The oral sensory ability in children can be assessed through test of intraoral stereognosis and two-point discrimination. Currently, these two tests are not frequently used in clinical settings, and normative data are not always available. The aim of this study was to establish normative data for these two tests in children aged 5;6 to 7;0 years. Further, intention was to compare the results with respect to age and gender. In total 103 children participated, 49 boys and 54 girls.

In 1974 the three municipalities of Åsele, Dorotea and Fredrika were amalgamated despite of hunger strikes, mass protests and a serious threat of violence. But after six years the marriage shattered as Dorotea left the other two after years of continued struggle. In 2005 the idea of an amalgamation of Åsele, Dorotea and Vilhelmina municipalities was brought to life by an older and ever declining population.By creating a democratic ideal type consisting of the three variables ? legitimacy, participation and identity ? this study assesses what impact an amalgamation of the three municipalities might have on local democracy.Combining a qualitative and a quantitative approach this study concludes that amalgamating the municipalities today could create a democratic unit lacking legitimacy, having a weak identity and impeding participation. But the study also brings forth that the impact of an amalgamation upon the variables of the ideal type as defined is not written in stone.

Bakgrunden till den här studien är att tidigare studier har visat att det sociala och kulturella deltagandet är lägre hos kvinnor med utländsk bakgrund än för kvinnor födda i Sverige. Studier har visat att kvinnor med utländsk bakgrund har också oftast sämre hälsa än till exempel personer födda i Sverige. Syftet är att undersöka vilka sociala och kulturella aktiviteter kvinnor med utländsk bakgrund utför, vilken betydelse för det egna välbefinnandet det har och hur kvinnorna själva beskriver erfarenheter som har betydelse för deras upplevelse av deras deltagande. En kvalitativ metod användes där datainsamlingen skedde genom 8 halvstrukturerade intervjuer med kvinnor som var över 18 år och födda utanför Europa. Materialet analyserades sedan med hjälp av en innehållsanalys.

Our aim of this study is to analyze how the concept of reasonable standard of living is by assistance officers in geriatric care, as well as the impact of their discretion on the assessment. We conducted a qualitative study with the help of interviews. During the collection of the empirical material, we have experienced greater confusion among assistance officers opinion about the concept of reasonable standard of living. We lacked a clear answer to the concept content. The interview subjects' responses did not differ so much, they said, among other things, that the concept is difficult to interpret, fuzzy, or that they do not have a good understanding of it.

The purpose of this thesis is to examine how the public libraries work towards SFI (Swedish For Immigrants) based on the views of the overseeing librarians. To study this we have asked the following research questions:What distinguishes the public libraries? work towards SFI according to the responsible librarians? What distinguishes the communication between SFI teachers and the librarians according to the responsible librarians? What opinions are held by the librarians in regards to their work with SFI?We have used a semi structured interview method with seven librarians in charge of the activities with SFI at small and medium sized public libraries in a rural area of Sweden. The theoretical framework is composed of Marianne Andersson and Dorte Skot-Hansen?s model for analysis of the local public library profile and the authors? definition of collaboration.

Traditionally, mining has been performed mechanically with implementation ofyesterdays (and older) data. Several mining companies have started to useautonomous technology and robotics in the production areas although the harshmining environments make it unsuitable for today's electronic equipment. Despite allthe obstacles along the way of digitization, there seems to be no end in sight as thisdevelopment continues. This thesis focuses on what the mining industry is aiming forand why the mining companies are interested in these technologies. The actors of themining industry can be found to have a vision for the future mine, a production with ahigher degree of digitization and resemblances to a factory.

This study has as an objective to compare and evaluate the living conditions of two immigrant children residing in different places in Sweden. Given that immigrants often are looked upon as a social and physical vulnerable group in relation to disadvantageous socioeconomic conditions the children's lives were analyzed in relation to four public health objects. By using Runkeeper, GIS, Equipop data, time geographic material, telephone conversations and a web survey the children lives are analyzed within their activity spaces. The children formed their lives in different socioeconomic environments and adapted their lives after their conditions. The perspective on individual level can be put in contrast with studies based on society level.

Secondary deciduous forests, which have their origin in earlier pasture- and meadow-land in slopes along the lower reaches of the Ume river, are thought to contain high nature conservation values, in spite of a relatively low age. The aim of this study was to clarify how factors as historical use, exposition, disturbance dynamics and successional age influences the conservation values in these types of riparian forests and how this can be implicated in the practical work with conservation and management at Umeå municipality. Sample plots were placed in seven stands with a variation of their historical use, exposition, disturbance dynamics and age of succession. Conservation values as structure, tree-regeneration, abundance and composition of vascular plants, amount of dead wood and the abundance of signal-species were measured and registered. The species composition and especially the composition of tree species, differed between forests with different exposition and different historical use.

Syftet med denna studie var att beskriva arbetsterapeuters erfarenheter av att genomföra hembesök tillsammans med äldre patienterna innan utskrivning från sjukhus. En kvalitativ metod valdes med semistukturerade intervjufrågor. Undersökningsgruppen bestod av nio arbetsterapeuter verksamma inom geriatrisk slutenvård i en storstadsregion i södra Sverige. Data analyserades utifrån en kvalitativ innehållsanalys. Analysen kom att resultera i fyra kategorier.

ABSTRACT Our main objective with this essay is to provide a description of old people?s stories about aging. The essay is based on the empirical source of four qualitative interviews with older people over the age of eighty years young. The main goal is to inquire answers about; their time in the workforce; retirements; healthissues; media/advertisements; adolescence/youthfulness and attitudes. The following main questions have been dealt with: What do the elderly emphasize when they describe ageing? Are healthissues the prime subjects the elderly talk about? Do the elderly experience positive or negative attitudes towards ageing? What is their point of view of younger generations? In what way do they describe their years as workers? In what way do they describe aspects about their retirement? We reserved to consider the opinion of their own, to be the most valuable source in our study.

Haptoglobin is an acute phase protein with important biological role because of its capacity to bind to haemoglobin. Haptoglobin exists in three major genetic polymorphism types: Hp1-1, Hp2-1 and Hp2-2, the distribution of which has been associated with abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA), an asymptomatic aortic disease common among men older than 65 years.    Five different electrophoretic methods were tested according to their ability to separate the haptoglobin phenotypes. The detection was based on a produced hemolysate of blood in which haemoglobin binds to haptoglobin thereby forming a complex that can be detected by specific haemoglobin staining using TMB-dihydrochloride and hydro peroxide as substrate resulting in an azure-green color of the bands. Samples from 15 patients who had suffered surgery for not broken AAA, that is more than5.0 cmaortic diameter, and 15 samples from matched controls were analyzed.    Among the five tested electrophoretic methods best migration and separation was seen on the pre-cast agarosgel Hydragel HR on the instrument Hydrasys. The other four methods gave less successful results.

The aim of this master thesis is to create an understanding of what it can be like to grow older as a homosexual man in Sweden today. The study has an intersectional and queer theoretical approach and is based on eight in depth interviews with men who are aged between 68 and 82 years old. In the analysis I deal with the problem of how sexuality can be inter- preted with the experience of aging. Central to the analysis is the criticism of norms connected to age, sexuality, social- and family life and gay culture.The results show that the norm-breaking sexual orientation of the men affects their life path in terms of how to organize social life, where friends often replace the traditional family. New ways of forming relationships and living their lives imply other obligations rather than the traditional for significant others, which was shown to influence the expectations and outcome of old age in terms of care and support.

Young councillors are currently under-represented in Sweden's municipalities. Young councillors are also stepping down in greater numbers than older members. This paper explores the reasons why young councillors choose to resign from their mission, so to identify possible remedies to the problematic trend of underrepresentation of younger people in local authorities in Sweden.This qualitative essay intends, through interviewing politically-active young people who has left their assignment, to study the reasons for resignations from elected posts. To see what could be the reason I have looked at previous studies and theories about opting out but also tried to remain open to identifying new and emerging trends previously undetected in existing surveys.The results showed that the political assignment proved to be too time-consuming, with young people choosing to spend their time on career and leisure. Those who resign from political life often express criticism towards the Municipal Council; they consider it tedious and many complain of having little influence.

Äldre erbjuds inte naturkontakt och en miljö som är anpassad efter deras behov på det särskilda boendet. Med en funktionell och tillgänglig trädgård, en lockande och restorativ utsikt och naturelement i innemiljön, skulle de äldre få möjlighet att ta del av naturens positiva, hälsofrämjande effekt. Syftet med studien var att undersöka äldres möjligheter till naturkontakt på det särskilda boendet, där deras utemiljö, utsikt och naturelement i innemiljön studerades. Metoden var en miljöanalys av samtliga särskilda boenden (n=6) i en småstadskommun, samt av äldreboendet Vigs Ängar som i studien fungerade som en referens. Resultatet visar att flera särskilda boenden har trädgårdar som erbjuder kvaliteter som är viktiga för de äldre, men tillgängligheten är så dålig att de äldre inte kan använda någon av trädgårdarna självständigt. Det särskilda boendet erbjuder utsikt mot natur och den egna trädgården, men naturelement i innemiljön är en resurs som inte utnyttjas.

In this essay, the aim is to empirically and theoretically study the parliamentary debate of the child pornography law. The empirical part is an attempt to discover eventual underlying gender stereotypes in the debate. A text analysis is conducted with material consisting of motions from members of parliament and of protocols from the parliamentary debate. In this material we try to find latent and manifest expressions of gender stereotypes. There are several stereotypes, which effects the argumentation and prejudice of the debate, like stereotypes of the victims, the perpetrators and their characteristics.