an estimated treatment, because the harmonised supervisory data begin at almost the same time as the directive entered into force, leaving no clean pre-PSD2 period against which its effect could be identified. The results show that the acute phase of the pandemic was associated with a clear deterioration in both profitability and interest margins. In the post-acute phase, profitability recovered in raw terms, but this recovery disappears once the policy rate is held constant, which indicates that the rebound was driven mainly by the interest rate cycle rather than by the pandemic itself. Efficiency, by contrast, shows no significant deterioration during the acute phase but a lasting improvement afterwards, consistent with the view that pandemic-era digital investment durably lowered the operating cost base. A comparison between banks operating in more and less digitally mature environments suggests that less digitally advanced banks experienced the sharpest profitability losses during the acute phase and achieved the largest efficiency gains afterwards, while more digitally advanced banks changed relatively little, a pattern consistent with a ceiling effect. Overall, the findings indicate that an abrupt and exogenous shock such as COVID-19 leaves a clearer and more identifiable signature on bank performance than gradual regulatory change, with implications for how supervisors interpret and calibrate future digital regulation such as DORA and FiDA.

Abstract 

Title: When Self-Care Becomes Part of Everyday Life: Individuals’ Experiences of Living with Type 2 Diabetes

Background: Type 2 diabetes is a chronic disease in which self-care constitutes a central part of the treatment. Individuals are largely responsible for managing the disease themselves through lifestyle changes, which require knowledge, motivation, and support. Previous research shows that individuals often encounter barriers to self-care, while person-centred support can strengthen their ability to manage the condition. Aim: The aim was to describe individuals’ experiences of self-care in type 2 diabetes. Method: The study was conducted as a qualitative literature review. Scientific articles were searched in the databases CINAHL and Medline. A total of 14 qualitative studies published between 2016 and 2026 were included. Data were analysed according to Friberg’s model. Results: The findings showed that individuals with type 2 diabetes initially experienced worry, fear, and guilt, but that these feelings gradually developed into acceptance and adaptation. Self-care emerged as a learning process in which knowledge and routines progressively strengthened the ability to manage the disease. At the same time, self-care was perceived as demanding and sometimes restrictive. Barriers such as lack of knowledge, financial difficulties, and time constraints negatively affected self-care, while support from relatives and healthcare professionals, as well as personal motivation, contributed to increased control and a sense of security. Conclusion: Self-care in type 2 diabetes is a complex and dynamic process influenced by both individual and external factors. Person-centred support, education, and tailored care are essential to strengthen individuals’ self-care abilities and improve their health and quality of life.

Keywords: lifestyle change, motivation, participation, health literacy, glycemic control.

Construction production constitutes a complex and information-intensive environment in which many actors must collaborate under pressure. Despite extensive digitalization within the construction industry, digital tools and models are not fully utilized during the production phase. Instead, they often function as passive reference material rather than as active support for planning and decision-making. Against this background, the purpose of this study is to investigate how Virtual Design and Construction (VDC) can contribute to increasing the usefulness and application of digital tools in production, as well as to identify the factors that influence their practical implementation.

The study was conducted as a qualitative case study of the Ryhov project, an ongoing extension and renovation project at Ryhov Hospital, in collaboration with NCC. The project was selected because of its established use of VDC and digital tools, as well asits complex production environment and high coordination and information-management requirements. To establish a theoretical foundation, a literature review was conducted focusing on VDC, Building Information Modeling (BIM), and organizational conditions for digitalization in construction production. The empirical data collection consisted of eight semi-structured interviews with site managers, supervisors, a VDC manager, and construction workers. The collected material was analyzed thematically based on analytical themes identified in the literature review, enabling a connection between previous research and practical experiences from the production environment.

The results show that digital tools are established in daily work, particularly in drawing management, coordination, and follow-up. Digital drawings and models contribute to improved access to information, enhanced communication, and more efficient qualityassurance. The value is particularly evident in follow-up processes and self-inspections, where digital systems enable increased transparency and traceability. At the same time, usage varies between different professional roles: site management and supervisors primarily use the tools for planning, coordination, control, and follow-up, while construction workers use them as practical support in execution.

However, the analysis shows that the use of digital tools is largely operational and mainly limited to visualization and information access, rather than functioning as an integrated support for planning, coordination, and decision-making in line with the intentions of VDC methodology. There is thus a clear gap between the strategic ambitions of VDC and its practical application. The use of digital tools is strongly influenced by organizational factors such as competence, management support, standardized working methods, and the integration between design and production.

The study identifies several barriers to increased use of digital tools, where lack of competence, absence of standardized practices, and limited integration between design and production are central. Technical issues do occur but are less significant thanorganizational factors. At the same time, opportunities for development are identified in the form of increased standardization, improved competence development, and earlier involvement of production in the design phase.

Background: Hybrid work has become an increasingly dominant organizational arrangement,

which changes how collaboration, leadership, and communication are enacted across physical

and digital environments. While previous studies examined hybrid work broadly, limited

attention was given to how physical proximity influences collaboration within hybrid teams.

Purpose: The purpose of this study is to explore how physical proximity influences

collaboration quality in hybrid teams - from the perspective of leaders - operating in hybrid

work arrangements. More specifically, the study seeks to understand how leaders experience

differences in collaboration with employees that are on-site and remote in relation to

communication, relational dynamics, and task coordination,

Method: This study uses a qualitative and interpretivistic research approach, using semi-

structured interviews with nine participants from different organizational contexts, primarily

based in Sweden. The empirical material was analyzed through a thematic analysis approach,

following Braun and Clarke (2006), which allows for patterns and themes to emerge

inductively from the lived experiences of participants.

Conclusion: The findings suggest physical proximity acts as a catalyst for spontaneous

communication, informal knowledge exchange, stronger situational awareness, and

2relationship building, all of which positively influences the collaboration quality. Meanwhile,

reduced physical proximity was found to support more task-oriented, focused, and structured

collaboration, indicating that collaboration quality in hybrid teams is highly dependent on

context rather than having one universal solution by physical presence.

The lighting industry’s increasing demands for sustainability are driving interest in theuse of renewable materials, such as paper, in lighting luminaires. This thesisinvestigates how paper thickness and color affect light color rendition (Rf, Rg) andcorrelated color temperature (CCT) when used as an optical diffuser. Using a 2²factorial experimental design, four paper types were examined, representingcombinations of neutral white versus yellowish white paper with low versus highthickness. The study combined a quantitative experimental approach, withmeasurements conducted in an integrating sphere, and a perception-based studyinvolving 21 participants to highlight the practical relevance of the results. The findingsindicate that neutral white paper has a limited impact on light quality, whereas theyellowish white paper in the sample caused clear reductions in CCT and color saturation(Rg). Increased thickness appeared to amplify these effects for the yellowish whitepaper but had little influence on the neutral white paper, while color fidelity (Rf)remained stable across the sample. These observations are consistent with the behaviordescribed by the Beer–Lambert law, where selective absorption in pigmented materialsis intensified with increased optical path length. In the perception-based study,observers were able to identify shifts on the order of 140 K, indicating a high sensitivityto changes within the examined color temperature range. In summary, paper coloremerges as the most significant factor influencing the light’s color properties within thescope of the study. The results provide an indication of how product designers can usepaper as an active design element to adjust or preserve the original color characteristicsof a light source within a luminaire.

 Peer relationships and social competence are critical components of children’s socio-emotional development and are associated with important long-term outcomes, including mental health, academic adjustment, and overall well-being. Social skills interventions are widely implemented in educational and clinical settings to support children experiencing social difficulties; however, previous research has reported variability regarding the extent to which intervention-related gains generalize beyond structured intervention settings to real-world peer functioning and social participation. In addition, considerable heterogeneity exists across intervention approaches, target populations, and outcome measures within the literature.

The present study employed a scoping review methodology to examine the impact of social skills interventions on peer relationships and social competence in children aged 6–12 years. Literature searches were conducted across PsycINFO, Scopus, and Web of Science databases. A total of 1707 records were identified, of which 1327 remained after duplicate removal. Following title and abstract screening and full-text assessment, 10 studies met the inclusion criteria. Included studies involved both clinical and typically developing populations and assessed outcomes related to peer relationships, social competence, and social functioning within naturalistic social contexts.

The findings suggest that social skills interventions are generally associated with positive improvements in social interaction, peer engagement, communication skills, and broader aspects of social functioning. Studies also reported evidence of generalization beyond intervention settings, including improvements in classroom social participation, playground interaction, friendship-related outcomes, and peer acceptance. Peer-mediated and school-based approaches appeared particularly relevant for promoting real-world social participation. However, the findings also highlighted that improvements in observable social behaviors did not always correspond to stable peer acceptance or reciprocal friendship development.

Overall, the present review emphasizes the importance of ecological validity and naturalistic assessment in social skills intervention research. Future interventions should focus not only on improving discrete social skills, but also on promoting meaningful peer inclusion and sustainable social functioning within everyday social environments.

Wildlife monitoring provides the observational basis for studying animal behaviour, habitat use and ecosystem change. However, existing methods are often difficult to scale, depend on high volumes of species-specific data, or express subpar adaptive capabilities. Aerial robots offer high-resolution, scalable observations, though a key challenge remains ensuring data collection does not unduly disturb the animals. This thesis presents a disturbance-aware reinforcement learning framework for autonomous wildlife monitoring with aerial robots. The framework combines synthetic animal movement models, empirical animal trajectories, spatial resource maps, a geometry-based disturbance model, aerial sensing agents, and reward shaping that explicitly balances monitoring quality against induced animal disturbance. Animal disturbance is modelled as a continuous field that drives behavioural states including calm, avoidance, and fleeing. Policies were trained using Deep Q-Network, Proximal Policy Optimization, and Soft Actor-Critic across four synthetic movement models and evaluated against empirical trajectories from Pigeons, lapwings, and Jackals. Effective policy operating zones are highlighted by the knee of the Pareto frontier. Learned policies consistently outperformed tuned rule-based controllers. More importantly, policy performance obtained when training on synthetic movements is transferred to evaluation against unseen empirical GPS trajectories. While Soft Actor-Critic excelled in single-agent scenarios, Proximal Policy Optimization exhibited more stable learning dynamics and was selected for sensitivity and robustness experimentation. Small multi-agent teams enhanced performance, whereas larger teams introduced coordination challenges without clear synergistic benefits. The learned policies demonstrated robustness to mild wind but degraded in strong, gusty conditions. The proposed framework offers a way to gain insights into control strategies before field deployment, where extensive experimentation may be costly, difficult, or disruptive to animals.