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<p>This thesis comprises three essays that empirically investigate important issues in two areas of health economics: physician labour supply and health insurance policy interventions.</p> <p>In the first essay, gendered associations between family status and physician labour supply are explored in the Canadian labour market, where physicians are paid according to a common fee schedule and have substantial discretion in setting their hours of work. Data from 1991 to 2006 show no gender difference in physician labour supply after controlling for family status. Male and female physicians have statistically indistinguishable hours of work when never married and without children. Married male physicians, however, have higher market hours than unmarried male physicians and parenthood either increases their hours or leaves them unchanged. In contrast, married female physicians have lower market hours than unmarried physicians and parenthood substantially lowers market hours. Little change over time in these patterns is observed for males, but for females two offsetting trends are observed: the magnitude of the marriage-hours effect declined, whereas that for motherhood increased. Preferences and/or social norms induce substantially different labour market outcome across the sexes. In terms of work at home, the presence of children is associated with higher hours for male physicians, but for females the hours increase is at least twice as large. A male physician’s spouse is much less likely to be employed in the presence of children, and if employed, has lower market hours in the presence of children. In contrast, a female physician’s spouse is more likely to be employed in the presence of children, and if employed, has slightly lower market hours in the presence of children. Both male and female physicians have lower hours of work when married to another physician.</p> <p>This second essay examines the impacts of a mandatory, universal prescription drug insurance program on health care utilization and health outcomes in a public health care system with free physician and hospital services. Beginning in 1997, all residents of the province of Quebec, Canada, were required by law to have drug insurance coverage. Under this program, all persons under age 65 who are eligible for a private plan are required to join that plan, while the public prescription drug insurance plan covers all Quebecers who are not eligible for a private plan. Using the National Population Health Survey from 1994 to 2003, we find that the mandatory program substantially increased drug coverage among the general population. The program also increased medication use and general practitioner visits but had little effect on specialist visits and hospitalization. Findings from quantile regressions suggest that there was a large improvement in the health status of less healthy individuals. Further analysis by pre-policy drug insurance status and the presence of chronic conditions reveals a marked increase in the probability of taking medication and visiting a general practitioner among the previously uninsured and those with a chronic condition. We also find evidence of positive health gains among the chronically ill.</p> <p>The third essay examines the impact of delisting routine eye exam services on patient eye care utilization and on providers’ labour market outcomes in a public health care system. Beginning in the early 1990s, provincial governments in Canada started to de-insure routine eye examinations from the basket of publicly funded health care services. We exploit delisting policy changes across Canadian provinces to estimate the impact of delisting from the supply- and demand-sides. Demand side analysis using the National Population Health Survey and Canadian Community Health Survey data suggests that the delisting of eye exams for the working age population decreased the probability of using eye care among this population group. However, the number of visits among those who continued to use eye care services was not affected. We also find suggestive evidence that the delisting policies targeted at the working age population were associated with increased eye care utilization among the elderly patients. Using the optometrist sample from the Canadian census data we find that the delisting of eye exams decreased optometrists’ weekly work hours while raised their annual work weeks. There was no statistically significant effect on optometrists’ income.</p> / Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)

This thesis rest upon a distinction between the artistic creative process on the one hand and the architectural creative process on the other. This distinction rest upon the writers own experiences of both fields. The thesis aim to discuss similarities and discrepancies between the two and ground this reasoning in theoretical texts.  Starting out by analyzing the introduction of photography into the realm of architecture, this thesis makes the claim that our processes has since this introduction been increasingly ruled by the point of view of the camera and decreasingly ruled by our experiences as physical bodies in space.  Arguing that this has a negative impact on both the spaces we create and on the quality and joy of our creative processes the thesis connects this to the never ending aim for efficiency, an aim facilitated by computer software. The thesis proceeds by stating that this negative impact ought to be more analysed, and that architects might have things to gain by welcoming in parts that might seem evident for an artist in their processes i.e. time for reflection, a valuing of mistakes as holders of potential and knowledge, the notion of play, and the possibility to fail and perhaps even perceive those failures as treasures rather then perceive them as failed perfectionism.  In a fragment of my case study, accounted for in the appendix to this written report, the thesis dives in to one of the mistakes created during the architectural project of the thesis. Aiming to prove the point that no mistake is without potential, I let this case study illustrate how this specific mistake came to be a founding part of the whole project. The thesis argues that when one person sees and/or experiences what another might deem as a mistake, their interpretation might lead to new ideas and possibilities. Hence, in order for a project or an art piece to reach its full potential, the thesis concludes that no one should perform processes of architecture, nor art, completely alone.

Les effets négatifs des changements climatiques et des vulnérabilités auxquels font face les pays en voie de développement imposent des stratégies d’adaptation. Incidemment, les débats sur les changements climatiques n’ont pas épargné le Togo, petit pays situé en Afrique occidentale, avec peu de saisons variées. Sa vulnérabilité a donc poussé les décideurs à promulguer des lois dans le but d’atténuer les effets de ces changements climatiques et permettre au pays de respecter les documents nationaux et les accords internationaux, notamment la Convention-cadre des Nations Unies sur les Changements Climatiques (CCNUCC). Ce mémoire a pour mission d’évaluer la capacité du Togo à atteindre ses objectifs dans le domaine spécifique de l’agriculture. / The negative effects of climate change and the vulnerabilities faced by developing countries require adaptation strategies. Incidentally, the debates on climate change have not spared Togo, a small country located in West Africa, with few varied seasons. Its vulnerability has therefore prompted decision makers to enact laws with the aim of mitigating the effects of these climate changes and enabling the country to comply with national documents and international agreements, in particular the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC). This dissertation aims to assess the capacity of Togo to achieve its objectives in the specific field of agriculture.

In information security, the success of security policies is critically dependent on their implementation in organizations. This thesis explores the gap between formal definitions and the actual implementation of security policies, focusing on roles within a Swedish defense company. Using a qualitative research approach, this study employs semi-structured interviews to gather in-depth insights from individuals directly involved in security management, with the aim of uncovering the real-world complexities and challenges faced in policy implementation. This study identifies several core issues that affect policy implementation: ambiguity in role definitions, inconsistencies in policy communication at different organizational levels, and the frequent need for individuals to adapt policies to practical and situational needs. These factors contribute to the risk of security breaches by creating conditions in which policies are misunderstood or incorrectly applied. The findings highlight a significant discrepancy between how policies are intended to function and how they are implemented in daily operations, revealing a critical vulnerability in organizational security frameworks. This thesis contributes to the existing body of knowledge by mapping the landscape of security policy implementation within the context of the highly regulated defense industry. The results provide empirical evidence that improves the understanding of the interaction between policy, practice and the human element in security regimes with the aim of improving clarity and reducing the incidence of human error in security practices.

This thesis examines the current gaps in cybersecurity education in junior high and high schools in Sweden, with a focus on the challenges of integration and the resources required for teachers to effectively instruct on cybersecurity topics. Despite the critical importance of cybersecurity in protecting digital interactions and personal data, existing curricula often lack deep and systematic integration of this essential subject. Based on qualitative interviews with 12 teachers from junior high and high schools, the researchers’ findings underscore a significant need for structured cybersecurity curricula and enhanced teacher training. The research reveals that while students are extensively engaged with digital technologies, their vulnerability to various cybersecurity threats remains due to inadequate educational frameworks. The study highlights the urgent need for curricular improvements to include comprehensive cybersecurity courses, aligned with current technological threats and the digital behaviors of students.

ABP1 (Auxin Binding Protein 1), qui peut se lier à l'auxine, est essentielle pour le développement des plantes. Il a été prouvé qu’elle a la capacité de se lier à l’auxine et de conduire le signal auxine dans les cellules. ABP1 est supposé être localisée et avoir des fonctions à la surface extérieure de la membrane plasmique à travers une composante inconnue. Au cours ma thèse, nous avons essayé d’étudier l'interaction entre ABP1 et le candidat de la composante inconnue, CBP1 (chez le maïs), qui est une protéine à ancres GPI déjà identifiée comme ayant la capacité de liaison au peptide de synthèse C-terminale d’ABP1 en 2006. L'orthologue de CBP1 chez arabidopsis appartient à une famille de gènes contenant 19 membres, dont seulement trois d'entre eux ont été prédit comme était des protéines à ancres GPI. Nous avons fait les caractérisations fonctionnelles de ces trois membres. Les données suggèrent que les protéines SKS à ancres GPI sont impliquées dans l'orientation de la cellule, le développement des gamétophytes et de l'embryon. / ABP1 (Auxin Binding Protein1), who can bind auxin, is essential for the development of plants. It was proved to have the ability to bind auxin and transduce auxin signal into the cells. It is supposed to be localized and functions at the outer surface of plasma membrane through unknown component. In my thesis, we tried to invesitgate the interaction between ABP1 and the candidate of the unknown component, CBP1 (From maize), which is GPI-acnhored and already identified as the binding ability to synthesized C-terminus peptide of ABP1 in 2006. The orthologous of CBP1 in arabidopsis belongs to a gene family with 19 members, in which only three of them were prediceted to be GPI anchored. We did the functional characterisation of these three GPI-anchored members. Data suggested that GPI-anchored SKS were involved in cell orientation, gametophyte and embryo development.

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