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Warrior institutions and martial networks in Viking-Age Scandinavia
No full textThe figure of the warrior occupies a key position in both scholarly and popular representations of the Viking Age. Despite this, many aspects of martial culture and lifeways during the period remain obscure. In order to address this issue, this article offers an exploration of the identities, roles, and social position of warrior groups in Viking-Age Scandinavia. We adopt a recently developed institutional approach for the study of the archaeological record, which allows us to target and analyse a number of key properties that shed light on the objectives, activities, and ideologies of these groups. In doing so, we mobilise and combine a range of evidence types, deriving from both archaeological and textual sources, which collectively have the potential to provide a more holistic understanding of warrior institutions and their place within the wider social formations that constituted prehistoric society. Our analysis reveals the complex networks of obligation and dependency that not only bound these institutions together, but which also influenced and shaped the ways in which they interacted with their communities.Making a Warrior: The Social Implications of Viking Age Martial Ideologie
Att nå en djupare förståelse : En textanalys av läsförståelseuppgifter i läromedel för årskurs 5
No full textVikten av läsförståelse i dagens samhälle är betydande och läromedlen har en central plats i undervisningen. Syftet med denna kvalitativa textanalys är i förhållande till detta att bidra med kunskap om läsförståelseuppgifters utformning i svenskläromedel för årskurs 5. Studien ämnar behandla fyra frågeställningar: 1) Hur behandlar uppgifterna i svenskläromedel för årskurs 5 läsförståelse? 2) Vilka lässtrategier påvisas i uppgifterna? 3) På vilket sätt synliggörs lässtrategierna? 4) Hur främjar uppgifterna en djupare textförståelse? För att behandla dessa undersöks läsförståelseuppgifter i fyra läromedel i svenska. Uppgifterna undersöks genom två analysmodeller som behandlar lässtrategier och textrörlighet. Analysmodellen som berör lässtrategier är utformad av Roe och innefattar femton olika strategier. Den andra modellen, textrörlighet, definieras av Liberg m.fl. och delas in i tre olika rörlighetstyper. Resultatet analyseras i relation till de teoretiska utgångspunkterna Langers föreställningsvärldar samt Luke och Freebodys modell Four Resources Model. Den första teorin behandlar de faser en läsare intar i byggandet av föreställningsvärldar för djupare läsförståelse och den andra teorin belyser hur läsaren använder sig av fyra textpraktiker för effektiv läsförståelse. Analysen visar att undervisning om lässtrategier i läromedelsuppgifter är bristfällig och att frekvensen strategierna emellan är ojämn. Det ses även ett stort fokus på några få aspekter av läsförståelse och bortfall av andra vilket anses förhindra möjlighet till djupare förståelse. En tredje slutsats är att uppgifter ofta saknar textförankring då de fokuserar på isolerade språkövningar eller associationer utan avstamp i texten. En diskussion förs kring resultatet i relation till den rådande läroplanen samt tidigare forskning inom ämnet
Reducing global inequities in medical oxygen access : the Lancet Global Health Commission on medical oxygen security
No full textArtificial intelligence-enhanced electrocardiography for the identification of a sex-related cardiovascular risk continuum : a retrospective cohort study
No full textBackground Females are typically underserved in cardiovascular medicine. The use of sex as a dichotomous variable for risk stratification fails to capture the heterogeneity of risk within each sex. We aimed to develop an artificial intelligence-enhanced electrocardiography (AI-ECG) model to investigate sex-specific cardiovascular risk. Methods In this retrospective cohort study, we trained a convolutional neural network to classify sex using the 12-lead electrocardiogram (ECG). The Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center (BIDMC) secondary care dataset, comprising data from individuals who had clinically indicated ECGs performed in a hospital setting in Boston, MA, USA collected between May, 2000, and March, 2023, was the derivation cohort (1 163 401 ECGs). 50% of this dataset was used for model training, 10% for validation, and 40% for testing. External validation was performed using the UK Biobank cohort, comprising data from volunteers aged 40–69 years at the time of enrolment in 2006–10 (42 386 ECGs). We examined the difference between AI-ECG-predicted sex (continuous) and biological sex (dichotomous), termed sex discordance score. Findings AI-ECG accurately identified sex (area under the receiver operating characteristic 0·943 [95% CI 0·942–0·943] for BIDMC and 0·971 [0·969–0·972] for the UK Biobank). In BIDMC outpatients with normal ECGs, an increased sex discordance score was associated with covariate-adjusted increased risk of cardiovascular death in females (hazard ratio [HR] 1·78 [95% CI 1·18–2·70], p=0·006) but not males (1·00 [0·63–1·58], p=0·996). In the UK Biobank cohort, the same pattern was seen (HR 1·33 [95% CI 1·06–1·68] for females, p=0·015; 0·98 [0·80–1·20] for males, p=0·854). Females with a higher sex discordance score were more likely to have future heart failure or myocardial infarction in the BIDMC cohort and had more male cardiac (increased left ventricular mass and chamber volumes) and non-cardiac phenotypes (increased muscle mass and reduced body fat percentage) in both cohorts. Interpretation Sex discordance score is a novel AI-ECG biomarker capable of identifying females with disproportionately elevated cardiovascular risk. AI-ECG has the potential to identify female patients who could benefit from enhanced risk factor modification or surveillance
Hot-Plugging Logic-Enabled Valves
No full textSoft pneumatic robotics are emerging as a transformative force in the field ofwearable robotics, especially for their ability to deliver high-force kinesthetichaptics using lightweight, soft, and compliant materials. Despite theseadvancements, the miniaturization of these systems and the integration ofcomplex, large-scale actuators pose significant challenges. Therefore, thisresearch proposes a novel hot-plugging logic-enabled pinch valve to facilitateseamless valve integration without disrupting the existing pneumatic system.The valve design incorporates a frame equipped with slots for two pneumaticactuators (PAs). A third slot positioned between these two actuators enables hotplugging capabilities for the operational elastic tubing pinched between theactuators. This configuration allows the control of higher operational pressureswhile operating at lower control pressures, achieving an impressive gain of up toeight and a maximum operational frequency of 1 Hz. Furthermore, by utilizing twoPAs and adjusting the control pressure, the valve can execute a range of logicalfunctions, including NOT, NAND, and NOR, without modifying its pneumaticconnections. The NAND function of the valve is successfully demonstrated as ittransforms an unsecured gripper into a secured one, showcasing its practicalimplications for enhancing functionality in soft pneumatic robotic systems
Effects of household concrete floors on maternal and child health : the CRADLE trial - a randomised controlled trial protocol
No full textIntroduction: Early life soil-transmitted helminth (STH) infection and diarrhoea are associated with growth faltering, anaemia, impaired child development and mortality. Exposure to faecally contaminated soil inside the home may be a key contributor to enteric infections, and a large fraction of rural homes in low-income countries have soil floors. The objective of this study is to measure the effect of installing concrete floors in homes with soil floors on child STH infection and other maternal and child health outcomes in rural Bangladesh. Methods and analysis: The Cement-based flooRs AnD chiLd hEalth trial is an individually randomised trial in Sirajganj and Tangail districts, Bangladesh. Households with a pregnant woman, a soil floor, walls that are not made of mud and no plan to relocate for 3 years will be eligible. We will randomise 800 households to intervention or control (1:1) within geographical blocks of 10 households to account for strong geographical clustering of enteric infection. Laboratory staff and data analysts will be blinded; participants will be unblinded. We will instal concrete floors when the birth cohort is in utero and measure outcomes at child ages 3, 6, 12, 18 and 24 months. The primary outcome is prevalence of any STH infection (Ascaris lumbricoides, Necator americanus or Trichuris trichiura) detected by quantitative PCR at 6, 12, 18 or 24 months follow-up in the birth cohort. Secondary outcomes include household floor and child hand contamination with Escherichia coli, extended-spectrum beta-lactamase producing E. coli and STH DNA; child diarrhoea, growth and cognitive development; and maternal stress and depression. Ethics and dissemination: Study protocols have been approved by institutional review boards at Stanford University and the International Centre for Diarrheal Disease Research, Bangladesh. We will report findings on ClinicalTrials.gov, in peer-reviewed publications and in stakeholder workshops in Bangladesh
Managers and Hygiene Representatives' Perceptions of a Patient Safety Initiative to Reduce Healthcare-Associated Infections : A Mixed-Methods Study
No full textBackground and Aims More knowledge about perceptions of implementing new ways of working to prevent organism transmission and create safety engagement in health care are needed. This study aimed to explore managers and hygiene representatives', in the role as facilitators, perceptions of safety engagement and factors of importance when implementing measures to reduce healthcare-associated infections. Methods Data were collected using both a quantitative and qualitative approach. A total of 24 facilitators were involved in the implementation process (12 managers, and 12 hygiene representatives, all female). The facilitators responded to the Sustainable Safety Engagement Index at three occasions, and 13 of the facilitators participated in open-ended semi-structured interviews. Results The results displayed that both internal and external organizational factors affected the implementation process as well as the interactions between individuals within the organization. The Sustainable Safety Engagement Index did not indicate any deviations before and during the implementation process. Conclusion To create a patient safety culture and get healthcare personnel engaged, it is important for healthcare managers to be aware of the complexity of healthcare and adapt organizational factors and specific elements in the caring chain. A systematic implementation approach, and reliable measurements along with use of single or multiple strategies is recommended. Furthermore, dedicated facilitators who creates an environment of support and cooperation between different professions and provides inspiration is crucial to maintain the improvement work. Prevailing behaviors should also be considered when planning and implementing patient safety interventions
Dual-Element Onshore Seismic Data Acquisition and Imaging Techniques : Case studies from Seoul metropolitan and Danish CCS sites
No full textThis thesis presents the development of an innovative 2D reflection seismic acquisition system and its processing. The dual-element system integrates a nodal geophone array employed for deep imaging, and a MEMS-based landstreamer system employed for near-surface imaging, enabling high-resolution seismic data acquisition across multiple depth ranges. In the Korean Peninsula, where seismic activity has increased following the 2011 Tohoku-Oki earthquake, this system was applied to image crustal-scale fault systems. Three major systems were partially imaged, and the integration of the two datasets helped constrain fault locations in the densely populated, hard-rock environment of metropolitan Seoul, improving the understanding of seismic hazards and earthquake preparedness in the region. In Denmark, the system was employed for large-scale geological surveys to assess potential CO₂ storage structures, contributing to climate change mitigation efforts. A novel data merging technique was developed to integrate the two datasets, enhancing the imaging of reservoirs, seals, and fault structures. In addition, offshore sensors were considered and analysed to cover an onshore transition to offshore zone. The applied acquisition setup and developed merging technique were crucial to reach the desired resolution at all pertinent depths. A reflection-picked moveout correction processing step was developed for implementing high-resolution near-surface imaging through S-wave reflections as a by-product of large-scale acquisitions. The application of this method increased the reflection continuity in the stacked section that, complemented with velocity analyses, permitted the identification of key geological markers such as the water table depth and the top of the pre-Quaternary layers. Throughout the thesis, application of complementary analyses highlights the importance of leveraging different seismic data characteristics to improve subsurface imaging and geological reconstruction. The adaptability of this system demonstrates its effectiveness in complex environments, supporting both urban seismic risk mitigation and carbon capture and storage (CCS) applications. By addressing seismic hazards and climate challenges, this research underscores the crucial role of reflection seismology in tackling global environmental and societal issues
Governing sex workers through social work strategies : The example of Denmark
No full textThis dissertation was initiated by a scoping review (Study I). It identified Denmark as having an under-researched sex work policy that relied strongly on sex workers’ voluntary participation in publicly financed social work programmes to reduce sex work. Due to its emphasis on voluntary participation, the policy was subjected to analysis using basic Foucauldian governmentality theory as a lens. The aim was to explore how social work programmes were strategized to govern sex workers by transforming their subjectivities. Empirical materials were collected from three bureaucratic levels: the government of Denmark (Study II), the four municipalities that had applied for funding from the government to conduct social work programmes between 2020 and 2023 (Study III), and some of the key stakeholders in these programmes (Study IV). The materials were analysed with inspiration from Bacchi’s post-structural analytical frameworks ‘What is the problem represented to be?’ and ‘Post-structural interview analysis.’ The analysis suggests that outreach work, counselling, bridge-building, and therapy were strategized to turn unreflective, risk-taking, and unknowing sex workers into people who became aware of where to turn for help, realised their inner potential, actively managed their risks, and became knowledgeable about the psychosocial factors in their background that had ‘pushed’ them into sex work. In this way, sex workers were supposed to develop self-reflection and a wish to make a change. Furthermore, the analysis of Study IV suggests that this transformative process was dependent upon the sex workers’ ability to devise technologies of the self, that is to critically reflect on the potential problems with sex work, if they could take care of themselves properly while selling sex, why they repeated destructive behaviours, and how they could reinvent their life contexts by developing self-care. As an alternative to this largely individualised problematisation of sex work, the possibility of reconceptualizing the problem of universal vulnerability is discussed. Based on the notion that almost all people face vulnerability at some time in their life, social work strategies could be reshaped into strategies that emphasise intersubjectivity and the sufficient redistribution of resources to people facing vulnerability. Implications for research, policy, and social work practice are discussed.
Predicting armed conflict using protest data
No full textProtest is a low-intensity form of political conflict that can precipitate intrastate armed conflict. Data on protests should therefore be informative in systems that provide early warnings of armed conflict. However, since most protests do not escalate to armed conflict, we first need theory to inform our prediction models. We identify three theoretical explanations relating to protest-repression dynamics, political institutions and economic development as the basis for our models. Based on theory, we operationalize nine models and leverage the political Violence Early Warning System (ViEWS) to generate subnational forecasts for intrastate armed conflict in Africa. Results show that protest data substantially improves conflict incidence and onset predictions compared to baseline models that account for conflict history. Moreover, the results underline the centrality of theory for conflict forecasting: our theoretically informed protest models outperform naive models that treat all protests equally