USN Open Archive (University of South-Eastern Norway)
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A triple-bottom-line evaluation of municipal solid waste collection
No full textMunicipal Solid Waste (MSW) collection systems can contribute to a sustainable society by transforming waste to valuable resources. However, if not properly designed, the MSW collection systems can become a liability in terms of high cost, high emissions and reduced service. There is still a lack of knowledge on how MSW collection system designs trade off the elements in the triple bottom line. The purpose of this study is to contribute to such understanding. A service-mix framework is proposed, demonstrating trade-offs among the decision areas of bin types, vehicle types, pick-up frequency, delivery distance, co-collection, and sorting in MSW collection systems. The triple bottom line performance is evaluated on cost, service, and emission levels. Two MSW collection systems are analysed and compared, using an Excel-based spreadsheet model. The findings show a potential to improve sustainability in MSW collection systems by trading off service-mix components. Specifically, the findings show that if five households share bins (accept reduced convenience, and the data indicate that they do) the reduction potential is 46 % for cost and 27 % for the CO2 emissions. Similarly, reducing the pick-up frequency service reduces cost and CO2 emissions. Finally, a sensitivity analysis of fill rates shows that using dual chamber trucks gives a high risk of increased cost and CO2 emissions, due to the difficulty of matching waste volumes and chamber sizes. Thus, the paper demonstrates that significant reduction of cost and emission levels are possible without a significant sacrifice of service levels in MSW collection systems.A triple-bottom-line evaluation of municipal solid waste collectionpublishedVersio
Rethinking Human Rights in the Anthropocene Through the Lens of Climate-Induced Flooding in Bangladesh
No full textThis thesis explores how we might rethink human rights in an age of climate disruption, what we now understand as the Anthropocene. Focusing on the recurring floods in Bangladesh, it asks whether our existing human rights frameworks, which are still state-centric and mostly centered on individual harms and human agency, are enough to address the realities of a world shaped by shifting rivers, transboundary water politics, and complex ecological systems. By engaging with the ideas of Dipesh Chakrabarty’s concept of humans as geological agents and Bruno Latour’s Actor-Network Theory, the present study suggests a post-anthropocentric, trans-scalar human rights paradigm in terms of relational accountability, non-human agency, and transboundary justice. The thesis employs an interpretative method grounded in environmental humanities and hermeneutics to examine the flooding in Bangladesh not just as a humanitarian disaster but as an indication of profound ontological and epistemological disruptions in the conceptualization of justice and agency. Empirical estimations, including the Farakka Barrage, 2024 flood event, and pattern of structure displacement, are evidence of the rise of climate-associated damage with interconnecting networks of human and non-human actors. The ideas of actor-network justice and situated planetary injustice provided in the thesis aim to address the delicate, multi-scalar character of rights violations in the Anthropocene. This work combines relational ethics, epistemic plurality, and planetary thinking in contributing transformative achievements of human rights studies, overcoming the legalistic constraints to the environmentally based and ethically wide scope of justice on the climate-impacted planet
Kjernekraft: Alternativ energi i maritim sektor. NyMK kompendium
Get PDFKjernekraft benyttes i dag til fremdrift og energiproduksjon på marinefartøy som ubåter og hangarskip, samt noen russiske isbrytere. Foruten en håndfull forsøk i den siste halvdelen av 1900-tallet, har kjernekraft i liten grad vært aktuelt i sivil maritim sektor. Nye og strengere krav til utslipp har imidlertid re-aktualisert dette.
Dette kompendiet redegjør for hva kjernekraft er og noen aktuelle bruksområder for kjernekraft i maritim sektor. Aspekter som moderne reaktorteknologi, økonomi, miljø og sikkerhet samt tidligere eksperimentelle forsøk innen skipsfarten med kjernekraft blir belyst.
Moderne reaktorteknologi er mer effektiv, sikrere og kan operere på forskjellige typer brensel enn tradisjonelle reaktorer. I tillegg har kjernekraft lite/ingen klimagassutslipp og regnes av FNs klimapanel som lav-/nullutslipp sammen med fornybar energi. Moderne reaktorer produ-serer langt mindre radioaktivt avfall og avhending og lagring kan gjøres sikkert og effektivt.
Kjernekraft har høyere investeringskostnader enn tradisjonelle skip, men mye tyder på at det vil ha lavere operasjonskostnader i et livsløpsperspektiv som veier opp for dette. Aktuelle re-aktorer for skip vil antagelig over tid bli serieproduserte og produksjonskostnadene vil dermed reduseres tilsvarende.
Rent teknologisk kan ny, moderne reaktorteknologi være tilgjengelig for den maritime næ-ringen innen få år. De største utfordringene ligger i manglende reguleringer og samfunnets generelle oppfatning av kjernekraft.publishedVersio
Synergistic Meta-Heuristic Adaptive Real-Time Power System Stabilizer (SMART-PSS)
Get PDFClassical fixed-parameter power system stabilizers (PSS) are typically designed to work well for a limited and specific set of operating conditions. However, the integration of low-inertia, inverter-based renewable energy resources (RES) has led to rapid fluctuations in power dispatch, rendering non-adaptive PSSs obsolete. This paper presents a novel hybrid gray-box modeling approach for real-time adaptation of PSS parameters during operation, thereby enabling the PSS to effectively handle a broader range of operating conditions. In our proposed method, we employ a two-stage process. First, we utilize a modified Heffron-Phillips model and meta-heuristics to synthesize the PSS’s compensating transfer function across a broad spectrum of operating conditions independently of external system parameters. Second, we leverage machine learning techniques to extrapolate the tuning results, thus ensuring adaptability across the full range of operating conditions. The effectiveness of this design methodology is rigorously evaluated in multi-machine power systems. Simulation results demonstrate that the proposed SMART-PSS exhibits robust performance compared to conventional fixed-parameter controllers, reducing the maximum phase deviation by 70% to 96%. This makes it highly suitable for modern power systems, which face diverse and dynamic operational challenges.publishedVersio
Exploring the presence of sleep disturbances among visually impaired individuals living in Norway: A cross-sectional study
Get PDFBakgrunn: Formålet med denne studien var å utforske forekomsten av søvnforstyrrelser blandt synshemmede med og uten lyspersepsjon som bor i Norge sammenlignet med en kontrollgruppe av individer som også bor i Norge. Tidligere forskning har vist at synshemmede individer pleier å ha mer søvnforstyrrelser sammenlignet med de som ikke er synshemmede og det ikke er noen tilgjengelige studier for en Norsk / Skandinavisk befolkning.
Fremmgangsmåte: Data fra nittini individer ble samlet inn til denne studien mellom Oktober 2024 og Mars 2025. Deltagerene måtte svare på spørsmål vedrørende deres generelle helse, øyehelse og livsstil i tillegg til Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index'en. Den totale verdien fra Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index'en ble kalkulert for hver deltager og de ble dermed klassifisert som å ha søvnforstyrrelser (> 5 points) eller ikke ha søvnforstyrrelser (≤ 5 points) søvnforstyrrelser. I tillegg ble alle de syv delene av PSQI'en analysert. Alder probabiliteten ble beregnet med en Single Sample Wilcoxon test. Pearson's Chi-squared testen og Fisher's exact testen ble begge brukt for å finne probabiliteten avhengig av størrelsen på prøve gruppene. P-verdiene av den totaler PSQI verdien og dens deler be beregnet med Two-Sample Wilcoxon Tests.
Resultater: Den synshemmed gruppen hadde betydelig værre subjektiv søvn kvalitet, søvn varighet, vanlig søvneffektivitet, søvn forstyrrelser (alle med p-verdier 0.05) i søvnforsinkelse, brukt av søvn medikamenter og dysfunksjon på dagtid på grunn av trøtthet mellom de to gruppene.
Konklusjon: Denne studien anntyder at det er en høyere forekomst av søvn forstyrrelser blandt de synshemmede individene som bor i Norge sammenlignet med en kontrollgruppe av individer som også bor i Norge. Videre kom det frem at individer uten lyspersepsjon hadde en høyere PSQI verdi enn de med lyspersepsjon. I tillegg, ser det ut til at langtids bruk av filterbriller reduserer den totale PSQI verdien blandt synshemmede som bruker filterbriller sammenlignet med synshemmede som aldri bruker filterbriller, men for å etablere en konklusiv korrelasjon kreves det mer forskning.Background: The aim of this study was to explore the presence of sleep disturbances amongst visually impaired with and without light perception living in Norway compared to a control group of individuals also living in Norway. Previous research has shown that visually impaired individuals tend to have more sleep disturbances compared to those with no impairment and there are no studies available for a Norwegian / Scandinavian population.
Methods: Data from ninety-nine individuals was collected for this study between October 2024 and March 2025. The participants had to answer questions about their general health, ocular health and lifestyle in addition to the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index. The total score of the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index for each participant was used to classify participants as having sleep disturbances (Score > 5 points) or not having sleep disturbances (Score ≤ 5 points). Additionally, all seven parts of the PSQI were also analysed. The age probability was calculated with a Single Sample Wilcoxon test. The Pearson's Chi-squared test and the Fisher’s exact test were used to obtain the probability depending on the sample size. The p-values of the total PSQI score and its pars were calculated with Two-Sample Wilcoxon Tests.
Results: The visually impaired group had significantly worse subjective sleep quality, sleep duration, habitual sleep efficiency, sleep disturbances (all of them with p-values 0.05) were found in sleep latency, use of sleep medication and daytime disfunction due to sleepiness between both groups.
Conclusion: This study suggests that there is a higher presence of sleep disturbances among visually impaired individuals living in Norway compared to a control group of individuals also living in Norway. In addition, visually impaired individuals without light perception were found to have higher PSQI than those with light perception. Then, the long-term use of filter glasses is found to reduce the total PSQI score among the visually impaired group compared to the visually impaired that never use filter glasses. However, in order to obtain definite conclusions, further research is needed.
Key words: Visually impaired, sleep disturbances, circadian rhythm, Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index, melatonin
Predictive control of HVAC systems in an existing building using machine learning models
Get PDFThis thesis investigates whether machine learning has application in existing buildings HVAC sys-
tems and if these systems can be improved upon.
Data is gathered from an existing building in 5 minute intervals, with weather forecast gathered once
an hour. Missing data is feed-forwarded to assume temperature is not changed too much between
readings. Recurrent neural network algorithms were used for capturing timeseries data for training
the prediction models.
In addition to deep learning models that uses timeseries data, a simulation and reinforcement learn-
ing model is trained to control a simulated HVAC system.
Deep learning models shows sign of underfitting, not fully capturing the dynamics of the system
even with low variance in the data. Even so most predictions were around the measure temperature,
with an Root Mean Squared Error (RMSE) of 0.44°C.
It is concluded that the system requires more work with capturing more data than was used for
deep learning, reinforcement learning has to be improved with what rewards and hyperparameters
are used. And that other controller such as Model Predictive Control (MPC) could be implemented
with ML models to improve system performance and have the predictive nature that was initially
planned for the system
Brennande kunnskap - Ei undersøking av eigen erfaringsbasert kunnskap i møte med tradisjonelle tekstilfiber
Get PDFDenne masteroppgåva handlar om eiga undersøking av dei tradisjonelle tekstilfibrane lin, nesle, saueull og kuhalehår. Saman med materialet har eg undersøkt ulike tradisjonelle handverksteknikkar og prosessar som er knytt til desse fibrane. Utgangspunktet for undersøkinga var eiga interesse og nysgjerrigheit, samt eit ynskje om å tileigne meg meir kunnskap og erfaringar innan feltet. Gjennom ein autoetnografisk metode har eg undersøkt materialet, teknikkane og prosessane gjennom litteratur og eige praktisk estetisk arbeid. Det praktisk estetiske arbeidet tek føre seg ein heilskapleg prosess frå «råfiber» til tråd, og til slutt eit vevd ty som produkt. Gjennom teori, og den praktiske og utforskande prosessen har eg tileigna meg kunnskap om og erfaringar med materialet og dei tradisjonelle handverksteknikkane. Oppgåva retter seg mot kunst- og handverksfaget i skulen, og belyser korleis eit auka fokus på tradisjonelle material, teknikkar og heilskaplege prosessar kan bidra til ei betre forståing av naturens verdi og vår plass innanfor det større miljøet. Eg har valt å trekke inn dagens berekraftsproblematikk, samt økologien, med eit ynskje om å identifisere korleis vi kan ta tilbake kunnskapen og respekten for naturen i framtidige generasjonar, og på denne måten styrke evna til å møte miljøutfordringar på ein berekraftig måte
Invisible Barriers, Visible Struggles: A Critical Human Rights Analysis of African Migrant Women’s Labour Market Integration Experience in Norway.
Get PDFDespite Norway’s international obligations under foundational instruments such as the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (United Nations [UN] 1948) and the International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination (UN, 1979), African migrant women continue to experience entrenched exclusion from the labour market. This qualitative research explores the lived experiences of eight highly educated African migrant women in Oslo and Drammen, whose narratives challenge Norway’s egalitarian self-image and expose persistent systemic inequalities. Using semi-structured interviews and thematic analysis (Braun & Clarke, 2006), my study identifies six key themes: (1) “Why is it Godkjent?”, (2) “It’s not just about education—it’s about whom you know,” (3) “No Norwegian agency helped me in Norway,” (4) “Godkjent in Norway but meant for international students,” (5) “The discrimination is indirect,” and (6) “No fluency.”
Through these themes, my study reveals systemic barriers including credential devaluation despite formal recognition, exclusion from professional networks, racialized hiring practices masked by claims of neutrality, language-based gatekeeping, bureaucratic inertia within integration programs, and the compounded effects of racial and gender discrimination. Anchored in Critical Race Theory (CRT), Social Capital Theory, and Intersectionality, the analysis demonstrates that labour market exclusion reflects entrenched systemic inequalities rather than failures of individual adaptation.
Echoing Crenshaw’s (1989) and Joseph’s (2020) concept of intersecting oppressions, my study conceptualizes a “double penalty” faced by African migrant women, whereby racialized and gendered biases systematically constrain access to employment. Furthermore, the findings highlight how integration programs prioritize language acquisition while neglecting to address deeper systemic biases in hiring practices (Midtbøen, 2016). Ultimately, my study calls for transformative, and equity-driven reforms that move beyond procedural compliance toward substantive inclusion, contributing critical insights to contemporary debates on human rights, multiculturalism, and racial justice in Norway.
Keywords: Labour market integration, African migrant women, Critical Race Theory, social capital, intersectionality, credential recognition, systemic discrimination, racialized hiring
The Impact of Avalanche Safety Tools on Risk-Taking in Ski Touring
Get PDFThis thesis investigates how avalanche safety equipment relates to risk-taking behaviour when people tour on skis. Ski touring is in the process of becoming more popular outdoor activity for people. Therefore, fully understanding how protective safety gear influences decision-making in avalanche-danger terrain is important. The study explores if avalanche airbags, beacons, shovels, and probes can encourage people to take greater risks, because those tools can lead to a false sense of security.
The research is made on psychological theories such as risk compensation theory and risk homeostasis theory. A mixed of different methods was indeed used. A structured questionnaire was completed by 104 ski tourers of diverse experience levels. The survey collected qualitative and quantitative data to assess participants' equipment use, risk perception, decision-making, and personal experiences.
The findings indicate that while most of the participants assess terrain and prioritize traditional safety measures, a large number acknowledge that carrying safety tools may increase their confidence as well as affect how they perceive risk. Some people, especially those who have had less experience or tend to use more advanced safety gear such as airbags, are in general more inclined to make riskier choices. However, results also reveal that most respondents view safety tools as back up measures rather than to justify riskier behaviour.This thesis investigates how avalanche safety equipment relates to risk-taking behaviour when people tour on skis. Ski touring is in the process of becoming more popular outdoor activity for people. Therefore, fully understanding how protective safety gear influences decision-making in avalanche-danger terrain is important. The study explores if avalanche airbags, beacons, shovels, and probes can encourage people to take greater risks, because those tools can lead to a false sense of security.
The research is made on psychological theories such as risk compensation theory and risk homeostasis theory. A mixed of different methods was indeed used. A structured questionnaire was completed by 104 ski tourers of diverse experience levels. The survey collected qualitative and quantitative data to assess participants' equipment use, risk perception, decision-making, and personal experiences.
The findings indicate that while most of the participants assess terrain and prioritize traditional safety measures, a large number acknowledge that carrying safety tools may increase their confidence as well as affect how they perceive risk. Some people, especially those who have had less experience or tend to use more advanced safety gear such as airbags, are in general more inclined to make riskier choices. However, results also reveal that most respondents view safety tools as back up measures rather than to justify riskier behaviour
Framing of the "Terrorist Other": A Genealogical Analysis of Counterterrorism Discourses and Practices in Kenya
Get PDFMore than two decades after the global declaration of the “War on Terror,” one critical question remains: if the goal was to defeat terrorism, why has the war not ended? Instead, its discourse has expanded, justifying racialized narratives, mass surveillance, targeted arrests, indefinite detention, and extrajudicial killings. Has terrorism and counterterrorism evolved into a sovereign power aimed at control rather than protection? This thesis critically examines the counterterrorism discourses embedded in Kenya’s Prevention of Terrorism Act (POTA, 2012) and the National Strategy to Counter Violent Extremism (NSCVE, 2016). It interrogates how these discourses are constructed as true knowledge that challenge the rights of Muslim minorities in Mombasa. Through the conceptual lenses of Foucault’s biopolitics and Mbembe’s necropolitics and state of exception, this study uses Foucauldian genealogical discourse analysis to investigate how counterterrorism framework (dispositif); its discourses, institutions and practices have evolved into instruments of state control, exclusion, and racialized violence, disproportionately targeting Muslim minorities in Mombasa. The findings reveal that Kenya’s counterterrorism frameworks, including their discourses and practices, fail to address the legitimate threat of terrorism. Instead, they function as mechanisms of power that control, regulate, and marginalize Muslim minorities through state-sanctioned biopower and necropower, perpetuating violence and racialized exclusion. By framing Muslim communities as inherently vulnerable to radicalization, as potential threats, or as suspect communities, while excluding narratives such as state violence and socio-economic marginalization, the state normalizes exceptional practices that reduce these populations to what Agamben terms “bare life.” This study highlights the need to critically evaluate counterterrorism frameworks not only in terms of their claimed effectiveness but also for the narratives they construct and the exclusions they normalize, particularly concerning the rights and dignity of marginalized population