Climate variability and the carbon cycle (C-cycle) are tied together in complex feedback loops and due to these complexities there are still knowledge-gaps of this coupling. However, to make accurate predictions of future climate, profound understanding of the C-cycle and climate variability is essential. To gain more knowledge of climate variability, the study aims to identify recurring spatial patterns of the variability of precipitation anomalies over Scandinavia during spring and summer respectively between 1981 to 2014. These patterns will be related to the C-cycle through changes in summer vegetation greenness, measured as normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI). Finally, the correlation between the patterns of precipitation variability in summer and the teleconnection patterns over the North Atlantic will be investigated. The precipitation data was obtained from ERA5 from the European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts and the patterns of variability were found through empirical orthogonal function (EOF) analysis. The first three EOFs of the spring and the summer precipitation anomalies together explained 73.5 % and 65.5 % of the variance respectively. The patterns of precipitation variability bore apparent similarities when comparing the spring and summer patterns and the Scandes were identified to be important for the precipitation variability in Scandinavia during both seasons. Anomalous events of the spring EOFs indicated that spring precipitation variability had little impact on anomalies of summer NDVI. Contradictory, summer precipitation variability seemed to impact anomalies of summer NDVI in central- and northeastern Scandinavia, thus indicating that summer precipitation variability modulates some of the terrestrial C-cycle in these regions. Correlations were found between a large part of the summer precipitation variability and the Summer North Atlantic Oscillation and the East Atlantic pattern. Hence, there is a possibility these teleconnections have some impact, through the summer precipitation variability, on the terrestrial C-cycle. / Förändringar och variation i klimatet är sammankopplade med kolcykeln genom komplexa återkopplingsmekanismer. På grund av denna komplexitet är kunskapen om kopplingen mellan klimatvariation och kolcykeln fortfarande bristande, men för att möjliggöra precisa prognoser om framtida klimat är det viktigt att ha kunskap om denna koppling. För att få mer kunskap om klimatvariation syftar därför denna studie till att identifiera återkommande strukturer av nederbördsvariation över Skandinavien under vår respektive sommar från 1981 till 2014. Dessa relateras till förändringar i sommarväxtlighetens grönhet, uppmätt som skillnaden i normaliserat vegetationsindex (NDVI). Även korrelationen mellan sommarstrukturerna av nederbördsvariationen och storskaliga atmosfäriska svängningar, s.k. "teleconnections", över Nordatlanten undersöks. Nederbördsdatan erhölls från ERA5 analysdata från Europacentret för Medellånga Väderprognoser och strukturer av nederbördsvariationen identifierades genom empirisk ortogonal funktionsanalys (EOF) av nederbördsavvikelser. De tre första EOF av vår- respektive sommarnederbördsavvikelser förklarade tillsammans 73,5 % respektive 65,5 % av nederbördsvariationen. Strukturerna av nederbördsvariation under vår respektive sommar uppvisade tydliga likheter sinsemellan. Dessutom identifierades Skanderna vara av stor vikt för nederbördsvariationen i Skandinavien under båda årstider. Avvikande år av nederbördsvariation under våren indikerade att sagda nederbördsvariation haft liten påverkan på NDVI-avvikelser under sommaren. Emellertid verkade nederbördsvariationen under sommaren påverkat NDVI-avvikelser under sommaren i centrala och nordöstra Skandinavien. Detta indikerar att nederbördsvariationen under sommaren till viss del styr den terrestra kolcykeln i dessa regioner. För nederbördsvariationen under sommaren fanns korrelation mellan både Nordatlantiska sommaroscillationen och Östatlantiska svängningen. Det finns således en möjlighet att dessa "teleconnections" har en viss påverkan på den terrestra kolcykeln genom nederbördsvariationen under sommaren.

Background: The automotive industry experiences significant challenges such as electric mobility, autonomous cars, smart factories, and ridesharing. Above that, the COVID-19 pandemic did not only affect the global health care system but also caused a disruption that challenged the automotive manufacturing sector and its supply chains. Purpose: The automotive industry was investigated to assess the supply chain resilience during the COVID-19 disruption. Therefore, the supply chain performance along the disruption stages was determined. Also, the usage and value of supply chain resilience measures were explored to characterise the current state of supply chain resilience in the industry. Method: A multiple case study and purposeful sampling were used to gather empirical data. Semi-structured interviews with 21 automotive experts from the Scandinavian and German automotive industry were conducted. A content analysis approach was applied to analyse the primary data. The investigation was supported by a systematic literature review prior to the study and additional company reports as secondary data. Conclusion: The level of supply chain resilience within the automotive industry can be assessed as high. A quick recovery and a corresponding rebound of the production volume can be identified, even though the findings indicate that the COVID-19 disruption also caused a bullwhip effect. To compensate for this effect, agility measures, increased collaboration and information sharing, and risk management were used. Other supply chain resilience measures like technological innovations or sustainability were only used to a limited extent.

The submitted diploma thesis deals with Christian Democratic political parties in the political systems of Scandinavian and Baltic countries of Sweden, Norway, Denmark, Finland, Estonia and Latvia. These parties form a unique "Nordic" branch of European political Protestantism; and structurally and functionally distinctive, but to a great degree homogenous, subgroup of Christian democracy. A major theoretical tradition to be applied is the Rokkanian party system analysis. Contrary to its counterparts on the continent, the Nordic branch grew not from a church-based defence stance against a secular state, but from both territorial and religious dissent on the periphery. The "cultural periphery" analysis relies heavily on history and geography of religion of the Nordic countries. However, other theoretical perspectives are taken as well in order to compare different aspects of the parties' affiliations and policies, such as their cabinet policies, ideology or EC/EU attitudes. In another chapter, possibilities and limits of Christian democracy in the Lutheran environment of Latvia and Estonia are examined. Is Scandinavian experience portable? Or are there other ways of Christian political mobilization used in the public spheres of the two Baltic countries? A similar theoretical framework is applied,...

This essay analyzes the concept of blot (offerings), places where it´s been held, how it was performed and why it is performed according to literature sources. The literature is often based on Icelandic sagas and storytelling originating from the Christian period, and even though, the storys should be told with some truthful facts, the conclusion is, that these are not trustworthy sources. The question regarding the sagas veracity is therefore discussed from an archaeological viewpoint. Can we find proof in the archaeological material that will give us answers if blot is an individual happening, that actually existed? The answer is no, because there is no actual evidence available that can guarantee that blot as a specific event did occur. The archaeological sources reveal that sacrifices and offerings was made outdoors and in halls. This essay has been investigating three places in Sweden, Bollstanäs in Uppland, Skedemosse on Öland and Helgö in Mälaren. All of these places have proof of sacrificial offerings but their relation to the blot mentioned in saga literature is uncertain. My conclusion is that blot is a subject that is difficult to find as an event in the archaeological material.

This essay examines the Proto-Indo-European motif of the Divine Twins, as it has been interpreted in Scandinavia during the Bronze and Iron Ages. Because of the difference in opinion between archaeological researchers regarding when the Divine Twins disappeared, an examination of the material culture that has been connected to this motif is undertaken. Duality as a concept is used to discuss the relationship of mythological twins to, on one hand, likeness and closeness, and, on the other, opposing personalities, contrasting aspects and animosity. Based on the analysis of the Scandinavian material culture, it is concluded that the Divine Twins as a motif survived the debated Bronze Age collapse. Furthermore, the inclusion of Nordic ethnographic accounts from the 19th and 20th century may imply that the Divine Twins survived, at least in popular beliefs, well into the 1900s.

As the era of Christianity is taking a firm foothold of Europe and Scandinavia during the late 1500s and early 1600s. The prosecution, accusations, and pure terror against anyone who did not fit the mold of a true Christian was faced with doubt, suspicion, and allegations of being in a pact with the Devil. Even if Christianity was becoming the main religion in the regions. It was common among townsfolk when in great doubt, sickness and worries to pay a visit to the old lady, the shaman, or the local healer. Some of these shamans depending on where you lived could also be a part of the Indigenous people of Scandinavia, the Sami. Whether you where that local old lady, that local shaman or one of the many regional Sami’s roaming the north of Scandinavia during this period of history, it was extremely dangerous to express local beliefs, superstitions, and an alternative faith then Christianity. The goal of this essay is to take a closer look at some of these cases, analyze the trials and prosecutions of these witches and Sami Shamans within Swedish courts, to see the similarities and discuss six cases in greater details. The conclusion of this essay is that we see some similarities between Swedish witches and Sami people who used magic, however the use and/or blame off alcohol may vary, the methods on how these witches would inflict “hurtful magic” was different and so too the trials. There is a “clearer mentioning” of torture on “Swedish witches” then Sami witches. The Swedish witches would use “totems” and items to cast spells, while Sami witches would use vocal incantations to hurt their victims.

Following the 2022 Swedish general election, all three of the Scandinavian countries have had right-wing populist parties either within the government or in cooperation with one. This thesis will review the origins and developments of the major, national, right-wing populist parties in Denmark, Norway and Sweden. It will further focus on the respective party’s development of relationship with other, mainstream parties, as well as the progression of cooperations and advancement towards influence of governmental politics. With the Scandinavian states’ high level of similarities across various areas, this thesis aims to review and analyse similarities and differences from the three examples connected to the theories. This methodology is based as a qualitative, comparative study, focusing on gathered text materials such as academic works, political statements and news. The empirical material gathered will be analysed and connected to theories like convergence, political strategy and party ideology among others, with the aim to observe what aspects these theories have had regarding both the emergence of the right-wing populist parties in Scandinavia, as well as in connection to their development of cooperation with other parties. Central conclusions from the thesis’s discussion and analysis shows how political convergence through various acts and happenings, have supported the achievements of the right-wing populist parties’ goals of entering governmental cooperation. Moreover, comparisons between the countries show similarities such as these parties being shunned by the mainstream ones for example, while some differences include the societal statuses at the point of the parties’ origins.

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This thesis’s purpose was to study differences between the Scandinavian countries’ crisis management during the coronavirus pandemic based on theories of responsibilization and individualization. The thesis investigates how Sweden, Denmark, and Norway communicated individual and state responsibility during the pandemic and see if the discourse has changed from spring to fall in 2020. The design is comparative, where the method consists of a qualitative text analysis that is used to analyze the Scandinavian countries’ prime ministers’ introductory speech at press conferences regarding the pandemic. The thesis conclusions are that there are noticeable differences in the countries' communication. Sweden communicates a significant state responsibility throughout, but what is characteristic is the extensive individual responsibility. Denmark communicates extensive state responsibility with significant and partly mandatory measures throughout 2020. The individual responsibility is also significant but not as extensive. Norway also communicates a significant state responsibility, but the individual responsibility is communicated primarily in a collective way where everyone together must get through the crisis. There has also been a shift of responsibility from the state to the individual from spring to fall during 2020 in Norway and Sweden where the individual's responsibility increases over time, whereas the same shift cannot be discerned in Denmark. In Sweden the individual responsibility is thus more comprehensive than Denmark and Norway who show more state responsibility.

Introduktion/Bakgrund: Globalt är sjukdomen karies en av de vanligaste sjukdomarna i munhålan somdrabbar ca 3,5 miljarder människor årligen. I Sverige har det visats att barn har en god oral hälsa mensjukdomen karies är ojämnt fördelad bland grupper. Syfte: Syftet med litteraturstudien var att kartlägga kariesförekomsten hos barn med svensk respektiveutländsk bakgrund i Sverige. Metod: En litteraturstudie där sökningar av vetenskapliga artiklar gjordes i databaserna Scopus ochPubMed. Granskningsmallar från SBU användes för att bedöma studiernas relevans till oral hälsa samt ävenför en kvalitetsbedömning. Resultat: Totalt 10 studier inkluderades i resultatet. Resultatet visade en signifikant högre kariesförekomstbland barn med utländsk bakgrund jämfört med svensk bakgrund. Socioekonomiska skillnader förekom,där låg socioekonomisk status hade ett signifikant samband med kariesförekomst bland barn ochungdomar. Föräldrarnas utbildningsnivå samt sysselsättning var associerat till barnens risk för att utvecklakaries. Slutsats: Litteraturstudien visar att barn med utländsk bakgrund har en högre förekomst av karies och attdet finns skillnad på barn med svensk respektive utländsk bakgrund. Barn till föräldrar med lägresocioekonomisk status har en ökad risk för kariesförekomst. Barn till föräldrar med utländsk bakgrund harett högre intag av sötsaker samt en lägre tandborstningsfrekvens vilket leder till högre risk för karies hosdessa grupper. Anpassade tandvårdsinsatser kan bidra till en större jämlikhet i oral hälsa för helabefolkningen / Introduction/Background: Globally, the caries disease is one of the most common diseases in the oralcavity, affecting approximately 3,5 billion people annually. In Sweden, it shown that the children have goodoral health, but within the population the disease is unevenly distributed among different groups. Aim: The aim of the literature study was to target the prevalence of caries in children with Swedish andforeign backgrounds in Sweden. Method: A literature study was made in the databases Scopus and PubMed. Review templates to assess therelevance of the studies was used and also for a quality assessment. Results: A total of 10 studies were included. The result of the study shows that there are clear differencesin the incidence of caries in children and youths with a foreign background. The study also shows that thereare socioeconomic differences, where low socioeconomic status has a strong connection with cariesoccurrence in children and youths. It has also been shown that the parents level of education andemployment have a clear connection to the child’s risk of developing caries. Conclusion: The literature study shows that children with a foreign background have a higher incidence ofcaries, that there is a difference between children with Swedish and foreign backgrounds. Children ofparents with lower socio-economic status have an increased risk of tooth decay. Children of parents withlower socio-economic status have an increased risk of tooth decay. Children of parents with foreignbackground have a higher intake of sweets and lower tooth brushing frequency, which leads to a higher riskof caries in these groups. Adapted dental interventions can contribute to greater equality in oral health forthe entire population