South Sweden Research Articles

A Population-Based Study on the Incidence, Risk Factors, and Outcome of Salmonella Bloodstream Infections in South Sweden 2012-2022.

Invasive infections caused by Salmonella are a significant global health concern. This population-based study aimed to comprehensively analyze invasive Salmonella infections in South Sweden, focusing on incidence, clinical presentation, risk factors, and outcomes. This population-based observational cohort study, conducted from 2012 to 2022, included all patients with Salmonella bloodstream infections (BSI) in the Skåne region, South Sweden. A control group consisted of patients with positive stool cultures/PCR for Salmonella but without BSI. Data were collected following a predefined study protocol from medical records. Standardized statistical analyses assessed patient characteristics, clinical presentation, and outcomes. Between 2012 and 2022, 149 patients with SBSI were identified, with the majority having non-typhoidal Salmonella (NTS) infections (95%). A declining trend in the incidence of SBSI was observed, with the highest incidence in 2012 (1.5 per 100,000 person-years) and the lowest in 2020 (0.3 per 100,000 person-years). Patients with BSI were more likely to be older, have comorbidities, be immunosuppressed, and use proton pump inhibitors (PPIs). Additionally, patients with BSI presented with fewer gastrointestinal symptoms, had a higher respiratory rate, lower saturation, and higher SOFA scores, suggesting a more septic presentation. Patients with SBSI had significantly longer hospital stays and higher 30-day, 90-day, 180-day, and 365-day mortality rates compared to the control group. Invasive Salmonella infections are rare in South Sweden. In a cohort of enteric and invasive Salmonella infection, the absence of classic gastroenteritis symptoms increases the risk of Salmonella bloodstream infection. This study highlights the importance of distinguishing between clinical presentations to guide appropriate treatment when Salmonella infection is suspected. The declining trend in incidence, particularly associated with international travel, necessitates further investigation to understand contributing factors.

Assessing the diversity of nematodes in the Store Mosse National Park (Sweden) using metabarcoding

The Store Mosse National Park in the south of Sweden was surveyed for nematode diversity and distribution using DNA metabarcoding. Fifty samples were collected from five vegetation types in the park across a range of habitats (e.g. soil, litter, lichens, sphagnum and roots). The other habitats, aside from soil and litter, were sampled in order to capture the diversity of nematodes that may be uniquely associated with them. Nematodes were characterised using the V7-V8 variable domain (~ 350 bp) of the 18S ribosomal RNA gene. We identified 46 families, 76 genera (21 new to Swedish fauna) and 60 species (31 new to Swedish fauna). Some nematodes showed strong associations with their habitats, especially at the species level. Although soil and litter supported the most diverse nematode communities, our results support a strong justification for sampling across different media types to quantify nematode diversity accurately. Soil and litter communities showed high levels of stability with balanced distribution of all the various trophic and coloniser-persister groups.

Parental satisfaction with paediatric care with and without the support of an eHealth device: a quasi-experimental study in Sweden

BackgroundThe period after a child is discharged from hospital is generally described as challenging for the parents. Their satisfaction with the health services received is an important indicator of the quality of care. eHealth devices are increasingly used in health care to support communication with parents. Differences in levels of parental satisfaction by modality of provided care or by parental background are largely unknown. This study aimed to describe satisfaction with health care between sociodemographic groups of parents, who either received or did not receive an eHealth device for communication between parents and hospital staff as a supplement to routine care after a child’s discharge from neonatal or paediatric surgery departments.MethodsData from a quasi-experimental study was collected in the south of Sweden, between 2019 and 2021. The Pediatric Quality of Life Inventory™ (PedsQL) Healthcare Satisfaction Generic Module was used to assess the parents’ satisfaction with different dimensions of health care. Seventy parents of children hospitalized in a neonatal or a paediatric surgery department were enrolled in intervention (eHealth device, n = 36) and control (no eHealth device, n = 34) groups.ResultsThe parents reported high overall satisfaction with the health care provided and were also highly satisfied within different dimensions of care. Moreover, they reported high satisfaction with using an eHealth device, although having support from the eHealth device was related to neither higher nor lower levels of satisfaction with care. There was a significant difference between fathers and mothers in the multivariate sub-analysis in certain instances regarding satisfaction with communication and the level of inclusion.ConclusionsParents were very satisfied with the health care provided, whether or not they received eHealth. Further research looking at groups with and without the support of an eHealth device is required to further develop future paediatric and neonatal care interventions. Communication and support through eHealth can be a tool to alleviate the distress parents experience after their child’s hospital admission, accommodate the family’s transfer to home, and increase satisfaction with care, but it needs to be evaluated before being implemented.Trial registrationClinical Trials NCT04150120, first registration 4/11/2019.

A population-based study on the incidence and aetiology of infectious complications in peritoneal dialysis in South Sweden

Background Peritonitis is a major cause of morbidity in peritoneal dialysis (PD) and an independent risk factor for elevated all-cause mortality. The aims of this study were to report the incidence, trend, aetiology, and antimicrobial susceptibility of PD-associated peritonitis and catheter-related infections in South Sweden between 2011–2020. Methods This population-based observational cohort study included all patients with PD between the years 2011–2020 in the county of Skåne. Data was accessed through the Swedish Renal Registry and the Department of Clinical Microbiology in Lund. Definitions issued by the International Society for Peritoneal Dialysis were implemented to assess PD-associated infections. Results Medical records of 675 paediatric and adult PD patients were eligible for inclusion. Of those, 208 (31%) were female and the median age was 67 years (range 0-91). The overall rate of PD-peritonitis was 0.38 episodes per year at risk. Out of 484 episodes of peritonitis, 61% (n = 295) were caused by Gram-positive bacteria. There were 289 occurrences of exit site infections, of which most (n = 152, 53%) were Gram-positive. Tunnel infections occurred in 16 episodes and were caused by S. aureus or P. aeruginosa. Among all isolates, 37 were of MRSE, four of ESBL-producing E. coli, and one of MRSA. Conclusion The crude rate of PD-peritonitis was stable during the study period. Gram-positive bacteria dominated the microbial aetiology, and antibiotic resistance was limited. It is important to monitor the aetiology, incidence, and resistance rates in PD-associated infections, to base empirical antibiotic regimens and facilitate prevention.

Analysis of the Geoelectric Field in Sweden Over Solar Cycles 23 and 24: Spatial and Temporal Variability During Strong GIC Events

AbstractGeomagnetic storms can produce large perturbations on the Earth magnetic field. Through complex magnetosphere‐ionosphere coupling, the geoelectric field (E) and geomagnetic field (B) are highly perturbed. The E is the physical driver of geomagnetically induced currents. However, a statistical study of the E in Sweden has never been done before. We combined geomagnetic data from the International Monitor for Auroral Geomagnetic Effects network in Northern Europe with a 3‐D structure of Earth's electrical conductivity in Sweden as the input of a 1‐D model to compute the E between 2000 and 2018. Northwestern Sweden presents statistically larger E magnitudes due to larger |dB/dt| variations in the north than in the south of Sweden and relative lower conductivity in the west compared to central and eastern Sweden. In contrast, the 15 strongest daily maximum |E| events present more frequently a maximum magnitude in central Sweden (62.25°N) and their relative strengths are not the same for all latitudes. These results highlight the different regional response to geomagnetic storms, which can be related to ground conductivity variability and the complex magnetosphere‐ionosphere coupling mechanisms.

The potential of agricultural residual waste as building material in South Sweden

A literature review and statistical analysis of the potential of agricultural residual waste as building materials in South Sweden was carried out. This data showed that there is a clear capacity for the use of mainly straw-generating crops as building materials in the region.

Stem growth of Norway spruce in south Sweden in relation to soil moisture, nitrogen deposition, ozone exposure and meteorological variables

Associations between the annual stem basal area increment growth and soil moisture, nitrogen deposition, ground level ozone exposure, air temperatures and the timing of the start of the growing season have been investigated for a twenty four-year period, 1990–2013, based on tree-ring width measurements from seventeen monitoring sites with Norway spruce (Picea abies) forests in southern Sweden. The stem growth-environment associations were analyzed using a fixed effect regression model, with annual stem basal area increment (BAI) as the dependent variable and annual values for a soil moisture index, ozone exposure estimated as AOT30, bulk deposition of nitrogen, summed air temperatures above a threshold and the timing of the start of the growing season as explanatory variables. The statistical analysis was made with and without taking clustering of the sampled trees into account, i.e. that several different tree observations were made at the same monitoring site. The annual number of days with soil moisture below a threshold was the only explanatory variable that could be demonstrated to be negatively associated with changes in BAI, regardless of statistical approach. Positive associations between temperature sums as well as nitrogen deposition with changes in BAI were indicated by low p values using standard p-values, but not when clustering was taken into consideration. Associations between ozone exposure as well as the start date of the growing season with changes in BAI could not be demonstrated since the estimated p values were high regardless of statistical approach. The results show that soil water deficit may considerably limit forest growth in northern European forests.

Human-animal relationships, silliness, and queer homemaking in Sven Nordqvist’s Pettson and Findus

This article argues that the picture book series Pettson and Findus by Sven Nordqvist can be a valuable resource when looking at ethics of matter and thinking through relationships with the more-than-human. Pettson and Findus is a series of picture books written and illustrated by Sven Nordqvist. The books depict the relationship between old man Pettson and his cat Findus, who live in an old farmhouse in the south of Sweden together with chickens, invisible “muckles” and a variety of other creatures and people. The books centre on relatively mundane activities, made into small adventures by the various different creatures. This article analyses the Pettson and Findus series through Donna Haraway’s analysis of human animal relationships in When Species Meet (2008) and calls for the making of oddkin in Staying with the Trouble (2016). This article, using Will McKeithen’s analysis in Queer Ecologies of the Home and Monica Flegel’s Pets and domesticity in Victorian culture, argues that Pettson and Findus live in a queer kind of household, and participate in queer home making. Using Jack Halberstam’s analysis in The Queer Art of Failure (2011) this article centres Pettson as a figure that is both queer and silly, and through this queer silliness creates certain openings for queer community with the more-than-human, and the making of oddkin.

Exploring child protection content in social work curricula in South Africa and Sweden

ABSTRACT Child participation and agency are vital elements in child protection. Ensuring child participation can contribute to successful interventions. Social workers are often the central agents in ensuring that children participate in matters concerning them and that the best interest of the child principle is adhered to in these matters. The aim of this study is thus to understand if and how social work education in South Africa and Sweden teaches child participation in child protection work. We study curricula for social work programmes in three South African and two Swedish universities. Results indicate broad themes of similar content in curricula in both countries and both indicate gaps in terms of in-depth training in child protection, as well as children to a very low degree are regarded as agents. Students are not explicitly trained to encourage child participation. Further research can show whether and how such knowledge is developed in practice and how the social work programmes can prepare the students for such development. If social workers should be able to promote child participation, regard them as active agents and support them in developing resilience, they need to have that perspective in their fundamental training.

Mechanical design of the gamma blockers for the high-energy beam transport region of the European Spallation Source

Abstract The European Spallation Source (ESS) is a collaboration of 13 European countries to build the world’s most powerful neutron source for research. The project, situated in the south of Sweden, is approaching the end of the construction phase, and the first scientific results are planned for 2023. This paper gives an overview of mechanical design of the gamma blockers (GBs) in the accelerator to target (A2T) and dump line (DmpL) sections. The presence of GBs in the beam line should limit the gamma radiation emitted from the activated tungsten target and beam dump to allow the safe access of the staff to the machine. The presented design allows for efficient operation and the same shutting time independently of the vacuum status.

Models of leaving home: patterns and trends in Sweden, 1830–1959

ABSTRACT In this study, we examine the development of age at leaving the parental household in Sweden between the years 1830-1959. We utilize individual-level longitudinal data from two geographically and socioeconomically different regions: the county of Scania in the very south of Sweden, and Västerbotten to the north. We use descriptive and multivariate analyses to investigate how determinants, such as age at marriage and socioeconomic status, affected the age at leaving the parental household over time and between different subgroups, such as sex and rural-urban setting. We show that the age at leaving the parental household was initially low but increased strongly during industrialization but fell again during the interwar period and onwards. Regional and subgroup differences in age at leaving the parental household were small throughout the investigated period, indicating that the development was general in nature. Therefore, we argue that our results indicate that different models governed the structures and norms of home leaving during our investigated period. More specifically, a pre-industrial model gradually shifted into an industrial model, with the latter one becoming dominant in the 1920s. In the pre-industrial model, leaving home was shaped by the life-cycle service system. In the industrial model, age at marriage instead became a main determinant of home leaving.

Evaluation and Mapping of Sustainable Water and Wastewater Treatment with Membrane Processes in South Africa and Sweden

Membrane technology is crucial to achieving Sustainable Development Goal No. 6 of clean water and sanitation for all. Despite its numerous benefits, high capital and operating costs pose major challenges. Recent research has focused on sustainable materials as membranes and more effective cleaning regimes to reduce costs and improve membrane lifespan. While South Africa and Sweden have both begun using membrane technology for water and wastewater treatment, it remains relatively rare. Collaborations throughSASUF aim to evaluate and share best practices. Although MBRs have produced high-quality effluent in South Africa, cost, maintenance, and membrane replacement, as well as river pollution, remain major considerations. In contrast, Sweden has seen large-scale membrane installations in drinking water and wastewater treatment plants. Establishing working membrane references iscrucial to the success of membrane technology, which is well-established globally but often requires local adaptations. Collaborations between the two countries are essential to support this approach by sharing knowledge and learning from each other.

The Promise of Cultural Diplomacy

This article offers a reflection on the potentials of cultural diplomacy and cooperation, situating itself in the long-term relationship between South Africa and Sweden as well as the specific context of the professional practice of Sweden’s first counsellor for cultural affairs in South Africa, Hedda Krausz Sjögren. Providing a first-hand account of cultural diplomacy, it adopts a self-reflexive positionand, largely, a first-person perspective. Co-authored by Krausz Sjögren and one of her collaborators during this period, a theatre director and researcher, Kristina Hagström-Ståhl, it also attempts to reflect the shared experience of collaborative work in this sphere. As such, the text is written from within a combination of diplomatic, cultural, and professional practices, as well as from within a diverse set of skills informing the practices that shaped the body of work to which the article refers. We use a combination of personaland collective pronouns throughout this article to place emphasis on our reflections; the use of personal pronouns denotes Krausz Sjögren’s reflections. We aim to share a sense of the possible impact of work dedicated to democracy, freedom of expression, andgender inclusion.

TBE in Denmark

Since the 1950s, tick-borne encephalitis (TBE) has been known to be endemic in Denmark but only on the island of Bornholm. Bornholm is situated east of mainland Denmark, south of Sweden (Figure 3) and has a different fauna and flora from the rest of Denmark. Bornholm has about 45,000 inhabitants, but about 500,000 tourists visit the island every year. Freundt carried out a serosurvey during 1958–1962 and found TBE antibodies in 1.4% of blood donors and 30% of woodworkers on Bornholm but no antibodies in subjects living in mainland Denmark. In 1963, Freundt found that 8 of 12 patients admitted to the hospital with acute meningoencephalitis of unknown etiology during 1951–1960 had antibodies to tick-borne encephalitis (TBEV). In 2000, TBE was rediscovered on Bornholm, where a retrospective study covering the period 1994–2002 (7 years) identified 14 TBE cases; 2 cases were tourists and 12 were inhabitants of Bornholm, giving an incidence of 3.81 per 100,000 inhabitants. At least 5 patients (37.7%) got permanent sequelae. In addition, 32 forest workers on Bornholm were tested in 2000, and 20% had IgG antibodies but never symptoms. This is similar to the finding of Freundt in 1960. It was concluded that the data did not provide evidence of an increase in incidence of TBE. Ticks (Ixodes ricinus) from Bornholm were investigated for TBEV in 2000 and 2% were found to be infected. Since 2001 an average of 2.5 (range 1–8) TBE cases per year have been reported in Bornholm (Figure 1).

Measurement report: Atmospheric fluorescent bioaerosol concentrations measured during 18 months in a coniferous forest in the south of Sweden

Abstract. Biological aerosol particles affect human health, are essential for microbial and gene dispersal, and have been proposed as important agents for atmospheric processes. However, the abundance and size distributions of atmospheric biological particles are largely unknown. In this study we used a laser-induced fluorescence instrument to measure fluorescent biological aerosol particle (FBAP) concentrations for 18 months (October 2020–April 2022) at a rural, forested site in Sweden. The aim of this study was to investigate FBAP number concentrations (NFBAP) over time and analyze their relationship with meteorological parameters. NFBAP was highest in summer and lowest in winter, exhibiting a ∼ 5-fold difference between these seasons. The median NFBAP was 0.0050, 0.0025, 0.0027, and 0.0126 cm−3 in fall, winter, spring, and summer, respectively, and constituted ∼ 0.1–0.5 % of the total supermicron particle number concentration. NFBAP was dominated by the smallest measured size fraction (1–3 µm), suggesting that the main portions of the biological particles measured were due to single bacterial cells, fungal spores, and bacterial agglomerates. NFBAP was significantly correlated with increasing air temperature (P<0.01) in all seasons. For most of the campaign NFBAP was seen to increase with wind speed (P<0.01), while the relationship with relative humidity was for most of the campaign nonsignificant (46 %) but for a large part (30 %) negative (P<0.05). Our results indicate that NFBAP was highest during warm and dry conditions when wind speeds were high, suggesting that a major part of the FBAP in spring and summer was due to mechanical aerosol generation and release mechanisms. In fall, relative humidity may have been a more important factor in bioaerosol release. This is one of the longest time series of atmospheric FBAPs, which are greatly needed for estimates of bioaerosol background concentrations in comparable regions.

Baron Eric Hermelin—Translation and the Merge of Traditions; Encoding and Reception of Persian Sufi Poetry in 20th Century Sweden

The mysticism of the 19th and 20th centuries has often been perceived as a reaction towards the new fast, dense, and modern world. But is it not so that it thrives on the same material foundations, globalism, networks, and mass production of text, that built our contemporary global information society? In this article, thoughts found in the writings of the Swedish mystic and translator Baron Eric Hermelin are analyzed. Hermelin was born into a Swedish noble aristocratic family in 1860. After traveling through the British Empire as a soldier in his youth, he returned to Sweden with books and knowledge. Unfortunately, he spent most of his remaining life incarcerated in the mental hospital St. Lars in the university town of Lund in the south of Sweden. But from the hospital, he released translations of Rumi, Khayyam, and other Persian mystics as well as reflections on Böhme and Swedenborg. The analysis will use Eric Hermelin’s work and focus on the process of creating and delivering the texts of the Persian Sufis to a Swedish audience.

Molecular characteristics of breast tumors in patients screened for germline predisposition from a population-based observational study

BackgroundPathogenic germline variants (PGVs) in certain genes are linked to higher lifetime risk of developing breast cancer and can influence preventive surgery decisions and therapy choices. Public health programs offer genetic screening based on criteria designed to assess personal risk and identify individuals more likely to carry PGVs, dividing patients into screened and non-screened groups. How tumor biology and clinicopathological characteristics differ between these groups is understudied and could guide refinement of screening criteria.MethodsSix thousand six hundred sixty breast cancer patients diagnosed in South Sweden during 2010–2018 were included with available clinicopathological and RNA sequencing data, 900 (13.5%) of which had genes screened for PGVs through routine clinical screening programs. We compared characteristics of screened patients and tumors to non-screened patients, as well as between screened patients with (n = 124) and without (n = 776) PGVs.ResultsBroadly, breast tumors in screened patients showed features of a more aggressive disease. However, few differences related to tumor biology or patient outcome remained significant after stratification by clinical subgroups or PAM50 subtypes. Triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC), the subgroup most enriched for PGVs, showed the most differences between screening subpopulations (e.g., higher tumor proliferation in screened cases). Significant differences in PGV prevalence were found between clinical subgroups/molecular subtypes, e.g., TNBC cases were enriched for BRCA1 PGVs. In general, clinicopathological differences between screened and non-screened patients mimicked those between patients with and without PGVs, e.g., younger age at diagnosis for positive cases. However, differences in tumor biology/microenvironment such as immune cell composition were additionally seen within PGV carriers/non-carriers in ER + /HER2 − cases, but not between screening subpopulations in this subgroup.ConclusionsCharacterization of molecular tumor features in patients clinically screened and not screened for PGVs represents a relevant read-out of guideline criteria. The general lack of molecular differences between screened/non-screened patients after stratification by relevant breast cancer subsets questions the ability to improve the identification of screening candidates based on currently used patient and tumor characteristics, pointing us towards universal screening. Nevertheless, while that is not attained, molecular differences identified between PGV carriers/non-carriers suggest the possibility of further refining patient selection within certain patient subsets using RNA-seq through, e.g., gene signatures.Trial registrationThe Sweden Cancerome Analysis Network – Breast (SCAN-B) was prospectively registered at ClinicalTrials.gov under the identifier NCT02306096.

Multi-element features of active acid sulfate soils across the Swedish coastal plains

Acid sulfate soils are sulfide-rich soils with notable associated environmental risks. The low pH of these soils mobilizes metals from the soil minerals, which will lead to both acidification and metal contamination of the surrounding environment. This paper presents the results of a geochemical study of 66 profiles of acid sulfate soils collected from a total of 22 sites (three profiles for each site) on the Swedish coastal plains, which stretch for some 2000 km along the Baltic Sea and Kattegat. The reduced zone at the bottom of the profiles was characterized by pH frequently >6.0, the transition zone (above the reduced zone) by a steep pH gradient from near-neutral to weakly acidic, and the oxidized zone located above the transition zone by highly acidic conditions with a pH minimum <4.0. Each zone in each profile was sampled for geochemical analyses. The aqua regia extractable S concentrations ranged widely in the reduced zone (0.06–7.5%) and were strongly depleted in the oxidized zone (median decrease 69%) from extensive sulfide oxidation and associated severe acidification and sulfate leaching. In addition to S, there were significant losses from the oxidized zone of eight alkali and alkaline earth metals (Ba, Be, Ca, K, Li, Mg, Na, and Sr), four first row transition metals (Co, Mn, Ni, and Zn), three second row transition metals (Cd, Y, and Zr), the rare earth elements (Ce, La, and Yb), and Al, Th, and B. These elements would therefore be expected to be enriched in nearby surface waters, which was supported by hydrogeochemistry data from elsewhere in the boreal zone. Nineteen other chemical elements were not significantly lost from the oxidized zone relative to the reduced zone (Fe, Ti, W, Se, Sc, V, Cu, Cr, P, In, Te, Ag, Sb, Bi, Sn, Mo, U, As, and Pb) and therefore, would not be expected to occur in elevated concentrations in acid sulfate soil affected surface waters, as was supported by literature data from elsewhere in the boreal zone. A hypothesis of more extensive oxidation, acidification, and leaching of the soils in south Sweden (hemiboreal zone) than north Sweden (boreal zone) due to a warmer climate in the former region was rejected based upon pH and multi-element patterns from 9 field sites from the north and 12 field sites from the south. Consequently, the losses were likely primarily controlled by local factors, such as time since drainage and soil development. However, the oxidized zone was significantly thicker in the north (median: 75 cm) than south (median: 40 cm). This suggested that although the proportional losses (i.e., difference in elemental concentrations between the oxidized and reduced zones) were overall not different between the two regions, the total amount of elements lost from the soils will have been larger in the north. Of the elements with no significant losses, several were extracted with 1 M HCl to a larger extent in the oxidized than the reduced zone (Fe, As, Cr, Cu, Mo, Sc, Ti, U, and V). This indicated retention in the acidic environment following release from weathered and/or oxidized soil minerals. These elements, of which several are particularly toxic (As, Cr, and U), may thus be mobilized and leached if the soils geochemical conditions change either naturally or via human activities.

Substantial carbon sequestration by peatlands in temperate areas revealed by InSAR

Peatlands are unique ecosystems that contain massive amounts of carbon. These ecosystems are incredibly vulnerable to human disturbance and climate change. This may cause the peatland carbon sink to shift to a carbon source. A change in the carbon storage of peatlands may result in surface deformation. This research uses the interferometric synthetic aperture radar (InSAR) technique to measure the deformation of the peatland’s surface in south Sweden in response to the seasonal and extreme weather conditions in recent years, including the unprecedented severe drought in the summer of 2018. The deformation map of the study area is generated through a time-series analysis of InSAR from June 2017 to November 2020. Monitoring the peatland areas in this region is very important as agricultural and human activities have already caused many peatlands to disappear. This further emphasizes the importance of preserving the remaining peat sites in this region. Based on the InSAR results, a method for calculating the carbon flux of the peat areas is proposed, which can be utilized as a regular monitoring approach for other remote areas. Despite the severe drought in the summer of 2018, our findings reveal a significant uplift in most of the investigated peat areas during the study period. Based on our estimations, 86% of the peatlands in the study area experienced an uplift corresponding to about 47 000 tons of carbon uptake per year. In comparison, the remaining 14% showed either subsidence or stable conditions corresponding to about 2300 tons of carbon emission per year during the study period. This emphasizes the importance of InSAR as an efficient and accurate technique to monitor the deformation rate of peatlands, which have a vital role in the global carbon cycle.

Factors related to COVID-19 mortality among three Swedish intensive care units - A retrospective study.

Mortality due to acute hypoxemic respiratory failure (AHRF) in patients with COVID-19 differs across units, regions, and countries. These variations may be attributed to several factors, including comorbidities, acute physiological derangement, disease severity, treatment, ethnicity, healthcare system strain, and socioeconomic status. This study aimed to explore the features of patient characteristics, clinical management, and staffing that may be related to mortality among three intensive care units (ICUs) within the same hospital system in South Sweden. We retrospectively analyzed ICU patients with COVID-19 and AHRF in Region Jönköping County, Sweden. The primary outcome was the 90-day mortality rate. We used univariate and multivariable logistic regression analyses to investigate the relationship of predictors with outcomes. Between March 15, 2020, and May 31, 2021, 331 patients with AHRF and COVID-19 were admitted to the three ICUs. There were differences in diseaseseverity, treatments, process-related factors and socioecomic factors between the units. These factors were related to 90-day mortality. After multivariable adjustement, age, severity of acute respiratory distress syndrome, and the number of nurses per ICU-bedindependently predicted 90-day mortality. Age, disease severity and nurse staffing, but not treatment or socioeconomic status, were independently associated with 90-day mortality among critically ill patients with AHRF due to COVID-19. We also identified variations in care related processes which may be a modifiable risk factor and warrants future investigation. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.