Kommunal trädförvaltning i Karlstad : vanliga misstag och dess konsekvenser

Att förvalta träd är komplicerat och kräver planering, resurser och kompetens för att lyckas väl. Utifrån stödjande och styrande dokument kan en förvaltning få omfattande insikter i hur arbetet med träden bör prioriteras. Vid hantering av träd finns många aspekter att ta hänsyn till och det finns mycket forskning och litteratur som kan bidra med vägledning i arbetet. Denna kvalitativa intervjustudie syftade till att undersöka vanliga misstag i Karlstads kommun utifrån fem respondenter som arbetar med Karlstads kommuns trädförvaltning, härefter benämnda som trädförvaltare. Studien gav en värdefull men begränsad bild av vilka utmaningar Karlstads kommun har i sin trädförvaltning. Svaren kopplades ihop med litteratur och författarens tankar för att svara på vilka misstag som upplevs av trädförvaltarna, vad misstagen får för konsekvenser och vad som behövs för att undvika dessa misstag i framtiden. Resultatet visar att trädförvaltare saknar stödjande och styrande dokument, vilka tros kunna effektivisera och förbättra förvaltningsarbetet. Att projektera trädplanteringar utan kännedom om platsen kan resultera i fel trädval. Transporter sker till arbetsplatsen vilket medför en mellanlagring som riskerar att skada träden i samband med av- och pålastningar. För att undvika detta föreslås att planera leverans direkt till planteringsplatsen. Tiden räcker inte till för trädförvaltarna som ser ett behov av att fler träd får rätt skötsel. Styrande dokument skulle hjälpa till att prioritera resurserna mot behov. Trädstöd kan stå kvar för länge och riskerar att skada trädet. En trädplan och en trädvårdsplan ger möjlighet att planera så att trädstöden kontrolleras eller tas bort.Managing trees is complicated and requires planning, resources and skills to be successful. Based on supporting and governing documents, an administration can have extensive insights into how the work with the trees should be prioritized. When handling trees, there are many aspects to consider and there is a lot of research and literature that can contribute with guidance in the work. The purpose of this qualitative interview study was to examine common perceived mistakes based on five respondents who work with Karlstad’s municipality's tree management, hereinafter referred to as tree managers. The study provided a valuable but limited picture of the challenges Karlstad municipality has in its tree management. The answers were connected to literature and the author's thoughts to answer what mistakes are experienced by the tree managers, what the consequences of the mistakes are and what is needed to avoid these mistakes in the future. The result shows that tree managers lack supporting and governing documents, which are believed to be able to streamline and improve management work.. Planning tree plantations without knowledge of the site can result in the wrong choice of trees. Transports take place to the work site, which results in interim storage that risks damaging the trees in connection with loading and unloading. To avoid this, it is suggested to schedule delivery directly to the planting site. There is not enough time for the tree managers who see a need for more trees to be properly managed. Governing documents would help to prioritize resources to the right places. Tree supports can be left standing for too long at risk of damaging the tree. A tree plan and a tree care plan make it possible to plan for the control of tree supports

Corporate innovation in relation to IPO, enterprise value and R&D expenditures: evidence from Finnish companies gone public

In this paper, I examine the innovation activities of Finnish companies that have conducted an initial public offering during 1988-2012. The study provides novel analysis on innovations in relation to IPO, enterprise value and innovation investment within important Finnish companies. First, using unique innovation data collected by Technical Research Centre of Finland (VTT) and national patent data, I find that going public increases the number of innovations and patents while it affects negatively on the innovation novelty for Finnish market and increases the novelty for international markets. The novelty effect is emphasized within high-tech industry while also patent data supports a transition to international markets. Second, emphasizing the importance of innovations on performance, I find that innovations have a positive effect on enterprise value. Third, regarding the financing of innovations, the findings support a close link between increased R&D expenditures and innovations as well as indicate that more complex innovations tend to receive more public subsidies for development

Vacuum extraction and pelvic floor injury : a randomized controlled trial and cohort studies

BACKGROUND AND AIMS: Pelvic floor dysfunction (PFD) affects many women, especially after complicated childbirth. The impact of a prolonged second stage on PFD is not clear, while the effects of operative vaginal birth (OVB) and obstetric anal sphincter injury (OASI) are better known, especially concerning the risk of anal incontinence (AI). Vacuum extraction (VE) and primiparity are the major risk factors of OASI. Observational studies report that OASI in VE in nulliparous women decreases if an episiotomy is performed, but this has not been confirmed in a randomized controlled trial (RCT). The aim of this thesis was to investigate factors that could improve second stage management, particularly in VE, to decrease the risk of OASI and future PFD. First, we aimed to identify risk factors for OASI in VE. Second, we aimed to explore effects of a prolonged second stage on PFD, and finally, we aimed to investigate if a lateral episiotomy, compared with no episiotomy, reduces the risk of OASI in VE in nulliparous women. METHODS AND MAIN RESULTS: Study I is a retrospective cohort study with one-year medical records data from Danderyd Hospital. All primiparous women with a live, singleton fetus ≥34 gestational weeks, delivered by VE during 2013 were included (n=323). Primary outcome was OASI and exposure was operator category (obstetrician, gynecologist, and resident) with obstetrician as reference. OASI occurred in 57 (17.6%) women. Fifteen (11.5%) OASI occurred in VE performed by obstetricians, 10 (13.5%) by gynecologists (aOR 1.84, 95% CI 0.72-4.70), and 32 (26.9%) by residents (aOR 5.13, 95% CI 2.20-11.95). Study II and III are questionnaire and cohort studies including primiparous women with a live, single fetus in cephalic presentation ≥37 gestational weeks and second stage duration ≥3 h in the Stockholm Region during one year (2019, n=1302). Data were retrieved from electronic medical records (EMR). The oneyear follow-up questionnaire from the Swedish Perineal Laceration Register, including questions regarding symptoms of urinary incontinence (UI), anal incontinence (AI), and pelvic organ prolapse (POP) were distributed one to two years after delivery. In Study II, primary outcome was AI defined as Wexner score ≥2. Main exposure was mode of delivery with cesarean section (CS) as reference. Secondary exposures were degree of perineal injury and extended second stage duration. We found that the odds of AI were increased by VE (aOR 2.25, 95% CI 1.21-4.18) but not by spontaneous vaginal birth (SVB) (aOR 1.55, 95% CI 0.85-2.84). AI was also increased by OASI (aOR 2.03, 95% CI 1.17-3.52) and second-degree perineal injuries (aOR 1.36, 95% CI 1.03-1.81). OASI and VE combined inferred the highest odds (aOR 4.06, 95% CI 1.80-9.14) compared with CS. Extended duration of the prolonged second stage did not affect the risk of AI. In Study III, primary outcome was a composite of PFD including at least weekly symptoms of UI, AI, and POP. Exposure was intervention with VE or CS at 3-4 h or at 4-5 h respectively, compared with expectant management. The risk of PFD was increased after VE at 3-4 h (aRR 1.33, 95% CI 1.06-1.65) and 4-5 h (aRR 1.34, 95% CI 1.05-1.70), but remained unchanged after CS. The increased risk after VE was not mediated by OASI. Study IV is a multicenter RCT of lateral episiotomy compared with no episiotomy in nulliparous women with a live, single, fetus ≥34 gestational weeks, requiring VE during 2017-2023. The intervention was a lateral episiotomy. Primary outcome was OASI. The modified intention-to-treat (mITT) population included women with attempted or successful VE (n=702). In the intervention group, 21/344 (6.1%) women sustained OASI compared with 47/358 (13.1%) in the comparison group (p=0.002). The risk difference was -7.0% (96% CI -11.7% to - 2.5%). The unadjusted risk ratio was 0.46 (96% CI 0.28-0.78) and 0.47 (96% CI 0.23-0.97) adjusted for site. Number needed to treat was 14.3 to avoid one OASI. Wound infection and dehiscence were significantly increased in the intervention group, while all other outcomes were similar. CONCLUSION: In VE in nulliparous women, the risk of OASI increased when the operator was a resident, indicating a need for increased training and supervision. In a prolonged second stage, an extended duration did not increase the risk of AI or PFD. If a SVB seems likely, it is better to wait than to intervene with VE in order to avoid future PFD. If intervention is necessary, and several risk factors for OASI are present, CS could be preferable to reduce the risk of AI. In VE in nulliparous women, a lateral episiotomy significantly reduces the risk of OASI. However, the intervention may increase the risk of wound infection and dehiscence

Innovation and firm performance: Evidence from Finnish public companies

In this paper, I examine the innovation activities and effect of commercialized innovations on firm performance, measured with productivity and market value, of Finnish public companies during 1988-2017. This study provides novel information on innovations which is a complex matter but very important for both private and public sector growth and competitiveness. There is no similar previous study with commercialized innovations. The topic is also current for Finland due to a recent report, Securing Finland’s competitiveness and economic growth in the 2020s, by Erkki Ormala made for the Ministry of Economic Affairs and Employment of Finland and published in January 2019. His report finds that the conditions for innovating in Finland are weakening and that companies are moving their innovation activities abroad seeking better cooperation opportunities and financing for innovation. I show supporting evidence of an overall downward trend in the number of innovations, patents, R&D investments and public subsidies. Companies are also applying for international patents instead of Finnish patents. Another worrying finding is a decline in Finnish innovation productivity measured by the number of innovations in relation to R&D expenditures. Building on this, I analyze unique innovation data collected by Technical Research Centre of Finland (VTT). The study and methods are largely based on the work by Bloom and Van Reenen (2002) with the biggest difference being my use of commercialized innovations instead of patents as a proxy for technology. The study finds innovations to have significant impact on performance and firms who innovate to be 10% more productive than those who do not. First main question finds that innovations themselves have a negative effect on productivity, but that higher level of innovation complexity would increase productivity. Second, I find a positive effect of innovations on market value and that higher innovation complexity has a negative effect on market value in the year of commercialization but turns positive in the following year of commercialization. These main results support the importance of innovation and innovation complexity on firm performance. To secure sustainable growth and competitiveness, companies would be recommended to focus on innovation productivity and the government should follow Ormala’s (2019) suggestions on strengthening applied research, innovation funding and collaboration between operators

Emissions trading : China's practices in a global context

textThis thesis provides an overview of attempts to mitigate climate change through emissions trading systems (ETS) with a focus on China's recent announcement to implement a national ETS. The report begins with a description of climate change and the inherent difficulties of reducing greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. Popular policy mechanisms that aim to reduce GHG emissions with a goal of mitigating climate change are described, including the United Nations efforts to implement an international ETS through international climate negotiations. The second chapter reports on international, national and regional ETSs, with a focus on a multitude of critical ETS components. The third chapter outlines the theory of linking ETSs, design considerations, benefits, potential barriers and risks of linking. The fourth chapter focuses on air pollution in China and the state’s response to limit pollution through regional pilot ETSs that may transition into a Chinese national ETS based on the pilot programs' results. The conclusion of the thesis focuses on the potential repercussions of the future implementation of China's national ETS. The thesis concludes that China’s selection of an ETS over other policy mechanisms can enhance other nations' confidence in an ETS's ability to reduce emissions without impeding economic growth. The Chinese system can influence future UNFCCC meetings and may facilitate global agreements. The lessons learned from China's ETS has the potential to encourage the development of existing and future ETSs. Asia could become the global center for emissions trading if China considers linking systems with existing and future ETSs.Energy and Earth Resource

The Re-engraved Matrix: Bishop v/s Chapter in Nidaros around 1300

Seglstampen T. 1504 i Videnskapsmuseet i Trondheim, funnet i elvesanden i byen, har tilhørt Nidaros domkapitel, og avtrykk er kjent fra 1263â1264 og inntil 1281, i det siste dokumentet er stampen brukt som kontrasegl. Deretter kommer et avtrykk fra en lignende, men ikke identisk, stamp i et dokument fra 1303. Etter 1307 har man igjen tatt i bruk den eldre stampen, men nå har denne fått to roser inngravert. Denne stampen ble brukt helt frem til reformasjonen (da noen kastet den i elven?)ââ¬âââ¬âââ¬âDette er et materielt vitnesbyrd fra en velkjent episode i norsk historie: striden mellom erkebiskop Jørund og hans domkapitel, dokumentert i en rekke diplomer fra perioden 1288â1307. Det handlet om økonomi, om bestemmelsesmyndighet, og om personlige uoverensstemmelser. Paven ble trukket inn, og flere forsoningsmøter ble holdt, uten at det hjalp. Erkebiskopen konfiskerte kannikenes eiendom og kostbarheter, og blant dem kapitlets to seglstamper; vi vet ikke nøyakting når. Men fra seglet som er dokumentert i 1303 kan vi slutte at domkapitlet hadde fått laget seg et ëerstatningsseglû, iallfall for det lille seglet. Fra dokumenter i 1307 kan vi deretter se at man da hadde fått tilbake det gamle seglet, men nå med to roser inngravert â det samme kan vi slutte om kapitlets store segl, selv om dette ikke er dokumentert før 1488: også her er det roser inngravert. Men seglet fra 1303 virker egentlig som et meget bedre og mer ëmoderneû arbeide â hvorfor beholdt man ikke dette, men gikk tilbake til å bruke den gamle stampen? Sier det oss noe om holdninger og ambisjoner? ââ¬âââ¬âââ¬âDet korte tillegget er et forsøk på å datere de to stampene via kunsthistoriske betraktninger; begge har alderdommelige, ëromanskeû, trekk til tross for at de klart tilhører første halvdel av århundret. Det lille seglet er et meget bedre arbeide; mulig er det yngst av de to