Estimation in Apply

Master's thesis in Industrial economisesOne of the most critical variables in an engineering project is cost. In cost estimations this variable is studied, analysed, and optimized in order to predict the expected future cost for a project and to control the project execution. The estimated expected cost determines if a project will go ahead or not. It will set the frames for the design, and it provides the foundation of success. But, a cost estimat is only an estimate and have no value if the assumptions, complexity factors, risk and uncertainties haven’t been assessed properly and documented as this is the basis for the investment’s decisions. Adding the different complexity and risk factors requires a good knowledge of previous similar projects. Even though the cost estimates are predicting the future cost, the history can teach us about previous complexities and risks in order to make better expected estimates. Apply, have since 1979 delivered engineering-, procurement, installation, commissioning and operations support for modifications and maintenance projects on offshore facilities for oil and gas companies in the Norwegian shelf in the North Sea. Apply is now expanding and in 2018 new business area were defined; Studies, Large Projects and Technology. The objective is to meet the market requirements for more effective project execution. Cost estimation in Apply is used as input to project planning and execution and are also providing essential information to the Clients decision gates. Good and accurate estimates are important for the business to avoid overruns. On the other hand, overestimating should also be avoided since this will bind up funds and resources that could have been utilised elsewhere. Cost estimation is also part of the tendering process and pay a large role in the company’s competitiveness. How can Apply meet the clients demand for better predictability in the estimates and increase the company’s competitiveness considering the ongoing improvement processes and new business area?Apply A

Motion of magnetotactic bacteria swarms in an external field

Magnetotactic bacteria moving on circular orbits form hydrodynamically bound states. When close to a surface and with the tilting of the field in a direction close to the perpendicular to this surface these swarms move perpendicularly to the tilting angle. We describe quantitatively this motion by a continuum model with couple stress arising from the torques produced by the rotary motors of the amphitrichous magnetotactic bacteria. The model not only correctly describes the change of direction of swarm motion while inverting the tangential field but also predicts reasonable value of the torque produced by the rotary motors

The Role of Exercise-Induced Myokines in Muscle Homeostasis and the Defense against Chronic Diseases

Chronic inflammation is involved in the pathogenesis of insulin resistance, atherosclerosis, neurodegeneration, and tumour growth. Regular exercise offers protection against type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular diseases, colon cancer, breast cancer, and dementia. Evidence suggests that the protective effect of exercise may to some extent be ascribed to the antiinflammatory effect of regular exercise. Here we suggest that exercise may exert its anti-inflammatory effect via a reduction in visceral fat mass and/or by induction of an anti-inflammatory environment with each bout of exercise. According to our theory, such effects may in part be mediated via muscle-derived peptides, so-called “myokines”. Contracting skeletal muscles release myokines with endocrine effects, mediating direct anti-inflammatory effects, and/or specific effects on visceral fat. Other myokines work locally within the muscle and exert their effects on signalling pathways involved in fat oxidation and glucose uptake. By mediating anti-inflammatory effects in the muscle itself, myokines may also counteract TNF-driven insulin resistance. In conclusion, exercise-induced myokines appear to be involved in mediating both systemic as well as local anti-inflammatory effects

Carer involvement in the assessment of personal recovery: A naturalistic study of assertive community treatment in Norway

Background: The user and carer movements have come a long way in becoming embedded in mainstream mental health services for individuals with serious mental illness. However, implementing recovery-oriented practice continues to be plagued by an individualistic clinical focus. The carers do not feel integrated despite policies and best intentions. The implementation of Assertive Community Treatment (ACT) provided an opportunity to involve the carers and compare their assessment of personal recovery with the users. Aims: The aims of this study were to examine (i) how family carers and users differed in their assessment of personal recovery, (ii) whether familial and personal relationships influenced how carers assess personal recovery of users, and (iii) if the experience of family carers with the ACT team was associated with personal recovery. Methods: The naturalistic, explorative study recruited 69 users and 36 family carers from 12 Norwegian ACT teams. The users and carers assessed the user’s personal recovery. Family carers also reported their experience and satisfaction with the ACT teams. Analyses included independent and paired sample T-tests and correlation analysis. Results: Family carers were significantly more conservative than the users’ assessment of the intrapsychic and interpersonal subscales of personal recovery. The pattern held true whether the family carers were matched to the users or part of the total sample. Lastly, there was a significant negative correlation between the family carer’s experience of cooperation with the ACT team and their assessment of the user’s intrapersonal process of recovery. Conclusions: The results of our study were consistent with previous research on carer involvement in MHS. However, it is the first study that engaged carers and assessed personal recovery of the users of ACT services. Discrepancy between carers and users is the rule. Clinicians are encouraged to embrace the discrepancy and diversity carers bring and learn the methodology of multi- informant assessments. There also is a need to address, update, and integrate the personal, familial, and relational aspects of recovery. Modification of recovery measures such as QPR and their creative use with carers has the potential to generate valuable third-party information and to involve them meaningfully in mental health services

A longitudinal study on diarrhoea and vomiting in young dogs of four large breeds

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Prospective studies to document the occurrence of canine diarrhoea and vomiting are relatively scarce in dogs, and the majority of published studies are based on information from clinical records. This study investigates the incidence risk of diarrhoea and vomiting as well as potential risk factors.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>A cohort study of 585 privately owned dogs of four breeds: Newfoundland, Labrador retriever, Leonberger, and Irish wolfhound. The owners maintained a continuous log regarding housing, exercise, nutrition, and health of their dogs. Episodes of diarrhoea and vomiting were recorded in a consecutive manner in a booklet. The owners completed the questionnaires and reported information at three, four, six, 12, 18, and 24/25 months of age, called observational ages.</p> <p>Associations with potential risk factors for diarrhoea and vomiting were investigated in separate generalized estimating equation analyses.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>The incidence of both diarrhoea and vomiting was influenced by breed. Both diarrhoea and vomiting were relatively common in young dogs, occurring most frequently during the first months of life. After three months of age, the odds of diarrhoea were significantly lower when compared to the observational period seven weeks to three months (OR ranging from 0.31 to 0.70 depending on the period). More males than females suffered from diarrhoea (OR = 1.42). The occurrence of diarrhoea was more common in dogs that also experienced episode(s) of vomiting during the study period (OR = 5.43) and <it>vice versa </it>(OR = 5.50). In the majority of dogs episodes of diarrhoea and vomiting did not occur at the same time. Dogs in urban areas had higher odds (OR = 1.88) of getting diarrhoea compared to dogs living in rural areas. The occurrence of both diarrhoea and vomiting demonstrated a seasonal variation with higher incidence during the summer months.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>Both diarrhoea and vomiting occurred most frequently during the first months of life. The incidence of diarrhoea and vomiting was significantly different between breeds. Diarrhoea occurred more frequently in males and in dogs living in urban areas. Also, a positive association between the occurrence of diarrhoea and vomiting in the same dog was found.</p

Effects of eicosapentaneoic acid on innate immune responses in an Atlantic salmon kidney cell line in vitro

publishedVersio

Skybasert ledelse – en Skybert i skyen? Har lederstil betydning for fjernledelse, og hvordan påvirker lederstil motivasjon og samhandling gjennom digital kommunikasjon?

Nedstengingen av Norge den 12. mars 2020 skapte et veiskille i arbeidslivet fordi pandemien resulterte i utstrakt bruk av hjemmekontor, men også økt digital forståelse. Hensikten med studien var å avdekke om behovet for en leder er det samme etter at fjernarbeid er blitt «normalen». Ledelse er et vidt begrep, og for å ha et grunnlag for undersøkelsen har jeg sett på om ulike lederstiler påvirker utøvelsen av fjernledelse, motivasjon og samhandling. Problemstillingen i oppgaven er; «Skybasert ledelse – en Skybert i skyen? Har lederstil betydning for fjernledelse, og hvordan påvirker lederstil motivasjon og samhandling gjennom digital kommunikasjon? I oppgaven undersøker jeg om det er en oppgaveorientert eller en relasjonsorientert lederstil som er best egnet ved utøvelse av fjernledelse, og hvorfor situasjonsbetinget ledelse er viktig for å ivareta den enkelte medarbeider. Videre ser jeg på hvilke faktorer som motiverer de ansatte; er det leder, indre motivasjon knyttet til arbeidsoppgavene eller er det autonomi, kunnskap og tilhørighet utledet av selvbestemmelsesteori. Til slutt ser jeg på hvilke kommunikasjonskanaler som kan benyttes for å oppnå god samhandling i team, og hvordan leder kan skape relasjoner og tilhørighet når dialogen skjer via digitale verktøy. Undersøkelsen er gjennomført som en casestudie av tre enheter i NAV. Jeg har benyttet en kvalitativ metode hvor både ledere og medarbeidere er blitt intervjuet for å få frem variasjon og bredde i datagrunnlaget. Kvalitetskriterier som reliabilitet og validitet er vurdert, og forskningsetiske betraktninger er utført

Quality of life of elderly persons with newly diagnosed cancer.

The aim was to investigate quality of life (QoL) in elderly persons newly diagnosed with cancer (65+ years) in relation to age, contact with the health-care system, ability to perform activities of daily living (ADL), hope, social network and support, and to identify which factors were associated with low QoL. The sample consisted of 101 patients (75 women and 26 men) newly diagnosed with cancer. EORTC QLQ-C30, Nowotny's Hope Scale, Katz ADL and the Interview Schedule for Social Interaction (ISSI) were used. The analysis was carried out in four age groups and revealed no significant differences in QoL. Compared with the other age groups, those of a high age (80+ years) more often lived alone, used more home-help service and had a smaller social network. Factors associated with low QoL were 'no other incomes than retirement pension', 'low level of hope' and 'lung cancer'. In addition, 'being told that the cancer disease has not come to an end', 'needing more help in activities of daily living', 'getting help from grown-up children' and 'needing help with PADL' were associated with low QoL. Those at risk of inferior QoL, that is, having poor economy, low level of hope and lung cancer need special attendance and specific interventions to improve QoL

Integration of microRNA changes in vivo identifies novel molecular features of muscle insulin resistance in type 2 diabetes

Skeletal muscle insulin resistance (IR) is considered a critical component of type II diabetes, yet to date IR has evaded characterization at the global gene expression level in humans. MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are considered fine-scale rheostats of protein-coding gene product abundance. The relative importance and mode of action of miRNAs in human complex diseases remains to be fully elucidated. We produce a global map of coding and non-coding RNAs in human muscle IR with the aim of identifying novel disease biomarkers. We profiled &gt;47,000 mRNA sequences and &gt;500 human miRNAs using gene-chips and 118 subjects (n = 71 patients versus n = 47 controls). A tissue-specific gene-ranking system was developed to stratify thousands of miRNA target-genes, removing false positives, yielding a weighted inhibitor score, which integrated the net impact of both up- and down-regulated miRNAs. Both informatic and protein detection validation was used to verify the predictions of in vivo changes. The muscle mRNA transcriptome is invariant with respect to insulin or glucose homeostasis. In contrast, a third of miRNAs detected in muscle were altered in disease (n = 62), many changing prior to the onset of clinical diabetes. The novel ranking metric identified six canonical pathways with proven links to metabolic disease while the control data demonstrated no enrichment. The Benjamini-Hochberg adjusted Gene Ontology profile of the highest ranked targets was metabolic (P &lt; 7.4 × 10-8), post-translational modification (P &lt; 9.7 × 10-5) and developmental (P &lt; 1.3 × 10-6) processes. Protein profiling of six development-related genes validated the predictions. Brain-derived neurotrophic factor protein was detectable only in muscle satellite cells and was increased in diabetes patients compared with controls, consistent with the observation that global miRNA changes were opposite from those found during myogenic differentiation. We provide evidence that IR in humans may be related to coordinated changes in multiple microRNAs, which act to target relevant signaling pathways. It would appear that miRNAs can produce marked changes in target protein abundance in vivo by working in a combinatorial manner. Thus, miRNA detection represents a new molecular biomarker strategy for insulin resistance, where micrograms of patient material is needed to monitor efficacy during drug or life-style interventions

Female sex hormones are necessary for the metabolic effects mediated by loss of Interleukin 18 signaling

Objective: Interleukin (IL)-18 plays a crucial role in maintaining metabolic homeostasis and levels of this cytokine are influenced by gender, age, and sex hormones. The role of gender on IL-18 signaling, however, is unclear. We hypothesized that the presence of female sex hormone could preserve the metabolic phenotype of the IL-18R−/− animals. Methods: We studied female mice with a global deletion of the α isoform of the IL-18 receptor (IL-18R−/−) and littermates control. Three studies were done: 1) animals fed a high fat diet (HFD) for 16 weeks; 2) animals fed chow diet for 72 weeks and 3) animals (3 weeks-old) randomized to either bilateral ovariectomy (OVX) or control surgery (SHAM) and followed for 16 weeks. Results: Female IL-18R−/− mice gained less weight and maintained glucose homeostasis on a chow diet compared with HFD, but no differences between genotypes were observed. The maintenance of body weight and glucose homeostasis in IL-18R−/− mice was lost with aging. By 72 weeks of age, IL-18R−/− mice became heavier compared with WT mice due to an increase in both visceral and subcutaneous adiposity and displayed glucose intolerance. OVX did not affect body weight in IL-18R−/− mice but exacerbated glucose intolerance and impaired liver insulin signaling when compared with SHAM mice. Conclusions: Female mice harboring a global deletion of the IL-18R, only present the same phenotype as reported in male IL-18R−/− mice if they are aged or have undergone OVX, in which circulating estrogen is likely to be blunted. The role of estrogen signaling in the protection against altered metabolic homeostasis in IL-18R−/− mice appears to be mediated by liver insulin signaling. We therefore suggest that the metabolic effects mediated by loss of IL-18 signaling are only present in a female sex hormone free environment. Keywords: IL-18, Obesity, Insulin resistance, Gende