Growth cycles: transformation and regional development

Departing from the renewed interest within economic history and neo-Schumpeterian perspectives on growth and economic transformation, we will suggest a theoretical framework for analyzing long term regional economic growth and transformation. Emphasis will be given to different driving forces and their various roles over time, lead-lag relations between industries and how divergence and convergence between regions shift cyclically as consequences of technological change, market integration and economic growth. We claim that systemic approaches in general have been neglected in regional science in favor of “neoregionalism” in the sense that the study of regional growth has been focusing for years on regional innovation systems and cluster theories without any regard to systemic relations at all. Using detailed time series data and applying a systemic approach we will follow Swedish regions from the structural crises in the mid 1970s to the starting point of the present financial crises. Our results suggest that there are time lags as well as systemic spatial asymmetries between industries and regions leading to changing patterns of divergence and convergence in the regional system. Furthermore, there are indications that the regional disparities between centre and periphery have increased compared to the situation in the mid 1970s.

Elastic properties in triceps surae : a comparison between cyclists and runners

Tendons have different degrees of elasticity, stiffness, so that energy can be stored and released. In the Achilles tendon (AT) an extension of 5 % has been measured at maximum isometric muscle work. Stiffness in AT is positively correlated with muscle strength in the triceps surae and stiffness in AT is adapted to the needs of movement. Different training programes seems to affect stiffness of the AT. Cycling and running are characterized by different muscle work and this study investigated if this leads to differences in the triceps suraes properties. Five cyclists and five runners were tested in a dynamometer for stiffness in AT and strength in the triceps surae. The runners had significantly higher stiffness and isometric strength. Ratio concentric/eccentric strength was not significantly different between the groups. Differences between groups seems to be a result of different load levels of the respective activity. A certain muscular exercise specificity could be imagined as the difference between isometric and concentric strength was 5 % lower for the runners, and 17 % higher for cyclists. The rationale for the study was that individuals with high oxygen uptake trianed trough other sports than running don’t have adequately prepared AT for the load of running, and thus may be subject to higher risk of overuse injury in AT when running.Senor har olika grad av elasticitet, stiffness, vilket gör att energi kan lagras och frigöras. Hos hälsenan (AT) har en förlängning på 5 % uppmäts vid maximalt isometriskt muskelarbete. Stiffness i AT är positivt korrelerat med muskelstyrka i triceps surae och stiffness i AT anpassas efter vilka rörelsebehov som finns. Olika träningsupplägg har visats kunna påverka stiffness i AT. Cykling och löpning karaktäriseras av olika muskelarbeten och den här studien undersökte om det leder till skillnader i triceps suraes egenskaper. Fem cyklister och fem löpare testades i dynamometer för stiffness i AT samt styrka i triceps surae. Löparna hade signifikant högre stiffness och isometrisk styrka. Ratio koncentrisk/excentrisk styrka skiljde sig inte signifikant mellan grupperna. Skillnaderna mellan grupperna verkar vara en följd av olika belastningsgrad vid respektive aktivitet. En viss muskulär träningsspecificitet kunde anas då differensen mellan isometrisk och koncentrisk styrka var 5 % lägre för löparna och 17 % högre för cyklisterna. Resonemanget för studien var att individer som tränar upp syreupptagningsförmågan genom andra idrotter än löpning, inte har adekvat förberedda AT för löpningens belastning och därmed kan omfattas av högre risk för överbelastningsskador i AT vid löpning

Offering weight management support to pregnant women with high body mass index: A qualitative study with midwives

Objective: The prevalence of pregnant women with high body mass index is increasing worldwide. High body mass index is associated with health risks for mother and baby and supporting healthy gestational weight gain is important. Midwives play an important role in supporting women to engage in behaviours such as healthy eating and physical activity. The aim of this study was to explore how midwives’ support pregnant women with high body mass index to establish a healthy lifestyle with emphasis on nutrition and physical activity in order to minimise gestational weight gain. Methods: Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 16 midwives working in antenatal health care in Sweden. Interviews were conducted shortly after new guidelines on care for pregnant women with high body mass index had been introduced. The interviews were recorded, transcribed and analysed by thematic analysis. Results: Three main themes were identified; use a conscious approach, invite to participate and have a long-term health perspective. Midwives built a relationship with a woman through identifying her concerns and circumstances, before sensitively discussing weight. Some midwives used Motivational Interviewing to help women identify their own resources. To reach long-term health benefits, midwives set achievable goals with the women. Conclusion: These study findings provide practical examples of how midwives can support women with weight management during pregnancy. Through being sensitive when developing a relationship, midwives enabled the women to identify their own resources and achievable goals. Support after the baby is born is needed subsequently to help women maintain their healthy behaviour changes

Characteristics of drug and dietary supplement inquiries by college athletes.

BackgroundIn the United States, the National Center for Drug Free Sport manages the drug-testing programs for athletes of the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA). Through its Resource Exchange Center (REC), Drug Free Sport supports athletic staff and athletes with information regarding drugs and dietary supplements.PurposeTo characterize the types of drug-related and dietary supplement-related inquiries submitted to Drug Free Sport through the REC.Study designCross-sectional study.MethodsAll inquiries submitted to the REC for the period of September 1, 2005, through June 30, 2006, were reviewed. The data were categorized by the method of inquiry submission; the name of the substance in question; the sex, sport, and NCAA division of the athlete involved; the nature of the inquiry; and the response provided by the REC regarding the NCAA's status of the substance in question.ResultsPseudoephedrine, acetaminophen/hydrocodone, and albuterol were the most commonly self-searched medications; stimulants accounted for the majority of banned medications. Dietary supplements accounted for 80% of all inquiries submitted to the REC via the Banned Drug Inquiry Form. Among all dietary supplements, creatine was the most commonly inquired. Banned substances accounted for 29% of all inquiries.ConclusionsThere were more than 10 000 inquiries regarding the status of medications, dietary supplements, and other substances for NCAA athletes during the 2005-2006 academic year. It is helpful for athletes to have resources that help them navigate banned-substance lists and so avoid the inadvertent use of banned substances.Clinical relevanceEducating athletes regarding the stimulant content of various dietary supplements and addressing the lack of clinical trials to support stated claims and safety appear critical

Duschvattnets uppvärmning med genomströmningsvärmare och duschvärmeväxlare

Syftet med det här arbetet är att undersöka hur en genomströmningsvärmare fungerar tillsammans med en duschvärmeväxlare. Detta görs genom testning av ett system där dessa kopplats för att fungera ihop och mätvärden tas för olika simulerade duschningar. Värmeväxlarens verkningsgrad beräknas och dess påverkan på genomströmningsvärmarens effektbehov undersöks. En jämförelse görs med värmeförlusterna från ett motsvarande system med varmvattenberedare. Energibesparingarna i årsnivå undersöks för hela systemet. De ekonomiska kostnaderna och vinsten jämförs över en längre period och en återbetalningstid uppskattas. Resultatet diskuteras och slutsatsen blir att systemet är lönsamt vid tillräcklig duschanvändning, som är beroende av användaren och antalet personer.The purpose of this thesis work is to investigate how a flow heater works in conjunction with a shower heat exchanger. This is done by testing a system in which those are linked to work together, and measurements taken for different simulated shower situations. Heat exchanger efficiency is calculated and its effect on direct water heater’s power needs is examined. A comparison is made with heat loss from an equivalent system with water boiler. Annual energy savings is examined for the entire system. The economic costs and profits are compared over a longer period and a payback period is estimated. The results are discussed and it is concluded that the system is viable with adequate shower use, which depends on the user and the number of people using the shower

Weight management in pregnancy

Key learning points: - Women who start pregnancy in an overweight or obese weight category have increased health risks - Irrespective of pre-pregnancy weight category, there are health risks associated with gaining too much weight in pregnancy for both mother and baby - There are currently no official weight gain guidelines for pregnancy in the UK, thus focus needs to be on supporting pregnant women to eat healthily and keep activ

Obese women's reasons for not attending a weight management service during pregnancy

Evaluations of services targeting obese women's gestational weight gain often report low uptake. Thus it is important to elicit the reasons why obese pregnant women decline to participate in these services and to identify their barriers to participation. Sixteen obese pregnant and postnatal women were interviewed regarding their reasons for declining a group-based service targeting their gestational weight gain. All interviews were recorded, transcribed verbatim and analyzed thematically. Both pragmatic and motivational barriers were identified. The most common practical reasons for not attending the service were its inconvenient location and time, and feeling unable to attend due to work commitments. Pregnancy-specific barriers included decreased mobility and feeling unwell. Motivational barriers included lack of interest and not wanting to focus on one's weight in pregnancy. These findings highlight issues that need to be taken into consideration when designing group-based weight management services for this population

What are we measuring and why? Using theory to guide perinatal research and measurement

Background: A theory is a set of ideas that attempt to explain phenomena and can provide guiding principles on which to base practice. Many theories from biological and social sciences are relevant to women’s health and wellbeing during pregnancy and after birth, yet theory is not commonly explicitly reported in perinatal research. Method: This paper outlines the importance of theory to perinatal research and provides a pragmatic overview of when and how to use theory in research. In particular, we consider (i) deciding when it is appropriate to use theory, (ii) choosing which theory to use and (iii) how to operationalise theory in research. We give examples that illustrate how four different theories have been used in perinatal research to increase understanding and inform the development of interventions. Conclusion: Even when it is not appropriate to use theory in our research, careful consideration of pertinent theories contributes to greater clarity of concepts and understanding of different explanations or perspectives on what we are studying. It also prompts us to consider where our research fits in terms of contribution to knowledge or the development and evaluation of treatments. However, it is important that a critical approach is taken so that theories continue to be developed. In this way we will systematically advance our understanding of general factors or processes that are relevant to perinatal health, as well as those factors that are unique to perinatal health

Who Needs Agglomeration? Varying Agglomeration Externalities and the Industry Life Cycle

In this paper, the changing roles of agglomeration externalities during different stages of the industry life cycle are investigated. A central argument is that agglomeration externalities vary with mode of competition, innovation intensity, and characteristics of learning opportunities in industries. Following the Industry Life Cycle perspective, we distinguish between young and mature industries, and investigate how these benefit from MAR, Jacobs’ and Urbanization externalities. The empirical analysis builds on a Swedish plant level dataset that covers the period of 1974-2004.The outcomes of panel data regression models show that the benefits industries derive from their local environment are strongly associated with their stage in the industry life cycle. Whereas MAR externalities increase with the maturity of industries, Jacobs’ externalities decline when industries are more mature. This is in line with the hypothesis that young industries operate in an environment dominated by rapid product innovation and low levels of standardization. Hence, it pays off when knowledge can be sourced locally from many different sources, but there is still little scope for specialization benefits. Mature industries, in contrast, are associated with lower innovation intensities and a focus on cost saving process innovations. Therefore, there are major benefits to be derived from specialization, whereas knowledge spillovers from different industries are less relevant. The distinction between the product competition in young industries and price competition in mature industries is reflected in our finding that high regional factor costs are detrimental to mature industries, but not to young industries. This can also be related to the finding that high quality living environments, attractive for highly paid employees, are important to young industries. Overall, the outcomes stress that industrial life cycles have to be taken into account in the analysis of agglomeration externalities.agglomeration externalities, industry life cycle, urbanization, Sweden