UAV i Sjøforsvaret. Begrensinger og muligheter for bedre situasjonsforståelse og innhenting av måldata.

Studiens bakgrunn er stortingsproposisjon 1S 2018-2019 som sier at Kystjegerkommandoen på sikt skal utvikle evne til langtrekkende informasjonsinnhenting ved bruk av ubemannede og autonome systemer. Med dette menes blant annet taktiske UAV systemer som skal brukes som støtte til billedbygging, overvåking, innhenting av måldata og etterretning. Hypotesene var at dagens systemer i stor grad er tilpasset asymmetriske konflikter hvor de som anvender systemene er teknologisk overlegne og har luftromskontroll. I høyintensive konflikter med jevnbyrdige, eller teknologisk overlegne motstandere vil derimot dagens systemer ha en begrenset nytteverdi på grunn av økt trussel og systemenes sårbarhet. Oppgaven er en kombinasjon av dokumentstudier og scenariostudie. Hensikten var å se på hvilke begrensinger og muligheter eksisterende UAV systemer har til evnene beskrevet av Stortinget i fred, krise og krig. Dokumentstudiene identifiserte at litteraturen ikke er samstemt i hvorvidt de eksisterende systemene har en rolle i en høyintensitetskonflikt. Tre retninger peker seg ut for å gjøre systemene relevante for morgendagens konflikter. Den første er utvikling innenfor stealth, fart og manøvreringsegenskaper. Flere hevder i tillegg at mer autonomi er nødvendig for å redusere sårbarheten til navigasjons, - og kommunikasjonsløsningene. Den andre retningen peker på teknologisk utvikling innenfor sensorsystemene. Dette vil bidra til at systemene kan løse oppdraget fra utsiden av trussel-området. Den tredje retningen hevder svermteknologi gjennom «metting» av forsvarssystemene er løsningen. På den andre siden har Aserbajdsjan og spesielt Tyrkia demonstrert nytten av UAV systemer i høyintensitetskonflikter. Sistnevnte har tatt ut russiskprodusert luftvern både i Syria og Libya. Dette tyder på at UAV teknologien som var «utdatert» og kun tilpasset asymmetriske konflikter i 2014 har hatt en betydelig utvikling. I scenariostudien benyttes en studie fra Joint Air Competence Centre(JAPCC) som bakgrunn. I denne delen av oppgaven sees det på om truslene og sårbarhetene identifisert i studien fra JAPCC er relevante for taktiske UAV systemer, i en konflikt mellom Norge og Russland. Her identifiserte scenariostudien at truslene stort sett er de samme, men noen forskjeller vil det være. Konklusjonen er at tilførsel av taktiske UAV systemer vil gi en betydelig økning i Sjøforsvarets evne til å drive overvåking og etterretning i fredstid og krise. I løpet av de siste 6-7 årene har vi sett en teknologisk utvikling som er i ferd med å øke robustheten og senke sårbarhetene til systemene. Trusselbildet er likevel så sammensatt at det bør planlegges med tap at systemer i rollen som innhenter. Dette betyr at et lite antall systemer sannsynligvis ikke er tilstrekkelig i rollen som innhenter av måldata

Avoiding or restricting defectors in public goods games?

When creating a public good, strategies or mechanisms are required to handle defectors. We first show mathematically and numerically that prior agreements with posterior compensations provide a strategic solution that leads to substantial levels of cooperation in the context of public goods games, results that are corroborated by available experimental data. Notwithstanding this success, one cannot, as with other approaches, fully exclude the presence of defectors, raising the question of how they can be dealt with to avoid the demise of the common good. We show that both avoiding creation of the common good, whenever full agreement is not reached, and limiting the benefit that disagreeing defectors can acquire, using costly restriction mechanisms, are relevant choices. Nonetheless, restriction mechanisms are found the more favourable, especially in larger group interactions. Given decreasing restriction costs, introducing restraining measures to cope with public goods free-riding issues is the ultimate advantageous solution for all participants, rather than avoiding its creation.SCOPUS: ar.jinfo:eu-repo/semantics/publishe

A case study of a sporadic sodium layer observed by the ALOMAR Weber Na lidar

Several possible mechanisms for the production of sporadic sodium layers have been discussed in the literature, but none of them seem to explain all the accumulated observations. The hypotheses range from direct meteoric input, to energetic electron bombardment on meteoric smoke particles, to ion neutralization, to temperature dependent chemistry. The varied instrumentation located on Andøya and near Tromsø in Norway gives us an opportunity to test the different theories applied to high latitude sporadic sodium layers. We use the ALOMARWeber sodium lidar to monitor the appearance and characteristics of a sporadic sodium layer that was observed on 5 November 2005. We also monitor the temperature to test the hypotheses regarding a temperature dependent mechanism. The EISCAT Tromsø Dynasonde, the ALOMAR/UiO All-sky camera and the SKiYMET meteor radar on Andøya are used to test the suggested relationships of sporadic sodium layers and sporadic E-layers, electron precipitation, and meteor deposition during this event. We find that more than one candidate is eligible to explain our observation of the sporadic sodium layer

Sex and sexuality: An evolutionary view

In this article, I first offer a summary of Darwin’s main ideas, especially relating to sex, and explain how these have been elaborated by more recent evolutionary scholars. I then give an account of the historical divergence between psychoanalysis and classical Darwinian thought, and describe how the early psychoanalyst Sabina Spielrein tried to counter this by addressing some biological themes in her work. Following a review of some contemporary attempts to bring psychoanalysis and evolutionary thought into alignment with each other, I make some suggestions regarding a view of sex and sexuality that would be sound in evolutionary terms while also being helpful in psychoanalytic ones

Periodontal treatment to improve glycaemic control in diabetic patients: study protocol of the randomized, controlled DIAPERIO trial

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Periodontitis is a common, chronic inflammatory disease caused by gram-negative bacteria leading to destruction of tissues supporting the teeth. Epidemiological studies have consistently shown increased frequency, extent and severity of periodontitis among diabetic adults. More recently, some controlled clinical trials have also suggested that periodontal treatment could improve glycaemic control in diabetic patients. However current evidence does not provide sufficient information on which to confidently base any clinical recommendations. The main objective of this clinical trial is to assess whether periodontal treatment could lead to a decrease in glycated haemoglobin levels in metabolically unbalanced diabetic patients suffering from chronic periodontitis.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>The DIAPERIO trial is an open-label, 13-week follow-up, randomized, controlled trial. The total target sample size is planned at 150 participants, with a balanced (1:1) treatment allocation (immediate treatment vs delayed treatment). Periodontal treatment will include full mouth non-surgical scaling and root planing, systemic antibiotherapy, local antiseptics (chlorhexidine 0.12%) and oral health instructions. The primary outcome will be the difference in change of HbA1c between the two groups after the 13-weeks' follow-up. Secondary outcomes will be the difference in change of fructosamine levels and quality of life between the two groups.</p> <p>Discussion</p> <p>The DIAPERIO trial will provide insight into the question of whether periodontal treatment could lead to an improvement in glycaemic control in metabolically unbalanced diabetic patients suffering from periodontitis. The results of this trial will help to provide evidence-based recommendations for clinicians and a draft framework for designing national health policies.</p> <p>Trial registration</p> <p>Current Controlled Trials ISRCTN15334496</p

Effect of Periodontal Treatment on Glycemic Control of Diabetic Patients: A systematic review and meta-analysis

OBJECTIVE There is growing evidence that periodontitis may affect general health. This study was assigned to explore the robustness of observations that periodontal therapy leads to the improvement of glycemic control in diabetic patients. RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS A literature search (until March 2009) was carried out using two databases (MEDLINE and the Cochrane Library) with language restriction to English. Selection of publications was based on 1) original investigations, 2) controlled periodontal intervention studies where the diabetic control group received no periodontal treatment, and 3) study duration of ≥3 months. RESULTS Screening of the initial 639 identified studies and reference checking resulted in five suitable articles. A total of 371 patients were included in this analysis with periodontitis as predictor and the actual absolute change in A1C (ΔA1C) as the outcome. The duration of follow-up was 3-9 months. All studies described a research population of type 2 diabetic patients in whom glycemic control improved after periodontal therapy compared with the control group (range ΔA1C: Δ−1.17 up to Δ−0.05%). The studies in a meta-analysis demonstrated a weighted mean difference of ΔA1C before and after therapy of −0.40% (95% CI −0.77 to −0.04%, P = 0.03) favoring periodontal intervention in type 2 diabetic patients. Nevertheless, this improvement in %A1C must be interpreted with care due to limited robustness as evidenced by heterogeneity among studies (59.5%, P = 0.04). CONCLUSIONS The present meta-analysis suggests that periodontal treatment leads to an improvement of glycemic control in type 2 diabetic patients for at least 3 months

Methodological innovations in the National Survey of American Life

This paper provides an overview of the conceptualization and methods used in the National Survey of American Life (NSAL). The objectives of the NSAL are to investigate the nature, severity, and impairment of mental disorders among national samples of the black and non-Hispanic white (n = 1,006) populations in the US, including African American (N = 3,570), and Afro-Caribbean (N = 1,623) immigrant and second and older generation, populations. National multi-stage probability methods were used in generating the samples and race/ethnic matching of interviewers and respondents were employed in the largely face-to-face interview, lasting on average 2 hours and 20 minutes. Two methodological approaches are described for addressing sampling coverage of individuals attached to, but not residing in, selected households at the time of the study. The paper also describes two approaches used to address concerns about the interpretations of standard symptom probe information in assessing serious mental disorders. This included a clinical reappraisal study designed to ascertain differences in symptom responding and ascertainment of cases (N = 677) in a subset of the same NSAL respondents. Finally, an abbreviated, novel method for estimating the prevalence of mental disorders in first-degree family members is described and the preliminary results from this new approach are reported. Copyright © 2004 Whurr Publishers Ltd.Peer Reviewedhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/34227/1/182_ftp.pd

Evolution by Any Other Name: Antibiotic Resistance and Avoidance of the E-Word

The word "evolution" is rarely used in papers from medical journals describing antimicrobial resistance, which may directly impact public perception of the importance of evolutionary biology in our everyday lives

A teleofunctional account of evolutionary mismatch.

This is the final version of the article. It first appeared from Springer via http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s10539-016-9527-1When the environment in which an organism lives deviates in some essential way from that to which it is adapted, this is described as "evolutionary mismatch," or "evolutionary novelty." The notion of mismatch plays an important role, explicitly or implicitly, in evolution-informed cognitive psychology, clinical psychology, and medicine. The evolutionary novelty of our contemporary environment is thought to have significant implications for our health and well-being. However, scientists have generally been working without a clear definition of mismatch. This paper defines mismatch as deviations in the environment that render biological traits unable, or impaired in their ability, to produce their selected effects (i.e., to perform their proper functions in Neander's sense). The machinery developed by Millikan in connection with her account of proper function, and with her related teleosemantic account of representation, is used to identify four major types, and several subtypes, of evolutionary mismatch. While the taxonomy offered here does not in itself resolve any scientific debates, the hope is that it can be used to better formulate empirical hypotheses concerning the effects of mismatch. To illustrate, it is used to show that the controversial hypothesis that general intelligence evolved as an adaptation to handle evolutionary novelty can, contra some critics, be formulated in a conceptually coherent way