Aim and objective: To describe and understand the meaning of living with persistent rheumatoid arthritis. Background: A considerable number of patients with rheumatoid arthritis live with an ongoing active and symptomatic illness despite access to potent antirheumatic treatment. There is, however, a lack of knowledge about the meaning of living with this severe long-term illness, defined as persis

A negative association between interval length and infant and child mortality has been consistently identified in modern developing countries. The reasons for this association are unclear, however. Leading hypotheses explain these differences as a result of sibling competition, maternal depletion, infection transmission, or unobserved maternal factors, but none has received overwhelming support. U

The aim of the article is to explore the location and the meaning given to the rainbow flag in places outside the hegemonic centre. Through three case studies in the global North and South, held together by a multi-ethnographic approach, as well as a certain theoretical tension between the rainbow flag as a boundary object and/or a floating signifier, we seek to study where the flag belongs, to wh

This article introduces a Special Section on Ecologically Unequal Exchange (EUE), an underlying source of most of the environmental distribution conflicts in our time. The nine articles discuss theories, methodologies, and empirical case studies pertaining to ecologically unequal exchange, and address its relationship to ecological debt.

In the framework of the subspace-based identification of linear systems, the first step for the construction of a state-space model from observed input-output data involves the estimation of the output predictor. Such construction is based on projection operations of certain structured data matrices onto suitable subspaces spanned by the collected data. To the purpose of predictive control using s

Coincident with increased utilization of the Icelandic highlands, its image as a unique and pristine wilderness is gradually changing. People’s perception of wilderness is influenced by a number of factors relating to their culture and socio-economic background. Furthermore, how people value pristine land or define wilderness varies depending on the location and function of the assessment. Therefo

In Western European choral traditions, the ambition of most choirs is to attain an equalized blend of sound and to perform well together with regard to timing and intonation. In order to be able to synchronize this the choir members need to cooperate musically and listen to each other. Choirs often have close bonds, both socially and with regard to their common musical aim to perform well in conce

There is good agreement between dermatological staff and patients using the Hand Eczema Extent Score (HEES). The aim of this study was to assess inter- and intra-observer reliability of the HEES in dermatologists and intra-observer reliability of the HEES in patients with hand eczema. Six dermatologists assessed 18 patients twice. Only the hands of the patients were visible to the assessors. Patie

The Parties to the Montreal Protocol are informed by three Panels of experts. One of these is the Environmental Effects Assessment Panel (EEAP), which deals with two focal issues. The first focus is the effects of UV radiation on human health, animals, plants, biogeochemistry, air quality, and materials. The second focus is on interactions between UV radiation and global climate change and how the

This thesis consists of four papers studying image concerns in three unique settings. The first paper develops a model incorporating self-image into the buyer's utility in a ''Pay-What-You-Want'' (PWYW) pricing scheme. We introduce heterogeneity in consumption utility and image-sensitivity, generating different purchase decisions and optimal prices across individuals. When a good's fixed price is

Internet Metaphors and Norms To what extent is digital “openness” also creating a modern “Panopticon”? I.e. to what extent is the conceptual imaginary of relevance for the legitimacy of modern data practices in terms of privacy? This paper argues that conceptual battles around what the Internet is and the digital development means are significant battles. The metaphorical descriptions of the inteInternet Metaphors and Norms. To what extent is digital “openness” also creating a modern “Panopticon”? I.e. to what extent is the conceptual imaginary of relevance for the legitimacy of modern data practices in terms of privacy? This paper argues that conceptual battles around what the Internet is and the digital development means are significant battles. The metaphorical descriptions of the inte

We identified clusters of atypical sensory functioning adults with ASC by hierarchical cluster analysis. A new scale for commonly self-reported sensory reactivity was used as a measure. In a low frequency group (n = 37), all subscale scores were relatively low, in particular atypical sensory/motor reactivity. In the intermediate group (n = 17) hyperreactivity, sensory interests and sensory/motor i

In robotics research with language-based interaction, simplifications are made, such that a given event can be described in a unique manner, where there is a direct mapping between event representations and sentences that can describe these events. However, common experience tells us that the same physical event can be described in multiple ways, depending on the perspective of the speaker. The cu

Existing knowledge of the cerebellar microcircuitry structure and physiology allows a rather detailed description of what it in itself can and cannot do. Combined with a known mapping of different cerebellar regions to afferent systems and motor output target structures, there are several constraints that can be used to describe how specific components of the cerebellar microcircuitry may work dur