Assessing the Market Attractiveness for a Renewable Energy Source

Background The EU’s 20-20-20 targets determine that Finland’s share of energy consumption from renewable energy sources is to be 38 % by 2020, a target that the government intends to reach by expansion of wind power. The government has a beneficial feed-in tariff in place as an incentive for rapid wind power expansion, which has made both domestic and international developers evaluate the business case in Finland. Purpose The purpose of the study is to assess the attractiveness of wind power in Finland and determine the viability for a potential market entry. Objective The objectives of the study were: • Examine existing framework to assess attractiveness of a geographical market for a renewable energy source. • Map the current market structure and the key drivers. • Evaluate the Finnish business case to conclude the potential viability of the market. Methodology An exploratory approach was used to establish a framework to perform the case study on the wind power market in Finland. Both a descriptive and a predictive approach were later used when applying the framework onto the market. The concluding evaluation then followed an explanatory approach as the interaction of different factors determined the outcome of the conclusion. Conclusions The thesis’ developed CL2-model is deemed to be an appropriate framework to assess the wind power market in Finland, and quite possibly applicable onto other geographical markets and weather dependent renewable energy sources. The case study of Finland indicates that there are viable business opportunities for actors interested in acquiring projects as brand new projects are predicted not to be included in the current subsidy system. The financial evaluation indicates an internal rate of return of at least 6.5 %, given the assumptions made in the financial model. Main risks to consider are political interference causing a decrease in the subsidy system and stricter noise regulations

Integration genom event - America´s Cup:s förankring i Malmö

Uppsatsens titel: Integration genom event – America’s Cup:s förankring i Malmö Seminariedatum: 13 januari, 2006 Ämne/kurs: FEK 582 Kandidatseminarium, 10 poäng Författare: Lisa Kopp, Maria Leifland, Ann Lilja Handledare: Erling Green, Christer Kedström Fem nyckelord: America’s Cup, event, integration, Malmö, stadsmarknadsföring Syfte: Syftet med uppsatsen är att presentera en ansats till en ny metodik för att marknads¬föra Malmö stad där event utnyttjas för att öka integrationen: ”event med samhällssyfte”. Vi använder eventet America’s Cup som fallstudie för att identifiera hur event bedrivs idag och vilka behov vår modell bör tillfredställa. Metod: Vi har använt oss av både en kvalitativ metod bestående av djupintervjuer med eventets nyckelpersoner och en kvantitativ metod som utgörs av en enkätundersökning bland befolkningen i två stadsdelar. Vår ansats är abduktiv, eftersom vi tar avstamp i etablerade teorier och avslutningsvis konstrueras en egen teoretisk modell byggd på våra erfarenheter från undersökningen. Teoretiska perspektiv: Teorierna som används är sorterade under tre övergripande teman som benämns Stadsmarknadsföring och organisation, Integration och Marknadskom¬munikation. Med utgångspunkt i dessa undersöker vi hur event och integration bäst kan kom¬bineras. Empiri: Aktörer som var inblandade i America’s Cup insåg inte att event och integration går att kombinera. Resultatet från de kvantitativa intervjuerna visar att medvetenheten om eventet var mycket högre i Limhamn än Rosengård. Resultat: För att marknadsföringen av en stad ska få en stark genomslagskraft bör kom¬mun, näringsliv, befolkning och professionella marknadsförare vara representerade i en orga¬nisation som marknadsför Malmö. Det är av vikt att anpassa marknadskommunikationen efter befolkningens komplexitet

Diagnostic value of fine-needle aspiration biopsy for breast mass: a systematic review and meta-analysis

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Fine-needle aspiration biopsy (FNAB) of the breast is a minimally invasive yet maximally diagnostic method. However, the clinical use of FNAB has been questioned. The purpose of our study was to establish the overall value of FNAC in the diagnosis of breast lesions.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>After a review and quality assessment of 46 studies, sensitivity, specificity and other measures of accuracy of FNAB for evaluating breast lesions were pooled using random-effects models. Summary receiver operating characteristic curves were used to summarize overall accuracy. The sensitivity and specificity for the studies data (included unsatisfactory samples) and underestimation rate of unsatisfactory samples were also calculated.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>The summary estimates for FNAB in diagnosis of breast carcinoma were as follows (unsatisfactory samples was temporarily exluded): sensitivity, 0.927 (95% confidence interval [CI], 0.921 to 0.933); specificity, 0.948 (95% CI, 0.943 to 0.952); positive likelihood ratio, 25.72 (95% CI, 17.35 to 28.13); negative likelihood ratio, 0.08 (95% CI, 0.06 to 0.11); diagnostic odds ratio, 429.73 (95% CI, 241.75 to 763.87); The pooled sensitivity and specificity for 11 studies, which reported unsatisfactory samples (unsatisfactory samples was considered to be positive in this classification) were 0.920 (95% CI, 0.906 to 0.933) and 0.768 (95% CI, 0.751 to 0.784) respectively. The pooled proportion of unsatisfactory samples that were subsequently upgraded to various grade cancers was 27.5% (95% CI, 0.221 to 0.296).</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>FNAB is an accurate biopsy for evaluating breast malignancy if rigorous criteria are used. With regard to unsatisfactory samples, futher invasive procedures are required in order to minimize the chance of a missed diagnosis of breast cancer.</p

Mammography screening reduces rates of advanced and fatal breast cancers: Results in 549,091 women

Background It is of paramount importance to evaluate the impact of participation in organized mammography service screening independently from changes in breast cancer treatment. This can be done by measuring the incidence of fatal breast cancer, which is based on the date of diagnosis and not on the date of death.Methods Among 549,091 women, covering approximately 30% of the Swedish screening-eligible population, the authors calculated the incidence rates of 2473 breast cancers that were fatal within 10 years after diagnosis and the incidence rates of 9737 advanced breast cancers. Data regarding each breast cancer diagnosis and the cause and date of death of each breast cancer case were gathered from national Swedish registries. Tumor characteristics were collected from regional cancer centers. Aggregated data concerning invitation and participation were provided by Sectra Medical Systems AB. Incidence rates were analyzed using Poisson regression.Results Women who participated in mammography screening had a statistically significant 41% reduction in their risk of dying of breast cancer within 10 years (relative risk, 0.59; 95% CI, 0.51-0.68 [P < .001]) and a 25% reduction in the rate of advanced breast cancers (relative risk, 0.75; 95% CI, 0.66-0.84 [P < .001]).Conclusions Substantial reductions in the incidence rate of breast cancers that were fatal within 10 years after diagnosis and in the advanced breast cancer rate were found in this contemporaneous comparison of women participating versus those not participating in screening. These benefits appeared to be independent of recent changes in treatment regimens

Early detection of breast cancer rectifies inequality of breast cancer outcomes

Objectives To explain apparent differences among mammography screening services in Sweden using individual data on participation in screening and with breast cancer-specific survival as an outcome.Methods We analysed breast cancer survival data from the Swedish Cancer Register on breast cancer cases from nine Swedish counties diagnosed in women eligible for screening. Data were available on 38,278 breast cancers diagnosed and 4312 breast cancer deaths. Survival to death from breast cancer was estimated using the Kaplan-Meier estimate, for all cases in each county, and separately for cases of women participating and not participating in their last invitation to screening. Formal statistical comparisons of survival were made using proportional hazards regression.Results All counties showed a reduction in the hazard of breast cancer death with participation in screening, but the reductions for individual counties varied substantially, ranging from 51% (95% confidence interval 46-55%) to 81% (95% confidence interval 74-85%). Survival rates in nonparticipating women ranged from 53% (95% confidence interval 40-65%) to 74% (95% confidence interval 72-77%), while the corresponding survival in women participating in screening varied from 80% (95% confidence interval 77-84%) to 86% (95% confidence interval 83-88%), a considerably narrower range.Conclusions Differences among counties in the effect of screening on breast cancer outcomes were mainly due to variation in survival in women not participating in screening. Screening conferred similarly high survival rates in all counties. This indicates that the performance of screening services was similar across counties and that detection and treatment of breast cancer in early-stage reduces inequalities in breast cancer outcome.</div

Comparison of stereotactic fine needle aspiration biopsy and core needle biopsy in breast lesions

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to evaluate the diagnostic value of two biopsy methods by comparing stereotactic fine needle aspiration biopsy (S-FNAB) with stereotactic core needle biopsy (S-CNB). The biopsies were performed by the same radiologist, in the same breast lesion on the same occasion, in order to establish which method that best can be recommended in different kind of mammographically detected lesions. All lesions that were surgically extirpated after the stereotactic biopsies and had final post-operativ pathological anatomical diagnoses (PAD) were included in this study. Introduction: In Sweden fine needle aspiration biopsy (FNAB) has been successfully used in breast lesions since the 1960th due to both excellent biopsy technique and cytologists. Cytology is not standard procedure in many countries, due to lack of experienced cytologic diagnosticians and incorrect biopsy technique. Thus surgical biopsies have been performed instead of needle biopsies in many places. During the 1970th core needle biopsy (CNB) was developed and the method has later been refined. When we started our study 1993, CNB was not used in breast lesions in Sweden. Biopsy technique: Spinal needles with diameter 0.7 and 0.9 mm were used for S-FNAB and an average of three needle biopsies per lesion were taken. For S-CNB a needle with diameter 2.1 mm and 23 mm throw was used. Three needle biopsies per lesion were taken. Paper I: Between May 1993 and June 1998 pre-operative S-FNAB and S-CNB were performed on a single occasion in 22 breast lesions where post-operative PAD showed invasive lobular cancer (ILC). S-FNAB diagnosed cancer in nine (41 %) and probable cancer in five of the 22 lesions. In three cases S-FNAB showed atypia and in five normal cells without any atypia. S-CNB diagnosed ILC in 20 (91 %) of the 22 patients, a mixture of ILC and invasive ductal cancer (IDC) in one lesion and ductal cancer in situ (DCIS) in the final lesion. In conclusion S-CNB was superior to S-FNAB in lesions where post-operative PAD diagnosed ILC. Paper II: In 72 breast lesions that pre-operatively underwent simultaneous S-FNAB and S-CNB between May 1993 and June 1999 post-operative PAD diagnosed ductal cancer in situ (DCIS). S-FNAB in these 72 lesions diagnosed cancer in 34 cases (47 %) and probable cancer in six lesions, atypia in 12 cases and in 20 tumors the material was benign or unsatisfactory. S-CNB in the same lesions performed on the same occasion diagnosed DCIS in 56 cases (78 %). Another three biopsies showed probable cancer, seven showed atypia and in six lesions only benign material was found. In four of the 72 lesions (6 %) S-FNAB was superior to S-CNB and diagnosed cancer. S-CNB in these four lesions diagnosed two probable cancer, one atypia and one with benign material. In another four cases both methods showed only benign material and in four lesions both methods found atypia. In all of these 12 cases the radiologist had recommeded surgical extirpation due to the suspicious mammographic appearance. Paper III: From May 1993 to December 2000 522 patients underwent surgical extirpation of a breast lesion after simultaneous pre-operative S-FNAB and S-CNB. In 448 of these cases post-operative histopatology diagnosed malignancy and in 74 a benign lesion. S-FNAB pre-operatively diagnosed 254 of the 448 cancers (57 %) and in 48 cases diagnosed probable cancer. S-CNB diagnosed 388 of the cancer cases (87 %) and in 18 probable cancer. S-FNAB was false negative in 96 patients (21 %), while S-CNB was false negative in 22 cases (5 %). In 16 of the 74 benign breast lesions (21 %) PAD diagnosed radial scar, which is considered pre-malignant. Paper IV: Between September 1994 and December 2000 three S-CNBs were taken from every lesion irrespectively of its mammographical appearance. The lesions were divided into three groups depending on their mammographical appearance; microcalcifications only (group I), a mass and microcalcifications (group II) and a mass, a star or distorsion without microcalcifications (group III). Every biopsy was analysed separately. 523 of these breast lesions were extirpated surgically with a post-operative PAD. 454 lesions were malignant (87 %) and 69 were benign. Three S-CNBs diagnosed malignancy in 84 % of all cases in group I. In group II 97 % got a correct pre-operative malignant diagnosis with three S-CNBs, while the correct diagnosis was made in 93 % in group III. These results indicate that three S-CNBs are enough in group II and group III but not sufficient in lesions with microcalcifications only (group I). In spite of the differences concerning diagnostic accuracy the post-operative PAD ratio malignant to benign in the three groups were essentially the same i.e. approximately 85 % malignant lesions. The reason for this is that the interpretation of the mammograms also has to be taken into account when deciding if a surgical extirpation shall be done or not and not only the cytological and histopathological results of the biopsies. Final conclusions: When only the biopsy methods are compared, the pre-operative diagnostic results are generally better with S-CNB than with S-FNAB, especially in lesions diagnosed as ILC and DCIS. S-FNAB in combination with S-CNB can be valuable, since few lesions are pre-operatively diagnostic only with S-FNAB. In clinical routine, the combination of the mammography and the biopsy methods must be evaluated together. A combination of mammography and three S-CNBs gives the best diagnostic outcome in all types of breast lesions

The information system’s impact on the user’s readiness for change : A study of DeLone and McLean IS success model’s impact on the user’s readiness for change

Information system is a crucial topic in today’s business world. Without a proper information system, it is very difficult to compete on the market. The purpose of the study was to analyze the impact an information system has on the users work and how those factors are assessing the users’ readiness to change to e.g. switch from an existing information system to a new more advanced one. The study was based on the DeLone and McLean IS success model and a single case study was conducted with an inductive research approach. The empirical data has been gathered through semi-structured interviews and the findings show that reliability, response time and IT service of the IS system are the factors with the most influence on the user’s perceived readiness to change. Moreover, the users are not ready to change the current information system that is running within the company for a more advanced one. Position, technical skills and top management are all impacting the user’s readiness to change. Organizationscan use these findings to analyze the users’ satisfaction, their behavior and readiness to face the future changes

Improving healthcare access and availability with matching of care

The purpose of this study was to contribute to the development of a model including parameters for matching health-care services to patients. Inspired by ‘engaged scholarship’, the researchers practised continuous and close collaboration with practitioners at Region Skåne in Sweden. The agenda was based on questions and experiences that evolved from theory and experience gained during previous research, while the practitioners’ agenda was based on problems and solutions arising within the organisation. As a result, mutual interpretations and concept creation were created and thus also the exchange of knowledge, information and competence between researchers and practitioners. The thoughts concerning the parameters included in a matching model emerged during meetings. The supportive data was conceptualised, converted and incorporated into an array of parameters illustrating coordination and matching in healthcare. T he healthcare matching concept, meaning a specified form of coordination, was applied as the main concept in the study. One contribution regarded how the coordination of health-care services occurs in Region Skane. An additional contribution was a discussion about which parameters are essential to include in the development of a matching model. Finally, there was a consideration concerning what kind of social values the matching model created. A fruitful way of implementing a matching model in healthcare is making use of a pilot project at a smaller organisation in a Swedish region