Investigating the Polar Code’s function-based requirements for life-saving appliances and arrangements, and the performance of survival equipment in cold climate conditions – test of SOLAS approved desalting apparatus at low temperatures

As the sea ice extent steadily decreases, the Arctic region is simultaneously experiencing extensive growth in commercial shipping activities, in areas which previously were considered inaccessible for most ships during large periods of the year, increasing the probability of accidents or incidents occurring. The International Code for Ships Operating in Polar Waters (The Polar Code) states that resources shall be provided to support survival following abandoning a ship; desalting apparatus is proposed for the provision of the recommended amount of freshwater. However, previous studies have shown that the expected performance criteria for survival equipment are significantly reduced in cold climate conditions. In this paper, we present and discuss the results of testing SOLAS approved desalting apparatus at low temperatures in a controlled and enclosed environment, studying the equipment's performance capabilities.publishedVersio

What is Qualitative in Research

In this text we respond and elaborate on the four comments addressing our original article. In that piece we define qualitative research as an “iterative process in which improved understanding to the scientific community is achieved by making new significant distinctions resulting from getting closer to the phenomenon studied.” In light of the comments, we identify three positions in relation to our contribution: (1) to not define qualitative research; (2) to work with one definition for each study or approach of “qualitative research” which is predominantly left implicit; (3) to systematically define qualitative research. This article elaborates on these positions and argues that a definition is a point of departure for researchers, including those reflecting on, or researching, the fields of qualitative and quantitative research. The proposed definition can be used both as a standard of evaluation as well as a catalyst for discussions on how to evaluate and innovate different styles of work.publishedVersio

Time scale for scour beneath pipelines due to long-crested and short-crested nonlinear random waves plus current

This article derives the time scale of pipeline scour caused by 2D (long-crested) and 3D (short-crested) nonlinear irregular waves and current for wave-dominant flow. The motivation is to provide a simple engineering tool suitable to use when assessing the time scale of equilibrium pipeline scour for these flow conditions. The method assumes the random wave process to be stationary and narrow banded adopting a distribution of the wave crest height representing 2D and 3D nonlinear irregular waves and a time scale formula for regular waves plus current. The presented results cover a range of random waves plus current flow conditions for which the method is valid. Results for typical field conditions are also presented. A possible application of the outcome of this study is that, e.g., consulting engineers can use it as part of assessing the on-bottom stability of seabed pipelines.publishedVersio

Variation of the partition coefficient of phase-partitioning compounds between hydrocarbon and aqueous phases: an experimental study.

Many non-ionic chemical compounds will form real solutions in equilibrium between two immiscible phases in contact. The partition coefficient (K) is defined as the quotient between the equilibrium concentration of the substance in the hydrocarbon and the aqueous phase. The reversible partition of a compound between hydrocarbon and aqueous phases is the basis of the partitioning inter-well tracer test (PITT). PITTs are of high interest for the characterization of oil reservoirs, in hydrogeology for assessment of the contamination of soils by non-aqueous phase liquids (NAPLs), and in process technology. The K value of substance is influenced by the actual chemical and physical conditions of the system where it will be used as phase-partitioning tracer. Thus, it is important to evaluate the extent of variation that the K value can exhibit under different relevant conditions. In the present document, we report the methodology and findings from the experimental determination of the K values of 4-methoxybenzyl alcohol, 3,4-dimethoxybenzyl alcohol, 4-chlorobenzyl alcohol, 2,6-dichlorobenzyl alcohol, pyridine, 2,3-dimethylpyrazine and 2,6-dimethylpyrazine between different hydrocarbon and aqueous phases. These 7 compounds were previously identified as interesting PITT tracer candidates. Individual K-values were determined under different temperatures, compositions of the hydrocarbon phase (synthetic mixtures of toluene, isooctane, and 1-octanol and 5 real crude oils), and different ionic strengths (I) and ionic compositions of the aqueous phase. The reversibility of the partitioning phenomena was also evaluated. The composition of the hydrocarbon phase and the ionic strength of the water phase were found to influence the K values of all seven compounds. Results suggest that the substitution of monovalent ions with divalent ions in the aqueous phase, keeping the ionic strength constant, does not influence the K values. Temperature effects on the K-values are always visible for 3,4-dimethoxybenzyl alcohol, 2,6-dichlorobenzyl alcohol, pyridine, 2,3-dimethylpyrazine and 2,6-dimethylpyrazine. Dependent on the hydrocarbon phase composition, temperature also influences the K-values for 4-methoxybenzyl alcohol and 4-chlorobenzyl alcohol.publishedVersio

Cognitive predictors of longitudinal positive symptom course in clinical high risk for psychosis

Background Clinical High Risk (CHS) for psychosis is a state in which positive symptoms are predominant but do not reach a level of severity that fulfils the criteria for a psychotic episode. The aim of this study has been to investigate whether cognition in subjects with newly detected CHR affects the longitudinal development of positive symptoms. Methods Fifty-three CHR individuals fulfilling the criteria for attenuated positive syndrome in the Structural Interview for Prodromal Syndromes (SIPS) were included. At inclusion, all participants completed a neurocognitive battery consisting of tests measuring attention, verbal memory, verbal fluency, executive functions and general intelligence. Cognitive domain z-scores were defined by contrasting with observed scores of a group of matched healthy controls (n = 40). Associations between cognitive performance at inclusion and longitudinal measures of positive symptoms were assessed by using generalised linear models including non-linear effects of time. All regression models were adjusted for age and gender. Results Overall, SIPS positive symptoms declined over the time period, with a steeper decline during the first six months. Deficits in executive functions were assossiated witn a higher load of positive symptoms at baseline (p=0.006), but also to a faster improvement (p=0.030), wheras those with poor verbal fluency improved more slowly (p=0.018). Conclusion To our knowledge, this is the first study that follows CHR subjects by means of frequent clinical interviews over a sustained period of time. The study provides evidence of an association between executive functions, including verbal fluency, with the evolvement of positive symptoms.publishedVersio

Validation and assessment of different RANS turbulence models for simulating turbulent flow through an orifice plate

In the present study, numerical simulations using different Reynolds-Averaged Navier–Stokes (RANS) turbulence models are carried out to investigate the turbulent flow through the orifice plate at Reynolds number (Re) of 23000. The orifice thickness to pipe diameter ratio (t) and the orifice diameter to pipe diameter ratio (β) are fixed and equal to 0.1 and 0.5, respectively. The objective is to evaluate the behaviour of various RANS models with respect to the relevant flow parameters such as the pressure drop, velocity distributions and turbulence intensity profiles in the pipe by comparing the results with available published experimental data. The following turbulence models are studied: the k – ε, the k – ε Low Re, the k – ε RNG, the k – ε Realizable, the k – ω SST, the γ – SST, the EARSM and the k – ε Cubic models. It is found that based on the validation study of the flow through the orifice plate, the following models are in good agreement with experimental measurements: the k – ω SST, the γ – SST and the EARSM. They show a better performance than the k – ε model family in predicting the flow features which are important for the orifice flowmeter design.publishedVersio

"Noen er sånn på Mars, og noen er på Månen" - en kvalitativ studie om utforskende arbeid med skjønnlitterære tekster på 10.trinn

Formålet med denne masteroppgaven var å undersøke utforskende arbeid med skjønnlitterære tekster gjennom problemstillingen “På hvilke måter uttrykker elever på 10.trinn sin litterære kompetanse i utforskende gruppesamtaler om novellen “Løp for livet”, og hvordan opplever de utforskende arbeidsmåter i møte med skjønnlitterære tekster?”. Undersøkelsen hadde en kvalitativ tilnærming, og data ble samlet inn gjennom observasjoner, lydopptak av gruppesamtaler og lydopptak av gruppeintervju. Mitt fokus i oppgaven har vært hvordan elevene setter ord på sin litterære kompetanse i møte med novellen “Løp for livet” i gruppesamtaler, uten å ha fått tradisjonelle oppgaver om eller lærers introduksjon av novellen på forhånd. Jeg ønsket i tillegg å finne ut hvordan elevene verdsatte litterære samtaler og høytlesing i arbeidet med skjønnlitterære tekster. Blaus definisjon på litterær kompetanse har vært sentral for undersøkelsene mine, da særlig tekstlig og performativ literacy (2003). I tillegg har Mercers (2000) samtaleteori og Langers (2011) teori om utforskende lesemåter vært sentrale med tanke på analyse av gruppesamtalene. Teori knyttet til utforskende arbeidsmåter i skolen og høytlesing er også vesentlig bakgrunn. Resultatene fra studien tyder på at elevene i gruppesamtalene på ulike måter uttrykker sin litterære kompetanse på egen hånd, uten lærers spørsmål eller teksttolkning på forhånd. Elevene i gruppene pekte på mange av de sentrale elementene i novellen og forsøkte sammen å skape forståelse. Flere av samtalene hadde tydelige utforskende trekk, og flere av elevene skapte i stor grad muligheten for å både komme med egne innspill og åpne opp for hverandres innspill underveis i samtalen. Dette kan indikere at elevene gjennom høytlesingen og de utforskende litterære samtalene var på vei mot en mer helhetlig forståelse av novellen de jobbet med. Det er likevel slik at de fleste elevene selv ikke oppfattet samtalene som vellykkede, kanskje fordi dette var annerledes enn det de til vanlig opplever i gruppesamtaler? I tillegg var det tydelig i elevintervjuene at høytlesing av skjønnlitterære tekster hadde en tydelig plass i videre arbeid med slike tekster, blant annet som støtte i grundigere analytisk tekstarbeid

Teachers’ potential to promote students’ deeper learning in whole-class teaching: An observation study in Norwegian classrooms

Teachers worldwide are challenged to adjust their teaching to meet students’ needs for deeper learning. The lack of mutual understanding among researchers, policymakers and teachers tends to blur the discussion on how to enhance deeper learning through teaching, which further challenges teachers in making changes in their classroom practices. This qualitative observation study aims to explore how five skilled and experienced Norwegian teachers facilitate 10–16-year-old students’ potential deeper learning in whole-class teaching. The teachers are videotaped four times during a school year, and observations show how teachers enhance or undermine students’ active involvement, facilitate or hinder positive learning environments, support or impede deeper understanding, and stimulate or inhibit metacognitive reflection. The observations are discussed within a framework of the literature and research on how deeper learning is understood and promoted. The findings indicate how teachers’ facilitation of a supportive learning environment is essential to actively involve students in the classroom interactions and dialogue needed to promote deeper content understanding and metacognitive reflection. We explore the potential for deeper learning within whole-class teaching and argue that such potential arises when teachers facilitate collective, reciprocal, supportive, cumulative and purposeful classroom interactions. Nevertheless, we acknowledge the importance of employing varied teaching practices to further address students’ need for deeper learning. The study presents examples of whole-class teaching practices framed by theory and the earlier research on deeper learning, which may contribute to the concretization of policy changes in support of deeper learning in education.publishedVersio

Preparatory School Teachers' Self-Directed Online Professional Development

This case study investigates how teachers render digital professional development in digital environments by interviewing with three preparatory school English language teachers voluntarily engaged in online professional development. In order to examine their process of teacher learning in online settings, we drew on Self-Determination Theory (Deci & Ryan, 2012) regarding the motivation as to how they engage and learn in the course of online professional development. An exploratory approach was adopted based on the interviews, and the motivational factors of the participants together with how they exploit technology were presented in three different cases. The study revealed that all the teachers were intrinsically motivated, and the need for developing competence, exercising autonomy, and assessing relatedness were key motivational reasons behind their online professional learning. Instagram, MOOCs, YouTube and websites were the online sources mentioned by the participants when they turn to the Internet for help. The discussion focuses on implications of this study for encouraging language teachers to engage in online professional development drawing on self-determination theory.publishedVersio

Bending capacity of multi-layered FRP pipelines during offshore installation

The Fiber Reinforced Polymeric (FRP) pipelines have higher strength than steel, and excellent fatigue behavior and corrosion resistance. Because of their superior performance in mechanical loads and corrosive environment, they are a good choice for offshore applications. Since FRP materials are anisotropic and the pipelines are multilayered, the calculation of stresses is difficult. Stress analysis can be performed numerically with the aid of commercial software packages. However, the numerical solutions are approximate and the parametric study is problematic. In the present work, an analytical solution for bending stress calculation of multilayered FRP pipelines during offshore installation is presented. Typical examples are solved and bending capacity of multilayered FRP pipelines versus the fiber orientation angle and number of layers is provided and discussed.publishedVersio