Text Summarisation: From Human Activity to Computer Program. The Problem of Tacit Knowledge

In this article I discuss whether the human activity of text summarisation can be successfully simulated in a computer. In order to write a computer program that produces high-quality summaries it becomes necessary to specify the cognitive pro-cesses involved when humans summarise text. As texts can be summarised in many different ways, evaluation of summaries becomes an important aspect in the discussion. The article discusses relevant factors in such an evaluation process. It turns out that humans when summarising texts make use of knowledge which is not readily open to scrutiny; it is tacit knowledge. This makes it very difficult to produce computer-generated summaries which are as good as those produced by skilled humans. New developments within artificial intelligence, relying on network processing techniques, may offer solutions to the problem of dealing with tacit knowledge. At present, accept-able computer summaries may be generated by programs combining accessible human knowledge of the summarisation process and knowledge about text

“Finding stability”. Experienced and measured function in patients undergoing surgery for patellar instability

Bakgrunn: Vurdering av knefunksjon er helt sentralt for diagnostikk, behandling og oppfølging av pasienter med ulike kneledds lidelser. Derfor er det behov for gyldige og pålitelige måleverktøy, inkludert pasientrapporterte utfallsmål og funksjonelle tester, for å kunne evaluere behandling og videre veilede pasienter og klinikere i beslutningstagning rundt retur til idrett. I dag mangler det etablerte retningslinjer for hvordan man best vurderer knefunksjon hos pasienter med patellainstabilitet. Derfor er det viktig å utforske hvordan pasientene selv opplever å leve med et ustabilt kneskjell og hvilke funksjonsproblemer de faktisk har. Formål: Å skaffe ny kunnskap om funksjonelle tester som brukes i avgjørelser om pasientene er klar for å returnere til idrett, i tillegg til å oversette og videre undersøke måleegenskapene til Norsk versjon av spørreskjemaet Banff Patellofemoral Instabilitets Instrument 2.0 (BPII 2.0). Videre har vi ønsket å utforske hvordan pasientene selv opplevde å leve med patellainstabilitet både før og etter kirurgi. Metoder: BPII 2.0 ble oversatt til Norsk (BPII 2.0-NO) før måleegenskapene ble undersøkt. Pasienter operert med patella stabiliserende kirurgi fylte ut BPII 2.0-NO, relaterte spørreskjema og gjennomførte funksjonelle tester før inngrepet og/eller seks måneder post operativt. Førsteinntrykk og innholds validitet, intern konsistens, test-retest reliabilitet, målefeil og konstrukt validitet ble undersøkt i studie I. For å undersøke gjennomførbarhet og egnethet av et sett med funksjonelle tester, fylte 78 pasienter fra en overlappende kohort (studie I og II) ut spørreskjema (BPII 2.0, NPI og et prosjektspesifikt aktivitetsskår) før de gjennomførte funksjonelle tester (YBT-LQ, hinketester og isokinetisk styrketest). Pasientene ble klarert for å returner til idrett hvis de passerte følgende kriterier: ≤4 cm sideforskjell i anterior retning og LSI ≥95% i sum skår på YBT-LQ, gjennomsnittlig LSI ≥85% på alle hinketestene og LSI ≥90% i isokinetisk muskelstyrke. For å utforske pasientenes opplevelser med å leve med patellar instabilitet deltok 15 pasienter i en kvalitativ studie. Intervjuene foregikk seks til 12 måneder etter kirurgi og data ble analysert med systematisk tekst kondensering. Resultater: Studie I: BPII 2.0 gav et tilfredsstillende første-inntrykk, hadde god innholds validitet og ingen gulv- eller takeffekt ble funnet. Videre hadde skjemaet svært høy intern konsistens (α 0.95) og test-retest reliabilitet ICC2.1 0.87 (95% KI 0.77-0.93). Målefeilen var lav (SEM 7.1) med en SDCind på 19.7 poeng og SDCgruppe på 2.8. Åtte av ni hypoteser som utgjorde grunnlaget for å bedømme konstrukt validitet ble bekreftet. Studie II: Sekstito pasienter (82%) gjennomførte alle de funksjonelle testene, mens bare elleve (14%) pasienter ble klarert for retur til idrett. Pasienter med bilaterale problemer hadde høyere LSI-skår sammenlignet med de med unilaterale plager, i tillegg presterte de dårligere på det kontralaterale benet. Omfanget av kirurgi (kun MPFL-R versus kombinert kirurgi) predikerte ikke selvrapportert- eller målt funksjon seks måneder etter kirurgi. Videre var det kun normalisert distanse i anterior retning i det involverte (68.5 ± 5,5 vs. 64.2 ± 7.5; P = 0,04) og det kontralaterale beinet (71.5 ± 4.0 vs. 68,0 ± 7.0; P = 0.01) som var påvirket av omfanget av kirurgi. Studie III: Deltakerne ga grundige og detaljerte beskrivelser av sine erfaringer med å leve med patellainstabilitet. Et sentralt funn var den omfattende innvirkningen instabiliteten hadde på deltakernes liv. De beskrev både mental og fysisk påvirkning. Historiene deres viste en konstant frykt for at patella skulle luksere. For flertallet var denne frykten til stede i årevis før operasjon, og noe av denne frykten opphørte ikke etter operasjon. De fire hovedtemaene fra analysene var: frykt for patella dislokasjoner påvirker daglige aktiviteter, 2) tilpasning til unngåelsesatferd, 3) å være annerledes, misforstått og stigmatisert påvirker selvfølelsen og 4) føler seg sterkere, men stoler likevel ikke helt på kneet etter operasjonen. Konklusjoner: BPII 2.0-NO viste gode måleegenskaper. Kombinasjonen av funksjonstester i studie II var gjennomførbar seks måneder etter patella stabiliserende kirurgi, men veldig få klarte testene noe som tyder på at seks måneder er for tidlig for retur til idrett testing. Foreslåtte kriterier og bruk av LSI ser ut til å være uegnet for pasientgruppen. Patellainstabilitet hadde en omfattende innvirkning på deltakernes hverdagsliv, inkludert evnen til å delta i sosiale- og fysiske aktiviteter både før og etter operasjon. Implikasjoner: Det trengs videre undersøkelser av hvilke tester og kriterier klinikere skal bruke for å vurdere om pasientene har tilfredsstillende knefunksjon for å returnere til idrett. Retur til idrett testing seks måneder etter operasjonen er for tidlig for de fleste pasienter. I tillegg bør behandlingen av disse pasientene inneholde økt oppmerksomhet mot uønskede psykologiske effekter som unngåelsesadferd.Background: Assessment of knee function after patellar stabilizing surgery is a central part of rehabilitation. Therefore, there is a need for valid and reliable tools, including both patient reported outcome measures (PROMs) and functional tests to evaluate treatment and to guide clinicians in for example return to sport decisions. Since conventional return to sport (RTS) assessment currently is lacking for patients with PI, it is important to explore how the patients experience living with this disorder and what functional problems they encounter. Purpose: To gain new knowledge about functional tests used to assess readiness for RTS and activities after surgery for PI. To examine the psychometric properties of the Norwegian version of the Banff Patellofemoral Instability Instrument 2.0 (BPII 2.0) and to deepen insights on how the patients themselves experience to live with PI before and after surgery. Methods: The BPII 2.0 was translated into Norwegian (BPII 2.0-NO) before the measurement properties were examined. Patients surgically treated for recurrent PI completed BPII 2.0-NO, related questionnaires and functional tests before and/or six months postoperatively. A sub-group of 50 patients completed the BPII 2.0-NO twice with a two-week interval. We evaluated content validity, internal consistency, test–retest reliability, measurement error and construct validity. To examine feasibility and appropriateness of the functional assessment, 78 patients from an overlapping cohort (Study I and II) completed PROMs (the BPII 2.0, the NPI and the project-specific activity questionnaire) before they underwent functional testing (Y-balance test-lower quarter (YBT-LQ), single-legged hop tests and isokinetic strength tests). RTS clearance criteria were defined as: ≤4 cm YBT-LQ test anterior reach difference between legs, leg symmetry index (LSI) ≥95% in the YBT-LQ composite score, mean sum score LSI ≥85% of all single-leg hop tests and LSI ≥90% in isokinetic quadriceps strength. To explore the experience of living with PI, 15 patients from the same cohort participated in a qualitative study, using semi-structured interviews six to 12 months after surgery. The data were analysed by systematic text condensation. Results: Study I: BPII 2.0-NO demonstrated good face and content validity. No floor or ceiling effects were found, and internal consistency was excellent (α 0.95). Test-retest reliability was high ICC2.1 0.87 (95% CI 0.77-0.93) and measurement error low (SEM 7.1) with an SDCind of 19.7 points and SDCgroup of 2.8. Eight of nine hypothesis about construct validity were confirmed. Study II: Sixty-four patients (82%) were able to complete all functional tests, while only eleven (14%) patients were deemed ready for RTS, passing all return-to-sport clearance criteria. Patients with bilateral problems had higher LSI scores compared to individuals with unilateral instability and demonstrated worse performance in the contralateral leg. The extent of surgery (MPFL-R only versus combined surgery) did not predict self-reported function or functional performance at the follow-up. Further, only normalized anterior reach distance in involved (68.5 ± 5.5 vs 64.2 ± 7.5; P=.04) and contralateral leg (71.5 ± 4.0 vs 68.0 ± 7.0; P=.01) were affected by the extent of surgery, with a minor correlation (-.234, P=.04 and -.208, P=.06). Study III: Participants offered rich and detailed descriptions of the impact and lived experience of PI. A key finding was that PI had a large impact on participants’ lives. It was described to affect their mental as well as physical well-being. Their stories display a constant fear of dislocating the patella and for the majority, this was present for years before treatment was commenced and some fear still remained after surgery. The four major themes that emerged from the data were; fear of patella dislocations governs everyday life activities, 2) adaptation to avoidance behaviour, 3) feeling different, misunderstood, and stigmatized affects self-esteem and 4) feeling stronger, but still not fully confident in the knee after surgery. Conclusion: The BPII 2.0-NO demonstrated good measurement properties. The current combination of functional tests seems feasible to conduct at six months after patellar stabilizing surgery. However, for patients with PI suggested clearance standards and the use of leg-symmetry-index seems inappropriate. PI had a far-reaching impact in participants` everyday life, affecting ability to participate in social life and physical activities both before and after surgery. Implications: Appropriate tests and the level of performance that suggests readiness for RTS after surgery for PI needs further exploration. RTS testing at six months postoperative seems premature, and patients should be informed that they probably cannot expect to return to sports at this timepoint. The overall treatment of patients with PI should incorporate increased attentions towards unwanted psychological issues such as adaptive behaviour and raised awareness of the knee both before and after surgery.Doktorgradsavhandlin

A linguistic framework for studying voices and positions in the climate debate

The public debate on the highly contested issue of climate change is characterized by a multitude of voices as well as position taking by the social actors involved. Studies involving the climate issue have emanated from many fields, notably media science. To date, few linguistics-based studies on climate-related newspaper texts have been undertaken. This paper presents a theoretical framework – the Scandinavian theory of linguistic polyphony – which we argue is particularly well suited to analyze contested issues. To demonstrate how the theory can be operationalized, we present a case study involving four texts from The Guardian. Linguistic polyphony rests on the assumption that all texts are multivoiced. The case study focuses on the interaction of the journalist’s voice and external voices, and considers the extent to which implicit (hidden) voices are present in the analyzed texts. The analysis reveals a complex interaction of different voices, integrated in the journalist’s own argumentation and positioning.publishedVersio

IPCC communicative practices: A linguistic comparison of the Summary for Policymakers 2007 and 2013

The present paper undertakes an analysis of language use in two so-called Summaries for policymakers (SPMs), published as part of the IPCC (Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change) Assessment Reports 4 (AR4, 2007) and 5 (AR5, 2013). Through a comparative analysis, we investigate how scientific claims are conveyed through expressions indicating various levels of (un)certainty, through scalar systems established by the IPCC to indicate levels of likelihood, confidence and evidence, as well as through non-predefined linguistic means. We also consider to what extent contrasted claims may indicate a difference in argumentative emphasis in the two summaries, without diverging from the overall purpose of the IPCC: to present a consensual view on current climate knowledge. Further, the analysis assumes a textual perspective, investigating to what extent the summaries have a narrative structure with a clear storyline. The results show that, generally, the two SPMs adhere to the expressed purpose of the IPCC. However, there are differences indicating a strengthened basis for scientific certainty in the AR5-SPM. The narrative analysis discusses the lack of explicit reactions to the stated complications. The findings also point towards the need for further analyses to assess the reception of text layout and language use by policymakers.publishedVersio

Climate change as a corporate strategy issue: A discourse analysis of three climate reports from the energy sector

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to explore how energy companies discursively construct climate change when integrating it into their overall business strategy. Design/methodology/approach – This linguistic study uses a quantitative/qualitative approach to investigate three instances of recent climate disclosure, climate strategy reports, by the energy majors Statoil (now Equinor), Suncor Energy and Total. The qualitative analysis focuses on how keywords and expressions function in their immediate linguistic context. The discussion takes the socio-political and business context of the companies into account. Findings – The paper finds that the reports discursively construct climate change in different ways. Total presents climate change primarily as a responsibility the company is ready to take on; Suncor Energy presents it primarily as a business risk; and Statoil as a business opportunity. In the material as a whole, however, the risk representation is the most prevalent. Research limitations/implications – The material is relatively modest; however, the three reports represent the first comprehensive accounts of how energy players fit climate considerations into their overall strategy. The analysis is based on three search terms (responsibility, risk and opportunity). Further studies should include a broader range of words that may be semantically related to each approach. Practical implications – The study can inform corporate strategy discussions and indicate the rhetorical implications of discourse-related choices in climate disclosure. Originality/value – The study deals with very recent corporate disclosure involving an emerging discourse, climate strategy reporting. As the reports represent responses to investor engagement, the findings should also be relevant for studies involving stakeholder perceptions.acceptedVersio

Norvengelsk-aksjonen våren 2003. En aksjon for å gjøre 13-16-åringer mer språklig bevisste

[Der findes ikke resumé til denne artikel

Climate change from a corporate perspective: a case study of the linguistic representation of the energy transition by the fossil fuel companies Total and Equinor

This paper deals with how the energy transition, required to address climate change, is linguistically represented in a corporate sector with a heavy carbon footprint. So far, little research with a point of departure in linguistics has been undertaken on how companies perceive the changes in business practices required to achieve a sustainable future. We investigate this issue through a quantitative/qualitative case study of recent sustainability disclosure by two large fossil fuel companies, Total and Equinor. Our aim is to show, through a mainly lexico-semantic analysis, how micro level linguistic features contribute to expressing the companies’ perspectives on the transition, including the nature of the transition, their motivation for implementing it and the timeframe they envisage for this process. We find that the energy transition is linguistically represented as an ongoing process rather than a dramatic transformation, that this process is not primarily motivated by climate concerns, but rather by business-related considerations, and, importantly, that the transition to a low-carbon society will take time.Cet article explore comment la transition énergétique, exigée pour adresser le changement climatique, est représentée linguistiquement dans le secteur ayant une empreinte carbone élevée. Jusqu’ici, peu de recherches linguistiques se sont intéressées à la manière dont les compagnies de ce secteur perçoivent les efforts à entreprendre afin d’atteindre un avenir durable. Nous examinons cette question de manière quantitative et qualitative à travers une étude de cas des communications récentes faites par deux grandes compagnies pétrolières, Total et Equinor. Notre but est de montrer comment des traits micro-linguistiques, principalement de nature lexicale, contribuent à exprimer leurs perspectives sur la transition énergétique, incluant la nature de la transition, leur motivation de la réaliser et la période de temps envisagée pour ce procès Nos résultats montrent que les compagnies représentent linguistiquement la transition énergétique comme un développement en cours plutôt que comme une transformation dramatique, que ce procès n’est pas principalement motivé par des préoccupations climatiques, mais plutôt par des considérations économiques, et, notamment, que la transition vers une société à faibles émissions prendra du temps

Klimadebatten: mange stemmer og mange budskap

Vi tar for oss klimadebatten i et språklig perspektiv. Innenfor LINGCLIM-prosjektet studerer vi hvordan kunnskap, oppfatninger og holdninger relatert til klimaendringer manifesterer seg i kommunikasjon mellom forskere, politikere, interessegrupper og vanlige borgere. Debatten preges av at mange deltar, og at forskjellige stemmer formidler forskjellige historier. Språket påvirker holdninger og handlinger; det et kommunikasjonsmiddel som åpner for mange tolkninger, og kan skape nye virkeligheter. Lingvistiske virkemidler som terminologi, agens (hvem gjør hva?), pronomenbruk, presupposisjoner og metaforer er noen viktige verktøy i denne prosessen, og denne artikkelen gir eksempler på hvordan disse er brukt i klimadebatten. SummaryThe climate debate involves a variety of actors and voices. The debate constitutes a meeting place for science, politics, culture, ethics and individual interests and values. Knowledge from different academic disciplines, professions and sectors is being mediated to a diverse audience. Language does not just (re)present reality; it is also used to interpret and influence actions and opinions, as well as to create new realities. This article discusses some linguistic tools that are being used in these processes. Examples are terminology, the linguistic concept of the agent (who is undertaking the action?), use of pronouns and presuppositions to create consensus, as well as metaphors framing the issues at hand

Preliminary geochemical analysis of asbestos minerals from geological and archaeological contexts in Finnmark, north Norway Evaluating the potential for sourcing tempers in asbestos ceramics

Source at http://www.sarks.fi/masf/masf_10/masf_10.html.This is a preliminary study of the potential for sourcing asbestos minerals used as temper in ceramics from Early Metal Age sites in Finnmark, northern Norway. Energy dispersive spectroscopy (EDS/EDX) is used to analyze samples from geological sources and archaeological sites. Although tempers were highly portable, the results of the analysis mostly indicate local procurement, however non-local sources are possible in some cases