De nye mediers påvirkning på form og funksjon i historiefortelling

Hvordan har dataspillet forandret måten vi forteller en historie på? For å svare på det spørsmålet er det nødvendig å se dataspillet i sammenheng med den narrative tradisjon og den litterære arv som all historiefortelling bærer med seg. Dataspillet er et barn av en digital revolusjon som markerer et paradigmeskifte som har ført til at både produksjon, distribusjon og kommunikasjon av kultur i stor grad er blitt digitalisert, og i forhold til denne oppgaven; også et paradigmeskifte for hvordan det er mulig å fortelle en historie. Overgangen fra middelalderen til renessansen markerte også et paradigmeskifte. Middelalderen slapp ikke latteren til i noen av de offisielle sfærer, det var en tid som var preget av alvor og lødighet. Som en motvekt til kirkens og det offisielle livs alvor oppstod det pusterom hvor den folkelige latterkultur fikk utfolde seg i sin radikalisme, frihet og nøkternhet på markedsplassene, under karnevalsfeiringer og høytider og i den folkelige litteraturen som var skrevet på folkespråket, i motsetning til den høyverdige litteraturen som var skrevet på latin. Men så, i renessansen, greide latterkulturen, én gang, over en periode på cirka femti år, å presse seg opp fra folkedypet og inn i den store litteraturen og det høyverdige og bidra til tilblivelsen av de store verker fra Shakespeare, Cervantes, Bocaccio og Rabelais. Grensene mellom den offisielle og den uoffisielle litteraturen måtte falle, delvis fordi språket gikk over fra latin til folkespråket i litteraturen og i noen av de offisielle sfærer, men også bortfallet av den føydale struktur bidro til den sammensmeltning av det offisielle og det uoffisielle som gjorde det mulig for folkekunsten som var formet gjennom århundrer for første gang å kunne heve seg til de høyere ideologiske og litterære sfærer. Det er på denne tiden den vestlige romanen blir oppfunnet, med Cervantes Don Quixote og Rabelais roman om de to kjempene Gargantua og Pantagruel. Et sted mellom rennesansen og den digitale revolusjon fatter en russer ved navn Mikhail Bakhtin igjen interesse for den folkelige kultur og middelalderens karneval som lå til grunn for Rabelais vulgære og groteske estetikk. Han mener at karnevalets symbolsystem ble glemt, men at det han kaller karnevaliseringen av litteraturen, altså hvordan latteren og det folkelige ble sublimert inn i litteraturen, ble en viktig del av den vestlige romantradisjon. Bakhtin, som selv opplevde et paradigmeskifte i form av sovjetregimet hvor det offisielle liv var preget av det samme alvoret vi hadde i middelalderen, og hvor det ble vedtatt at all skjønnlitteratur skulle skrives i den sosialrealistiske ånd, eller med Partiets stemme, utarbeidet på denne tid en teori om romanens poetikk, eller snarere hvilke muligheter og hvilket repertoar romanen har for å fortelle en historie. Han peker på to forskjellige retninger. Den ene retningen er den monologiske diskurs, hvor forfatteren står frem som den allvitende skaper av sitt eget verk og er verkets siste betydningsinstans. Den andre retningen er den dialogiske diskurs, hvor forfatterens autoritet er opphevet, og hvor mening blir til i dialogen mellom karakterene i romanen og deres selvstendige stemmer og bevisstheter. Bakhtin hevder at den dialogiske diskurs har sitt opphav i karnevalet, og at det er karnevalets ambivalente logikk som kjennetegner den dialogiske roman som når sitt høydepunkt med det han kaller Dostojevskijs polyfoniske roman. I denne oppgaven skal jeg se på hvilke muligheter dataspillet har til å fortelle en historie innenfor den monologiske og den dialogiske diskurs. To spill er gjenstand for analysen; God of War fra Sony Entertainment og World of Warcraft fra Blizzard. God of War er et såkalt actionspill som vi skal se har mange likheter med den monologiske roman. World of Warcraft er et såkalt MMORPG; et spill hvor tusener av mennesker møtes og spiller sammen i en virtuell verden. På samme måte som menneskene i middelalderen skapte seg et liv utenfor det offisielle ved å delta på karnevalsfeiringer og det frie liv på markedsplassene hvor alle hierarkier var opphevet, ser vi i dag at store deler av befolkningen skaper seg et liv utenfor det offisielle ved å logge seg inn i en virtuell verden hvor de gestalter en digital middelalderlignende karakter i det jeg har gitt navnet ”Vår tids karneval”. Der skapes mening gjennom interaksjon og dialog mellom de forskjellige stemmene og bevissthetene som møtes, i noe som minner svært om den dialogiske diskurs som kjennetegner Dostojevskijs polyfoniske romaner

Dockit League: Et "twin stick" MOBA laget med Unity

Dockit League is a project focused around creating a multiplayer online battle arena(MOBA) game using the Unity game engine. The game revolves around playing against other players in a competitive environment, using Docking Kits which provide players with different tools and abilities. This thesis will go through the development of the game and detail how the project evolved throughout the process.Dockit League er et prosjekt fokusert rundt å skape et "multiplayer online battle arena" (MOBA) spill ved hjelp av spillmotoren Unity. Spillet handler om å spille mot andre spillere i et konkurransepreget miljø der man bruker "Docking Kits" som gir spillerne forskjellige verktøy og egenskaper. Denne oppgaven vil gå gjennom utviklingen av spillet og detaljere hvordan prosjektet endret seg gjennom utviklingsprosessen

Nasjonens kraft : Nasjonstankens innvirkning på skandinavisk historieskrivning om Kalmarunionen

Master's thesis in History (HI500

Parallel languages in the history of language ideology in Norway and the lesson for Nordic higher education

This chapter compares recent policy on the use of English and Norwegian in Higher Education with earlier policies on the relationship between the two standard varieties of Norwegian, and it charts how and why English became a policy issue in Norway. Based on the experience of over a century of language planning, a highly interventionist approach is today being avoided and language policies in the universities of Norway seek to nurture a situation where English and Norwegian may be used productively side-by-side. However, there remain serious practical challenges to be overcome. This paper also builds on a previous analysis (Linn 2010b) of the metalanguage of Nordic language policy and seeks to clarify the use of the term ‘parallelingualism’

L’influence des relations familiales et sociales sur la consommation de médicaments psychotropes chez les personnes âgées

Les psychotropes occupent le deuxième rang dans la consommation de médicaments chez les personnes âgées. L'objectif de cette étude est de vérifier un modèle explicatif de la consommation de psychotropes dans cette population. Notre principale hypothèse est que la qualité des relations qu'entretient une personne âgée avec autrui, et particulièrement avec ses enfants, a une influence directe sur son bien-être psychologique, lequel a une influence directe sur la non-consommation de psychotropes. Une enquête a été réalisée auprès d'un échantillon de 500 personnes âgées de 65 à 84 ans, vivant à domicile. Au cours des trois mois précédant l'entrevue, 31,8 % des répondants ont consommé des psychotropes. Les données empiriques n'ayant pas permis de vérifier le modèle théorique retenu, des analyses multivariées ont conduit à l'élaboration d'un modèle explicatif de la consommation qui met en évidence que le bien-être psychologique et la santé sont les meilleurs prédicteurs de cette consommation. Un bien-être psychologique élevé diminue la consommation alors qu'un mauvais état de santé l'augmente. Les relations sociales influencent directement le bien-être psychologique alors que les relations familiales ont un effet de moindre importance. Le modèle explicatif proposé explique 13 % du phénomène de la consommation de psychotropes chez les personnes âgées.Psychotropic drugs are the second most commonly used medication by Quebec's elderly. The objective of this study is to test a theoretical model of psychotropic drug use in the elderly. The principal hypothesis is that the quality of relationships the elderly person has with others, particularly with his or her children, has a direct influence on his or her psychological well-being, which, in turn, directly affects the consumption of psychotropic agents. A survey was conducted on a sample of 500 elderly people, aged 65-84 years, living at home. 31.8% of the respondents used psychotropic drugs during the three-month period preceding the interview. Path analysis led to the elaboration of a modified model for the consumption of psychotropic drugs by the elderly which indicates that the best predictors of consumption are both the psychological well-being and the state of health of the individual. More elevated is the psychological well-being, less is the consumption of psychotropic drugs, whereas poor health condition increases it. The quality of an individual's social relationships has a direct influence on his or her psychological well-being, whereas family relationships are of lesser importance. Our model accounts for 13% of the predictors of psychotropic consumption by the elderly

Simultaneous Reduction in Both HbA1c and Body Weight with Canagliflozin Versus Glimepiride in Patients with Type 2 Diabetes on Metformin

INTRODUCTION: Canagliflozin, a sodium glucose co-transporter 2 (SGLT2) inhibitor, has demonstrated sustained improvements in glycemic control and body weight reductions with treatment for up to 104 weeks in a broad range of patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). METHODS: This was a post hoc analysis of individual patient data (N = 1450) from a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, Phase 3 study comparing canagliflozin with glimepiride as add-on to metformin in patients with T2DM during a 52-week core period followed by a 52-week extension period. The number of patients who achieved a reduction from baseline in both HbA1c and body weight with canagliflozin 100 and 300 mg and glimepiride was assessed at Weeks 52 and 104. Safety was recorded as adverse events (AEs) during the study. RESULTS: Canagliflozin 100 and 300 mg provided durable glycemic improvements and body weight reductions compared with glimepiride over 104 weeks. At Week 52, the proportion of patients who achieved reductions in both HbA1c and body weight was 72.4% with canagliflozin 100 mg, 78.5% with canagliflozin 300 mg, and 26.8% with glimepiride; similar results were observed at Week 104 (65.5%, 71.1%, and 26.8% with canagliflozin 100 and 300 mg and glimepiride, respectively). The AE profile of canagliflozin was comparable to that observed in previous studies, with increased incidence of AEs related to the mechanism of SGLT2 inhibition (e.g., genital mycotic infections, urinary tract infections, and osmotic diuresis–related AEs) and a low risk of hypoglycemia. CONCLUSION: More patients treated with canagliflozin experienced reductions in both HbA1c and body weight compared with glimepiride for up to 104 weeks. Canagliflozin was generally well tolerated in patients with T2DM when used in combination with metformin. CLINICAL TRIAL REGISTRATION: ClinicalTrials.gov identifier, NCT00968812. FUNDING: Janssen Research & Development, LLC

EFFICACY OF ALIROCUMAB IN 1,191 PATIENTS WITH A WIDE SPECTRUM OF MUTATIONS IN GENES CAUSATIVE FOR FAMILIAL HYPERCHOLESTEROLEMIA

Background Mutation(s) in genes involved in the low-density lipoprotein receptor (LDLR) pathway are typically the underlying cause of familial hypercholesterolemia. Objective The objective of the study was to examine the influence of genotype on treatment responses with alirocumab. Methods Patients from 6 trials (n = 1191, including 758 alirocumab-treated; Clinicaltrials.gov identifiers: NCT01266876; NCT01507831; NCT01623115; NCT01709500; NCT01617655; NCT01709513) were sequenced for mutations in LDLR , apolipoprotein B ( APOB ), proprotein convertase subtilisin/kexin type 9 ( PCSK9 ), LDLR adaptor protein 1, and signal-transducing adaptor protein 1 genes. New mutations were confirmed by Sanger sequencing. Results One or more specific gene mutations were found in 898 patients (75%): 387 and 437 patients had heterozygous LDLR defective and negative mutations, respectively; 46 had a heterozygous APOB -defective mutation; 8 patients had a heterozygous PCSK9 gain-of-function mutation; 293 (25%) had no identifiable mutation in the genes investigated. LDL cholesterol reductions at Week 24 were generally similar across genotypes: 48.3% (n = 131) and 54.3% (n = 89) in LDLR -defective heterozygotes with alirocumab 75 mg Q2W (with possible increase to 150 mg at Week 12) and 150 mg Q2W, respectively; 49.7% (n = 168) and 60.7% (n = 88) in LDLR -negative heterozygotes; 54.1% (n = 20) and 50.1% (n = 6) in APOB -defective heterozygotes; 60.5% (n = 5) and 94.0% (n = 1) in PCSK9 heterozygotes; and 44.9% (n = 85) and 55.4% (n = 69) in patients with no identified mutations. Overall rates of treatment-emergent adverse events were similar for alirocumab vs controls (placebo in 5 trials, ezetimibe control or atorvastatin calibrator arm in 1 trial), with only a higher rate of injection-site reactions with alirocumab. Conclusions In this large patient cohort, individuals with a wide spectrum of mutations in genes underlying familial hypercholesterolemia responded substantially and similarly to alirocumab treatment

Alirocumab efficacy in patients with double heterozygous, compound heterozygous, or homozygous familial hypercholesterolemia

Background Mutations in the genes for the low-density lipoprotein receptor ( LDLR ), apolipoprotein B, and proprotein convertase subtilisin/kexin type 9 have been reported to cause heterozygous and homozygous familial hypercholesterolemia (FH). Objective The objective is to examine the influence of double heterozygous, compound heterozygous, or homozygous mutations underlying FH on the efficacy of alirocumab. Methods Patients from 6 alirocumab trials with elevated low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) and FH diagnosis were sequenced for mutations in the LDLR , apolipoprotein B, proprotein convertase subtilisin/kexin type 9, LDLR adaptor protein 1 ( LDLRAP1 ), and signal-transducing adaptor protein 1 genes. The efficacy of alirocumab was examined in patients who had double heterozygous, compound heterozygous, or homozygous mutations. Results Of 1191 patients sequenced, 20 patients were double heterozygotes (n = 7), compound heterozygotes (n = 10), or homozygotes (n = 3). Mean baseline LDL-C levels were similar between patients treated with alirocumab (n = 11; 198 mg/dL) vs placebo (n = 9; 189 mg/dL). All patients treated with alirocumab 75/150 or 150 mg every 2 weeks had an LDL-C reduction of ≥15% at either week 12 or 24. At week 12, 1 patient had an increase of 7.1% in LDL-C, whereas in others, LDL-C was reduced by 21.7% to 63.9% (corresponding to 39–114 mg/dL absolute reduction from baseline). At week 24, LDL-C was reduced in all patients by 8.8% to 65.1% (10–165 mg/dL absolute reduction from baseline). Alirocumab was generally well tolerated in the 6 trials. Conclusion Clinically meaningful LDL-C–lowering activity was observed in patients receiving alirocumab who were double heterozygous, compound heterozygous, or homozygous for genes that are causative for FH