Conducting L'Histoire du Soldat : a tale of two libretti

Igor Stravinsky’s collaborations with contemporaries including Picasso, Nijinsky, and Cocteau are well documented. Less familiar, however, are the anachronistic “collaborations” suggested in one short movement Stravinsky wrote in 1918, and involving the Germans Luther and Bach, the Swiss Ramuz, the Russian Stravinsky, and the American Kurt Vonnegut Jr. “Grand Choral,” the penultimate movement of Stravinsky’s l’Histoire du Soldat—written in 1918—provides a key to unlocking the mysteries of construction, ideology, and by extension, performance of the work. “Grand Choral” parodies J.S. Bach’s Cantata 80 (1715) which, in its turn, is based on Martin Luther’s 1529 hymn, “Ein’ feste Burg ist unser Gott.” C.F. Ramuz, Stravinsky’s original collaborator on l’Histoire du Soldat, based his libretto on a Russian folk tale, but in 1993, Vonnegut wrote a new text to accompany Stravinsky’s music, a text inspired by the true story of Private Eddie Slovik, the last American soldier executed for desertion. In essence, Vonnegut collaborates with Stravinsky in a posthumous sense, as Stravinsky does with Bach and Bach with Luther. Vonnegut and Stravinsky each write themselves into an existing work, giving it contemporary meaning and a new poignancy. The principal aim of my paper is to document the process by which I studied and conducted l’Histoire du Soldat with one libretto by Ramuz and another by Vonnegut. In the paper, I will first examine the historical context in which each of the “collaborators” contributed to l’Histoire du Soldat. I will also present an analysis of “Grand Choral” with regard to the source material by Luther and Bach. Finally, I will document the process and findings of my study, rehearsal, and performance of each of the two versions of l’Histoire du Soldat which I conducted on March 31, 2009 in Quance Theatre, on the campus of the University of Saskatchewan with a full cast of musicians, dancers and actors

Tverrfaglig samarbeid rundt elever med Tourettes syndrom

Denne studien undersøker følgende problemstilling: «Hvordan erfarer skolen, PPT og Statped det tverrfaglige samarbeidet rundt elever med Tourettes syndrom?». Formålet har vært å gi innsikt i hvordan ansatte fra ovennevnte instanser erfarer at denne praksisen fungerer. Bakgrunnen for studien var en antagelse om et forbedringspotensial når det kommer til tverrfaglige samarbeid rundt elever med mindre kjente diagnoser eller utfordringer, slik som Tourettes syndrom. Hensikten var i den forlengelse å avdekke forbedringsområder og rette søkelys mot fremmende momenter. Dette for å kunne å gi et bilde av hvordan samarbeidet kan utvikles for å ivareta elevene på best mulig måte. Problemstillingen besvares på bakgrunn av empiri innhentet fra kvalitative forskningsintervjuer. Studiens utvalg består av til sammen seks informanter; to fra skolen, to fra Pedagogisk psykologisk tjeneste (PPT) og to fra Statlig pedagogisk tjeneste (Statped). Rent overordnet gir funnene fra studien en fremstilling av hvordan den generelle praksis oppleves å være av varierende kvalitet. Dette på bakgrunn av formelle rammer og kompetansen til den enkelte deltaker i samarbeidene. I form av utfordringer i det tverrfaglige samarbeidet rundt elever med Tourettes syndrom ble følgende momenter fremhevet: Manglende involvering fra Barne- og ungdomspsykiatrisk poliklinikk (BUP), rammene for etablering av samarbeid og manglende kunnskap og kompetanse. De momenter som fremmer det tverrfaglige samarbeidet rundt elever med Tourettes syndrom vises å være felles forståelse, kjennskap til eleven, relasjonsbygging og god struktur. Til slutt gir studiens resultater et bilde av at tverrfaglig samarbeid bidrar til forståelse og helhetlig perspektiv på eleven med Tourettes syndrom og dens vansker. Samtidig understrekes det hvordan godt tverrfaglig samarbeid er essensielt for ivaretakelse av elevene. Samlet sett gir studiens empiri en indikasjon på et forbedringsbehov når det kommer til tverrfaglig samarbeid, både generelt og for elever med Tourettes syndrom. I den forlengelse belyser resultatene hvorfor det er viktig å rette søkelys mot å forbedre denne praksisen, og gir innsikt i hvordan instansene kan bidra til å fremme utviklingen av gode tverrfaglige samarbeid for elever med Tourette

System supportability and life cycle cost based decisions

This thesis is a result of my PhD study at Molde University College, Norway. I started my study in June 2004, and this thesis is written in the period up until November 2008. The main supervisor for the thesis is Professor Øyvind Halskau, Molde University College, Norway. At the moment I am a Chief Consultant at Logiteam Consulting AS in Bergen, Norway, and I have a part time position as senior lecturer in logistics at the Royal Norwegian Naval Academy in Bergen, Norway. My PhD has been financed by the Royal Norwegian Naval Academy in Bergen, Norway where I have been employed as a senior lecturer in logistics and head of the Logistics and Management Department from May 2003 until September 2008, holding the rank of Commander Senior Grade. The main subject of my thesis is system supportability with a special focus on spare parts and life cycle cost based procurement decisions. The thesis contains four papers and a synthesis presenting why and what to research, the theoretical foundation of the thesis as well as how to research. The synthesis includes chapters on research design, validity and reliability, theoretical framework and paper abstracts. The synthesis further reports on the main research conclusions. Finally the synthesis gives the main research contribution along with self criticism and suggestions for future research. All four papers in the thesis have been published (or accepted for publishing) in peer reviewed journals or peer reviewed conference proceedings or both

Salmon louse labial gland enzymes: implications for host settlement and immune modulation

Salmon louse (Lepeophtheirus salmonis) is a skin- and blood-feeding ectoparasite, infesting salmonids. While feeding, labial gland proteins from the salmon louse may be deposited on the Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar) skin. Previously characterized labial gland proteins are involved in anti-coagulation and may contribute to inhibiting Atlantic salmon from mounting a sufficient immune response against the ectoparasite. As labial gland proteins seem to be important in the host–parasite interaction, we have, therefore, identified and characterized ten enzymes localized to the labial gland. They are a large group of astacins named L. salmonis labial gland astacin 1–8 (LsLGA 1–8), one serine protease named L. salmonis labial gland serine protease 1 (LsLGSP1), and one apyrase named L. salmonis labial gland apyrase 1 (LsLGAp1). Protein domain predictions showed that LsLGA proteins all have N-terminal ShK domains, which may bind to potassium channels targeting the astacins to its substrate. LsLGA1 and -4 are, in addition, expressed in another gland type, whose secrete also meets the host–parasite interface. This suggests that LsLGA proteins may have an anti-microbial function and may prevent secondary infections in the wounds. LsLGAp1 is predicted to hydrolyze ATP or AMP and is, thereby, suggested to have an immune dampening function. In a knockdown study targeting LsLGSP1, a significant increase in IL-8 and MMP13 at the skin infestation site was seen under LsLGSP1 knockdown salmon louse compared to the control, suggesting that LsLGSP1 may have an anti-inflammatory effect. Moreover, most of the identified labial gland proteins are expressed in mature copepodids prior to host settlement, are not regulated by starvation, and are expressed at similar or higher levels in lice infesting the salmon louse-resistant pink salmon (Oncorhynchus gorbuscha). This study, thereby, emphasizes the importance of labial gland proteins for host settlement and their immune dampening function. This work can further contribute to anti-salmon louse treatment such as vaccine development, functional feed, or gene-edited salmon louse-resistant Atlantic salmon

A through-life costing methodology for use in product-service-systems

Availability-based contracts which provide customers with the use of assets such as machines, ships, aircraft platforms or subsystems like engines and avionics are increasingly offered as an alternative to the purchase of an asset and separate support contracts. The cost of servicing a durable product can be addressed by Through-life Costing (TLC). Providers of advanced services are now concerned with the cost of delivering outcomes that meet customer requirements using combinations of assets and activities via a Product Service System (PSS). This paper addresses the question: To what extent are the current approaches to TLC methodologically appropriate for costing the provision of advanced services, particularly availability, through a PSS? A novel methodology for TLC is outlined addressing the challenges of PSS cost assessment with regard to 'what?' (cost object), 'why/to what extent?' (scope and boundaries), and 'how?' (computations). The research provides clarity for those seeking to cost availability in a performance-orientated contractual setting and provides insight to the measures that may be associated with it. In particular, a reductionist approach that focuses on one cost object at a time is not appropriate for a PSS. Costing an advanced service delivered through a PSS is a problem of attributing the value of means to the economic activities carried out for specific ends to be achieved. Cost results from the interplay between monetary and non-monetary metrics, and uncertainties thereof. Whilst seeking to ensure generality of the findings, the application of TLC examined here is limited to a military aircraft platform and subsystems. © 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved

Attitude determination of a relative position sensor using multi-sensor fusion

Denne masteroppgaven gir en innsikt i hvordan man kan bestemme orientering av et kretskort montert på et stativ. Målinger fra et 9-akse IMU og GNSS er brukt. Dette er kombinert med et ESKF for å estimere orienteringen i Euler-vinklene rull, tilt og himmelretning. Resultatene viser nøyaktighet for himmelretning med relativ posisjon fra to GNSS-antenner. De viser også forskjellen i himmelretning når magnetometer og GNSS brukes for korreksjon. Det viser seg at GNSS korreksjon fungerer bra når man har gyldig signal, og korreksjon med hjelp av magnetometer krever veldig god kalibrering for å være brukbar, men er fortsatt utsatt for magnetiske forstyrrelser

Carbon Formation and Catalysis in the Conversion of Methyl Chloride and Silicon into Dimethyldichlorosilane - Collaboration with Elkem - Bluestar

The Direct Process is the most prominent method for producing dimethyldichlorosilane, and is a copper-catalyzed reaction between solid silicon and methyl-chloride gas. The process faces several complications such as the carbon formation during the synthesis, which causes both economical and efficiency problems. This thesis is part of a preliminary investigation into the carbon species which are formed in the Direct Process. Through research, starting with characterization of the contact mass (a mixture of silicon, copper and promoters), the aim is to better understand the process and gain more knowledge about the carbon formation. Reducing the carbon formation would increase the production efficiency as well as benefit the production economically. In this thesis eight samples of reacted contact mass, as well as a reference sample of the same metallurgical silicon which is used to create the contact mass, were investigated. Raman Spectroscopy, Thermal gravimetric analysis, Scanning electron spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction, Energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy, Pyrolysis GC/MS and Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy were used to characterize the samples of reacted contact mass and the reference sample of silicon. Results from Raman Spectroscopy showed that much of the carbon was formed between 4 hours (sample P1) and 21.5 hours (sample P2) and that all the carbon displayed the D peak at 1300cm-1 and the G peak at 1600cm-1. The GC/MS indicated that a large range of organic components with long carbon chains are present within the samples. The organic content included alcohols, amides, acids, nitriles and esters. Several experiments showed oxygen within the samples. Thermal gravimetric analysis might be unsuited for the contact mass since there are indications that the silicon oxidizes during the analysis. Further work is needed to classify both the carbon species which are formed and from which reactions the carbon species stem from. An investigation with samples extracted at small intervals between 4 hours and 21.5 hours might prove especially useful

Process redesign of the Norwegian Navy Materiel Command's replenishment of inventory items

The Norwegian Navy Materiel Command must keep inventory in order to serve its customers. Service level is established as a measure of effectiveness on delivery from inventory. Long replenishment lead-time, with variability in both lead-time itself and lead-time demand, make it hard to achieve the desired service level. The lead-time becomes costly, both in form of holding cost of safety stock and in form of stock-outs. Current inventory control policy used at the Materiel Command is presented, and compared to theoretical inventory control models. Computer simulation is used to measure current administrative lead-time at the Norwegian Navy Materiel Command. Two proposals for redesign of existing replenishment process are built as simulation models, and the effect on administrative lead-time and associated variability is measured. The first proposal is to consolidate two separate procurement offices into one. The second proposal is to introduce, and use electronic commerce in the replenishment process. It is concluded that both redesign proposals will reduce administrative lead-time, variability and hence cost. Benefits from an introduction of electronic commerce will yield a yearly cost saving of at least 4,500,000 Norwegian Kroner, which is more than four times the savings of consolidationhttp://archive.org/details/processredesigno00tyssLieutenant-Commander, Royal Norwegian NavyApproved for public release; distribution is unlimited

Tverrfaglig samarbeid rundt elever med Tourettes syndrom

Denne studien undersøker følgende problemstilling: «Hvordan erfarer skolen, PPT og Statped det tverrfaglige samarbeidet rundt elever med Tourettes syndrom?». Formålet har vært å gi innsikt i hvordan ansatte fra ovennevnte instanser erfarer at denne praksisen fungerer. Bakgrunnen for studien var en antagelse om et forbedringspotensial når det kommer til tverrfaglige samarbeid rundt elever med mindre kjente diagnoser eller utfordringer, slik som Tourettes syndrom. Hensikten var i den forlengelse å avdekke forbedringsområder og rette søkelys mot fremmende momenter. Dette for å kunne å gi et bilde av hvordan samarbeidet kan utvikles for å ivareta elevene på best mulig måte. Problemstillingen besvares på bakgrunn av empiri innhentet fra kvalitative forskningsintervjuer. Studiens utvalg består av til sammen seks informanter; to fra skolen, to fra Pedagogisk psykologisk tjeneste (PPT) og to fra Statlig pedagogisk tjeneste (Statped). Rent overordnet gir funnene fra studien en fremstilling av hvordan den generelle praksis oppleves å være av varierende kvalitet. Dette på bakgrunn av formelle rammer og kompetansen til den enkelte deltaker i samarbeidene. I form av utfordringer i det tverrfaglige samarbeidet rundt elever med Tourettes syndrom ble følgende momenter fremhevet: Manglende involvering fra Barne- og ungdomspsykiatrisk poliklinikk (BUP), rammene for etablering av samarbeid og manglende kunnskap og kompetanse. De momenter som fremmer det tverrfaglige samarbeidet rundt elever med Tourettes syndrom vises å være felles forståelse, kjennskap til eleven, relasjonsbygging og god struktur. Til slutt gir studiens resultater et bilde av at tverrfaglig samarbeid bidrar til forståelse og helhetlig perspektiv på eleven med Tourettes syndrom og dens vansker. Samtidig understrekes det hvordan godt tverrfaglig samarbeid er essensielt for ivaretakelse av elevene. Samlet sett gir studiens empiri en indikasjon på et forbedringsbehov når det kommer til tverrfaglig samarbeid, både generelt og for elever med Tourettes syndrom. I den forlengelse belyser resultatene hvorfor det er viktig å rette søkelys mot å forbedre denne praksisen, og gir innsikt i hvordan instansene kan bidra til å fremme utviklingen av gode tverrfaglige samarbeid for elever med Tourette