37115 research outputs found
Sort by
Navigator Responses to Safety Challenges in Autonomous Maritime Systems
Get PDFMaritime transport is a critical pillar for both economic development and societal security, essential to national resilience, energy supply chains, and geopolitical stability. The prospective integration of Maritime Autonomous Surface Ships (MASS) into existing fleets creates complex mixed-autonomy environments where safe interaction is crucial to prevent accidents with severe consequences for the environment, human lives, and societal wellbeing. Ensuring this safe interaction requires understanding how experienced navigators adapt to vessel behavior that deviates from established norms during close encounters. A critical knowledge gap exists in this area, posing significant risks to maritime safety and societal security. To address this, this study empirically investigated how the behavior of another vessel influences experienced navigators’ situational awareness, decision-making processes, and trust during safety-critical interactions.
An exploratory, mixed-methods approach was used with a sample of seven experienced navigators in a controlled, high-fidelity simulation environment. Data were collected using quantitative simulator metrics, eye-tracking, and NASA-TLX subjective workload assessments, alongside qualitative post-scenario interviews. Findings from simulator data showed evidence of adaptation in maneuvering behavior across scenarios. Eye-tracking metrics provided insights into visual attention patterns and physiological responses potentially related to cognitive load. NASA-TLX data indicated perceived workload, with a statistically significant negative correlation (rho = -0.54, p = .045) emerging between subjective effort and active maneuvering time. Findings from the qualitative interviews revealed that participants universally perceived the target vessel as non-compliant, leading to widespread low trust and challenged situational awareness, and provided insights into decision rationale and perspectives on interacting with hypothetical autonomous vessels. A combined analysis revealed significant correlations between specific eye-tracking dwell time metrics on main controls and instrument displays, and simulator behavior outcomes such as active maneuvering time and minimum distance. The unique case of one participant’s VHF uses also highlighted how communication outcomes may shape perceived predictability and influence workload distribution.
These results provide preliminary empirical evidence of navigator adaptation strategies when encountering unexpected vessel behavior in mixed-autonomy scenarios. The findings suggest that navigators adjust their decision-making processes and attention allocation when managing unpredictable interactions, potentially reflecting strategic adaptations to maintain safety margins under increased cognitive load. This study contributes understanding to a previously underdeveloped research domain critical for maritime safety. The results emphasize the need for designing predictable autonomous systems, implementing transparent communication protocols, and developing adaptive training strategies to support effective human oversight in mixed-autonomy environments, thereby minimizing interaction risk and enhancing both maritime safety and societal security
Sharing Airspace: The Future of Aviation
Get PDFIn recent years, unmanned air traffic has increased substantially, leading to unprecedented pressure on airspace capacity. This development necessitates enhanced interaction among various airspace stakeholders, where coordinated efforts and mutual understanding are essential for establishing a safe and efficient shared airspace. The aim of this thesis is to explore the gaps that emerge in the integration of manned and unmanned aviation within such a context.
Through a combination of literature review, qualitative interviews, and field observations, both overlaps and tensions between regulations, actors’ experiences, and observed practices are identified. The analysis is based on a deductive approach, supplemented by the inductive development of new insights. The qualitative interviews reveal contrasts between manned and unmanned actors regarding the role of technology, the understanding of integration, and processes of professionalization. These differences influence which themes the informants highlight as central within the main categories of the analysis. The discussion draws on an adapted Swiss Cheese Model, where the “holes in the cheese” are interpreted not as safety barriers but as existing challenges and dynamic gaps in the establishment of a shared airspace. This serves as the basis for a discussion of different understandings of reality, with particular emphasis on how to bring together – or separate – stakeholders. It addresses how parallel development processes and a lack of coordination between sectors affect progress, as well as the consequences of fragmented political governance and distributed social responsibility. The analysis also highlights the risk of responsibility shifting when the actor landscape is simplified in the design of airspace solutions. Furthermore, the distinction between “shared airspace" and "sharing airspace” is examined, along with its implications for future airspace structures and regulatory decisions – including the role of U-Space and UTM. Finally, it explores who the airspace is actually shared with, how variation in the actor landscape affects integration, and what this means for professionalization and accountability.
The thesis concludes that the challenges associated with the integration of manned and unmanned aviation concern not only technology and regulations, but equally trust, coordination, and shared understanding across sectors, actor levels, and broader societal considerations – such as public acceptance and distribution of responsibility
Hvilke faktorer fremmer og hemmer kvinner i å oppnå en lederstilling i mannsdominerte bransjer? - Et nærmere blikk på samferdselssektoren, eiendoms-, bygg - og anleggsbransjen
Get PDFSammendrag
Målet med oppgaven er å bedre kjønnsbalansen for lederroller i mannsdominerte bransjer. På bakgrunn av dette har vi valgt problemstillingen: Hvilke faktorer fremmer og hemmer kvinner i å oppnå en lederstilling i samferdselssektoren, eiendoms-, bygg- og anleggsbransjen?
For at vi skal kunne besvare problemstillingen har vi sett på både internasjonale og norske studier som belyser barrierer på samfunnsmessige og organisatoriske nivå sammen, for deretter individuelle. Forskningen viser at det er forskjeller mellom kvinnelige og mannlige ledere i mannsdominerte bransjer. Vi har også sett på fordelingen mellom kjønn i konsernledelsene i bransjene vi studerer.
Dette er en kvalitativ studie i form av intervju med 8 informanter, både fra offentlige og private organisasjoner. Funnene viser at både organisasjonen og kvinner selv har et ansvar for å bedre kjønnsbalansen i lederroller. Å få flere kvinnelige ledere inn i organisasjonen med tilhørende tiltak må på agendaen til toppledelsen. Kvinner selv må ta mer initiativ og kommunisere sine mål og behov.
Nøkkelord: kvinnelig leder, barrierer, tiltak, mannsdominerte bransjer, samferdselssektor, eiendoms-, bygg- og anleggsbransjen.The aim of this thesis is to improve gender balance in leadership roles within male-dominated industries. Based on this objective, we have chosen the following research question: What factors promote and hinder women from attaining leadership positions in the transport, real estate, construction, and civil engineering sectors?
To answer this question, we have examined both international and Norwegian studies that highlight barriers at societal and organizational levels, followed by individual factors. The research shows that there are notable differences between female and male leaders in male-dominated industries. We have also looked into the gender distribution in executive management teams within the industries studied.
This is a qualitative study based on interviews with eight informants. The findings indicate that both organizations and women themselves share responsibility for improving gender balance in leadership roles. At the top executive level, organizations need to prioritize increasing the number of female leaders and implement relevant measures. Women, in turn, must take greater initiative and clearly communicate their goals and needs
Støypåvirket jobbtrivsel blant sysselsatte: risikofaktorer og yrkesforskjeller En deskriptiv analyse med data fra HUNT studien
Get PDF1 Sammendrag
1.1 Bakgrunn
Støyeksponering er en viktig modifiserbar risikofaktor for utvikling av hørselstap og påvirket jobbtrivsel. Det er i dag dokumentert flere risikofaktorer for nedsatt hørsel, hvor høy alder og støyeksponering er viktigst. For å tilrettelegge for at arbeidslivet er tilgjengelig for så mange som mulig, så lenge som mulig, er god jobbtrivsel en viktig faktor. Denne studien ønsker å utforske hvordan støy påvirker jobbtrivsel, samt identifisere mulige risikofaktorer og yrkesforskjeller i en norsk populasjon.
1.2 Materiale og metode
Denne studien benyttet data fra populasjonsstudien HUNT4 Hørsel, som består av audiometriske tester og spørreskjema som dekker temaer om hørsel, støyeksponering og jobbtrivsel. Basert på personnummer ble data fra HUNT4 Hørsel koblet med yrkesdata fra SSB. Datasettet ble analysert i STATA ved hjelp av krysstabeller. Sammenhenger ble vurdert med chi-kvadrat test og Cramér's V.
1.3 Resultater
Det totale utvalget besto av 18 374 sysselsatte, hvorav 55 % (n = 10 083) kvinner. Median alder var 49 år. 32 % (n = 5 800) rapporterte om støypåvirket jobbtrivsel og 37 % (n = 6 851) oppga å være daglig eller nesten daglig utsatt for støy i arbeidet. En høy andel på 35 % (n = 6 437) tror de har nedsatt hørsel, mens nedsatt hørsel målt med rentoneaudiometri (PTA > 20 dB) ble observert blant 9 % (n = 1 621).
1.4 Fortolkning
Denne studien viser høy forekomst av støyeksponering og støypåvirket jobbtrivsel blant sysselsatte. Identifiserte risikofaktorer er mannlig kjønn, alder under 40 år, selvrapportert nedsatt hørsel, støyeksponering og blåsnippyrker. Det ser ut til at hørselstap predikerer støypåvirket jobbtrivsel blant hvitsnipparbeidere, mens det er selve støydosen i omgivelsene som predikerer dette blant blåsnipparbeidere. Yrkesgruppen med høyest prevalens av støyeksponering og støypåvirket jobbtrivsel var førskolelærere. Et interessant mønster i denne studien, er at det tilsynelatende kan virke som at grad av kontroll og forutsigbarhet over støyeksponeringen, predikerer i hvilken grad støy påvirker jobbtrivsel. For å kunne utforske dette nærmere, er videre forskning nødvendig
The Hound, the Treasure, and the Ice: Empire Undone by Its Own Terrain Environment and Empire in Victorian Detective and Sensation Fiction
Get PDFThis thesis explores how nature and empire collide in three well-known Victorian stories: Wilkie Collins’s The Frozen Deep and Arthur Conan Doyle’s The Sign of Four and The Hound of the Baskervilles. While these works are often read as detective or adventure fiction, they also reflect deeper concerns about British colonialism and humanity’s troubled relationship with the environment. Using ideas from post-colonial theorists like Edward Said and Homi Bhabha, alongside ecocritical thinkers such as Greg Garrard and Cheryll Glotfelty, the study examines how landscapes like the Arctic, colonial India, and the English moors challenge the characters’ belief in imperial control. In each story, nature is more than just a backdrop, it acts almost like a character itself, resisting domination and exposing the limits of human power. The thesis shows that these texts, while rooted in imperial ideology, also question it. The Frozen Deep presents the Arctic as a place where British ambition fails. In The Sign of Four, India’s colonial legacy haunts the present through violence and loss. And in The Hound of the Baskervilles, the moor becomes a space where mystery and fear unravel the illusion of order. By looking at these works through both ecological and post-colonial lenses, this project highlights how Victorian fiction was already wrestling with issues we still face today, environmental crisis, cultural inequality, and the consequences of empireThis thesis explores how nature and empire collide in three well-known Victorian stories: Wilkie Collins’s The Frozen Deep and Arthur Conan Doyle’s The Sign of Four and The Hound of the Baskervilles. While these works are often read as detective or adventure fiction, they also reflect deeper concerns about British colonialism and humanity’s troubled relationship with the environment. Using ideas from post-colonial theorists like Edward Said and Homi Bhabha, alongside ecocritical thinkers such as Greg Garrard and Cheryll Glotfelty, the study examines how landscapes like the Arctic, colonial India, and the English moors challenge the characters’ belief in imperial control. In each story, nature is more than just a backdrop, it acts almost like a character itself, resisting domination and exposing the limits of human power. The thesis shows that these texts, while rooted in imperial ideology, also question it. The Frozen Deep presents the Arctic as a place where British ambition fails. In The Sign of Four, India’s colonial legacy haunts the present through violence and loss. And in The Hound of the Baskervilles, the moor becomes a space where mystery and fear unravel the illusion of order. By looking at these works through both ecological and post-colonial lenses, this project highlights how Victorian fiction was already wrestling with issues we still face today, environmental crisis, cultural inequality, and the consequences of empir
Behandling av status epilepticus ved barneavdelingen UNN Tromsø
Get PDFSAMMENDRAG
Innledning
Status epilepticus (SE) er en akutt og alvorlig nevrologisk tilstand der et epileptiske anfall ikke opphører av seg selv innen en viss tid. Insidensen av SE blant barn er estimert til 20 per 100 000 (2). Blant barn og ungdom som rammes, har majoriteten en tilstand som disponerer for SE. Samtidig rammes også tidligere friske og da ofte i relasjon til akutt sykdom. Både internasjonale studier og akuttveilederen i pediatri anbefaler rask SE-behandling for å unngå alvorlige komplikasjoner, men per i dag er dette utfordrende blant annet grunnet mangel på enkelte SE-medikamenter prehospitalt. Formålet med denne studien har vært å vurdere om studiepopulasjonens utrednings- og behandlingsforløp samsvarer med retningslinjene i akuttveilederen i pediatri, samt å vurdere hvorvidt mangel på medikamenter prehospitalt kan ha påvirket anfallsforløpene.
Material og metode
Dette er en retrospektiv kvalitetsstudie, med en observasjonsperiode på 16 år. Datainnsamling er gjort via diagnosekodesøk med koden G41 – status epilepticus, og pasienter i aldersgruppen 0-18 år er inkludert. Resultatene presteres som tekst, tabeller og figurer.
Resultat
Totalt ble 57 pasienter inkludert. Anfallsvarighet på over tre timer, ble sett hos 61,4% av studiepopulasjonen. Videre hadde 68,5% av pasientene en kjent relevant sykdom som ble antatt å være den underliggende årsaken til SE-anfallet. Vurdert opp mot akuttveilederen i pediatri for SE, ble 78,9% av pasientene i studien sett å ha fulgt retningslinjene diagnostisk, mens 77,2% ble sett å ha fulgt retningslinjene for behandling.
Konklusjon
Både med hensyn på diagnostikk og behandling, ble retningslinjene fulgt i de fleste tilfeller. Avvik fra retningslinjene var i hovedsak tilknyttet individuelle vurderinger eller tilgjengelighet av medikamenter prehospitalt. En innføring av levetiracetam prehospitalt vil muligens kunne gi både kortere anfallsvarighet og mindre komplikasjoner av SE-anfall.SAMMENDRAG
Innledning
Status epilepticus (SE) er en akutt og alvorlig nevrologisk tilstand der et epileptiske anfall ikke opphører av seg selv innen en viss tid. Insidensen av SE blant barn er estimert til 20 per 100 000 (2). Blant barn og ungdom som rammes, har majoriteten en tilstand som disponerer for SE. Samtidig rammes også tidligere friske og da ofte i relasjon til akutt sykdom. Både internasjonale studier og akuttveilederen i pediatri anbefaler rask SE-behandling for å unngå alvorlige komplikasjoner, men per i dag er dette utfordrende blant annet grunnet mangel på enkelte SE-medikamenter prehospitalt. Formålet med denne studien har vært å vurdere om studiepopulasjonens utrednings- og behandlingsforløp samsvarer med retningslinjene i akuttveilederen i pediatri, samt å vurdere hvorvidt mangel på medikamenter prehospitalt kan ha påvirket anfallsforløpene.
Material og metode
Dette er en retrospektiv kvalitetsstudie, med en observasjonsperiode på 16 år. Datainnsamling er gjort via diagnosekodesøk med koden G41 – status epilepticus, og pasienter i aldersgruppen 0-18 år er inkludert. Resultatene presteres som tekst, tabeller og figurer.
Resultat
Totalt ble 57 pasienter inkludert. Anfallsvarighet på over tre timer, ble sett hos 61,4% av studiepopulasjonen. Videre hadde 68,5% av pasientene en kjent relevant sykdom som ble antatt å være den underliggende årsaken til SE-anfallet. Vurdert opp mot akuttveilederen i pediatri for SE, ble 78,9% av pasientene i studien sett å ha fulgt retningslinjene diagnostisk, mens 77,2% ble sett å ha fulgt retningslinjene for behandling.
Konklusjon
Både med hensyn på diagnostikk og behandling, ble retningslinjene fulgt i de fleste tilfeller. Avvik fra retningslinjene var i hovedsak tilknyttet individuelle vurderinger eller tilgjengelighet av medikamenter prehospitalt. En innføring av levetiracetam prehospitalt vil muligens kunne gi både kortere anfallsvarighet og mindre komplikasjoner av SE-anfall
Novel Molecular Characteristics of Ulcerative Colitis
Get PDFUlcerative Colitis (UC) is a chronic autoimmune inflammatory disease and one type of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). UC is characterized by a temporal course of remission and relapse. Environmental factors, immune system dysregulation, and genetic susceptibility interact intricately in the aetiology of UC. It is unclear how interactions involving non-coding RNAs (ncRNAs), epigenetic modifications, and genetic changes relate to active UC, remission, and relapse. The inability to predict relapse in patients with UC poses a challenge to current treatment options. Visible disease manifestations, which are usually absent in patients in remission, frequently place limitations on the use of clinical diagnostic methods. Thus, it is necessary to characterize remission at the molecular level. To investigate the molecular mechanisms in remission and active UC, data from whole transcriptome sequencing (RNA-seq) and whole genome bisulfite sequencing (WGBS) of mucosal biopsies have been analysed with a variety of bioinformatic methods The analyses resulted in the identification of a set of mitochondrial RNAs and small nuclear RNAs (snoRNAs) which may influence the duration of remission. Several identified remission-specific genes are involved in pro- and anti-inflammatory pathways and some of the identified genes may be regulated by DNA methylation. In addition, several DNA-methylated long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) have been found to be involved in UC inflammatory immune responses. These findings might shed light on the pathophysiology of UC and suggest new diagnostic markers
Role of β-glucan on finfish and shellfish health and well-being: A systematic review and meta-analysis
Get PDFThis study aimed to conduct a systematic review and meta-analysis evaluating the
inclusion of β-glucan in aquaculture animal diets and its impact on their health outcomes. Relevant studies were identified from Scopus and Web of Science databases.
A total of 82 primary studies published between 1996 and 2024 were reviewed, of
which 70 were included in the meta-analysis. The results revealed that the application
of β-glucan to aquaculture animal's diets significantly enhanced specific growth rate
(SGR; mean effect, g = 2.71; p < 0.001), feed conversion ratio (FCR; g = 3.88;
p < 0.0001) and lowered mortality after exposure to pathogens. Likewise, β-glucan
had a positive influence (p < 0.0001) on innate immune parameters (lysozyme and
phagocyte activity, NBT, ACH50, and IgM). The study found that the effects of
β-glucans varied among marine and freshwater fish where freshwater fishes
(g = 2.05–6.57) exhibit better performance. This study also found a negative correlation between fish's innate immune response and trophic level, suggesting that fish
with higher trophic levels may be less efficient at absorbing this bio-stimulant. Even
though there were high heterogeneity (I
2 = 73%–97%, p < 0.05) due to the diversity
of tested organisms and publication bias, our model and findings are valid. The findings suggest that the dietary application of β-glucans can have beneficial effects on growth and immune responses especially for freshwater species. The validity of these
observations needs to be confirmed by further prospective studies
Occupational asthma in the salmon processing industry: a case series
Get PDFObjectives - Exposure to bioaerosols in salmon processing workers is associated with occupational asthma. IgE-mediated allergy and other disease mechanisms may be involved in airway inflammation and obstruction. Knowledge about disease burden, mechanisms, phenotypes and occupational exposure is limited.
Methods - Salmon processing workers referred to our occupational medicine clinic from 2019 to 2024 were included in a patient register. They were investigated in line with current guidelines for the management of occupational asthma, categorised according to diagnostic certainty and characterised with a focus on symptoms, work tasks and clinical findings.
Results - A total of 36 patients were included, among whom 27 had typical symptoms of work-related asthma, and 21 were diagnosed with occupational asthma. Among those with occupational asthma, all worked in the filleting or slaughtering area at the time of symptom onset. Median latency from the start of exposure to symptom onset was 4 years. 14 (67%) of the patients with occupational asthma were sensitised to salmon. Three patients were sensitised to salmon skin but not salmon meat.
Conclusions - Occupational asthma among salmon processing workers displays a heterogeneous clinical picture. IgE-mediated inhalation allergy towards various parts of the salmon seems to represent an important pathophysiological mechanism. However, some have occupational asthma with negative allergy tests. A comprehensive workup strategy including early initiation of serial peak expiratory flow and skin prick tests with various parts of the salmon should be considered. Although the incidence remains unknown, the substantial number of cases presented warrant increased efforts to reduce harmful exposure in the salmon processing industry
Pathway Analysis of the Dynamics of Teacher Educators’ Professional Digital Competence
Get PDFInstitutions offering teacher education have generally been criticized for giving pre-service teachers an insufficient education regarding the pedagogical use of digital technology. In this study we investigate the dynamics of professional digital competence (PDC) among teacher educators (in primary, secondary and early childhood teacher education programmes) in Norway, Slovenia, and Portugal. A survey was constructed based on the understanding of digital competence consisting of an individual’s knowledge, skills, and attitudes. Three constructed variables from the survey (Attitudes, Knowledge and skills, and Use, regarding digital technology in higher education) were analysed, and we found small differences in mean scores between the three countries. However, a pathway analysis via regressions revealed markedly different dynamics of PDC, and we discuss implications of our findings on teacher educators’ use of digital technology