Tilgang på Rekruttrær (Quercus sp) og Muligheter for Kartlegging og Fjernmåling: En Studie i Asker og Buskerud kommune

Denne studien undersøker forekomsten av naturlig foryngelse av eik (Quercus sp) og rekruttrær i utvalgte områder i Asker og Lier kommune, Inkludert Dikemark, Vardåsen, kjekkstadmarka og Oppsjømyrene. Formålet er å kartlegge eikenes rekrutteringspotensial og vurdere hvordan faktorer som høyde, diameter, kroneåpninger og artssammensetning påvirker eikenes vekstvilkår. Hensikten med studiet er å øke forståelse av eikas økologiske behov og gir innsikt som kan støtte bærekraftig skogforvaltning og bevaring av eik som en viktig art i norske skoger. Samtidig som studien identifiserer og analyserer rekruttrær av eik. Samt undersøke muligheten for fremtidig vern eller bærekraftig utvikling. Jeg skal også analysere foryngelse som forekommer i området med rekruttrær. Resultatene fra dette feltarbeidet og den påfølgende analysen vil bidra til å informere om verdiene i skogen sin tilstand og eventuelle tiltak som kan være nødvendige for bevaring og forvaltning av eik. Dette forskningsprosjektet fokuserer på rekruttrær av eik i et definert område, med mål om å identifisere potensielle områder for vern og vurdere fremtidig bærekraftig utvikling. Gjennom et omfattede feltarbeidssystem har jeg etablert et rutenettverk med fast utlegg, området har blitt grundig undersøkt, og alle trær, spesielt eiketrær, er nøye registrert. To typer feltregistreringer ble gjennomført for trær med diameter ved brysthøyde mellom 4-10 cm og > 10 cm, samtidig ble artssammensetningen registrert i skogen. Metodisk har jeg målt diameter i brysthøyde (DBH), høyde, vinkel og posisjonering av trær ved bruk av LIDAR for rekruttrær. For mindre trær har jeg registrert diameter, høyde og antall trær per art basert på himmelretninger. I tillegg er det benyttet LIDAR- bilder fra Asker kommune for å analysere eiketrærnes distribusjon over et større område, samtidig med datainnsamlingen i kombinasjon av feltmåling. Feltmålingene inkluderte registrering av diameter i brysthøyde (DBH), høyde, treslag og antall trær på systematisk utlagte prøveflater på 250 m2. LIDAR-data ble brukt til å kartlegge høydeprofil, kroneåpninger og artssammensetning i kronesjikte. Ved å kombinere disse metodene har studien avdekket hvordan miljøfaktorer og konkurranseforhold påvirker eikenes naturlige rekruttering. Resultatene viser at naturlig foryngelse av eik er begrenset i området, men at tilstedeværelsen av kroneåpninger og lav konkurranse kan fremme rekruttering. Avstanden fra skoggrensen gir håp om at en god og aktiv forvaltning i skogen vil kunne stimulere til økt foryngelse og rekruttrær i fremtiden.This study examines the occurrence of natural regeneration of oak (Quercus sp) and recruitment trees in selected areas within Asker and Lier municipalities, including Dikemark, Vardåsen, Kjekkstadmarka, and Oppsjømyrene. The objective is to map the recruitment potential of oak and assess how factors such as height, diameter, canopy openings, and species composition influence the growth condition of oak. The purpose of this study is to enhance the understanding of the ecological requirements of oak and provide insights that can support sustainable forest management and the conservation of oak as an important species in Norwegian forests. At the same time, the study identifies and analyzes oak recruitment trees, as well as examines the potential for future conservation or sustainable development. Additionally, I will analyze the regeneration occurring in the areas with recruitment trees. The results from this fieldwork of the forest’s condition and any necessary measures for the preservation and management of oak. This research project focuses on oak recruitment trees within a defined area, aiming to identify potential conservation areas and assess future sustainable development. Through an extensive fieldwork system, I have established a grid network with fixed placement. The area has been thoroughly examined, and all trees, especially oak trees, have been carefully recorded. Two types of field registrations were conducted for trees with a diameter at breast height between 4-10 cm and > 10 cm, while species composition in the forest was also recorded. Methodologically, I measured diameter at breast height (DBH), height, angle, and positioning of recruitment trees using LIDAR. For smaller trees, I recorded diameter, height, and number of trees per species based on cardinal directions. Additionally, LIDAR images for Asker municipality were used to analyze the distribution of oak trees over a larger area, in combination with data collection through field measurements. The field measurements included the registration of DBH, height, tree species, and the number of trees on systematically distributed sample plots of 250 m2. LIDAR data were used to map height profiles, canopy openings, and species composition in the canopy layer. By combining these methods, the study has revealed how environmental factors and competition conditions influence the natural recruitment of oaks. The results indicate that natural regeneration of oak is limited in the area but that the presence of canopy openings and low competition can promote recruitment. The distance from the forest edge provides hope that proper and active forest management could stimulate increased regeneration and recruitment trees in the future

Bicycle Commuting in the Greater Oslo Region

The thesis explores how to increase cycling for commuters in Oslo. It does this by comparative assessment with cycle friendly cities, by expert interviews and by end user surveys. The study focuses on interventions that could increase cycling and its integrated use with public transport in Oslo. The thesis proposes both hard and soft measures and tries to put forth practical solutions that could be implemented

Rental Housing as an Investment: A Comparative Analysis from 2015 to 2024

This thesis investigates the profitability of investing in property for rental in Oslo over the period from 2015 to 2024 and compares this to investments in mutual real estate funds and bank deposits. The background for the analysis is the ongoing debate about the profitability for landlords and changes in regulations. The analysis investigates profitability across three areas for one-, two-, and three-room apartments by estimating annual cash flows from rental income and the net proceeds from the sale of the property. These are based on estimated prices for comparable apartments, reported rental prices, and associated costs. These results are then compared to investments in equities to determine which would have been the best choice. Both options are evaluated after tax and relevant costs to determine the net return on equity. Accordingly, the thesis is driven by the following problem statement: “How does the profitability of rental property investments in Oslo from 2015 to 2024 compare to passive financial investments in mutual funds or bank deposits, and what role do leverage, property size, location, and purchase timing play?” Our findings show that investment in secondary housing overall has been profitable. Without leverage, small one-room apartments were the most profitable. For larger apartments, units in the outer districts where a higher share of the return came from rental income, were more profitable than centrally located units. Still, all were outperformed by investments in mutual funds during the period. When financed with debt, this changed: at a 60% debt level, returns nearly doubled for all property investments, outperforming mutual funds. This thesis therefore concludes that investment in property for rental has been profitable, and that profitability is affected by several factors, with leverage being the most decisive. For active investments to be the most profitable, the investor needed to increase the risk to outperform fund investments during the period 2015-2024

Datadrevne tilnærminger for analyse av helse- og metabolomikkdata: Identifisering av kjemiske forbindelser knyttet til sepsis hos premature barn

Premature barn er i risikogruppen for å utvikle sepsis, også kalt blodforgiftning, på grunn av deres umodne immunforsvar. Sepsis kan ha alvorlige konsekvenser hvis den ikke diagnostiseres og behandles tidlig. Diagnostisering hos premature er utfordrende på grunn av mangelen på klare kriterier. Globale metabolske analyser kan gi innsikt i de biokjemiske prosessene knyttet til ulike helsetilstander, som sepsis. Dette gjøres ved å analysere nivået og tilstedeværelsen av ulike kjemiske forbindelser i metabolske prøver. For å håndtere de store og komplekse datasettene fra globale metabolske analyser, er det nødvendig med verktøy som kan både behandle og analysere dataene. Nedenfor følger en beskrivelse av oppgavens problemstilling. Hvordan kan datadrevne metoder fungere som et hjelpemiddel i metabolske data og helsedata samt hvilke krav stiller dette til tverrfaglig samarbeid? Kan teknikker for støyreduksjon, variabelseleksjon og maskinlæringsalgoritmer anvendes for å identifisere metabolitter/kjemiske forbindelser som har en sammenheng med sepsis? CRISP-DM, Cross Industry Process for Data Mining, har blitt brukt som metodisk rammeverk i denne oppgaven. CRISP-DM er en standardiserte prosess som gir en strukturert tilnærming til prosjekter som omfatter analyse av store datamengder. I oppgaven har det blitt benyttet et datasett som inneholder helsedata fra premature barn, som inkluderer prøveresultater fra metabolske analyser av blodprøver. Et av de sentrale funnene i prosjektperioden er at dataanalyse er et effektivt verktøy for å oppdage avvik i helse- og metabolske data. De fleste avvikene som ble oppdaget, kunne ikke ha blitt avdekket eller håndtert uten kunnskapen fra en klinker og den ansvarlige for den metabolske analysen. Dette understreker viktigheten av tverrfaglig samarbeid for å forbedre datakvaliteten. Datasettet som ble brukt, inneholder flere variabler enn observasjoner, noe som gjorde det nødvendig å benytte preprosesseringsteknikker for å redusere kompleksiteten for å hjelpe maskinlæringsalgoritmene med å finne de underliggende mønstrene. I oppgaven ble ulike teknikker for skalering, støyredusering og variabelseleksjon testet. Den prediktive ytelsen til ulike maskinlæringsmodeller ble evaluert på datasett med og uten preprosessering for å vurdere effekten av disse teknikkene. Resultatene antyder at datasettene med preprosessering presterte bedre på enkelte modeller, spesielt de basert på logistisk regresjon. Denne forbedringen i prediktiv ytelse kan antyde at preprosesseringsteknikkene kan ha fremhevet kjemiske forbindelser som er relevante for sepsis. Dette er imidlertid kun en indikasjon, da endelig evaluering krever biologisk validering. Det er fortsatt usikkerhet knyttet til datakvaliteten, som krever nærmere undersøkelser i samarbeid med personer som har kjennskap til datasettet og den metabolske analysemetoden. Alle testede modeller viser tegn til overtilpasning, og det er mulig at andre kombinasjoner av preprosesseringsteknikker kan gi bedre resultater enn det som ble oppnådd i denne oppgaven. En mer systematisk uttesting av ulike preprosesseringsteknikker ville derfor vært fordelaktig.Preterm infants have an elevated risk of developing sepsis, also known as blood poisoning, due to their underdeveloped immune systems. Sepsis can have serious consequences if not diagnosed and treated early. Diagnosis in premature infants is challenging due to the lack of clear criteria. Untargeted metabolic analyses can provide insight into the biochemical processes associated with various health conditions, such as sepsis. This is done by analyzing the level and presence of various chemical compounds in metabolic samples. To manage the large and complex datasets from untargeted metabolic analyses, tools are needed that can both process and analyze the data. Below is a description of the thesis's main research question. How can data-driven methods serve as an aid in metabolic data and health data, and how does this relate to interdisciplinary collaboration? Can techniques for noise reduction, variable selection, and machine learning algorithms be used to identify metabolites/chemical compounds that are associated with sepsis? CRISP-DM, Cross Industry Process for Data Mining, are used as the main methodological framework in this thesis. CRISP-DM is a standardized process that provide a structured approach towards projects which revolves around the analyzation of large datasets. In this thesis, a dataset containing health data from premature infants has been used, which includes test results from metabolic analyses of blood samples. One of the key findings during the project period is that data analysis is an effective tool for detecting anomalies in health and metabolic data. Most of the anomalies that were discovered could not have been detected or handled without the knowledge of a clinician and the person responsible for the metabolic analysis. This highlights the importance of interdisciplinary collaboration to improve data quality. The dataset used contains more variables than observations, making it necessary to employ preprocessing techniques to reduce complexity and help machine learning algorithms find underlying patterns. In this thesis, various techniques for scaling, noise reduction, and variable selection were tested. The predictive performance of various machine learning models was evaluated on datasets with and without preprocessing to assess the effect of these techniques. The results suggest that the preprocessed datasets performed better on some models, especially those based on logistic regression. This improvement in predictive performance may suggest that the preprocessing techniques may have highlighted chemical compounds relevant to sepsis. However, this is only an indication, as final evaluation requires biological validation. There is still uncertainty regarding the data quality, which requires further investigation in collaboration with individuals who have knowledge of the dataset and the metabolic analysis method. All tested models show signs of overfitting, and it is possible that other combinations of preprocessing techniques could yield better results than those achieved in this thesis. A more systematic testing of different preprocessing techniques would therefore be beneficial

Vinterfriluftsliv i Rondane Sør villreinområde: adferd og holdninger til tiltak for å styre ferdsel på Venabygdsfjellet

Villrein (Rangifer tarandus tarandus) i Norge er under stort press, blant annet grunnet menneskelig ferdsel. I Rondane Sør villreinområde er det gjennomført en rekke ferdselsstyrende tiltak for å bedre situasjonen til villreinen. Hensikten med denne studien var å se hvordan gjennomførte ferdselsstyrende tiltak på Venabygdsfjellet i Rondane har påvirket vinterfriluftslivet og hvilke holdninger brukere har til ulike ferdselsstyrende tiltak. Dette er en casestudie som kombinerer observasjoner med kvalitative dybdeintervjuer. Observasjonsstudiet ble gjennomført basert på en tidligere undersøkelse av ferdsel på Venabygdsfjellet fra Norsk institutt for naturforskning (NINA) der rutene turfølgene gikk i fjellet ble kartfestet og tilleggsinformasjon om hver turfølge ble notert. Dybdeintervjuene (n=7) gikk ut på å undersøke hva informantene visste om villrein, hvilke motivasjoner de hadde til å gå skitur og hvilke holdninger de hadde til ulike gjennomførte og hypotetiske tiltak. For å analysere faktorer som fremmer eller hindrer folk i å gå ut i terrenget ble COMB-modellen benyttet. Etter flyttingen av DNT-hytta Gråhøgdbu og tilhørende sti/løypenett har hoveddelen av ferdselen flyttet seg nærmere eksisterende infrastruktur på Venabygdsfjellet. Likevel er det fortsatt dager med en del ferdsel til/rundt toppene utenfor løypenettet, særlig i ferie- eller helgedager med fint vær og godt skiføre. Det var mye trafikk rundt den nye turisthytta Veslefjellbua, og den virker å fange opp et bredere spekter av brukere enn det Gråhøgdbu gjorde. Faktorer som fremmet at folk gikk ut i terrenget inkluderer manglende kunnskap om egen påvirkning på villrein, sosial aksept for adferden, tilgjengelighet, fint vær og føre, eventyrlyst og et ønske om å komme seg vekk fra infrastruktur. I tillegg var positive følelser knyttet til mestring, stedstilknytning og vakker natur viktige motivasjoner. De viktigste faktorene som hindret adferden var dårlig vær og føre, sikkerhet og komfort og vaner med å gå i merka løyper. Informantene var positive eller nøytrale til de gjennomførte tiltakene på Venabygdsfjellet, inkludert flytting av infrastruktur og juridiske tiltak. Mange var også aksepterende ovenfor et hypotetisk ferdselsforbud, mens andre var negative til et totalforbud og ønsket en mer dynamisk løsning. Flere var kritiske til effekten av myke tiltak alene, og noen kritiserte ansvaret myke tiltak legger på individet. Samtidig manglet informantene kunnskap om påvirkningen ferdsel har på villrein og det trukket frem at det var en underutnyttet mulighet for informasjonstiltak på Venabygdsfjellet. Basert på dette burde både målrettede informasjonstiltak og strengere tiltak som ferdselsrestriksjoner vurderes videre. Dette er en kvalitativ undersøkelse som har tatt et dypdykk i kontekstuelle forhold på Venabygdsfjellet som ikke nødvendigvis kan overføres til andre steder eller andre kontekster. Videre forskning på temaet burde se på effekten av ytterligere tiltak knyttet til både ulike informasjonstiltak, men også mulighetene for hardere tiltak, og tiltak som treffer de som ikke berøres av flytting av infrastruktur.Wild reindeer (Rangifer tarandus tarandus) in Norway are facing great challenges, including pressure from human disturbance from outdoor recreation. Multiple visitor management measures have been implemented to improve the situation for wild reindeer in Rondane Sør wild reindeer area. This study aims to better understand how implemented measures at Venabygdsfjellet in Rondane affect winter outdoor recreation and recreationists’ attitudes to different management measures. This case study combines observation with qualitative interviews. The observations are based on a previous study on outdoor recreation at Venabygdsfjellet by The Norwegian Institute for Nature Research (NINA) where recreationists’ routes are mapped and additional information about each group noted. The interviews (n=7) aimed to understand what knowledge informants had about wild reindeer and human recreation, as well as motivations for winter outdoor recreation and attitudes towards implemented and not implemented measures. This study uses the COM-B model to analyse behaviour sources that either facilitate or limits the behaviour of walking into the study area. After removing the tourist cabin, Gråhøgdbu, and connected trails, most of the use is concentrated closer to existing infrastructure at Venabygdsfjellet. Nevertheless, there are still days with considerable traffic to and around the peaks outside the trail network, especially during holidays or weekends with good weather and favourable skiing conditions. The new tourist cabin, Veslefjellbua, was popular among recreationalists, and it seemed to be used by a broader user group than Gråhøgdbu. Factors facilitating the behaviour of walking into the study area included limited knowledge about the effects of outdoor recreation on wild reindeer, social norms, accessibility, nice weather and skiing conditions, adventure seeking, and a desire to get away from human infrastructure. In addition, positive feelings connected to surmounting difficulty, place attachment, and beautiful nature were important motivations. Factors limiting the behaviour include bad weather and skiing conditions, safety and comfort and the habit of walking on marked trails. Informants displayed positive or neutral attitudes towards implemented measures at Venabygdsfjellet, including removing infrastructure and legal measures. Many also accepted the idea of a hypothetical area restriction, while others were opposed to a total ban and preferred a more dynamic solution. Several were critical of the effectiveness of soft measures alone, and some criticized the individual responsibility that such measures place on visitors. At the same time, the informants lacked knowledge about the impact of human activity on wild reindeer, and it was highlighted that there is an underutilized potential for information efforts at Venabygdsfjellet. Based on this, targeted information measures and area restrictions should be considered to further limit the behaviour of walking into the study area. This is a qualitative study that has taken a deep dive into the contextual conditions at Venabygdsfjellet, which may not necessarily be transferable to other locations or other contexts. Additional research should aim for better understanding of effects of both targeted information measures and stricter measures such as area restrictions and measures that target those not affected by removing trail infrastructure

Between EU rights and national exclusions: An intersectional policy analysis of homelessness among EU/EEA migrant women in Norway

This master thesis explores the intersection of gender, migration, and homelessness among the EU/EEA migrant women experiencing homelessness in Norway. Although Norway maintains a strong welfare system, its restrictive immigration policies have created significant barriers for EU/EEA migrants, particularly women, who face compounded vulnerabilities due to gendered inequalities, racial discrimination, legal exclusion, invisibility, and neutral institutions. Drawing from feminist intersectionality theory, this study examines how Norway’s national policies partially align with EU-level frameworks on social rights and mobility, and how these policies impact homeless migrant women. Using a multi-strategy qualitative approach, the research combines analysis of policy documents with semi-structured interviews with professionals working in homelessness support and research. The findings suggest a disconnect between EU principles of equal treatment and Norway’s welfare practices. Homeless migrant women remain largely invisible in both policy and statistics, often relying on NGOs to meet basic needs. Moreover, the study highlights how institutional practices, legal exclusions, and a lack of gender-sensitive strategies combine with socio economic factors, including ethnicity, literacy, poverty, patriarchal norms, and knowledge of rights to contribute to the homelessness of economically inactive EU/EEA migrant women. This study argues for more inclusive, rights-based approach that recognize the intersectional nature of homelessness and promote access to safe housing and welfare for all EU/EEA migrant women. The thesis contributes to the growing body of research on gendered homelessness and calls for immediate attention to address the intersecting inequalities faced by this group

Mitigating Hydropower Impacts Evaluating Fish Passage Improvements for Atlantic Salmon and Brown Trout

Hydropower operations frequently obstruct the downstream migration of anadromous salmonids, exposing smolts to physical barriers, delayed passage, and increased mortality. In 2023, structural modifications were implemented at the Fosstveit Hydropower Plant (HEP) in southern Norway to improve passage conditions for juvenile Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar) and anadromous brown trout (Salmo trutta). A 15 mm angled trash rack and low-level bypass system were installed to reduce turbine entrainment and facilitate safer migration. This study evaluated how smolts responded to these modifications under varying environmental conditions, with a focus on behaviour, passage timing, route selection, and survival. In total, 359 smolts (207 Atlantic salmon, 152 brown trout) were tagged with PIT and radio transmitters. However, only 238 individuals were included in the final analyses due to post-tagging mortality, release-related losses, forebay mortality, possible tag failure, expulsion, predation, or undetected bypass exit. PIT antennas and manual tracking were used to monitor passage events, while water temperature, discharge, and light intensity were logged continuously. The majority of surviving smolts passed through the bypass, with no individuals detected in the turbine intake. Nevertheless, undetected mortality in the forebay could not be ruled out. Atlantic salmon migrated more rapidly than brown trout, exhibiting significantly shorter forebay hesitation times (mean: 41.5 min vs. 112 min) and bypass passage durations (mean: 8.5 min vs. 13.7 min). Passage was strongly synchronised with crepuscular periods, and both species preferred migrating under light intensities between 5 and 10 lux. Generalised Additive Models (GAMs) showed that hesitation time was significantly influenced by water discharge (EDF = 6.5, p 12 °C but plateaued above 16 °C, suggesting thermal constraints on movement readiness. Zero-inflated negative binomial models revealed that heavier individuals—particularly brown trout—made significantly more passage attempts (r = 0.52, p < 0.01), while fish length was only weakly associated (r = 0.24, p = 0.08). Principal Component Analysis (PCA) and k-means clustering identified three behavioural phenotypes differing in morphology, flow exposure, light conditions, and passage timing. Cormack-Jolly-Seber survival models estimated post-passage survival at 0.97 for salmon and 0.96 for trout, indicating overall successful mitigation. Smoltification is not only an energetically demanding developmental stage but also a physiologically constrained and behaviourally sensitive window. Delay or stress during this period can impair osmoregulatory performance and reduce marine survival. The redesigned intake structure at Fosstveit effectively reduced turbine risk and promoted functionally meaningful passage for both species. However, the broader inter- and intraspecific variation in brown trout behaviour suggests that structural mitigation should be complemented by behavioural guidance cues. This study underscores the need for species-specific and ecologically grounded design of fish-friendly hydropower systems

Utdanningsresultater for elever i barneskolen i Afrika : med fokus på barn med nedsatt funksjonsevne

This doctoral dissertation addresses the critical issue of educational inequality for children with disabilities, a group often marginalized in educational systems, by examining school enrollment and learning outcomes for children with disabilities (CWD) in selected African countries, compared to children without disabilities (CWOD). Utilizing data from the Multiple Indicator Cluster Surveys (MICS) conducted in 12 African countries and a project survey among schoolchildren in Ghana and Niger, the research explores differences in school access and skill acquisition. It also investigates the influence of contextual factors such as gender, sibling roles, family socioeconomic status, and national educational development. The study highlights the generally low levels of basic educational skills in the selected African countries, along with significant disparities in school access and learning outcomes among children with disabilities. It contributes to a more nuanced understanding of the diverse challenges faced by children with different types of disabilities in accessing education and acquiring skills. Furthermore, it underscores the critical importance of examining how disability intersects with environmental factors, such as country-level improvements in skill acquisition and personal and local contextual factors, including socioeconomic development and gender. This analysis calls for targeted policy interventions and robust support systems to address the specific and multifaceted challenges faced by children with various types of disabilities.Denne doktorgradsavhandlingen undersøker skoleinnmelding og læringsutbytte for barn med funksjonsnedsettelser (CWD) i utvalgte afrikanske land, sammenlignet med barn uten funksjonsnedsettelser (CWOD). Basert på data fra Multiple Indicator Cluster Surveys (MICS) gjennomført i 12 afrikanske land og en prosjektundersøkelse blant skolebarn i Ghana og Niger, analyserer denne studien ulikheter i skoletilgang og ferdighetslæring. Studien undersøker videre påvirkningen av kontekstuelle faktorer, inkludert kjønn, søskenroller, familiens sosioøkonomiske status og et lands makronivå innen utdanningsutvikling.publishedVersio

What Triggers a Special Agricultural Safeguard (SSG)?: Analyzing the Use of SSGs by the EU and the US

The special safeguard (SSG) is an exception to the market access (MA) commitments under the World Trade Organization (WTO) Agreement on Agriculture (AoA) that has caused disagreement in WTO trade negotiations. It allows the member countries that have reserved the right to their use the imposition of heightened tariff rates on selected agricultural commodities in specified cases of a surge in import volume or a fall in import price. This thesis quantitatively analyzes the invocation of price-based SSGs by the European Union (EU) and the United States (US) during 1995-2023, and whether developing countries’ exports have been adversely affected by the price-based SSGs invoked by the EU and the US. A panel data framework is applied to a probit model for binary response to estimate the effects on the response probability, that is the probability of a SSG action being taken, from selected economic factors. The regression results suggest that real GDP, the relative import price, import growth and the COVID-19 pandemic have affected the EU’s decision to invoke a price-based SSG. The relative import price, import growth and domestic production volume are estimated to have affected the decision of the US to invoke a price-based SSG. Developing countries’ exports are implied to have been adversely affected by the price-based SSGs invoked by the EU. No such effect is found from the price-based SSGs invoked by the US

Helsefremming gjennom hundeassistert behandling: Behandlernes erfaringer

Sammendrag Bakgrunn: Helsefremming er en måte å jobbe på der fokuset rettes mot faktorer som kan styrke ressursene for god helse. Jevnlige interaksjoner med en hund, enten gjennom å eie en hund eller gjennom langsiktige intervensjoner, er blitt assosiert med positive psykologiske utfall for mennesker. Dyreassisterte tiltak er ulike interaksjoner som tilrettelegges av fagfolk eller andre utøvere med formål om å styrke velferden til mennesker gjennom positiv kontakt med dyr. Hund er et av dyrene som ofte inkluderes i disse tiltakene, blant annet basert på at de er lette å trene og er spesielt gode på å forstå og kommunisere med mennesker. Denne masteroppgaven fokuserer på hundeassistert behandling. Dyreassistert behandling er en variant av dyreassisterte tiltak, som utføres av helsepersonell eller av andre utøvere med oppføling av helsepersonell, der dyr involveres i terapeutiske settinger, ofte som et supplement til annen behandling. Formål: Formålet med denne masteroppgaven er å få kjennskap til hva de som utøver hundeassistert behandling erfarer om den mulige helsefremmende betydningen for de som mottar disse tiltakene. Metode: Kvalitativ metode ble brukt for å få frem behandlernes erfaringer. Det ble gjennomført åtte semistrukturerte intervjuer med behandlere innen hundeassistert behandling. For å analysere datamaterialet ble systematisk tekstkondensering (STC) benyttet. Resultater: Gjennom analyseringen av datamateriale kom jeg frem til følgende hovedtemaer: Enklere å etablere kontakt, stressdempende, positive følelser, en kommer styrket ut, styrker det sosiale fellesskapet, dyrevelferd i sentrum og å være forberedt. Konklusjon: Behandlerne opplevde den hundeassisterte behandlingen som helsefremmende på mange ulike måter og for flere av brukergruppene de jobber med. Men var samtidig opptatt av at noen faktorer måtte være på plass for å få til «det gode resultatet». Spesielt det å ta vare på hunden i tiltaket ble trukket frem som viktig for å oppnå den effekten man ønsker av behandlingen.Abstract Background: Health promotion is a way of working that focuses on factors that can strengthen the resources for good health. Regular interactions with a dog, either through owning a dog or through long-term interventions, have been linked with positive psychological outcomes for people. Animal-assisted services are various interactions that are facilitated by professionals or other practitioners with the aim of strengthening the welfare of people through positive contact with animals. Dogs are one of the animals that are often included in these interventions, some of the reasons for this is that they are easy to train and particularly good at understanding and communicating with people. This master’s thesis focuses on dog-assisted treatment. Animal-assisted treatment is a variant of animal-assisted interventions, which are carried out by health personnel or by other practitioners with supervision by health personnel, where animals are included in therapeutic settings, often as a supplement to other treatments. Purpose: The purpose of this master's thesis is to gain knowledge about what those who practice dog-assisted treatment experience about the possible health promoting benefits for those who receive these interventions. Method: Qualitative method was used to highlight the practitioners’ experiences. Eight semi-structured interviews were conducted with practitioners in dog-assisted treatment. Systematic text condensation (STC) was used to analyze the data. Results: Through the analysis of the data, I identified the following main themes: easier to establish contact, stress relief, positive emotions, emerging stronger, strengthens the social community, focus on animal welfare and the importance of preparation. Conclusion: The providers found dog-assisted treatment to be health promoting in many ways and for several of the groups they work with. However, they also highlighted that some factors had to be in place to achieve a successful outcome. In particular, ensuring the dog’s well-being during the intervention was seen as important to achieve the desired outcome of the treatment