Comparing AIDS governance: a research agenda on responses to the AIDS epidemic

The main argument in this paper is a call for empirical and comparative research to improve our understanding of which form of governance is most effective in reversing the HIV/AIDS pandemic. The notion of 'AIDS Governance' should not, as in much of the current literature, be a postulated ideal but a variable that, potentially, can help explain why some responses are more effective than others. Democratic governments, it is argued, can respond through one of two forms of AIDS Governance. An 'idealistic' response will maximise human rights, accountability and participation since such democratic ideals are understood to increase and ensure the effectiveness of the response. An 'authoritative' response will limit one or more of the democratic ideals with the argument that such limitations will enable the government to respond more effectively in the interest of public health. While AIDS is too complex a problem for any clever governance quick-fix, the suggested research agenda on AIDS Governance has the potential to generate new knowledge of which forms of AIDS Governance are better equipped at tackling different aspects of the response or phases of the epidemic. The paper represents an effort to strengthen the contribution by Political Science in the fight against HIV/AIDS

Evaluating Knowledge Management in Network Contexts - Applying the Strategic Knowledge Management Framework

Gaining and sustaining competitive advantage through knowledge sharing and network-based knowledge processes is a process involving the tasks of formulating a strategic vision, formulating a knowledge vision, identifying relevant knowledge, designing the knowledge process, catering for knowledge protection, implementing the process, and using the system. The focus of this paper is twofold. Firstly, we apply a strategic knowledge management framework, aimed at evaluating the effect of such processes, on an empirical case. Secondly, we discuss the results of our appliance of the framework and propose some further issues to be resolved

CO2 capture from offshore oil installations: An evaluation of alternative methods for deposition with emphasis on carbonated water injection

Capture and storage of CO2 from gas turbine power plants can be an alternative to electrification from shore to reduce the emissions from petroleum production facilities on the Norwegian Continental Shelf. The objective of this work was to analyse and rank various options for storage using technical economic analyses. The following alternatives were considered: 1. Dissolution of CO2 in sea water and aquifer storage of carbonated water 2. Injection of pure CO2 into an aquifer 3. Compression of CO2 and pipeline transport to a collection centre 4. Liquefaction of CO2 and ship transport to a collection centre 5. Dissolution of CO2 in sea water and injection into oil fields (carbonated water injection, CWI) For each alternative the investment costs and operating costs were estimated, and the net present values were determined. Credit for saved CO2 tax was included as incomes for all alternatives. The CO2 tax is expected to increase significantly from present level to Year 2030. For Alternative 5, CWI into oil fields, incomes from incremental oil production was also included. This required more comprehensive analyses. Using both a heterogeneous and a homogeneous field scale simulation model incremental oil productions and CO2 retention were estimated for CWI into both green and brown fields cases. The economic calculations show that alternatives 1 – 4 have negative net present values. A higher future CO2 tax than presently envisaged will be needed to make the alternatives economically viable. All cases related to Alternative 5 (project lifetime, heterogeneous and homogeneous reservoir models, green and brown fields) exhibit positive net present values due to incremental oil production. Most, but not all, injected CO2 remained in the reservoir, depending on the injection period. Oxygen in the captured CO2, formation of gas hydrates and corrosion of well materials may cause operational problems of injecting sea water with dissolved CO2. These aspects have been briefly discussed. Some additional measures may have to be taken to alleviate undesired effects, but none of the issues are likely to prohibit implementation of CWI. The results obtained suggest that CWI into producing oil reservoirs offers an economic viable and safe way for disposal of CO2 captured from offshore petroleum production plants provided that a capture plant can be installed, and that the remaining lifetime of the reservoir is so long that the benefits of improved oil recovery can be realised.publishedVersio

Brand positioning strategies : an expiremental test ot two types of benefit differentiation

The purpose of this study is to examine associative- and instrumental benefit differentiation based on secondary associations as part of brand positioning. The field of brand positioning has been subject to extensive research, however, differentiation based on secondary associations and differences between instrumental- and associative benefit differentiation has received less attention. Instrumental benefit differentiation relates to benefits that are linked directly to product performance, while associative benefit differentiation relates to indirect benefits that evoke associations of consumption contexts, feelings, and emotions. We look at how the differentiation strategies vary in effectiveness with regard to creating positive brand attitude and their ability to generate benefit associations. We conducted a classical experiment on a convenience sample (N = 294) by utilizing six questionnaires to collect our data. Our research reveals that associative- and instrumental benefit differentiation does not differ in their positive effect on brand attitude, and that the associative strategy generates more benefit associations than the instrumental strategy. The results thus contradict the fundamental view of unique selling propositions and imply that brands could successfully acheive positive brand attitude with both differentiation strategies. Further, an associative benefit differentiation strategy should lead to a richer, more positive, and more sustainable network of associations. We failed to detect that the number of benefit associations positively mediates the effect of differentiation strategy on brand attitude. This could imply that one exposure is not sufficient in order to reveal such a relationship

Hematology reference intervals in 6-12-year-old children: the health-oriented pedagogical project (HOPP)

Reference intervals are essential for correct interpretation of laboratory test results, supporting clinicians in distinguishing between healthy and sick individuals. The present study aims to establish pediatric reference intervals for hematological parameters based on a large population of healthy schoolchildren. Blood samples were obtained from 1351 children 6–12 years of age participating in the Health-Oriented Pedagogical Project (HOPP). Reference intervals for hematological parameters were estimated by the nonparametric method following the CLSI C28-A3 guidelines. Reference intervals were estimated as 2.5th and 97.5th percentiles with corresponding 90% confidence intervals. While hematocrit and MCV required age and sex partitioning, hemoglobin and erythrocytes were partitioned for age. The remaining parameters, MCH, MCHC, platelets and white blood cell counts did not require partitioning. While red blood cell parameters exhibited an increasing trend with age, there was a slight decrease in leukocytes, lymphocytes, basophils and platelets with age. The remaining parameters were stable across our age span.publishedVersio

The Fish Tank Model for Mobile Game Publishing Business Performance Evaluation

Business intelligence has been applied in the area of game development research for many years. However, few systematic research efforts are focusing on the game publishing side, especially for the mobile game publishing business. We aim to identify and remedy the shortcomings of the existing ARM funnel model for free-to-play mobile game analytics by introducing a new model, the Fish Tank Model, which combines the analysis of players’ behavior with in-game system data to drive the whole process of mobile game publishing. Based on the new model, we also bring and create relevant metrics for effectively measuring the business performance of mobile game publishing. Our main contributions are a survey of business intelligence used in game research and an analysis to reveal the insufficiency of an existing model for game publishing. Finally, we discuss business requirements for mobile game publishing and propose a brand-new model which better suits the free-to-play mobile game publishing business performance evaluation

Hematology reference intervals in 6-12-year-old children: the health-oriented pedagogical project (HOPP)

Reference intervals are essential for correct interpretation of laboratory test results, supporting clinicians in distinguishing between healthy and sick individuals. The present study aims to establish pediatric reference intervals for hematological parameters based on a large population of healthy schoolchildren. Blood samples were obtained from 1351 children 6–12 years of age participating in the Health-Oriented Pedagogical Project (HOPP). Reference intervals for hematological parameters were estimated by the nonparametric method following the CLSI C28-A3 guidelines. Reference intervals were estimated as 2.5th and 97.5th percentiles with corresponding 90% confidence intervals. While hematocrit and MCV required age and sex partitioning, hemoglobin and erythrocytes were partitioned for age. The remaining parameters, MCH, MCHC, platelets and white blood cell counts did not require partitioning. While red blood cell parameters exhibited an increasing trend with age, there was a slight decrease in leukocytes, lymphocytes, basophils and platelets with age. The remaining parameters were stable across our age span.publishedVersio

Cumulative Impacts of Tourist Resorts on Wild Reindeer (Rangifer tarandus tarandus) during Winter

Potential avoidance by wild reindeer (Rangifer tarandus tarandus) of high-altitude tourist resorts during winter was investigated in and near Rondane National Park in Norway. Distribution of reindeer was mapped using systematic snowmobile surveys during 1991-96 and compared with results from investigations of snow and vegetation characteristics. Maternal reindeer avoided a 10 km zone around the resort. Cows and calves increased in density from 0.6 ± 0.6 reindeer/km² at 5-10 km from the resort to 7.6 ± 2.2 reindeer/km² at 15-25 km from the resort. Bulls and yearlings were more tolerant, constituting nearly 92% of all observed animals 5-10 km from the resort. Nearly all animals avoided the zone within 5 km of the resort. There were no significant differences in distribution of lichen heath, hardness of snow, integrated ram hardness index (IRH) values, or snow depths on ridges with increasing distance from the resort. Available biomass of lichens was ca. 1200 g/m² 0-5 km from the resort and decreased to a low of ca. 250 g/m² at 15-25 km distance, a pattern that probably reflects overgrazing as a result of avoiding the tourist resort. Such avoidance implies reduced forage intake during winter, substantial reduction in available habitat, and lower productivity of the herd. The results suggest that avoidance by wild animals of sources of anthropogenic disturbance may involve long-term impacts, such as reductions in carrying capacity, that are more serious than those expected from direct physiological stress.On a étudié le comportement d'évitement des stations touristiques de haute altitude que semble manifester le renne sauvage (Rangifer tarandus tarandus) en hiver, dans le parc national Rondane même et dans ses environs, en Norvège. La distribution du renne a été cartographiée à l'aide de relevés systématiques effectués en motoneige entre 1991 et 1996, et comparée avec les résultats d'études des caractéristiques de la neige et de la végétation. Les mères rennes évitaient une zone de 10 km autour de la station. Les femelles et leurs petits augmentaient en densité de 0,6 ± 0,6 renne/km² entre 5 et 10 km de la station, à 7,6 ± 2,2 renne/km² entre 15 et 25 km de la station. Les mâles et les jeunes d'un an manifestaient une plus grande tolérance, représentant près de 92 p. cent de tous les animaux observés entre 5 et 10 km de la station. Pratiquement tous les animaux évitaient la zone située dans un rayon de 5 km. On n'a pas trouvé de différences significatives en fonction de l'éloignement de la station, dans la distribution de la bruyère à lichens, la dureté de la neige, les valeurs de l'indice intégré de dureté au bélier ou l'épaisseur nivale sur les crêtes. La biomasse de lichens disponible était d'environ 1200 g/m² entre 0 et 5 km de la station et diminuait à un minimum d'environ 250 g/m² à une distance de 15 à 25 km, répartition qui reflète probablement un surpâturage résultant de l'évitement de la station touristique. Ce comportement a pour conséquence une réduction de la consommation de végétation durant l'hiver, une réduction substantielle de l'habitat disponible et une diminution de la productivité du troupeau. Les résultats suggèrent que l'évitement de sources de perturbation anthropogénique par les animaux sauvages peut avoir des répercussions à long terme, comme des baisses de la capacité de charge biogénique, répercussions qui sont plus graves que celles auxquelles on s'attend d'un stress physiologique direct

Effects of a bio-invasion of the Pacific oyster, Crassostrea gigas (Thunberg, 1793) in five shallow water habitats in Scandinavia

publishedVersio