| 1. |
- Knutsson, Hans, et al.
(författare)
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Modernizing the public sector : The Scandinavian way
- 2017
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Ingår i: Modernizing the public sector : Scandinavian perspectives - Scandinavian perspectives. - Abingdon, Oxon ; New York, NY : Routledge, [2017] | : Routledge. - 9781138675940 - 9781315560328 ; , s. 241-254
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Bokkapitel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Looking at the Swedish public sector from a Scandinavian perspective, this chapter argues for a challenged but resilient (although not uniform) Scandi- navian public sector. Sweden is a nation with a long tradition of decentral- ized decision-making, semi-autonomous government agencies and independent local governments. This is considered a receptive context for continuous and incremental modernization. It has fostered a high degree of experimentation in terms of modes of production and distribution, albeit without the risks associated with purely market-driven social reforms based on privatization of both production and financing. The variations on the Swedish modernization theme are many, involving various forms of mar- ketization initiatives, boundary-spanning cooperative efforts and an open attitude and willingness towards trying and sharing experiences. High levels of transparency and trust are two initial traits signifying the Scandinavian public sector, which have been both amplified and challenged by the NPM agenda. The inherent strive of NPM for compartmentalization, quantifica- tion and performance measurement challenges some of the institutional glue of the welfare state, which has kept the parts together in a solid unity. Simultaneously, many NPM reforms – with their emphasis on performance measurement and reporting for increasing transparency and improving the outcomes of public polices and services – contribute both to sustained trust and welfare. The chapter concludes that Sweden keeps defending the Scan- dinavian model and values of universalism, solidarity and market independ- ence, a defence in which developments in society and future public management reforms may prove wanting.
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| 2. |
- Knutsson, Hans, et al.
(författare)
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New Public Management in a Scandinavian context
- 2017
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Ingår i: Modernizing the public sector : Scandinavian Perspectives - Scandinavian Perspectives. - Abingdon, Oxon ; New York, NY : Routledge, [2017] | : Routledge. - 9781138675940 - 9781315560328 ; , s. 18-34
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Bokkapitel (refereegranskat)abstract
- This chapter gives an overview of the main NPM reforms and trends in the Nordic countries. The idea of a uniform Scandinavian model of NPM is discussed - the chapter presents the different countries as members of a shared public administration tradition, albeit with different traits and particular reforms. The Swedish constitution and the organization of the public sector in a centralized and a two-part local government structure are presented, both as a backdrop to the subsequent chapters and for a reflection about whether there is a uniqueness to be found in the Swedish NPM initiatives. The long history of decentralized public decision-making and its ramifications on the structure of the Swedish public-sector organization is given special attention. From a Scandinavian perspective, the public-sector structures and characteristics in Norway, Denmark and Finland are presented, by which the idea of a single Scandinavian model for all is discussed and contested.
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| 3. |
- Knutsson, Hans, et al.
(författare)
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Welfare choices : a story of market forces and social progress
- 2017
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Ingår i: Modernizing the public sector : Scandinavian Perspectives - Scandinavian Perspectives. - 9781138675940 - 9781315560328 ; , s. 224-238
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Bokkapitel (refereegranskat)abstract
- The implementation of market solutions has been widely attempted in many different parts of the public sector. This chapter concerns a groundbreaking social reform, which introduced personal assistants for ‘functionally impaired’ people. It was a far-reaching and liberating reform aimed at making disabled people part of society. It replaced collective institutional care with individual choice, in turn built on a number of market-oriented mechanisms. The reform, though, soon grew costly and has been plagued by fraud and public mistrust. The chapter discusses how ideas of market mechanisms are not equal to ready-made solutions; they may come ill-conceived and before long be in need of revision and negotiation. The chapter provides a case of a major Swedish social reform, which illuminates, first, an experimental full-scale policy implementation and, second, how market ideas easily become confused with and substituted for the idea of individual choice.
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| 4. |
- Forsberg, Daniel, et al.
(författare)
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Fully automatic measurements of axial vertebral rotation for assessment of spinal deformity in idiopathic scoliosis
- 2013
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Ingår i: Physics in Medicine and Biology. - : Institute of Physics (IOP). - 0031-9155 .- 1361-6560. ; 58:6, s. 1775-1787
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Reliable measurements of spinal deformities in idiopathic scoliosis are vital, since they are used for assessing the degree of scoliosis, deciding upon treatment and monitoring the progression of the disease. However, commonly used two dimensional methods (e.g. the Cobb angle) do not fully capture the three dimensional deformity at hand in scoliosis, of which axial vertebral rotation (AVR) is considered to be of great importance. There are manual methods for measuring the AVR, but they are often time-consuming and related with a high intra- and inter-observer variability. In this paper, we present a fully automatic method for estimating the AVR in images from computed tomography. The proposed method is evaluated on four scoliotic patients with 17 vertebrae each and compared with manual measurements performed by three observers using the standard method by Aaro-Dahlborn. The comparison shows that the difference in measured AVR between automatic and manual measurements are on the same level as the inter-observer difference. This is further supported by a high intraclass correlation coefficient (0.971-0.979), obtained when comparing the automatic measurements with the manual measurements of each observer. Hence, the provided results and the computational performance, only requiring approximately 10 to 15Â s for processing an entire volume, demonstrate the potential clinical value of the proposed method.
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| 5. |
- Fritzell, Peter, et al.
(författare)
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Bacteria : back pain, leg pain and Modic sign—a surgical multicentre comparative study
- 2019
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Ingår i: European spine journal. - : Springer. - 0940-6719 .- 1432-0932. ; 28:12, s. 2981-2989
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Purpose: To compare bacterial findings in pain-generating degenerated discs in adults operated on for lumbar disc herniation (LDH), and mostly also suffering from low back pain (LBP), with findings in adolescent patients with non-degenerated non-pain-generating discs operated on for scoliosis, and to evaluate associations with Modic signs on magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). Cutibacterium acnes (Propionibacterium acnes) has been found in painful degenerated discs, why it has been suggested treating patients with LDH/LBP with antibiotics. As multidrug-resistant bacteria are a worldwide concern, new indications for using antibiotics should be based on solid scientific evidence.Methods: Between 2015 and 2017, 40 adults with LDH/LBP (median age 43, IQR 33–49) and 20 control patients with scoliosis (median age 17, IQR 15–20) underwent surgery at seven Swedish hospitals. Samples were cultured from skin, surgical wound, discs and vertebrae. Genetic relatedness of C. acnes isolates was investigated using single-nucleotide polymorphism analysis. DNA samples collected from discs/vertebrae were analysed using 16S rRNA-based PCR sequencing. MRI findings were assessed for Modic changes.Results: No bacterial growth was found in 6/40 (15%) LDH patients, compared with 3/20 (15%) scoliosis patients. Most positive samples in both groups were isolated from the skin and then from subcutis or deep within the wound. Of the four disc and vertebral samples from each of the 60 patients, 235/240 (98%) were DNA negative by bacterial PCR. A single species, C. acnes, was found exclusively in the disc/vertebra from one patient in each group. In the LDH group, 29/40 (72%) patients had at least one sample with growth of C. acnes, compared to 14/20 (70%) in the scoliosis group. Bacterial findings and Modic changes were not associated.Conclusions: Cutibacterium acnes found in discs and vertebrae during surgery for disc herniation in adults with degenerated discs may be caused by contamination, as findings in this group were similar to findings in a control group of young patients with scoliosis and non-degenerated discs. Furthermore, such findings were almost always combined with bacterial findings on the skin and/or in the wound. There was no association between preoperative Modic changes and bacterial findings. Antibiotic treatment of lumbar disc herniation with sciatica and/or low back pain, without signs of clinical discitis/spondylitis, should be seriously questioned.
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| 6. |
- Hassellund, Lovisa, et al.
(författare)
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Numerical analysis of an upstream tailings dam
- 2016
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Ingår i: Proceedings of Nordic Conference on Soil Mechanics and Geotechnical NGM. ; , s. 727-736
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Konferensbidrag (refereegranskat)abstract
- This paper presents a case study of how the finite element methodcan be utilized to analyze stability of upstream tailings dams. Upstream tailings dams are usually raised gradually and the increased load normallyinfluencesthe stability in an unfavorableway;the load generatesexcess pore water pressures and reduced stability. In this study, an upstream tailings dam in Northern Sweden wasnumericallysimulated with the finite element software PLAXIS 2D in order to assess the stability of the dam. Upstream tailings dams are sensitive to high raising rates since initiated excess pore water pressures might not have time to dissipate. Stability analysis of a tailings damis an application that is very suitable to carry out using finite element software; once a finite element model of thecomplex geometry of adam has been established, it is easy to stepwiseadd new soil volumes, associated with each new raising, to the model.In this case study, it was found that strengthening actions were needed in order to maintain a stable structure. Rockfill berms weregradually added onthe downstream slope of the model to obtaina factor of safety above a recommended value. The volumes of rockfill needed for the berms wereminimized by numerical optimization to reduce costs. The stability betweenthe years2024 and2034 was analyzed; with an annual deposition cycle. The performednumerical studyresulted in a future plan for placement of rockfill berms to establishsufficient stability ofthe tailings dam. It was found that the volume of rockfill in the berms needed, varied during the years studied. Numerical modeling, as presented in this paper, is a useful tool for the dam owner to plan and design for future raisings of a tailings dam
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| 7. |
- Hassellund, Lovisa, et al.
(författare)
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Numerical Simulations of Stability of a Gradually Raised Upstream Tailings Dam in Northern Sweden
- 2016
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Ingår i: Electronic Journal of Geotechnical Engineering. - : Mete Öner. - 1089-3032. ; 21:13, s. 4699-4720
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- This paper presents a case study where numerical modeling, with the finite element method, has been utilized to assess future stability of a tailings dam in Northern Sweden. The finite element software PLAXIS was utilized to simulate future dike raisings for the years 2024 to 2034. The simulations were conducted by computing each dike raising, the subsequent consolidation of the soil and the stability of the dam during the process. The factors of safety directly after each dike raising resulted in values continuously below a recommended value of 1.5. To increase the dam stability, rockfill berms were stepwise added on the downstream slope of the dam. An optimization technique was applied to place as small volumes of rockfill as possible in the berms at the most suitable locations on the downstream slope. By adding various volumes of rockfill in the berms each year, sufficient stability of the dam was obtained in the simulations. The excess pore water pressures increased annually in the simulations. It was shown that the excess pore water pressures did not totally dissipate before the following dike was constructed. The highest excess pore water pressures were located deep in the impoundment and did not have large effects on the dam stability.
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| 8. |
- Wiklund, Viktor, 1993-, et al.
(författare)
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Towards better understanding of CPT data on tailings
- 2023
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Konferensbidrag (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract
- Characterization of tailings deposits is associated with significant challenges in tailings dam design and dam safety assessments. One of the challenges is static liquefaction in the deposited tailings and how this has to be addressed in stability assessments. Concerns have led to design concepts that deposited tailings considered susceptible to liquefaction, will liquefy. Facillities should therefore be designed for such post-liquefaction scenario, i.e. fluidized tailings. Existing upstream-constructed tailings dams are seldom built for a design case with post-liquefaction strength in the tailings. Consequently, mining companies must take dam safety-enhancing measures and rapidly conduct major changes in their tailings dam design.At the same time, there are questions and uncertainties in evaluating static liquefaction potential in tailings that must be addressed. The uncertainties are, among others, related to differences between natural sands and tailings. There is a need to address the applicability of today’s evaluation methods on tailings and this paper will describe how a research project at Luleå University of Technology, funded by Boliden, will investigate and address the uncertainties in the evaluation. Cone Penetration Testing (CPT) in a calibration chamber will be undertaken in the project. A new calibration chamber for CPT is developed, where silty-sandy tailings material will be tested in a controlled laboratory environment. Combined with other laboratory test results, the CPT calibration chamber results will be used to derive new and update existing correlations between CPT data and tailings properties. The research will focus on the mechanical properties of tailings and its influence on the soil behavior around the penetrating cone. This paper will highlight uncertainties in state interpretation from CPT in tailings, present the design work of the calibration chamber and the expectations for the outcome of the CPT calibration chamber research.
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| 9. |
- Zamora, Juan Carlos, et al.
(författare)
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Considerations and consequences of allowing DNA sequence data as types of fungal taxa
- 2018
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Ingår i: IMA Fungus. - : INT MYCOLOGICAL ASSOC. - 2210-6340 .- 2210-6359. ; 9:1, s. 167-185
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Nomenclatural type definitions are one of the most important concepts in biological nomenclature. Being physical objects that can be re-studied by other researchers, types permanently link taxonomy (an artificial agreement to classify biological diversity) with nomenclature (an artificial agreement to name biological diversity). Two proposals to amend the International Code of Nomenclature for algae, fungi, and plants (ICN), allowing DNA sequences alone (of any region and extent) to serve as types of taxon names for voucherless fungi (mainly putative taxa from environmental DNA sequences), have been submitted to be voted on at the 11th International Mycological Congress (Puerto Rico, July 2018). We consider various genetic processes affecting the distribution of alleles among taxa and find that alleles may not consistently and uniquely represent the species within which they are contained. Should the proposals be accepted, the meaning of nomenclatural types would change in a fundamental way from physical objects as sources of data to the data themselves. Such changes are conducive to irreproducible science, the potential typification on artefactual data, and massive creation of names with low information content, ultimately causing nomenclatural instability and unnecessary work for future researchers that would stall future explorations of fungal diversity. We conclude that the acceptance of DNA sequences alone as types of names of taxa, under the terms used in the current proposals, is unnecessary and would not solve the problem of naming putative taxa known only from DNA sequences in a scientifically defensible way. As an alternative, we highlight the use of formulas for naming putative taxa (candidate taxa) that do not require any modification of the ICN.
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| 10. |
- Abramian, David, 1992-, et al.
(författare)
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Anatomically Informed Bayesian Spatial Priors for FMRI Analysis
- 2020
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Ingår i: ISBI 2020. - : IEEE. - 9781538693308
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Konferensbidrag (refereegranskat)abstract
- Existing Bayesian spatial priors for functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) data correspond to stationary isotropic smoothing filters that may oversmooth at anatomical boundaries. We propose two anatomically informed Bayesian spatial models for fMRI data with local smoothing in each voxel based on a tensor field estimated from a T1-weighted anatomical image. We show that our anatomically informed Bayesian spatial models results in posterior probability maps that follow the anatomical structure.
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