Evaluating CEO dismissal by the use of CART

Masteroppgave i økonomi og administrasjon - Universitetet i Agder 201

Effect of high elevation birch forest on snow stability

Forest and especially evergreen conifers like pine and spruce are known to reduce avalanche formation due to their physical anchoring effect and their influence on snow pack layering through changed temperature, radiation, wind speed etc. Research shows that percentage covered by the crown reflects the forests ability to reduce avalanche danger, and crown cover is therefore often used as a measure of the forest's efficiency as protection forest. Crown cover is highest in evergreen conifer forests, but in Scandinavia, the deciduous tree species birch (Betula pubsens, subspecies alpine betula) is the most common tree species in higher elevations near the tree line. This is a small and often thin stemmed, flexible tree. Their crown is thin and field observations show that in avalanche terrain the stems of such trees have a form heavily affected by snow creep and glide and the trees are in many cases bent under the snow cover. Thus, this type of forest does not fulfill the common criteria set for protection forests and its effect on the snow cover is largely unknown. In this study we question whether typical birch forests can reduce the probability of avalanche formation through snowpack effects and anchoring. We look at cases of small avalanches in birch forest, stem densities and snow profiles inside and outside birch forest and compare observations to results from models for calculating anchoring effects

Exercise training and losartan improve endothelial function in heart failure rats by different mechanisms

Objectives. To investigate the mechanisms of losartan- and exercise training-induced improvements on endothelial dysfunction in heart failure. Design. Sprague-Dawley rats subjected to left coronary artery ligation inducing myocardial infarction and heart failure were randomized to losartan treatment, high-intensity exercise training, or both. Results. Losartan, but not exercise training, reduced the heart failure-associated elevation in left ventricular end-diastolic pressure (26 ± 2 mmHg vs. 19 ± 1 mmHg after losartan). In contrast, both exercise training and losartan improved exercise capacity, by 40% and 20%, respectively; no additional effects were observed when exercise training and losartan were combined. Aortic segments were mounted on a force transducer to determine vasorelaxation. Heart failure impaired endothelium-dependent vasorelaxation, observed as a 1.9-fold reduced response to acetylcholine (EC50). Exercise and losartan improved acetylcholine-mediated vasorelaxation to the same extent, but by different mechanisms. Exercise training upregulated the nitric oxide pathway, whereas losartan upregulated a non-nitric oxide or -prostacyclin pathway; possibly involving the endothelium-dependent hyperpolarizing factor. Conclusions. Both losartan and exercise training reversed endothelial dysfunction in heart failure; exercise training via nitric oxide-dependent vasorelaxation, and losartan via an unknown mechanism that may involve endothelium-dependent hyperpolarizing factor. Thus, the combined treatment activated an additional nitric oxide- independent mechanism that contributed to reduce endothelial dysfunction

Identification of slushflow situations from regional weather models

Slushflows are known phenomena that cause significant problems for settlements and infrastructure in Norway. Even though single events in the same location are rather rare compared to avalanches, slushflows do occur annually on a national scale. Both intensive snowmelt events as well as high amounts of rain on the snow cover can cause slushflows during the whole winter season. In recent years eight fatalities and widespread problems for infrastructure in Norway have increased the focus on slushflows. Early warning criteria based on readily available meteorological, hydrological and snow data need to be identified to allow a nationwide monitoring of potentially critical situations and corresponding locations that might lead to slushflow events. Earlier work focused on input data from meteorological stations. These stations are often located at sea level and give little information on the meteorological conditions in the release and drainage areas in the mountains. During the last decade, regional weather models have been developed that deliver weather prognosis every hour with up to 4 km grid resolution. In Norway, observed precipitation and temperature are interpolated to a one-kilometre grid and used to model snow conditions and snowmelt. This study aims at analysing the available data to identify critical meteorological elements and their thresholds for the release of slushflows. Examples from recent years will be studied also taking into account the development of the snow cover prior to the slushflow events. The results indicate that the available data has a promising ability to identify critical situations on a regional level

Kommunens adgang til å stille rekkefølgekrav, en gjennomgang av rettstilstanden i lys av HR-2021-953-A

Sammendrag og innholdsfortegnelse falt ut da jeg skulle slå sammen dokumentet, og fikk ikke gjenopprettet den. Må sende disse to i etterkant

Use of Daisybell and Snow Profiles to Investigate the Effect of Alpine Birch on Avalanche Release

Through a field study in Abisko, northern Sweden, we have used the artificial avalanche release system DaisyBell together with snow profiles to study the effect of alpine birch forest on avalanche formation. Evergreen conifers have long been known to reduce avalanche formation probability, however, in Scandinavia, the small birch type Alpine betula is the most common tree species in mountainous regions. Its effect on snow stability has been unknown, but of crucial importance for backcountry recreationists and for housing and mountain cabin planning. This paper presents the results from the field campaign. We show that triggering of avalanches was much more successful in open terrain than inside the birch forest. Crack propagation was significantly hindered in vicinity of trees and the snow pack layering differed to a large degree when moving few meters from inside the forest to open terrain nearby. The use of DaisyBell inside forest is novel, and experience with this practice can also be transferred to other types of demanding terrain

Adaptive Learning Technology in Primary Education: Implications for Professional Teacher Knowledge and Classroom Management

The aim of this study is to explore the introduction of Adaptive Learning Technology (ALT) and inherent Learning Analytics (LA) in the classroom management and professionalism of teachers in a primary education real-life context. ALT is characterized by an inherent opportunity to personalize curriculum and learning experiences for each individual learner and to support teacher-facilitated learning. In this mixed methods study, we explore upper-primary teachers understanding of ALT application in real-life context, and we take a closer look at their experiences with ALT in their own context and practice through three different methodological lenses. The study offers insight into how teachers think and reason as they integrate ALT in their practice and addresses advantages and disadvantages of using ALT technology in primary education learning ecologies. The study also aims to discuss some more general implications of applying ALT and LA in primary and secondary level learning ecologies and concludes that automated system affordances and constraints can create new challenges for teachers, which exceeds teachers’ digital competence and ability to make use of certain real and perceived affordances.publishedVersio

En sky av usikkerhet – en case-studie av datasuverenitet i en norsk kommunes arbeid med skytjenester

Utviklingen av skytjenester har ført til at måten data blir flyttet, behandlet og lagret på, nå går på tvers av landegrenser i større grad enn med tradisjonell datalagring. Dette medfører nye utfordringer for de som er ansvarlige for at dataen holdes sikker. Etter hvert som dataen krysser landegrenser, oppstår også en ny utfordring med å vite hvilken jurisdiksjon dataen ligger under, og hvordan dette påvirker sikkerhet. Norske kommuner lagrer store mengder betydningsfull data, og har i stor grad tatt i bruk skytjenester. I denne oppgaven undersøkes ivaretakelse av datasuverenitet i en kommunes arbeid med skytjenester, og hvilke utfordringer som eksisterer i dette arbeidet. Formålet med oppgaven er å se på en utvalgt kommunes arbeid med skytjenester, hvordan dette arbeidet ivaretar karakteristikker for datasuverenitet, og hvilke utfordringer arbeidet møter på. For å besvare oppgaven undersøker jeg organisering av, og arbeid med, skytjenester i kommunen. Dette gjøres gjennom å studere offentlige dokumenter og dybdeintervju om skytjenester med informanter fra kommunen, en rådgivende organisasjon og en markedsaktør. Oppgaven baseres på utarbeiding av et teoretisk rammeverk om datasuverenitet, ettersom det ikke eksisterer et allment akseptert rammeverk. Gjennom å identifisere karakteristikker for datasuverenitet i kommunens arbeid med skytjenester, drøftes det hvordan disse karakteristikkene ivaretas og hvilke utfordringer kommunen møter på i dette arbeidet. Undersøkelsen av hvordan kommunen ivaretar datasuverenitet i sitt arbeid med skytjenester viser at det er store variasjoner i hvordan arbeidet blir strukturert og fulgt opp i kommunen, som påvirker ivaretakelse av datasuverenitet. Det er avdekket at det er mer fokus på relevante karakteristikker av datasuverenitet når dataen som skal lagres oppfattes som persondata og er underlagt GDPR. De største identifiserte utfordringene for ivaretakelse av datasuverenitet i kommunens arbeid med skytjenester er knyttet til mangel på gjennomføring av dataklassifisering, for lite kompetanse om hvordan skytjenesters IT-arkitektur bør tilpasses data og ønsket sikkerhetsnivå, mangel på relevante rutiner for anskaffelser og oppfølging av skytjenester, og kjennskap til disse rutinene, og ikke minst for få ressurser til avtaleforvaltning. Som følge av disse utfordringene er ivaretakelse av datasuverenitet i kommunens arbeid med skytjenester preget av tilfeldigheter og sterk avhengig av leverandørens egne initiativ

Alle har en psykisk helse

Denne masteroppgaven har psykisk helse i skolen som tema. Det har blitt undersøkt hvordan læreren jobber med psykisk helse, og hva en skole lokale plan for godt og trygt skolemiljø sier om psykisk helse. Det har blitt sett på hvordan skolen og lærerne jobber med helsefremmende arbeid, og videre har det også blitt undersøkt hvordan skolen og lærerne jobber med psykiske vansker og lidelser hos elever som opplever dette. Oppgaven har tatt utgangspunkt i Honneths anerkjennelsesteori, og brukt denne gjennomgående i studien. I denne studien er det brukt en kvalitativ tilnærming. Studien inneholder to metoder som samme skal gi svar på følgende problemstilling: Hvordan kan en skole legge til rette til en praksis som inkluderer psykisk helse for elever på ungdomstrinnet? Det er gjennomført en dokumentanalyse av en handlingsplan for godt og trygt skolemiljø, samt intervju av et utvalg lærere om deres tanker og erfaringer i arbeidet med psykisk helse. Funn fra studien viser at lærerne opplever arbeidet med psykisk helse som svært viktig. Lærerne ser en økning med psykiske helseplager i praksis, og opplever arbeidet med elever som har psykiske vansker og lidelser som utfordrende og krevende. Psykisk helse omfatter mye, og lærere i skolen opplever lite kompetanse på området. Samarbeid blir sett på som ekstremt viktig. Både samarbeid med elever, hjemmet og andre instanser blir fremhevet som sentralt. Relasjonsarbeidet er viktig for å avdekke eventuelle vansker og lidelser, og for å hjelpe elevene. I samarbeid med hjemmet blir barnets beste satt i sentrum. Sosiallærer, helsesykepleier og BUP er instansene som lærerne samarbeider aller mest med når det er snakk om psykiske vansker og lidelser hos elever. Skolens praksis rundt psykisk helse er i all hovedsak forebyggende. Alle skolens ansatte er på vakt og jobber kontinuerlig for å danne gode og trygge skolemiljø for elevene. Skolen jobber gjennom undervisning, relasjonsarbeid og samarbeid for å fremme psykisk helse til elevene på ungdomsskolen. Videre viser funn fra studien at en anerkjennende pedagogikk kan bidra til å fremme psykisk helse. Elever som opplever anerkjennelse gjennom kjærlighet, rettigheter og sosial verdsetting kan utvikle en identitet med en robust psykisk helse. Denne studien viser at en skole som driver en anerkjennende pedagogikk, og ivaretar de ulike elementene innenfor anerkjennelsesteorien til Axel Honneth, vil kunne bidra positivt inn i arbeidet med psykisk helse blant elever på ungdomsskolen.This master's thesis has mental health in schools as its theme. It has been investigated how the teacher works with mental health, and what a school's local "Plan for a Positive and Safe School Environment” says about mental health. How the school and the teachers work to promote mental health has been studied. Furthermore, it has also been investigated how the school and the teachers work with psychological difficulties in pupils who experience this. The assignment is based on Honneth's recognition theory and is used throughout the study. In this study, a qualitative approach has been used. The study contains two methods which should provide an answer to the following research questions: How does the school set up a practice that includes mental health for pupils at secondary level? A document analysis of a Plan for a Positive and Safe School Environment has been carried out, as well as interviews with a selection of teachers about their thoughts and experience in working with mental health. The results of the study show that the teachers perceive the work with mental health to be very important. The findings show that the teachers see the increase in mental health problems in practice, and experience working with pupils who have mental difficulties and disorders as challenging and demanding. Mental health covers a lot, and teachers in schools experience too little competence in the area. Collaboration is seen as extremely important. Both cooperation with pupils, the home and other agencies are highlighted as central. Relationship building is important to uncover and help pupils. In cooperation with the home, the child's best interests are put at the center. Student counselor, school nurse and Child and Adolescent Psychiatric Outpatient Clinic (BUP) are the authorities that teachers collaborate with the most when it comes to mental health difficulties and disorders among pupils. The school's practice around mental health is mainly preventive. All the school's staff are on duty and work continuously to create a good and safe school environment for the pupils. The school works through teaching, relationship building and collaboration to promote the mental health of pupils at the secondary school. Furthermore, findings from the study show that a recognition pedagogy can help to promote mental health. Pupils who experience recognition through love, rights and social appreciation can develop an identity with a strong mental health. My study shows that a school that operates with a pedagogy of recognition and takes care of the various elements within the recognition theory of Axel Honneth, will be able to contribute positively to the work on mental health among pupils at secondary school

How do ENGOs Influence National Environmental Policy Making? : A comparative study of Norway and Argentina

This thesis analyses how environmental non-governmental organisations (ENGOs) operate to influence national environmental policy making in different structural and cultural contexts. It does so by first identifying what type of strategies ENGOs in Norway and Argentina employ to achieve their goals. It thereby seeks to explain differences and similarities in the use of strategies in, and between, the two countries based on three explanation variables; political structure, political culture and organisational characteristics. The thesis is based on the assumption that because there are big differences between the countries in relation to these variables, we can expect to find notable differences also in the strategies that the ENGOs employ to influence national environmental policy making. The analysis concludes that the differences in ENGOs’ choice of strategies between Norway and Argentina are not as prominent as expected, and that organisations in both countries employ a wide range of strategies to influence on the decisions of policy makers. The main difference that was found is that ENGOs in Argentina to a lesser degree than ENGOs in Norway employ conventional strategies that require initiation by the public authorities. Disparity in the political structures of the countries was identified as the most important reason for this discovery. Also organisational characteristics, operationalised as experience and values, proved to play an important role in determining what type of strategies ENGOs in both countries employ. Political culture helps us to understand nuances in the employment of strategies, but does in itself not explain differences in ENGOs choice of strategies between the countries. This is largely due to great diversity in activities between organisations within each country