BlockDiploma – Decentralizing the Norwegian Diploma Registry using Blockchain Technology

Academic diplomas are being falsified and potentially resulting in unqualified individuals getting the job, or a better candidate being bypassed by a forger. Secure and reliable verification mechanisms for academic diplomas are needed. Norway has attempted to accomplish this by developing the Diploma registry, a digital solution for sharing academic results. Our research reviews current diploma systems to identify challenges. Following the review, our research effort shifts focus from identifying challenges to attempting to find solutions using blockchain technology. The research is based on the hypothesis that there are challenges with the present solutions, and that those challenges can be resolved by decentralizing the diploma registry using blockchain and peer-to-peer technology. The research is classified as computer research using the engineering method. The first step was to gather and aggregate information about current diploma systems and relevant blockchain proposed solutions. Based upon the information gathered we could identify challenges with the current solutions, and we started to formulate requirements for a blockchain-based one. After formulating our proposal in the form of written requirements, we started to explore how the challenges could be resolved using decentralized technology. Following the exploration of decentralized technologies, we ended up with developing a decentralized application called BlockDiploma. BlockDiploma is built using smart contracts with the Ethereum blockchain, IPFS for decentralized storage and standard web technologies for the user interface. During and after the development we analyzed and evaluated how well it resolved the identified challenges and whether it introduces new challenges. Our conclusion is that there are several issues other than just falsification with the present diploma systems, and that a decentralized diploma registry can in the future be part of the solution to those challenges.Masteroppgave i informatikkINF399MAMN-PROGMAMN-IN

Regional gray matter volumetric changes in autism associated with social and repetitive behavior symptoms.

BackgroundAlthough differences in brain anatomy in autism have been difficult to replicate using manual tracing methods, automated whole brain analyses have begun to find consistent differences in regions of the brain associated with the social cognitive processes that are often impaired in autism. We attempted to replicate these whole brain studies and to correlate regional volume changes with several autism symptom measures.MethodsWe performed MRI scans on 24 individuals diagnosed with DSM-IV autistic disorder and compared those to scans from 23 healthy comparison subjects matched on age. All participants were male. Whole brain, voxel-wise analyses of regional gray matter volume were conducted using voxel-based morphometry (VBM).ResultsControlling for age and total gray matter volume, the volumes of the medial frontal gyri, left pre-central gyrus, right post-central gyrus, right fusiform gyrus, caudate nuclei and the left hippocampus were larger in the autism group relative to controls. Regions exhibiting smaller volumes in the autism group were observed exclusively in the cerebellum. Significant partial correlations were found between the volumes of the caudate nuclei, multiple frontal and temporal regions, the cerebellum and a measure of repetitive behaviors, controlling for total gray matter volume. Social and communication deficits in autism were also associated with caudate, cerebellar, and precuneus volumes, as well as with frontal and temporal lobe regional volumes.ConclusionGray matter enlargement was observed in areas that have been functionally identified as important in social-cognitive processes, such as the medial frontal gyri, sensorimotor cortex and middle temporal gyrus. Additionally, we have shown that VBM is sensitive to associations between social and repetitive behaviors and regional brain volumes in autism

Loan-to-Value Regulations on Mortgages and the Use and Refinancing of Unsecured

publishedVersio

Long-Term Outcomes After Open Repair for Ruptured Abdominal Aortic Aneurysm

Background Early mortality in ruptured abdominal aneurysm (rAAA) is high, but data on long-term outcome are scarce. The aim of this study was to investigate the long-term outcome in survivors after open surgery for rAAA in well-defined population. Methods This is a population-based, observational long-term follow-up (beyond 30-day mortality) study of patients surgically treated for rAAA from 2000 through 2014. Long-term survival was analysed using Kaplan–Meier estimates and compared to the general population by analyses of relative survival. Results Out of 178 patients operated for rAAA, 95 patients (55%) either died in the perioperative period, were referred from other hospitals or were lost to follow-up (two patients). Altogether 83 patients were eligible for long-term outcomes: 72 men and 11 women. Estimated median crude survival time was 6.5 years [95% confidence interval (CI) 4.8–8.2]. Men had a median survival of 7.3 years (95% CI 5.1–9.4) versus 5.4 years in females (95% CI 3.5–7.3) (P = 0.082). Reinterventions during follow-up occurred in 31 (37%). Relative survival demonstrated a slightly higher risk of death in the rAAA population compared to the general age- and gender-matched population. Age, but not comorbidities, had a significant influence on long-term survival. Conclusion For survivors beyond 30 days after surgery for rAAA, long-term survival compares well to that of an age- and sex-matched population. A high frequency of cardiovascular comorbidities did not seem to affect long-term survival.publishedVersio

Back to the roots of internal credit risk models: Does risk explain why banks' risk-weighted asset levels converge over time?

The internal ratings-based (IRB) approach maps bank risk profiles more adequately than the standardized approach. After switching to IRB, banks’ risk-weighted asset (RWA) densities are thus expected to diverge, especially across countries with different supervisory strictness and risk levels. However, when examining 52 listed banks headquartered in 14 European countries that adopted the IRB approach, we observe a convergence of their RWA densities over time. We test whether this convergence can be entirely explained by differences in the size of the banks, loss levels, country risk, and/or time of IRB implementation. Our findings indicate that this is not the case. Whereas banks in high-risk countries with lax regulation, reduce their RWA densities, banks elsewhere increase theirs. Especially for banks in high-risk countries, RWA densities underestimate banks’ economic risk. Hence, the IRB approach enables regulatory arbitrage, whereby authorities only enforce strict supervision on capital requirements if they do not jeopardize bank viability

Long-Term Outcomes After Open Repair for Ruptured Abdominal Aortic Aneurysm

Background Early mortality in ruptured abdominal aneurysm (rAAA) is high, but data on long-term outcome are scarce. The aim of this study was to investigate the long-term outcome in survivors after open surgery for rAAA in well-defined population. Methods This is a population-based, observational long-term follow-up (beyond 30-day mortality) study of patients surgically treated for rAAA from 2000 through 2014. Long-term survival was analysed using Kaplan–Meier estimates and compared to the general population by analyses of relative survival. Results Out of 178 patients operated for rAAA, 95 patients (55%) either died in the perioperative period, were referred from other hospitals or were lost to follow-up (two patients). Altogether 83 patients were eligible for long-term outcomes: 72 men and 11 women. Estimated median crude survival time was 6.5 years [95% confidence interval (CI) 4.8–8.2]. Men had a median survival of 7.3 years (95% CI 5.1–9.4) versus 5.4 years in females (95% CI 3.5–7.3) (P = 0.082). Reinterventions during follow-up occurred in 31 (37%). Relative survival demonstrated a slightly higher risk of death in the rAAA population compared to the general age- and gender-matched population. Age, but not comorbidities, had a significant influence on long-term survival. Conclusion For survivors beyond 30 days after surgery for rAAA, long-term survival compares well to that of an age- and sex-matched population. A high frequency of cardiovascular comorbidities did not seem to affect long-term survival.publishedVersio

Barns atferd på ulike arenaer: En empirisk studie av sammenhengen mellom observert atferd sammen med en av foreldrene, rapportert atferd fra foreldre og rapportert atferd fra barnehagelærere.

Postponed access: the file will be accessible after 2021-05-21Kunnskap om barns atferd står helt sentralt når foreldre og barnehagelærere skal tilrettelegge for barns trivsel og utvikling. Hvordan barn samhandler med andre kan variere på tvers av ulike arenaer, og det kan være store forskjeller i hvordan voksne oppfatter barnas egenskaper og atferd. Målet med denne oppgaven er å øke kunnskapsnivået om likheter og forskjeller i hva de voksne rapporterer og observerer om atferd hos barn i treårsalder. Oppgaven tar utgangspunkt i sosial interaksjonslæringsmodell, sosialkonstruktivisme og nativisme og vil diskutere følgende problemstilling: I hvilken grad er det en sammenheng mellom barnets observerte atferd i samhandling med foreldre, rapportert atferd fra foreldre og rapportert atferd fra barnehagelærere? Oppgaven bruker et kvantitativt forskningsdesign og data er hentet fra studien Barns sosiale utvikling. Dataene er basert på kodet observert atferd av barn i treårsalderen i samhandling med foreldre og rapportert atferd fra foreldre og barnehagelærer. Utvalget består av N = 1036 deltakende barn (n = 499 jenter og n = 537 gutter) og deres foreldre (n = 273 mødre og n = 763 fedre). Korrelasjonsanalyser gjennomført i SPSS danner hovedgrunnlaget for resultatene. Resultatene viser flere signifikante sammenhenger mellom observert prososial atferd og rapportert sosial kompetanse fra barnehagelærere enn når foreldrene rapporterer. Videre er sammenhengen mellom rapportert atferd fra foreldre og barnehagelærer svak, i tråd med tidligere studier. Den lave enigheten om barns atferd antyder at det er meningsfylt å få informasjon fra flere ulike informanter og innsamlingsmetoder. Dette bidrar til unik informasjon fra alle informantene om det enkelte barnet og kan gi et bredere bilde av barnets atferd. Det kan i tillegg gi muligheten for å sammenligne hva informantene rapporterer om atferden.Knowledge about children's behavior is essential for parents and kindergarten teachers in order to ensure children's well-being and development. The way children interact with others can vary depending on the circumstances. Additionally, adults perceive children´s characteristics and behaviors differently. The purpose of this thesis was to increase the level of knowledge related to what adult´s report regarding the behavior of three-year-old children. This thesis is based on the social interactionlearningmodel, social constructivism and the nativist theory. The aim is to discuss the following research question; To what extent is there a connection between the child's observed behavior in interaction with a parent, behavior reported from parents and reported from kindergarten teachers? A quantitative research design was employed in the present study, using data from the Norwegian study Barns sosiale utvikling. The data was based on observed behavior from three-years-old children in interaction with their parent. In addition, behavior was reported from their parents and kindergarten teacher. The sample consists of N = 1036 participating children (n = 499 girls and n = 537 boys) and their parents (n = 273 mothers and n = 763 fathers). Correlation analyses was used to investigate the present research question. All analyses were performed using SPSS. The results show more significant correlations between observed prosocial behavior and reported social skills from kindergarten teachers, compared to reports from parents. Furthermore, the relationship between behavior reported from parents and kindergarten was weak, in line with findings from previous studies. The low consensus regarding children's behavior suggests that it is meaningful to obtain information from several different informants and use several methods to obtain it. This makes it possible to achieve unique information from all the informants about the individual child. Additionally, it can provide a more comprehensive picture of the child's behavior, as well as providing the possibility to compare what the various informants report about the behavior.Masteroppgave i barnevernMABARN351MAPS-BAR

Å lære og å være : ungdoms opplevelse av egen læring i et framtidsperspektiv

Utgangspunktet for masteroppgaven er forskningsprogrammet Oppvekstvilkår, læring og inkludering, som ledes av professor dr.philos Edvard Befring og er et samarbeid med Sagene bydel i Oslo kommune. Masteroppgaven er en del av det vi her kaller Læringsprosjektet, i fellesskap med førsteamanuensis Peer Møller Sørensen og stipendiat Nils Breilid. Vi undersøker ungdoms erfaringer og opplevelser av egen læring på ulike livsarenaer gjennom skriftlig egenrapportering på åpne spørsmål. Masteroppgaven utgjør prosjektets trinn 1a, og refererer til innsamling av essay fra 41 ungdommer fra Bjølsen skole i Sagene bydel. De totale resultatene fra Læringsprosjektet skal prøves ut mot anerkjente skalaer for mestringsressurser og elevers ”læringsverden”. Dette kan bl.a. representere en alternativ tilnærming til tradisjonell karaktervurdering. Masteroppgaven danner en slags ansats og en selvstendig pilotundersøkelse, samtidig som det påvirkes av og vil påvirke de andre trinnene i prosjektet. Problemstillingen i masterprosjektet er ”Hvordan opplever ungdom sin egen læring i et framtidsperspektiv?”, og bygger på tre teoretiske perspektiver. For det første er mennesket grunnleggende sosialt og ”samfunnsmessig”, og konstruerer aktivt sin virkelighet i samspill med omverdenen. Til grunn ligger visse krefter i individet; motivasjon, søken av mening og sammenheng og evne læring. For det andre utfordrer det postmoderne ved samfunnet individers opplevelse av sammenheng, motivasjon og læring. For det tredje kan fortellingen i utvidet forstand sees som bindemiddelet mellom kultur og individ, der grunnlaget er individers evne til refleksivitet og kommunikasjon. Tid og framtid er et strukturerende element. Ungdomstiden er en utfordrende og identitetssøkende fase. Det gjelder å se mening og helhet i et samfunn som er preget av brytninger og endringer, og i sitt eget liv, som man ennå bare er i startfasen av. Datainnsamlingsinstrumentet har tatt utgangspunkt i elevenes ulike livsarenaer ”skole”, ”organisert fritid”, ”lønnet arbeid”, ”sammen med venner”, ”alene” og ”sammen med familie”. Spørsmålene handler om hva som er viktig å lære for å få et godt voksenliv, og hvorfor dette er viktig. Vi velger å kalle vår metodiske innfallsvinkel for ”heterogene metoder”, i motsetning til mer rendyrkede ”homogene” kvalitative eller kvantitative metoder. I masterprosjektet kommer denne delingen til syne i hhv. en oversiktsanalyse og en næranalyse. Oversiktsanalysen tar sikte på å skissere bredden i elevenes utsagn, og presenterer data dels kvalitativt og dels kvantiativt. Næranalysen lar det kvantitative forholdet mellom framtid, læring og aktiviteter danne et utgangspunkt for en kvalitativ dypdetolkning av enkelte fenomen. I oversiktsanalysen er kategoriene aktiviteter/fag, utsagn om læring/ikke læring og utsagn om tid og framtid som de tre mest sentrale kategoriene. Disse kan beskrives i ulike horisontale breddekategorier og i vertikale abstraksjonsnivåer. Næranalysen har tatt utgangspunkt i de vertikale og abstrakte utsagnene hvor elevers syn på læring benyttes som strukturerende elementer. ”Lærer ikke”, ”lærer litt” og ”lærer” er kategorier hvor elevenes mer eller mindre eksplisitte budskap kommer til syne: De er metakategorier som setter læringsbegrepet inn i en større referanseramme. De står i delvis i kontrast til hverandre, samtidig står de i en kontinuerlig relasjon. Kategoriene er på den ene siden diskurser eller oppfatninger om læring, og illustrerer det ene målet vårt for oppgaven, - å få fram alternative innholdsaspekter ved læringsbegrepet. På den andre siden vil det kontinuerlige ved diskursene få fram hvordan læringsbegreper ikke kan lukkes inn i helt bestemte kategorier eller arenaer, men å åpne det opp i dets struktur. Det er naturlig å knytte analyseresultatene først og fremst mot skolearenaen, da skolen er en viktig målgruppe for Læringsprosjektet. Skole, pedagogikk og spesialpedagogikk er derfor områder som bør vies oppmerksomhet med tanke på implementeringer av funn i prosjektet. De mest interessante fenomenene for analyse springer ut av elevenes egne utsagn: Det handler om ”å ha bruk for”, ”ikke lære, men være” og ”å være sosial” sett i lys av ulike tidsoppfatninger som nåtid, nær framtid, videregående skole, utdanning, jobb, eller ”senere i livet”. Implementeringene baserer seg på et helhetlig og åpent læringsbegrep, noe som bl.a. vil kunne utvikle skolens evne til å gi tilpasset opplæring og å legge til rette for elevers empowerment – det vil si deres evne til bestyrkning og selvbestyrkning. Et slikt pedagogisk perspektiv understøttes av empiri blant en bred elevgruppes utsagn – der både ”sterkere” og ”svakere” elever får mulighet til å uttale seg om hva som for dem utgjør læring for et godt voksenliv

Distal Biceps Brachii Tendon Transfer for Re-establishing Extrinsic Finger Function: Feasibility Study in Cadavers

Purpose To determine the anatomic feasibility of transferring the biceps brachii tendon into either the extensor digitorum communis (EDC) or flexor digitorum profundus (FDP), determine the excursion imparted to EDC and FDP tendons after transfer, and compare the work capacity of the cadaver biceps to previously published data on the biceps as well as the recipient muscles by calculating the physiologic cross-sectional area (PCSA). Methods Four fresh-frozen cadaver shoulder-elbow-wrist specimens were used to measure tendon excursion that can be obtained with transfer of the distal biceps tendon into either the EDC or FDP. Two cadavers had distal biceps-to-EDC transfer performed, and the other 2 had distal biceps-to-FDP performed. Passive ranging of each elbow from flexion to extension and active loading at 90° of elbow flexion were then performed on each specimen to determine tendon excursion. An analysis of the PCSA of the biceps muscle was performed on each specimen. Results Distal biceps-to-EDC transfer resulted in an average of 24 mm of tendon excursion with passive loading, and 24 mm of tendon excursion with active loading. Distal biceps-to-FDP transfer resulted in an average of 24 mm of tendon excursion with passive loading, and 24 mm of tendon excursion with active loading. The average PCSA was 3.6 cm2. Conclusions Transfer of the distal biceps tendon into the EDC or FDP is anatomically feasible and provides roughly 24 mm of tendon excursion to the tendon units. The PCSA in the specimens used is slightly lower than other published data; it closely approximates the PCSA of the EDC, but is only half of the PCSA of the FDP in previously published data