Does Active Labour Market Policy Work? Lessons from the Swedish Experiences

The Swedish experiences of the 1990s provide a unique example of how large-scale active labour market programmes (ALMPs) have been used as a means to fight high unemployment. This paper surveys the empirical studies of the effects of ALMPs in Sweden. On the whole, ALMPs have probably reduced open unemployment, but also reduced regular employment. The overall policy conclusion is that ALMPs of the scale used in Sweden in the 1990s are not an efficient means of employment policy. To be effective, ALMPs should be used on a smaller scale.

Does Active Labour Market Policy Work? Lessons from the Swedish Experiences

The Swedish experiences of the 1990s provide a unique example of how large-scale active labour market programmes (ALMPs) have been used as a means to fight high unemployment. This paper discusses the mechanisms through which ALMPs affect (un)employment and surveys the empirical studies of the effects of ALMPs in Sweden. The main conclusions are: (i) there is hardly any evidence for a positive effect on matching efficiency; (ii) there are some indications of positive effects on labour force participation; (iii) subsidised employment seems to cause displacement of regular employment, whereas this appears not to be the case for labour market training; (iv) it is unclear whether or not ALMPs raise aggregate wage pressure in the economy; (v) in the 1990s, training programmes seem not to have enhanced the employment probabilities of participants, whereas some forms of subsidised employment seem to have had such effects; and (vi) youth programmes seem to have caused substantial displacement effects at the same time as the gains for participants appear uncertain. On the whole, ALMPs have probably reduced open unemployment, but also reduced regular employment. The overall policy conclusion is that ALMPs of the scale used in Sweden in the 1990s are not an efficient means of employment policy. To be effective, ALMPs should be used on a smaller scale. There should be a greater emphasis on holding down long-term unemployment in general and a smaller emphasis on youth programmes. ALMPs should not be used as a means to renew unemployment benefit eligibility.Active; Labour; Market; Policy

Matters Risk? The Allocation of Government Subsidies for Remediation of Contaminated Sites under the Local Investment Programme

In this paper we evaluate how the environmental and health risks posed by a contaminated site affected the probability that it would receive funding for remedial action under a Swedish subsidization scheme, the Local Investment Programme (LIP). The LIP, effective between 1998 and 2002, had a twofold purpose: to step up the pace at which Sweden becomes an ecologically sustainable society and to reduce unemployment. Under the LIP, almost € 43 million (SEK 400 million) were granted to various municipal projects aimed at remediation of contaminated sites. In analyzing data on both subsidized and non-subsidized remediation projects, we unexpectedly find that the more hazardous a site, the less the probability of its receiving funding. Thus, contrary to the “worst things first” strategy officially adopted by the Swedish Parliament for remediation of contaminated sites, our results reveal a risk-avoiding allocation of government subsidies. Furthermore, the number of employment opportunities generated by remediation projects positively affects the probability of receiving a LIP subsidy. Although more faithful observance of the official strategy would have been desirable, the most highly contaminated sites at least received the most money. Based on our findings, we believe that extensive information about the hazards posed by contaminated sites is necessary to ensure better decisions on remediation funding and more efficient use of public resources in the future.

Demokratisering i Östeuropa : Från transition till konsoliderad demokrati i Estland, Lettland och Litauen

Only abstract. Paper copies of master’s theses are listed in the Helka database (http://www.helsinki.fi/helka). Electronic copies of master’s theses are either available as open access or only on thesis terminals in the Helsinki University Library.Vain tiivistelmä. Sidottujen gradujen saatavuuden voit tarkistaa Helka-tietokannasta (http://www.helsinki.fi/helka). Digitaaliset gradut voivat olla luettavissa avoimesti verkossa tai rajoitetusti kirjaston opinnäytekioskeilla.Endast sammandrag. Inbundna avhandlingar kan sökas i Helka-databasen (http://www.helsinki.fi/helka). Elektroniska kopior av avhandlingar finns antingen öppet på nätet eller endast tillgängliga i bibliotekets avhandlingsterminaler.Syftet med avhandlingen är att undersöka demokratiseringen i Östeuropa med fokus på de baltiska staterna Estland Lettland och Litauen. Genom en komparativ analys över transitionen och konsolideringen av demokratin mellan Estland, Lettland, Litauen, Vitryssland, Moldavien och Ukraina märker man tydligt hur demokratiseringen lyckats i Baltikum. Avhandlingen är förklarande och målet är att åstadkomma en genomgripande analys över demokratiseringsprocessen i Östeuropa. Mera detaljerat studeras konsolideringen av demokratin i de baltiska länderna Estland, Lettland och Litauen. Som teoretisk referensram har använts Dankwart Rustows transitionsteori från 1970- talet. Även andra transitionsteoretiker som t.ex. Yossi Shain och Juan Linz diskuteras. För att bättre beskriva teorin och dess karaktär har konsolideringen av demokratin behandlats skilt. Robert Dahls, Juan Linz & Alfred Stepans samt Berglund et al. analyser över konsolideringen stöder användningen av den valda teorin samt studiens uppdelning. Metoden i avhandlingen är deskriptiv men vissa delar har betydelsefulla komparativa inslag. De centrala begreppen demokrati och demokratisering har diskuterats utgående från Robert Dahls och Axel Hadenius teorier och analyser. Även Samuel Huntingtons demokratiseringsvågor presenteras i arbetet. Valet av de oberoende variablerna - det politiska systemet, geopolitik, ekonomisk utveckling, elitförhållanden, nationalism och etnicitet samt civilsamhället - baserar sig på Sten Berglunds et al. omfattande studie över demokratiseringen i Östeuropa. Den beroende variabeln baserar sig på Freedom House uträkningar och den fastställda frihetsgraden. Även andra Freedom House uträkningar används och dessa stöder även frihetsgraden. Avhandlingens empiriska del är tvådelad. Undersökningen över transitionen i Östeuropa är komparativ. Trots att transitionen var väldigt liknande i alla sex länder och alla klarade igenom transitionen var den därpå följande samhälleliga utvecklingen inte det. Baltikum som region har jämfört med de övriga länderna styrt den demokratiska utvecklingen på rätt spår. Vidare kartläggs konsolideringen av demokratin detaljerat för Estland, Lettland och Litauen utgående från de valda förklarande variablerna. Utfallet av den empiriska undersökningen visar att de valda oberoende variablerna korrelerar med utvecklingen i alla sex länder och även med den valda beroende variabeln. Utfallet i studien om de baltiska länderna finner inte stora komparativa skillnader men att sådana ändå existerar. Institutioner och policyval är avgörande för transitionsländer och den lyckade demokratiseringen i Baltikum kan långt tillskrivas det internationella samfundet

Can We Buy Time? Evaluation of the Government’s Directed Grant to Remediation in Sweden

The interim targets of the Swedish environmental quality objective “A non-toxic environment” emphasize that remediation of contaminated sites should progress at a high speed. Since remediation is an expensive venture, it is valuable to gain knowledge about where in the remediation process government funding affects the pace of progress the most. In this paper we analyze how government funding, in the form of a directed grant, affects the pace of progress in four different states of the remediation process. The estimation is performed in a simultaneous sequential duration model in which a site has to exit a state to be eligible for inclusion in the following state. We control for a number of variables that may also affect the pace of the remediation process, such as the municipal tax base and the site’s level of contaminants. Although there is heterogeneity between the sites that contribute to making remediation a slow process, our analyses show that the directed grant positively affects the probability of leaving the first and third states. We identify the third state (i.e., the time between the end of a thorough risk classification and the inception of on-site remediation)as the remediation process’ bottleneck. Even if the directed grant can speed up the process in this state, the effect is minuscule compared to the amount of directed grants needed to do so.

Does remediation save lives? On the cost of cleaning up arsenic-contaminated sites in Sweden

Swedish environmental policy is based on 16 environmental quality objectives (Gov. Bill 2000/01:130 and Gov.Bill 2004/05:150).1 One of the most challenging objectives,‘A non toxic environment’, has two interim targets that concern remediation of contaminated sites. In sum, they state that the highest priority should be given to sites posing the highest risks to human health and the environment.2 By eliminating pollutants in soil, groundwater and sediment, the interim targets aim to reduce risks to human health and the environment. In Sweden, 83,000 sites are potentially contaminated due to previous industrial activities. According to the Swedish Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), the administrator of the governmental funds for remediation, approximately 1500 of these sites contain contaminant concentrations that could seriously harm human health and the environment (Swedish EPA, 2008a). To reach the interim targets, all these sites need to be remediated by 2050. Remediation of contaminated sites has so far cost more than SEK 3,000 million.3 The approximated cost to mitigate the potential risks at the most harmful sites is estimated at SEK 60,000 million.4 The Swedish government’s funding for remediation presently comes in the form of a directed grant (sakanslag). The directed grant, administrated by the Swedish EPA, subsidises remediation of contaminated sites that were contaminated prior to modern environmental legislation (in 1969) or for which no liable party can be found. The directed grant amounts to approximately 455 millions annually, which corresponds to about 10 percent of the annual national funds for environmental protection (Gov. Bill 2007/08:1). To make it possible to prioritise among contaminated sites, the Swedish EPA has developed a method for risk assessment called the ‘MIFO’ (i.e. the Method for Inventory of Contaminated Sites). The risk assessment does not take into account the actual exposure at a contaminated site. Risk is instead assessed based on divergence from guideline values for acceptable concentrations given a standardised (i.e. worst case) exposure situation on an individual level. This means that a site can be remediated without any individuals actually being exposed. The expected risk reduction is consequently not quantified. This eliminates the possibility of valuing the risk reduction, which should be weighed against the remediation cost. The purpose of this paper is to analyse how health effects, in the form of cancer risks, from sites contaminated by arsenic are valued implicitly in remediation. By using an environmental medicine approach that takes exposure into account, and without underestimating the potential health consequences of arsenic exposure, our purpose is to place arsenic risk management in the overall picture of live-saving interventions. In the case of cancer prevention, it is necessary to recognise that focus on an environmental carcinogen like arsenic may draw public attention – and funding – away from mental health risks like ambient air pollution and indoor radon. Although environmental pollution accounts for less than ten percent of all cancer cases (Harvard Centre for Cancer Prevention, 1996; Saracci and Vineis, 2007), environmental factors are important to recognize since they may be preventable. We emphasise, however, the inefficiency in becoming overly concerned about small risks while, at the same time, losing sight of the large risks. If society’s spending on lifesaving measures with small effects (i.e. a small number of lives saved) crowds out spending on lifesaving measures with large effects, then remediation can, in fact, even be said to waste lives. By using data on 23 arsenic-contaminated sites in Sweden, we estimate the sitespecific cancer risks and calculate the cost per life saved by using the sites’ remediation costs. Our results show that the cost per life saved through remediation is much higher than that associated with other primary prevention measures, indicating that the ambition level of Swedish remediation may be too high.

Cross-cultural adaptation and validation of the “spinal cord injury-falls concern scale” in the Italian population

Study design: Psychometrics study. Objective: The objective of this study was to develop an Italian version of the Spinal Cord Injury-Falls Concern Scale (SCI-FCS) and examine its reliability and validity. Setting: Multicenter study in spinal units in Northern and Southern Italy. The scale also was administered to non-hospitalized outpatient clinic patients. Methods: The original scale was translated from English to Italian using the “Translation and Cultural Adaptation of Patient-Reported Outcomes Measures” guidelines. The reliability and validity of the culturally adapted scale were assessed following the “Consensus-Based Standards for the Selection of Health Status Measurement Instruments” checklist. The SCI-FCS-I internal consistency, inter-rater, and intra-rater reliability were examined using Cronbach’s alpha coefficient and the intraclass correlation coefficient, respectively. Concurrent validity was evaluated using Pearson’s correlation coefficient with the Italian version of the short form of the Wheelchair Use Confidence Scale for Manual Wheelchair Users (WheelCon-M-I-short form). Results: The Italian version of the SCI-FCS-I was administered to 124 participants from 1 June to 30 September 2017. The mean ± SD of the SCI-FCS-I score was 16.73 ± 5.88. All SCI-FCS items were either identical or similar in meaning to the original version’s items. Cronbach’s α was 0.827 (p < 0.01), the inter-rater reliability was 0.972 (p < 0.01), and the intra-rater reliability was 0.973 (p < 0.01). Pearson’s correlation coefficient of the SCI-FCS-I scores with the WheelCon-M-I-short form was 0.56 (p < 0.01). Conclusions: The SCI-FCS-I was found to be reliable and a valid outcome measure for assessing manual wheelchair concerns about falling in the Italian population

The impact of metformin with or without lifestyle modification versus placebo on polycystic ovary syndrome : a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials

Objective: Available evidence has shown that metformin improves insulin sensitivity and weight management in polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS). Nevertheless, key knowledge gaps remain regarding its efficacy and the specific outcomes in this population. This review evaluates the effectiveness of metformin and lifestyle modification compared with placebo in the management of PCOS and will inform the forthcoming, 2023 evidence-based PCOS guidelines. Design: Systematic review and meta-analysis of the literature. Methods: A search was performed in MEDLINE, EMBASE, PsycINFO, All EBM, and CINAHL. The review was conducted according to Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-analyses (PRISMA) guidelines and included randomized controlled trials published in English through July 2022. Results: Moderate certainty of evidence showed a larger reduction of body mass index (BMI) (mean difference [MD] −0.53, 95% confidence interval [CI] −0.95 to −0.12 kg/m2 ), homeostatic model assessment for insulin resistance (MD −0.50, 95% CI −0.91 to −0.09) (critical outcomes), and fasting glucose (MD −0.13, 95% CI −0.19 to −0.07 mmol/L) with metformin compared to placebo with increased mild gastrointestinal adverse effects (odds ratio [OR] 7.67, 95% CI 2.74–21.46). Low certainty of evidence showed a larger reduction of waist–hip ratio (MD −0.02, 95% CI −0.03 to −0.00), total cholesterol (MD −0.24, 95% CI −0.43 to −0.05 mmol/L), low density lipoprotein (MD −0.16, 95% CI −0.30 to −0.01 mmol/L), and triglycerides (MD −0.11, 95% CI −0.20 to −0.02 mmol/L) with metformin than placebo. Conclusions: Metformin should be considered an efficacious adjunct to lifestyle interventions in adults with PCOS, especially for those with a higher BMI, to improve weight loss, insulin resistance, and lipids

Less energy consumption, but how much?

The following report investigates the Almtuna preschool buildings potential improvements in energy efficiency. Almtuna preschool is owned by Skolfastigheter AB, which is a part of Uppsala Kommun. The preschool is situated in Fålhagen, east from the city centre. In November-December 2015 the old luminous lamps were replaced with the newer technique LED lamps. The results were based on a simulation model of the building in Simulink. The models corresponded closely with the reality. After the change of lamps, the total energy consumption decreased with 14% for January to Mars 2016 compared with the same months for 2011-2015. The findings of the report show that of the potential improvements only the ventilation would be a viable. The report suggests a photo voltaic system of 39 monocrystalline modules from the company JA Solar. These should be placed on the middle roof, and will produce about 10 500 kWh per year which is 16 % of the pre-school electricity consumption. In practice only 14 % of the buildings electricity consumption would be replaced as the electricity from the PV cells will be produced unevenly during the day and it is expected that at certain periods the PV cells will produce too much electricity for the building use. The estimated pay-back period for the investment and installation was 15 years. There is a possibility that the excess electricity produced could be sold to the grid. An alternative option is to store the energy in a battery. The suggested battery for energy storage is LiFePO₄ as it has a long lifespan and a high threshold to withstand up and down charges. The calculated potential energy storage during one year is 250 kWh. The report found however that the most economically viable option would be to sell the excess energy to the electricity network.Almtuna förskola ägs och förvaltas av Skolfastigheter AB, ett fastighetsföretag i Uppsala kommun. Förskolan ligger i stadsdelen Fålhagen öster om stadskärnan. I november-december 2015 utfördes ett byte av belysning från gamla lysrör till den senaste LED-tekniken. Denna studie har gjort en uppföljning på elförbrukningen efter lampbytet samt undersökt möjligheter för fortsatta energieffektiviseringar. Även potentialen för solkraft samt lagring av den producerade elektriciteten examinerades. Detta undersöktes med hjälp av en energimodell av byggnaden som utvecklades i mjukvaran Simulink. Valideringen visade att modellen stämde bra överens med verkligheten. Efter lampbytet minskade totala energiförbrukningen med 14 % för januari till mars 2016 jämfört med samma månader 2011-2015. Av energieffektiveringsåtgärderna (tilläggsisolering, byte av fönster och dörrar, ventilation, torkskåp och återkoppling av kökets luftflöden) som undersöktes var endast ventilationen som ansågs värd som investeringen. Studien föreslog även en anläggning på 39 moduler av monokristallina solceller från JA Solar placerade på mittentaket. De kommer enligt simulering i PVsyst producera ca 10 500 kWh per år vilket motsvarar 16 % av förskolans elförbrukning. I praktiken är det 14 % av förskolans elförbrukning som täcks då det sker överproduktion som dock kan säljas. Den uppskattade återbetalningstiden för enbart investering + installation är 15 år. Utifrån de genomförda simuleringarna framgick att överskottsel från solcellsanläggningen endast sker på helger, vilket leder till en relativt låg ekonomisk lagringspotential under året (ca 250 kWh). Studien visade att det var mer lönsam att sälja den överproducerade elen. Om lagringen skulle vara aktuell var alternativet med LiFePO₄-batteri mest intressant på grund av sin långa livslängd och förmåga att klara spridda upp- och ur-laddningar

Phylogenetic position of an uncharacterized Brazilian strain of bovine papillomavirus in the genus Xipapillomavirus based on sequencing of the L1 open reading frame

The use of PCR assays with degenerate primers has suggested the existence of numerous as yet uncharacterized bovine papillomaviruses (BPV). Despite the endemic nature of BPV infections, the identification of BPV types in Brazilian cattle is still only sporadic. However, in a recent analysis of a partial segment of the L1 gene, we observed notable diversity among the BPV types detected. The aim of this study was to determine the phylogenetic position of the previously identified wild strain BPV/BR-UEL2 detected in the state of Paraná in Brazil. Since previous analysis of the partial L1 sequence had shown that this strain was most closely related to BPV type 4, genus-specific primers were designed. Phylogenetic analysis using complete L1 ORF sequences revealed that BPV/BR-UEL2 was related to BPV types classified in the genus Xipapillomavirus and shared the highest L1 nucleotide sequence similarity with BPV type 4 (78%). This finding suggests that BPV/BR-UEL2 should be classified as a potential new type of BPV in the genus Xipapillomavirus