1,012 research outputs found
Asymmetric Information and the Demand for Voluntary Health Insurance in Europe
Several past studies have found health risk to be negatively correlated with the probability of voluntary health insurance. This is contrary to what one would expect from standard textbook models of adverse selection and moral hazard. The two most common explanations to the counter-intuitive result are either (1) that risk-aversion is correlated with health â i.e. that healthier individuals are also more risk-averse â or (2) that insurers are able to discriminate among customers based on observable health-risk characteristics. We revisited these arguments, using data from the Survey of Health, Ageing and Retirement in Europe (SHARE). Self-assessed health served as an indicator of risk: better health, lower risk. We did, indeed, observe a negative correlation between risk and insurance but found no evidence of heterogeneous risk-preferences as an explanation to our finding.
Willingness to pay for on-demand and prophylactic treatment for severe haemophilia in Sweden.
The objective of the present paper was to provide an estimate of the benefits of on-demand and prophylaxis treatment strategies for severe haemophilia in monetary terms. Using the contingent-valuation method, which simulates a missing market by asking people about their willingness to pay (WTP), we asked a representative sample (n = 609) of the Swedish population if they would be willing to pay a specific amount (bid) so that patients with severe haemophilia could receive on-demand treatment and another bid for prophylactic treatment. Different respondents were offered different bids and the bid vector ranged from 71 Euro cents to EUR 130. The order of the bid questions was randomized so that half of the respondents were asked first about their WTP for on-demand treatment, and then about their WTP for prophylaxis, while the order was reversed for the other half of the respondents. The mean estimated WTP (year 2002) was EUR 39 (95% CI 31-47) for on-demand and EUR 65 (95% CI 55-73) for prophylaxis. Our sensitivity analysis showed that the ranking of the two treatment alternatives was robust in that the WTP was greater for prophylaxis in all possible subsets. The point estimates of WTP varied somewhat in subsets defined by individual characteristics, but confidence intervals always overlapped that of the main results. The WTP for on-demand and prophylaxis exceeded the calculated cost of treatment per taxpayer of providing on-demand and prophylactic treatment, respectively, based on our previous result
Nedkopplad: En kvalitativ studie om internet ur ett tidsligt och rumsligt perspektiv
De digitala infödingarna tillhör den population som föddes under den digitala utvecklingen, en population som stÀndigt Àr uppkopplad, och som inte skiljer pÄ livet av och pÄ internet. Teknologiska verktyg har blivit en sÄ inkorporerad del av vardagen, att mÄnga digitala infödingar förmodligen har svÄrt att förestÀlla sig en tillvaro utan tillgÄng till internet. Tekniska medel Àr vÄr stÀndiga följeslagare: sÄvÀl hemma, pÄ arbetet och dÄ vi umgÄs med andra ansikte mot ansikte. Till förmÄn för föreliggande uppsats har fem digitala infödingar kopplat ner frÄn internet under en vecka. Genom detta experimentella tillvÀgagÄngssÀtt Àr avsikten att undersöka vilka de upplevda erfarenheterna Àr dÄ vi inte har internet som stÀndig följeslagare. Tidsliga samt rumsliga aspekter framstod under intervjuerna som de mest centrala aspekterna av den nedkopplade perioden, varför detta utgör fokus för arbetet. Avsikten med uppsatsen Àr sÄledes att undersöka vilken betydelse internetaktiviteter har för upplevelsen av tid, samt vilken betydelse rummet fÄr i förhÄllande till de tidsliga aspekterna. Internet kan ses som en abstrakt system, vilket deltagarna organiserar sin tid och tillvaro kring. Resultatet av studien tyder pÄ att det finns en koppling mellan ett stÀndigt informationsflöde pÄ internet och det sÀtt som deltagarna upplever tid. Det stÀndiga och omedelbara flödet av information pÄ internet bidrar till en kÀnsla av att det stÀndigt finns nya hÀndelser att ta del av. Detta kommer till uttryck genom den tristess och rastlöshet som deltagarna upplevde under den nedkopplade perioden, dÄ de inte hade tillgÄng till information i samma utstrÀckning. Internet kan pÄ sÄ vis förstÄs som en tidslig referensram. Tiden och rummet sammanfogades i större utstrÀckning under den nedkopplade perioden, eftersom de hÀndelser och aktiviteter som deltagarna deltog i var förbundna med den fysiska platsen. NÀr de inte kunde fly tiden genom teknologin, blev rummet mer pÄtagligt och deltagarna upplevde större nÀrvaro
Mineral admixture in peat and its impact on carbon dioxide emissions
Swedish peat soils are highly productive provided theyâre drained and handled with
care. However, the peat soilsâ lack of buoyancy and their need for constant draining
have resulted in them being viewed as less attractive by farmers. The evidence that
organic soils also contribute to emission of greenhouse gases (GHG) has sparked
discussions about whether organic soils should continue to be cultivated or fallowed.
Sweden's national climate goals include reducing the emission of GHG 17% from
2005 to 2020. Emissions from organic soils account for approximately 10% of the
total CO2 â emissions from Swedish agricultural activities (Eriksson 1991 see Berglund,
Ă. & Berglund, K. 2010 s. 4). As of today, there are no known techniques for
reducing CO2 - emissions from peat soils. However, further research on the topic is
needed.
This essay examines if blending sand into peat soils results in reduced CO2 - emissions.
Furthermore, the effect of peat soil depth on emissions has also been examined.
Soil cylinders were taken from the field site Broddbo, Björklinge. At the field site,
cells with different amounts of mineral admixture were placed. There were parcels
without sand, parcels with 2.5 cm sand and parcels with 5 cm sand. The sand was
rotary cultivated down into the upper 20 cm of the soil. The experiment was conducted
in a lab where the water content and carbon dioxide emissions were measured.
The results of the experiment were that the cylinders from the cells with 5 cm sand
produced lower CO2 - emissions. The water content decreased with time when the
peat dried. However, no difference in water content could be measured between the
different treatments. CO2 - emissions from the peat soil did not decrease at the same
rate as the water content. CO2 - emissions increased when the water content declined
initially, then decreased when the water content approached 50%. The reason for the
initial increase and eventual decrease in CO2 emissions is likely a result of increased
oxygen supply to the microorganisms in the pores.Sveriges torvjordar Àr högproduktiva jordar om de dikas och sköts med omsorg. Stora
problem med bland annat bÀrighet och stÀndig omdikning har gjort att de idag anses
vara mindre attraktiva för lantbrukare. Vetskapen om att torvjordar och andra
organogena jordar ocksÄ bidrar till utslÀpp av vÀxthusgaser har startat diskussioner
om organogena jordar bör fortsÀtta odlas, eller lÀggas i trÀda. Enligt Sveriges nationella
klimatmÄl skall mÀngden utslÀpp av vÀxthusgaser minska 17 % till 2020 jÀmfört
med 2005. De organogena jordarna stÄr för ca 10 % av det svenska lantbrukets CO2
â emissioner (Eriksson 1991 se Berglund, Ă. & Berglund, K. 2010 s. 4). Möjligheter
att minska CO2 â emissioner frĂ„n organogena jordar Ă€r idag fĂ„ men behöver undersökas.
Den hÀr uppsatsens syfte Àr att undersöka om sandinblandning har förmÄga att
minska CO2 âemissioner frĂ„n organogena jordar. Torvdjupet har ocksĂ„ undersökts
för att ta reda pÄ om det kan ha inverkan pÄ utslÀpp. Jordcylindrar hÀmtades frÄn
försöksplatsen Broddbo, Björklinge. DÀr fanns parceller utan sand, med 2,5 cm sand
och med 5 cm sand som frÀsts ned i de övre 20 cm. Försöket genomfördes pÄ labb
dÀr vattenhalt och koldioxidavgÄng mÀttes.
Resultatet av mÀtningarna var att de cylindrar frÄn cellerna med mest sand hade
lĂ€gre CO2 âemissioner. Vattenhalten sjönk efter tid dĂ„ torven torkade. Dock kunde
ingen skillnad i vattenhalt uppmĂ€tas mellan de olika leden. CO2 â emissionen i torven
sjönk inte i samma hastighet som vattenhalten. CO2 â emissionen ökade nĂ€r vattenhalten
sjönk i början, för att sedan sjunka nÀr vattenhalten nÀrmade sig 50 %. Att
koldioxidemissionen först ökar och sedan sjunker beror troligtvis pÄ ökad syretillgÄng
till mikroorganismerna i porerna
SÀg mig hur de klarade första Äret och jag skall sÀga dig hur mÄnga som kommer att ta examen
Det Ă€r inte alla teknologer som antas till en civilingenjörsutbildning som verkligen tar examen. Vid LTH har, till exempel, bara var tionde teknolog tagit examen inom den nominella tiden 4.5 Ă„r. Inte förrĂ€n efter 6 Ă„r har hĂ€lften tagit examen och efter 15 Ă„r Ă€r det fortfarande en tredjedel av dem som en gĂ„ng antogs som saknar examen. Inspirationen till denna studie var behovet att försöka hitta nĂ„gra faktorer som kunde anvĂ€ndas för att förutsĂ€ga hur mĂ„nga ur en Ă„rskull som skulle ta examen. Jag har studerat det som finns registrerat i Ladok om alla som antogs till nĂ„gon av LU:s tekniska och naturvetenskapliga utbildningar under period en 1977â2002, med tyngdpunkt pĂ„ civilingenjörsutbildningarna och perioden 1988â2002, och följt dem till och med omtentamensperioden i januari 2004. Jag har undersökt ett antal faktorer som potentiellt skulle kunna ha ett samband med examinationen, bland annat deras kön och Ă„lder, vilket program de antagits till och hur om de bytt program och/eller haft studieuppehĂ„ll, hur det gick första Ă„ret och andelen flickor i Ă„rskullen
Traffic-related air pollution associated with prevalence of asthma and COPD/chronic bronchitis. A cross-sectional study in Southern Sweden
<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>There is growing evidence that air pollution from traffic has adverse long-term effects on chronic respiratory disease in children, but there are few studies and more inconclusive results in adults. We examined associations between residential traffic and asthma and COPD in adults in southern Sweden. A postal questionnaire in 2000 (n = 9319, 18â77 years) provided disease status, and self-reported exposure to traffic. A Geographical Information System (GIS) was used to link geocoded residential addresses to a Swedish road database and an emission database for NOx.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>Living within 100 m of a road with >10 cars/minute (compared with having no heavy road within this distance) was associated with prevalence of asthma diagnosis (OR = 1.40, 95% CI = 1.04â1.89), and COPD diagnosis (OR = 1.64, 95%CI = 1.11â2.4), as well as asthma and chronic bronchitis symptoms. Self-reported traffic exposure was associated with asthma diagnosis and COPD diagnosis, and with asthma symptoms. Annual average NOx was associated with COPD diagnosis and symptoms of asthma and chronic bronchitis.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>Living close to traffic was associated with prevalence of asthma diagnosis, COPD diagnosis, and symptoms of asthma and bronchitis. This indicates that traffic-related air pollution has both long-term and short-term effects on chronic respiratory disease in adults, even in a region with overall low levels of air pollution.</p
Traffic exposure associated with allergic asthma and allergic rhinitis in adults. A cross-sectional study in southern Sweden
BACKGROUND: There is conflicting evidence that traffic-related air pollution is a risk factor for allergic conditions. Few studies have investigated this in adults. In adults, a high proportion of asthma, rhinitis and eczema is triggered by non-allergic factors. We investigated traffic as a risk factor for allergic versus non-allergic asthma and rhinitis, and eczema, in adults. A questionnaire from 2000 (n = 9319, 18-77 years) provided individual data about disease outcome and self-reported traffic exposure. Additional exposure assessments were obtained using Geographical Informations Systems (GIS). Residential addresses were linked to the national Swedish Road Database and to a pollutant database with modelled annual means of NOx (Nitrogen Oxids). RESULTS: Living within 100 m from a road with a traffic intensity of >10 cars/min (24 hour mean) was associated with prevalence of current asthma reported to be triggered by allergic factors (OR = 1.83, 95% CI = 1.23-2.72) and with allergic rhinitis (OR = 1.30, 95%CI = (1.05-1.61). No relation was seen with asthma or rhinitis triggered by other factors. Living within 100 m of a road with >10 cars/min was also associated with hand-eczema during the last 12 months (OR = 1.63, 95% CI = 1.19-2.23), but not with allergic eczema or diagnosed hand-eczema. Consistent results were seen using self-reported traffic, but the associations with NOx were less consistent. CONCLUSION: Exposure to traffic was associated with a higher prevalence of allergic asthma and allergic rhinitis, but not with asthma or rhinitis triggered by non-allergic factors. This difference was suggested by the overall pattern, but only clear using GIS-measured traffic intensity as a proxy for traffic exposure. An association was also found with hand-eczema during the last 12 months. We suggest that asthma and rhinitis should not be treated as homogenous groups when estimating effects from traffic in adults
Valence-Electron Resonances in Alkali-Metal Overlayers Observed via Photoemission Line-Shape Changes
Valence-electron resonances for Na overlayers on Ag(111) and Cu(111) are observed by photoemission via line-shape changes for the substrate s,p-band emission in a narrow range of photon energies. The effect is ascribed to interfering contributions to the photoelectron wave from the substrate and the vacuum barrier
Parallelle personnavn i et tresprÄklig miljÞ
MĂ„lsettinga med denne artikkelen er Ă„ beskrive eksistens og muntlig bruk av parallelle norske, kvenske og samiske personnavn i et nordnorsk lokalsamfunn. Materialet stammer hovedsakelig fra 1970-tallet og bestĂ„r av navn pĂ„ fastboende i Ăžvre Reisadalen i Nordreisa (pĂ„ kvensk Raisi, pĂ„ nordsamisk RĂĂÂĄisa) og pĂ„ flyttsamer fra Kautokeino (pĂ„ nordsamisk Guovdageaidnu, pĂ„ kvensk Koutokeino) som oppholdt seg Ă„rlig fra maiĂąjuni til septemberĂąnovember i Nordreisa. Samer snakket bare samisk (nordsamisk) med hverandre, mens det foregikk et sprĂ„kskifte fra kvensk til norsk blant kvener, slik at denne gruppa brukte to sprĂ„k med hverandre. Den eldre generasjonen kvener i Reisadalen var pĂ„ den tiden aktivt tosprĂ„klige og de hadde som regel et offisielt norsk navn og et uoffisielt kvensk navn som begge ble alminnelig brukt muntlig pĂ„ bygda. Flyttsamer var to- eller tresprĂ„klige da mange av dem ogsĂ„ snakket kvensk. Alle samer hadde et offisielt navn og et uoffisielt samisk navn, og mange av samene fĂždt senest i midten av 1940-Ă„rene hadde ogsĂ„ et kvensk navn. Offisielle navn og kvenske navn pĂ„ flyttsamer ble brukt av reisavĂŠringer, ĂĂ mens de samiske navnene var mindre kjent blant reisavĂŠringer, og de ble brukt bare blant samer. Samiske og kvenske navn pĂ„ flyttsamer var ogsĂ„ brukt blant samer i nĂŠromrĂ„der i Finland og Sverige, mens de offisielle navnene pĂ„ norske flyttsamer var mindre kjent der. Ăą De samiske og kvenske personnavnene har en finsk-ugrisk struktur som begynner med et slektsnavn, et patronym, et metronym eller et stedsnavn og slutter med dĂžpenavnet. Alle parallelle navn pĂ„ flyttsamer viser etnisk tilhĂžrighet, ogsĂ„ de offisielle navnene, mens de norske navnene pĂ„ kvener tildekker den kvenske bakgrunnen. Ăą Ăù°n grunn til bruk av parallelle navn har vĂŠrt at kirken tidligere ikke har akseptert samiske og finske/kvenske navn. Etter at nordsamisk ble et offisielt sprĂ„k i 1990-Ă„rene, har de parallelle samiske og norske navnene blitt i noen grad synlige i offisielle samiske sammenhenger hvor nordsamisk brukes bĂ„de muntlig og skriftlig.ĂĂ NĂžkkelord: personnavn, flersprĂ„klighet, sosioonomastikk, kvensk, samisk, norsk, etnisite
Overrepresentation of unaccompanied refugee minors in inpatient psychiatric care
Unaccompanied refugee minors (URMs) have high levels of psychiatric symptoms, and concerns for their access to mental health services have been raised. From the mid-2000s, an increasing number of asylum-seeking URMs, mainly adolescent boys from Afghanistan, have been referred to the Child & Adolescent Psychiatry emergency unit in Malmö, Sweden. The aim of the study was to compare inpatient psychiatric care between URMs and non-URMs
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