Wood and fibre properties of fertilized Norway spruce

Very intensive forest management is relatively unexplored in Sweden, and while there is interest in pursuing e.g. the use of fertilizers on selected areas, there is concern about the quality of the wood when growth rate increases. This thesis summarises three studies on wood and fibre properties of Norway spruce grown in two nutrient optimisation experiments and one study from a Norway spruce provenance trial in Sweden. The nutrient optimisation trials were located at 57'08'N, 14'45'E and at 64'07'N, 19'27'E. Increment cores (12 mm diameter) were sampled at breast height from three different treatments and a control. The treatments were irrigation, irrigation combined with liquid fertilization and solid fertilization. Density, microfibril angle, cell wall thickness and radial and tangential cell widths were measured on the wood samples and averages per annual rings and fibre property distributions were analysed. Density, microfibril angle, and cell wall thickness were clearly affected by fertilization. Density and cell wall thickness decreased due to fertilization and microfibril angle increased. Cell widths were moderately affected. Variables describing the inherent development from the pith, such as distance or ring number from pith and ring width, an expression of temporal growth rate and an indicator of varying amounts of earlywood and latewood, were the most important factors explaining differences in fibre properties. The provenance study was situated at 57'56'N, 5'39'E. The differences in density found between provenances were lower than differences caused by fertilization. The possible impact of intense commercial fertilization of Norway spruce for utilization in the pulp and paper industry is discussed

Illegal to punish or punish the illegals: Which way should Ukraine and Moldova choose?

A government seeks to minimise the maximum expected utility of migrants and smugglers, but has to do this under constraints. It is argued that a vote maximising government should choose policies based on the relative weight of the introduced lobby utility function, which acts as a constraint. The model allows for calculation of simplified but optimal punishments, however this would require information about country-specific parameters. The model setting assumes that there is almost perfect competition between the facilitators (people smugglers).illegal migration; illegal immigration; irregular migration; undocumented migration; optimal punishments; punishments; Moldova; Ukraine; people smuggling; human smuggling; international migration; people smugglers; border control; punishment schemes; WNIS

Products Liability and Evidence of Subsequent Repairs

Cannabis är den mest använda drogen i världen och attityderna gentemot den blir allt mer liberala. Då många syntetiskt framställda cannabinoider ständigt dyker upp på marknaden visar studier på olika resultat angående utbredningen av drogen. Det är personer i de yngre åldrarna som i störst utsträckning använder cannabis. I dagens samhälle ställs det allt mer krav på unga vuxna, inte minst när det gäller att skaffa sig en utbildning. Syftet med denna studie var därför att undersöka om det fanns något samband mellan användningen av cannabis och upplevelser av studiesituationen bland studenter vid Linköpings universitet.Studiens teoretiska utgångspunkt utgjordes av Robert K. Mertons strainteori där fokus låg på huruvida studenterna upplevde sig ha förutsättningar och medel att uppnå sitt mål; att klara av en utbildning. Populationen för studien var alla studenter som var registrerade på ett program. En totalundersökning gjordes av de studenter som våren 2014 studerade på ett program i termin fyra. Det empiriska materialet samlades in via en onlineenkät som besvarades av 1 481 respondenter.Resultatet visade att 36,8 % av respondenterna någon gång hade testat cannabis, männen var signifikant överrepresenterade. De flesta hade testat cannabis första gången då de studerade på gymnasiet. Respondenterna var över lag nöjda med sin studiesituation. Det var inte möjligt att se något samband mellan användningen av cannabis och upplevelser av studiesituationen som helhet

Securities Regulation: SEC Brands Sales Reward Interpositioning a Breach of Fiduciary Duty and Antifraud Violation

The report analyzes governance forms (primarily organization and financing) for the planning and realization of cross-border transport infrastructure projects in the Öresund region. The study is nased on analyses related to the current Öresund Bridge and the planned and proposed new fixed links in the Öresund Region; the Helsingborg-Elsinore-connection (HH-link) and the metro-line extension Copenhagen-Malmoe. The project has been financed by Region Skåne as part of the EU-funded Baltic Sea Region TransGovernance-project.QC 20140613</p

What is the Evolution of Flexible Work in Corporations and What are the Key Trends?

[Excerpt] Around the world, especially in North America and Europe, businesses are exploring and embracing new ways of bringing flexibility to the workplace. This flexibility movement began as a talent initiative to accommodate working mothers and over time has evolved to include practices such as compressed workweeks, job sharing, phased work and much more. In a survey conducted by FlexJobs and WorldatWork, 80% of companies surveyed offered some kind of work flexibility options to their employees. In fact, flexible work opportunities are no longer viewed as a differentiator in the employee value proposition; it is now expected. Flexible work is here to stay and will continue to evolve in order to meet the needs of an agile, digital and millennial dominated workplace

What Policies and Practices Can HR Utilize to Promote an Innovation Based Culture and Help Drive Business Outcomes Through It?

[Excerpt] Innovation has evolved from a mainly scientific activity of research and development to a complex system of interactions among various participants both inside and outside of a firm. In an economy where the innovation cycle is shrinking, characterized by disruptive innovations and changing customer needs, it is crucial for companies to keep up with emerging trends and stay on top of factors that enhance their capacity for innovation. Innovation should not be limited to new products, it can lead to new processes as well. An idea may not work for one department, project, or product, but may be a good solution for another. Innovative firms effectively work across organizational boundaries and connect great ideas with the right people. Despite the importance of innovation, managing and promoting it in a company is not easy, especially when the payoff is often multiple years away. Human Resources, through various policies and practices, can play a vital role in promoting an innovation based culture

In What Ways do Employee Business Resource Groups Positively Impact the Company\u27s Business Results?

[Excerpt] Employee resource groups (ERGs) are being utilized by 90% of Fortune 500 companies in their quest to create diverse and inclusive environments that reflect a changing workforce and marketplace. ERGs began as inward-looking affinity groups designed as safe spaces for underrepresented groups of employees and a means to recruit and retain diverse employees. ERGs are now becoming more strategic parts of the organization where their goals are mapped directly to the business’ objectives (Figure 1 highlights the evolution of ERGs). As these groups mature, businesses are now looking for new ways to utilize ERGs power and their diverse workforce to drive positive business results. Figure 2 highlights where businesses believe ERGs can have the most business impact