Datadrevet beslutningstaking og verdiskapning i kollektivtrafikken

Master's thesis in Information systems (IS501)Nye teknologiske nyvinninger medfører stigende forventninger blant befolkningen i forhold til digitale tjenester som tilbys. For kollektivtrafikken er det derfor viktig at de tar i bruk alle virkemidlene de har for å være relevante og den foretrukne formen for transportering. Da er et sterkt kundefokus viktig. Det å bli mer datadrevet kan bidra til at kollektivtrafikken tilbyr enklere og mer effektive reiser for befolkningen, samt bidra til et mer bærekraftig samfunn. Samferdselsdepartementet la ut i mars 2021 sin nasjonale transportplan, hvor fem delmål var i fokus. Disse er (1) mer for pengene, (2) effektiv bruk av ny teknologi, (3) bidra til oppfyllelse av Norges klima- og miljømål, (4) nullvisjon for drepte og hardt skadde, og (5) enklere reisehverdag og økt konkurranseevne for næringslivet. Det ble undersøkt hvordan datadrevet beslutningstaking bidro til å oppnå disse ulike delmålene. Det ble gjort gjennom en kvalitativ studie, der semi-strukturerte intervjuer med aktører innen kollektivtrafikken og rapportanalyser blir brukt som datainnsamlingsmetoder. Trieu (2017) sitt rammeverk for hvordan business intelligence (BI) skaper verdi var den analytiske linsen brukt i masteroppgaven. Det ble sett på hvilket av stegene i rammeverket, konverteringsprosessen, bruksprosessen eller konkurranseprosessen, aktørene innen kollektivtrafikken hadde størst forbedringspotensialet når det kom til datadrevet beslutningstaking. I tillegg ble det undersøkt hvilke ferdigheter som er nødvendige for aktørene å forbedre under hvert av disse stegene, slik at de kan utnytte fordelene ved datadrevet beslutningstaking og sikre verdiskapning

Suppressive Effects of Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor-B on Tumor Growth in a Mouse Model of Pancreatic Neuroendocrine Tumorigenesis

Peer reviewe

Expression of Cytokines and Chemokines as Predictors of Stroke Outcomes in Acute Ischemic Stroke

Introduction: Ischemic stroke remains one of the most debilitating diseases and is the fifth leading cause of death in the US. The ability to predict stroke outcomes within the acute period of stroke would be essential for care planning and rehabilitation. The Blood and Clot Thrombectomy Registry and Collaboration (BACTRAC; clinicaltrials.gov NCT03153683) study collects arterial blood immediately distal and proximal to the intracranial thrombus at the time of mechanical thrombectomy. These blood samples are an innovative resource in evaluating acute gene expression changes at the time of ischemic stroke. The purpose of this study was to identify inflammatory genes and important immune factors during mechanical thrombectomy for emergent large vessel occlusion (ELVO) and which patient demographics were predictors for stroke outcomes (infarct and/or edema volume) in acute ischemic stroke patients. Methods: The BACTRAC study is a non-probability sampling of male and female subjects (≥18 year old) treated with mechanical thrombectomy for ELVO. We evaluated 28 subjects (66 ± 15.48 years) relative concentrations of mRNA for gene expression in 84 inflammatory molecules in arterial blood distal and proximal to the intracranial thrombus who underwent thrombectomy. We used the machine learning method, Random Forest to predict which inflammatory genes and patient demographics were important features for infarct and edema volumes. To validate the overlapping genes with outcomes, we perform ordinary least squares regression analysis. Results: Machine learning analyses demonstrated that the genes and subject factors CCR4, IFNA2, IL-9, CXCL3, Age, T2DM, IL-7, CCL4, BMI, IL-5, CCR3, TNFα, and IL-27 predicted infarct volume. The genes and subject factor IFNA2, IL-5, CCL11, IL-17C, CCR4, IL-9, IL-7, CCR3, IL-27, T2DM, and CSF2 predicted edema volume. The overlap of genes CCR4, IFNA2, IL-9, IL-7, IL-5, CCR3, and IL-27 with T2DM predicted both infarct and edema volumes. These genes relate to a microenvironment for chemoattraction and proliferation of autoimmune cells, particularly Th2 cells and neutrophils. Conclusions: Machine learning algorithms can be employed to develop prognostic predictive biomarkers for stroke outcomes in ischemic stroke patients, particularly in regard to identifying acute gene expression changes that occur during stroke

Deficiency for endoglin in tumor vasculature weakens the endothelial barrier to metastatic dissemination

Therapy-induced resistance remains a significant hurdle to achieve long-lasting responses and cures in cancer patients. We investigated the long-term consequences of genetically impaired angiogenesis by engineering multiple tumor models deprived of endoglin, a co-receptor for TGF-β in endothelial cells actively engaged in angiogenesis. Tumors from endoglin-deficient mice adapted to the weakened angiogenic response, and refractoriness to diminished endoglin signaling was accompanied by increased metastatic capability. Mechanistic studies in multiple mouse models of cancer revealed that deficiency for endoglin resulted in a tumor vasculature that displayed hallmarks of endothelial-to-mesenchymal transition, a process of previously unknown significance in cancer biology, but shown by us to be associated with a reduced capacity of the vasculature to avert tumor cell intra- and extravasation. Nevertheless, tumors deprived of endoglin exhibited a delayed onset of resistance to anti-VEGF (vascular endothelial growth factor) agents, illustrating the therapeutic utility of combinatorial targeting of multiple angiogenic pathways for the treatment of cancer

ECLAIRE: Effects of Climate Change on Air Pollution Impacts and Response Strategies for European Ecosystems. Project final report

The central goal of ECLAIRE is to assess how climate change will alter the extent to which air pollutants threaten terrestrial ecosystems. Particular attention has been given to nitrogen compounds, especially nitrogen oxides (NOx) and ammonia (NH3), as well as Biogenic Volatile Organic Compounds (BVOCs) in relation to tropospheric ozone (O3) formation, including their interactions with aerosol components. ECLAIRE has combined a broad program of field and laboratory experimentation and modelling of pollution fluxes and ecosystem impacts, advancing both mechanistic understanding and providing support to European policy makers. The central finding of ECLAIRE is that future climate change is expected to worsen the threat of air pollutants on Europe’s ecosystems. Firstly, climate warming is expected to increase the emissions of many trace gases, such as agricultural NH3, the soil component of NOx emissions and key BVOCs. Experimental data and numerical models show how these effects will tend to increase atmospheric N deposition in future. By contrast, the net effect on tropospheric O3 is less clear. This is because parallel increases in atmospheric CO2 concentrations will offset the temperature-driven increase for some BVOCs, such as isoprene. By contrast, there is currently insufficient evidence to be confident that CO2 will offset anticipated climate increases in monoterpene emissions. Secondly, climate warming is found to be likely to increase the vulnerability of ecosystems towards air pollutant exposure or atmospheric deposition. Such effects may occur as a consequence of combined perturbation, as well as through specific interactions, such as between drought, O3, N and aerosol exposure. These combined effects of climate change are expected to offset part of the benefit of current emissions control policies. Unless decisive mitigation actions are taken, it is anticipated that ongoing climate warming will increase agricultural and other biogenic emissions, posing a challenge for national emissions ceilings and air quality objectives related to nitrogen and ozone pollution. The O3 effects will be further worsened if progress is not made to curb increases in methane (CH4) emissions in the northern hemisphere. Other key findings of ECLAIRE are that: 1) N deposition and O3 have adverse synergistic effects. Exposure to ambient O3 concentrations was shown to reduce the Nitrogen Use Efficiency of plants, both decreasing agricultural production and posing an increased risk of other forms of nitrogen pollution, such as nitrate leaching (NO3-) and the greenhouse gas nitrous oxide (N2O); 2) within-canopy dynamics for volatile aerosol can increase dry deposition and shorten atmospheric lifetimes; 3) ambient aerosol levels reduce the ability of plants to conserve water under drought conditions; 4) low-resolution mapping studies tend to underestimate the extent of local critical loads exceedance; 5) new dose-response functions can be used to improve the assessment of costs, including estimation of the value of damage due to air pollution effects on ecosystems, 6) scenarios can be constructed that combine technical mitigation measures with dietary change options (reducing livestock products in food down to recommended levels for health criteria), with the balance between the two strategies being a matter for future societal discussion. ECLAIRE has supported the revision process for the National Emissions Ceilings Directive and will continue to deliver scientific underpinning into the future for the UNECE Convention on Long-range Transboundary Air Pollution

ECLAIRE third periodic report

The ÉCLAIRE project (Effects of Climate Change on Air Pollution Impacts and Response Strategies for European Ecosystems) is a four year (2011-2015) project funded by the EU's Seventh Framework Programme for Research and Technological Development (FP7)

Datadrevet beslutningstaking og verdiskapning i kollektivtrafikken

Nye teknologiske nyvinninger medfører stigende forventninger blant befolkningen i forhold til digitale tjenester som tilbys. For kollektivtrafikken er det derfor viktig at de tar i bruk alle virkemidlene de har for å være relevante og den foretrukne formen for transportering. Da er et sterkt kundefokus viktig. Det å bli mer datadrevet kan bidra til at kollektivtrafikken tilbyr enklere og mer effektive reiser for befolkningen, samt bidra til et mer bærekraftig samfunn. Samferdselsdepartementet la ut i mars 2021 sin nasjonale transportplan, hvor fem delmål var i fokus. Disse er (1) mer for pengene, (2) effektiv bruk av ny teknologi, (3) bidra til oppfyllelse av Norges klima- og miljømål, (4) nullvisjon for drepte og hardt skadde, og (5) enklere reisehverdag og økt konkurranseevne for næringslivet. Det ble undersøkt hvordan datadrevet beslutningstaking bidro til å oppnå disse ulike delmålene. Det ble gjort gjennom en kvalitativ studie, der semi-strukturerte intervjuer med aktører innen kollektivtrafikken og rapportanalyser blir brukt som datainnsamlingsmetoder. Trieu (2017) sitt rammeverk for hvordan business intelligence (BI) skaper verdi var den analytiske linsen brukt i masteroppgaven. Det ble sett på hvilket av stegene i rammeverket, konverteringsprosessen, bruksprosessen eller konkurranseprosessen, aktørene innen kollektivtrafikken hadde størst forbedringspotensialet når det kom til datadrevet beslutningstaking. I tillegg ble det undersøkt hvilke ferdigheter som er nødvendige for aktørene å forbedre under hvert av disse stegene, slik at de kan utnytte fordelene ved datadrevet beslutningstaking og sikre verdiskapning

Projektrapport om läckage frångödselbehållare av betong : inspektion och egenkontroll

Behållare för lagring av gödsel bör kontrolleras i samband med tömning. I författningar står att en verksamhetsutövare har ansvar att skydda både miljö och människor från skada och olägenheter. En sådan skada skulle kunna vara en läckande gödselbehållare som bl.a. kan förorena vatten i omgivningen. Förutom verksamhetsutövarens ansvar står i författningar att lagringsutrymmen för gödsel ska vara utformade så att avrinning och läckage till omgivningen inte sker. Det är generellt svårt att bygga och uppföra en lagringsbehållare så den är absolut tät. Skarvar mellan betongelement och rörgenomförningar är partier som är känsliga för läckage. I media uppmärksammas ibland att gödselbehållare läckt eller havererat. Den faktiska förekomsten och omfattningen av läckage från lagringsutrymmen för stallgödsel är okänd. I detta projekt har en sakkunnig på betong varit ute på gårdar och inspekterat gödselbrunnar för att dokumentera vanliga skador på behållare samt få en överblick över skadeorsaker och föreslå reparationsmetoder. Den sakkunniga har även utfört täckskiktsmätning på flera behållare samt provat georadar på enstaka behållare för att prova dessa undersökningsmetoder vid kontroll av gödselbehållare. Utifrån de inspekterade gödselbrunnarna går det inte att avgöra hur vanligt förekommande skador på gödselbehållare är eller hur omfattande eventuella läckage är. Dock har de praktiska delarna kompletterats med litteraturgenomgång och sammanställts i denna rapport för att bl.a. fungera som ett hjälpmedel för en verksamhetsutövare som ska utföra egenkontroll av en gödselbehållare. Skador på gödselbehållare uppkommer genom mekanisk eller kemisk påverkan. Denvanligaste mekaniska skadan är påkörning som kan resultera i skador av ringa eller större omfattning. Kemisk påverkan kan vara rostangrepp på armering eller vajrar samt syraangrepp på betongen. Skadorna kan ha olika utseende från små sprickor till grova brott. En allvarlig skada på en gödselbrunn är om vajrar är skadade. Rörgenomförningar genom behållarvägg är ofta partier som är extra utsatta för skador. Genom att kontrollera brunnen kontinuerligt kan förändringar i behållarkonstruktionen upptäckas. Det är alltid bra att ta bild av skador man upptäckt eftersom dessa kan fungera som underlag vid konsultation med en sakkunnig om till exempel skadans art och erforderlig reparationsmetod. Lagning av gödselbehållare bör alltid ske med en metod som föreslås av en sakkunnig. Sakkunniga är bl.a. konstruktörer och betongexperter samt finns även hos tillverkare av gödselbehållare. Det är även viktigt att förebygga skador på behållare. En av de viktigaste faktorerna för att förbygga skador på gödselbehållaren är att följa tillverkarens anvisningar för hur behållaren ska användas och vilka försiktighetsåtgärder man måste vidta i bruksskedet. Vid anlitande av till exempel maskinstationer för gödselspridning är det viktigt att även dessa får information som berör dem i deras arbete. Till exempel vilket minsta avstånd de måste hålla till en gödselbrunn. Andra sätt att förebygga skador är att ta bort vegetation i form av buskar och träd som vuxit upp runt behållaren. En rekommendation är att hålla fritt, från kraftigare vegetation eller materialupplag, minst sex meter kring behållaren. I Danmark finns ett uppbyggt kontrollsystem för gödselbehållare där certifierade kontrollanter besiktigar behållare. Detta danska kontrollsystem beskrivs till viss del i denna rapport. Dessutom beskrivs den svenska miljö- och arbetsmiljölagstiftningen som reglerar verksamhetsutövarens ansvar utifrån olika aspekter. Ambitionen med denna rapport är att underlätta för verksamhetsutövare att utföra egenkontroll av gödselbehållare. Rapporten omfattar inte konstruktionsbeskrivningar eller mer omfattande utredningar av behållarkonstruktionen. Inte heller uppförande av nya gödselbehållare beskrivs.Manure storages should be inspected regularly to prevent leakage of manure due to for example damages on the pit. The legislation states that an operator is responsible forprotecting both the environment and people from harm and inconvenience. Damage onthe pit could lead to negative impact on the environment with addition of nutrients to the surroundings as well as reduced water quality. The legislation also state that amanure storage must be constructed and maintained to prevent run-off and leakage. In this project, a concrete expert has visited farms and inspected concrete manure storages to record common damages on the pits as well as assess causes of damages andsuggest different repair methods. The inspections have been complemented withliterature review and complied in this report. Damages to concrete manure storages are caused by mechanical damages or chemical attacks. The most common mechanical damage is caused by collision with the tractor or manure spreader into the pit. Chemical attacks can be different acid attacks on the concrete. The condition of a manure storage should be checked regularly. Taking a photo of anemerged damage is valuable when in contact with an expert to clarify the nature of thedamage as well as required repair method. Repair of damages should always be precededby consulting an expert. Experts are for example engineers working as concrete expertsas well as specialists at the manufacturers’. It’s important to prevent damages on the manure storages. One of the most importantfactor is to follow the manufacturer's instructions how to operate and use the storage aswell as to follow the precautions that are necessary. In Denmark there is a state control system for manure storages where certified inspectorsregularly visit farms to inspect manure storages. This Danish control system is brieflydescribed in this report. In addition, the Swedish environmental and work environment legislations are described based on various aspects. The aim of this report has been to facilitate for operators to carry out minor inspectionsand controls of manure storages. The report can also serve as a tool for inspectors andadvisors who want to learn more about leakage from concrete manure storages, damagesand repair methods