Do voluntary international environmental agreements work?

We consider the effects of international environmental agreements, using the Sofia Protocol on the reduction of nitrogen oxides. Our analysis utilizes panel data from 25 European countries for the period 1980–96. We divide these countries into “participants” and “non-participants”—that is, those that did and those that did not ratify the Sofia Protocol, respectively. Using a difference in difference estimator, we find that signing the treaty has a significant positive impact on emission reduction. The yearly reduction is approximately 2.4 percent greater than it would have been without the Sofia Protocol.international environmental agreements; public goods; evaluation

Automated Government Decision Making and Citizen Rights - A review of literature and current practice in Norway

Denne oppgaven utforsker implikasjonene av automatiske digitale tjenester i offentlig sektor (e-tjenester) i lys av "digital lesbarhet" (eng. "digital legibility"); retten og evnen til å forstå slike tjenester. Vi har gjennomført en systematisk litteraturstudie for å avdekke hva forskningen sier om digital lesbarhet i kontekst av e-tjenester. Videre ønsket vi å utforske dette i lys av et levende eksempel og bestemte oss for, ved hjelp av dokumenter og informanter fra norsk offentlig sektor, å utforske hvordan disse prinsippene ville gjelde i Norge. Vi har vist at e-tjenester kan føre med seg både positive og negative implikasjoner, og at det fremdeles er mye uvisst om dette temaet; videre forskning er påkrevet. I tillegg har vi identifisert et fagområde som er underutforsket, nemlig samspillet mellom "digital legibility" og proaktive digitale tjenester. Vi har diskutert det juridiske rammeverket for digitale e-tjenester, samspillet mellom myndigheters forpliktelser og e-tjenester, samt hvordan man kan utvikle tjenester som etterlever nevnte forpliktelser. Vi har konkludert med at en iterativ og brukermedvirkende tilnærming er nødvendig for å levere forståelige tjenester som etterlever disse forpliktelsene.In this thesis, we study the implications of the introduction of automated digital services in the public sector (e-services) in the light of digital legibility; the right and ability to understand such services. We performed a structured literature review to uncover what the research can tell us about digital legibility in the context of e-services. Further, we wanted to explore this issue in the light of a real-world example and consulted documents and informants from the Norwegian public sector to understand how the principles would apply in Norway. We have shown that e-services can bring both positive and negative implications and that there are still many unknowns, thus requiring further research. In addition, we have identified an under-researched subject area on the intersection between digital legibility and proactive digital services. We have discussed the legal framework for digital e-services, the interplay between government obligations and e-services, and how to develop services that comply with said obligations. We have concluded that an iterative and participatory approach is needed in order to provide legible services that comply with these obligations

Configuring edge device provenance through messaging middleware

Integrity of data is important in today as more of societies structure today are distributed and becomes vulnerable to dishonest entities on their edge devices. Using provenance to prove integrity over edge devices and distributed networks is difficult, as it often produces big amounts of data which fills up storage without having a need to be used. Comm2Prov seeks to fix this by combining the selective provenance capture of CamFlow and the distributed messaging of MQTT. Using a client to send messages between underlying CamFlow and the MQTT service, Comm2Prov allows commands to be sent to CamFlow instances running on edge devices. This can be used to issue tracking control, allowing distant auditors to turn off and on provenance on devices without having to need direct access to the device itself. Through this thesis, the challenges and problems which were discovered during Comm2Prov’s creation will be discussed, including topics as: security, performance, and the issues with provenanc

Use of lumpfish for sea-lice control in salmon farming: challenges and opportunities

Efficient sea-lice control remains one of the most important challenges for the salmon farming industry. The use of wrasse (Labridae) as cleaner fish offers an alternative to medicines for sea-lice control, but wrasse tend to become inactive in winter. Lumpfish (Cyclopterus lumpus) continue to feed on sea-lice at low temperatures, and commercial production has escalated from thousands of fish in 2010 to well over 30 million juveniles deployed in 2016. However, production still relies on the capture of wild broodstock, which may not be sustainable. To meet global industry needs, lumpfish production needs to increase to reach c. 50 million fish annually and this can only come from aquaculture. We review current production methods and the use of lumpfish in sea cages and identify some of the main challenges and bottlenecks facing lumpfish intensification. Our gap analysis indicates that the areas in most need of research include better control of maturation for year-round production; formulation of appropriate diets; artificial selection of elite lines with desirable traits; and development of vaccines for certified, disease-free juvenile production. The welfare of farmed lumpfish also needs to be better quantified, and more information is needed on optimal densities and tank design. Finally, the risk of farmed lumpfish escaping from net pens needs to be critically assessed, and we argue that it might be beneficial to recover cleaner fish from salmon cages after the production cycle, perhaps using them as broodstock, for export to the Asian food markets or for the production of animal feeds

Diverse tick-borne microorganisms identified in free-living ungulates in Slovakia

Background: Free-living ungulates are hosts of ixodid ticks and reservoirs of tick-borne microorganisms in central Europe and many regions around the world. Tissue samples and engorged ticks were obtained from roe deer, red deer, fallow deer, mouflon, and wild boar hunted in deciduous forests of south-western Slovakia. DNA isolated from these samples was screened for the presence of tick-borne microorganisms by PCR-based methods. Results: Ticks were found to infest all examined ungulate species. The principal infesting tick was Ixodes ricinus, identified on 90.4% of wildlife, and included all developmental stages. Larvae and nymphs of Haemaphysalis concinna were feeding on 9.6% of wildlife. Two specimens of Dermacentor reticulatus were also identified. Ungulates were positive for A. phagocytophilum and Theileria spp. Anaplasma phagocytophilum was found to infect 96.1% of cervids, 88.9% of mouflon, and 28.2% of wild boar, whereas Theileria spp. was detected only in cervids (94.6%). Importantly, a high rate of cervids (89%) showed mixed infections with both these microorganisms. In addition to A. phagocytophilum and Theileria spp., Rickettsia helvetica, R. monacensis, unidentified Rickettsia sp., Coxiella burnetii, "Candidatus Neoehrlichia mikurensis", Borrelia burgdorferi (s.l.) and Babesia venatorum were identified in engorged I. ricinus. Furthermore, A. phagocytophilum, Babesia spp. and Theileria spp. were detected in engorged H. concinna. Analysis of 16S rRNA and groEL gene sequences revealed the presence of five and two A. phagocytophilum variants, respectively, among which sequences identified in wild boar showed identity to the sequence of the causative agent of human granulocytic anaplasmosis (HGA). Phylogenetic analysis of Theileria 18S rRNA gene sequences amplified from cervids and engorged I. ricinus ticks segregated jointly with sequences of T. capreoli isolates into a moderately supported monophyletic clade. Conclusions: The findings indicate that free-living ungulates are reservoirs for A. phagocytophilum and Theileria spp. and engorged ixodid ticks attached to ungulates are good sentinels for the presence of agents of public and veterinary concern. Further analyses of the A. phagocytophilum genetic variants and Theileria species and their associations with vector ticks and free-living ungulates are required.Fil: Kazimírová, Mária. Slovak Academy of Sciences. Institute of Zoology; EslovaquiaFil: Hamšíková, Zuzana. Slovak Academy of Sciences. Institute of Zoology; EslovaquiaFil: Spitalská, Eva. Slovak Academy of Sciences. Institute of Virology. Biomedical Research Center,; EslovaquiaFil: Minichová, Lenka. Slovak Academy of Sciences. Institute of Virology. Biomedical Research Center,; EslovaquiaFil: Mahríková, Lenka. Slovak Academy of Sciences. Institute of Zoology; EslovaquiaFil: Caban, Radoslav. Široká ; EslovaquiaFil: Sprong, Hein. National Institute for Public Health and Environment.Laboratory for Zoonoses and Environmental Microbiology; Países BajosFil: Fonville, Manoj. National Institute for Public Health and Environment.Laboratory for Zoonoses and Environmental Microbiology; Países BajosFil: Schnittger, Leonhard. Instituto Nacional de Tecnología Agropecuaria. Centro de Investigación en Ciencias Veterinarias y Agronómicas. Instituto de Patobiología; Argentina. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas; ArgentinaFil: Kocianová, Elena. Slovak Academy of Sciences. Institute of Virology. Biomedical Research Center,; Eslovaqui

Selvfremstilling i mediesamfunnet - En tematisk analyse av Kenneth Moes Rastløs og Ingvild Lothes Hvorfor er jeg så trist når jeg er så søt

Denne oppgaven er en tematisk analyse av selvfremstillingen i to litterære verk fra midten av 2010-tallet: Kenneth Moes kortroman Rastløs (2015) og Ingvild Lothes diktsamling Hvorfor er jeg så trist når jeg er så søt (2016). Med utgangspunkt i litteraturteori og teori i grensefeltet mellom medievitenskap og sosiologi, tar analysen for seg hva de litterære selvfremstillingene kan fortelle oss om hvordan det er å være et selv i 2010-tallets mediesamfunn. Oppgaven tar også for seg hvilke muligheter forfatteren gis av samspillet mellom verkene og mediesamfunnet de oppstår i. Med Wimsatt & Beardsleys «The Intentional Fallacy», Roland Barthes «Forfatterens død» og Michel Foucaults «Hva er en forfatter?» som teoretisk bakteppe, brukes Jon Helt Haarders teori om performativ biografisme for å analysere verkenes selviscenesettelse og forfatternes funksjon i mediesamfunnet. For å sette strømningene og teoriene i et større kontekstuelt perspektiv, tar oppgaven for seg selvfremstilling som et generelt trekk ved vårt senmoderne mediesamfunn. Oppgaven belyser hvordan samfunnet i takt med medienes utvikling har utvisket grensene mellom det private og det offentlige i vår sosiale opptreden, for å vise hvordan disse endringene har avleiret seg i litteraturen

Tankegang hos elever i sannsynlighetsregning

I denne studien har jeg undersøkt tankegangen til elever når de arbeider med sannsynlighetsoppgaver i matematikk. Hensikten med dette var å forstå og se hvordan tankegangen til elever på 8.trinn fremtrer i ulike oppgaver. Studiets forskningsspørsmål er: Hva kjennetegner elevers tankegangn innen teoretisk sannsynlighet på 8.trinn ? Denne studien har tatt i bruk kvalitativ metode for datainnsamling i form av intervju av tre elever. Elevene som deltok besvarte åtte oppgaver som har hentet inspirasjon fra utdanningsdirektoratet sine lærerstøttendeprøver 2012. Hensikten med datainnsamlingen var å få en innsikt i hvordan elevene resonnerte og besvarte oppgavene, og om det var noen sammenheng på tvers av elevene. Analysen benyttet tematisk analyse og har tatt utgangspunkt i dual-process theory av Kahneman (2011/2012). Mitt teoretiske ståsted er et tolkningsvitenskaplig paradigme, noe som har påvirket studiens fokusområde. Studien indikerer at tankegangen hos elever på 8.trinn er i hovedskap basert på intuitive strategier og resonnement, men avhengig av kontekst i oppgavene finnes det antydninger til analytiske og begrunnende resonnement. Studients nøkkelord: Matematisk tankegang, intuitive og analytisk resonnement, metakognitsjon og selvregulering

The Application of DNA Barcodes for the Identification of Marine Crustaceans from the North Sea and Adjacent Regions

During the last years DNA barcoding has become a popular method of choice for molecular specimen identification. Here we present a comprehensive DNA barcode library of various crustacean taxa found in the North Sea, one of the most extensively studied marine regions of the world. Our data set includes 1,332 barcodes covering 205 species, including taxa of the Amphipoda, Copepoda, Decapoda, Isopoda, Thecostraca, and others. This dataset represents the most extensive DNA barcode library of the Crustacea in terms of species number to date. By using the Barcode of Life Data Systems (BOLD), unique BINs were identified for 198 (96.6%) of the analyzed species. Six species were characterized by two BINs (2.9%), and three BINs were found for the amphipod species Gammarus salinus Spooner, 1947 (0.4%). Intraspecific distances with values higher than 2.2% were revealed for 13 species (6.3%). Exceptionally high distances of up to 14.87% between two distinct but monophyletic clusters were found for the parasitic copepod Caligus elongatus Nordmann, 1832, supporting the results of previous studies that indicated the existence of an overlooked sea louse species. In contrast to these high distances, haplotype-sharing was observed for two decapod spider crab species, Macropodia parva Van Noort & Adema, 1985 and Macropodia rostrata (Linnaeus, 1761), underlining the need for a taxonomic revision of both species. Summarizing the results, our study confirms the application of DNA barcodes as highly effective identification system for the analyzed marine crustaceans of the North Sea and represents an important milestone for modern biodiversity assessment studies using barcode sequence

Programmering, algoritmisk tenkning og kroppslig situert kognisjon. Burde analog programmering være en del av PRIMM-metoden?

Master i grunnskolelærerutdanning 5-10, Matematikk 4 - 202

Microbial growth in modified atmosphere packaged blue mussels (Mytilus edulis)

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