Seafood from Norway : food safety

Since Norway is a major supplier of seafood worldwide, monitoring the food safety of Norwegian fish products is a priority. This commentary gives a brief overview of the food safety of seafood from Norwegian waters. Several preventative measures during harvest/catch, processing and distribution have been established and are implemented regularly. Furthermore, comprehensive monitoring programmes to detect and quantify undesirable substances, such as heavy metals and polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), in Norwegian seafood are carried out. Substances with health benefits, such as omega-3 fatty acids, are also analysed. In general, evidence shows the level of undesirable substances in seafood from Norway to be low. In fact, in the majority of samples analysed, levels of undesirable substances were reported to be below the maximum limit set by the European Union (EU). This leads to the conclusion that consumption of seafood originating from Norway involves a low risk of negative health effects and that consumers can have confidence in the products they purchase.peer-reviewe

Implementation of the Traffic Light System in Norwegian salmon aquaculture - success or failure for whom?

Since Norwegian Atlantic salmon aquaculture developed into a viable industry in the 1960s, it has grown into one of Norway’s most important sectors. A crucial factor influencing this growth has been the development of a management system which has facilitated the growth in an advantageous way. In the latter part of 2017, a new aquaculture management system started, called the Traffic Light System. This system came as a result of a six years long period of public and political discourses. The Traffic Light System represented a significant shift in how the industry is managed and how the continued growth in production will happen. The aim of this thesis was to investigate if the implementation process leading up to the initiation of the Traffic Light System was a success or failure, from the perspective of the government and different interest groups. The period analysed was from the Gullestad Committee in 2011 to the initiation of the Traffic Light System. To answer the aim of this thesis, the integrated framework for implementation studies developed by Søren C. Winters was applied. The result showed that when applying Winters framework, the success or failure of a policy depends on the perspective used when analysing it. From the Norwegian government’s point of view the process has been a success, while from the perspective of the interest groups it has been neither a success nor a failure

Public vs. Private Governance in the Norwegian Aquaculture: Can the ASC Supplement or Supplant the Public Regulations?

It is predicted that by the year 2050, the world population will reach 9.8 billion (UN, 2017). The need for fish as a good source of nutrition is also increasing. Total global aquaculture production is now exceeding the global capture fisheries production by over 18.32 million tons (FAO,2019). This increasing demand for aquatic animals as human food, limited marine captured fisheries, and the continuous development of biological knowledge altogether bring the opportunity to farm domesticate finfish species (Harache,2002). The range of species that the global aquaculture industry produces is diverse, and It ranges from unicellular Chlorella algae produced with the help of indoor bioreactors to the production of carnivorous Atlantic salmon in outdoor floating net cages (FAO 2019). As aquaculture is growing, various environmental, economic, and social concerns have been arising. These concerns include pollution, feeding practices, disease management and antibiotic use, habitat use, non-native species, food safety, fraud, animal welfare, impacts on traditional wild fisheries, access to water and space, market competition, and genetics (Anderson et al., 2019). Addressing these concerns requires proper management systems in place. The early development of the Norwegian aquaculture industry started in the 1970s and continued to grow so swiftly that aquatic animals' export value exceeded 65 billion NOK by 2016 (Norwegian Seafood Council, 2017). The industry now has been operating with the vision of representing a five-fold increment of the total production volume (5 million tons) by the year 2050 (Furuset, 2017, Olafsen et al., 2012, NSC, 2017). The Norwegian aquaculture industry is providing significant social and economic benefits to the nation. However, unlike the global aquaculture scenario, there are concerns about its wide-ranging impacts on the environment and ecology. Genetic disturbance and diseases that can be transferred to the wild stocks by the escaped farmed fish or the ingestion of contaminated wastage are some examples that can have negative impacts on the ecosystem (Fernandes and Read, 2001). Although the industry is compatible with handling most of the fish diseases and emissions, controlling some other factors like salmon lice and its impact on wild stocks, escapes, or fish mortality are still challenging. (Nofima, SINTEF Ocean and BarentsWatch, 2020). Although environmental issues are dominant, there are social and economic concerns increasing too. Conflict among different users for the same space, risk related to the workplace are some of the social challenges that the industry has been facing. However, the social benefits being driven by the industry by creating job opportunities or paying taxes are, to an extent, offsetting negative social and economic impacts (Nofima, SINTEF Ocean and BarentsWatch, 2020). To pave a sustainable way to reach the 2050 goal, a practical and suitable governance system must be exercised. Now, governance is not as simple as it sounds as it does not deal only with those things that governors do; rather, it represents the interactions between the governing bodies and those to be governed and thus, governance can be defined as an interaction itself (Kooiman, 2003). Governance can either be public or be private (Kooiman, 2003). Due to the increasing criticisms raised by science and NGOs against public governance for putting less effort than required, private governance (like the ASC or the MSC) is becoming increasingly influential in setting up and governing sustainable practices (Foley 2012). However, international certification schemes are not free from criticisms for being too generic and considering necessary local conditions as required. The Norwegian aquaculture industry has been governed by a combination of various acts and management systems. Among others, the Traffic Light System (TLS) is the newly introduced technology that came into effect on the 30th of October 2017 and is dedicated to aquaculture and regulates the production capacity of the Atlantic Salmon (Michaelsen, 2019). The system's three core aspects are the production zoning, environmental indicator (salmon lice), and the adjustment of production zones' production capacity based on action rule with threshold values (Michaelsen, 2019). On the other hand, the Aquaculture Stewardship Council (ASC), established in 2010 as a third-party independent certification scheme, is also working as a private governing body in the industry (The ASC, 2019). With eight principles and more than 150 indicators, this hybrid governance is, in some cases, challenging the public governmental policies (Vince, 2017). Although the Norwegian public governance and ASC have similarities and dissimilarities and are working in the same industry together, the necessity to compare, coordinate, and improve the interplay between them is not sufficiently explored

A Sobrecarga de Telômeros Disfuncionais em Células Normais – um Estudo Piloto

Introduction: Dysfunctional telomeres are critical for human health. They can be identified by their length, prevalence of telomeric variant repeats and frequency of damage localised to the telomeres, marked by the presence of -H2AX.Material and Methods: Using the metaphase Telomere dysfunctionInduced Foci (mTIF) assay, this study investigated the presence of TCAGGG, a telomeric variant repeat, and its association with the canonical repeat (TTAGGG) in a human cancer cell line (HT1080) and a normal cell strain (MRC-5) overtime (120 days).Results: Due to cell growth arrest that accompanies cellular senescence, MRC-5 late population doublings (PD) show particularly short telomere length (TL) when compared to HT1080 in any stage and to MRC-5 early PD. Cancer cells displayed higher levels of TCAGGG, both alone and colocalised to the canonical repeat. HT1080 and MRC-5 late PD cells showed increased levels of -H2AX colocalised to the canonical, to the variant repeat, and to both canonical and variant combined, when compared to MRC-5 early PD.Conclusion: This pilot study identified that the fibrosarcoma cell line HT1080 is more susceptible to telomeric variant repeats occurrence, while normal late cells display higher levels dysfunctional telomeres, characterised by shorter TL and increased -H2AX presence.Introdução: Telômeros disfuncionais são críticos para a saúde humana. Eles podem ser identificados pelo seu comprimento, pela prevalência de variantes nas repetições teloméricas e pela frequência de danos localizados nos telômeros, marcados pela presença de -H2AX.Materiais e Métodos: Usando o ensaio de disfunção telomérica induzida (mTIF), esse estudo investigou a presença de TCAGGG, uma repetição telomérica variante, e sua associação com a repetição canônica (TTAGGG) em uma linhagem cancerígena (HT1080) e uma linhagem celular normal (MRC-5) humanas ao longo de um período (120 dias).Resultados: Devido à parada do crescimento celular que acompanha a senescência, as células MRC-5 em estágio final de duplicação de população (DP) apresentaram telômeros particularmente curtos quando comparadas às células HT1080 em qualquer estágio e à MRC-5 em estágio inicial de DP. Células cancerígenas exibiram elevados níveis da variante TCAGGG, tanto sozinha ou colocalizada com a sequência canônica. As linhagens HT1080 e MRC-5 em estágio inicial tiveram níveis de -H2AX aumentados quando co-localizados à sequência canônica, à sequência variante, e às duas sequências combinadas, quando comparadas com MRC-5 em estágio final.Conclusão: Este estudo piloto identificou que a linhagem de fibrossarcoma HT1080 é mais suscetível à ocorrência de variantes teloméricas, enquanto células normais em estágio final exibem mais altos níveis de telômeros disfuncionais, indicados por telômeros mais curtos e presença aumentada de -H2AX

Managing transitions - integration of higher educational institutions in sustainability education in Norway

Context. This thesis audits the development of sustainability competencies in higher educational institutions (HEIs) within sustainability education. It examines how HEIs effectively cultivate competencies aligned with sustainability goals, by analyzing educational policies defining HEIs' boundaries, and exploring students' and alumni experiences as sustainability managers. The study illuminates the complex relationship between institutional initiatives, curriculum development, and competency attainment. It examines both accomplishments and obstacles, exploring how effectively higher education institutions promote a sustainable future. Study objective and research questions. The research objective is to investigate how transition managers should be educated, thus presenting three research questions: (i) Are today's educational policies suited to support the sustainability transition through the development of competencies and skills?; (ii) How are competencies and skills developed in today’s sustainability education?; and (iii) What needs to be improved in order to make higher education a better vehicle for fostering the transition? Methodology. Based on case studies from Norway, the research uses a comprehensive approach that combines content document analysis, descriptive statistics surveys, and in-depth interviews. The methods utilized complement each other to gain multiple perspectives and enhance the study's validity. Key Findings. Policy documents lack explicit sustainable competency definitions, resulting in vaguely described initiatives for future development. There is a consensus gap regarding a framework describing future competence needs, hindering action as institutions and businesses lack clarity on the next steps. Students generally agree on the extent to which they were taught sustainable competencies but differ in their understanding of practical application. "Happy" students grasp the 'how' and exhibit 'action competency,' while 'unhappy' students do not. This points to an institutional shortfall due to inadequate integration of sustainability competencies and insufficient real-world learning opportunities. Implications and contributions. This research enhances the discourse on sustainability education by comprehensively understanding its impact within the Norwegian context. Bridging the gap between theoretical aspirations and practical outcomes, the study contributes to educational policy, theory integration and practice, promoting a more robust approach to sustainability education. Conclusion. The study concludes that for HEIs to become better vehicles for fostering the sustainable transition, several areas must improve: Accelerating the transition requires involving small-scale actors, such as HEIs, rather than relying solely on a top-down approach. Incorporating HEIs empowers education to create sustainability managers at the ground level, necessitating their increased role in educational policy formation. Agreement on a detailed framework describing sustainable competencies and skills is essential for effective development, as the current lack of consensus impedes progress. To fully realize the potential of sustainable competencies, real-life learning opportunities must be incorporated into sustainable education, going beyond theoretical knowledge.Context. This thesis audits the development of sustainability competencies in higher educational institutions (HEIs) within sustainability education. It examines how HEIs effectively cultivate competencies aligned with sustainability goals, by analyzing educational policies defining HEIs' boundaries, and exploring students' and alumni experiences as sustainability managers. The study illuminates the complex relationship between institutional initiatives, curriculum development, and competency attainment. It examines both accomplishments and obstacles, exploring how effectively higher education institutions promote a sustainable future. Study objective and research questions. The research objective is to investigate how transition managers should be educated, thus presenting three research questions: (i) Are today's educational policies suited to support the sustainability transition through the development of competencies and skills?; (ii) How are competencies and skills developed in today’s sustainability education?; and (iii) What needs to be improved in order to make higher education a better vehicle for fostering the transition? Methodology. Based on case studies from Norway, the research uses a comprehensive approach that combines content document analysis, descriptive statistics surveys, and in-depth interviews. The methods utilized complement each other to gain multiple perspectives and enhance the study's validity. Key Findings. Policy documents lack explicit sustainable competency definitions, resulting in vaguely described initiatives for future development. There is a consensus gap regarding a framework describing future competence needs, hindering action as institutions and businesses lack clarity on the next steps. Students generally agree on the extent to which they were taught sustainable competencies but differ in their understanding of practical application. "Happy" students grasp the 'how' and exhibit 'action competency,' while 'unhappy' students do not. This points to an institutional shortfall due to inadequate integration of sustainability competencies and insufficient real-world learning opportunities. Implications and contributions. This research enhances the discourse on sustainability education by comprehensively understanding its impact within the Norwegian context. Bridging the gap between theoretical aspirations and practical outcomes, the study contributes to educational policy, theory integration and practice, promoting a more robust approach to sustainability education. Conclusion. The study concludes that for HEIs to become better vehicles for fostering the sustainable transition, several areas must improve: Accelerating the transition requires involving small-scale actors, such as HEIs, rather than relying solely on a top-down approach. Incorporating HEIs empowers education to create sustainability managers at the ground level, necessitating their increased role in educational policy formation. Agreement on a detailed framework describing sustainable competencies and skills is essential for effective development, as the current lack of consensus impedes progress. To fully realize the potential of sustainable competencies, real-life learning opportunities must be incorporated into sustainable education, going beyond theoretical knowledge

Safety-driven system engineering process

Thesis (S. M.)--Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Dept. of Aeronautics and Astronautics, 2008.MIT Barker Library copy: leaves 82 to 106 bound upside-down.Includes bibliographical references (leaves 56-59).As the demand for high-performing complex systems has increased, the ability of engineers to meet that demand has not kept pace. The creators of the traditional system engineering processes did not anticipate modern complex systems, and the application of traditional processes to complex systems such as spacecraft has repeatedly led to disastrous results. Too often, system safety is considered late in the design process, after much of the design is set. This thesis presents an iterative safety-driven system engineering process to address this problem. The process integrates safety into the design process, ensuring that safety is designed into the system, rather than added on. The techniques used in this process are: I) Intent Specifications, a framework for organizing system development and operational information in a hierarchical structure; 2) the System-Theoretic Accident Modeling and Processes (STAMP) model of accident causation, a framework upon which to base powerful safety engineering techniques; 3) STAMP-based Hazard Analysis (STPA) a novel hazard analysis technique; and 4) SpecTRM-Requirements Language (SpecTRM-RL), a formal modeling language. Intent Specification is used to document the design with complete traceability from system goals, requirements, and constraints to the operational design and software code. The STAMP framework is used to apply concepts from control theory to system engineering. STPA is used to identify hazards and eliminate them or mitigate their effects to ensure a safe system design. Finally, SpecTRM-RL is used to create the blackbox behavior models. An example of this process applied to an outer moon exploration mission is presented (in the form of an intent specification) and discussed. The specification focuses on the design of the control system and functionality of the scientific instruments, while also including a high-level design of the entire spacecraft. The application of the process described in this thesis demonstrates that design decisions are safety-driven, and that the results of the hazard analysis are integrated into all aspects of the design.by Margaret Virginia Stringfellow.S.M

Source motion mitigation for adaptive matched field processing

Application of adaptive matched field processing to the problem of detecting quiet targets in shallow water is complicated by source motion, both the motion of the target and the motion of discrete interferers. Target motion causes spreading of the target peak, thereby reducing output signal power. Interferer motion increases the dimensionality of the interference subspace, reducing adaptive interference suppression. This paper presents three techniques that mitigate source motion problems in adaptive matched field processing. The first involves rank reduction, which enables adaptive weight computation over short observation intervals where motion effects are less pronounced. The other two techniques specifically compensate for source motion. Explicit target motion compensation reduces target motion mismatch by focusing snapshots according to a target velocity hypothesis. And time-varying interference filtering places time-varying nulls on moving interferers not otherwise suppressed by adaptive weights. The three techniques are applied to volumetric array data from the Santa Barbara Channel Experiment and are shown to improve output signal-to-background-plus-noise ratio by more than 3 dB over the standard minimum-variance, distortionless response adaptive beam-former. Application of the techniques in some cases proves to be the difference between detecting and not detecting the target