Does shared service delivery affect cost? A study of the cost-capacity relation in Norwegian local child protection services

Intermunicipal cooperation is often seen as a means to increase capacity and reap economic benefits of scale. Prior research, however, shows that the effects of shared service delivery diverge, leaving scholars and practitioners to question whether, under what conditions and at what expense effects of cooperation manifest. Using a panel dataset on child protection services, we analyze how cooperation affects the cost-capacity relation. The results show that cooperation increases cost. This increase is only partly explained by investments in service capacity, indicating that there are significant transaction costs linked to cooperation as a mode of production.publishedVersio

Service quality and the optimum number of members in intermunicipal cooperation: The case of emergency primary care services in Norway

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Adaptation and Prosthesis Effects on Stride-to-Stride Fluctuations in Amputee Gait

Twenty-four individuals with transtibial amputation were recruited to a randomized, crossover design study to examine stride-to-stride fluctuations of lower limb joint flexion/extension time series using the largest Lyapunov exponent (λ). Each individual wore a “more appropriate” and a “less appropriate” prosthesis design based on the subject\u27s previous functional classification for a three week adaptation period. Results showed decreased λ for the sound ankle compared to the prosthetic ankle (F1,23 = 13.897, p = 0.001) and a decreased λ for the “more appropriate” prosthesis (F1,23 = 4.849, p = 0.038). There was also a significant effect for the time point in the adaptation period (F2,46 = 3.164, p = 0.050). Through the adaptation period, a freezing and subsequent freeing of dynamic degrees of freedom was seen as the λ at the ankle decreased at the midpoint of the adaptation period compared to the initial prosthesis fitting (p = 0.032), but then increased at the end compared to the midpoint (p = 0.042). No differences were seen between the initial fitting and the end of the adaptation for λ (p = 0.577). It is concluded that the λ may be a feasible clinical tool for measuring prosthesis functionality and adaptation to a new prosthesis is a process through which the motor control develops mastery of redundant degrees of freedom present in the system

Prosthesis preference is related to stride-to-stride fluctuations at the prosthetic ankle

The purpose of this study was to determine the relationship between stride-to-stride fluctuations and prosthesis preference. Thirteen individuals with unilateral, transtibial amputation consented to participate. Individuals walked on a treadmill for 3 min with their prescribed and an alternate prosthesis. Stride-to-stride fluctuations were quantified with the largest Lyapunov exponent (LyE) of each joint flexion/extension time series. The change in the LyE was calculated for each major lower-limb joint for both conditions. Participants indicated preference between the prostheses on a continuous visual analog scale. The change in the LyE was correlated with the degree of preference between the two prostheses at the prosthetic ankle. The change in the LyE of the prosthetic ankle was strongly related to the degree of preference (r = 0.629, p = 0.02). Thus, stride-to-stride fluctuations, quantified by the LyE, are strongly related to the patient’s perception of the prosthesis. As a result, the LyE is the first objective measure to detect changes in gait that relate to the patient’s perception of the prosthesis. The LyE should be further examined as a potentially effective prescriptive and outcome measure in prosthetic rehabilitation

Step Activity and 6-Minute Walk Test Outcomes When Wearing Low-Activity or High-Activity Prosthetic Feet

Objective To determine changes in average daily step count (ADSC) and 6-minute walk test (6MWT) due to use of low-activity feet (LA) and high-activity energy-storage-and-return (ESAR) feet, and examine the sensitivity of these measures to properly classify different prosthetic feet. Design Individuals with transtibial amputations (n = 28) participated in a 6-week, randomized crossover study. During separate 3-week periods, participants wore either a LA foot (eg, solid-ankle-cushioned-heel) or an ESAR foot. Differences in 6MWT and ADSC at the end of the 3-week period were recorded. Results Subjects performed similarly in the 6MWT with the LA and ESAR foot (P = 0.871) and ADSC (P = 0.076). The correct classification of ESAR is only 51.9% and 61.5% with 6MWT and ADSC, respectively. For the LA foot, correct classification is less than 50% for both tests. Conclusions Neither ADSC or 6MWT are responsive to changes in prosthetic feet. The pitfalls and shortcomings of these instruments with regard to their ability to detect differences in prosthetic feet are outlined. Based on these results, it is not recommended that the 6MWT and ADSC are used as a means to assess outcomes for different prosthetic feet

Samskapingsprosessen i pilotprosjektet NEB-STAR

Samskaping kan anses å være selve nøkkelen til å løse såkalte “wicked problems”, som for eksempel klimautfordringer. Dette omhandler komplekse problemer som en aktør ikke kan løse alene, men som kan løses gjennom et samarbeid mellom offentlige- og private aktører og innbyggerne. Begrepet samskaping har fått en økende oppmerksomhet de siste årene, men det finnes lite informasjon om hvordan en samskapingsprosess faktisk fungerer i praksis. New European Bauhaus (NEB) er et initiativ av EU som gjennom en helhetlig måte, skal koble Green Deal opp mot våre daglige liv. Stavanger er blitt valgt ut som en fyrtårn by for NEB, der pilotprosjektet New European Bauhaus Stavanger (NEB-STAR) skal i løpet av tre år, sammen med 16 aktører, videreutvikle kompetanse og verktøy for involvering og samskaping. I et partnerskap skal prosjektet arbeide for å bli klimanøytral raskere, gjennom en estetisk, bærekraftig og inkluderende måte. Dette forskningsprosjektet tar for seg selve samskapingsprosessen i pilotprosjektet NEB-STAR, der kommunens rolle som samskapingsaktør er særlig vektlagt. For å belyse kommunens rolle i prosjektet peker oppgaven på hvordan samskapingsprosessen oppleves av informantene som er aktører i NEB-STAR prosjektet, som representerer både offentlige- og private aktører og akademia. For å undersøke videre på samskapingsprosessen utforsker dette forskningsprosjektet ulike utfordringer som kan oppstå når samskaping skal realiseres. NEB-STAR prosjektet sitt forløp er i sin første fase, og derfor er denne oppgaven basert på denne perioden. Nøkkelord: Samskaping, bærekraftig byutvikling, wicked problems, ledelse, trippel heliks, New European Bauhaus Stavange

On the Emergent Spectra of Hot Protoplanet Collision Afterglows

We explore the appearance of terrestrial planets in formation by studying the emergent spectra of hot molten protoplanets during their collisional formation. While such collisions are rare, the surfaces of these bodies may remain hot at temperatures of 1000-3000 K for up to millions of years during the epoch of their formation. These object are luminous enough in the thermal infrared to be observable with current and next generation optical/IR telescopes, provided that the atmosphere of the forming planet permits astronomers to observe brightness temperatures approaching that of the molten surface. Detectability of a collisional afterglow depends on properties of the planet's atmosphere -- primarily on the mass of the atmosphere. A planet with a thin atmosphere is more readily detected, because there is little atmosphere to obscure the hot surface. Paradoxically, a more massive atmosphere prevents one from easily seeing the hot surface, but also keeps the planet hot for a longer time. In terms of planetary mass, more massive planets are also easier to detect than smaller ones because of their larger emitting surface areas. We present preliminary calculations assuming a range of protoplanet masses (1-10 M_\earth), surface pressures (1-1000 bar), and atmospheric compositions, for molten planets with surface temperatures ranging from 1000 to 1800 K, in order to explore the diversity of emergent spectra that are detectable. While current 8- to 10-m class ground-based telescopes may detect hot protoplanets at wide orbital separations beyond 30 AU (if they exist), we will likely have to wait for next-generation extremely large telescopes or improved diffraction suppression techniques to find terrestrial planets in formation within several AU of their host stars.Comment: 28 pages, 6 figures, ApJ manuscript format, accepted into the Ap