473 research outputs found
Russell's hypersurface from a geometric point of view
We give a new proof of Makar-Limanov's theorem, which states that Russell's
hypersurface is not isomorphic to affine three space.Comment: 6 page
The decomposition group of a line in the plane
We show that the decomposition group of a line in the plane, i.e. the
subgroup of plane birational transformations that send to itself
birationally, is generated by its elements of degree 1 and one element of
degree 2, and that it does not decompose as a non-trivial amalgamated product.Comment: 15 pages, 7 figure
The group of Cremona transformations generated by linear maps and the standard involution
This article studies the group generated by automorphisms of the projective
space of dimension and by the standard birational involution of degree .
Every element of this group only contracts rational hypersurfaces, but in odd
dimension, there are simple elements having this property which do not belong
to the group. Geometric properties of the elements of the group are given, as
well as a description of its intersection with monomial transformations
Is income inequality an important health status determinant in the OECD
The proposed adverse impact of income inequality on health has long been an important topic in health economics. A negative correlation between inequality and health has been found in several empirical studies but the issues regarding causality and causes are yet to be resolved. The widespread theory that the effects on health goes via disinvestment in social capital and trust is heavily researched and highly debated. Many studies have found strong correlation between population health and income inequality using state level US data. Inconsistent results have been found using country-level data on mortality rates and income inequality in Europe or OECD. Using cross-sectional data it seems like the correlation is dependent on the countries/states chosen. The ambiguity of the results has led some researchers to disregard inequality as irrelevant when dealing with population health. Others have intensified their search for new evidence. In this study I exploit the fact that yearly estimates of the GINI-coefficient from 2004 and forth are available in the OECD database. It allows for the use of panel data regression with country-specific fixed effects to investigate whether the weak simple correlation observed between income inequality and population health in the OECD could be caused by identification problems. I find strong and significant results indicating that income inequality should indeed be accounted for when dealing with population health in OECD. The link between income inequality and health has important policy implications
Borel subgroups of the plane Cremona group
It is well known that all Borel subgroups of a linear algebraic group are
conjugate. This result also holds for the automorphism group of the affine plane \cite{BerestEshmatovEshmatov2016} (see also
\cite{FurterPoloni2018}). In this paper, we describe all Borel subgroups of the
complex Cremona group up to conjugation, proving
in particular that they are not necessarily conjugate. More precisely, we prove
that admits Borel subgroups of any rank and that all Borel subgroups of rank are conjugate.
In rank , there is a correspondence between conjugacy classes of Borel
subgroups of rank and hyperelliptic curves of genus . Hence, the
conjugacy class of a rank Borel subgroup admits two invariants: a discrete
one, the genus , and a continuous one, corresponding to the coarse moduli
space of hyperelliptic curves of genus . This latter space is of dimension
.Comment: 43 pages, to appear in J. Reine Angew. Mat
Effects of the Intervention âReflective STRENGTH-Giving Dialoguesâ for Older Adults Living with Long-Term Pain: A Pilot Study
Background. Long-term musculoskeletal pain is a major, often undertreated, disabling health problem among an increasing number of older adults. Reflective STRENGTH-giving dialogues (STRENGTH) may be a tool to support older adults living with long-term pain. The main aim of this pilot study was to investigate the immediate and longitudinal effect of the intervention STRENGTH on levels of pain, wellbeing, occurrence of depression symptoms, and sense of coherence (SOC) among community-dwelling older adults suffering from musculoskeletal pain compared to a control group. Methods. The study was semiexperimental with an intervention group and a control group. The effect of a single STRENGTH intervention was reported on the Numeric Rating Scale (NRS) regarding pain and wellbeing. To evaluate the longitudinal effect of STRENGTH, using the Brief Pain Inventory-Short Form (BPI-SF), the Geriatric Depression Scale-20 (GDS-20), SOC-13 at baseline (T1), and six months after the intervention/no intervention (T2), a total of 30 older adults, aged 72 to 97 years (Mdn 86 years), were included consecutively and fulfilled the intervention series (nâ=â18) or untreated controls (nâ=â12). Results. The intervention with STRENGTH decreases pain (NRS 6 Mdn versus NRS 4 Mdn, p \u3c 0.001) and increases wellbeing (NRS 7 Mdn versus NRS 8 Mdn, p \u3c 0.001). After a six-month study period with STRENGTH, no longitudinal effect difference was found compared to baseline. Compared to the control group, there was an increasing trend between decreased pain level and increased SOC level for STRENGTH intervention. Conclusions. This pilot study supports STRENGTHâs effect as a pain-alleviating model that provides a decrease in pain levels and an increase of wellbeing in older adults with long-term pain. STRENGTH dialogues could be a useful intervention to provide individually holistic care in older adults living with long-term pain
Developing Dynamic Outsourcing - Bringing continuous added value to the ABB Full Service partnership
Executive summary This master thesis was originally based on a specific assignment given to the authors from ABB Full Service, a unit specializing in providing maintenance outsourcing: âHow can ABB Full Service expand its offering of providing fundamental maintenance by seamlessly incorporating the business concept with competencies and solutions from other ABB divisions?â The academic issue was developed throughout the thesis, resulting in the following formulation: âFrom an organizational perspective; how can service providers bring continuous added value to intra-organizational outsourcing partnerships?â Many of the key findings of this thesis are reflected in the issue. The term intra-organizational outsourcing is a proposed addition to the terminology in the academic discourse on outsourcing. The definition of the term is: âą Where an organization outsources a business process interlinked with the physical operations, requiring the service provider to take over a preexisting unit and its employees. This is an accurate description of the form of outsourcing that ABB Full Service is engaged in. The authors note that this kind of outsourcing relationship is not sufficiently described in the current theoretical landscape, justifying the addition and definition of a new term. A subset of intra-organizational outsourcing is also added; dynamic outsourcing. This term that is central to this thesis. It describes what ABB Full Service should aim for in their client partnerships. Dynamic outsourcing is defined as: - Where the service provider provides a continuous stream of extended services by incorporating resources and solutions from a broad array of expertise areas through the intra-organizational outsourcing partnership, ensuring a permanent value differential thus eliminating the risk of backsourcing. Insights and propositions in the thesis concern how to achieve dynamic outsourcing. Solutions are provided through two main themes; competence development and nurturingthe client relationship. Competence development for achieving dynamic outsourcing Service providers that work with intra-organizational outsourcing must be prepared to handle the cultural integration of the transferred personnel into the service organization. Properly handled, fast benefits can be achieved but it is also important to realize that the complete integrating process takes both time and effort. For an organization to achieve dynamic outsourcing, focus on the management of the organizationâs knowledge and competencies is imperative. Expertise and experience needs to be developed and transferred between personnel and units within the organization, and knowledge must also be injected from external sources. By working with these aspects of the organization, service providers can improve the quality and cost effectiveness of their offering and maintain a necessary value differential to show clients the benefits of remaining in the partnership. A key insight is that educational initiatives aimed at relationship building, communication, trust, commitment, and shared benefits is more important than technical competence development in achieving a higher level of service quality. All hierarchical levels of the organization must be involved in these processes, laterally as well as vertically. Vertical learning initiatives are knowledge sharing between different hierarchical levels. These initiatives are mainly targeted at down-streams benefits, where more experienced and competent staff shares insights with personnel on a lower hierarchical level. However it is noteworthy that important information is relayed upwards in the hierarchy as well through such initiatives; this can be information such as improvement suggestions and identification of potential problem areas. Lateral learning initiatives should be formed between different client sites, exchanging knowledge between staff on all levels, from site manageme
Feed rations for dairy cows : on organic dairy farms with high rate of self-sufficiency
Inom den ekologiska mjölkproduktionen finns det krav pÄ att hÀlften av fodret ska
komma frÄn den egna gÄrden. En hög sjÀlvförsörjning av foder ger i mÄnga fall Àven en
bÀttre ekonomi.
I Sverige ökar den ekologiska produktionen medan trenden Àr att
sjÀlvförsörjningsgraden av foder pÄ gÄrdarna minskar. För att tÀcka behovet köps
importerade fodermedel in, frÀmst proteinfoder innehÄllande ekologiska sojabönor.
Anledningen till importen Àr att den högmjölkande kon krÀver mycket vomstabilt
protein, vilket mÄnga av de hemmaproducerade proteinfodermedlen har en mindre andel
av jÀmfört med sojabönan.
Syftet med arbetet har varit att finna foderstater med hög andel hemmaproducerat foder
som klarar att nÀringsförsörja den högavkastande kon. MÄlet har varit att jÀmföra olika
foderstater för att finna den optimala foderstaten. Fokus har legat pÄ
proteinförsörjningen hos gÄrdar med hög sjÀlvförsörjning.
En ekologisk mjölkko mÄste ha ett grovfoderintag pÄ minst 60 %. Under de tre första
mÄnaderna i laktationen fÄr andelen sÀnkas till 50 %. Detta Àr en begrÀnsning som man
mÄste ta hÀnsyn till vid foderstatsberÀkningar. Ett högkvalitativt vallfoder Àr alltid
grunden i utfodringen. Det Àr frÀmst under tidig laktation som kravet pÄ proteinkvalitet
och andelen vomstabilt protein Àr högt. Lupin och rapskaka Àr exempel pÄ fodermedel
med bra proteinkvalitet. Ă
kerböna och Àrtor har lite sÀmre kvalitet men lÀmpar sig vÀl
till lÄgavkastande kor.
I undersökningen ingĂ„r sju gĂ„rdar med en sjĂ€lvförsörjningsgrad pĂ„ 87 â 100 %. UtifrĂ„n
dessa gÄrdars nuvarande utfodring har foderstater berÀknats i programmet Typfoder 5.0.
Fem foderstatskontroller valdes ut för att visa pÄ proteinförsörjningen. Foderstaternas
vÀrden jÀmfördes sedan med varandra utifrÄn rekommendationer.
Resultatet av undersökningen visar att det Àr fÄ foderstater som klarar
nÀringsförsörjningen av de högmjölkande korna. I de högsta avkastningsnivÄerna (40 kg
ECM) Àr variationerna större mellan gÄrdarna och det Àr nÄgra fÄ gÄrdar som sticker ut.
För de lÄgmjölkande korna klarar de flesta gÄrdarna rekommendationerna och flera av
dem har Àven ett proteinöverskott.
Den av gÄrdarna som utfodrar med majsensilage har den mest optimala foderstaten för
de högmjölkande korna. GÄrden Àr helt sjÀlvförsörjande pÄ proteinfoder och anvÀnder
rybskaka, Äkerböna och Àrtor som proteintillskott.Organic dairy production encompasses values of sustainable use of resources. Therefore,
there are rules which restrict the import of feeds to the farm, implying a sustainable use
of farm feed crop production and promoting recirculation of nutrients. The current
requirement within the organic dairy production is that half of the feed shall come from
the farm. Additionally, a high self-sufficiency rate of feeds often gives the farmer a
better economy. The organic production in Sweden is increasing, but the trend is that the
feed self-sufficiency rate on the farms decreases. The bought in feeds to the farms are
mostly protein concentrates. These concentrates contains by-pass proteins in high
proportions as high-yielding dairy cow have greater needs of this than lower producing
cows.
The aim for this study has been to explore rations with high proportion of on farm
produced feed that is capable to meet the requirements of the high-yielding dairy cow
and to find the most optimal feed ration. The study has focused on the protein supply in
the rations on farms with high rates of self-sufficiency.
The minimum roughage intake of an organic dairy cow is at least 60%. This may be
reduced to 50% during the first three months of the lactation. This is a limitation that
must be taken into account when the ration is calculated. High-quality forage is the basis
of the feeding. The need for high quality protein is particularly high during early
lactation. Feeds with high quality protein are lupine beans (Lupinus luteus) and rapeseed
(Brassica napus) cake. The protein quality of horse beans (Vicia Faba) and peas (Pisum
sativum) makes them suitable for low-yielding cows.
The study included seven farms with a self-sufficiency rate of 87 - 100%. Based on feed
analysis of used feeds from these farms, rations were calculated using the programme
Typfoder 5.0. Five control parameters were selected to demonstrate the protein supply.
The different diets were then compared and analysed by use of the recommendations.
The result of the survey showed that few rations meet the nutrient demands of the high
yielding cows. There are large variations between the farms and there are few farms that
stick out. Most of the farms meet the demands of the low yielding cows and several
rations also give a surplus of protein. The most optimal ration for high yielding cows
was found at a farm that had corn silage in the ration. That farm was completely selfsufficient
of protein and used turnip rape (Brassica rape) cake, horse beans (Vicia Faba)
and peas (Pisum sativum) as a protein supplement
Aktivitet, lÀggnings- och resningsbeteenden, tillvÀxt samt renlighet hos kvigor i liggbÄs respektive djupströbÀddsbox
The aim of this study was to compare activity, lying down and getting up behaviour, weight gain and cleanliness in heifers in cubicles versus on deep-litter.
The study was conducted from autumn of 2005 until autumn of 2006 in a commercial organic dairy herd with 340 cows. In 2005 the farm rebuilt half of the young stock accommodation from deep-litter pens to cubicles. The experiment used 150 heifers of the breeds Swedish Red, Swedish Holstein and crossbreeds between these, all born on the farm. The animals were divided into three blocks based on breed and within each block they were sorted after increasing age. The youngest heifer in each block was randomly allocated to one of two groups, cubicle or deep-litter pen. Thereafter every other heifer in the block was allocated to either the cubicle system or the deep-litter system.
For the activity study the heifers had a motion sensor attached to the right hind leg for a period of three or four days. The motion sensor recorded percent of every minute when the animal either was active, stood up or lied down. It also recorded number of steps every minute during the observation period. Direct observations of lying down and getting up behaviour were made on two different occasions when interrupted intentions and attempts to lie down were recorded as well as abnormal lying down and getting up behaviour. In the growth study heart girth was measured on two occasions with approximately 7 months in between. The measurements were converted to weight and the daily weight gain was calculated. The cleanliness of nine different body parts were scored as the percentage covered in feces. In the statistic calculations WilcoxonâMann-WhitneyÂŽs test was used for the non-parametric data and otherwise the two sample t-test.
Heifers on deep-litter lied down and got up more often than heifers in cubicles. They had on average twelve lying periods per day compared with nine per day in heifers in cubicles. Heifers on deep-litter also lied down for shorter periods than heifers in cubicles (on average 66 minutes compared to 85 minutes), but the total time spent lying was longer on deep-litter. When observing lying down and getting up behaviour no obvious differences where found between the two housing systems. Heifers in cubicles grew on average 930 g per day which was significantly more (p<0.01) than heifers on deep-litter, which grew on average 830 g per day. Heifers in cubicles were overall cleaner than heifers on deep-litter.
From the results of this study it is concluded that if the cubicles are big enough for the larger heifers held in the system, housing in cubicles seems to offer replacement heifers similar welfare as housing in deep-litter system.Syftet med denna studie var att jÀmföra aktivitet, lÀggnings- och resningsbeteende,
tillvÀxt och renlighet hos kvigor i liggbÄs respektive pÄ djupströbÀdd.
Studien pÄgick under tvÄ stallsÀsonger, frÄn hösten 2005 till hösten 2006.
Försöken gjordes pÄ en privatÀgd, ekologisk mjölkgÄrd med 340 kor. Under 2005
byggde gÄrden om hÀlften av sin ungdjursavdelning frÄn djupströbÀddsboxar till
liggbÄs. I försöken anvÀndes 150 kvigor, födda pÄ gÄrden och av raserna SRB,
SLB eller korsningar mellan dessa. Djuren delades in i tre block efter ras och
sorterades inom varje block efter stigande Ă„lder. Den yngsta kvigan i vart och ett
av blocken lottades till ett av inhysningssystemen (liggbÄs eller djupströbÀddsbox).
Sedan fördelades varannan kviga i vardera blocket till endera
inhysningssystem.
I aktivitetsförsöket hade kvigorna en pedometer pÄ höger bakben i tre alternativt
fyra dagar. Under denna tid registrerades andelen av varje minut som djuret
uppvisade aktivitet, stod respektive lÄg. Dessutom registrerades antalet steg under
den aktuella minuten. Direktobservationer av lÀggnings- och resningsbeteende
utfördes vid tvÄ tillfÀllen dÄ avbrutna intentioner och försök att lÀgga sig samt
onormala lÀggningar och resningar registrerades. I tillvÀxtförsöket mÀttes djurens
bröstomfÄng vid tvÄ tillfÀllen med ungefÀr 7 mÄnaders mellanrum. MÄtten gjordes
om till vikt och den dagliga tillvÀxten rÀknades ut. Renligheten hos nio olika
kroppsdelar bedömdes som procent besudlad med trÀck. I de statistiska
berÀkningarna anvÀndes Wilcoxon-Mann-WhitneyŽs test för icke parametriska
data och annars anvÀndes tvÄ grupps t-test.
Kvigor pÄ djupströbÀdd lade och reste sig oftare Àn kvigor i liggbÄs. De hade i
genomsnitt tolv liggperioder per dygn att jÀmföra med liggbÄskvigornas nio per
dygn. Kvigor pÄ djupströbÀdd lÄg ocksÄ i kortare perioder jÀmfört med kvigor i
liggbÄs (i medeltal 66 minuter jÀmfört med 85 minuter) men den totala liggtiden
var nÄgot lÀngre pÄ djupströbÀdd. Vid observation av lÀggnings- och
resningsbeteende i denna studie pÄvisades inga tydliga skillnader mellan
inhysningssystemen. Kvigor i liggbÄs vÀxte i genomsnitt 930 gram per dag vilket
var signifikant (p<0,01) mer Àn kvigor pÄ djupströbÀdd, som vÀxte i genomsnitt
830 gram per dag. Kvigor i liggbÄs var totalt sett renare Àn kvigor pÄ
djupströbÀdd. Slutsatsen frÄn denna studie Àr att under förutsÀttning att liggbÄsen Àr tillrÀckligt
stora för den viktsklass av Àldre kvigor som hÄlls i systemet tycks ett
liggbÄssystem ge rekryteringskvigor samma vÀlfÀrd som ett djupströbÀddssystem
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