The effects of wind power on electricity markets: A case study of the Swedish intraday market

We investigate the process of electricity price formation in the Swedish intraday market, given a large share of wind power in the Swedish electricity system. According to Karanfil and Li's (2017) approach, if the intraday market is efficient, with large shares of intermittent electricity in the entire electricity system, intraday prices should send signals based on scarcity pricing for balancing power. Based on this theory, we analyze Swedish electricity market data for the period 2015?2018 and find that the Swedish intraday market, despite its small trading volumes, is functioning properly. In particular, our results show that intraday price premia mostly respond to wind power forecast errors and other imbalances resulting from either supply or demand sides of the electricity market, as they should if the intraday market is efficient. The results of wind power forecast errors hold for central and southern Sweden, but not for northern Sweden where the share of wind power production is still very small. However, we find no effect of unplanned nuclear power plant outages on intraday price premia.We investigate the process of electricity price formation in the Swedish intraday market, given a large share of wind power in the Swedish electricity system. According to Karanfil and Li's (2017) approach, if the intraday market is efficient, with large shares of intermittent electricity in the entire electricity system, intraday prices should send signals based on scarcity pricing for balancing power. Based on this theory, we analyze Swedish electricity market data for the period 2015?2018 and find that the Swedish intraday market, despite its small trading volumes, is functioning properly. In particular, our results show that intraday price premia mostly respond to wind power forecast errors and other imbalances resulting from either supply or demand sides of the electricity market, as they should if the intraday market is efficient. The results of wind power forecast errors hold for central and southern Sweden, but not for northern Sweden where the share of wind power production is still very small. However, we find no effect of unplanned nuclear power plant outages on intraday price premia. ? 2021 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved

Carbon Pricing: Transaction Costs of Emissions Trading vs. Carbon Taxes

In this paper we empirically compare the transaction costs from monitoring, reporting and verification (MRV) of two environmental regulations directed to cost-efficiently reduce greenhouse gas emissions: a carbon dioxide (CO2) tax and a tradable emissions system. We do this in the case of Sweden, where a set of firms are covered by both types of regulations, i.e., the Swedish CO2 tax and the European Union’s Emissions Trading System (EU ETS). This provides us with an excellent case study as it allows us to disentangle the costs of each regulation from other firm-specific variables that might affect the overall cost of MRV procedures. Our results indicate that the MRV costs of CO2 taxation do not depend on firms’ emissions, while they do in the case of the EU ETS. For firms of equivalent emissions’ size, the MRV costs are lower for CO2 taxation than for the EU ETS, which confirms the general view that regulating emissions upstream by means of a CO2 tax yields lower transaction costs vis-á-vis downstream regulation by means of emission trading.JEL: D23; H23; Q52; Q5

Commercialization of Research Results in Lithuanian Research Centre for Agriculture and Forestry

Tyrimo objektas – mokslinių tyrimų rezultatų komercializavimas Lietuvos agrarinių ir miškų mokslų centre. Tyrimo tikslas - apžvelgus naujų produktų/paslaugų įvedimą į rinką teorijas , pateikti siūlymus mokslinių tyrimų rezultatų komercializavimo gerinimui. Uždaviniai: 1. Išanalizuoti naujų produktų/paslaugų įvedimo į rinką teorijų analizę; 2. Parengti mokslinių tyrimų rezultatų komercializavimo modelį; 3. Atskleisti nagrinėjamos įstaigos veiklos ypatumus; 4. Atlikti nagrinėjamos įstaigos kuriamų produktų/ paslaugų įvedimo į rinką analizę; 5. Atlikti surinktų duomenų analizę ir vertinimą 6. Pateikti Lietuvos agrarinių ir miškų mokslų centro mokslinių rezultatų komercializavimo gerinimo būdus. Tyrimo metodai: mokslinės literatūros lyginimas, sisteminimas, apibendrinimas; teisės aktų analizė; pusiau struktūrizuotas interviu. Tyrimo rezultatai: • Pirmoje darbo dalyje išanalizuoti mokslinių tyrimų rezultatų komercializavimo teoriniai aspektai: išnagrinėti naujų produktų paslaugų įvedimo į rinką teoriniai aspektai, išskirti pagrindiniai mokslinių tyrimų rezultatų komercializavimo teoriniai modeliai, sudarytas mokslinių tyrimų rezultatų komercializavimo proceso modelis su grįžtamuoju ryšiu, kuris yra svarbiausias tobulinant ir keičiant produktus, pateikiant į rinką ir pritaikant juos naudojimui. • Antroje dalyje atskleisti analizuojamos įstaigos veiklos ypatumai, išanalizuoti tikslai, kuriami produktai, pagrindiniai mokslinių tyrimų rezultatų užsakovai, rinkos dydis ir augimo tempai. Parengta Lietuvos agrarinių ir miškų mokslų centro mokslinių tyrimų rezultatų komercializavimo tyrimo metodika. • Trečioje dalyje aprašoma atliekamo tyrimo metodologija, pateikiami kokybinio pusiau struktūrizuoto interviu ir finansinės analizės rezultatai. • Darbo pabaigoje pateikiamos išvados ir pasiūlymai, kurie galėtų būti panaudoti mokslinių tyrimų rezultatų komercializavimo tobulinimui.Object of the research: commercialization of research results in Lithuanian Research Centre for Agriculture and Forestry. Aim of the research: having reviewed launching of new products / services into the market to come up with suggestions for improvement of research results commercialization. Objectives of the research: 1. To analyse the theories of new product / service launching; 2. To develop a model of research results commercialization; 3. To identify features of the institution’s activities; 4. To present the analysis of product / service created by the relevant institution launching into the market; 5. To carry out analysis and evaluation of collected data; 6. To introduce improvement methods for Lithuanian Research Centre for Agriculture and Forestry scientific results commercialization. Research methods: comparison, synthesis, generalization of scientific literature; legislative analysis; semi-structured interviews. Research results: • Part One analyses theoretical aspects of the research results commercialization: theoretical aspects of launching new products into the market are considered; theoretical models of basic research results commercialization are identified; a model of research results commercialization process with feedback which is essential when developing and changing products, launching them into the market and adapting them for use. • Part Two reveals peculiarities of the institution’s activities. The objectives, products under development, major customers ordering research results, market extent and growth rate are analysed. A model of Lithuanian Research Centre for Agriculture and Forestry research results commercialization is developed. • Part Three describes the method of the research. The results of qualitative semi-structured interviews and financial analysis are introduced. • Conclusions and recommendations that could be used for the improvement of research results commercialization are presented at the end of the work.Žemės ūkio akademijaVytauto Didžiojo universiteta

Nontraditional decisions in public library communication with citizens: the case of Kaunas Vincas Kudirka public library

Šio darbo objektas yra Kauno Vinco Kudirkos viešosios bibliotekos komunikacija. Darbo problema yra formuluojama klausimu: kokie yra bibliotekų netradiciniai komunikacijos sprendimai ir ar jie gali daryti įtaką žmonių apsisprendimui lankytis bibliotekose? Darbo tikslas – ištirti ir pristatyti, kokie yra Kauno Vinco Kudirkos viešosios bibliotekos netradiciniai komunikacijos sprendimai bei ištirti kokį poveikį jie daro auditorijai. Norint pasiekti išsikeltą tikslą, bakalauro baigiamajame darbe naudoti šie tyrimo metodai – mokslinės literatūros, informacinių šaltinių ir statistinių duomenų analizė; buvo atliktas kokybinis tyrimas – turinio analizė, kurios metu buvo analizuojamas bibliotekos socialinių tinklų „Facebook“ ir „Instagram“ bei internetinio puslapio turinys; buvo atliktas pusiau struktūruotas interviu; buvo atliktas kiekybinis tyrimas – internetinė anketinė apklausa. Rezultatai ir išvados. Kokybinio tyrimo – turinio analizės laikotarpiu 2020 m. sausio 1 d. – 2020 m. balandžio 30 d. buvo išanalizuoti 367 įrašai, iš kurių 252 buvo Kauno Vinco Kudirkos viešosios bibliotekos socialinio tinklo „Facebook“ paskyroje, 94 – internetiniame puslapyje ir 21 – socialinio tinklo „Instagram“ paskyroje. Atlikus turinio analizę ir pusiau struktūruotą interviu, buvo išsiaiškinta, kad pagrindiniai šios bibliotekos netradiciniai komunikacijos sprendimai yra: pirmoji Kauno mieste veikianti Žaisloteka, vasaros sezonu Lampėdžių ir Panemunės paplūdimiuose veikiančios bibliotekos su skaityklomis po atviru dangumi, bibliotekos sukurtas audiogidas, skirtas pažinti septynis Kauno mieste esančius piliakalnius, nemokamas pabėgimo kambarys, kurio instrukcijos yra išverstos ir į gestų kalbą, interaktyvus turas/žaidimas su žydų kultūros paveldo žemėlapiu, kuris leidžia niekur neišeinant iš namų „pasivaikščioti“ po Kauno miestą ir žydų kultūros paveldo vietas, pirmi Kauno mieste vykdomi 5 – 11 metų vaikams skirti užsiėmimai – knygų skaitymai su terapiniais šunimis, galimybė Kauno miesto senjorams ir žmonėms su negalia knygas iš bibliotekos gauti tiesiai į namus, karantino laikotarpiu bibliotekos 3D spausdintuvu spausdinami rėmeliai apsauginiams medikų skydams ir durų rankenų priedai, leidžiantys duris atidaryti neliečiant rankenos plaštaka. Kiekybinio tyrimo – internetinės anketinės apklausos metu buvo išsiaiškinta, kad netradicines bibliotekos teikiamas paslaugas apklausos respondentai vertina teigiamai ir, kad didžiąją dalį respondentų tokios paslaugos skatina naudotis būtent šia biblioteka.The object of this research communication of Kaunas Vincas Kudirka Public Library. The research problem is the following question: what are the nontraditional communication decisions of libraries and can they influence people‘s decision to visit libraries? The aim of the research – to investigate and present the nontraditional communication decisions of Kaunas Vincas Kudirka Public Library and to investigate the effect they have on the audience. In order to achieve the set aim, the following research methods were employed – analysis of scientific literature, information sources and statistical; a qualitative research was carried out – content analysis, during which the content of the library‘s social network Facebook and Instagram and website was analyzed; was carried out semi-structured interview; a quantitative research was carried out – an online questionnaire. During the content analysis – 01/01/2020 – 30/04/2020 – 367 posts (252 by Facebook, 94 by website and 21 by Instagram) were analyzed. Content analysis and a semi-structured interview revealed that the main nontraditional decisions of this library are as follows: the first toy library operating in Kaunas, libraries operating in Lampėdžiai and Panemunė beaches with open-air reading rooms during the summer season, an audio guide created by the library to get to know the seven mounds in Kaunas, a free escape room whose instructions are also translated into sign language, an interactive tour/game that allows you to take a virtual walk around Kaunas and Jewish cultural heritage sites, the first classes for children aged 5 to 11 in Kaunas - reading books with therapeutic dogs, an opportunity for Kaunas city seniors and people with disabilities to receive books directly from home from the library, quarantine period library 3D printer printed frames protective medical shields and door handle accessories that allow to be opened in small handles more widely. During the quantitative research - online questionnaire survey, it was found out that the non - traditional services provided by the library are positively assessed by the survey respondents and that the majority of respondents encourage the use of such services by this library.Politikos mokslų ir diplomatijos fakultetasViešosios komunikacijos katedr

Clinical balance test for assessment of balance dysfunction in children with otitis media with effusion

Introduction. Otitis media with effusion (OME) is a common childhood disease, which occurs with a fluid accumulation in the middle ear. Several studies have indicated that during an episode of OME children can undergo not only hearing problems but also vestibular dysfunction, for this reason they can become clumsy and fall more often. Despite the fact that, vestibular impairment can lead to balance deficit and disturb normal motor development, vestibular evaluation is not routinely performed in the pediatric population. Aim. The aim of the study was to assess the balance ability in children with OME and compared with normal-hearing controls using clinical balance subset of the standardized Bruininks Oseretsky Test of motor proficiency, second edition (BOT-2). Materials and methods. Children with OME were recruited from the Department of Otorhinolaryngology of the Hospital of Lithuanian University of Health Sciences Kaunas clinics in Kaunas. Middle ear status was confirmed through a variety of tests including: pneumatic otoscopy and examination of the eardrum, speech and pure tone audiometry, impedance testing and otoacoustic emission. All subjects underwent Balance subset of the BOT-2 test, which consist of nine balance-related tasks performed with eyes open and with eyes closed. Data were analyzed using SPSS v24 statistical package. A p value < 0.05 was considered statistically significant. Results. The study involved 62 children: 32 (52 %) with OME and 30 (48 %) healthy children 4–12 years old. Balance abilities in one leg standing task with eyes open, were statistically significant better (p = 0.01) in control group (8.9 ± 1.4 sec) than in children with OME (7.9 ± 1.6 sec). The highly difference (p < 0.001) was observed performing one leg standing task with eyes closed, among control group (7.4 ± 1.6 sec) and children with OME(4.1 ± 1.5 sec). Similar results were obtained when standing on one leg on a[...]

Vertical Integration in Tradable Green Certificate Markets

This study examines how the impact of Tradable Green Certificates (TGC) on profitability and investment behavior varies depending on the vertical integration status of regulated firms. Our theoretical model predicts that vertical integration does not lead to higher profits when internal pricing aligns with market values for green certificates. However, it stimulates greater investment in renewable electric capacity since it reduces the costs of the sourced certificates. Empirical analysis of the Swedish TGC system confirms these findings, revealing that vertically integrated firms did not experience profit increases. Instead, they exhibited distinct investment patterns, prioritizing cost-effective technologies like hydro and thermal capacity over more expensive renewables, in contrast to non-integrated firms

Stigma towards depression in primary care

Introduction. Depression is a common mental disorder, more than 300,000,000 people affected by this disease, which is either the leading cause of disability worldwide. Depression can be treated effectively, however, there are a lot of obstacles that can interfere with it. Stigma towards depression is one of causes leading to under-diagnosis and under-treatment. Aim. This study aims to describe the attitudes of general practitioners towards misleading statements about depression in Lithuania. Materials and methods. 113 general practitioners from Lithuania completed selfreport questionnaire: a Likert type scale included 8 misleading statements about depression. Correct answers “strongly disagree” and “disagree” were summed up together and described as percentage frequencies. It is shown in results how many general practitioners disagree with these misleading statements. Results. “One of the main causes of depression is a lack of self-discipline and willpower” 50.4 %; “Becoming depressed is a way that people with poor stamina deal with life difficulties” 53.1 %; “Becoming depressed is a natural part of being old” 57.5 %; “Once a person has made up their mind about taking their own life no one can stop them” 59.3 %; “Depression treatments medicalise unhappiness” 37.2 %, “Becoming depressed is a natural part of adolescence” 54.0 %; “Psychological therapy tends to be unsuccessful with people who are depressed” 54.0 %; “Antidepressant therapy tends to be unsuccessful with people who are depressed” 63.7 %. Conclusion. As results shown – stigma towards depression in primary care physicians is common problem. To reach better results in depression diagnosis and treatment we need to change the attitude of general practitioners towards depression. Most of publications announce that continual medical education has statistically significant influence for building more appropriate att[...]