3x5 for concert band ; an analysis of the numerical bases of rhythm, gesture, melody and form

text3x5 for Concert Band uses the numbers three and five as the basis of many smalland large-scale aspects of the work. The two numbers act as generative numbers, underlying such features of the work as length of melodic and rhythmic gestures, polyrhythmic interaction, articulation of significant formal sectional changes, durational patterns of local and large-scale formal events, and the number and relative length of large formal sections. The two generative numbers and their interaction generate both the formal skeletal structure of the work and aspects of the content of the work as well. v The use of these generative numbers gives the piece a unifying framework and generates musical interest through gestures and events that correspond to the numbers. For example, the superimposition of odd-numbered patterns over even-numbered frameworks (such as rhythmic units of 5 eighth-notes over a 4/4 measure) creates tension in the form of syncopation or polyrhythm. The resulting rhythmic structures sound as if they could be created by intuitive means, but contain a sense of cohesiveness that may be lacking from such a constructive method. The numerically generated structures may be audible or inaudible to the listener depending on their time scale and their proximity to the surface level of the texture. However, the number of events that are easily recognizable as having been derived from the generative numbers creates a sense of continuity and accessibility. Structural details do not exist solely for the sake of intellectual exercise. A sense of spontaneity and unpredictability is also central to the conception of the work, as is a visceral impact. 3x5 for Concert Band is an attempt to reconcile the sometimes disparate worlds of structurally- and intuitively-based music. With a balance of intuitive and logical structure, a work of accessibility and spontaneity can be created without sacrificing structural integrity, intellectual interest and rigor.Musi

Services for reducing duration of hospital care for acute stroke patients

<p>Background: Stroke patients conventionally receive a substantial part of their rehabilitation in hospital. Services have now been developed which offer patients in hospital an early discharge with rehabilitation at home (early supported discharge (ESD)).</p> <p>Objectives: To establish the effects and costs of ESD services compared with conventional services.</p> <p>Search methods: We searched the trials registers of the Cochrane Stroke Group (January 2012) and the Cochrane Effective Practice and Organisation of Care (EPOC) Group, MEDLINE (2008 to 7 February 2012), EMBASE (2008 to 7 February 2012) and CINAHL (1982 to 7 February 2012). In an effort to identify further published, unpublished and ongoing trials we searched 17 trial registers (February 2012), performed citation tracking of included studies, checked reference lists of relevant articles and contacted trialists.</p> <p>Selection criteria: Randomised controlled trials recruiting stroke patients in hospital to receive either conventional care or any service intervention which has provided rehabilitation and support in a community setting with an aim of reducing the duration of hospital care.</p> <p>Data collection and analysis: The primary patient outcome was the composite end-point of death or long-term dependency recorded at the end of scheduled follow up. Two review authors scrutinised trials and categorised them on their eligibility.We then sought standardised individual patient data from the primary trialists. We analysed the results for all trials and for subgroups of patients and services, in particular whether the intervention was provided by a co-ordinated multidisciplinary team (co-ordinated ESD team) or not.</p> <p>Main results: Outcome data are currently available for 14 trials (1957 patients). Patients tended to be a selected elderly group withmoderate disability. The ESD group showed significant reductions (P = 0.0001) in the length of hospital stay equivalent to approximately seven days. Overall, the odds ratios (OR) (95% confidence interval (CI)) for death, death or institutionalisation, death or dependency at the end of scheduled follow-up were OR 0.91 (95% CI 0.67 to 1.25, P = 0.58), OR 0.78 (95% CI 0.61 to 1.00, P = 0.05) and OR 0.80 (95% CI 0.67 to 0.97, P = 0.02) respectively. The greatest benefits were seen in the trials evaluating a co-ordinated ESD team and in stroke patients with mild to moderate disability. Improvements were also seen in patients’ extended activities of daily living scores (standardised mean difference 0.12, 95% CI 0.00 to 0.25, P = 0.05) and satisfaction with services (OR 1.60, 95% CI 1.08 to 2.38, P = 0.02) but no statistically significant differences were seen in carers’ subjective health status, mood or satisfaction with services. The apparent benefits were no longer statistically significant at five-year follow-up.</p> <p>Authors’ conclusions: Appropriately resourced ESD services provided for a selected group of stroke patients can reduce long-term dependency and admission to institutional care as well as reducing the length of hospital stay. We observed no adverse impact on the mood or subjective health status of patients or carers.</p&gt

Recovery after stroke - assessment and treatment; with focus on motor function

The incidence of stroke has not changed significantly in recent decades. However, the actual number of strokes is likely to increase as a consequence of the increasing number of elderly people, creating a significant burden on the health care system, the patients and their families. Pareses are the most common impairment reported after stroke. Motor impairments are associated with reduced self-perceived health, and consequently rehabilitation after stroke has a strong emphasis on physiotherapy and motor training. However, more knowledge about motor recovery and effects of therapy is needed for further improvement of rehabilitation processes and of outcome for the large number of stroke victims. The overall aim of this thesis was to increase the knowledge about motor recovery after stroke by evaluating the effect of two different rehabilitation programmes compared to standard rehabilitation regimes and by investigating changes in brain activity in patients treated in terms of the recommended guidelines in the acute phase and during follow-up. A randomised controlled trial was performed to evaluate the effect of an early supported discharge (ESD) service for patients with acute stroke living in a rural community. Sixty-two eligible patients were included and randomised to either an ESD service or to standard followup. The trial revealed no significant benefit on the Modified Rankin Scale, Barthel Index, Berg Balance Scale or walking speed, but significantly less isolation in the ESD group at the six-week follow-up. However, analysis of all cases with all assessments available showed a non-significant trend toward greater improvement in balance in the ESD group from one week to six weeks follow-up. The trial identified a strong association between initial severe leg paresis, but not with initial moderate leg paresis, and reduced balance one year after the stroke. There was also a strong association between initial inability to walk and reduced balance one year after the stroke. Another randomised controlled trial was performed to evaluate the efficacy and feasibility of Constraint-Induced Movement Therapy (CIMT) organised as group therapy for patients with subacute and chronic stroke. Thirty eligible patients were included and randomised to a CIMT group receiving ten days of intensive motor training of the affected arm or to a control group receiving standard rehabilitation. The CIMT group showed a statistically significant greater improvement in motor function of the affected arm at the post-treatment assessment. However, this difference did not persist at six months' follow-up. There were no differences between the groups at any time in relation to the amount of use of the affected arm or to independence in activities of daily living. Finally, a longitudinal follow-up study was performed to investigate the changes in brain activation patterns from the acute to the chronic phases and their relationship to motor learning after stroke. Twelve eligible patients with acute ischaemic stroke were included and assessed with functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) and clinical tests within one week after stroke and three months later. All patients, except one, had complete recovery of the affected arm according to our criteria. Increased activation in cerebellum, striatum, angular gyrus and insula was revealed in the acute phase compared to the chronic phase. The chronic phase demonstrated a restoration of the lateralised primary motor network, in addition to increased bilateral somatosensory association areas and contralesional secondary somatosensory areas (SII). The activation patterns are not identical but comparable to a motor learning process. In conclusion, this thesis shows that the ESD service did not significantly influence death or dependency, balance or walking speed for patients living in a rural community. However, it may lead to less isolation and a transient improvement in self-perceived health. The thesis also demonstrates that CIMT organised as group therapy is feasible and efficient in the short term but may not be superior to standard rehabilitation in the long term. Finally, the thesis has revealed that the motor network changes associated with successful motor recovery are comparable to changes observed in motor learning studies in healthy subjects, and also indicating the importance of bi- and contralesional brain activation for successful motor recovery after stroke.PhD i klinisk medisi

L1 Transfer of Island Constraints: A Study of L1 Norwegian L2 English Speakers’ Island (In)Sensitivity

This thesis explores island constraints in the L2 English of Norwegian learners, in connection to issues of transfer and learnability. Despite claims of universal treatment, current research has found cross-linguistic differences; English rejects all island constraint violations, while Norwegian accepts some of the same violations. Under standard views on transfer, the insensitivity to island constraints in the L1 Norwegian speakers’ grammar would predict a corresponding (if slightly reduced) insensitivity in the L2 English grammar. Accordingly, this thesis aims to uncover whether the participants’ L2 grammar display parametric settings equivalent to the suggested L1 grammar, i.e., whether island constraints and island insensitivity are subject to transfer. The research focused on three syntactic constructions: embedded questions, relative clauses and subject phrases. Additionally, the thesis examines whether the universal account of island constraints can be maintained despite cross-linguistic differences. The L1 Norwegian and L2 English grammar of an experimental group and the L1 English grammar of a control group were examined through acceptability judgment tests. The tests were developed in accordance with the factorial design (Sprouse, 2007). Analysis of the judgments resulted in inconclusive findings regarding learnability issues in SLA. However, based on the experiments’ results, previous research and current theories on cross-linguistic influence, I argue for indications of transfer in the participants’ L2 grammar, aligning with the FT/FA-model (Schwartz & Sprouse, 1994, 1996). Additionally, the results align with previous findings suggesting an extended complementizer domain in Norwegian (e.g., Nyvad, Christensen, & Vikner, 2015), which enables a universal account of syntactic islands, despite cross-linguistic differences

Epidemiology and outcome of sepsis in adult patients with Streptococcus pneumoniae infection in a Norwegian county 1993–2011: an observational study

90-day mortality in relation to patient characteristics prior to infection. Table S1a. 90-day mortality in relation to gender. Table S2. 90-day mortality in relation to disease acquisition, severity, focus and time period. (DOCX 22 kb

The Influence of Affective State on Subjective-Report Measurements. Evidence From Experimental Manipulations of Mood

A substantial portion of the knowledge base of psychology is based on subjective reports with a risk of information bias. The objective of the present study was to elucidate one contextual source of variance and potential bias in subjective reports: the influence of affective state at the time of responding to questionnaires. Employees (N = 67, abstaining from stimulants and activities that may influence emotional and physiological state) were subjected to mood-induction procedures in the laboratory. Neutral, positive, and negative moods were induced by combinations of pictures from the international affective picture set (IAPS) and music. The subjects responded to questions on visual analog scales (VAS) in order to optimize sensitivity and attenuate short-term memory effects. Most subjects exhibited significant affective-state inductions with no change in arousal. The analyses took affective response to the manipulation into account. Only four of 20 questions were somewhat influenced by induced affective state: job overload, social support from co-workers, satisfaction with getting to develop personally, and an item measuring agreeableness. In general, responding to questions of work that were phrased for valence was little or insignificantly influenced by induced affective state.The Influence of Affective State on Subjective-Report Measurements. Evidence From Experimental Manipulations of MoodpublishedVersio

Identifying factors associated with sedentary time after stroke. Secondary analysis of pooled data from nine primary studies.

<p><b>Background</b>: High levels of sedentary time increases the risk of cardiovascular disease, including recurrent stroke.</p> <p><b>Objective</b>: This study aimed to identify factors associated with high sedentary time in community-dwelling people with stroke.</p> <p><b>Methods</b>: For this data pooling study, authors of published and ongoing trials that collected sedentary time data, using the activPAL monitor, in community-dwelling people with stroke were invited to contribute their raw data. The data was reprocessed, algorithms were created to identify sleep-wake time and determine the percentage of waking hours spent sedentary. We explored demographic and stroke-related factors associated with total sedentary time and time in uninterrupted sedentary bouts using unique, both univariable and multivariable, regression analyses.</p> <p><b>Results</b>: The 274 included participants were from Australia, Canada, and the United Kingdom, and spent, on average, 69% (SD 12.4) of their waking hours sedentary. Of the demographic and stroke-related factors, slower walking speeds were significantly and independently associated with a higher percentage of waking hours spent sedentary (p = 0.001) and uninterrupted sedentary bouts of <i>>30</i> and <i>>60 min</i> (p = 0.001 and p = 0.004, respectively). Regression models explained 11–19% of the variance in total sedentary time and time in prolonged sedentary bouts.</p> <p><b>Conclusion</b>: We found that variability in sedentary time of people with stroke was largely unaccounted for by demographic and stroke-related variables. Behavioral and environmental factors are likely to play an important role in sedentary behavior after stroke. Further work is required to develop and test effective interventions to address sedentary behavior after stroke.</p

Performance management and accountability: the role of intergovernmental information systems

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Performance management and accountability: the role of intergovernmental information systems

The chapter studies performance management as an integral part of local/central government relations, including the role this practice has in benchmarking, strategic planning, evaluation, policy making, and, not least, the controlling relationship between central and local government authorities. A case study of Norway’s mandatory system of local to central government reporting illustrates how local governments can measure and report comparative information about activities and performance, thus enabling openness and transparency, as well as accountability in relation to internal and external stakeholders. The chapter compares the Norwegian system with similar intergovernmental information systems in the Netherlands, Sweden and the UK; discusses the background for the adoption of such systems and consequences of their use; and provides suggestions for possible and likely future developments in the transition from new public management to new public governance.acceptedVersio

Self-Other agreement in Perspective Taking and Employee Affective Commitment: The Mediating Role of Leader-Member Exchange

Masteroppgave(MSc) in Master of Science in Leadership and Organizational Psychology - Handelshøyskolen BI, 2022This study seeks to establish and test the integrative theory of Leader- Member Exchange (LMX) that extends our understanding of self-other agreement in perspective taking and affective commitment. We predicted that differences in employee perceptions of the quality of their LMX relationship and their affective commitment might be related to the degree of agreement between leader and employees’ perceptions of leader perspective taking. We aim to represent the managerial and psychological outcomes in the leader-employee dyad. The study relies on data from 116 leader-employee dyads working within various business areas in companies located in Norway. The results revealed that the in agreement good group and under-estimators received the highest employee reported LMX and affective commitment. Additionally, relative to the constant group, mediation occurred for the in agreement poor group and over-estimator group. As well as providing valuable insights for understanding self-other agreement, perspective taking, LMX and affective commitment and their relation to each other, our theoretical perspective and empirical findings provide important contributions