Testsite for traffic detectors, setup and results

Traffic measurements are of crucial importance for traffic management systems. It is necessary that within a few seconds measure for example speed and dangerous traffic situations to be able to warn the road user on variable message signs (VMS) or inform through other forms of media. These measurements are useful also for a broader knowledge about traffic development and congestion problems. A test site on one of the major roads enables the Road Directorate to try out new equipment and technologies. Experience has shown that it is difficult by normal tender procedures to secure that the selected type of detectors are the right ones. Among other things, determination of the detector accuracy can be accomplished only when it is finally adjusted to the traffic management system. Furthermore, it is necessary to get experience about operation to lay down the requirement for maintenance and adjustment needs. Therefore, the Road Directorate has found it necessary to set up a test site in order to be able to test traffic detectors before deciding what to procure

Insamlingsorganisationers förmåga att skapa legitimitet - genom kostnadsfördelning och verksamhetsstyrning

Sammanfattningsvis kan sägas att insamlingsorganisationernas arbete med fördelning av kostnader är en viktig del i deras arbete med att skapa legitimitet gentemot omgivningen. Tyvärr är dock reglerna de har att utgå ifrån något subjektiva vilket kan försvåra deras möjligheter till att vara tydliga och transparanta. Vi har sett att alla organisationers verksamheter påverkas av många olika faktorer i omgivningen och det medför att det blir extra viktigt för dem att lyfta fram och vara medvetna om detta i sitt strategiska arbete. Avsaknaden av effektiva mått påverkar insamlingsorganisationernas möjligheter att på ett tydligt sätt mäta sina prestationer och kunna besluta var deras insatser bäst behövs. Detta i sin tur kan leda till att de får svårt att visa upp för omgivningen allt de egentligen åstadkommer. Ovanstående faktorer tillsammans visar på att det kan vara problematiskt för insamlingsorganisationerna att vara så tydliga utåt som de önskar. Strävan efter att vara legitima är dock ständigt närvarande och vi tycker att insamlingsorganisationerna har visat att trovärdigheten alltid kommer i första hand

Balanced Scorecard - effektiv styrning i en icke-vinstdrivande organisation? - En fallstudie av Individuell Människohjälp

Syfte: Syftet med denna studie är att finna hur och om Balanced Scorecard kan fungera som alternativt styrningsverktyg för en insamlings- och biståndsorganisation som Individuell Människohjälp. Dessutom syftar studien till att se om ett användande av Balanced Scorecard möjliggör en operationalisering av deras insamlings- och kommunikationsavdelnings vision. Metod: Vi har utfört en kvalitativ fallstudie av Individuell Människohjälps insamlings- och kommunikationsavdelning. Data har främst samlats in genom personliga intervjuer och dokumentundersökningar. Teoretiskt perspektiv: Vår teoretiska referensram består av prestationsmätning, Balanced Scorecard samt ett exempel på användande av Balanced Scorecard i en icke-vinstdrivande organisation. Empiri: Studien bygger på intervjuer med medarbetare på Individuell Människohjälp och på deras insamlings- och kommunikationsavdelning. Dessutom har dokument rörande verksamheten haft en stor roll. Sammanfattningsvis kan sägas att ett BSC kan vara en möjlig väg för en insamlings- och biståndsorganisation att mäta sin måluppfyllelse. Detta då scorecardet genom kopplingen mellan mål och mått möjliggör att det går att mäta vad organisationen verkligen försöker åstadkomma. Denna koppling leder även till att visionen på ett mer lättförståeligt sätt kan operationaliseras i verksamhetens dagliga arbete. Som vi tidigare nämnt är inte vår tanke med denna studie att generalisera. Vi tror ändå att detta scorecard kan vara till hjälp även för andra icke-vinstdrivande organisationer än I&K, på så vis att de kan få idéer och inspiration till hur även de ska kunna mäta sina icke-finansiella prestationer och därmed lyckas operationalisera sina visioner

The Task Force Initiative: Local Interventions at the Department Level—A Key Component of a Multi-tiered Approach to Promote Institutional Change

This NIH Transforming Academic Culture (NIH-TAC) trial is a multi-level coordinated intervention to enhance institutional culture, increase academic productivity, and improve job satisfaction for women faculty. This poster details a task force initiative in which each department and division reviewed their current practices and policies to recommend and implement change. This particular task force resulted in a list of interventions which were disseminated and implemented throughout the institution

Risk of Myocardial Infarction in Patients with HIV Infection Exposed to Specific Individual Antiretroviral Drugs from the 3 Major Drug Classes: The Data Collection on Adverse Events of Anti-HIV Drugs (D:A:D) Study

Background. The risk of myocardial infarction (MI) in patients with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection has been assessed in 13 anti-HIV drugs in the Data Collection on Adverse Events of Anti-HIV Drugs (D:A:D) study. Methods. Poisson regression models were adjusted for cardiovascular risk factors, cohort, calendar year, and use of other antiretroviral drugs and assessed the association between MI risk and cumulative (per year) or recent (current or in the past 6 months) use of antiretroviral drugs, with 130,000 person-years of exposure. Results. Over 178,835 person-years, 580 patients developed MI. There were no associations between use of tenofovir, zalcitabine, zidovudine, stavudine, or lamivudine and MI risk. Recent exposure to abacavir or didanosine was associated with an increased risk of MI. No association was found between MI risk and cumulative exposure to nevirapine, efavirenz, nelfinavir, or saquinavir. Cumulative exposure to indinavir and lopinavir-ritonavir was associated with an increased risk of MI (relative rate [RR] per year, 1.12 and 1.13, respectively). These increased risks were attenuated slightly (RR per year, 1.08 [95% confidence interval {CI}, 1.02-1.14] and 1.09 [95% CI, 1.01-1.17], respectively) after adjustment for lipids but were not altered further after adjustment for other metabolic parameters. Conclusions. Of the drugs considered, only indinavir, lopinavir-ritonavir, didanosine, and abacavir were associated with a significantly increased risk of MI. As with any observational study, our findings must be interpreted with caution (given the potential for confounding) and in the context of the benefits that these drugs provid

The importance of the ‘family clock’: women’s lived experience of fertility decision-making 6 years after attending the Fertility Assessment and Counselling clinic

This study explored women’s lived experience of making fertility decisions six years after attending the Fertility Assessment and Counselling (FAC) clinic in Copenhagen, Denmark, which is a personalised fertility awareness intervention. We conducted a qualitative interview study with 24 women who attended the FAC clinic 6 years earlier. Interviews were semi-structured and broadly examined the women’s perceptions and experience of the intervention during follow-up. Data was analysed using a phenomenological framework and themes were identified related to women’s experience of making fertility decisions after attending the FAC clinic. The overarching theme regarding the women’s lived experience of making fertility decisions after attending the FAC clinic was: Fertility decisions were guided by the ‘family clock’. There were four themes: (i) Deciding to ‘get started’ by attending the FAC clinic; (ii) Sense of making informed and empowered decisions; (iii) Influence of partner status on fertility decisions; and (iv) Decisions dictated by circumstance over preference and knowledge. At follow-up, the majority (21 women, 88%) had become parents. More than half of the women said that they had not achieved their desired family size. Consideration of women’s ‘family clock’ is necessary in personalised fertility awareness interventions to enable women to achieve their family goals

Serotype-specific mortality from invasive Streptococcus pneumoniae disease revisited

BACKGROUND: Invasive infection with Streptococcus pneumoniae (pneumococci) causes significant morbidity and mortality. Case series and experimental data have shown that the capsular serotype is involved in the pathogenesis and a determinant of disease outcome. METHODS: Retrospective review of 464 cases of invasive disease among adults diagnosed between 1990 and 2001. Multivariate Cox proportional hazard analysis. RESULTS: After adjustment for other markers of disease severity, we found that infection with serotype 3 was associated with an increased relative risk (RR) of death of 2.54 (95% confidence interval (CI): 1.22–5.27), whereas infection with serotype 1 was associated with a decreased risk of death (RR 0.23 (95% CI, 0.06–0.97)). Additionally, older age, relative leucopenia and relative hypothermia were independent predictors of mortality. CONCLUSION: Our study shows that capsular serotypes independently influenced the outcome from invasive pneumococcal disease. The limitations of the current polysaccharide pneumococcal vaccine warrant the development of alternative vaccines. We suggest that the virulence of pneumococcal serotypes should be considered in the design of novel vaccines