Goffmans metaforer â om den genbeskrivende og rekontekstualiserende metode hos Erving Goffman

Den canadisk-amerikanske sociolog Erving Goffmans arbejde opnåede pri-mært anerkendelse såvel blandt hans egne samtidige som for eftertiden i formaf sin stimulerende samling af teoretiske begreber og forståelser af hverdags-livets uformelle samhandlingsmønstre. Den kendsgerning, at Goffman ogsåfremstod som en særdeles kreativ metodologisk tænker såvel som det faktum,at han aldrig sondrede skarpt mellem metodologiske overvejelser og teoriud-vikling i sit eget arbejde, er dog ofte overset blandt sociologer. Faktisk sam-menblandede han i vid udstrækning disse i konventionel videnskab adskiltedomæner. Gennem størsteparten af sit farverige forfatterskab udviklede,sofistikerede og anvendte han en grundskabelon bestående af tre generellemetaforer â om teatret, ritualet og spillet â til at forstå hverdagsinteraktio-nen. I denne artikel viser forfatterne indledningsvis, hvorfor Goffman arbej-der med metaforer i sit arbejde. Dernæst gås der i detaljer med, hvordan oghvor han særligt anvender de tre metaforer. Artiklen afsluttes med en i over-vejende grad positiv vurdering af den videnskabelige gevinst ved Goffmanskreative metodologi

Anodal transcranial direct current stimulation increases corticospinal excitability, while performance is unchanged

Anodal transcranial direct current stimulation (a-tDCS) has been shown to improve bicycle time to fatigue (TTF) tasks at 70–80% of VO(2max) and downregulate rate of perceived exertion (RPE). This study aimed to investigate the effect of a-tDCS on a RPE-clamp test, a 250-kJ time trial (TT) and motor evoked potentials (MEP). Twenty participants volunteered for three trials; control, sham stimulation and a-tDCS. Transcranial magnetic stimulation was used to determine the corticospinal excitability for 12 participants pre and post sham stimulation and a-tDCS. The a-tDCS protocol consisted of 13 minutes of stimulation (2 mA) with the anode placed above the Cz. The RPE-clamp test consisted of 5 minutes ergometer bicycling at an RPE of 13 on the Borg scale, and the TT consisted of a 250 kJ (∼10 km) long bicycle ergometer test. During each test, power output, heart rate and oxygen consumption was measured, while RPE was evaluated. MEPs increased significantly by 36% (±36%) post a-tDCS, with 8.8% (±31%) post sham stimulation (p = 0.037). No significant changes were found for any parameter at the RPE-clamp or TT. The lack of improvement may be due to RPE being more controlled by afferent feedback during TT tests than during TTF tests. Based on the results of the present study, it is concluded that a-tDCS applied over Cz, does not enhance self-paced cycling performance

Water management and irrigation for bulb onion (Allium cepa L.) growth and development in the Papua New Guinea Highlands

Water is crucial for nutrient intake, transportation, temperature regulation, and photosynthesis in bulb onion (Allium cepa L.) growth and development. Water scarcity, caused by climate variability and particularly during prolonged dry periods, has proved to be an obstacle to cultivating bulb onions in the Papua New Guinea (PNG) Highlands. Farmers have a limited grasp of the interdependence of soil, water, and plants. They have traditionally depended on precipitation, and water from streams and rivers, to irrigate their bulb onion crops. The main method for providing irrigation support is manual irrigation, with agricultural organisations assisting with basic irrigation technologies. Despite farmers and organisations efforts to improve irrigation practices, the prolonged dry season still raises labour demands for bulb onion farms. Farmers’ lack of knowledge about irrigation technology and soil water conservation contributes to this issue. Moreover, the lack of irrigation suppliers worsens the issue of limited soil water in onion farms. This paper gives an overview of onion production in PNG, focusing on irrigation practices and constraints in the Highlands region. It aims to stress irrigation’s importance in crop growth and explore PNG’s irrigation methods and soil moisture conservation practices. There is a need for a sustainable irrigation and soil water conservation system that is easy to use and incorporates crop water requirements, while offering farmers an improvement in crop profitability. This system is vital for watering onions and conserving soil moisture, promoting their growth and yield. In this context, the use of mulch and irrigation systems can preserve and enhance soil moisture during prolonged dry phases

Motivasjon i ensformig arbeid - Et casestudie i posttjeneste-bransjen

I denne oppgaven ønsker vi å besvare problemstillingen: Hvordan kan produksjonslederne og medarbeiderne sammen bidra til økt motivasjon?. Vi har besvart denne ved bruk av et intensivt enkeltcasestudie hvor vi foretok kvalitative dybdeintervjuer med de ansatte - produksjonslederne og superbrukere. Vi tok også i bruk feltobservasjon, på avdeling Klargjøring Inn ved Posten Norge, Østlandsterminalen. For å kartlegge nå-situasjonen ved avdelingen stilte vi det første forskningsspørsmålet: Hva motiverer medarbeiderne og produksjonslederne med utgangspunkt i Self Determination Theory? (Heretter kalt SDT). Vi avdekker underveis at det er sterk tilhørighet blant avdelingsmedlemmene i sammenheng med et godt arbeidsmiljø og lavt sykefravær. På tross av dette hadde vi antakelser om at det fantes barrierer de kunne jobbe med å bygge ned, men var usikre på hvilke. Dette ledet til det andre forskningsspørsmålet: Hva er kritiske faktorer for å øke motivasjonen på avdeling KI? På bakgrunn av dette avdekker vi at det ikke er en sammenheng mellom rolleforventninger og virkeligheten på avdelingen, og at det er kommunikasjon som er barrieren for at de skal kunne jobbe bedre sammen. Vi konkluderte derfor denne studien med at superbrukerne i samråd med produksjonslederne måtte avklare forventninger til når tilbakemeldinger var nødvendige, mens produksjonslederne på bakgrunn av forventningene måtte ha avklarte og kjente retningslinjer for å korrigere avvikene som oppstår

Vil praktisering av Revenue Management bedre kapasitetsutnyttelsen ved hoteller utenfor kjede?

Dagens hotellnæring er styrt av de store kjedene, som aktivt praktiserer Revenue Management. De har store avdelinger som opererer med prisstrategier, analysering av etterspørsel og ulike former for distribusjon. Dagens forbrukere er mer prisorienterte enn noen gang og vet hva deres marginale betalingsvilje er. Derfor har pris blitt et av de største konkurransefortrinnene innen næringen. Satsingen på denne strategien har gitt kjedene muligheten til å kunne tilby riktig pris, til riktig kunde, gjennom riktig kanal, til riktig tid gjennom riktig pakke. Vi mener at frittstående hoteller vil kunne ha stort utbytte av å benytte seg av en mer dynamisk modell, hvor de ikke setter prissetter seg etter produktet, men kundesegmenter. På bakgrunn av dette har vi i denne bacheloroppgaven undersøkt om dynamisk prising sammen med distribusjonskanaler, posisjonering og segmentering påvirker etterspørselen for hoteller utenfor kjede. Vi har benyttet oss av et kvalitativt forskningsdesign med både semi-strukturerte og strukturerte dybdeintervjuer som datainnsamlingsmetode. I utvelgelsen av vårt strategiske utvalg har det vært viktig å ha respondenter som innehar sentrale stillinger i deres hotell for å kunne få den informasjonen vi trenger for å besvare vår problemstilling. Vi har følgende problemstilling: Vil praktisering av Revenue Management optimalisere kapasitetsutnyttelsen ved hoteller utenfor kjede ? Etter endt forskning sitter vi igjen med en bekreftelse om at teorien passer de temaene respondentene uttaler seg om. Hotellene som ikke praktiserer revenue management ønsker å kunne utrette en mer dynamisk prisstrategi. Vi som forskere sitter igjen med et inntrykk av at om hotellene skal kunne optimalisere kapasitetsutnyttelsen må de styre etterspørselen med verktøy som pris og distribusjonskanaler

Brain-type and liver-type fatty acid-binding proteins: new tumor markers for renal cancer?

BACKGROUND: Renal cell carcinoma (RCC) is the most common renal neoplasm. Cancer tissue is often characterized by altered energy regulation. Fatty acid-binding proteins (FABP) are involved in the intracellular transport of fatty acids (FA). We examined the level of brain-type (B) and liver-type (L) FABP mRNA and the protein expression profiles of both FABPs in renal cell carcinoma. METHODS: Paired tissue samples of cancerous and noncancerous kidney parts were investigated. Quantitative RT-PCR, immunohistochemistry and western blotting were used to determine B- and L-FABP in tumor and normal tissues. The tissue microarray (TMA) contained 272 clinico-pathologically characterized renal cell carcinomas of the clear cell, papillary and chromophobe subtype. SPSS 17.0 was used to apply crosstables (chi2-test), correlations and survival analyses. RESULTS: B-FABP mRNA was significantly up-regulated in renal cell carcinoma. In normal tissue B-FABP mRNA was very low or often not detectable. RCC with a high tumor grading (G3 + G4) showed significantly lower B-FABP mRNA compared with those with a low grading (G1 + G2). Western blotting analysis detected B-FABP in 78% of the cases with a very strong band but in the corresponding normal tissue it was weak or not detectable. L-FABP showed an inverse relationship for mRNA quantification and western blotting. A strong B-FABP staining was present in 52% of the tumor tissues contained in the TMA. In normal renal tissue, L-FABP showed a moderate to strong immunoreactivity in proximal tubuli. L-FABP was expressed at lower rates compared with the normal tissues in 30.5% of all tumors. There was no correlation between patient survival times and the staining intensity of both FABPs. CONCLUSION: While B-FABP is over expressed in renal cell carcinoma in comparison to normal renal tissues L-FABP appears to be reduced in tumor tissue. Although the expression behavior was not related to the survival outcome of the RCC patients, it can be assumed that these changes indicate fundamental alterations in the fatty metabolism in the RCC carcinogenesis. Further studies should identify the role of both FABPs in carcinogenesis, progression and with regard to a potential target in RCC

Report From Surveys To Assess Harp And Hooded Seal Pup Production In The Greenland Sea Pack-Ice In 2022

Cruise no.: 2022703 : The 2022 survey of harp and hooded seal pup production in the Greenland Sea was carried out to obtain updated estimates to be used to assess current status of these two seal stocks. Since a similar survey in 2018 indicated a 40% reduction in harp seal pup production since the 2012 survey, and the continued lack of increase in pup production of the severely depleted hooded seal stock despite its protection from hunting since 2007, a new survey after a period of only 4 years was urgent. The survey was carried out using well established methodologies for these species, including 1) reconnaissance of the drift ice breeding habitat from a helicopter based on the research icebreaker R/V Kronprins Haakon and a fixed-wing aircraft stationed at Constable Pynt in East Greenland, 2) deploying GPS beacons around the identified breeding areas to monitor its displacement in the East Greenland Current, 3) carrying out staging surveys to monitor the pup age structure and estimate the optimal day of pup counting as well as correction factors accounting for pups not present on the ice at the time of counting, and 4) conducting aerial photographic surveys using the fixed-wing aircraft. Ice conditions in the Greenland Sea were similar as those experienced in 2018, with a relatively narrow band of pack ice over the shelf break near the coast of East Greenland. Seal whelping patches were initially discovered on March 21 & 22nd, within an area stretching from 72°53’N / 16°42’W in the north to 71°51’N / 17°30’W in the south. Five GPS beacons were deployed at the main whelping patches within this area, allowing us to track the continuous drift due to strong northerly winds during the period between initial reconnaissance and the final pup counting. Pup staging surveys were carried out on March 22nd, 23rd, 25th, 28th and 30th, providing us with a solid dataset with which to assess the development of pup age dynamics, determine the optimal day for photographic surveys, and to estimate correction factors to account for pups absent from the ice during the photographic surveys. The final photographic surveys were carried out on March 28th in a relatively narrow (20-30 nm) N/S band stretching from 71°00’N / 20°00’W in the NE to 69°34’N / 20°36’W in the SW. In total, 2,463 images were obtained during the aerial photographic survey, and following pre-processing (georeferencing and ortorectification), these will be analysed both manually and using dedicated machine learning systems, to determine the number of pups present in images. Results will be used to estimate the total 2022 pup production for each species and will also be combined with estimates from previous years to estimate the population sizes using the dedicated population dynamics model. The entire updated dataset will be made available to the upcoming ICES benchmarking meeting for harp and hooded seal population modelling, and results will finally be evaluated at the upcoming meeting of the ICES WGHARP working group in 2023.Report From Surveys To Assess Harp And Hooded Seal Pup Production In The Greenland Sea Pack-Ice In 2022publishedVersio

Report From Surveys To Assess Harp And Hooded Seal Pup Production In The Greenland Sea Pack-Ice In 2022

Source at https://www.hi.no/en/hi/nettrapporter/toktrapport-en-2022-7.Cruise no.: 2022703 : The 2022 survey of harp and hooded seal pup production in the Greenland Sea was carried out to obtain updated estimates to be used to assess current status of these two seal stocks. Since a similar survey in 2018 indicated a 40% reduction in harp seal pup production since the 2012 survey, and the continued lack of increase in pup production of the severely depleted hooded seal stock despite its protection from hunting since 2007, a new survey after a period of only 4 years was urgent. The survey was carried out using well established methodologies for these species, including 1) reconnaissance of the drift ice breeding habitat from a helicopter based on the research icebreaker R/V Kronprins Haakon and a fixed-wing aircraft stationed at Constable Pynt in East Greenland, 2) deploying GPS beacons around the identified breeding areas to monitor its displacement in the East Greenland Current, 3) carrying out staging surveys to monitor the pup age structure and estimate the optimal day of pup counting as well as correction factors accounting for pups not present on the ice at the time of counting, and 4) conducting aerial photographic surveys using the fixed-wing aircraft. Ice conditions in the Greenland Sea were similar as those experienced in 2018, with a relatively narrow band of pack ice over the shelf break near the coast of East Greenland. Seal whelping patches were initially discovered on March 21 & 22nd, within an area stretching from 72°53’N / 16°42’W in the north to 71°51’N / 17°30’W in the south. Five GPS beacons were deployed at the main whelping patches within this area, allowing us to track the continuous drift due to strong northerly winds during the period between initial reconnaissance and the final pup counting. Pup staging surveys were carried out on March 22nd, 23rd, 25th, 28th and 30th, providing us with a solid dataset with which to assess the development of pup age dynamics, determine the optimal day for photographic surveys, and to estimate correction factors to account for pups absent from the ice during the photographic surveys. The final photographic surveys were carried out on March 28th in a relatively narrow (20-30 nm) N/S band stretching from 71°00’N / 20°00’W in the NE to 69°34’N / 20°36’W in the SW. In total, 2,463 images were obtained during the aerial photographic survey, and following pre-processing (georeferencing and ortorectification), these will be analysed both manually and using dedicated machine learning systems, to determine the number of pups present in images. Results will be used to estimate the total 2022 pup production for each species and will also be combined with estimates from previous years to estimate the population sizes using the dedicated population dynamics model. The entire updated dataset will be made available to the upcoming ICES benchmarking meeting for harp and hooded seal population modelling, and results will finally be evaluated at the upcoming meeting of the ICES WGHARP working group in 2023