Transdisciplinarity as an Inference Technique to Achieve a Better Understanding in the Health and Environmental Sciences

The problems of the world are not categorised into disciplines. They are far more complex, a reality that the tradition of transdisciplinary research has recognised. When faced with questions in public health and sustainability, the traditional scientific paradigm often seems inadequate, and, at least in medicine, transdisciplinary research has not yet been fully appreciated or acknowledged. This lack of recognition may be partly caused by a lack of cooperation between disciplines and between science and society. In this paper, I discuss some of the challenges that scientists and policymakers face in public health and environment within a methodological context. I present transdisciplinarity as a modern research tool that should be applied in research in health and the environment and argue that these topics can be approached beyond the inherent obstacle of incommensurability between disciplines. Thus, a small step might be taken in this immense research arena

Stability of Haptic Obstacle Avoidance and Force Interaction

Stability problems associated with haptics and robot control with obstacle avoidance are analyzed. Obstacle avoidance algorithms are revised to accomplish stable redesign using absolute stability and passivity theory. A modification of potential functions for haptic rendering and obstacle avoidance allowing stable operation for high stiffness is proposed. The modification leads to velocity-dependent potential-like repulsive stable haptic force interaction with obstacles. Using strictly positive real re-design, stable force interaction can be provided also for high stiffness of manipulated objects or obstacles

Tröskelvärden i spatial upplösningsförmåga hos värphöns och röda djungelhöns : finns det skillnader som beror på ljusintensitet eller ljusspektra?

The domestic fowl (Gallus gallus domesticus) originates from the forests in South-east Asia. It may be correct to assume that the visual system of the domestic fowl is still adapted to light that is filtered through the green forest canopy. In modern poultry production, however, light is provided via artificial luminaires and in low intensities to control feather pecking and cannibalism. Compared with production and reproduc-tion, the effect of light intensity on visual abilities is not researched as much. The aim with this study was to compare spatial resolution threshold between layers and its ancestor the red jungle fowl, between different light spectra and light intensities. Chickens were held in one of three light treatments during part of the rearing, and during training and testing. One light treatment represented the light in the natural habitat of red jungle fowl, called the jungle light. Another light treatment was the standardized illuminant D65 which represents average daylight. The control light did not have UV-light, which can be discriminated by birds, included as the two other light treatments had. Twelve layers and twelve jungle fowls were trained to discrim-inate between a square-wave grating and a homogenous grey picture inside a Skin-nerbox and tested in four different light intensities. Each bird was tested with increasing spatial frequency of the grating, and when discrimination failed, the spatial resolution threshold of that chicken was said to have been reached. A significant difference in spatial resolution threshold was found between light treatments for red jungle fowls. The group with D65-light had a mean threshold of 5.023 cycles per degree of visual angle (c/deg) compared with 3.794 c/deg in the jun-gle light group (p-value < 0.05). Significant differences were also found between the breeds in the lowest light intensity in the jungle light and control light treatment. In the control light group, the mean spatial resolutions of the layers was 4.095 c/deg and 2.783 c/deg among the red jungle fowl (p-value < 0.05). In the jungle light group, the mean spatial resolution of the layers was 4.017 c/deg and 2.373 c/deg among the red jungle fowl (p-value < 0.05). A significant difference in spatial resolution threshold between the breeds in the lowest light intensity may be seen as an evidence that layers have adapted to the dim light conditions which is common in commercial layer facilities. To further deepen the understanding of how spatial resolution threshold is affected by light spectra, testing in one colour of light at a time would be interesting, as well as measuring production and welfare parameters in a larger scale behavioural study with the jungle light.Den domesticerade hönan (Gallus gallus domesticus) härstammar från skogarna i sydvästra Asien. Man kan anta att de visuella förmågorna hos domesticerade höns-fåglar fortfarande är anpassade till den sortens ljus som filtreras genom den gröna växtmassan. I modern äggproduktion tillförs ljus istället via artificiell väg och i låga ljusintensiteter för att kontrollera fjäderplockning och kannibalism. Jämfört med pro-duktionsegenskaper och reproduktion har det inte forskats lika mycket på visuella förmågor hos höns. Syftet med denna studie var att jämföra den spatiala upplösnings-förmågan mellan värphöns och dess anfader röda djungelhöns, mellan olika ljus-spektrum och mellan olika ljusintensiteter. Kycklingarna i studien hölls i en av tre olika ljusmiljöer under delar av uppväxten, och under träning och tester. Ett av experimentljusen representerade det ljus som finns i de röda djungelhönsens naturliga habitat, kallat djungelljuset, och ett annat experimentljus var det standardiserade D65-ljuset som ska representera naturligt dagsljus. Kontrolljuset innehöll inte UV-ljus, som fåglar kan uppfatta, till skillnad från de två andra experimentljusen. Tolv värphönshybrider och tolv röda djungelhöns blev tränade att särskilja mellan ett fyrkantsvågsgitter och en homogen grå bild i fyra olika ljusintensiteter i en Skinnerbox. Varje fågel testades genom att öka den spatiala frekvensen av gitter och när de inte kunde särskilja mellan bilderna sades det att kycklingens högsta spatiala upplösningsförmåga hade uppnåtts. En signifikant skillnad i spatial upplösningsförmåga fanns mellan grupperna av röda djungelhöns. Gruppen med D65-ljus hade ett medelvärde på sitt tröskelvärde på 5.023 cykler per visuell grad (c/deg), jämfört med 3.794 c/deg hos gruppen med djungelljus (p-värde < 0.05). Signifikanta resultat erhölls i jämförelsen mellan ra-serna i den lägsta ljusintensiteten i djungelljuset och kontrolljuset. I kontrolljusgrup-pen hade värphönsen ett medelvärde för spatial upplösningsförmåga på 4.095 c/deg och de röda djungelhönsen hade ett medelvärde på 2.783 c/deg (p-värde < 0.05). I djungelljusgruppen hade värphönsen ett medelvärde för spatial upplösningsförmåga på 4.017 c/deg och de röda djungelhönsen hade ett medelvärde på 2.373 c/deg (p- värde < 0.05). Ifall fler kycklingar hade inkluderats i studien hade de signifikanta skillnaderna mellan raserna i den lägsta ljusintensiteten kunnat tolkas som ett bevis för att värphöns har anpassat sig till de låga ljusintensiteterna som är vanligt förekommande inom äggproduktionen. För att ytterligare lära sig mer om hur den spatiala upplösningsförmågan påverkas av olika ljusspektrum skulle man kunna testa den i olika separata färger, såväl som att mäta produktions- och välfärdsparametrar i en större beteendestudie i djungelljuset

Svenska väldet i Livland, 1564-1570 : akademisk afhandling, som med tillständ af vidtberömda filosofiska fakultetens i Upsala humanistiska sektion för filosofiska gradens vinnande till offentlig granskning framställes

http://www.ester.ee/record=b4005107*es

Samband mellan work locus of control, perceived organizational support och arbetsrelaterad stress

Studiens syfte var att undersöka hur två faktorer, work locus of control (WLOC) och perceived organizational support (POS), är relaterade till arbetsrelaterad stress samt att även undersöka en eventuell interaktionseffekt mellan WLOC och POS på stress. Dessa variabler mättes i en survey som delades ut via mail och Facebook (n=100). Resultaten bekräftade att det finns ett samband mellan både WLOC och stress såväl som mellan POS och stress, båda faktorerna ger ett unikt bidrag till modellen för att kunna predicera stress. Det fanns däremot ingen interaktionseffekt för WLOC och POS på stress. Resultatens betydelse diskuterades i förhållande till tidigare teorier och forskningsfynd, och tankar kring framtida forskning presenterades

Stability of Haptic Obstacle Avoidance and Force Interaction

Abstract-Stability problems associated with haptics and robot control with obstacle avoidance are analyzed. Obstacle avoidance algorithms are revised to accomplish stable redesign using absolute stability and passivity theory. A modification of potential functions for haptic rendering and obstacle avoidance allowing stable operation for high stiffness is proposed. The modification leads to velocity-dependent potential-like repulsive stable haptic force interaction with obstacles. Using strictly positive real re-design, stable force interaction can be provided also for high stiffness of manipulated objects or obstacles

Effect of previous utilization and out-of-pocket expenditure on subsequent utilization of a state led public-private partnership scheme "Chiranjeevi Yojana" to promote facility births in Gujarat, India

Background: In Gujarat, India, a state led public private partnership scheme to promote facility birth named Chiranjeevi Yojana (CY) was implemented in 2005. Institutional birth is provided free of cost at accredited private health facilities to women from socially disadvantaged groups (eligible women). CY has contributed in increasing facility birth and providing substantially subsidized (but not totally free) birth care; however, the retention of mothers in this scheme in subsequent child birth is unknown. Therefore, we conducted a study aimed to determine the effect of previous utilization of the scheme and previous out of pocket expenditure on subsequent child birth among multiparous eligible women in Gujarat.Methods: This was a retrospective cohort study of multiparous eligible women (after excluding abortions and births at public facility). A structured questionnaire was administered by trained research assistant to those with recent delivery between Jan and Jul 2013. Outcome of interest was CY utilization in subsequent child birth (Jan–Jul 2013). Explanatory variables included socio-demographic characteristics (including category of eligibility), pregnancy related characteristics in previous child birth, before Jan 2013, (including CY utilization, out of pocket expenditure) and type of child birth in subsequent birth. A poisson regression model was used to assess the association of factors with CY utilization in subsequent child birth.Results: Of 997 multiparous eligible women, 289 (29%) utilized and 708 (71%) did not utilize CY in their previous child birth. Of those who utilized CY (n = 289), 182 (63%) subsequently utilized CY and 33 (11%) gave birth at home; whereas those who did not utilize CY (n = 708) had four times higher risk (40% vs. 11%) of subsequent child birth at home. In multivariable models, previous utilization of the scheme was significantly associated with subsequent utilization (adjusted Relative Risk (aRR): 2.7; 95% CI: 2.2–3.3), however previous out of pocket expenditure was not found to be associated with retention in the CY scheme.Conclusion: Women with previous CY utilization were largely retained; therefore, steps to increase uptake of CY are expected to increase retention of mothers within CY in their subsequent child birth. To understand the reasons for subsequent child birth at home despite previous CY utilization and previous zero/minimal out of pocket expenditure, future research in the form of systematic qualitative enquiry is recommended