Diurnal variation of motor activity in adult ADHD patients analyzed with methods from graph theory

Attention-deficit /hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is a common neurodevelopmental syndrome characterized by age-inappropriate levels of motor activity, impulsivity and attention. The aim of the present study was to study diurnal variation of motor activity in adult ADHD patients, compared to healthy controls and clinical controls with mood and anxiety disorders. Wrist-worn actigraphs were used to record motor activity in a sample of 81 patients and 30 healthy controls. Time series from registrations in the morning and evening were analyzed using measures of variability, complexity and a newly developed method, the similarity algorithm, based on transforming time series into graphs. In healthy controls the evening registrations showed higher variability and lower complexity compared to morning registrations, however this was evident only in the female controls. In the two patient groups the same measures were not significantly different, with one exception, the graph measure bridges. This was the measure that most clearly separated morning and evening registrations and was significantly different both in healthy controls and in patients with a diagnosis of ADHD. These findings suggest that actigraph registrations, combined with mathematical methods based on graph theory, may be used to elucidate the mechanisms responsible for the diurnal regulation of motor activity.publishedVersio

Kvalitet i praksisstudier i sykepleier- og vernepleierutdanning

Background: Clinical training in health and social care educations are important in the development of professional competence. Evidence indicates that there are major quality differences in clinical practice in health- and social studies.Purpose: To examine what key players related to clinical practice in nursing and social education believes provides quality.Method: Focus Group Interview where students, supervisor and teachers participated in all groups.Results: Students learning in practice presupposes a knowledge base of the student, a learning environment with adapted responsibilities and coping capabilities, and a relationship with the supervisor who promotes both recognition and needed correction. The supervisor's role can be strengthened through individual competence, clearer support from boss and co-workers, and more emphasis on triangular cooperation with the college.Conclusion: There is a large overlap in the understanding of what in practice is all about quality. The perspectives of the three actors appear primarily as mutually complementary

Kvalitet i praksisstudier i sykepleier- og vernepleierutdanning

Background: Clinical training in health and social care educations are important in the development of professional competence. Evidence indicates that there are major quality differences in clinical practice in health- and social studies. Purpose: To examine what key players related to clinical practice in nursing and social education believes provides quality. Method: Focus Group Interview where students, supervisor and teachers participated in all groups. Results: Students learning in practice presupposes a knowledge base of the student, a learning environment with adapted responsibilities and coping capabilities, and a relationship with the supervisor who promotes both recognition and needed correction. The supervisor's role can be strengthened through individual competence, clearer support from boss and co-workers, and more emphasis on triangular cooperation with the college. Conclusion: There is a large overlap in the understanding of what in practice is all about quality. The perspectives of the three actors appear primarily as mutually complementary.publishedVersio

Esquipulas II and reality : obstacles to the fulfilment of the central american peace plan

ESQUIPULAS II AND REALITY: OBSTACLES TO THE FULFILMENT OF THE CENTRAL AMERICAN PEACE PLAN Oppgåva tek for seg den mellom-amerikanske fredsplanen, Esquipulas II, som vart underteikna av presidentane frå El Salvador, Guatemala, Nicaragua, Honduras og Costa Rica, den 7. august 1987. Fredsplanen fekk namnet, Esquipulas II, etter byen der han vart underteikna. Mellom-Amerika har lengje vore ein region herja av sosial uro, konflikter og borgarkrig. I Nicaragua gjorde Sandinistane revolusjon i 1979, medan væpna motstandsrørsler også har bygd seg opp i nabolanda El Salvador og Guatemala. Fredsplanen har fleire paragrafar som går direkte på dei væpna konfliktene, m.a. som omhandlar våpenkvile og krav om stans av hjelp til opprørsstyrkar og irregulære grupper. Det utgjer likevel eit problem i utgangspunktetrat fredsplanen er ein regional fredsplan, medan dei fleste viktige konfliktlinjer går internt i kvart enkelt land, mellom ulike grupper der. Verken Contras frå Nicaragua eller gerilja frå El Salvador eller Guatemala var med i forhandlingsprosessen som førte fram til underteikninga og utforminga av Esquipulas II. Denne oppgåva fokuserer nettopp på implementeringa av Esquipulas II, i ein periode avgrensa frå 7. august 1987 og ut 1989. (Berre enkelte sentrale hendingar frå byrjinga av 1990 er tekne med i tillegg). Hovudmålet med oppgåva har vore å identifisere dei viktigaste hindringane for gjennomføringa av fredsplanen. I dette arbeidet valde eg å bruke C.R. Mitchell sin gjennomgang av konflikt-teori frå boka, "The Structure of International Conflict", som hovudreiskap for analysen. Oppgåva har ei brei tilnærming til problema og analysen er lagt opp på tre plan; det nasjonale, regionale og det internasjonale, med ei sterkare integrering av dei ulike nivåa mot slutten. Etter presentasjonen av problemstillinga i introduksjonen følgjer ein gjennomgang av teorien, i kap. 2. I kap. 3 blir grunnleggjande omgrep frå konflikt-teorien anvendt i identifiseringa av konfliktpartane og konfliktlinjene, - først på det nasjonale nivå, så på det regionale. Den internasjonale konteksten, med særleg vekt på USA sin rolle i konfliktene i Mellom-Amerika, blir brakt inn i kap. 4, som også gir eit historisk tilbakeblikk. Ein gjennomgang av forhandlingane som førte fram til underteikninga av fredsplanen, følgjer i kap. 5 og presentasjon og analyse av sjølve fredsplanen i kap. 6. Implementeringa av fredsplanen blir teke opp og drøfta i kap. 7, med endeleg oppsummering i kap.8. Denne hovudoppgåva er først og fremst basert på eit studium av litteratur. Det meste av denne er henta fram under eit opphald ved det mellomamerikanske forskingssenteret, CSUCA, med sete i San Jose, Costa Rica. Årsaken til at oppgåva er skreven på engelsk er først og fremst eit ønskje frå tilsette ved CSUCA, om å få tilgang på meir av det materialet som blir laga om Mellom-Amerika av studentar og forskarar utanfor regionen. - Det finst ein rapport om CSUCA i appendixen til oppgåva

Haiti: A Political Economy Analysis

Haiti is governed by a small economic elite and the majority of its poor and marginalized population has no access to power. This report analyses the historical roots of the deep socio-economic and political cleavage in Haiti and the consequences of repeated cycles of foreign interference, economic liberalization policies, increased food insecurity and natural disasters. The report reveals that the elections in 2010/2011 and 2015/2016 only served to exacerbate this cleavage. The elections in 2016 had a record low participation of 17.3%. Many of Haiti’s poor abstained from voting due to lack of confidence in the elections, as well as due to extremely difficult socio-economic conditions post-earthquake in 2010/2011, and post-Hurricane Matthew in 2016. Since the earthquake in 2010, there has been a heavy presence of international actors in Haiti. Whereas several of these actors put pressure on Haiti to hold elections relatively short time after the disaster, most of the foreign actors, and particularly the United States and the EU, showed little concern about fraud and low voter turnout. The elections brought President Michel Martelly to power in 2011 and President Jovenel Moïse to power in 2016, both of them representing the economic elite in Haiti. They invested in agribusiness and special economic zones benefiting the economic elite, but further marginalizing small-scale farmers. These two presidents also succeeded in reestablishing the Haitian Army, an institution with extremely bad reputation in Haiti, due to its past severe human rights violations