39449 research outputs found
Sort by
Effects of Mesenchymal Stem Cell-Conditioned Medium on Osteonecrosis-Derived Rat Mesenchymal Stem Cells
No full textPostponed access: the file will be accessible after 2025-08-31M.Phil. in Global Health - ThesisINTH395AMAMD-GLO
Språk- og matematikkutvikling hos førskolebarn: En kvantitativ studie av stabilitet og utviklingsmessige sammenhenger fra fire- til femårsalderen
No full textSammendrag
Formålet med denne studien var å utforske stabilitet og utviklingsmessige sammenhenger i språkferdigheter og matematikkforståelse hos barn i fire til femårsalderen. Dette ble undersøkt ved hjelp av følgende forskningsspørsmål:
I.Hvor stabile er språkferdigheter og matematisk forståelse hos barn fra fire- til femårsalderen?
II.Hvordan er de utviklingsmessige sammenhengene mellom språk og matematikkforståelse hos barn fra fire- til femårsalderen?
III.Hvilken betydning har arbeidsminne og evnemessige forutsetninger for de utviklingsmessige sammenhengene mellom språkferdigheter og matematisk forståelse?
IV.Er det forskjeller i matematikkforståelse ved femårsalder når en sammenligner barn som har gode og svake språkferdigheter ved fireårsalder?
V.Er det forskjeller i språkferdigheter ved femårsalder når en sammenligner barn som har god og svak matematikkforståelse ved fireårsalder?
Studien er skrevet i forbindelse med forskningsprosjektet SpedAims Kohort. Som en del av arbeidet med denne masteroppgaven bidro vi til datainnsamling ved måletidspunkt to, som ble gjennomført våren 2024. Basert på datamateriale fra to måletidspunkt ble det benyttet et kvantitativt forskningsdesign for å undersøke stabilitet og utviklingsmessige sammenhenger i språk og matematikk. Utvalget i denne studien besto av 155 førskolebarn fra Vestland fylke.
Funnene fra analysene indikerer at språk og matematikk er stabile ferdigheter som i hovedsak drives av tidligere ferdigheter innenfor hvert enkelt område. Arbeidsminnet og evnemessige forutsetninger tyder på å ha større betydning for matematikk enn for språk. Stabilitet ble også bekreftet selv når arbeidsminnet og evnemessige forutsetninger inngikk i analysene. Resultatene fra gruppeanalysene tyder på at barn med svake språkferdigheter eller matematikkforståelse ved fireårsalder har en økt risiko for å utvikle svakere ferdigheter på det andre området ved femårsalder. Dette indikerer en utviklingsmessig sammenheng, særlig i de svakeste gruppene.Abstract
This study aimed to examine the stability and developmental correlations between language skills and mathematical understanding, specifically focusing on children aged four and five. This was investigated through the following research questions:
I.To what extent are language skills and mathematical understanding stable among children aged four to five years?
II.What are the developmental relationships between language and mathematical understanding in children aged four to five years?
III.What is the impact of working memory and cognitive ability on the developmental relationships between language skills and mathematical understanding?
IV.Are there differences in mathematical understanding at the age of five when comparing children with good and poor language skills at the age of four?
V.Are there differences in language skills at the age of five when comparing children with good and poor mathematical understanding at the age of four?
This study was conducted in connection with the research project SpedAims Cohort. As part of the thesis work, we participated in data collection during the second measurement period, carried out in the spring of 2024. Building on these data, the study used a quantitative research design to examine the stability and developmental associations between language skills and mathematical understanding. The analysis was conducted on a sample of 155 preschool children from Vestland County.
Findings from this analysis suggest that language and mathematical abilities are stable, primarily influenced by earlier proficiency in each domain. Moreover, working memory and cognitive abilities appear to play a more significant role in mathematical development than in language acquisition. This stability remains evident when accounting for the effects of working memory and cognitive abilities in the analysis. Furthermore, the results of the group analysis indicate that children with weak language skills or mathematical understanding at age four have an increased risk of developing weaker skills in the other area at age five. This suggests a developmental correlation, particularly among the most academically vulnerable children.Masteroppgave i spesialpedagogikkSPED395MAPS-PEDMAPS-SPE
Effects of Electroconvulsive Therapy on Brain Structure: A Neuroradiological Investigation Into White Matter Hyperintensities, Atrophy, and Microbleeds
No full textBackground: Electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) is a well-established treatment for severe depression, but it remains stigmatized due to public perceptions linking it with brain injury. Despite extensive research, the neurobiological mechanisms underlying ECT have not been fully elucidated. Recent findings suggest that ECT may work through disrupting depression circuitry. However, whether ECT is associated with neuroradiological correlates of brain injury, including white matter changes, atrophy, and microbleeds, remains largely unexplored.
Methods: We performed magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scans on 36 ECT patients (19 female), 19 healthy control participants (11 female), and 18 patients with atrial fibrillation (1 female) who were treated with electrical cardioversion while receiving an equivalent anesthetic as the ECT group. Scans were conducted at 4 time points: at baseline, after the first ECT treatment, after the ECT series, and at 6-month follow-up. We evaluated white matter changes using the Fazekas and the age-related white matter changes scales, atrophy using the global cortical atrophy and medial temporal lobe atrophy scales, and cerebral microbleeds using the Microbleed Anatomical Rating Scale. Data were analyzed using nonparametric statistical methods.
Results: Patients did not show any changes in radiological scores after ECT (all ps > .1), except for a decrease in microbleeds (p = .05).
Conclusions: Utilizing state-of-the-art MRI techniques, we found no significant evidence that ECT induces white matter changes, atrophy, or microbleeds. Thus, although ECT may work through disrupting depression circuitry, the treatment is not associated with neuroradiological signs of brain injury.publishedVersio
Håndtering av innsiderisiko i en ansettelsesprosess - Arbeidsgivers adgang innenfor diskrimineringslovgivningen til å utelukke en arbeidssøker med tilknytning til et høyrisikoland
No full textMasteroppgaveJUS399MAJURMAJUR-
SEAs of Uncertainty - Uncertainty analysis of Strategic Environmental Impact Assessments for offshore wind energy in Norway
No full textNorge planlegger å bygge sine første kommersielle havvindparker. Bygging av havvindparker er knyttet til en rekke miljøpåvirkninger, og kunnskapen er begrenset. Derfor fikk Norges vassdrags- og energidirektorat (NVE) en oppgave om å gjennomføre strategiske miljøkonsekvensutredninger (SEA) for de tre potensielle utviklingsområdene Vestavind B, Vestavind F og Sørvest F. Disse SEA-ene skal håndtere eksisterende usikkerheter, tilgjengelig kunnskap og anbefale hvilke områder som bør åpnes for utbygning av havvind.
Denne avhandlingen utforsker og karakteriserer de viktigste usikkerhetene samt håndtering av usikkerhetene i SEA-ene for de tre områdene Vestavind B, Vestavind F og Sørvest F. Usikkerheter blir identifisert gjennom dokumentanalyse av NVE sin nettside om SEA-ene og ekspertrapportene om Bunnsamfunn og naturtyper, Biologisk mangfold i de frie vannmasser og Fugl, flaggermus og insekter. En 5-dimensional-usikkerhetsmatrise brukes for å karakterisere og kategorisere usikkerheter. En typologi av strategier for håndtering av usikkerhet i SEA-ene brukes for å identifisere håndtering av usikkerhet.
Analysen viser til store kunnskapshull, og bare et fåtall dimensjoner av usikkerheter er delvis identifisert i SEA-ene. Sentrale usikkerheter eksisterer hovedsakelig i dataene, konteksten og ekspertvurderingene. To hovedtendenser identifiseres i håndteringen av usikkerhet i SEAene: 1) Essensielt informasjon om usikkerhet blir ikke alltid overført fra ekspertrapportene til nettsiden. Dette resulterer i at, på nettsiden, fremstilles usikkerhet mindre synlig og i lavere grad enn i ekspertrapportene. 2) Akkumulasjon av usikkerhet gjennom stegene i SEA-ene blir ikke systematisk adressert i NVE sin utredning. Usikkerhetene må bli anerkjent, effektivt kommunisert og handtert for at beslutningstakerne skal kunne ta avgjørelser med innsikt rundt usikkerheter og limitasjoner i kunnskapen.Norway is planning to build its first commercial offshore wind farms. The construction of offshore wind farms will have various environmental impacts, and knowledge is limited. Therefore, the Norwegian Water Resources and Energy Directorate (NVE) was tasked with conducting strategic environmental impact assessments (SEA) for the three potential areas of development Vestavind B, Vestavind F and Sørvest F. These SEAs must deal with the existing uncertainties, available knowledge, and recommend which areas should be opened for development.
This thesis explores and characterises the key uncertainties in the SEAs for the three areas Vestavind B, Vestavind F and Sørvest F and details how the uncertainties are handled. Uncertainties are identified through document analysis of NVE’s website on the SEAs and the expert reports on Benthic communities and habitats, Biodiversity in the water column and Birds, bats and insects. A 5-dimensional uncertainty matrix is used to characterise and typify uncertainty. A typology of strategies of handling uncertainty in SEAs is used to identify how uncertainty is dealt with.
The analysis shows that large knowledge gaps exist, and only some dimensions of uncertainty are partly identified within the SEAs. Key uncertainties can be mainly found in the data, context and expert judgement. Two main patterns can be identified in handling uncertainty in the SEAs: 1) Essential uncertainty information tends to disappear going from the expert reports to the website. As a result, on the website, uncertainty is much less visible and communicated as smaller as compared to the expert reports. 2) The accumulation of uncertainty throughout the various steps of the SEAs are not systematically addressed nor critically evaluated in NVE’s evaluation. These uncertainties must be acknowledged, effectively communicated and handled as decision makers need to be able to act in full awareness of uncertainties and limitations in the knowledge base that informs their decisions.MasteroppgaveSDG350MAHF-SD
"Billie is ready for a new chapter in life”: Exploring constructions of schizophrenia recovery from the perspectives of Norwegian youth using story completion
No full textThis study employs the story completion method to explore how Norwegian youth describe and understand recovery processes and life following treatment for schizophrenia. Data was collected from 131 participants aged 17–27 years who were students in upper secondary schools and a university. Using reflexive thematic analysis, we identified five key themes: (1) The ongoing battle with a severe mental illness; (2) the double-edged sword of treatment; (3) rebuilding a life in the community; (4) claiming identity and purpose; and (5) resilience and hope in recovery. Our findings highlight the complex and multifaceted nature of recovery, emphasizing both ongoing challenges and the potential for growth and positive change. The study reveals a tendency towards problem-saturated narratives, even when prompted with recovery-oriented cues, suggesting a need for more diverse and nuanced representations of recovery experiences. These insights have significant implications for mental health education, stigma reduction efforts, and the development of recovery-oriented services. The study contributes to the growing body of literature advocating for a more holistic, socially-embedded conceptualization of recovery, aligning with citizenship models and emphasizing the importance of community integration.publishedVersio
The Future is a Foreign Country : The Presence of the Future in Contemporary Norwegian Cultural Heritage Policies and Practices
No full textDenne avhandlingen utforsker fremtidens rolle i den norske kulturminnesektoren. Selv om bevaring av kulturminner ofte fremstilles gjennom et generasjonsperspektiv – som en plikt overfor både tidligere og fremtidige generasjoner – finnes det lite kunnskap om hvordan ulike måter å tenke om fremtiden på påvirker kulturminnepolitikk og -praksiser.
Målet med avhandlingen er å undersøke hvilke verdier, antakelser og fortellinger som ligger til grunn for fremtidsrettet tenkning i den norske kulturminnesektoren. Ved å benytte diskursteori og logikperspektiv som inngang, gjennomfører avhandlingen en omfattende analyse av nasjonale stortingsmeldinger fra Klima- og miljødepartementet, strategidokumenter og rapporter fra Riksantikvaren, samt en kvalitativ spørreundersøkelse blant medlemmer av lokalhistorielag.
Studien identifiserer hvordan fremtidstenkning påvirker kulturminnesektoren, men også hvordan dagens forståelse av kulturminners funksjon og verdi former hvilke handlinger som anses som mulige. Den viser hvordan forestillinger om kontinuitet, ansvar, usikkerhet og endring strukturerer og påvirker bevaringspolitikk og strategier. Avhandlingen observerer at selv om fremtiden ofte implisitt påkalles for å legitimere bevaringspraksiser, finnes det mulige konflikter mellom langsiktige mål og kortsiktige politiske hensyn. En manglende anerkjennelse av dette kan begrense sektorens evne til å møte utfordringer knyttet til klimaendringer, samfunnsmessig transformasjon og fremtidig usikkerhet på en fleksibel og konstruktiv måte.
En sammenligning med perspektiv fra de frivillige viser en større vektlegging av personlige og lokale aspekter ved bevaring og forvaltning av kulturminner, samtidig som mange av de samme logikkene og antakelsene om kulturminner deles med den offentlige forvaltningen.
Avhandlingen bidrar til debatten om de etiske og politiske sidene ved fremtidsrettet bevaring og forvaltning av kulturminner i møte med samtidige utfordringer. Den etterlyser en mer eksplisitt, reflektert og pluralistisk fremtidstenkning i kulturminnepolitikk og -praksis, som avhandlingen viser ofte hindres av rådende forestillinger om kulturminner som et uttrykk for sammenheng, stabilitet og kontinuitet.This thesis explores the role of the future in the Norwegian heritage sector. While cultural heritage preservation is often framed through an intergenerational perspective – as a duty towards both past and future generations – there is a lack of knowledge about the impact different ways of thinking about the future have on cultural heritage policies and practices.
The objective of this thesis is to explore the values, assumptions, and narratives that underpin future-oriented thinking in the Norwegian heritage sector. Using a discourse perspective and the method of logics of critical explanation, the thesis conducts a comprehensive analysis of national white papers from the Ministry of Climate and Environment, strategy documents and reports from the Directorate for Cultural Heritage, as well as a qualitative survey among members of local historical organisations.
The study identifies how future thinking impacts the heritage sector, but also how current understandings of the functions and values of cultural heritage informs what actions are perceived as possible. It demonstrates how notions of continuity, responsibility, uncertainty, and change structure and influence preservation policies and strategies. The thesis observes that while the future is often implicitly invoked to legitimise preservation practices, there are potential conflicts between long-term goals and short-term policy aims. A failure to recognise this can limit the ability of the sector to respond to the challenges of climate change, social transformation, and future uncertainty in a flexible and productive way. A comparison with volunteer perspectives reveals a larger focus on personal and local aspects of heritage preservation and management, while at the same time sharing some of the underpinning logics and assumptions about cultural heritage with the official heritage management.
The thesis contributes to important debates about the ethical and political aspects of future-directed heritage preservation and management in facing current challenges. It calls for more explicit, reflective, and pluralistic future thinking within the heritage sector, which the thesis demonstrates is often hindered by prevailing notions of cultural heritage as representing coherence, stability, and continuity.Doktorgradsavhandlin
Microbiota as diagnostic biomarkers: advancing early cancer detection and personalized therapeutic approaches through microbiome profiling
No full textThe important function of microbiota as therapeutic modulators and diagnostic biomarkers in cancer has been shown by recent developments in microbiome research. The intricate interplay between the gut microbiota and the development of cancer, especially in colorectal and breast cancers, emphasizes how microbial profiling may be used for precision treatment and early diagnosis. Important microbial signatures, including Bacteroides fragilis and Fusobacterium nucleatum, have been linked to the development and progression of cancer, providing important information on the processes behind carcinogenesis. Additionally, the influence of microbiota on the effectiveness of treatments such as immunotherapy and chemotherapy highlights its dual function in improving treatment outcomes and reducing side effects. To optimize treatment results, strategies including dietary changes and fecal microbiota transplantation (FMT) are being investigated. Despite these developments, there are still issues, such as individual variations in microbial composition, a lack of standardized procedures, and the requirement for reliable biomarkers. Integrating microbiome-based diagnostics with conventional approaches, such as liquid biopsies and machine learning algorithms, could revolutionize cancer detection and management. This review provides an overview of the current understanding of the host–microbe immunological axis and discusses emerging therapeutic strategies centered on microbiota modulation to support human health. Further research is essential to overcome existing challenges and fully realize the promise of microbiota-driven innovations in oncology.publishedVersio
‘Fine, you made your energy, but how much did we have to pay for this?’ Embracing situated energy ecologies for pluriversal futures
No full textGrowing energy and material throughput, climate change targets and political economic evolution have spurred rapid deployment of lower-carbon energy infrastructures. Many of these developments have relied on ‘cheap nature’, often covering agropastoral and indigenous lands, which raises questions about the implications of energy transitions for non-industrial lifeways. This article explores the onto-epistemological foundations that comprise the emergent energy transitions paradigm. Anchored in ethnographic findings from fieldwork in Rajasthan (India), we identify naturalism as the dominant ontological basis of knowledge production in global energy policies and examine its imaginaries and practices. We draw on Philippe Descola's ontological modes of identification to question universalism and demonstrate its perpetuation through energy transition practices. These approaches overlook socioecological complexity, a gap starkly showcased by the solar energy rollout in agropastoral Rajasthan, with Jaisalmer district as its epicentre. To overcome these limitations, we propose and empirically test the Situated Energy Ecologies principles, which combine (a) a post-productivist approach based on a commitment to energy sufficiency; (b) a commitment to ontological and epistemic recognition, to better capture place-based ways of knowing and being; and (c) autonomous practices based on prefigurative politics and agonism. By integrating a wider array of human experiences, this tripartite heuristic fosters a pluralistic understanding of energy-society relations towards emancipatory engagement.publishedVersio
Digitizing Fish Feeding Behaviour : A step towards feeding automation in aquaculture
Get PDFHavbruksnæringen er i konstant utvikling. Det er da spesielt viktig å sørge for at næringen er bærekraftig og at endringsforslag er gjennomførbare og skalerbare.
I det siste har mange avanserte teknologier som kunstig intelligens (KI), big data og diverse internet of things (IoT) enheter blitt tatt i bruk innen forskning og industri.
Bruksområder innenfor havbruksnæringen inkluderer optimalisering av fôringen, vurderinger av fiskevelferd og deteksjon av avvikende adferd.
Selv om digitaliseringen av havbruksnæringen fremdeles er i startfasen, ser man at flere aktører i næringen har begynt å ta i bruk digitale teknologier i deres praksis.
Imidlertid er dagens teknologier sjeldent godt integrert med de biologiske aspektene av havbruk.
Dette kan føre til tapte muligheter for økt produktivitet, fortjeneste og bærekraft i dagens havbruksnæring.
I denne oppgaven viser vi hvordan integrert bruk av teknologi på fiskeadferd rundt fôring kan optimalisere fôringsplaner og veilede operasjonelle prosedyrer. Vi presenterer arbeid på tvers av ulike områder, inkludert åpne merder og et resirkulerende akvakultursystem (RAS), og forskjellige arter, havabbor (Dicentrarchus labrax) og laks (Salmo salar).
Hovedresultatene er med på å bidra til økt kunnskap rundt fôringsoptimalisering gjennom undersøkelse av matforventningsadferd, fôringsadferd og dykkingsadferd. Disse undersøkelsene ble utført ved hjelp av akustisk telemetri som seinere ble oppgradert med et smart kamerasystem hvis KI- målinger ble verifisert.
Videre viser vi kapasiteten av kun kamerasystemer i kombinasjon med KI modeller i bildesegmentering til å utføre mer komplekse analyser for måling av fiskeadferd på gruppenivå som anomalideteksjon.
Resultatene våre demonstrerer hvordan moderne teknologier kan brukes mens man tar hensyn til biologiske aspekter og dermed veileder havbruksoperasjoner mot en mer helhetlig tilnærming som omfatter både teknologiske fremskritt og fiskeadferd.
Vi håper at denne avhandlingen kan bidra til autonom, smart fôring som kan ta hensyn til fiskens responser for å maksimere velferd, produksjonseffektivitet og bærekraft.The aquaculture industry is under constant development. Therefore it is important to ensure that the industry is sustainable and that proposed changes remain feasible and scalable.
Recently, many advanced technologies, such as artificial intelligence (AI), big data, and a diverse assortment of internet of things (IoT) devices are being deployed within research and industry. Areas of deployment within aquaculture include feeding optimisation, welfare assessments and anomaly detection. While digital aquaculture as such is still in an early stage, it can be observed that more and more companies in the aquaculture industry have started using digital technologies in their operations.
However, technologies in use are often not well integrated with the biological aspects of aquaculture such as fish behaviour. The disconnected implementation can lead to missed opportunities for improved productivity, profit and sustainability in today’s aquaculture industry.
Here we show how integrated use of technology on fish behaviour around feeding can optimise feeding schedules and guide operational procedures. We present work across different settings, including open sea cages and a recirculating aquaculture system (RAS), and different species, namely European seabass (Dicentrarchus labrax ) and Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar ).
Main results contribute to knowledge around feeding optimisation through the examination of food anticipatory behaviour, feeding behaviour and diving behaviour. The investigations were carried out using acoustic telemetry, which later got upgraded with a smart camera system whose AI-inferred readings were qualified. Furthermore, we show the capabilities of solely camera systems in combination with image segmentation AI models to conduct more complex downstream analysis for fish group behavioural metrics inference, with one resulting avenue being anomaly detection.
Our presented results demonstrate how modern technologies can be used in conjunction with biological parameters in mind and guide aquaculture operations towards a more holistic approach that encompasses both technological advancements and fish behaviour.
We hope that this thesis can contribute to autonomous, smart feeding that can take the fish responses into account to maximize welfare, production efficiency and sustainability.Doktorgradsavhandlin