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Kunnskapsproduksjon med relevans for IA-avtalen 2019–2024 – en systematisering og oppsummering
Full text linkRapporten besvarer et oppdrag gitt av Arbeids- og velferdsdirektoratet med formål å oppsummere og systematisere kunnskapsproduksjon med relevans for inneværende IAavtaleperiode (2019–2024). Rapporten oppsummerer og sammenstiller 101 publikasjoner (56 fagfellevurderte artikler og 45 rapporter) som ble identifisert gjennom søk og screening etter fagfellevurdert litteratur og grå litteratur. Sammenstillingen viser at det i perioden er generert mye kunnskap om risikofaktorer. På samfunnsnivå synliggjør rapporten at IA-avtalen gjennom de ulike bransjeprogrammene har bidratt til å bedre forutsetningene for forebyggende arbeidsmiljøarbeid i de involverte virksomhetene. Innen rehabilitering / tilbakeføring er det fortsatt mye å hente i form av samhandling mellom de ulike aktørene og kvaliteten av denne samhandlingen. Sammenstillingen kan ikke si noe overordnet om hvorvidt den samlede aktiviteten i inneværende IA-periode har bidratt til redusert sykefravær og frafall. Til dette er tidsperspektivet for kort og det totale tallgrunnlaget i de inkluderte studiene for tynt.Kunnskapsproduksjon med relevans for IA-avtalen 2019–2024 – en systematisering og oppsummeringpublishedVersio
Stronger Oceanic CO2 Sink in Eddy-Resolving Simulations of Global Warming
Full text linkAccurately representing the ocean carbon cycle in Earth System Models (ESMs) is essential to understanding the oceanic CO2 sink evolution under CO2 emissions and global warming. A key uncertainty arises from the ESM's inability to explicitly represent mesoscale eddies. To address this limitation, we conduct eddy-resolving experiments of CO2 uptake under global warming in an idealized mid-latitude ocean model. In comparison with similar experiments at coarser resolution, we show that the CO2 sink is 34% larger in the eddy-resolving experiments. 80% of the increase stems from a more efficient anthropogenic CO2 uptake due to a stronger Meridional Overturning circulation (MOC). The remainder results from a weaker reduction in CO2 uptake associated to a weaker MOC decline under global warming. Although being only a fraction of the overall response to climate change, these results emphasize the importance of an accurate representation of small-scale ocean processes to better constrain the CO2 sink.Stronger Oceanic CO2 Sink in Eddy-Resolving Simulations of Global WarmingpublishedVersio
Kunnskap om verktøy og tiltak for å motivere til kjønnsutradisjonelle utdanningsvalg
Full text linkDenne rapporten er utarbeidet på oppdrag fra Barne-, ungdoms- og familiedirektoratet (Bufdir), med mål om å undersøke hvordan ungdoms- og videregående skoler legger til rette for at elever kan velge utdanning uavhengig av kjønn. Norge har et av verdens mest kjønnssegregerte arbeidsmarkeder, der noen fagområder er mer preget av kjønnstradisjonelle utdanningsvalg enn andre. Jenter er sterkt underrepresentert innen realfag og tekniske fag, mens det er svært få gutter innen helse- og omsorgssektoren, både i utdanningsløpet og på arbeidsmarkedet. Det finnes en rekke tiltak for å motvirke kjønnstradisjonelle utdanningsvalg, som ofte er drevet av lokale ildsjeler og gjennomført i relativt liten skala. Selv om likestilling er en bredt akseptert idé, kan det likevel være utfordrende å etablere aktive praksiser for implementering. Denne studien besvarer tre hovedspørsmål om: 1) Hvordan blir tiltak og verktøy tilrettelagt av fylkeskommuner, kommuner og skoler? 2) Hvilke tiltak, barrierer og bruksmønstre opplever skolene når det gjelder tilgangen til og bruken av tiltak? 3) Hvordan oppfattes nytten og effektiviteten av tiltakene i forhold til målet om jevnere kjønnsfordeling i utdanninger?Kunnskap om verktøy og tiltak for å motivere til kjønnsutradisjonelle utdanningsvalgpublishedVersio
Late Miocene onset of the modern Antarctic Circumpolar Current
Full text linkThe Antarctic Circumpolar Current plays a pivotal role in global climate through its strong influence on the global overturning circulation, ocean heat and CO2 uptake. However, when and how the Antarctic Circumpolar Current reached its modern-like characteristics remains disputed. Here we present neodymium isotope and sortable silt records from sediment cores in the Southwest Pacific and South Indian oceans spanning the past 31 million years. Our data indicate that a circumpolar current like that of today did not exist before the late Miocene cooling. These findings suggest that the emergence of a homogeneous and deep-reaching strong Antarctic Circumpolar Current was not linked solely to the opening and deepening of Southern Ocean Gateways triggering continental-scale Antarctic Ice Sheet expansion during the Eocene–Oligocene Transition (∼34 Ma). Instead, we find that besides tectonic pre-conditioning, the expansion of the Antarctic Ice Sheet and sea ice since the middle Miocene Climate Transition (∼14 Ma) played a crucial role. This led to stronger density contrast and intensified Southern Westerly Winds across the Southern Ocean, establishing a vigorous deep-reaching circumpolar flow and an enhanced global overturning circulation, which amplified the late Cenozoic global cooling.publishedVersio
Ecological risk assessment of invertebrates caught in Swedish west-coast fisheries
Full text linkEcological risk assessments are important as scientific support for the implementation of ecosystem-based fisheries management. Marine invertebrates are important to ecosystem structure and function and may be sensitive to fishing pressure. Some are also of increasing commercial value – but have hitherto not been paid much attention to in ecological risk assessments. Here, catches of invertebrates in Swedish west-coast fisheries with demersal trawls and creels are examined from an ecological risk assessment perspective. It is found that few non-commercial invertebrate species have been regularly recorded in onboard observer programs. Furthermore, for being a comparatively well-studied area, it is striking to find that out of the 93 species included, 56% could be classified as data deficient in terms of known attributes needed to perform basic ecological risk assessments. This implies that there is little or no available information on the basic life history traits important for estimating productivity. Additionally, onboard observer data for invertebrates are inadequate beyond targeted commercial species for robust statistical analysis on volumes generated over time and between fisheries. However, over 18% of the studied species are categorized as red-listed on the Swedish IUCN Red List. Combined with the few records available in observer data programs, the study illustrates the need to pay more attention to marine invertebrates in fisheries monitoring programs and research, especially bycaught and non-commercial invertebrate species.publishedVersio
Recommended centrifuge method: Specific grain size separation in the <63 µm fraction of marine sediments
Full text linkThe isolation of specific grain size classes of lithogenic samples and biogenic carbonate from the <63 µm fraction (i.e. clay and silt) of marine sediment is often a prerequisite to further pre-treatments and/or analytical measurements for palaeoceanographic studies. Established techniques employed have included sieving, settling and micro-filtration (and/or a combination of these). However, these methods often use significant amounts of bulk sediment (often up to ∼3 g) and/or require considerable amounts of time during sediment processing (ranging from 48 h to 3 weeks) to isolate a size specific class for further analyses. Here, we build on previous approaches to isolate three grain size classes (e.g. <2 µm, clay; 2–10 µm, fine silt; and 10–63 µm, coarse silt) from the <63 µm fraction of marine sediment with the aid of a centrifuge at varying revolutions per minute using Stokes’ Law. We show the utility of our approach using two common sediment types dominated by (i) lithogenic and (ii) biogenic carbonate (specifically coccoliths) components of marine sediment cores. Our method reduces the amount of sample material required to 1–2 g to provide an isolated clay fraction (or other targeted size fraction) and decreases the sample processing time (to ∼1 hour) to enable high throughput of analysis, when compared to previous techniques for palaeoceanographic proxy measurements. • We recommend a more straightforward grain size isolation method for lithogenic sediment and biogenic carbonate sediment types • Isolating commonly targeted grain size fractions for palaeoceanographic studies using a centrifugepublishedVersio
Music Therapy in Infancy and Neurodevelopmental Outcomes in Preterm Children: A Secondary Analysis of the LongSTEP Randomized Clinical Trial
Full text linkImportance Preterm children are at risk for neurodevelopment impairments. Objective To evaluate the effect of a music therapy (MT) intervention (parent-led, infant-directed singing) for premature children during the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) stay and/or after hospital discharge on language development at 24 months’ corrected age (CA). Design, Setting, and Participants This predefined secondary analysis followed participants in the LongSTEP (Longitudinal Study of Music Therapy's Effectiveness for Premature Infants and Their Caregivers) randomized clinical trial, which was conducted from August 2018 to April 2022 in 8 NICUs across 5 countries (Argentina, Colombia, Israel, Norway, and Poland) and included clinic follow-up visits and extended interventions after hospital discharge. Intervention Participants were children born preterm (<35 weeks’ gestation) and their parents. Participants were randomized at enrollment to MT with standard care (SC) or SC alone; they were randomized to MT or SC again at discharge. The MT was parent-led, infant-directed singing tailored to infant responses and supported by a music therapist and was provided 3 times weekly in the NICU and/or in 7 sessions across 6 months after discharge. The SC consisted of early intervention methods of medical, nursing, and social services, without MT. Main Outcome and Measures Primary outcome was language development, as measured by the Bayley Scales of Infant and Toddler Development, Third Edition (BSID-III) language composite score, with the remaining BSID-III composite and subscale scores as the secondary outcomes. Group differences in treatment effects were assessed using linear mixed-effects models using all available data. Results Of 206 participants (103 female infants [50%]; mean [SD] GA, 30.5 [2.7] weeks), 51 were randomized to MT and 53 to SC at enrollment; at discharge, 52 were randomized to MT and 50 to SC. A total of 112 (54%) were retained at the 24 months’ CA follow-up. Most participants (79 [70%] to 93 [83%]) had BSID-III scores in the normal range (≥85). Mean differences for the language composite score were −2.36 (95% CI, −12.60 to 7.88; P = .65) for the MT at NICU with postdischarge SC group, 2.65 (95% CI, −7.94 to 13.23; P = .62) for the SC at NICU and postdischarge MT group, and −3.77 (95% CI, −13.97 to 6.43; P = .47) for the MT group at both NICU and postdischarge. There were no significant effects for cognitive or motor development. Conclusions and Relevance This secondary analysis did not confirm an effect of parent-led, infant-directed singing on neurodevelopment in preterm children at 24 months’ CA; wide CIs suggest, however, that potential effects cannot be excluded. Future research should determine the MT approaches, implementation time, and duration that are effective in targeting children at risk for neurodevelopmental impairments and introducing broader measurements for changes in brain development.publishedVersio
Using the Quemada rheology model for drilling fluids - practical considerations
Full text linkA mathematical description of the Quemada rheological model is given, focusing on realistic drilling fluids. The purpose of the work described is to derive results that are required for robust, accurate, and efficient implementations of the model. Challenges related to non-monotonic shear stress vs. shear rate for fluids with high yield stress are discussed and solutions are suggested. A brief discussion of the Quemada model’s connection with chemistry and physics, which is an important motivation for using it, is included.Using the Quemada rheology model for drilling fluids - practical considerationspublishedVersio
The Volatile Composition and the Potential Health Benefits of Different Microalgae Strains
Full text linkThe use of microalgae as a food ingredient has been gaining attention in recent years due to its nutritional benefits. The main goals of this study were to (i) assess the nutritional potential of Chlorella vulgaris, Tetraselmis chuii, Microchloropsis gaditana, and Phaeodactylum tricornutum; (ii) evaluate their bioactive properties (antioxidant activity, total phenolic content, and α-amylase inhibitory activity) and (iii) assess the main volatile compounds composition. The protein content was considerably high (32–44 mg/100 g dw) for all the microalgae strains. The DPPH scavenging potential range was 14–25 mg Trolox/100 g dw (highest for T. chuii) and the ferric reducing power ability range was 13–67 µmol Trolox/dw (higher for T. chuii). The total phenolic content range was 2–7 mg of gallic acid equivalents/g dw, for M. gaditana and T. chuii, respectively, which was mainly due to the presence of catechin (1–9 µg/g dw), epicatechin (3–29 µg/g dw), and vanillic acid (1–14 µg/g dw). The ɑ-amylase inhibitory potential range was 26–42%. C. vulgaris was richer in chlorophyll a (18 mg/g dw), whilst T. chuii was particularly rich in chlorophyll b (29 mg/g dw). P. tricornutum showed the highest carotenoid content (4 mg/g dw). Aldehydes and alkanes were the major compounds identified in M. gaditana, whereas alcohols and N-based compounds existed in higher amounts in P. tricornutum. T. chuii and C. vulgaris were enriched in ketones and alkenes. This study’s novelty lies in its comprehensive and integrative analysis of the nutritional, bioactive, and volatile properties of four distinct microalgae strains. By providing detailed comparisons and highlighting potential applications in functional foods, it offers a unique contribution to the field of microalgae research and its practical application in the food industry. This multifaceted approach sets it apart from existing studies, offering new insights and opportunities for leveraging microalgae as valuable food ingredients.publishedVersio
Quantum maximum power point tracking (QMPPT) for optimal solar energy extraction
Full text linkSolar energy is key to achieving a more environmentally responsible future. One way to exploit it is to use semiconductor technology through solar panels to generate clean, sustainable, and controllable energy. However, the use of such solutions must be optimised by methods such as maximum power point tracking (MPPT) to extract the maximum available solar energy. Although MPPT algorithms have been widely used and improved, the use of newer approaches, such as quantum computing, appears to hold the promise of achieving new performance levels, particularly for real-time MPPT implementation. The goal of this work is to develop and test a quantum algorithm for the photovoltaic (PV) energy MPPT problem using quantum particle swarm optimisation. The performance of the classic and quantum MPPT algorithms was evaluated under three main operating conditions: normal, high-temperature, and partial shading conditions. This represents a variety of environmental scenarios that can affect the efficiency of solar power generation. According to the study's results, the classical algorithm recorded 0.15% more power than the quantum algorithm in normal operating conditions, and the quantum algorithm generated 3.33% more power in higher temperature tests and 0.89% more power in the partial shading test. Moreover, the quantum algorithm recorded lower duty cycles for the three tests. While the classical algorithm may have a slight edge in power output under normal operation conditions, the quantum algorithm indicates superior performance in challenging conditions and consistently reveals more promising overall efficiency.publishedVersio