Operational high latitude surface irradiance products from polar orbiting satellites

AbstractIt remains a challenge to find an adequate approach for operational estimation of surface incoming short- and longwave irradiance at high latitudes using polar orbiting meteorological satellite data. In this presentation validation results at a number of North Atlantic and Arctic Ocean high latitude stations are presented and discussed. The validation results have revealed that although the method works well and normally fulfil the operational requirements, there is room for improvement. A number of issues that can improve the estimates at high latitudes have been identified. These improvements are partly related to improved cloud classification using satellite data and partly related to improved handling of multiple reflections over bright surfaces (snow and sea ice), especially in broken cloud conditions. Furthermore, the availability of validation sites over open ocean and sea ice is a challenge

Reduced bycatch of red king crab (Paralithodes camtschatica) in the cod gillnet fisheries in northern Norway: Fishing trials with norsel mounted gillnets

Bycatch of red king crab (Paralithodes camtschatica) in stationary fishing gears, q&ally gillnets, is an increasing problem to the inshore fishermen in the northern part of Norway (Finnmark county). The results are large bycatches of king crabs together with the crabs’ damages on the gear and catch. In the cod gillnet fisheries, the problem might be solved by using specially made gillnets (“norsel-mounted” nets) where the net itself is floated 0.5 meters above the seabed. The norsel-mounted nets were compared with standard nets in the Varangerfjord (eastern Finnmark) in the period 17 March - 28 May 1999. The trials showed that norsel nets needed more floats than the standard nets to get the net to stand properly in the sea (to get the norsels stretched out suitably). By using extra float (rings) on the norsel mounted nets the bycatches of king crab were reduced to an acceptable level with an average of 0.6 crabs/net, compared with 3.3 crabs/net on standard and 6.7 crabs/net on nor-se1 nets without extra float. Norse1 nets caught only about l/3 as many fish as standard nets. The catch results indicated that the gear configuration functioned in order to reduce the bycatch of red king crab. Loss of fish up to 65% is, however not satisfying. Further work is needed to find a solution that gives a minimal loss of fish. Knowledge about the different species’ behaviour is of importance in the further development of a more selective gear

Forberedelse til å takle hverdagen? : kontekstuell læring og studentaktive arbeidsformer som bidrag til utvikling av læreres relasjonelle og sosiale kompetanse

Problemstilling I norsk allmennlærerutdanning råder det et spenningsforhold mellom teori og praksis. Dette kommer blant annet frem i NOKUT sin evaluering av utdanningen gjennomført i 2006. Mangelen på opplæring forankret i både teoretisk- og praktisk teori ser ut til å gi konsekvenser for studentene i møtet med yrket. Det mye omtalte praksissjokket preger mange nyutdannete læreres yrkeshverdag. Da pedagogikkfaget er viktig for en lærers grunnleggende ferdigheter i yrkessammenheng, har jeg valgt å se nærmere på mulige endringer som kan gjøres i dette faget for å bidra til en bedre overgang fra utdanning til yrke. I avhandlingen drøftes både innhold og undervisningsmetoder i pedagogikkfaget som kan bidra til å ”bygge bro” mellom teori og praksis. Med dette utgangspunkt drøftes følgende problemstilling i avhandlingen: Hvordan kan studentaktive arbeidsformer og kontekstuell læring i pedagogikkfaget bidra til å heve nyutdannete læreres relasjonelle og sosiale ferdigheter? Metode/kilde Data i avhandlingen er hentet inn gjennom både spørreskjema og halvstrukturert forskningsintervju med åpen tilnærming, jf Kvale (1997). Informantene er nyutdannete lærere som har jobbet som kontaktlærere på småskole- og mellomtrinnet i ca. 6 måneder. Spørsmålene retter seg mot følgende tre hovedområder: • Den første tiden som lærer. • Møtet mellom teori og praksis. • Yrkesutfordringer og pedagogikkundervisning. Litteraturomfang Nyere teorier belyses på bakgrunn av om de kan bidra til utvikling av lærerstudenters relasjonelle og sosiale kompetanser. St.meld. nr. 11 (2008 - 2009) belyses gjennomgående i avhandlingen. Hovedkonklusjon Informantene opplever ikke pedagogikkfaget som noe sterkt bidrag for å mestre viktige sider ved yrkessituasjonen. Faget har ikke forberedt dem tilstrekkelig i forhold til relasjonelle og sosiale utfordringer. Derfor ser informantene et behov for å legge til rette for undervisningsformer som skaper nærhet til disse yrkesfunksjonene i utdanningen. I lys av data fra informantene diskuteres det i avhandlingen hvorvidt og hvordan slik undervisning bør gjennomføres for å oppnå en teori/praksis forankring, med fokus på bruk av studentaktive og kontekstuelle arbeidsformer. Avhandlingens siste kapittel går inn på konkret organisering av undervisningen i henhold til oppgavens konklusjon. Litteratur i dette kapittelet er hentet fra fagfeltet psykodrama

Alternative setting materials for primary cementing and zonal isolation – Laboratory evaluation of rheological and mechanical properties

Portland cement is the prime zonal isolation material used in hydrocarbon wells and its utilization has been extended to geothermal, carbon sequestration and gas storage wells. Despite the vast quantity of research activities and publications, well integrity reports show shortcomings associated with Portland cement at specific conditions of pressure, temperature, chemical environment and geographical locations. In this experimental study, four alternative barrier materials have been selected for further experiments at laboratory scale: an industrial class of expansive cement, a non-cement pozzolanic slurry, a rock-based geopolymer and an organic thermosetting resin. Neat class G cement was used as reference material for comparing the results. The study includes the rheological behavior of the candidate materials, static fluid-loss and pumpability at both atmospheric and elevated pressures. All of the materials at the liquid phase showed an acceptable viscosity profile at the operational shear rates. The consistency curve of the slurries showed that the barrier materials are pumpable for the desired period with the right-angle set (RAS), except for the pozzolanic slurry, which was not able to make gel up to 24 h at dynamic conditions. Mechanical properties of the candidate barrier materials including uniaxial compressive strength (UCS), modulus of flexibility, sonic strength development and tensile strength of the samples were characterized up to 28 days of curing. The UCS test results showed that the thermosetting resin has an extremely high compressive strength compared to the other materials, while the geopolymer and the pozzolanic slurry are more ductile. The tensile strength of the materials experienced no significant change over time; however, for the neat class G cement, it is reduced after 28 days.publishedVersio

Regional variation in healthcare utilization and mortality

Geographic variation in healthcare utilization has raised concerns of possible inefficiencies in healthcare supply, as differences are often not reflected in health outcomes. Using comprehensive Norwegian microdata, we exploit cross-region migration to analyze regional variation in healthcare utilization. Our results indicate that hospital region factors account for half of the total variation, while the rest reflect variation in patient demand. We find no statistically significant association between the estimated hospital region effects and overall mortality rates. However, we document a negative association with relative utilization-intensive causes of death such as cancer, suggesting high-supply regions may achieve modestly improved health outcomes

A Global Cryosphere Watch

There is now an unprecedented demand for authoritative information on the past, present, and future states of the world’s snow and ice resources. The cryosphere is one of the most useful indicators of climate change, yet is one of the most under-sampled domains in the climate system. The Sixteenth World Meteorological Congress (Geneva, 2011) decided to embark on the development of a Global Cryosphere Watch (GCW) as an International Polar Year (IPY) legacy. Through WMO and its partners, GCW is now being implemented for sustained cryosphere observing and monitoring and provision of cryosphere data and information. GCW will ensure a comprehensive, coordinated, and sustainable system of observations and information that will allow for a full understanding of the cryosphere and its changes. It will initiate a surface-based cryosphere observing network called “CryoNet” that will establish best practices and guidelines for cryospheric measurement, data formats, and metadata by building on existing efforts. A complementary task involves developing an inventory of candidate satellite products that are mature and generally accepted by the scientific community. GCW is establishing interoperability between data management systems, and the GCW data portal will provide the ability to exchange data and information with a distributed network of providers.Il existe maintenant une demande sans précédent d’information faisant autorité sur l’état passé, présent et futur des ressources en neige et en glace de la planète. La cryosphère constitue l’un des indicateurs les plus utiles au sujet du changement climatique et pourtant, il s’agit de l’un des domaines du système climatique les plus sous-échantillonnés. Le seizième Congrès météorologique mondial (Genève, 2011) a décidé de mettre au point un système de surveillance mondiale de la cryosphère (Global Cryosphere Watch – GCW) en guise de legs à l’Année polaire internationale. Grâce au concours de l’Organisation météorologique mondiale (OMM) et de ses partenaires, le GCW est en train d’être mis en oeuvre en vue de l’observation et de la surveillance durables de la cryosphère ainsi que de l’obtention de données et d’informations sur la cryosphère. Le GCW donnera lieu à un système exhaustif, coordonné et durable d’observations et d’informations qui permettront de comprendre à fond la cryosphère et les changements qui s’y rapportent. Il comprendra un réseau d’observation de la cryosphère en surface appelé « CryoNet », réseau qui établira les pratiques et les lignes directrices exemplaires en matière de mesure cryosphérique, de formats des données et de métadonnées en s’appuyant sur les efforts actuels. Une tâche complémentaire consiste à dresser l’inventaire des produits satellitaires évolués et généralement acceptés par le monde scientifique. Le GCW établit l’interopérabilité entre les systèmes de gestion des données, et le portail des données du GCW donnera la possibilité d’échanger des données et des informations avec un réseau de fournisseurs interconnectés

INTERACT: FAIR Data from Cold Region Research Stations

The International Network for Terrestrial Research and Monitoring in the Arctic (INTERACT) is a EU Horizon 2020 funded infrastructure project seeking to provide a geographically comprehensive infrastructure for arctic and high altitude research stations. The overall objective of the project is to facilitate the identification of environmental and ecological change, the understanding of change and prediction of future changes. The second phase of the project commenced October 2016. One of the major tasks in the project is to create a coordinated and unified data management approach that would optimize potential future reuse, sharing, and guarantee data and metadata stewardship and preservation. Herein we present the preliminary plan to carry out this objective by focusing on four principles: Findability, Accessibility, Interoperability, and Reusability (FAIR). Currently, 79 sites in arctic and northern alpine areas are part of the INTERACT network. Data collected at these stations are from different scientific disciplines, e.g. geo-sciences (including the atmosphere and cryosphere), hydrology, biology, ecology, and to some extent anthropology. These data are generated as a result of monitoring activities or short term projects. A survey of data management practices in INTERACT was conducted at the beginning of the project. The main finding is that data management at INTERACT stations is highly heterogeneous. In order to establish a unified view on all the data collected by INTERACT stations and through this show the benefit of INTERACT, interoperability at the discovery metadata and data levels is required. The first step towards this is taken through a Data Management Plan (DMP) which is identifying the general principles, common standards to apply and data dissemination principles. The DMP for INTERACT is a living document oriented towards international data management frameworks like World Meteorological Organization Information System (utilized by e.g. Global Cryosphere Watch, Global Atmosphere Watch), and aligned with the activities of the International Arctic Science Committee (IASC) and Sustaining Arctic Observing Network (SAON) Arctic Arctic Data Committee (ADC). INTERACT emphasizes long term data preservation (as promoted by ICSU-WDS), community driven best practices (e.g. RDA), and the principles outlined by the ADC, that promote free, ethically open, sustained, and timely access to Arctic data. This approach should provide easy integration with the H2020 Open Research Data Pilot, and ensure data access to a variety of stakeholders (e.g. ESA DUE, GlobPermafrost, etc.). The initial data management effort focuses on discovery metadata, utilizing internationally accepted standards, protocols and vocabularies, ensuring the interoperability with international systems and frameworks, and the preservation of scientific legacy. Datasets will be documented using the Global Change Master Directory/Directory Interchange Format or ISO19115 standards. To provide interoperability at the data level, long term archival of data across different national repositories with long term mandates in self-explaining file formats (e.g. NetCDF, HDF/HDF5) is envisioned eventually. Therefore, our goal is to establish a unified approach to metadata and data generated by stations in the INTERACT network. This will be beneficial for scientific purposes, but also for monitoring activities. The latter is particularly important as Arctic monitoring to a large degree rely on the effort of the scientific community

Investorers spare- og investeringsadferd under urolige tider

I denne oppgaven har vi fordypet oss i hvordan investorers adferd blir påvirket av urolige tider i ulike deler av verden. Mesteparten av datainnsamlingen til dataanalysen kommer fra Verdipapirfondenes forening og fondsforvalteren SKAGEN Fondene. Vi ville bruke disse dataene for å se om investorene endret adferden knyttet til sine investeringer og sparepenger, på bakgrunn av økonomiske og politiske hendelser under urolige tider i verden. Vi ville også analysere og forklare ved hjelp av makroøkonomiske og adferdsfinansielle teorier, hvordan de urolige tidene kan påvirke en investors adferd, samt hvordan investorer kan dra nytte av de urolige tidene.In this assignment, we have delved into how investors' behavior is affected by troubled times in various parts of the world. Most of the data collection for the data analysis comes from the Verdipapirfondenes forening and the fund manager SKAGEN Fondene. We wanted to use this data to see if investors changed their behavior related to their investments and savings, against the background of economic and political events during troubled times in the world. We would also analyze and explain using macroeconomic and behavioral finance theories, how the troubled times can affect an investor's behavior, as well as how investors can take advantage of the troubled times

Investorers spare- og investeringsadferd under urolige tider

I denne oppgaven har vi fordypet oss i hvordan investorers adferd blir påvirket av urolige tider i ulike deler av verden. Mesteparten av datainnsamlingen til dataanalysen kommer fra Verdipapirfondenes forening og fondsforvalteren SKAGEN Fondene. Vi ville bruke disse dataene for å se om investorene endret adferden knyttet til sine investeringer og sparepenger, på bakgrunn av økonomiske og politiske hendelser under urolige tider i verden. Vi ville også analysere og forklare ved hjelp av makroøkonomiske og adferdsfinansielle teorier, hvordan de urolige tidene kan påvirke en investors adferd, samt hvordan investorer kan dra nytte av de urolige tidene.In this assignment, we have delved into how investors' behavior is affected by troubled times in various parts of the world. Most of the data collection for the data analysis comes from the Verdipapirfondenes forening and the fund manager SKAGEN Fondene. We wanted to use this data to see if investors changed their behavior related to their investments and savings, against the background of economic and political events during troubled times in the world. We would also analyze and explain using macroeconomic and behavioral finance theories, how the troubled times can affect an investor's behavior, as well as how investors can take advantage of the troubled times