The Impact of Smart City Initiatives on Human Rights : A Qualitative Research Study

Master's thesis Information Systems IS501 - University of Agder 2019Context:A smart city is a concept where municipalities use ICTto increase efficiency, sustainability and quality of life forits citizensand city operations. Smart city initiatives useIoT technologies, enabled by ICTs to gather large volumesof unstructured data,known as BigData.The aim of any smart city initiativeisto increase thequality of lifein acity, but posesa threat tocitizens privacy, security andfreedom of expressiondue to the large volumes of databeing collected in smart cities,potentially violatingfundamental rightsin theUniversal Declaration of Human Rights.Purpose:This thesis investigatesthe connection between smart city initiatives and human rights. To be able to understand this connection, thisstudyis based upon the following research question; “How can smart city initiatives affecthuman rights?”.Methods:Themethodsthat were used in this research were aqualitative research methodand a literature review. Theliterature review is from different disciplines such asSmart Cities, Internet of Things, Big Data, The Digital DivideandHuman Rights.This was necessary in order to understand the literature which exists in the research field of smart citiesand to determine a definition of the smart city concept.The qualitative approach was gathered from interviewsconducted in the NorwegianmunicipalityKristiansand from informants withcentral roles in smart city initiatives andcitizens living in the municipality. The data that was gathered were validated by utilizing triangulation methods, mainly focusing on data triangulation. A total of 14 interviews were conducted, 4 municipalinformants and 10 citizens. Theinterviewslasted from 20 to72 minutes, gettingin depth opinionsonthe how informants believe smart city initiatives may affect human rights.Findings:Our resultsshowmultiplesmart cityinitiatives in Kristiansand municipality which givesan overview of what a typical initiative is. The informantselaborated their understanding of what a smart city initiative is and how theseinitiatives can affect human rights.There isa common understanding on how smart cityinitiatives can affectthe right to privacy, security and freedom of expression.The right to privacy is challengedbythe increased use of GPS tracking, sensors and surveillance. The right to securityisstrengthenedas GPS tracking and surveillance can warn against threats and catch criminals before they are able to act. But the right to security is also challengedas it will beeasier to find individualsusing GPS tracking and do them harm.Literature scarcelymentions how freedom of expression isaffected in a smart city, but our resultselaborateonmultipleinstanceswhere this is the case.Freedom of expressionis shown to increase citizens engagement and participation in municipal politics andonline debatesas online platformsiseasier to access for many.Butthe right to freedom of expressionis challengedas the increase of surveillance makes citizens notwilling to express themselves publicly and for individuals who don’t have the technologicalskills needed to utilize online debates. IIIThree new human rights that literature don’t mentionwere found as well. These are the right toadequatestandardliving, equal access to public servicesand to be presumed innocent until proven guilty.The right to adequate standard living is strengthenedas smart citiesaim to improve the quality of life ina city and initiateinitiativestomake platforms more accessible, manual processes automaticand to reduce carbon emission.The right toequal access to public services are challengedasvulnerableindividuals such as the elderly andimmigrants may nothave the technological skills needed to utilize online services.This could potentially result in a digital divide. The right tobe innocent until proven guilty is challengedasthe increase of surveillance on all citizens to findafew criminalsmakes everyone a suspect until proven otherwise. This contradictsbeing innocent untilproven guilty. Conclusionand implication:Our study concludesthat smart city initiatives do affecthuman rights either it being by strengtheningits significance or by breaching thetermsoftheUDHR. This study contributes toa better understanding on how human rights are affected by smart city initiatives and whichhuman rights should be taken into consideration when planning a smart city initiative. Implications forfutureresearch and implications for practice aresuggested. Key words:smart city; internet of things; big data; digital divide; human rights; privacy; security; freedom of expressio

Betydning av arbeid og aktivitet for unge mennesker med psykiske helseproblemer : en kvalitativ undersøkelse hos Keops kurs og arbeidssenter

Bakgrunn: Deltagelse i arbeidslivet er en sentral verdi i vårt samfunn. Arbeid har betydning for den enkeltes økonomi, og er med å fremme selvstendighet, tilhørighet og evnen til å mestre eget liv. For mange med psykiske helseproblemer kan det være vanskelig å komme inn på arbeidsmarkedet. Uansett en diagnose eller ikke, kan tilrettelegging av arbeid være viktig. Det kan være nødvendig med tett, individuell oppfølging underveis. Hensikt og problemstilling: Hensikten med studien er gjennom problemstillingen ”På hvilken måte kan arbeid og aktivitet bidra til at unge mennesker med psykiske helseproblemer kommer seg?”, å få kunnskap om hvilken betydning arbeid og aktivitet har for unge mennesker med psykiske helseproblemer. Utvalg og metode: Studien er utført ved Keops- kurs og arbeidssenter som er et arbeidsmarkedstiltak i Porsgrunn kommune. Fem unge mennesker har deltatt i undersøkelsen. De har skrevet en fortelling hver om betydningen av arbeid og aktivitet for deres psykiske helse. Tekstene har vært grunnlag for mine refleksjoner og analyse. Funn: Funnene viser at individuell tilrettelegging av arbeidsledere som har evnen til nærhet, støtte og samarbeid har stor betydning. Arbeid og/eller aktivitet gir struktur i hverdagen og bidrar til å bryte isolasjon og delta i fellesskapet. Konklusjon: Undersøkelsen viser at relasjonen mellom ansatte og brukere av tjenesten har stor betydning for god psykisk helse. Struktur i hverdagen gir bedre selvinnsikt, å gjør det lettere å møte de utfordringer en står overfor i hverdagen. Dette bekrefter funn fra andre undersøkelse

Study on COgnition and Prognosis in the Elderly (SCOPE)

Blood Press. 1999;8(3):177-83. Study on COgnition and Prognosis in the Elderly (SCOPE). Hansson L, Lithell H, Skoog I, Baro F, Bánki CM, Breteler M, Carbonin PU, Castaigne A, Correia M, Degaute JP, Elmfeldt D, Engedal K, Farsang C, Ferro J, Hachinski V, Hofman A, James OF, Krisin E, Leeman M, de Leeuw PW, Leys D, Lobo A, Nordby G, Olofsson B, Zanchetti A, et al. University of Uppsala, Department of Public Health, Sweden. Abstract The Study on COgnition and Prognosis in the Elderly (SCOPE) is a multicentre, prospective, randomized, double-blind, parallel-group study designed to compare the effects of candesartan cilexetil and placebo in elderly patients with mild hypertension. The primary objective of the study is to assess the effect of candesartan cilexetil on major cardiovascular events. The secondary objectives of the study are to assess the effect of candesartan cilexetil on cognitive function and on total mortality, cardiovascular mortality, myocardial infarction, stroke, renal function, hospitalization, quality of life and health economics. Male and female patients aged between 70 and 89 years, with a sitting systolic blood pressure (SBP) of 160-179 mmHg and/or diastolic blood pressure (DBP) of 90-99 mmHg, and a Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE) score of 24 or above, are eligible for the study. The overall target study population is 4000 patients, at least 1000 of whom are also to be assessed for quality of life and health economics data. After an open run-in period lasting 1-3 months, during which patients are assessed for eligibility and those who are already on antihypertensive therapy at enrolment are switched to hydrochlorothiazide 12.5 mg o.d., patients are randomized to receive either candesartan cilexetil 8 mg once daily (o.d.) or matching placebo o.d. At subsequent study visits, if SBP remains >160 mmHg, or has decreased by 85 mmHg, study treatment is doubled to candesartan cilexetil 16 mg o.d. or two placebo tablets o.d. Recruitment was completed in January 1999. At that time 4964 patients had been randomized. All randomized patients will be followed for an additional 2 years. If the event rate is lower than anticipated, the follow-up will be prolonged. PMID: 10595696 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE

Study on COgnition and Prognosis in the Elderly (SCOPE): baseline characteristics

Blood Press. 2000;9(2-3):146-51. Study on COgnition and Prognosis in the Elderly (SCOPE): baseline characteristics. Hansson L, Lithell H, Skoog I, Baro F, Bánki CM, Breteler M, Castaigne A, Correia M, Degaute JP, Elmfeldt D, Engedal K, Farsang C, Ferro J, Hachinski V, Hofman A, James OF, Krisin E, Leeman M, de Leeuw PW, Leys D, Lobo A, Nordby G, Olofsson B, Opolski G, Prince M, Reischies FM. University of Uppsala, Department of Public Health, Clinical Hypertension Research, Sweden. Abstract The Study on COgnition and Prognosis in the Elderly (SCOPE) is a multi-centre, prospective, randomized, double-blind, parallel-group study. The primary objective of SCOPE is to assess the effect of the angiotensin II type 1 (AT1) receptor blocker, candesartan cilexetil 8-16 mg once daily, on major cardiovascular events in elderly patients (70-89 years of age) with mild hypertension (DBP 90-99 and/or SBP 160-179 mmHg). The secondary objectives of the study are to test the hypothesis that antihypertensive therapy can prevent cognitive decline (as measured by the Mini Mental State Examination, MMSE) and dementia, and to assess the effect of therapy on total mortality, myocardial infarction (MI), stroke, renal function, and hospitalization. A total of 4964 patients from 15 participating countries were recruited during the randomization phase of SCOPE, exceeding the target population of 4000. The mean age of the patients at enrolment was 76 years, the ratio of male to female patients was approximately 1:2, and 52% of patients were already being treated with an antihypertensive agent at enrolment. The majority of patients (88%) were educated to at least primary school level. At randomization, mean sitting blood pressure values were SBP 166 mmHg and DBP 90 mmHg, and the mean MMSE score was 28. Previous cardiovascular disease in the study population included myocardial infarction (4%), stroke (4%) and atrial fibrillation (4%). Men, more often than women, had a history of previous MI, stroke and atrial fibrillation. A greater percentage of men were smokers (13% vs 6% in women) and had attended university (11% vs 3% of women). Of the randomized patients, 21% were 80 years of age. In this age group smoking was less common (4% vs 10% for 70-79-year-olds) and fewer had attended university (4% vs 7% for 70-79-year-olds). The incidence of MI was similar in both age groups. However, stroke and atrial fibrillation had occurred approximately twice as frequently in the older patients. The patients' mean age at baseline was similar in the participating countries, and most countries showed the approximate 1:2 ratio for male to female patients. There was also little inter-country variation in terms of mean SBP, DBP or MMSE score. However, there was considerable regional variation in the percentage of patients on therapy prior to enrolment. PMID: 10855739 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE

Markens kolinlagring efter brand och avverkning

Kolinlagring i mark spelar en nyckelroll för att minska klimateffekter av människans koldioxidutsläpp. Boreal skogsmark innehåller stora mängder kol, men störningar som skogsbränder och kalhuggning leder till förlust av kol från marken.Här sammanfattas de biologiska mekanismer som påverkar återuppbyggnaden av kolförrådet i marken efter omfattande störningar.Kolinlagringen i marken är snabbast 15–80 år efter en störning och avtar sedan. Att kol binds snabbare i yngre skogar beror på hög växtproduktion och symbiotiskt mykorrhizamycel som hämmar nedbrytarsvampar.Vi behöver öka vår förståelse för ekosystemets kolbalans om vi vill skapa bra modeller av kolets kretslopp och ge bättre råd till beslutsfattare om hur markanvändningen påverkar kolbalansen i skog och mark

BMI at Age 8 Years Is Influenced by the Type 2 Diabetes Susceptibility Genes HHEX-IDE and CDKAL1

OBJECTIVE: To determine whether HHEX-IDE and CDKAL1 genes, which are associated with birth weight and susceptibility to type 2 diabetes, continue to influence growth during childhood. RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS: BMI, weight, and height at age 8 years expressed as age- and sex-corrected standard deviation scores (SDS) against national reference data and single-nucleotide polymorphism genotyping of HHEX-IDE and CDKAL1 loci were analyzed in 646 prospectively followed children in the German BABYDIAB cohort. All children were singleton full-term births; 386 had mothers with type 1 diabetes, and 260 had fathers with type 1 diabetes and a nondiabetic mother. RESULTS: Type 2 diabetes risk alleles at the HHEX-IDE locus were associated with reduced BMI-SDS at age 8 years (0.17 SDS per allele; P = 0.004). After stratification for birth weight, both HHEX-IDE and CDKAL1 risk alleles were associated with reduced BMI-SDS (0.45 SDS, P = 0.0002; 0.52 SDS, P = 0.0001) and weight-SDS (0.22 SDS, P = 0.04; 0.56 SDS, P = 0.0002) in children born large for gestational age (>90th percentile) but not children born small or appropriate for gestational age. Within children born large for gestational age, BMI and weight decreased with each additional type 2 diabetes risk allele ( approximately -2 kg per allele; >8 kg overall). Findings were consistent in children of mothers with type 1 diabetes (P < 0.0001) and children of nondiabetic mothers (P = 0.008). CONCLUSIONS: The type 2 diabetes susceptibility alleles at HHEX-IDE and CDKAL1 loci are associated with low BMI at age 8 years in children who were born large for gestational age