Pro-social preferences and self-selection into the public health sector: evidence from economic experiments

There is growing interest in the role of pro-social motivation in public service delivery. In general, economists no longer question whether people have social preferences, but ask how and when such preferences will influence their economic and social decisions. Apart from revealing that individuals on average share and cooperate even when such actions lower their own material pay-off, economic experiments have documented substantial individual heterogeneity in the strength and structure of social preferences. In this paper we study the extent to which these differences are related to career choices, by testing whether preferences vary systematically between Tanzanian health worker students who prefer to work in the private health sector and those who prefer to work in the public health sector. Despite its important policy implications, this issue has received hardly any attention to date. By combining data from a questionnaire and two economic experiments, we find that students who prefer to work in the public health sector have stronger pro-social preferences than those who prefer to work in the private sector. We also show that the extent to which these students care about others can be conditional and linked to inequality aversion. A systematic selfselection of pro-socially motivated health workers into the public sector suggests that it is a good idea to have two sectors providing health services: this can ensure efficient matching of individuals and sectors by allowing employers in the two sectors to use different payment mechanisms tailored to attract and promote good performance from different types of health workers.pro-social preferences; career choice; economic experiments; health workers

Motion and gravity effects in the precision of quantum clocks

We show that motion and gravity affect the precision of quantum clocks. We consider a localised quantum field as a fundamental model of a quantum clock moving in spacetime and show that its state is modified due to changes in acceleration. By computing the quantum Fisher information we determine how relativistic motion modifies the ultimate bound in the precision of the measurement of time. While in the absence of motion the squeezed vacuum is the ideal state for time estimation, we find that it is highly sensitive to the motion-induced degradation of the quantum Fisher information. We show that coherent states are generally more resilient to this degradation and that in the case of very low initial number of photons, the optimal precision can be even increased by motion. These results can be tested with current technology by using superconducting resonators with tunable boundary conditions.Comment: 10 pages, 6 figures. I. F. previously published as I. Fuentes-Guridi and I. Fuentes-Schulle

Про основні історичні відомості з розвитку фізики мікросвіту

Короткі історичні відомості з розвитку фізики мікросвіту пропонуються на допомогу вчителеві у використанні фактів з історії відкриття елементарних частинок та дослідження їх властивостей. Подана методика формування в учнів таких понять, як маса, заряд, кількість руху, енергія та інших, що відображають властивості частинок матерії

Innovative transport solutions — Unravelling challenges in public-private networks

New transport solutions and technologies are continuously developed and implemented aiming to reduce emissions, increase road safety, and improve mobility for both people and goods. Solutions with high potential for increased sustainability often depend on multi-actor interaction and public-private collaborations. However, even if the solutions or technologies are considered to have high potential to contribute to sustainable transport systems, they are rarely implemented on a large scale. This thesis aims to contribute to current understanding of challenges of implementing innovative transport solutions that depend on interactions between public and private actors.The thesis builds upon a qualitative research design based on three studies, a literature review and two empirical studies, exploring three different transport solutions, UCC, MaaS, and geofencing, in their network contexts. The studies focus on challenges of achieving the transport solutions’ expected sustainability objectives, network and role dynamics in developing and implementing the solutions, and the perceived value of and barriers to the solutions.The results of the studies identify three sets of challenges: (1) the challenge of reaching sustainability objectives for innovative transport solutions, (2) the challenge of understanding networks and actor roles in innovative transport solutions, and (3) the challenges with resource interaction and combination for innovative transport solutions. To achieve the desired sustainability effects, better coordination is required within and between organizations and between different developing areas. Understanding of actor roles in implementing new transport solutions needs to be further elaborated. New types of innovation processes could be relevant to achieving the expected sustainability objectives of new transport solutions more efficiently

Romanska förflyttningar i tid och rum

Romanesque Movements in Time and Place. Some examples from Churches on Gotland The reliefs on walls, portals and baptismal fonts on and in the Mediaeval Gotlandic stone churches offer important information about the time and the society in which they were created. Details in certain images are difficult to interpret as illustrating only biblical texts and should probably be considered as having a double meaning involving not only religious themes but also various references to contemporary historical events. These images may be related to the Cistercian abbey in Roma and the powerful social groups in Gotland society engaged in warfare and church politics. This article deals with the visualization of Mediaeval travel and movement, especially pilgrimage, and links between different times and places, from the Adoration of the Magi to contemporary pilgrimage and crusades

Light environments for dairy cows : impact of light intensity, spectrum and uniformity

Light can be used as a management tool to increase milk yield in dairy cows and improve the working conditions for barn staff. It is known that a long day photoperiod, with 16 hours of light and 8 hours of darkness, can increase milk yield in an ongoing lactation. Modern LED lighting can be designed to emit specific wavelengths, opening up possibilities for discussing the most favorable type of light for dairy cows. This thesis investigated the role of light environment and the impact of light intensity, spectral composition and uniformity on dairy cows. In initial studies, a light lab with a controlled light environment and no external light was used. The response to red, blue, and white light of increasing intensity on pupil size was evaluated in five pregnant non-lactating cows. Red light did not constrict the pupil but the other light colors did, indicating that direct stimulation of ipRGCs may be required for a pupillary response to steady background light. A five-week study on 40 pregnant and lactating cows involving 16 hours of blue, red or white light in daytime and 8 hours of dim, white light at night did not show effects of light color during daytime on milk production. Plasma melatonin concentration was higher in dim night light than in daylight for all light treatments. To examine cow movements in light of different intensity, spectrum and uniformity, 12 pregnant, non-lactating cows were tested in an obstacle course in the light lab. A dark environment did not limit the cows’ ability to walk through the obstacle course, but they reduced walking speed when subjected to non-uniform, low-intensity red light, indicating the importance of avoiding non-uniform light in dairy barns. Quantification of light environments on four Swedish dairy farms, using a range of measuring methods, showed that the light environment differed between farms, but that light of low intensity and uniformity was commonly used. Light environment is important for dairy cows, as it can affect their physiology and behavior. The light environment can be more objectively described using multiple measuring methods

Acute Pancreatitis. Studies on smoking and protease activation.

Background and aims: Activation of pancreatic proteases is considered to be a crucial event in the early phase of acute pancreatitis but the cause of this activation is not known. Most cases of acute pancreatitis can be attributed to either gallstone disease or alcohol abuse. However, little is known about other risk factors. The aim of this thesis is to investigate the mechanisms involved in the initiation of acute pancreatitis, trends in the incidence, and risk factors for the disease. The potential role of smoking as a risk factor was given special attention and the effect of nicotine on exocrine pancreas was studied in a rat model. Results and conclusions: Cathepsin B activated trypsinogen but not proelastase or procarboxypeptidase B. Hence, if cathepsin B is to play a role in the activation of digestive enzymes in acute pancreatitis, this probably occurs through activation of trypsinogen. The incidence of gallstone-related acute pancreatitis increased by 7.6% per year (95% confidence interval (CI), 4.0 to 11.4) in Malmö 1985?1999. The incidence of alcohol-related acute pancreatitis decreased by ?5.1% per year (95 % CI, ?7.4 to ?2.8). The risk for acute pancreatitis was increased in smokers (relative risk 2.14, (95% CI, 1.48 to 3.09)), after adjustment for age, sex, body mass index and alcohol consumption. There was a weak association between body mass index and the risk for acute pancreatitis (p=0.02). Nicotine induced increased concentrations of pancreatic proenzymes in pancreatic extract but had no impact on the production of the same enzymes. These findings suggest that nicotine impairs acinar cell secretion. We propose that this might be a contributory mechanism behind the association between smoking and pancreatic disease

Reducing vulnerability - A possible contribution of the human rights community to the conundrums of climate change

The realisation that climate change will have serious effects on human life has activated the wider human rights community, which is now searching for an entrance into the global issue of our time. So far, most efforts by human rights practitioners have been concentrated on the overarching problem of global injustice, which relates to the right to development. However, in estimating the effects of climate change on human beings, the concept of vulnerability emerges as a key factor. By investigating the social dimensions of vulnerability, and by navigating a network of connected concepts, including poverty; climate change adaptation and human development, this essay suggests that the human rights community can contribute by reducing vulnerabilities to lessening the adverse effects on human beings from global warming. Above all, this means sticking to what it does best — namely safeguarding human dignity and equality in the relation between the individual and the state