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This paper explores the changing meanings and understandings of the concept of care in parenting support policies in Sweden since the 1990s. Caring responsibilities and practices has historically been framed and negotiated within general family policy reforms, comprising universal child allowances and generous parental leave schemes combined with publicly funded childcare, in turn closely related Åsa LundqvistProfessor in SociologyDepartment of SociologyLund UniversitySwedenAsa.Lundqvist@soc.lu.seAbstractCapable to Care? Parenting Support Policies and the Changing Concept of Care This paper explores the changing meanings and understandings of the concept of care in parenting support policies in Sweden since the 1990s. Caring responsibilities and practices has historically been framed and n

This chapter describes the basic principles inside the VEG extension to the ForSAFE model system. It allows changes in ground vegetation to be calculated, an important part of biodiversity. In the VEG model, the basis for modelling ground vegetation dynamics is a competition strength model based on soil chemistry promoting and retarding factors, nutrients, water and light. The strength is used in

Training and exercises programmes are not independent activities, forming part of a larger, risk-based, process of disaster management preparedness. In order to have an impact on an individual's skills knowledge or behaviours, or to influence organizational learning or procedures, the programmes needs a cyclic and holistic approach. It should focus on clearly identified outcomes that are designed

This paper introduces the concept of 'dynamic capability' (DC) in relation to disaster management - in particular to disaster management exercises (DME). Firstly this paper discusses changes and challenges in DME and the concept of dynamic capabilities as one potential approach dealing with the existing challenges in DME. Thereafter it outlines basic contents of developing DC in DME. The paper con

Risk and vulnerability assessments (RVA) are vital components of the work conducted by public agencies at different levels, as part of the processes for governing and managing risks in the society. In Sweden, public agencies at all levels are required by legislation to perform risk and vulnerability assessments within their respective area of responsibility. The present paper presents a study of h

The fate of phosphate in the environment is governed by reactions at particle surfaces. These adsorption and desorption reactions display biphasic kinetics involving an initial rapid reaction followed by a substantially slower one extending over long time periods. In this study we have investigated the molecular mechanisms of desorption kinetics of phosphate from ferrihydrite and goethite nanopart

Seeds of clover and lucerne were sown in equal proportions in mixtures at high densities. Thinning started earlier in clover but in both species, after thinning commenced, it proceeded at the same rate. Both species underwent collective self-thinning in accordance with the -3/2 power law but although the slopes for the species were the same the intercepts differed strongly. Plants of lucerne of a

Our simple dynamic-simulation model shows that the global supply of Rare Earth Elements is limited for meeting the future demands of new technologies. Unless improved recycling policies are adapted strategic elements may become scarce in the next half-century as a result of a “peak Rare Earths Elements” phenomenon. The model results also show that the market alone cannot solve the resource-ineffic

In Europe, agri-environmental schemes (AES) have been introduced in response to concerns about farmland biodiversity declines. Yet, as AES have delivered variable results, a better understanding of what determines their success or failure is urgently needed. Focusing on pollinating insects, we quantitatively reviewed how environmental factors affect the effectiveness of AES. Our results suggest th

The practice of product destruction, whereby retailers or manufacturers dispose of viable consumer products such as unsold goods or customer returns, is an extreme expression of the linearity of our current production-consumption system. This qualitative exploratory study aims to uncover why companies engage in this highly unsustainable and resource-inefficient behaviour and to explore the potenti

Quantum annealing is a promising approach for obtaining good approximate solutions to difficult optimization problems. Folding a protein sequence into its minimum-energy structure represents such a problem. For testing new algorithms and technologies for this task, the minimal lattice-based [hydrophobic (H) or polar (P) beads] HP model is well suited, as it represents a considerable challenge desp

Soil derived dissolved organic matter (DOM) is an important component of the carbon cycle and influences numerous biogeochemical processes, including the formation of mineral-organic associations. DOM ranges in size from small organic molecules to macromolecules and colloidal aggregates. In this study we have used small angle neutron (SANS) and X-ray (SAXS) scattering to characterize the colloidal

Circular Economy regulation is rapidly adopted at different levels of governance, including municipalities, private and industry standards, national law and supranational standard-setting. There are increasing demands from policymakers, businesses and civil society for theoretical insights and more knowledge on the effects of policies and laws ('policy learning'). However, despite this mounting in

Gadolinium-148 is one of the radionuclides of most concern that will be produced in the tungsten target of the European Spallation Source (ESS), as a by-product of the spallation reaction used by the facility to produce neutrons. Since 148Gd a pure alpha emitter, it is both very radiotoxic and difficult to measure. With its half-life of 75 years, it will remain in the environment for a long time i

Results from the radiological environmental monitoring of the European Spallation Source (ESS) are presented for year 2020.Among the 63 environmental samples analysed for gamma emitting radionuclides, no elevated levels of anthropogenic radioactivity were observed. All samples (except two samples of lichen) had activity concentrations below the MDA for the natural radionuclides as well as 137Cs, a

Sweden is actively seeking to scale up repair activities as part of its strategy to reduce waste, transition to a circular economy, and achieve zero net emissions by 2045. In the last couple of years, several new policies to promote consumer repairs have been adopted or proposed in Sweden. However, very little is known about the socio-cultural factors that shape people's decision to repair their p

Extending the lifetime of products is seen as a key objective for realising the vision of a Circular Economy. One way to increase the lifespan of products is to enable more repair activities. However, consumers encounter a variety of barriers for repairs, prompting public authorities in Europe and the US to adopt or propose policies in support of consumer repairs. Sweden has recently adopted a cir

New visionary concepts need to be created to enhance the pursuit of sustainable development at a global scale, to respond to policies and international multilateral agreements in line with political commitments already made (like the Millennium Development Goals) and innovative approaches are called for to ensure the coherence of integrated policy-making at EU level.

Discovered more than 40 years ago, microplastics have become a major environmental issue. With increasing global plastic production, microplastics are of growing concern. Landfills have been pinpointed as primary sources of microplastics to surface waters and they have, in fact, been identified and quantified as such. Due to their small size, different polymers and interfering non-plastic material

The upcycling trend has received renewed attention in the past few years due to growing concerns for the environment related to increased resource consumption and waste volumes. Indeed, cities across the world are supporting resource upcycling initiatives by establishing do-it-yourself (DIY) repair cafes and makerspaces as a means to transform societies towards sustainable develop-ment. However, t