Children’s Rough-and-Tumble Play in a Supportive Early Childhood Education and Care Environment

While a growing body of evidence highlights the benefits of rough-and-tumble play (R&T) in young children, it remains one of the most challenging kinds of play to support in early childhood education and care environment (ECEC) institutions. The present study explores the occurrence and characteristics of R&T in indoor and outdoor environments in a Norwegian sociocultural context where children can freely choose what, where, and with whom to play. The data consist of 100 randomly recorded two-minute videos, which were coded second by second for R&T. Qualitative analysis reveals that in a physically and culturally supportive environment for R&T, children aged 3–5 years perceive indoor spaces that afford physically active play to be more attractive for R&T than outdoor environments. The findings indicate gender differences related to R&T and how girls and boys use the physical environment in different ways. The quantitative findings are discussed within interactional affordances theory and show that children practise perceptual, motor, and social skills to successfully engage in R&T. Enhanced knowledge of children’s skill acquisition in R&T can support practitioners in developing pedagogical skills to facilitate challenging and safe environments for appropriate indoor R&T for both girls and boys.publishedVersio

Development of Small Molecules that Post-Transitionally Stabilizes the SMN Protein for the Treatment of Spinal Muscular Atrophy

Spinal Muscular Atrophy is an autosomal recessive neurodegenerative disorder, caused by the lack of SMN genes. Previous work done by Laboratory for Drug Discovery in Neurodegeneration (LDDN) at Brigham and Women’s Hospital optimized a lead compound from screening of 115,000 compounds for treatment of SMA. With the substantial amount of medical drugs involving imidazole as a component, this work focuses on the synthesis of analogs where the heterocycle in the lead compound is exchanged with imidazole. The synthesis of 3-chloro-4-fluoro-N-(2-(1-hydroxycyclobutyl)-1-methyl-1H-imidazol-4-yl)benzamide was attempted by several different routes. The first involved attaching a ketone by lithiation of the central methylated imidazole carbon. Five different methods of nitration were used thereafter, in an attempt to nitrate the 4-position on the heterocycle. Although results were promising from one of the nitrations, the product could not be isolated and larger scale repetition of the reaction yielded no product. The second route involved methylation of 4(5)-nitroimidazole, followed by a reduction. The resulting amine was collected in high yield but deteriorated over time. Three different protective groups were attempted, but all reactions were plagued by low or no yield. Despite this, the BOC protected amine was attempted lithiated, but the notoriously low yield of lithiations made the route unsustainable. Using formic acid, the amine was amide protected, but the resulting compound proved insoluble in common solvents used for n-BuLi. The amine was instead amidated resulting in 3-chloro-4-fluoro-N-(1-methyl-1H-imidazol-4-yl)-benzamide in sufficient yield. The compound was lithiated successfully. However, it was directed to the backbone, resulting in a different analog of the target molecule. In an attempt to direct the lithiation, 1-methyl-4-nitro-1H-imidazol was brominated. The resulting compound gave poor results in both a Grignard reaction, and with n-BuLi. Reduction of the nitro group with Pd(OH)2/C and by iron also failed. Methyl 1-methyl-1H-imidazole-4-carboxylate also was attempted to be lithiated, but with no success. The analog of the target molecule was sent, together with its precursor, for testing in the SMA assay. Both compounds proved inactive.Masteroppgave i kjemiKJEM399MAMN-KJE

Design and Synthesis of Carbazole Derivatives as Novel Therapeutic Candidates Against Acute Myeloid Leukaemia

Akutt myelogen leukemi (AML) er ein heterogen gruppe blodkreft, karakterisert ved ukontrollert vekst av celler i den myelogene celle linja. Denne sjukdomsgruppa er assosiert med låg overlevingsrate, særleg hos eldre pasientar kor AML er vanlegare enn hos nokon anna aldersgruppe. Dagens viktigaste behandling for AML er «7+3» regimet, som er samansett av administrasjon av lækjemiddelet cytarabine, etterfølgt av administrasjon av ein antrasyklin. Denne behandlingsforma har vore i bruk sidan 1960-talet, og er assosiert med kraftige biverknader. Forskningsgruppa Bjørsvik har difor arbeidd med å utvikla nye lækjemiddel kandidatar mot AML. Ein slik kandidat har vore ein modifisert versjon av eit intermediat funne i totalsyntesen av carbazomycin G. Kandidaten har vist tydeleg cytotoksisk effekt mot AML celle linjer. I denne oppgåva har det vorte gjort vidare forsøk på å modifisera denne potensielle lækjemiddelkandidaten. Ein modifikasjon var å leggje til to vicinale hydroksyl grupper på den eine ringen i carbazol strukturen. Arbeidet har ført til syntesen av tre beskytta carbazol strukturar, der ingen har vorte syntetisert i nok mengde til at avbeskyttelse kunne vorte prøvd.Acute myeloid leukaemia (AML) is a diverse group of blood cancers characterised by the uncontrolled growth of cells in the myeloid cell line. This disease group is associated with poor survival rates, especially amongst elderly patient, for whom AML is more common than in any other age group. Todays mainline treatment against AML is the “7+3” regime, consisting of administration of the drug cytarabine followed by the administration of an anthracycline. This treatment has been in use since the 1960’s and is associated with severe side effects. In recent years, one of the research activities in the Bjørsvik group has been to develop new potential drug candidates against AML. One such candidate has been a modification of an intermediate in the total synthesis of carbazomycin G, which has shown significant cytotoxic effect against AML cell lines. In this thesis attempts have been made at further modification of this potential drug candidate, with the addition of two vicinal hydroxy group upon one of the rings of the carbazole structure. This has led to the synthesis of three protected carbazole structures, of which none were made in adequate amount to attempt deprotection.Masteroppgave i kjemiKJEM399MAMN-KJE

Oppdrett av NRF-kviger : tilvekst og effekter på avdrått i første laktasjon

The thesis is part of a larger research project aiming to determine the impact of calf and youngstock development on dairy cow production and profitability. Paper I utilized field data to find a more marginal effect of parity of dam or age within parity of dam on daughters milk yield. This would suggest that age and parity of dam should be included in models when planning a future strategy. The milk yield of daughters decreased with increasing parity. Paper II found the average growth rate of Norwegian Red heifers to be moderate under field conditions in Norway with about 770 g/d. Normal biological variation might explain the spread shown for average herd BW gain between 5 and 15 months of age ranging from 615 to 1,053 g/day. Milk production in first lactation peaks at an AFC of 26 months of age, and suggests that Norwegian heifers with todays’ feeding practices do not reach sexual maturity until 17 months of age, i.e. reach the level of maturity when they can sustain a pregnancy without adverse effects. Thus, the potential for growth of the genetically improved heifer is not met under field conditions in Norway. Paper III Using a simple, roughage-based feeding strategy in which 66 Norwegian Red had been fed one kg of concentrate and energy supply was regulated with roughage quality we have confirmed that it is possible to rear heifers for a rapid weight gain (about 940 g/d) from 3 mo of age to conception and a moderate daily gain (about 550 g/d) through pregnancy without negative effects on lactation performance of the primiparous cow. This reduces age at first calving to 22 months, results in a flatter lactation curve, improved body condition score and body weight change profiles together with increased roughage uptake in the first part of the lactation. When challenged with reduced concentrate supply from 120 days in lactation the animals responded by keeping up milk production. Thus, results suggest we have succeeded to make a cow that have an increased uptake of DM from roughage.Hovedmålet med denne doktorgraden var å undersøke hvordan tilveksten til rekrutteringskviger i norske besetninger påvirker den senere melkeytelsen, og designe en fôringsstrategi som kan redusere innkalvingsalderen uten at det går utover senere egenskaper som melkeku. Artikkel I viste at med en utbredt bruk av kviger som mødre eller at mødrene innen paritet er unge ved kalving vil det gi en systematiske effekt på døtrenes melkeytelse. Døtrenes melkeytelse reduseres i takt med økende paritet på mødrene. Effektene er imidlertid små og vil ikke gi utslag på små datasett som dem i artikkel II og III. Artikkel II fant at gjennomsnittlig tilvekst hos NRF-kviger er moderat i norske besetninger, omtrent 770 g/d. Gjennomsnittlig besetningstilvekst for kviger mellom 5 og 15 måneder varierte fra 615 til 1.053 g/d og må nok tilskrives normal biologisk variasjon. Melkeproduksjonen var høyest for kviger med innkalvingsalder på 26 måneder, og antyder at dagens fôring av norske kviger ikke gir modne dyr, før ved 17 måneders alder. Noe som betyr at det økte vekstpotensialet på grunn av genetisk framgang ikke blir dekket i dagens rekrutteringsoppdrett. Artikkel III ved å fôre kviger fra 3 måneders alder til konstatert drektighet ved bruk av 1 kg kraftfôr til alle og energitilførsel regulert ved hjelp av grovfôrkvaliteten (surfôr og surfôr tilblandet halm), vil kviger kunne vokse opptil 940 g om dagen (og 550 g om dagen etter konstatert drektighet) uten at det har påviselige negative effekter i første laktasjon. Da vil en kunne oppnå kalving så tidlig som ved 22 måneders alder, få en flatere melkekurve, bedre hold, ønskelig tilvekst og økt grovfôropptak. Slike dyr vil respondere bedre på redusert kraftfôrtilførsel seinere i laktasjonen. Dette tyder på at vi har lykkes med å lage ei ku som i større grad er i stand til å utnytte norske grovfôrressurser.Norwegian Research Council, TINE SA, Animalia and Felleskjøpet Fôrutviklin

Investment analysis: the increased value of selling LNG on spot instead of long-term contracts

Masteroppgave i Energy Management - Universitetet i Nordland, 201

Gender matters: male and female ECEC practitioners’ perceptions and practices regarding children's rough-and-tumble play (R&T)

The aim of this study was to explore Norwegian early childhood education and care (ECEC) practitioners’ perceptions and practices regarding children’s indoor and outdoor rough-and-tumble play (R&T) from a gender perspective. A questionnaire and semi-structured interviews were used together in a mixed method design to provide quantitative data of patterns among a larger group of ECEC practitioners, as well as to gather greater in-depth insights on ECEC practitioners’ attitudes, thoughts and actions concerning children’s R&T. The results of the study showed that ECEC practitioners acknowledged both positive and negative sides of R&T; that they allowed this kind of play significantly more in outdoor environments than indoors, and that R&T often produced uncertainty and a need for control by the practitioners. The most surprising result from the questionnaire was the lack of gender differences in allowing children’s R&T in ECEC. However, the interviews revealed that although a basic difference in attitudes between male and female practitioners originally existed, female practitioners changed their attitudes and practices towards R&T as a result of gaining more knowledge and experience of this play through their male colleagues. In addition, a high consciousness of trying to adopt common understandings, rules and practices regarding R&T also contributed to a change of attitudes.acceptedVersio

Aspects of Developmental Pathways toward World-Class Parasport

publishedVersio

Stilsyntaktische Untersuchungen zur bemalten nabatäischen Feinkeramik

Die Nabatäer gelten als ein seit der zweiten Hälfte des 1. Jt. v. Chr. allmählich sesshaft werdendes Nomadenvolk in Nordwest-Arabien, welches erfolgreich Handelverbindungen zwischen Süd-Arabien und dem Mittelmeer unterhielt. In die Periode ihrer größten Machtentfaltung fällt im 1. Jh. v. Chr. die Herrschaft des Arethas III. Philhellen (85-62 v. Chr.). Danach gingen dir Nabatäer ein Bundesgenossenverhältnis zu Rom ein, bevor das Land unter Trajan annektiert wurde und 106 n. Chr. in die Provinz Arabia integriert wurde. Aus dem Zeitraum zwischen der Mitte des 2. Jhs. v. Chr. und die Phase der Eingliederung der Nabatäer in das Römische Reich stammt die in dieser Magisterarbeit untersuchte Feinkeramik. Gegenstand der Diskussion ist der formale Aufbau der bemalten nabatäischen flachen Gefäße, die nur an der Innenseite und vorwiegend mit rein ornamentalen, nichtfigürlichen Dekor bemalt sind, und der Diskurs, ob die in den Sprachwissenschaften konstatierte Analogie zwischen formalem Stil und Sprachen für die Archäologie nutzbar ist. Auf Grundlage einer sog. Stilgrammatik wird versucht, eine effiziente und anwendbare Methode zur Beschreibung von Dekor zu entwickeln. Das Untersuchungsmaterial wird erstmals nach Motivgruppen und Dekorschemata getrennt. Die Dekorschemata werden aufgelöst und durch Buchstaben und Zahlen ersetzt, und als Algorithmen nach linguistischen Prinzipien schematisch dargestellt. Um die Anwendbarkeit der für die nabatäische Feinkeramik entwickelten Stilgrammatik zu überprüfen, werden Gefäße der sog. pseudo-nabatäische oder Jerusalem Painted Bowls bekannte Ware als Vergleichsmaterial herangezogen. Diese Keramikgruppe zeigt trotz großer Ähnlichkeiten mit der nabatäischen Feinkeramik makroskopisch wie mikroskopisch zu beobachtende Abweichungen - sowohl in ihrer chemisch-mineralogischen Zusammensetzung als auch auf Dekorationsschemata und Verarbeitungsqualität bezogen. Bei der Anwendung der nabatäischen Stilgrammatik auf die pseudonabatäische Ware lassen sich diese Abweichungen ebenfalls als Abweichungen von der für die nabatäische Feinkeramik aufgestellten Grammatik darstellen und unterstütz somit die hier aufgestellte These eines bestehenden Zusammenhangs zwischen Sprache und formalen Stil