A Comparative Study of Accident and near Miss Reporting Systems in the German Nuclear Industry and the Norwgian Offshore Industry

Dieser Beitrag ist mit Zustimmung des Rechteinhabers aufgrund einer (DFG geförderten) Allianz- bzw. Nationallizenz frei zugänglich.This publication is with permission of the rights owner freely accessible due to an Alliance licence and a national licence (funded by the DFG, German Research Foundation) respectively.A basic assumption in modern safety management is that accidents are preventable through effective feedback control; i. e. through mechanisms by which information about accidents and near misses is utilised as a basis to increase the level of safety. In spite of their popularity, however, previous research has shown that it is frequently difficult to make Accident and Near Miss Analysis Systems (ANMAS) work according to intentions. The present paper presents results from a comparative study of ANMASs in the German nuclear industry and the Norwegian offshore industry. Both industries have a strong emphasis on incident recording and analysis. However, there are important differences between the two industries regarding what events are understood as “incidents”, what information on incidents is collected, how the information is processed, and how corrective actions are developed and implemented. These differences are analysed in light of distinctive features of the two industries (e.g. risk scenarios, technology, organisation), legislative factors, and social and cultural variables. It is argued that although different industry sectors may have a lot to learn from each other regarding how to handle accident and near miss reporting, the efficiency of a particular ANMAS must be evaluated relative to the industry's frame conditions

Utviklinga til det naturbaserte reiselivet i Møre og Romsdal frå 2005 - 2011

Friluftsliv ID3-322 Desember, 201

Ligand-Gated Chloride Channels Are Receptors for Biogenic Amines in C. elegans

Biogenic amines such as serotonin and dopamine are intercellular signaling molecules that function widely as neurotransmitters and neuromodulators. We have identified in the nematode Caenorhabditis elegans three ligand-gated chloride channels that are receptors for biogenic amines: LGC-53 is a high-affinity dopamine receptor, LGC-55 is a high-affinity tyramine receptor, and LGC-40 is a low-affinity serotonin receptor that is also gated by choline and acetylcholine. lgc-55 mutants are defective in a behavior that requires endogenous tyramine, which indicates that this ionotropic tyramine receptor functions in tyramine signaling in vivo. Our studies suggest that direct activation of membrane chloride conductances is a general mechanism of action for biogenic amines in the modulation of C. elegans behavior.National Institutes of Health (U.S.) (Grant GM24663)Howard Hughes Medical InstituteLife Sciences Research FoundationMedical Foundation, Inc

Identification of the endophilins (SH3p4/p8/p13) as novel binding partners for the beta1-adrenergic receptor.

Several G-protein coupled receptors, such as the beta1-adrenergic receptor (beta1-AR), contain polyproline motifs within their intracellular domains. Such motifs in other proteins are known to mediate protein-protein interactions such as with Src homology (SH)3 domains. Accordingly, we used the proline-rich third intracellular loop of the beta1-AR either as a glutathione S-transferase fusion protein in biochemical "pull-down" assays or as bait in the yeast two-hybrid system to search for interacting proteins. Both approaches identified SH3p4/p8/p13 (also referred to as endophilin 1/2/3), a SH3 domain-containing protein family, as binding partners for the beta1-AR. In vitro and in human embryonic kidney (HEK) 293 cells, SH3p4 specifically binds to the third intracellular loop of the beta1-AR but not to that of the beta2-AR. Moreover, this interaction is mediated by the C-terminal SH3 domain of SH3p4. Functionally, overexpression of SH3p4 promotes agonist-induced internalization and modestly decreases the Gs coupling efficacy of beta1-ARs in HEK293 cells while having no effect on beta2-ARs. Thus, our studies demonstrate a role of the SH3p4/p8/p13 protein family in beta1-AR signaling and suggest that interaction between proline-rich motifs and SH3-containing proteins may represent a previously underappreciated aspect of G-protein coupled receptor signaling

Lipid-based nanoformulations for peptide delivery

Nanoformulations have attracted a lot of attention because of their size-dependent properties. Among the array of nanoformulations, lipid nanoformulations (LNFs) have evoked increasing interest because of the advantages of their high degree of biocompatibility and versatility. The performance of lipid nanoformulations is greatly influenced by their composition and structure. Therapeutic peptides represent a growing share of the pharmaceutical market. However, the main challenge for their development into commercial products is their inherent physicochemical and biological instability. Important peptides such as insulin, calcitonin and cyclosporin A have been incorporated into LNFs. The association or encapsulation of peptides within lipid-based carriers has shown to protect the labile molecules against enzymatic degradation. This review describes strategies used for the formulation of peptides and some methods used for the assessment of association efficiency. The advantages and drawbacks of such carriers are also described

Application of Robust Observers to Time-Series Forecasting

Robust observers are frequently designed to estimate the states of a system that prohibit direct measurements. In this thesis we develop an efficient algorithm for designing an observer which provides robust estimation of higher-order derivatives of a continuous time-series. These estimations are subsequently used in design of a novel procedure which offers a fairly accurate forecast of time-series on relatively short time-horizons. The dependence of forecast error upon duration of forecast-horizon is studied on several representative examples

Norwegian exports in global value chains

This study analyses the participation of the Norwegian economy in global value chains in 2000-2014, following the gross exports decomposition framework in Koopman, Wang and Wei (2014) and using the World Input-Output Database (WIOD). The analysis shows that Norway increased its participation in global value chains through both backward and forward linkages, but the latter is more dominant and re ects Norway's endowments in natural resources. Moreover, the study reveals that services exports increased substantially during the period analysed and are even higher than manufacturing exports if measured in value-added terms rather than gross terms. This highlights the key role of services in global value chains as well as the relevance of measuring trade in value-added terms.publishedVersio

A students life: Seclusion and social interacting in the scenery of Seiersborg Tesktilfabrikk

In recent years, transformation has become an important and urgent issue. Not only is it environmentally valuable, but it also creates exciting and innovative architecture. When an area is vacated or a building is no longer in use, it is our job to see the potentials, and fill it with new content. My diploma addresses the meeting point between an existing structure and a possible new program. Can the existing structure withstand the pressure of a given, new program and will the new program benefit from the flexibility that is provided by the existing structure? Seiersborg Tekstilfabrikk is situated in Fredrikstad city centre and is conveying the history of one of Fredrikstads most important industries, the TEKO-industry. It was constructed in 1917 and later on sold to Sandvika Veveri in 1990 which is interesting with transition in mind. Today, Seiersborg is one of the area’s most characteristic industrial buildings with an interest in conservation. The conservation value does not lie in pure conservation, but more in a positive reuse concerning the original structure. My initial interest is to challenge the industrial structure with a new program, and reuse with the restraints and potentials of Seiersborg Tekstilfabrikk. My proposal is a student community where students can both live or meet. In addition to offering innovative student housing that challenges the well-known student housing structure, it also provides shared functions that are available to students not living in Seiersborg Studentbolig. The project consists of 6 neighborhoods with a total of 46 dorms and 76 beds. All neighbourhoods have a kitchen for sharing between 4-7 dorms. The shared space occurs in the negative space between the neighborhoods together with circulation. My proposal also invites students living nearby to a cafe/bar and a health center. Due to the poor offer of habitation to the students in Fredrikstad, I believe offering a place where students can meet besides school will play an important role in the student’s life. I aim to offer students in different stages of life good living conditions with the possibility to socialize, but also to withdraw to seclusion. To achieve this, I work with several levels of privacy. The dormitory represents the most private part, together with the shared kitchen. To highlight this, it’s lifted 50 cm above ground, and creates a physical barrier. Every dormitory gets its private stoep, and the void be- neath is dedicated to storage for the students and their private belongings. The architectural design is based on the existing structural logic of the building, yet great care has been taken to avoid nostalgic glorification. The proposal strives to create a full spectrum of zones from private to public, from the loud and messy to the quiet and tranquil. The structural system has already shown its ability to adapt itself to new uses, and with small adjustments it proves that there is a lot of inherent potential in an old industrial building, and that Seiersborg Tekstilfabrikk can get a completely new area of use and can live further for many new years through an environmental perspective. I also believe that if the need for student housing should decrease, the project would work just as fine as a co-living project, or, maybe any other program if the right deciscions is being made.submittedVersio