City Of Uppsala Research Articles

‘I’ve just heard that there are people who feel like they need to exercise’: a photo-elicitation study of values and priorities influencing physical activity in a socioeconomically disadvantaged neighbourhood in Uppsala, Sweden

ObjectivePeople living in socioeconomically disadvantaged neighbourhoods in Sweden engage less in physical activity compared with the general population, contributing to an elevated risk of cardiometabolic diseases. To inform targeted and...

Observations and modelling of mosquito prevalence within urban areas – A case study from Uppsala, Sweden

Urban green–blue infrastructure (GBI) can provide important benefits to urban residents but may also affect mosquito abundance, with associated negative nuisance and infection transmission impacts. This study addresses important knowledge and quantification gaps for the relationships between mosquito prevalence and GBI features within cities. This is done for the city of Uppsala in Sweden as an urban case example, where mosquitos were captured and ambient air temperature and humidity were observed at seven different locations in the summer of 2022. A weighted multi-critera analysis (WMCA) model was developed based on relevant open data and open tools for resolving the mosquito (Culex pipiens) variations based on geographical variables, such as land cover/use, leaf area index, and building and green (vegetation) area fractions, within the city. The results show a clear relationship between mosquito prevalence and green-area fraction (of grass and trees), indicating that urban GBI extension can enhance mosquito prevalence, with possible associated negative impacts. This relationship is supported directly by data, showing significantly higher mosquito prevalence with higher ambient humidity, which in turn is related to larger green-area fraction. The developed WMCA model emerges as a promising tool, e.g., for urban development planning that needs to account for and seek relevant trade-off balances between positive and negative effects of urban GBI changes.

Sociodemographic characteristics and COVID-19 testing rates: spatiotemporal patterns and impact of test accessibility in Sweden.

Diagnostic testing is essential for disease surveillance and test-trace-isolate efforts. We aimed to investigate if residential area sociodemographic characteristics and test accessibility were associated with Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) testing rates. We included 426 224 patient-initiated COVID-19 polymerase chain reaction tests from Uppsala County in Sweden from 24 June 2020 to 9 February 2022. Using Poisson regression analyses, we investigated if postal code area Care Need Index (CNI; median 1.0, IQR 0.8-1.4), a composite measure of sociodemographic factors used in Sweden to allocate primary healthcare resources, was associated with COVID-19 daily testing rates after adjustments for community transmission. We assessed if the distance to testing station influenced testing, and performed a difference-in-difference-analysis of a new testing station targeting a disadvantaged neighbourhood. We observed that CNI, i.e. primary healthcare need, was negatively associated with COVID-19 testing rates in inhabitants 5-69 years. More pronounced differences were noted across younger age groups and in Uppsala City, with test rate ratios in children (5-14 years) ranging from 0.56 (95% CI 0.47-0.67) to 0.87 (95% CI 0.80-0.93) across three pandemic waves. Longer distance to the nearest testing station was linked to lower testing rates, e.g. every additional 10 km was associated with a 10-18% decrease in inhabitants 15-29 years in Uppsala County. The opening of the targeted testing station was associated with increased testing, including twice as high testing rates in individuals aged 70-105, supporting an intervention effect. Ensuring accessible testing across all residential areas constitutes a promising tool to decrease inequalities in testing.

On the properties of residential rooftop azimuth and tilt uncertainties for photovoltaic power generation modeling and hosting capacity analysis

One of the essential epistemic uncertainties that has not yet been studied enough for distributed photovoltaic systems is the azimuth and tilt of rooftop photovoltaic panels, as previous studies of grid impacts and hosting capacity have tended to assume uniform and optimal roof facet conditions. In this study, rooftop facet orientation distributions are presented and analyzed for all single-family buildings in the Swedish city of Uppsala, based on LiDAR-based data that consist of every roof facet from the around 13,500 single-family buildings in the city. From these distributions, novel methods to proportionally include less suitable roofs for every penetration level are proposed using a simple method based on normal and uniform probability density functions, and are tested for both time-series and stochastic hosting capacity analysis. The results show that under the assumption that the best roof facets are utilized first, a uniform distribution for rooftop facet azimuth and a normal distribution for rooftop facet tilt with parameters that depend linearly on the penetration level were shown to be accurate. The hosting capacity simulations demonstrate how the proposed methods perform significantly better in estimating the photovoltaic hosting capacity than the more common simplified methods for both time-series and stochastic hosting capacity analysis. The proposed model could help distribution system operators as well as researchers in this area to model the rooftop facet orientation uncertainty better and improve the quality of aggregated photovoltaic generation models and hosting capacity analyses.

Autonomous vehicle fleets for public transport: scenarios and comparisons

Autonomous vehicles (AVs) are becoming a reality and may integrate with existing public transport systems to enable the new generation of autonomous public transport. It is vital to understand what are the alternatives for AV integration from different angles such as costs, emissions, and transport performance. With the aim to support AV integration in public transport, this paper takes a typical European city as a case study for analyzing the impacts of different AV integration alternatives. A transport planning model considering AVs is developed and implemented, with a methodology to estimate the costs of the transport network. Traffic simulations are conducted to derive key variables related to AVs. An optimization process is introduced for identifying the optimal network configuration based on a given AV integration strategy, followed by the design of different AV integration scenarios, simulation, and analyses. With the proposed method, a case study is done for the city of Uppsala with presentation of detailed cost results together with key traffic statistics such as mode share. The results show that integrating AVs into public transport does not necessarily improve the overall cost efficiency. Based on the results and considering the long transition period to fully autonomous vehicles, it is recommended that public transport should consider a gradual introduction of AVs with more detailed analysis on different combination and integration alternatives of bus services and AVs. • A transport planning model with integration of autonomous vehicles. • Impact analysis of autonomous fleets integration in public transport. • Based on a typical European city with realistic traffic data. • Simulation study on different integration alternatives of autonomous vehicles. • Cost estimation and sensitivity analysis of different integration scenarios. • A mixed-mode with autonomous fleets and buses is better compared with a single mode. • The value of time of autonomous vehicles has big impact on the overall network costs.

Women and wealth in Sweden: the case of Uppsala, 1850–1910

ABSTRACT In the Swedish context, fairly little is known about the variation in the level and composition of female wealth over the long term. This paper aims to contribute to filling this gap, emphasising the main features of unmarried women's wealth and assessing how it evolved during the second half of the nineteenth century. To this end, the study relies on a sample of about 500 probate inventories drawn up in the city of Uppsala between 1850 and 1910. The second half of the nineteenth century was a period of transformation encompassing several aspects of Swedish society. The change included the economic and financial structure of the country, as well as the legal framework and the labour market. The research proves that unmarried women's wealth increased in the period here analysed, even though dissimilarly between spinsters and widows. Their wealth changed also from a qualitative point of view, as shown by the increasing presence of specific assets such as real estate and stocks recorded in their inventories. Among the several factors that can be retraced at the origins of this phenomenon, the development of a more equal legal framework and the evolution of the housing market seemed to have played a major role.

The Price of Really Clean Water: Combining Nanofiltration with Granular Activated Carbon and Anion Exchange Resins for the Removal of Per- And Polyfluoralkyl Substances (PFASs) in Drinking Water Production

The removal of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFASs) presents a challenge for drinking water providers. Guidelines for PFAS concentrations in final drinking water are regularly updated to ever-decreasing values, and conventional drinking water treatment plants are not designed to remove PFASs. Currently, the most frequently used removal technique, adsorption to granular activated carbon (GAC), is often considered challenging. High-pressure membranes, such as nanofiltration (NF), have been shown to remove PFASs efficiently. However, the creation of a waste stream comprised of at least 10% of the feedwater volume is recognized as a major drawback of this technique. In this study, a NF pilot plant was operated at a drinking water treatment plant in the city of Uppsala, Sweden, for six months. NF removed up to >98% of PFASs and fulfilled other water quality targets, such as the removal of uranium-238, dissolved organic carbon (DOC), and mineral hardness from the raw water. The concentrate from the pilot plant was treated with two different GAC materials and two different anion exchange (AIX) resins in column tests, where the superior performance of AIX over GAC was observed in terms of PFAS removal. PFAS adsorption curves for GAC were found to superimpose each other for the two water types if normalized to the specific throughput of DOC. The application of the freely available PHREEQC model revealed improvement possibilities in terms of resin properties. A cost analysis using the column test results compared GAC filtration to the combination of NF with adsorption materials. Treatment costs were found to be largely dependent on the PFAS drinking water treatment goals and concentrate discharge requirements, which highlight the economic consequences of prevailing guidelines for drinking water and discharge to the environment. The results of this study provide both the scientific community as well as drinking water providers with important insights into the application of NF for PFAS removal during drinking water treatment as well as that mechanistic and economic aspects of NF treatment and the management of the resulting concentrate.

Initiatives of SDGs(Sustainable Development Goals) in Uppsala City from the Perspective of ESD(Education for Sustainable Development)

Initiatives of SDGs(Sustainable Development Goals) in Uppsala City from the Perspective of ESD(Education for Sustainable Development)

Invasive Densification as a Pandemic Generator – Extreme Case in Uppsala

Deliberate density planning was investigated in Eriksberg - a suburban development project in Western Uppsala, where an existing district was proposed by the municipality to double its population and its housing capacity over a period of 20 years. The intensive densification was proposed as a response to fast population growth in the city. But such invasive densification can be shown to threaten to eradicate existing internal green areas, to increase traffic movements strongly and challenge half-a-century-old social networks in the area. The intensive densification is likely to destroy the original plan, where housing, green structure, activity arenas and transport infrastructure are today well integrated, and where there is currently a good balance between density and spaciousness. Such densification levels would also be highly problematic from a disease control perspective, with increased social contacts, less opportunities to access courtyard and district green areas, higher popular density in shops, buses, schools and other service functions. As an alternative to intensifying existing near-suburbs we suggest a new strategy – DOSSIER [1] – where existing secondary settlements (satellite communities) outside the city of Uppsala are supplemented with new homes and new job opportunities. This approach – together with a modest in-fill densification within the cityscape, could create a fruitful balance and a new sustainable alliance between urban and rural areas – a fundamental strategy for abating climate change. [1] Densification Of Secondary Settlements Environmental Regeneration

0460 Insomnia In 400 Women: Polysomnography, Immune Parameters, Depression and Anxiety

Abstract Introduction Insomnia disorder has a very weak link to polysomnography (PSG) and so does sleep problems in the general population. The reason for this is not clear. One possibility is that the perception of disturbed sleep may be related to immune activation or anxiety/depression, without impairment of objective sleep. Methods 400 women participated, constituting a representative sample of the city of Uppsala with oversampling of snorers. Insomniacs (N=41) were compared with normal sleepers in terms of polysomnography (PSG), immune parameters, anxiety and depression Results The results (after adjustment for age and BMI) show that C-reactive protein (CRP) reached a higher level (4.4±.5) in insomniacs (vs 2.3±.2 for normal sleepers) (p=.003) and lower subjective health (p=.000), while anxiety (p=.000) and depression (p=.000) (Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HAD)) showed higher levels. PSG sleep continuity variables lacked association with insomnia, as did all sleep stage variables except for REM%, with a lower level in the insomnia group (p=.021). Interleukin 6 and Tumor Necrosis Factor alpha were not related to insomnia. CRP levels did not correlate significantly with anxiety or depression, but with subjective health (r=-.21, p=.000). A logistic regression analysis (excluding the variable subjective health) with insomnia as outcome (0/1) yielded as predictors CRP (OR=1.14, Ci= 1.05; 1.24, p=.000), depression (OR=1.21, Ci=1.06;1.38, p=.000) and anxiety (OR=1.15, Ci=1.02;1.30, p=.021). Conclusion It was concluded that increased CRP levels may be part of the subjective experience of insomnia. Support No external funding

Removal of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFASs) in a full-scale drinking water treatment plant: Long-term performance of granular activated carbon (GAC) and influence of flow-rate

Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFASs) have been ubiquitously detected in drinking water which poses a risk for human exposure. In this study, the treatment efficiency for the removal of 15 PFASs was examined in a full-scale drinking water treatment plant (DWTP) in the City of Uppsala, Sweden, over a period of two years (2015–2017). Removal of the five frequently detected PFASs was influenced by the total operation time of granular activated carbon (GAC) filters, GAC type and surface loading rate. The average removal efficiency of PFASs ranged from 92 to 100% for “young” GAC filters and decreased to 7.0–100% for “old” GAC filters (up to 357 operation days, 29 300 bed volumes (BV) treated). Flow-rates were adjusted in two full-scale GAC filters of different operational age to examine the removal of PFAS and organic matter depending on GAC operational age and operating flow. The decrease in flow-rate by 10 L s−1 from 39 to 29 L s−1 led to an average increase of 14% and 6.5% in total PFAS removal efficiency for an “old” (264 operation days, 21 971 BV treated) and a “young” GAC filter (63 operation days, 5 725 BV treated), respectively. A cost-analysis for various operation scenarios illustrated the dominating effect of treatment goals and costs for GAC regeneration on overall GAC operation costs. The unit costs for GAC filters ranged from 0.08 to 0.10 € m−3 water treated and 0.020-0.025 € m−3 water treated for a treatment goal of 10 ng L−1 and 85 ng L−1, respectively, for ∑11PFAS. Furthermore, it was concluded that prolonging the GAC service life by lowering the flow-rates after reaching the treatment goal could lead to a 26% cost-deduction. The results and methods presented in this study give drinking water providers valuable tools for the operation of a full-scale treatment train for the removal of PFAS in contaminated raw water.

Optimal fares and frequencies for bus services in a small city

This paper evaluates the welfare effects of optimizing bus service fares and frequencies in small cities by modeling street congestion and crowding in public transport vehicles. The model is calibrated to the Swedish city of Uppsala. A simple demand model is used. Sensitivity analyses suggest that this is sufficient for representing important welfare effects. The results indicate that there would be large, robust welfare gains from reducing public transport supply in Uppsala, especially in the outer zone of the city where reductions of supply would be large compared to the current situation. The welfare gains from adjusting fares would be smaller.

Analysis of Clay-Induced Land Subsidence in Uppsala City Using Sentinel-1 SAR Data and Precise Leveling

Land subsidence and its subsequent hazardous effects on buildings and urban infrastructure are important issues in many cities around the world. The city of Uppsala in Sweden is undergoing significant subsidence in areas that are located on clay. Underlying clay units in parts of Uppsala act as mechanically weak layers, which for instance, cause sinking of the ground surface and tilting buildings. Interferometric Synthetic Aperture Radar (InSAR) has given rise to new methods of measuring movements on earth surface with a precision of a few mm. In this study, a Persistent Scatterer Interferometry (PSI) analysis was performed to map the ongoing ground deformation in Uppsala. The subsidence rate measured with PSI was validated with precise leveling data at different locations. Two ascending and descending data sets were analyzed using SARPROZ software, with Sentinel-1 data from the period March 2015 to April 2019. After the PSI analyses, comparative Permanent Scatterer (PS) points and metal pegs (measured with precise leveling) were identified creating validation pairs. According to the PSI analyses, Uppsala was undergoing significant subsidence in some areas, with an annual rate of about 6 mm/year in the line-of-sight direction. Interestingly, the areas of great deformation were exclusively found on postglacial clay.

Spatial Markov chain model for electric vehicle charging in cities using geographical information system (GIS) data

In the recent years, the number of electric vehicles (EVs) on the road have been rapidly increasing. Charging this increasing number of EVs is expected to have an impact on the electricity grid especially if high charging powers and opportunistic charging are used. Several models have been proposed to quantify this impact. Multiple papers have observed that the charging stations are used by multiple users during the day. However, this observation was not assumed in any previous model. Moreover, none of the previous models relied on geospatial maps to extract information about the parking lots—where charging stations are installed—and the charging profiles of the potential users of these charging stations.In this paper, a spatial Markov chain model is developed to model the charging load of EVs in cities. The model assumes three distinct charging profiles: Work, Home, and Other. Geospatial maps were used to estimate the charging profile, or mixture of profiles, of the charging stations based on the nearby building types.A case study was made on the city of Uppsala, Sweden—a city with approximately 44,000 cars. The results of the case study indicated that the aggregate load of the EVs in the city reduced the charging impact. For example when using 22 kW chargers, the peak load in the city per EV was estimated to be 1.29 kW/car in case of spatio-temporally opportunistic charging, and 1.47 kW/car in case of residential only opportunistic charging. This is to say that the Swedish grid operators can expect that every EV in the city will increase the peak load by at most 1.47 kW due to aggregation; this is assuming that 22 kW chargers were used.In addition, we showed that the minute-minute variability of the charging load in cities might cause some future challenges. In our case, up to 3% of the EVs in the city simultaneously started charging. This caused a one-minute-ramp in the charging load of 1.1 MW—if charging using 3.7 kW. Charging with higher powers will exacerbate these ramps, e.g., charging with 22 kW will cause sudden one-minute-increases as high as 6.7 MW in the charging load. Such a finding indicates that using high charging powers might cause high variability in the charging load of EVs in cities. This high variability might limit the synergy potentials between EVs and variable renewable energy sources (RES).The proposed model can potentially be used along with RES models to estimate the spatio-temporal synergy potentials between the two technologies. Evaluating the synergy potentials might be of value to grid operators, policy makers, market traders, etc.

Somatic symptoms in adolescence as a predictor of severe mental illness in adulthood: a long-term community-based follow-up study

BackgroundSomatic symptoms are common and costly for society and correlate with suffering and low functioning. Nevertheless, little is known about the long-term implications of somatic symptoms. The objective of this study was to assess if somatic symptoms in adolescents with depression and in their matched controls predict severe mental illness in adulthood by investigating the use of hospital-based care consequent to different mental disorders.MethodsThe entire school population of 16–17-year-olds in the city of Uppsala, Sweden, was screened for depression in 1991–1993 (n = 2300). Adolescents with positive screenings (n = 307) and matched non-depressed controls (n = 302) participated in a semi-structured diagnostic interview for mental disorders. In addition, 21 different self-rated somatic symptoms were assessed. The adolescents with depression and the matched non-depressed controls were engaged in follow-up through the National Patient Register 17–19 years after the baseline study (n = 375). The outcome measures covered hospital-based mental health care for different mental disorders according to ICD-10 criteria between the participants’ ages of 18 and 35 years.ResultsSomatic symptoms were associated with an increased risk of later hospital-based mental health care in general in a dose–response relationship when adjusting for sex, adolescent depression, and adolescent anxiety (1 symptom: OR = 1.63, CI 0.55–4.85; 2–4 symptoms: OR = 2.77, 95% CI 1.04–7.39; ≥ 5 symptoms: OR = 5.75, 95% CI 1.98–16.72). With regards to specific diagnoses, somatic symptoms predicted hospital-based care for mood disorders when adjusting for sex, adolescent depression, and adolescent anxiety (p < 0.05). In adolescents with depression, somatic symptoms predicted later hospital-based mental health care in a dose–response relationship (p < 0.01). In adolescents without depression, reporting at least one somatic symptom predicted later hospital-based mental health care (p < 0.05).ConclusionsSomatic symptoms in adolescence predicted severe adult mental illness as measured by hospital-based care also when controlled for important confounders. The results suggest that adolescents with somatic symptoms need early treatment and extended follow-up to treat these specific symptoms, regardless of co-occurring depression and anxiety.

Predictors for Development of Excessive Daytime Sleepiness in Women: A Population-Based 10-Year Follow-Up.

To analyze predictors of excessive daytime sleepiness (EDS) and to analyze how changes within risk factors over time predict incident EDS in women. Population-based prospective study. General population of the City of Uppsala, Sweden. From a random, general population sample of 7,051 women from the Sleep and HEalth in women ("SHE") cohort, 4,322 women without EDS at baseline were followed up after 10 y. N/A. At baseline and follow-up, women answered a questionnaire on sleeping habits, somatic disease, obesity, insomnia, anxiety and depression, lifestyle, and social factors. The risk of incident EDS was analyzed from changes over time in risk factors using logistic regression modeling. Of the women, EDS developed in 7.9%. Incident: insomnia (adjusted odds ratio = 5.01; 95% confidence interval 3.63-6.92), anxiety and/or depression (3.34; 2.22-5.02), somatic disease (1.73; 1.17-2.55), obesity (1.91; 1.14-2.57), snoring (1.91; 1.17-3.10) and smoking (4.31; 1.95-9.54) were all independent risk factors for the development of EDS. In addition, persistent: insomnia (4.44; 2.97-6.65) and anxiety and/or depression (4.91; 3.17-7.62) increased the risk of developing EDS. Apart from incident: snoring and obesity, similar results were obtained when only including women without somatic disease in the analyses. Insomnia, anxiety and/or depression, and smoking were the most important factors for predicting incident excessive daytime sleepiness (EDS) and, in addition, somatic disease, obesity, and snoring predicted EDS. It is important not only to treat these conditions but also to inform women of the importance of a healthy lifestyle in order to prevent and reduce EDS in women.

Influence of contaminated drinking water on perfluoroalkyl acid levels in human serum – A case study from Uppsala, Sweden

In 2012 a contamination of drinking water with perfluoroalkyl acids (PFAAs) was uncovered in the City of Uppsala, Sweden. The aim of the present study was to determine how these substances have been distributed from the contamination source through the groundwater to the drinking water and how the drinking water exposure has influenced the levels of PFAAs in humans over time. The results show that PFAA levels in groundwater measured 2012–2014 decreased downstream from the point source, although high ΣPFAA levels (>100ng/L) were still found several kilometers from the point source in the Uppsala aquifer. The usage of aqueous film forming fire-fighting foams (AFFF) at a military airport in the north of the city is probably an important contamination source. Computer simulation of the distribution of PFAA-contaminated drinking water throughout the City using a hydraulic model of the pipeline network suggested that consumers in the western and southern parts of Uppsala have received most of the contaminated drinking water. PFAA levels in blood serum from 297 young women from Uppsala County, Sweden, sampled during 1996–1999 and 2008–2011 were analyzed. Significantly higher concentrations of perfluorobutane sulfonic acid (PFBS) and perfluorohexane sulfonic acid (PFHxS) were found among women who lived in districts modeled to have received contaminated drinking water compared to unaffected districts both in 1996–1999 and 2008–2011, indicating that the contamination was already present in the late 1990s. Isomer-specific analysis of PFHxS in serum showed that women in districts with contaminated drinking water also had an increased percentage of branched isomers. Our results further indicate that exposure via contaminated drinking water was the driving factor behind the earlier reported increasing temporal trends of PFBS and PFHxS in blood serum from young women in Uppsala.

Carbon footprint of food waste management options in the waste hierarchy – a Swedish case study

Food waste is a problem with economic, environmental and social implications, making it both important and complex. Previous studies have addressed food waste management options at the less prioritised end of the waste hierarchy, but information on more prioritised levels is also needed when selecting the best available waste management options. Investigating the global warming potential of different waste management options offers a limited perspective, but is still important for validating generations from the waste hierarchy in a local context. This study compared the effect on greenhouse gas emissions of different food waste management scenarios representing different levels in the waste hierarchy in the city of Uppsala, Sweden. A life cycle assessment was performed for six waste management scenarios (landfill, incineration, composting, anaerobic digestion, animal feed and donations), using five food products (bananas, grilled chicken, lettuce, beef and bread) as examples when treated as individual waste streams. For all five waste streams, the established waste hierarchy was a useful, but approximate, tool for prioritising the various options, since landfill proved to be the worst option and donation, anaerobic digestion and incineration with energy recovery the best options, for easily handle products, wet products and dry products, respectively, taking into account the GHG emissions. The greatest potential for reducing greenhouse gas emissions was in the bread waste stream, since bread is an energy-rich product with a relatively low carbon footprint, increasing the possibilities for replacing fossil energy carriers. Lettuce, with its high water content, had the least potential to reduce greenhouse gas emissions when the waste management method was changed. Waste valorisation measures should therefore focus on food products with the potential to replace production of goods and services, rather than on food products that are wasted in large quantities or have a high carbon footprint.

Exercise-induced dyspnea is a problem among the general adolescent population

Respiratory symptoms during exercise are common and might limit adolescents' ability to take part in physical activity. To estimate the prevalence, determinants and consequences of exercise-induced dyspnea (EID) on daily life in a general population of 12-13 year old adolescents. A letter was sent to the parents of all 12-13 year old adolescents in the city of Uppsala (n = 3838). Parents were asked to complete a questionnaire together with their child on EID, asthma and allergy, consequences for daily life (wheeze, day time- and nocturnal dyspnea) and physical activity. The response rate was 60% (n = 2309). Fourteen percent (n = 330) reported EID, i.e. had experienced an attack of shortness of breath that occurred after strenuous activity within the last 12 months. Female gender, ever-asthma and rhinitis were independently associated with an increased risk of EID. Ever-asthma was reported by 14.6% (n = 338), and 5.4% (n = 128) had both EID and ever-asthma. Sixty-one percent (n = 202) of the participants with EID did not have a diagnosis of asthma. In addition to rhinitis, participants with EID reported current wheeze and day-time as well as nocturnal dyspnea more often than the group without EID. No difference was found in the level of physical activity between participants with and without EID. Adolescents with undiagnosed exercise-induced dyspnea have respiratory symptoms and are affected in daily life but have the same level of physical activity as adolescents without exercise-induced respiratory symptoms.

The Urban Metabolism of the City of Uppsala (Sweden)

Urban systems can be considered like living organisms supplied by mate- rial and energy flows used to maintain structures an functions, and the production of goods and services. In this paper, we integrate economic cost analysis with a method of biophysical accounting (namely Emergy Synthesis) to assess the main inputs and output flows characterizing the urban metabolism of the city of Uppsala (Sweden). Natural and human- driven resource flows supporting the metabolism of the city were evalu- ated and compared by using an ecological-economics perspective. Final- ly, economic and emergy-based indicators were calculated and discussed. Results highlighted a lack of self-sufficiency characterizing most of mod- ern cities especially in terms of food andenergy supplied from larger environmental systems. Considering the existing problems of environ- mental sustainability of most cities and the current trend towards urbani- zation, the proposed multi-criteria assessment to the study of urban me- tabolism, further improved by a deeper investigation of social variables, can represent an important component of sustainability research and poli-Cy.