Fatigue, den usynlige grensen

Masteroppgave i luftfartsledelse (MBA) - Universitetet i Nordland, 2013Temaet for denne masteroppgaven er fatigue blant flyvere. Formålet med oppgaven er å få økt kunnskap om hvilke strategier ledere i luftfart har til rådighet for å påvirke dette fenomenet. Problemstillingen er: Hvilke strategier kan ledere i luftfart velge/iverksette for å redusere risikoen for at fatigue blant flyvere inntreffer? Oppgaven forankres i ulike strategier som kan være et hjelpemiddel for ledere i luftfart med å identifisere, registrere og monitorere fatigue blant flyvere. Tidligere forskning om fatigue som fenomen i luftfart, knyttet opp i mot studier på arbeids og hviletids bestemmelser for flybesetninger presenteres. Tilnærmingen er en kombinasjon av kvalitativ metode basert på intervjuer og en kvantitativ tilnærming basert på sekundærdata. Fire informanter utgjør studieenheten. De er alle sentrale ledere i norske kommersielle flyselskaper, i posisjoner hvor problemstillingen er aktuell. Resultatene må sees i lys av antall informanter. Hovedfunnene i undersøkelsen viser at kunnskapen og bevisstheten om fenomenet fatigue blant ledere i luftfart er varierende og til dels mangelfull. Det kan virke som økt konkurranse og fokus på kostnader, fører til at ledere i luftfart tar mer tak i problematikken rundt fatigue. Vi registrerer også at dagens regelverk ikke ivaretar sikkerheten i tilstrekkelig grad, om det brukes ukritisk. Det eksisterer strategier for å redusere fatigue i noen selskaper, men de bærer preg av å være lite vitenskapelig og teoretisk fundamentert. De nødvendige verktøy for å kunne identifisere, registrere og monitorere fatigue blant flyvere er tilgjengelig, men er i varierende grad tatt i bruk. Årsaken til dette er en kombinasjon av lite kunnskap om fenomenet og stramme økonomiske rammer i bransjen. Ved å sette større fokus på risikoen for fatigue blant flyvere, kan sikkerhetsmarginene i luftfarten forbedres

A call for action: Improve reporting of research studies to increase the scientific basis for regulatory decision-making

Publisher's version (útgefin grein)This is a call for action to scientific journals to introduce reporting requirements for toxicity and ecotoxicity studies. Such reporting requirements will support the use of peer‐reviewed research studies in regulatory decision‐making. Moreover, this could improve the reliability and reproducibility of published studies in general and make better use of the resources spent in research.Nordic Council of Minister

Speciation of Dissolved Cadmium:Interpretation of Dialysis, Ion Exchange and Computer (Geochem) Methods

Abstract--Equilibrium dialysis and ion exchange methods, as well as computer calculations (GEOCHEM), were applied for speciation of dissolved cadmium (Cd) in test solutions and leachate samples. The leachate samples originated from soil, compost, landfill waste and industrial waste. The ion exchange (IE) method separates dissolved Cd into free divalent Cd (Cd 2+) and complexed Cd and furthermore separates the latter into the operationally defined forms: labile, slowly labile and stable complexes. The dialysis (ED) method determines high molecular weight Cd complexes (above 1000mol. wt). For both methods the reproducibility was good. By combining the results of the GEOCHEM calculations in terms of the inorganic omplexes, and the IE results, the fractions of free and inorganically complexed Cd were estimated. The IE and ED results furthermore provided information about he organic omplexes. Selected environmental leachates showed ifferent Cd speciation patterns as expected. Some leachates were dominated by free divalent Cd (1-70%), some by inorganic omplexes (1-87%), and some by organic complexes (7-98%). Key words---cadmium, speciation, leachate, complexes, ion exchange, dialysis, GEOCHE

Partnering in offshore drilling projects

Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to evaluate to which extent partnering practices observed in earlier research focussing on the construction industry are applied in offshore development drilling projects. Design/methodology/approach: The paper reviews earlier research on project partnering and the relationship-based procurement (RBP) taxonomy. The taxonomy is then empirically applied to describe partnering practices in an incentive-based drilling project in Norway. Findings: Many elements of project partnering observed earlier in construction projects were found to characterize offshore development drilling projects. However, as assessed using the RBP framework, the authors found that partnering elements in observed context rated consistently lower than elements previously reported in the construction industry, indicating a lower maturity of partnering practices in the studied context. Practical implications: The present study provides a multi-dimensional and systematic description of partnering practices in offshore drilling projects. Project owners can utilize this information to identify partnering elements requiring particular emphasis when initiating and managing drilling projects. Based on the findings, such elements include transparency and open-book auditing, integrated risk mitigation and insurance practices and establishment of authentic leadership. The findings further imply that partnering models cannot be directly applied across industry boundaries but must be tailored to fit the salient characteristics of each context. Originality/value: The paper systematically describes to which extent specific partnering elements of the RBP taxonomy are applied in offshore drilling projects.acceptedVersionPeer reviewe

Defining project partnering

Purpose – Due to observed problems in real-life projects stemming from the lack of a unified definition, the purpose of this paper is to formulate a new definition of project partnering (PP) through documenting the specific characteristics researchers attribute to this approach. Design/methodology/approach – PP definition phrases extracted from a literature review were sorted into a basic framework of who, what, how, when and where. In a web-based survey, a group of experts marked the phrases from the literature review as being specific, generic, or irrelevant to PP. The expert group comprised highly ranked and experienced PP researchers. Based on the survey results, a new definition was formulated. The new definition specifies the participants, the objectives and the knowledge, skills, tools and techniques applied to pursue the objectives in PP. A verification survey of the expert group gave a 78-96 per cent combined approve and support score for each element of the new definition. Findings – PP and a partnering project are defined by a framework encompassing three basic dimensions: participants, objectives, knowledge, skills, tools and techniques applied to pursue the objectives. The new definition is: “project partnering is a relationship strategy whereby a project owner integrates contractors and other major contributors into the project”. Through commitment to mutual project objectives, collaborative problem solving and a joint governance structure, partners pursue collaborative relationships, trust and improved performance. The new definition indicates that PP neither varies with early contractor involvement nor gain and pain share, but varies with the degree of mutual project objectives, collaborative problem solving and joint governance structure. Originality/value – PP is a complex concept with no widely accepted definition. The basic framework applied to the formulation of the definition in this project can also be applied to define and implement a partnering project and to define and distinguish between other relationship-based procurement forms

Symptoms and quality of life in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease treated with aclidinium in a real-life setting

Introduction: Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is a progressive disease with symptoms that can have a major impact on patients’ physical health. The aim of this study was to evaluate quality of life (QoL), symptom severity and dyspnoea in COPD patients treated with aclidinium up to 24 weeks. Methods: In this prospective non-interventional multicentre study (198 centres in Sweden, Denmark, and Norway), COPD patients (age ≥40 years) who started treatment with aclidinium (initial therapy, change of treatment, or add-on therapy) could be included. Health-related QoL was obtained by COPD assessment test (CAT). Symptoms were evaluated on a 6-point Likert scale. The modified Medical Research Council (mMRC) Dyspnoea Scale was used as a simple grading system to assess the level of dyspnoea/shortness of breath from0 to 4. Patients on treatment with aclidinium who completed baseline and at least one follow-up visit (week 12 or 24) were included in the study population. Results: Overall, 1,093 patients were enrolled (mean 69 years, 54% females), one-third had ≥1 exacerbation the year prior to baseline. At enrolment, 48% were LAMA naïve. Mean (standard deviation, SD) CAT score decreased from 16.9 (7.7) at baseline to 14.3 (7.3) at week 24 (p<0.01) with a decrease in all individual CAT items (p<0.05). Mean difference in morning and night-time symptoms from baseline to week 24 was −0.60 (SD 2.51) and −0.44 (SD 2.48), respectively (both p<0.001). Mean (SD) mMRC Dyspnoea Scale changed from 1.6 (1.0) at baseline to 1.5 (1.0) at week 24 (p<0.001). Conclusion: In this observational study of a Nordic real-life COPD population, treatment with aclidinium was associated with a clinically important improvement in QoL and morning and night-time symptoms, most pronounced in the LAMA naïve group. However, there is still room for improvement in the management of symptomatic COPD patients