Wage growth dispersion across the euro area countries - some stylised facts

This study presents some stylised facts on wage growth differentials across the euro area countries in the years before and in the first eight years after the introduction of Economic and Monetary Union (EMU) in 1999. The study shows that wage growth dispersion, i.e. the degree of difference in wage growth at a given point in time, has been on a clear downward trend since the early 1980s. However, wage growth dispersion across the euro area countries still appears to be higher than the degree of wage growth dispersion within West Germany, the United States, Italy and Spain. Differences in wage growth rates between individual euro area countries and the euro area in the years before and in the first eight years after the introduction of EMU appear to be positively related to the respective differences between their Harmonised Index of Consumer Prices (HICP) inflation and average HICP inflation in the euro area. Conversely, relative wage growth differentials across euro area countries have been somewhat unrelated to relative productivity growth differentials. Some countries combine positive wage growth differentials and negative productivity growth differentials vis-à-vis the euro area average over an extended period – and hence positive unit labour cost growth differentials. These countries run the risk of accumulating competitiveness losses and it is therefore a challenge to ensure that the necessary adjustment mechanisms operate fully, in the sense that wage developments are sufficiently flexible and reflect productivity developments. Wage growth persistence within individual euro area countries – largely reflecting inflation persistence and certain institutional factors – might also have contributed somewhat to wage growth differentials across the euro area countries. Moreover, wage level convergence has also played a role in explaining wage growth patterns in the 1980s and the 1990s. However, since 1999, the link between the initial compensation level and the subsequent growth rate of compensation per employee appears barely significant. The study also shows a limited co-movement of wage growth across countries, even in the context of a high degree of business cycle synchronisation seen in the last few years. This suggests that the impact on wage growth of country-specific developments across euro area countries has been larger than the impact of common cyclical developments and external shocks. This could reflect the normal and desirable working of adjustment mechanisms, which – in an optimally functioning currency union with synchronised business cycles – would take place via price and cost and wage developments. On the other hand, structural impediments, for example a relatively low degree of openness in domestically-oriented sectors in some countries, might prevent a stronger link between the degree of synchronisation of wage growth rates and business cycles. JEL Classification: E24, E31, C10.Cross-country wage dispersion, wage and productivity levels across countries and sectors.

Outdoor delectation in the city : exhibition of temporary landscape architecture at six locations in Linköping 3rd-15th April 2012

The subject of this project focuses on how Landscape Architects by their profession can explore and directly make a difference in the cityscape. This paper documents the process of art - based research practice. The purpose of installing temporary activities is to encourage people in the city to discover, participate and invite people to be more playful in the city. My experience of interaction in public spaces comes primarily from the education within landscape architecture, from site-specific art installations I have performed in different cities and from observations of landscape architecture, street art and urban life in the cities of Vienna, Berlin and Linköping. It is fascinating and inspiring to see how the urban space can invite and allow visitors to participate and therefore feel invited to the open space. As a landscape architect I wish to create urban spaces that are useful and inspiring for their visitors. The projects main question: How can you make temporary landscapes that encourage outdoorinspired activities at selected locations in the city? is answered by practice based research, an approach in which theoretical research are developed through practical experiments in the designing- and implementation process. In the process the theoretical foundation develops into build site-specific landscapes. The project has been put together by different kinds of research, the outdoor-inspired activities has been based and summarized on theoretical research. The locations for temporary landscape have been found through Photowalks, a method used for documenting spaces of uncertainty in the city. The designing process has been based on theory and inspiration, and developed into six designing proposals through full-scale drawings and photo collages. In the implementation processes the proposals transformed into an exhibition of temporary landscape at six locations in Linköping, from the 3rd until the 15th of April 2012. Temporary landscape is a momentary happening in the existing landscape. The method is used to create interesting meeting points that engage people to discover the site. The temporary contribution allows people to see the city in a new way and makes them aware of their surroundings. It is a concept that recognizes the human need for experiences and it creates opportunities to develop in the daily used environments. There are a lot of unused locations in the cities, usually called margins. These places are often perceived as a free zone, with possibilities to participate and to interact more spontaneously. To enable people to be activated and inspired by the cityscape, the margins and the open spaces has to be inviting, interesting and allow participation. Connections to outdoor delectation are used through the project to transform the curiosity and participation that can be experienced in the nature to experiences in the city. The theme Outdoor delectation in the city summarizes the theoretical approach, where the importances of discovering, participation and to move more freely in the city are being motivated. To explore the city is important for people’s personal development, it is also an important process in which people develop their understanding for the surroundings. The possibilities people have to discover the urban surroundings effects how well people thrive and are connected to their environment. Our movement is a way to discover and learn about the city, outdoor daily physical exercise does also have important effects on our health. Our movement is influences by the surroundings, the cityscape are often static and repetitious. The city is dominated by accessible communication routes that don’t inspire us to move freely or spontaneously. To become involved in the cityscape the margins need to be inviting, changeable and suggest encouraging activities. The practice based research evolved into an exhibition, where temporary landscapes were created at six locations in the city centre of Linköping. The first site was on an open lawn in Järnvägsparken, where a Killer ball field was created by drawing white lines on the lawn. Soft balls where placed in a basket near the field. The second site was on a pedestrian and bicycle path along the road Repslagaregatan. There a pattern was fixed to the pavement and formed a route in which you could jump between different boxes on the ground in a Motion Street. The third site was on the neglected square Magasintorget, smaller plant of spruce where planted in a wooden frame, a plank in the middle created a walk between the trees. On one edge a blackboard was places that could be drawn on with white calk, the installation was called Planned. The fourth site was places on the traditional square Hospitaltorget, here three chairs out of A4 paper cartons where placed as a lounge and formed the installation called Can you handle it. The fifth site was in the crossing between Drottninggatan and Djurgårdsgatan. Six stone blocks and a pile of gravel where placed on opposite corners, the object symbolized the process in which natural materials are deformed and transported into the city, Block to gravel. The sixth site was in the park area between the Cathedral and the City Library on Benzeliusplatsen, here two bookshelves where placed next to the benches, here people could exchange and find books in the open-air library, Exchange books. The exhibition of temporary landscape achieved to encourage people to discover, participate and become activated on the locations. Many people became curious and stopped to explore the sites, people played sports in the park, jumped along the pattern at the Motion Street, left notes on the blackboard and took a small walk through the trees at the installation Planned, people rested on the chairs at Hospitaltorget, discovered the blocks and tried to go up on the gravelled pile in the traffic junction at Drottninggatan – Djurgårdsgatan, many people exchanged or curiously searched for books in the bookshelves at Benzeliusplatsen. The exhibition Outdoor delectation in the city was a way to encouraged people to discover, participate and move more freely in the city margins. The process of creating temporary landscapes contains the entire process from idée to installed site-specific objects. The project has also shown that the method can be used to see how landscape architects and planners are affecting how people discover and feel participation in their city Important guidelines to creating and to implement temporary landscape in public spaces are to find a context to work from, to set limitations and create a framework to start from. In the project I contacted and collaborated with the municipality and its contractors, in the beginning I also defined and set clear goals for the project which could be achieved during the project time and the given permissions. Experience of practice based researched through this project has shown: the importance to first experience and discovering the locations where the temporary landscape will be created, the need to constantly evaluate the design proposals, to seek expert advice for material and construction matters. The most essential thing within the research is to dare and explore new ways, to constantly evolve the proposals, to effectively make new decisions and see challenges as a thriving force that shapes the ideas into something better for this particular situation, set milestones so the project constantly carries on

Järvens (Gulo gulo) användning av daglegor

I Sverige har järven (Gulo gulo) under flera decennier ökat i antal vilket har bidragit till att järven har återvänt till sitt historiska utbredningsområde i södra Dalarna och norra Värmland. Klimatförändringar tycks påverka utbredningen vilket kan leda till konsekvenser för boreala arter, till exempel järven. Förändringarna i klimatet är något järven behöver anpassa sig efter för att överleva och reproducera sig. Järven behöver till exempel reglera sin kroppstemperatur för att hantera varmare säsongstemperaturer, detta kan järven till exempel göra genom att förändra sitt beteende och vila längre och oftare. Arbetets syfte var att undersöka om temperatur påverkade järvens användning av daglegor och se om det fanns samband med säsong och tid på dygnet. GPS-positioner för daglegor och 8 järvar, för 13 intensivperioder studerades i det geografiska informationssystemet QGIS, för att se hur lång tid och hur ofta järvarna besökte daglegorna. Informationen som erhölls, sammanställdes och jämfördes med temperaturdata från 2 närliggande SMHI-väderstationer. Resultatet visar tydliga könsskillnader i tid spenderad i daglega samt att det finns ett samband mellan säsong och tid spenderad i daglega. Resultatet visar inte ett tydligt samband mellan tid spenderad i daglega i förhållande till temperatur. Hursomhelst, verkar det som att järven föredrar att vila under morgonen och dagen för att hantera varma sommartemperaturer. Denna studie begränsades av sin omfattning, därför bör ytterligare studier utföras på samma sätt för fler individer och säsonger. Ämnet är av hög relevans för förståelsen om hur borealt anpassade djur hanterar höga temperaturer och hur det påverkar bevarandet av järv i Sverige.The Swedish Wolverine (Gulo gulo) population has during several centuries increased in size, which contributes to the return to its historical distribution range in southern Dalarna and northern Värmland. Climate change seems to influence the wolverine’s distribution, which could be consequential for these types of boreal species. The changes in the climate are something the wolverine will have to adapt to. The wolverine must regulate its body temperature to adapt to and manage high seasonal temperatures, for instance by changing its behavior and rest more frequently. The purpose of this study was to examine if the day bed usage was affected by temperature, and if there was a relationship between season and time of day. GPS-positions for day beds and 8 wolverines were examined for 13 intensive periods in a geographical information system (QGIS), to see how long and often the wolverines visited the day bed areas. The obtained information was later complied and compared to temperature data from 2 local SMHI-weather stations. The result shows a distinct sex-difference in time spent resting and that there was a relation between time spent resting and season. The results do not show any clear signs of relation between time spent resting and temperature. Although it seems more common for the wolverine to rest during mornings and days to manage increasing Summer temperatures. Due to the limited extent of this study this topic should be examined further, since the relevance is high to learn more about how boreal adapted species, such as wolverine manage with increased temperatures and how it might affect the wolverine conservation in Sweden

Upplevelser av aktiviteter i vardagen hos personer med narkolepsi

Bakgrund: Narkolepsi är en kronisk neurologisk sjukdom där regleringen av sömn och vakenhet är påverkad. Sjukdomen drabbar i lika hög utsträckning män som kvinnor. Symptomen av narkolepsi kan påverka många aspekter av det dagliga livet och är många gånger funktionshindrande. Författarna såg en brist på studier kring hur vardagens aktiviteter upplevs hos personer med narkolepsi. Syfte: Att undersöka upplevelsen av aktiviteter i vardagen hos personer med narkolepsi. Metod: En kvalitativ ansats med semistrukturerade intervjuer. Tio deltagare, tre män och sju kvinnor med diagnostiserad narkolepsi. Data analyserades genom manifest kvalitativ innehållsanalys, tolkat utifrån ValMO-modellens perspektivtriad. Resultat: Narkolepsi påverkar många av vardagens aktiviteter och möjligheten till aktivitetsutförande. Majoriteten av deltagarna upplevde begränsningar i sociala samt fysiska aktiviteter i vardagen. Deltagarna hade utvecklat ett flertal strategier i vardagen, som att ha tydliga rutiner. Deltagarna upplevde att de fått bristfälligt stöd från vården. Tre av deltagarna hade träffat en arbetsterapeut, samtliga hade fått söka kontakten på egen hand. Slutsats: Det finns ett behov av fortsatt forskning om narkolepsi med koppling till arbetsterapi. Framförallt hur interventioner kan främja utförande av aktiviteter i vardagen för personer med narkolepsi

”Därför stannar jag” – En jämförande studie av arbetsmotivation bland medarbetare inom hälso- och sjukvård och mediebranschen.

Problembeskrivning: Behovet av ökad kunskap gällande arbetsmotivation tilltar i tider av förändrade karriärmönster och ombytliga trender. Sveriges arbetsmarknad ser inte längre ser ut som den en gång gjorde. Medarbetare ställer nya och högre krav på såväl privatliv som arbetsgivare. Minskad arbetsgivarlojalitet och motivationsbegreppets komplexitet ger därmed fog för att undersöka ämnet. Tidigare forskning rörande arbetsmotivation har i mångt och mycket fokuserat på den industriella sektorn. Det får oss att undra om samma förutsättningar krävs för att motivera medarbetare inom servicesektorn, specifikt gällande hälso- och sjukvård respektive mediebranschen. Vi ingick i denna studie med en övergripande tro att finna skillnader i empiriskt underlag. Syfte: Syftet med denna studie är att undersöka motivationsbegreppet och öka kunskapen gällande vilka förutsättningar som genererar arbetsmotivation för medarbetare inom hälso- och sjukvård respektive mediebranschen. Metod: Uppsatsens komplexa karaktär har legat till grund för metodval i form av kvalitativ forskningsintervju. Genom detta tillvägagångssätt inhämtades en djupgående förståelse för respondenternas tankar och känslor. Vidare bidrog en abduktiv ansats till att teoretisk kunskap kontinuerligt kunde införskaffas. Hjärtenheten, Helsingborgs lasarett samt Malmökontoret, Sveriges Television har utgjort empiriskt underlag och möjliggjort ett förverkligande av studiens syfte. Resultat: Denna studie mynnar ut i en förståelse för vikten av att separera de behov som respondenterna har från de förutsättningar som kan tillfredsställa dessa. Det krävs båda delar för att arbetsmotivation skall genereras. Behov såsom att fylla en funktion för samhället samt få bekräftelse och återkoppling visar sig vara viktiga gemensamma nämnare. Likaså ser vi att kollegial samvaro, ett synligt ledarskap och yrkesspecifika karaktärsdrag är förutsättningar av avgörande betydelse för tillfredsställande av dessa behov. Anmärkningsvärt är de stora likheter vi ser i empiriska uttalanden vilket vi härleder till det faktum att såväl hälso- och sjukvård som mediebranschen kan ordnas under ett paraplybegrepp; public service. De likheter vi urskiljer resulterar i att samma verksamhetsverktyg, Mass Career Costumization modellen samt Conordancemetoden, föreslås för främjande av arbetsmotivation

Unlocking the unsustainable rice-wheat system of Indian Punjab: Assessing alternatives to crop-residue burning from a systems perspective

Crop residue burning in Indian Punjab emits particulate matter with detrimental impacts on health, climate and that threaten agricultural production. Though legal and technological barriers to residue burning exist – and alternatives considered more profitable to farmers – residue burning continues. We review black carbon (BC) emissions from residue burning in Punjab, analyse social-ecological processes driving residue burning, and rice and wheat value-chains. Our aims are to a) understand system feedbacks driving agricultural practices in Punjab; b) identify systemic effects of alternatives to residue burning and c) identify companies and financial actors investing in agricultural production in Punjab. We find feedbacks locking the system into crop residue burning. The Government of India has greatest financial leverage and risk in the current system. Corporate stakeholders have little financial incentive to enact change, but sufficient stakes in the value chains to influence change. Agricultural policy changes are necessary to reduce harmful impacts of current practices, but insufficient to bringing about sustainability. Transformative changes will require crop diversification, circular business models and green financing. Intermediating financial institutions setting sustainability conditions on loans could leverage these changes. Sustainability requires the systems perspective we provide, to reconnect production with demand and with supporting environmental conditions

Unlocking the unsustainable rice-wheat system of Indian Punjab : assessing alternatives to crop-residue burning from a systems perspective

This work was funded by Formas (Project # 2018-01824), and through the generous support of the Erling-Persson Family Foundation to the Global Economic Dynamics and the Biosphere, the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences, Sweden.Crop residue burning in Indian Punjab emits particulate matter with detrimental impacts on health, climate and that threaten agricultural production. Though legal and technological barriers to residue burning exist – and alternatives considered more profitable to farmers – residue burning continues. We review black carbon (BC) emissions from residue burning in Punjab, analyse social-ecological processes driving residue burning, and rice and wheat value-chains. Our aims are to a) understand system feedbacks driving agricultural practices in Punjab; b) identify systemic effects of alternatives to residue burning and c) identify companies and financial actors investing in agricultural production in Punjab. We find feedbacks locking the system into crop residue burning. The Government of India has greatest financial leverage and risk in the current system. Corporate stakeholders have little financial incentive to enact change, but sufficient stakes in the value chains to influence change. Agricultural policy changes are necessary to reduce harmful impacts of current practices, but insufficient to bringing about sustainability. Transformative changes will require crop diversification, circular business models and green financing. Intermediating financial institutions setting sustainability conditions on loans could leverage these changes. Sustainability requires the systems perspective we provide, to reconnect production with demand and with supporting environmental conditions.Publisher PDFPeer reviewe

Structural analysis of the adenovirus type 2 E3/19K protein using mutagenesis and a panel of conformation-sensitive monoclonal antibodies

The E3/19K protein of human adenovirus type 2 (Ad2) was the first viral protein shown to interfere with antigen presentation. This 25 kDa transmembrane glycoprotein binds to major histocompatibility complex (MHC) class I molecules in the endoplasmic reticulum (ER), thereby preventing transport of newly synthesized peptide–MHC complexes to the cell surface and consequently T cell recognition. Recent data suggest that E3/19K also sequesters MHC class I like ligands intracellularly to suppress natural killer (NK) cell recognition. While the mechanism of ER retention is well understood, the structure of E3/19K remains elusive. To further dissect the structural and antigenic topography of E3/19K we carried out site-directed mutagenesis and raised monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) against a recombinant version of Ad2 E3/19K comprising the lumenal domain followed by a C-terminal histidine tag. Using peptide scanning, the epitopes of three mAbs were mapped to different regions of the lumenal domain, comprising amino acids 3–13, 15–21 and 41–45, respectively. Interestingly, mAb 3F4 reacted only weakly with wild-type E3/19K, but showed drastically increased binding to mutant E3/19K molecules, e.g. those with disrupted disulfide bonds, suggesting that 3F4 can sense unfolding of the protein. MAb 10A2 binds to an epitope apparently buried within E3/19K while that of 3A9 is exposed. Secondary structure prediction suggests that the lumenal domain contains six β-strands and an α-helix adjacent to the transmembrane domain. Interestingly, all mAbs bind to non-structured loops. Using a large panel of E3/19K mutants the structural alterations of the mutations were determined. With this knowledge the panel of mAbs will be valuable tools to further dissect structure/function relationships of E3/19K regarding down regulation of MHC class I and MHC class I like molecules and its effect on both T cell and NK cell recognition