En risikovurderingsprosess i fra skrivebord til praksis

Master's thesis in Change managementEn kvalitiativ casestudie av en risikovurderingsprosess I fra skrivebord til praksis. En undersøkelse av bakenforliggende faktorer som kan ha påvirkning på implementering av en arbeidsprosess

What can cold-induced transcriptomes of Arctic Brassicaceae tell us about the evolution of cold tolerance?

publishedVersio

Health-promoting work schedules: protocol for a large-scale cluster randomised controlled trial on the effects of a work schedule without quick returns on sickness absence among healthcare workers

Introduction In shift work, quick returns refer to transitions between two shifts with less than 11 hours available rest time. Twenty-three per cent of employees in European countries reported having quick returns. Quick returns are related to short sleep duration, fatigue, sleepiness, work-related accidents and sickness absence. The present study is the first randomised controlled trial (RCT) to investigate the effect of a work schedule without quick returns for 6 months, compared with a work schedule that maintains quick returns during the same time frame. Methods and analysis A parallel-group cluster RCT in a target sample of more than 4000 healthcare workers at Haukeland University Hospital in Norway will be conducted. More than 70 hospital units will be assessed for eligibility and randomised to a work schedule without quick returns for 6 months or continue with a schedule that maintains quick returns. The primary outcome is objective records of sickness absence; secondary outcomes are questionnaire data (n≈4000 invited) on sleep and functioning, physical and psychological health, work-related accidents and turnover intention. For a subsample, sleep diaries and objective sleep registrations with radar technology (n≈ 50) will be collected. Ethics and dissemination The study protocol was approved by the Regional Committee for Medical and Health Research Ethics in Western Norway (2020/200386). Findings from the trial will be disseminated in peer-reviewed journals and presented at national and international conferences. Exploratory analyses of potential mediators and moderators will be reported. User-friendly outputs will be disseminated to relevant stakeholders, unions and other relevant societal groups.publishedVersio

The persistence of anti-Spike antibodies following two SARS-CoV-2 vaccine doses in patients on immunosuppressive therapy compared to healthy controls—a prospective cohort study

The durability of vaccine-induced humoral immunity against SARS-CoV-2 in patients with immune mediated inflammatory diseases (IMIDs) on immunosuppressive therapy is not known. The aim of this study was to compare the persistence of anti-Spike antibodies following two-dose SARS-CoV-2 vaccination between IMID patients and healthy controls and to identify factors associated with antibody decline.publishedVersio

Impact of ethnicity on gestational diabetes identified with the WHO and the modified International Association of Diabetes and Pregnancy Study Groups criteria: a population-based cohort study

Objective The International Association of Diabetes and Pregnancy Study Groups (IADPSG) recently proposed new criteria for diagnosing gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM). We compared prevalence rates, risk factors, and the effect of ethnicity using the World Health Organization (WHO) and modified IADPSG criteria. Methods This was a population-based cohort study of 823 (74% of eligible) healthy pregnant women, of whom 59% were from ethnic minorities. Universal screening was performed at 28±2 weeks of gestation with the 75 g oral glucose tolerance test (OGTT). Venous plasma glucose (PG) was measured on site. GDM was diagnosed as per the definition of WHO criteria as fasting PG (FPG) ≥7.0 or 2-h PG ≥7.8 mmol/l; and as per the modified IADPSG criteria as FPG ≥5.1 or 2-h PG ≥8.5 mmol/l. Results OGTT was performed in 759 women. Crude GDM prevalence was 13.0% with WHO (Western Europeans 11%, ethnic minorities 15%, P=0.14) and 31.5% with modified IADPSG criteria (Western Europeans 24%, ethnic minorities 37%, P< 0.001). Using the WHO criteria, ethnic minority origin was an independent predictor (South Asians, odds ratio (OR) 2.24 (95% confidence interval (CI) 1.26–3.97); Middle Easterners, OR 2.13 (1.12–4.08)) after adjustments for age, parity, and prepregnant body mass index (BMI). This increased OR was unapparent after further adjustments for body height (proxy for early life socioeconomic status), education and family history of diabetes. Using the modified IADPSG criteria, prepregnant BMI (1.09 (1.05–1.13)) and ethnic minority origin (South Asians, 2.54 (1.56–4.13)) were independent predictors, while education, body height and family history had little impact. Conclusion GDM prevalence was overall 2.4-times higher with the modified IADPSG criteria compared with the WHO criteria. The new criteria identified many subjects with a relatively mild increase in FPG, strongly associated with South Asian origin and prepregnant overweigh

Conflict-related sexual violence : the United Nations' response and programmes

Conflict-related sexual violence (CRSV) is a byproduct and tactic of war that has destructive effects on its victims, societies, and international, regional and national peace and security. The United Nations, as the world’s largest inter-state organization, has increased its focus on the issues surrounding CRSV in the past twenty years, and has established several UN entities tasked with addressing CRSV at all levels. This thesis seeks to analyze the development of UN Security Council resolutions and its consecutive mandates addressing CRSV, and how the United Nations in practice addresses the prevention of and protection against CRSV. It will seek to provide an overview of the intricate bureaucracy of the UN system by presenting the main entities mandated by the Security Council to coordinate and address the issue of CRSV and show how these entities address CRSV on different levels to create a holistic and efficient response. By using a feminist IR theoretical lens, this thesis will investigate how the UN includes gender perspectives in their work, and how this pans out in practice. This feminist lens will be used to look at issues of emancipation, gender equality, gender discourses, gendered security, patriarchy and masculinity to construct a theoretical framework for the research and analysis.M-I

Rare to be warm in Svalbard: An ecological and genetic snapshot of four red listed plant species

Climate change is emerging as the most far reaching and significant stressor on Arctic biodiversity and it is predicted that it will lead to large changes in distributions, geographical ranges and abundances of species. Many species might soon be at extinction risk, and subsequently will good management of flora and fauna be of outermost importance. In high Arctic Svalbard, a third of the vascular flora is found in the regional red list, but management is difficult due to limited knowledge. For four of Svalbard’s most threatened vascular plant species, Botrychium lunaria, Sibbaldia procumbens, Kobresia simpliciuscula ssp. subholarctica and Ranunculus wilanderi will the following subjects therefore be investigated: 1) Localities, population sizes and possible threats to the populations 2) characteristics of the habitat and dispersal potential within localities 3) levels of genetic diversity and distinctness of the Svalbard populations and 4) implications for conservation in Svalbard. Evaluation of population sizes and immediate threats was carried out in the field and the data was reported to the Norwegian red list. For the habitat description, a selection of ecological parameters and vegetation data was recorded in 1-2 localities for each of the four focus species. Furthermore, in order to investigate possibilities for population expansion, ecological data was collected both from where the focus species was growing and from sites that the species do not yet occupy in its immediate surroundings. The suitability of this unoccupied habitat was then statistically tested and described through ordinations. Amplified Fragment Length Polymorphism (AFLP) was used to determine levels of genetic diversity, gene flow and genetic distinctiveness of the Svalbard populations compared to selected populations from other parts of the species distribution area. A thorough mapping of occurrences and population sizes was achieved. New data led to a downgrading of S. procumbens and R. wilanderi from Critically Endangered to Endangered in the regional red list for Svalbard, while the remaining species were kept in their categories. All populations were restricted to the warmer parts of Svalbard, and although some had local dispersal potential, dispersal potential outside these warm localities is probably low. The level of genetic diversity was extremely low, or nonexistent. Compared to populations from other parts of their distribution range, the Svalbard populations all had the lowest level of genetic diversity observed. Ranunculus wilanderi, an endemic for Svalbard, was the only species that seemed to represent an evolutionary divergent line, although data was lacking for K. simpliciuscula ssp. subholarctica. The focus species all shared an affinity for warmer temperatures, but still climatic induced changes to their habitat can threaten their presence in Svalbard

Conflict-related sexual violence : the United Nations' response and programmes

Conflict-related sexual violence (CRSV) is a byproduct and tactic of war that has destructive effects on its victims, societies, and international, regional and national peace and security. The United Nations, as the world’s largest inter-state organization, has increased its focus on the issues surrounding CRSV in the past twenty years, and has established several UN entities tasked with addressing CRSV at all levels. This thesis seeks to analyze the development of UN Security Council resolutions and its consecutive mandates addressing CRSV, and how the United Nations in practice addresses the prevention of and protection against CRSV. It will seek to provide an overview of the intricate bureaucracy of the UN system by presenting the main entities mandated by the Security Council to coordinate and address the issue of CRSV and show how these entities address CRSV on different levels to create a holistic and efficient response. By using a feminist IR theoretical lens, this thesis will investigate how the UN includes gender perspectives in their work, and how this pans out in practice. This feminist lens will be used to look at issues of emancipation, gender equality, gender discourses, gendered security, patriarchy and masculinity to construct a theoretical framework for the research and analysis

Overoppvarming i passivhus samanlikna med hus med lågare isolasjonsstandard

Det er stadig aukande interesse og fokus på energieffektivitet i byggesektoren, og passivhus er i dag på veg til å verte forskriftskrav i Noreg. Det er likevel stor ueinigheit i om passivhusa er godt nok utreda for konsekvensar i bruk til at dette kan skje i nærmaste framtid. Mykje av kritikken som vert retta mot passivhus er at det vert store problem med overvarme om sommaren.I denne rapporten er det presentert erfaringar frå passivhus i Noreg, Sverige og Danmark og gjennomført simuleringar. Målet er å finne ut om det er eit større problem med overvarme i passivhus enn i andre hus med lågare isolasjonsstandard.Erfaringane og simuleringane presentert i rapporten viser at isolasjonsevna ikkje har betydeleg innverknad på det termiske inneklimaet. Problem med overvarme vil difor oppstå i like stor grad i passivhus og bygg med lågare isolasjonsstandard. Simuleringane viser vidare at både passivhus og hus med lågare isolasjonsstandard vil har store problem med overvarme dersom det ikkje vert iverksatt tiltak for å hindre det. Tre strategiar for å redusere problemet er Forhindre varmetilskot Planlegge metode for å fjerne varmeoverskot Sørgje for tilstrekkeleg varmelagringDersom desse strategiane vert gjennomført, vil den gode isolasjonsevna i passivhus stenge varmen ute og på denne måten sikre eit betre termisk inneklima på varme dagar enn hus med lågare isolasjonsstandard

En risikovurderingsprosess i fra skrivebord til praksis

Master's thesis in Change managementEn kvalitiativ casestudie av en risikovurderingsprosess I fra skrivebord til praksis. En undersøkelse av bakenforliggende faktorer som kan ha påvirkning på implementering av en arbeidsprosess