Arbetsmiljö är ”summan” av både fysiska, sociala och psykiska upplevelser som en arbetstagare möter i arbetslivet. Dessa upplevelser skapas eller formas av olika faktorer som arbetstagaren dagligen möter på sin arbetsplats. Då psykosocial arbetsmiljö idag är en relevant och aktuell fråga är uppsatsen inriktad på detta ämnesområde. I uppsatsen framställs den psykosociala arbetsmiljörätten ur tre olika perspektiv - rättsdogmatiskt, historiskt och empiriskt. Det rättsdogmatiska perspektivet är grunden för uppsatsen då det undersöks hur den psykosociala arbetsmiljön regleras i arbetsmiljölagstiftningen, samt vilket ansvar arbetsgivare respektive arbetstagare har gentemot den psykosociala arbetsmiljön. Den psykosociala arbetsmiljön och arbetsgivarna respektive arbetstagarnas ansvar regleras i Arbetsmiljölagen (1977:1160), i det följande AML, 3 kapitlet 1a, 2, 2a, 3 och 4 §§ samt föreskriften Systematiskt arbetsmiljöarbete (AFS 2001:1), i det följande SAM. Arbetsgivaren har tillsammans med arbetstagarna en skyldighet att samverka för att främja den psykosociala arbetsmiljön.  Arbetsgivaren har dock huvudansvaret att vidta alla åtgärder som krävs för att uppnå detta, bland annat att systematiskt genomföra undersökningar och riskbedömningar som beaktar de psykosociala aspekterna på arbetsplatsen. Arbetsgivaren ska dessutom tillgodose arbetstagarna med introduktion, instruktion och vid behov aktuell utbildning, allt för att arbetstagarna ska kunna vara aktiv i arbetsmiljöarbetet. Som komplement till den rättsdogmatiska undersökningen utfördes en empirisk undersökning i form av två kvantitativa studier. Där undersöktes hur arbetstagarna upplevde den psykosociala arbetsmiljön på arbetsplatsen. Det framgick inga alarmerande resultat som krävde någon större redovisning. Det psykosociala arbetsmiljöarbetet kan vara kostsamt samtidigt som det kan vara en framtida investering som i slutändan kan ge arbetsgivaren friska och mer tillfredsställda arbetstagare. Om kraft och energi läggs ned på goda arbetsförhållanden kan detta öka både trivseln och intresset hos arbetstagarna, som i sin tur ger resultat av en bättre ekonomi för verksamheten och därmed en attraktivare arbetsgivare.

The environment is one of the most significant global issues of today and companies and company leaders have realized its increased importance. In order to improve stakeholder relations and company transparency many companies have started to report their environmental performance through the Global Reporting Initiative (GRI) framework. The purpose of our thesis is thus to examine how companies report their environmental performance in accordance with GRI. We examine the reporting by companies during a three year period to see if there has been a change in the way they report. Further, we intend to examine possible differences between the companies’ reporting. The three companies examined in this thesis all use the GRI framework when making their Sustainability Reports. They however report their environmental work differently as they can choose exactly how to report and what kind of information to add to the reports. The diverse information given in the reports complicates a comparison between the companies environmental reporting. Legislation can make comparison between the companies reporting more credible.

Environmental impact is a growing concern of many and work to decrease the influence on the environment are becoming more common and is in some cases even illegal for companies to disregard from. For the average person many things can be done to decrease their personal impact on to the environment such as consuming less, buying environmentally friendly goods, recycling ones garbage or buying goods that are already recycled. This study emphasizes on the subject of recycled goods since a trend of new stores has started to arise. These stores uses the basics from yard sales and flea markets but capitalize them using big scale economy.  They collect recycled goods from junkyards and through donations from companies and individuals aim to resell them. In this study a case of one of these stores called Returbutiken, located in Umeå Sweden, were acknowledged as it took the idea one step further by collecting furniture and other goods and restored them in their own carpentry. Returbutiken is an initiative made by the municipality of Umeå to recycle the goods the municipality does not need, donations from people and companies and also to collect items from the local junkyard. This also creates very cheap goods which have a much higher quality than those found at different flea markets. Thus this study was performed to investigate what motivation and what behavior the customers of this store had. Why were they shopping? Was it because of the price or was it because of their willingness to be more environmentally friendly? The behavior was researched through a comparative study through a questionnaire that was handed out at Returbutiken and compared with the answers of the same questionnaire which was answered by general people at the city of Umeå. The results show that there was a difference of behavior and attitudes between the average respondent in the city of Umeå compared to Returbutiken. People at Returbutiken were generally more committed and optimistic towards the environment than the average respondent in Umeå. The result shows that the age group of 30-45 prioritized the environment less than other age groups. This study also conducts that the general respondents in Umeå prioritized the environment less when they had a higher income.

BACKGROUND: Active transportation, such as using a bicycle to get one from one place to another, has definite benefits over driving or some other form of travel that requires less exertion; the most obvious of these is that it helps a person meet the daily recommendations for physical activity. College campuses tend to have higher rates of bicycle-commuters than non-campus environments, although Georgia State University faces unique barriers to bicycling due to its downtown location. In 2009, a cross-sectional study was conducted to assess bicycling attitudes, knowledge, and behaviors. In the two years that followed, a faculty-student collaborative known as GSU Bikes implemented efforts to try to increase bicycling on campus. Campus bicycle count data between the two years showed positive increases. In 2011, the study was repeated to examine if bicycling attitudes, knowledge, and behavior had changed since 2009. METHODS: 211 Georgia State University undergraduate and graduate students were surveyed in Fall 2011. The data they provided were then analyzed and compared to the 2009 bicycle data using independent-samples t­-tests and a chi-square analysis to identify significant differences between the two data sets. RESULTS: Few significant differences between the two sets of data were identified. Participants in 2011 had significantly higher agreement that they could locate information regarding bicycle safety and repairs, as well as reported a significantly greater likelihood of bicycling to campus if educational programs to, from, and around the GSU campus were implemented. Written feedback suggested that fear of collisions was still a major barrier; many students suggested a campus bicycle-share program and more information disseminated to students about bicycling to campus. DISCUSSION: The results from this study demonstrate that efforts aimed at encouraging students to bicycle to campus, between the 2009 and 2011 data collections, may not have been as effective as they were intended. Bicycle promotion that reaches a greater number of Georgia State University students is suggested. Because of the method of data sampling in this study, the data analyzed may not be truly representative of the Georgia State University population. In the future, an improved survey that is disseminated electronically may result in a larger sample size, increasing statistical validity and ability to generalize findings.

This essay is about classroom environment, what kind of impact it has on pupils’ learning, how to create a good classroom environment and how the style of leadership relates to the classroom environment. This is a qualitative study conducted by four informants. This essay is based on Lev Vygotiskijs perspective of the "sociocultural perspective", which is based on the theory that humans act upon their knowledge and experience, depending on the opportunities that the environment provides. The purpose of this study is to examine how three teachers, who teach younger ages, organize the environment in their classrooms. The goal of this study is to find out what the interviewed teachers perceive as good classroom environment. Also how the environment affects pupils’ learning and what the teachers keep in mind when they furnish their classrooms. Furthermore, to find out how the teachers reason about the relationship between the classroom environment and management style. The results show that the teachers’ experiences and the teachers’ views on the classroom environment did not vary much but I experienced the answers in a similar way. The result also show that all teachers’ are using the term definiteness and that the term should have a central role in teaching but the term humility also should be seen in the teaching.

This study aimed to examine how the characteristics of the road network and the built environment influence the frequency of pedestrian-vehicle crashes. Pedestrian crashes (2000 – 2007) on major roads in DeKalb County of Georgia were obtained from Georgia Department of Transportation. Hotspot analysis was performed on locations with frequent pedestrian incidents to determine their built environment characteristics. Using Geographic Information Systems, the built environment was characterized using road grade, curvature, population density, the amount stores and restaurants, bars, and public transit stops nearby. A negative binomial regression model was used to examine the influence of the built environment characteristics on pedestrian crashes. The results showed that all the variables except for road grade were positively associated with increased number of pedestrian crashes. Findings provided insights into the influence of built environment characteristics which is important for injury prevention to improve pedestrian safety.

Amphibians are declining dramatically around the globe, due primarily to two major threats: habitat destruction and emerging infectious diseases. The western toad, Bufo boreas, is an IUCN red-listed species thought to be affected by both these factors. The objectives of this thesis were to (1) determine how forest fragmentation affects western toad movement behaviour; and (2) determine if there is any evidence of the infectious disease, the chytrid fungus (Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis), in this species in British Columbia. I used radio-telemetry to follow daily movement patterns of 23 adult male toads in a fragmented landscape near Vancouver, BC, composed of forest patches and small, recent clear-cuts. Movement parameters were analyzed using a Geographic Information System (GIS) and mixed effects models. Results showed that toads in forests were able to perceive clear-cut edges from as far as 150 m. Greater than 60% of toads released in forest patches actively chose to enter the clear-cuts from adjacent forests, indicating high boundary permeability. In addition, toad movement parameters were not significantly reduced in these disturbed environments, suggesting that clear-cuts do not restrict movement. Although toads appear to favour these disturbed environments, further research is required in larger, more realistically sized clear-cuts. To investigate the prevalence of the chytrid fungus in southwestern British Columbia, I tested a breeding population of western toads in a protected area. Results showed a 28% infection rate, although no toads showed any visual signs of the disease. These results provide the first evidence of the chytrid fungus in western toads in British Columbia and suggest that the disease is potentially more widespread that currently documented. The results of my research suggest that the western toad may not be affected by small scale forest harvesting. In addition, my results support the hypothesis that western toads are reservoirs for the chytrid fungus. Although most populations in Canada appear to be faring well, long-term population monitoring and further testing for chytrid prevalence are required. To minimize the likelihood of western toads experiencing the dramatic declines that are presently taking place in the United States, protecting vital habitats and preventing the spread of chytrid through public awareness are required.

The purpose of the study was to compare the school climate in three secondary schools whose personnel had gone through a formalized group planning process with the school climate in three secondary schools whose personnel had not participated in a formalized group planning process. The certificated staffs of the three secondary schools which had completed the formalized group planning process were identified as the intervention group. The certificated staffs of the three secondary schools which had not participated in the formalized group planning process were identified as the control group. The intervention group and control group were chosen on the basis of similar student populations.The certificated staffs of the six schools responded to the abridged Discipline Context Inventory. Data from the instrument provided an overall school climate score as well as scores for eight subfactors within school climate.Nine null hypotheses were formulated. The null hypothesis regarding overall school climate was tested using the Hotelling T2 statistic. Eight null hypotheses relating to each of the subfactors of the instrument were tested using a t-test statistic. All tests used the .05 level of significance. The null hypothesis for the overall school climate was rejected. There was a significant difference in overall school climate between the two groups. The control group had the higher overall school climate score. No significant difference existed between the two groups on five subfactors: problem-solving and decision-making; distribution of authority and status; student belongingness; curriculum and instructional practices; dealing with personal problems. The hypotheses for three subfactors were rejected. The control group scored significantly higher in the subfactor developing and implementing rules. The intervention group scored significantly higher in the subfactors relationships with parents and other community members and physical environment.

These experiments were conducted to determine if ractopamine hydrochloride (RAC) could improve nutrient utilization and decrease water use in hog operations. The growth experiment utilized a comparative slaughter technique that consisted of 120 barrows (95 ± 3 kg BW) including 12 assigned to an initial slaughter group; the remaining pigs were slaughtered at 108- or 120-kg. Growth performance and nutrient retention were determined. The 15 d metabolism experiment consisted of 54 pigs (95 ± 3 kg BW). Growth performance, feed, and water intake and urine and fecal output were measured. The metabolism experiment used 9 dietary treatments arranged as a 3 x 3 factorial: 3 levels of RAC (0, 5 and 10 ppm) and 3 standardized ileal digestible lysine: digestible energy (DE) ratios (1.75, 2.25 and 2.75 g/Mcal DE). The growth study was designed as a 3 x 3 x 2 factorial to include slaughter weight as an additional factor.<p> In the growth experiment, RAC had no effect ADG, ADFI, or G:F (P > 0.10). With increased Lys levels G:F improved (P < 0.05), but not ADG or ADFI (P > 0.10). Protein deposition rates numerically increased (P = 0.11), water deposition rates tended to increase (P < 0.10), whereas lipid deposition tended to decrease with RAC inclusion (P < 0.10). In the metabolism experiment, with greater levels of RAC and Lys the pigs had improved ADG (P < 0.05) and G:F (P < 0.001). Water intake (P < 0.05.) and urine output (P < 0.05) decreased with greater RAC inclusions. Lys inclusion did not alter water balance (P > 0.10). Urinary N excretion (P < 0.05), total N excretion (P < 0.05), and the urine N:fecal N ratio (P < 0.001) decreased with addition of dietary RAC; however fecal N (P < 0.05) increased with dietary RAC inclusion. Retention of N improved with addition of RAC to the diet (P < 0.05). With greater dietary Lys inclusion fecal N was reduced (P < 0.001). The pigs fed the 2.25 g/Mcal Lys tended to have the lowest urinary N and total N excretion and highest N retention (P < 0.10) and greatest urinary N:fecal N ratio (P < 0.05). A RAC x Lys interaction was observed for N digestibility, excretion, and retention and fecal and urinary N (P < 0.05). By improving N and water utilization in finishing pigs, RAC containing diets supplemented with sufficient Lys can reduce the environmental footprint of pork production.

This thesis summarizes an investigation of Mycobacterium avium subspecies paratuberculosis (Map) as a pathogen within the cow-calf industry in Canada. The specific objectives of this project were to describe the distribution of this pathogen in this industry provincially, as well as at the individual farm level in wildlife species, and in the environment. Secondary objectives of this project were to identify on-farm management risk factors that are associated with this disease and to examine potential options for herd level diagnostic capabilities. Nationally, 0.8% (95%CI = 0.4-1.1%) of the cows in the cow-calf industry were seropositive for Map with 11.7% (95%CI=7.0-16.5%) of the herds sampled having a minimum of one positive test result or 4.5% (95%CI=1.4-7.5%) of the herds having a minimum of two positive test results. The true cow prevalence was estimated as 1.8% (95%CI= 0.4 3.1). No Map was detected in any of the non-ruminant wildlife species sampled on cow-calf operations suggesting that these species were not of primary concern when dealing with the management of this disease. In a study not focussed on a cow-calf operation, Map was detected in one cluster of trapped coyote samples in a region with cow-calf production. The prevalence of Map infection in this cluster of coyotes was calculated to be 9.1% (CI: 5.7-12.5). The prevalence of infection in coyotes including all sites, ignoring the effect of clustering, was calculated to be 3.7% (CI: 2.3-5.1). The use of a commercial colostrum replacement on farm (Odds Ratio =3.96; 95% CI = 1.1014.23, p=0.035) and the presence of wild deer interacting with the cattle (Odds Ratio = 14.32; 95% CI = 1.13181.90, p=0.040) were positively associated with being a herd infected with paratuberculosis. The use of rotational grazing practices was protective (Odds Ratio = 0.20; 95% CI = 0.040.93, p=0.039). It was possible to detect environmental contamination with Map on cow-calf farms using bacterial culture and PCR for confirmation. No water samples were positive to Map; however, 6.2% of the non-water environmental samples were positive. The use of an environmental sampling protocol had a herd sensitivity of 29.6%. This finding led to a simulation modelling study to evaluate how various testing methods would compare in the broader population of cow-calf herds. The final mean risk of selecting a herd infected with Map that was not identified as positive via the herd screen test strategy was 12.9%, 9.8%, 9.6%, and 6.1% for no herd screen test, environmental sampling, ELISA serology, and pooled fecal culture strategies, respectively.