Challenges in moving from macro to micro: Population and family structures in ageing societies

Assumptions are often made about how population ageing on the macro level has altered generational structures of families at the micro level. The purpose of this paper is to increase the awareness of challenges and potential pitfalls in bridging the two levels. To highlight these issues, two common claims found in the literature are questioned and discussed: that increased life expectancy leads to more multigenerational family structures and that reduced fertility means fewer children to care for frail parents. To illustrate, we use population statistics and survey data from selected countries.family structure, gender, generation, micro and macro approaches, multigenerational family structures, population aging

Suing the environment? : an analysis of Investor-State Dispute Settlements impact on achieving International Environmental Agreements

In acknowledgement of the dire need for comprehensive global action and societal transformation, states have come together in formulation of several International Environmental Agreements (IEAs) outlining goals and commitments to tackle climate change and ecological collapse. Achieving these goals often entail prematurely downscaling industries and sectors with large ecological footprint, such as the fossil fuel sector. It is however important to recognize that a variety of foreign investments are protected in a majority of today’s International Investment Agreements (IIAs), through provisions granting access to the so-called Investor-State Dispute Settlement (ISDS) mechanism. ISDS allows foreign investors to sue states based on policies conflicting with their investments and seek high monetary compensation for potential economic losses. Thus, ISDS is increasingly seen as hindrance to states’ efforts of environmental policymaking, and it is suggested that it may have a chilling effect discouraging states from adopting environmental policies, due to the risk of having to pay investors millions in compensation. States are already being sued for adopting phase-out policies necessary for achieving IEAs, and similar cases are likely to increase in numbers as stronger environmental policies are paramount. With this backdrop, this thesis examines six ISDS cases with varying status (settled, decided, pending and threat of arbitration), by analyzing what the experiences from these cases may tell us with regards to countries’ efforts to form national environmental policies, and address the possible impacts ISDS may have on states achieving IEAs. The Environmental Governance Systems (EGS) framework (Vatn, 2015) is applied as to investigate the governance structure of ISDS and used to structure the analysis of power dynamics between the actors and institutions involved. Findings show that through access to ISDS, IIAs contributes to strengthen foreign investor’s relative power over states, and that ISDS may have a chilling effect on states environmental policymaking which also may shrink their regulatory capacities. Furthermore, states may experience a conflict of interests with regards to addressing strong civil society demands, their commitments to provide a healthy environment, and their obligations in the IIAs. Thus, the study suggests that states will continue to introduce environmental policies in the future, but these are likely to be challenged by investors seeking to recoup their financial losses. The risk is reduced effectiveness of such policies and the prospects of achieving IEAs in time will be significantly reduced as long as foreign investors have the right challenge legitimate environmental policies. It may therefore be hypothesized whether the ISDS system is creating structural barriers for the realization of environmental justice.M-IE

Er omsorgsfulle fedre omsorgsfulle sønner? Likestilling hjemme og hjelp til eldre foreldre

Diskusjoner om likestilling i familien dreier seg i hovedsak om par med små barn, og debatter om nye mannsroller handler for det meste om menn som fedre. I denne artikkelen tar vi et tre-generasjonsperspektiv og belyser arbeidsdeling hjemme og jevnlig hjelp til eldre foreldre, med særlig fokus på menns rolle som sønner. Dersom innsatsen deres hjemme i omsorg for barn og husarbeid bidrar til å skape en ny type mann, antar vi at dette ikke bare kommer barn og partner til gode, men også foreldre. Analysene, som er basert på data fra den norske undersøkelsen om livsløp, generasjon og kjønn, gir ikke støtte til denne antakelsen. Menn som praktiserer likedeling av husarbeid er mindre tilbøyelige til å hjelpe foreldre enn menn med en mer tradisjonell arbeidsdeling der kvinnen gjør mest. Deling av barneomsorg har ingen betydning for hjelpemønsteret. For kvinner er det først og fremst innsats i yrkesarbeid som står i sammenheng med hjelp til foreldre. Deltidsarbeidende kvinner stiller i større grad opp enn det kvinner som jobber fulltid gjør. Resultatene tyder på at tilgjengelighet i form av tid har betydning ved at hjelp til foreldre er knyttet til lavere innsats på andre områder – arbeid ute for kvinner, arbeid hjemme for menn. Således ser innsats i omsorg for foreldre ut til å gå sammen med tradisjonelle kjønnsroller i familien

The Use of Thermography in Evaluation of Surgical Wounds in Small Animal Practice

The aim of this study was to test the usefulness of thermal imaging in a clinical setting as a part of wound healing evaluation after surgical procedures. Forty-one client owned dogs and cats (thirty nine dogs and two cats) were included in the study which was a part of another study investigating the effects of local anaesthetics on wound healing. Thermal imaging and clinical assessment of the wound area was performed approximately fourteen days after surgical intervention. Clinical assessment was focused on evaluating wounds for signs of inflammation and thermal interpretation investigated if there was a significant difference in temperature between wound area and control area. The skin temperature in the wound area had a significantly lower temperature than control areas. Comparison of results from thermal image interpretation for correlation with clinical assessment of wound area had no statistical significance. The controversial finding of a malignant tumour being depicted as colder than surrounding tissue instead of warmer, which is described in the literature, illustrates the need for further research to improve thermal imaging diagnostic outcome in the oncology field. A potentially useful area for thermal imaging in every day clinical practice may lie in monitoring the healing of bone fractures but further studies are needed. The conclusion from this study was that subjective clinical evaluations of surgical wounds two weeks post surgery provides enough information for clinical decision making and thermal imaging is superfluous in this context. The method should be evaluated within the timeframe of the inflammatory phase to further explore its potentials in wound healing evaluation

Evaluation of primary wound healing and potential complications after perioperative infiltration with lidocaine without adrenaline in surgical incisions in dogs and cats

BackgroundPre-emptive local analgesia with the use of lidocaine is practised increasingly in veterinary medicine as part of applied multimodal analgesia, despite its controversial impact on wound healing. The purpose of this prospective, randomised, double-blinded, placebo-controlled clinical study was to evaluate if preoperative subcutaneous infiltration of lidocaine has a negative impact on primary wound healing of surgical incisions. Fifty-two companion animals (3 cats and 49 dogs) were enrolled in the study. The inclusion criteria were as follows: American Society of Anaesthesiologists (ASA) score I or II, a minimum body weight of 5 kg, and a planned incisional length of at least 4 cm. Surgical incisions were infiltrated subcutaneously with lidocaine without adrenaline or NaCl (placebo). Follow-up questionnaires for owners and veterinarians and thermography of the surgical wound were used to assess wound healing. Antimicrobial use was documented.ResultsThere was no significant difference in either the total score or the individual assessment points between the treatment and the placebo group on the owner or the veterinary questionnaires in regard to primary wound healing (P > 0.05 for all comparisons). No significant difference was found between the thermography results of the treatment and placebo group (P = 0.78), and there was no significant correlation between the total score from the veterinary protocol and thermography results (Spearman's correlation coefficient - 0.10, P = 0.51). Surgical site infections developed in 5/53 (9.4%) surgeries and its occurrence varied significantly between the treatment and the placebo group as all cases of infection were in the placebo group (P = 0.05).ConclusionThe results of this study indicate that lidocaine used as a local anaesthetic did not affect wound healing in patients with ASA scores I-II. The results suggest that lidocaine infiltration in surgical incisions can be safely used to reduce pain

Effekter av flushing och dess potentiella användning för hund

Flushing är samlingsnamnet för tillskottsutfodring med fodermedel med högt energiinnehåll i syfte att förbättra den reproduktiva förmågan hos djur. Metoden används aktivt på flera av lantbrukets djur men fokus för det här arbetet är främst får och nötkreatur då de allra flesta studier gjorts på dessa djurslag. Därefter diskuteras den eventuella användbarheten av metoden för hund, där det vetenskapliga underlaget är begränsat. I försök på får och nötkreatur används vanligen kolhydrater, fetter eller proteiner som flushingdiet och då ofta i form av glukos, palmitinsyra eller linolsyra samt lupiner. Tillvägagångssättet är ofta, i försökssammanhang, att erbjuda djuren extra foder utöver det som täcker det basala näringsbehovet en eller två östralcykler före planerad betäckning. Fodergivan ökas olika mycket beroende på försöksutformning men en ökning med ca 1,5 % av kroppsvikten återkommer i flera försök. Det man avser att påverka är östrusbeteende samt duration och intervall av detsamma, oocytmognad, blastocystutveckling, prenatal överlevnad, antal och livsduglighet hos avkomman samt även långsiktig påverkan på ett genetiskt plan. För att utvärdera resultaten av metoden använder man sig av olika mätbara parametrar med vissa generellt återkommande i de flesta försök. Vanligt är att man uppskattar djurets näringsstatus vid början av försöket med utgångspunkt från Body Condition Score-skalan som går från 1-5 (från kraftigt undernärt till kraftigt överviktigt). Vikt används antingen istället för BCS eller som kompletterande information för att räkna ut en exakt fodergiva. Ytterligare bedömningspunkter är tidig embryoöverlevenad, antalet fullgångna dräktigheter och antalet avkommor. Mer specifika mätningar görs av ovulationshastigheten där man tittar på medelantalet gulkroppar per djur samt oocytkvaliteten, vilken avgör embryots förmåga att nå blastocyststadiet. Hög oocytkvalitet leder till ett ökat antal befruktade ägg som når blastocyststadiet hos djur som har fler än en avkomma åt gången. Oftast tittar man på flushingdietens påverkan på follikelstorleken. Det finns en generell tendens till att de stora, preovulatoriska folliklarna hamnar i fokus då de förväntas bilda större gulkroppar med högre progesteronproduktion, vilket i sin tur ger dräktighetsbevarande effekter. En annan parameter som studeras är embryokvaliteten. Strävan är att embryots form ska vara jämn och sfärisk med inbördes likvärdiga celler med avseende på storlek, färg och densitet. Vid försök syns bäst effekt av tillskottsutfodringen på individer med underhull som göds till bättre hull. Bäst resultat ses på djur som göds från ett sämre BCS till ett på ca 3-3,5. Slutsatsen är att flushing generellt är överflödigt på djur som hålls i jämngott hull men effektivt på djur som säsongsvis har reducerad tillgång till föda och därför är i underhull. Då effekten är minimal på djur i gott hull är metoden inte direkt tillämpbar för att öka den reproduktiva förmågan hos hundar då vi generellt snarare håller dem i överhull.Flushing is the name for additional feeding with high energy feed with the purpose of improving the reproductive ability in animals. The method is commonly used on several species of production animals, especially sheep and cattle often appear in studies and they will be the main focus in this work. Thereafter the potential use of this method on dogs is discussed, which is a topic where limited scientific evidence is available. In studies on sheep and cattle the most frequently used flushing supplements are carbohydrates, fatty acids or proteins and they are typically given as glucose, palmitic acid, linoleic acid and lupin. The experimental set-up is often to offer additional feed on top of the rations necessary to meet the animals’ basic nutritional requirements, for about one-two estrous cycles before mating. The exact dose of additional feed differs between studies, but an addition of 1.5% of the animal’s original bodyweight is often reoccurring. Expected effects are on the duration of estrus behavior, the length of the estrus interval, maturation of oocytes, blastocyst development, prenatal survival, number and viability of the offspring and also a more long term effect on a genetic level. To evaluate the results of flushing several measurable parameters are used and some are common in most studies. It is typical to estimate the animals nutritional status at the beginning of the study using the Body Condition Score index, ranging from 1-5 (severely undernourished - severely overweight). Weight is used either instead of BCS or as additional information to calculate the exact amount of extra feed. Apart from this, also early embryo survival, number of completed pregnancies and number of offspring are recorded. As specific measurements, ovulation rate (average number of corpora lutea per animal) is noted and also oocyte quality (determines the ability of the embryo to reach the blastocyst stage) is studied. High oocyte quality will lead to an increase in the number of fertilized eggs in pluriparous species. One of the most frequently studied features is the effect of the flushing diet on follicular size. There is an overall tendency to focus mainly on the large sized, pre-ovulatory follicles since they are expected to generate larger corpora lutea with a higher capacity of progesterone production, which in turn helps sustaining pregnancy. Another common feature is the quality of the embryo. Optimal is to have an evenly shaped, spherical embryo with uniform cells concerning size, color and density. The best results from nutritional flushing are seen on undernourished individuals with their nutritional status being improved. The optimal response is seen in animals with lower BCS fed to a BCS of about 3-3.5. The conclusion is that nutritional flushing is generally unnecessary for animals kept in a constant, good nutritional status but effective on animals with seasonally reduced access to good, nutritional feed and therefore undernourished. Since the effects on animals kept in good body condition are minimal, the applicability on dogs to enhance their reproductive capacity is limited since they are generally more often overfed

Older Workers and Work Exit Preferences in a Digitalized Working Life

With working life being in the middle of both a demographic and a digital transition, a key question is whether digitalization may counteract the policy goal of delaying work exit. Here, we use survey data from the Norwegian Senior Policy Barometer to investigate the association between how digital tools are experienced and the preference for timing of work exit. We find that, even after controlling for various potential confounders, experiencing digital difficulties at the workplace is correlated with preferring to leave work early. A relevant follow-up question is then which factors increase the likelihood among older workers of experiencing such difficulties. The analyses show that workplace conditions are more important than individual characteristics, suggesting that efforts taken to reduce experiences of digital difficulties at the workplace could be effective in preventing early exits

Luksuskosmetikk: identitet, plikt og sosial klasse

Bakgrunnen for denne oppgaven er basert på vår interesse rundt luksuskosmetikk, og vi var nysgjerrige på kvinners oppfattelse av eget forbruk. Vi ønsket å synliggjøre kvinnenes meningsdannelser, og oppnå en dypere forståelse av dette fenomenet i tråd med teori fra fagfeltet, sosialantropologi. Ved utarbeidelsen av primær og sekundærdata ønsket vi å få svar på følgende problemstilling; Hvordan bruker og oppfatter kvinner i 50-årsalderen på Oslo vest luksuskosmetikk? Gjennom en fenomenologisk virkelighetsoppfatning samt en induktiv tilnærming, ville vi forklare virkeligheten slik informantene oppfatter den. Vi benyttet oss av kvalitative dybdeintervjuer og en minigruppe, bestående av ni informanter. Intervjuguiden ble konstruert på bakgrunn av et teoretisk rammeverk knyttet til de aspekter som omfatter det sosiale og psykologiske perspektivet rundt forbruket, som omfatter forbruk, pris, kvalitet, luksus og identitet. Slik vi forstår det, er det et funn som viser seg å være dominerende gjennom hele analysen, som representerer kvinnenes konstante forsøk på å redusere gapet mellom det reelle- og ønskede selvbilde. Det viser seg at luksuskosmetikken fremstår som et hjelpemiddel i skapelsen av seg selv og identitetsdannelsen. Funnene belyser en underliggende plikt i samfunnet, som krever at kvinnene skal være presentable i det sosiale rom. Her forstår vi kosmetikken som et essensielt verktøy

Older Workers in Digitalizing Workplaces: A Systematic Literature Review

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