Learning from crisis: the 2015 and 2017 avalanches in Longyearbyen

Longyearbyen has been hit by two avalanches in 2015 and 2017 causing severe damages to housing and two fatalities. In this study we investigate organised learning processes regarding emergency preparedness and response following the avalanches. Longyearbyen provides a case of particular interest as climatic change rapidly is altering the environmental conditions, including the risk of avalanches. First, the study outlines the organisation, scope and participation of learning processes, that is, who learns, when and what is the scope. Second we investigate whether the lessons learnt are single-loop or double-loop; if they focus on corrective actions of existing systems and policies, or if they address the more fundamental aspects, such as norms, strategies and policies. Third, we consider how contextual factors influence learning. Finally, we investigate how learning has been followed up by implementation. The study concludes that the first avalanche of 2015 led to a broad and inclusive evaluation and learning process and a series of recommended measures, including the establishment of an avalanche warning system. It also initiated a broader double-loop process of reassessing risks, redrawing the plans and maps of Longyearbyen, and raising physical preventive barriers. However, the second avalanche demonstrated the limitations of the established system in 2015. This spurred a range of corrective actions to the system, but also it established that in a time of climate change, historical experience no longer provides a basis for assessing risks

Effects of magmatic intrusions on temperature history and diagenesis in sedimentary basins – and the impact on petroleum systems

For many volcanic basins, the thermal effect of igneous intrusions is decisive for their petroleum potential because such thermal impact may lead to maturation of organic material in areas that otherwise would remain immature. Many factors contribute to the outcome of such intrusions, and in this thesis the influence of a number of parameters, including sill thickness, timing of emplacement, structural changes of sedimentary basins, lithologies and diagenesis, have been modeled to improve the ability to predict the development of the whole petroleum system as a function of its thermal history. By quantifying the effect of several of these factors, the aim of this project has been to estimate the thermal impact of magmatic intrusions on maturation and diagenesis, from the very first temperature increase in the host rock to the long term influence, in terms of permeability and migration. Sill thickness and timing of emplacement is central in the first Paper where the thermal effect of 0 m, 50 m and 100 m thick sills are compared. The results show large differences on the thermal effect of the tested thicknesses, particularly for 0 m versus 100 m, but also 50 m versus 100 m thick sills. Whereas immature areas in the vicinity of sills that are 50 m thick will remain immature, they become fully matured when the sills are twice as thick. Timing of sill emplacement can be essential, particularly if the source rocks are between two or more sills intruded with a time lapse. Transient thermal effects of normal faulting in basins with magmatic intrusions are in focus in the second Paper. As fault movements occur, the basin momentarily experiences thermal instability in the proximity of the fault zone. How long this thermal instability lasts, depends on several factors, such as the physical properties of the rocks and the time lapse of fault movement. The results show that the largest differences between steady state and transient thermal calculations are found in the hanging wall. If sills intrude shortly after fault movement, the rocks in the hanging wall are colder than the rocks at the same depth in the foot wall. As the thermal effect of magmatic intrusions is dependent on the pre-intrusion host-rock temperatures, the thermal effect of the sills is smaller in the hanging wall than the foot wall due to the lower host rock temperatures. However, if the sills intrude with a time lapse in relation to the fault slip, the sedimentary rocks have become warmer and the effect of the intruding sills is larger. Other factors that influence the thermal effects of sill intrusions in sedimentary basins are fault displacement, time span of faulting and deposition, fault angle, the thermal conductivity of the rocks, specific heat capacity and basal heat flow. How the faults are restored in the modeling process also influences the thermal development in the basin after fault slip. Diagenesis/chemical compaction is the focus of the third Paper. The study quantifies the thermal effect of magmatic intrusions on three different diagenetic processes: the transition of opal A to opal CT to quartz; the smectite to illite transition; and the dissolution and re-precipitation of quartz. All these processes are temperature dependent and may induce deterioration of the reservoir quality by reducing the porosity. Diagenetic alterations can contribute to changes in the physical properties of the rocks. These changes can cause rocks to respond differently to stress conditions in the subsurface. Emplacement of magmatic intrusions influences all the studied diagenetic processes and result in porosity loss of rocks in their proximity. Results show that stresses build up in the stiffer rocks, like the sills and diagenetic altered areas. Such stress accumulations may potentially lead to fault slip or opening of fractures and thus increase the permeability and the potential of fluid migration. Overall, this study shows the need for good representation of the subsurface sill thicknesses and structural development, particularly prior to emplacement of magmatic intrusions. Through magmatic intrusion and their impact on the maturation of organic material, diagenetic processes, location of stress concentrations, and the potential effect on permeability and migration pathways, this study highlights how these factors may have long-term effect on the petroleum system. Other crucial variables are sill thickness and clustering of the sills at multiple levels. The thermal conductivity of host rocks is the factor influencing the transient thermal effects the most, after fault slip and the increased temperatures enhance maturation and diagenesis in their vicinity

Photodegradable Antimicrobial Agents: Synthesis and Mechanism of Degradation

As a strategy to inactivate antimicrobial agents after use, we designed a range of ethanolamine derivatives where four of them possessed interesting activity. The ethanolamine moiety facilitates photodecomposition, which in a potential drug will take place after use. Herein, the synthetic preparation of these compounds and the mechanism of photoinactivation are described.publishedVersio

Gerrymandering v. The Constitution: The case of Gill v. Whitford

Postponed access: the file will be accessible after 2019-06-01In this case study I analyze partisan gerrymandering in the United States with the research question: Does partisan gerrymandering violate the Constitution of the United States of America? With this as a starting point I use the Supreme Court case of Gill v. Whitford about redistricting in Wisconsin as this studies case. I start off with an introduction to some views on representation that informs the conflict in the case. Whether one has a dyadic or collective view of representation could be a huge influence on ones opinion of gerrymandering’s legality. Then I go in detail on how the redistricting process works in the United States, some of the mechanisms in place to ensure a fair redistricting process and explain what gerrymandering is. I also present the parts of the American Constitution that partisan gerrymandering might be in violation of. To get background information on how gerrymandering is treated in the court system, I found it important to do a breakdown of the most important Supreme Cases on the field. Then I looked at the case at the center of my paper. The data I used in discussing and concluding on the issue is mainly collected through document analysis of the amicus briefs filed in Gill v. Whitford. I sorted the arguments in what I found to be the most important categories. The two main things the oral arguments and the amicus briefs seemed to focus on were the First Amendment and how a manageable standard would look like. I conclude the thesis as following: With Gill v. Whitford as the case of study, I find that partisan gerrymandering is a violation of the Constitution of the United States of America. It is probably not a violation of the Equal Protection Clause of the Fourteenth Amendment, where my opinion is colored by how the Supreme Court has ruled in previous gerrymandering cases. However, I do believe that partisan gerrymandering violates the First Amendment and its freedom of association. I find that voting is a free speech activity and that when the state dilutes the vote of voters with a certain political leaning, it becomes a form of viewpoint discrimination. The First Amendment guarantees free expression and association, but partisan gerrymandering violates that when it is used to punish individuals for their viewpoint by diminishing their vote.MasteroppgaveSAMPOL350MASV-SAP

Miss Sydnes Akerstein to Mr. Meredith (1 October 1962)

https://egrove.olemiss.edu/mercorr_pro/1356/thumbnail.jp

Evaluation of photodegradable chitin synthetase inhibitors for the treatment of salmon lice (Lepeophtheirus salmonis)

Some photolabile ethanolamine analogues of the chitin synthetase inhibitors diflubenzuron, teflubenzuron, and lufenuron were tested for activity as anti-lice compounds towards salmon lice (Lepeophtheirus salmonis). Two teflubenzuron analogues (2 and 3) exhibited interesting biological activity whereas their corresponding photodecomposition products were inactive. One of the analogues (3) decomposes completely when irradiated at pH 8, a relevant pH for seawater. In comparison, diflubenzuron showed a 66% photodecomposition under identical conditions. Thus, ethanolamine 3 is an interesting lead compound in the search for a powerful, environmentally friendly chemical to use in salmon-lice treatment.publishedVersio

Diels-Alder reactions with 1,1-diethoxybut-3-yn-2-one and some 1,1-diethoxy-5-hydroxyalk-3-yn-2-ones and their acetates

publishedVersio

Auditing Industrial Safety Management: A Case Study

As industries are becoming increasingly self-regulatory, external auditing has become increasingly important to ensure that industrial practices are in line with regulations and the public good. This study asks if there is a fit between the industrial practices of safety management and external auditing. It concludes that while companies largely manage safety through operational-level experience and with a low level of formalisation, the audits have a primary focus on formal documentation and gathering audit evidence at the strategic and tactical levels in the organizations. This limits the effectiveness of auditing as a tool both for learning and regulating safety management

Maritime safety and the ISM code: a study of investigated casualties and incidents

Abstract In 1993, the International Maritime Organization adopted the International Safety Management (ISM) Code which requires all shipping companies operating certain types of vessels to establish safety management systems. Nevertheless, two decades later, maritime safety remains a concern. This article studies 94 maritime cases investigated by the Maritime Accident Investigation Branch in the UK. By providing an analysis of reported casualties and incidents, it highlights current challenges in maritime safety. For each casualty and incident, the study reviews the underlying causal factors. These causal factors are then coded according to the functional sections of the ISM Code, covering various aspects of safety management. To investigate human and organizational factors involved in the casualties and incidents, the human factor analysis and classification system (HFACS) is applied to code the same data. Finally, the relative seriousness of casualties and incidents is considered to discuss the findings from ISM Code and HFACS reviews. The study found that the main challenges pertain to the development of plans for shipboard operations, local shipboard management, and the ability of the company to verify when such practices deviate from best practices or required standards