Viability of Discrete Event Simulation in the Early Design of Production Systems

In the manufacturing industry, Discrete Event Simulation (DES) is recognised as a tool utilised in the analysis and optimisation of production systems. The effectiveness of DES, however, depends mainly on the data available from the system which is to be simulated and the quality of this data. This thesis investigates the viability of DES when a production system is in its early design stages with limited data available, and no complete system of which to translate into a virtual model. A case study was conducted where a production system in its early design stages was modelled and analysed by applying DES. Following the case study, the results of the case were analysed and a consensus was formed whether DES was usable as a tool to assist the system developers in the development process. Despite a lack of highquality data, the case produced useful results for the system developers, and a clear trend of the performance and behaviour of the system was observed. Improvement suggestions were passed on to the system developers to assist the developers and as an extension save time and money. With the support of successful case results, substantial proof that DES is viable to use as a design tool in the early design of production systems were found. However, this is not without its challenges, as the majority of the required data and the behaviour of the system has to be estimated, limiting the accuracy of the results. Despite these challenges, DES is a viable approach, and can be utilised to influence design changes and parameter improvements of production systems in their early design stages

Innovation and production in the Norwegian aluminium industry

The innovation and production system of the Norwegian primary aluminium industry has changed during the last 100 years. In the first phase from 1908-1945, the locus of innovation resided first and foremost abroad. In the second phase (1945-1986) the Norwegian aluminium industry gradually created a more autonomous path regarding innovation and production. The Norwegian Government created supporting institutions, and in combination company strategies, this laid foundations for the National champions Hydro and Elektrokjemisk to enter. The third phase (1986- ) is first and foremost associated with the creation of Norwegian vertically integrated aluminium companies and horizontal expansion marked by the merger of ÅSV and Norsk Hydro (1986).

A CLINICAL PERSPECTIVE OF POSITIONING FOR THE ENDURANCE BICYCLIST

Optimal fitting of the endurance bicyclist to the bicycle is vital for improving performance, increasing control, avoiding overuse injuries, and promoting comfort. Neutral position of the bicyclist as well as static and dynamic fitting for the road and off-road bicyclist is important. Musculoskeletal screening procedures of the bicyclist are also important and emphasis will be placed on prevention and intervention of two common overuse injuries: anterior knee pain and lower back pain. Comparisons of bicycle fit and overuse injuries for the off-road bicyclist and racer will also be introduced

CO2 packaging increases shelf life through reduction of off-odor production by CO2 tolerant bacteria in addition to growth inhibition of the spoilage bacteriota

Optimized packaging conditions to improve the shelf life of chicken fillets is important to prevent food spoilage and food waste. Anaerobic packaging with CO2 or by vacuum packaging is commonly used to increase the shelf life of skinless chicken fillets, but the literature is inconsistent about the spoilage bacteriota. The aim of this work was to determine which bacterial genera that spoil raw chicken fillets packaged under two common packaging conditions and how the packaging gas itself affects the production of off odors for these genera. The spoilage potential of Pseudomonas, Carnobacterium, Hafnia, Serratia, Brochothrix and Shewanella isolated from spoiled chicken fillets was evaluated. Fresh chicken fillets were inoculated with mono- and multi genera strain cocktails (4 log CFU/cm2) and packaged with 100% N2 or 60% CO2/40% N2, stored at 4 °C, and bacterial numbers, bacteriota, gas in headspace and sensory profiles assessed. Additionally, the effect of CO2 on the production of off-odors from fillets inoculated with similar levels of Shewanella spp. or Brochothrix spp. was determined by both sensory profiling and measuring volatile organic components. All bacterial cocktails grew relatively well in chicken meat packed with 100% N2, while 60% CO2/40% N2 resulted in growth inhibition of all isolates compared to 100% N2. All genera except Serratia and Pseudomonas gave rise to off-odors after 11 days of storage in 100% N2. During storage in 60% CO2/40% N2, only fillets with Carnobacterium spp. and Brochothrix spp. showed significantly higher intensities of off-odors compared to the reference fillets. Shewanella spp. and Brochothrix spp. also exhibited significantly higher intensities of negative odor attributes during storage in 100% N2 compared to 60% CO2/40% N2, at a similar total bacterial count. Thus, CO2 improves shelf life not only by reduction of the growth of CO2 tolerant and sensitive bacteria, but also through inhibition of the production of off-odors.CO2 packaging increases shelf life through reduction of off-odor production by CO2 tolerant bacteria in addition to growth inhibition of the spoilage bacteriotapublishedVersio

Masterforum som arena for veiledning og profesjonsfaglig samarbeid : erfaringer fra SUKIP

This chapter describe how the SUKIP-project has involved master’s students in the research. It explains how the students have gained access to SUKIP-data from kindergarten and school and how guidance and collaboration between the students and researchers is organized within a monthly master forum. Two questions are eluci dated in the chapter: What is the focus of the master’s theses and how do they reflect the purpose of SUKIP? What are the students’ experiences from participating in the master’s forum? Although inclusion has been a fundamental principle in Norwegian education policy for several decades, research that focuses on teacher training for inclusion has not received the same attention. The chapter therefore seeks to contribute to the devel opment of knowledge about teacher education for inclusion.publishedVersio

Lærerutdanning i kroppsøving og idrettsfag på masternivå - muligheter og utfordringer

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Musculoskeletal pain patterns and association between dizziness symptoms and pain in patients with long term dizziness – a cross-sectional study

Background The impact of long-term dizziness is considerable both on the personal level and in society and may lead to self-imposed restrictions in daily activities and social relations due to fear of triggering the symptoms. Musculoskeletal complaints seem to be common in persons with dizziness, but studies addressing these complaints as a widespread occurrence, are scarce. This study aimed to examine the occurrence of widespread pain in patients with long-term dizziness and investigate the associations between pain and dizziness symptoms. Further, to explore whether diagnostic belonging is related to the occurrence of pain. Methods This cross-sectional study was conducted in an otorhinolaryngology clinic and included 150 patients with persistent dizziness. The patients were categorized into three groups: episodic vestibular syndromes, chronic vestibular syndromes, and non-vestibular group. The patients completed questionnaires on dizziness symptoms, catastrophic thinking, and musculoskeletal pain when entering the study. Descriptive statistics were used to describe the population, and associations between pain and dizziness were investigated by linear regression. Results Pain was reported by 94.5% of the patients. A significantly higher prevalence of pain was reported in all the ten pain sites examined compared to the general population. Number of pain sites and pain intensity were associated with the dizziness severity. Number of pain sites was also associated with dizziness-related handicap, but not with catastrophic thinking. There was no association between pain intensity and dizziness-related handicap or catastrophic thinking. Pain was equally distributed in the diagnostic groups. Conclusion Patients with long-term dizziness have a considerably higher prevalence of pain and number of pain sites than the general population. Pain co-exists with dizziness and is associated with dizziness severity. These findings may indicate that pain should be systematically assessed and treated in patients with persisting dizziness.publishedVersio

DeepCell Kiosk: scaling deep learning–enabled cellular image analysis with Kubernetes

Deep learning is transforming the analysis of biological images, but applying these models to large datasets remains challenging. Here we describe the DeepCell Kiosk, cloud-native software that dynamically scales deep learning workflows to accommodate large imaging datasets. To demonstrate the scalability and affordability of this software, we identified cell nuclei in 10⁶ 1-megapixel images in ~5.5 h for ~US$250, with a cost below US$100 achievable depending on cluster configuration. The DeepCell Kiosk can be downloaded at https://github.com/vanvalenlab/kiosk-console; a persistent deployment is available at https://deepcell.org/

Boomers at Work and in Transition

This study investigated the experience and expectations of Minnesota Boomers as well as innovative organizations in the Twin Cities area that are recognizing and responding to their aging workforces. We find Boomers no longer expect a one-way, one-time simultaneous exit from both their career jobs and the labor force. Rather, they are following a variety of paths. Organizations leading in recognizing population and workforce aging are adopting less age-graded policies—providing flexible and reduced work options as well as training to all workers, regardless of their ages or career stages. Policies and practices are needed supporting a range of flexible paid and unpaid opportunities to tap the tremendous talent of this large Boomer cohort. The research upon which this article is based was supported by a grant from CURA’s Faculty Interactive Research Program.Faculty Interactive Research ProgramUniversity of Minnesota: Center for Urban and Regional Affairs; Moen, Phyllis; Kojola, Erik; Schaefers, Kate. (2017). Boomers at Work and in Transition. Retrieved from the University Digital Conservancy, https://hdl.handle.net/11299/188228

Project report : Requirements specification

The SAMRISK project “Sharing incident and threat information for common situational understanding“ (INSITU) commenced in May 2019. The INSITU project develops solutions for establishing a common situational understanding in complex operations requiring collaboration between several agencies. This involves systematic analysis of existing information sources and defining the information elements that are critical to share in different phases of a crisis situation. In addition, the project will develop procedures and related tool support for efficient collection and integration of information. As part of this work, the project contributes to harmonisation of terminology across agencies to secure effective communication. A map-based interface for display of information from different digital map resources will be developed, as a basis for a common operational picture (COP). This solution will also support evaluation and learning from incidents and emergency exercises. Based on a review of related research, the report briefly summarises the state of the art for the areas focused in the project. Through interviews and discussions with emergency stakeholders, field observation during an exercise, and field visits at operations centres, current practice for information sharing and establishing a COP is analysed. Based on the expressed needs from the emergency stakeholders and our analysis of current practice, the report specifies a set of requirements for information sharing, harmonisation of terminology, use of common map resources, and technology support for evaluation and learning from incidents.publishedVersio