Exploring wait time variations in a prostate cancer patient pathway—A qualitative study

Norwegian health authorities emphasise that all citizens should have equal access to healthcare and implement cancer patient pathways (CPPs) to ensure medical care for all patients within the same time frame and to avoid unwanted variation. Statistics regarding prostate cancer indicate longer wait times for patients from a local hospital compared to patients from a university hospital. This study describes which health system-related factors influence variations in wait times. Eighteen healthcare workers participated in qualitative individual interviews conducted using a semi-structured interview guide. Transcripts were analysed by systematic text condensation, which is a cross-case method for the thematic analysis of qualitative data. The analysis unveiled four categories describing possible health system-related factors causing variation in times spent on diagnostics for patients in the local hospital and in university hospital, respectively: (a) capacity and competence, (b) logistics and efficiency, (c) need for highly specialised investigations, and (d) need for extra consultations. Centralisation of surgical treatment necessitated the transfer of patients, with extra steps indicated in the CPP for patients transferring from the local hospital to the university hospital for surgery. The local hospital seemed to lack capacity more frequently than the university hospital. Possible factors explaining variations in wait time between the two hospitals concern both internal conditions at the hospitals in organising CPPs and the implications of transferring patients between hospitals. Differences in hospitals' capacity can cause variations in wait time. The extra steps involved in transferring patients between hospitals can lead to additional time spent in CPP.publishedVersio

Field demonstration of a novel towed, area bubble-plume zooplankton (Calanus sp.) harvesting approach

SINTEF post https://www.sintef.no/en/publications/publication/?pubid=CRIStin+1097811.This paper presents field experiment results of using a new technology to harvest copepods (Calanus sp.) in the ocean by bubble upwelling. Two largo-scale bubble rafts, a 21 m2 and a flexible 75 m2 bubble raft with tow parallel and perpendicular sparger elements, respectively, were field tested in areas with high, upper 25-m water column Calanus densities. Measured bubble-driven upwelling velocities (Vup) at different air flows (Q) and depths (z0), found Vup-(f21 under stratified marine conditions, in agreement with other results for stratified conditions. Bubble trawls significantly enhanced Calanus concentrations in the upper water column, as much as 1416% integrated over the upper 2·m, with the best results for the tow-transverse raft, which also was tested under unstratified seas. Bubble trawl perfonnance aJso was related to stratification with the highest enhancement for the lowest stratification. Catch species analysis showed reduced bycatch. Thus, this new harvesting technology showed a potential to develop an economically robust, environmentally benign, and sustainable fishery on a renewable resource at lower trophic levels in the food web, within the context of ecosystem-based managemen

Annual progress report FIRE21 (2022)

This report provides a status update for the project FIRE21 – Nordic Fire and Rescue Services in the Twenty First Century after work completed the first year

Barrierer mot kollisjoner mellom fartøy og innretninger. Identifisering, vurderinger og mulige forbedringstiltak

-Denne rapporten omhandler Statoil Marine Operasjoner sin logistikk-kjede og er en evaluering av eksisterende barrierer mot kollisjon mellom forsyningsfartøy og innretning. Rapporten er et resultat av en studie gjennomført på oppdrag fra Statoil Marine Operasjoner. Hovedmålsettingen for studien var tredelt. Vi ønsket å kartlegge hvordan kollisjoner mellom fartøy og innretning kan oppstå, hvilke barrierer som eksisterer og hvor gode disse barrierene er. Totalt 47 personer fra logistikk-kjeden er blitt intervjuet. I tillegg er det blitt gjennomført en fareidentifikasjon (HAZID) med en håndplukket ekspertgruppe som representerte de sentrale leddene i logistikk-kjeden. Dette materialet dannet bakgrunnen for en oversikt og godhetsvurdering av 32 sentrale primær- og sekundærbarrierer som er identifisert, da knyttet til følgende aktiviteter: fartøyanskaffelser, baseaktiviteter, seiling, entring av sikkerhetssonen, lossing/lasting, og avgang fra innretning. Hovedinntrykket er at det er mange, godt fungerende barrierer som reduserer sannsynligheten for sammenstøt mellom fartøy og innretning. Likevel peker denne rapporten på noen områder der barrierene kan styrkes ytterligere. I prioritert rekkefølge vi vil spesielt fremheve fire slike områder: 1.Fartøymannskapet bør tilbys mer trening på manuell manøvrering av fartøy for å styrke håndteringen av eventuelt bortfall av Dynamisk posisjonering (DP), framdriftsproblemer og nødsituasjoner under losse- og lasteoperasjoner. 2.Vi viser til mangler ved DP-referansesystemer (Radius, Fanbeam) ved en rekke innretninger som svekker redundansen. Her er vår anbefaling at redundansen styrkes ved å sørge for at referansesystemer blir montert på samtlige installasjoner. 3.Det bør legges til rette for en større involvering av personell fra innretningene i utarbeidelsen av laste- og seilingsplaner. Dette vil redusere risikoen for sammenstøt mellom fartøy og innretning ved at liggetid ved innretninger reduseres. 4.En bedre logistikkplanlegging knyttet til rigger kan også redusere liggetiden

Stochastic asymmetry properties of 3D gauss-lagrange ocean waves with directional spreading

In the stochastic Lagrange model for ocean waves the vertical and horizontal location of surface water particles are modeled as correlated Gaussian processes. In this article we investigate the statistical properties of wave characteristics related to wave asymmetry in the 3D Lagrange model. We present a modification of the original Lagrange model that can produce front-back asymmetry both of the space waves, i.e. observation of the sea surface at a fixed time, and of the time waves, observed at a fixed measuring station. The results, which are based on a multivariate form of Rice’s formula for the expected number of level crossings, are given in the form of the cumulative distribution functions for the slopes observed either by asynchronous sampling in space, or at synchronous sampling at upcrossings and down-crossings, respectively, of a specified fixed level. The theory is illustrated in a numerical section, showing how the degree of wave asymmetry depends on the directional spectral spreading and on the mean wave direction. It is seen that the asymmetry is more accentuated for high waves, a fact that may be of importance in safety analysis of capsizing risk

New active fishing gear Report from project workshop in Hirtshals, Dec. 14-15 2009

A few initial ideas for new active fishing gear concepts based on trawl and seine were presented at a workshop in Hirtshals, 14-15 December 2009. These initial concepts are described and the comments and feedback from the workshop participants included in this report. The outcome of the workshop is summarized in the form of a matrix (Table 4.1) of specific concepts and gear configurations that are to be followed up in the further work and tests in the project. Such a matrix provides both a clear overview of the concepts/configurations to be followed up, and a structured way to evaluate and systemize them wrt. applications and combinations in specific fisheries and for specific vessels. The further concept development consists of planning further model tank tests of these concepts and configurations, including establishing a set of relevant user oriented criteria for what makes a concept or configuration interesting or not for implementation in actual fishing. This will decide how the further tests should be carried out, what should be varied and measured etc. Also, the project should use the matrix to start proposing a set of one or a few of the gear concepts that may be realistic to have on board a specific or a typical vessel.publishedVersio

Folkehelse - fra plan til praksis : En prosjekt- og erfaringsoppsummering

Denne rapporten er sluttrapport etter følgeevalueringen NTNU Samfunnsforskning har gjennomført av Sør-Trøndelag fylkeskommune sitt prosjekt "Oppfølging av overordnede folkehelsemål i økonomi- og virksomhetsplaner" hvor Helsedirektoratet var bestiller. Fylkeskommunens prosjekt skulle "Utvikle modeller og formidle erfaringer med hvordan lokalt folkehelsearbeid utøves i praksis, herunder modeller og erfaringer med folkehelse i lokal planlegging i særdeleshet". I samarbeid med et utvalg kommuner i Sør-Trøndelag skulle fylkeskommunen samle inn erfaringer, metoder og modeller for hvordan kommunene arbeider for å få satt planlagte folkehelsemål ut i livet. Følgeevalueringen er blitt gjennomført med en mer deltakende rolle enn tradisjonelle følgeevalueringer. En viktig del av prosjektet har vært å delta sammen med fylkeskommunen ved kommunebesøk og i felles kommunesamlinger. Denne rapporten er derfor en erfaringsoppsummering og refleksjonsrapport knyttet til Sør-Trøndelag fylkeskommune sin prosjektgjennomføring