Isogeometric analysis applied to frictionless large deformation elastoplastic contact

This paper focuses on the application of isogeometric analysis to model frictionless large deformation contact between deformable bodies and rigid surfaces that may be represented by analytical functions. The contact constraints are satisfied exactly with the augmented Lagrangian method, and treated with a mortar-based approach combined with a simplified integration method to avoid segmentation of the contact surfaces. The spatial discretization of the deformable body is performed with NURBS and C0-continuous Lagrange polynomial elements. The numerical examples demonstrate that isogeometric surface discretization delivers more accurate and robust predictions of the response compared to Lagrange discretizations

Dynamical models for sand ripples beneath surface waves

We introduce order parameter models for describing the dynamics of sand ripple patterns under oscillatory flow. A crucial ingredient of these models is the mass transport between adjacent ripples, which we obtain from detailed numerical simulations for a range of ripple sizes. Using this mass transport function, our models predict the existence of a stable band of wavenumbers limited by secondary instabilities. Small ripples coarsen in our models and this process leads to a sharply selected final wavenumber, in agreement with experimental observations.Comment: 9 pages. Shortened version of previous submissio

The Methylococcus capsulatus (Bath) Secreted Protein, MopE*, Binds Both Reduced and Oxidized Copper

Under copper limiting growth conditions the methanotrophic bacterium Methylococcus capsulatus (Bath) secrets essentially only one protein, MopE*, to the medium. MopE* is a copper-binding protein whose structure has been determined by X-ray crystallography. The structure of MopE* revealed a unique high affinity copper binding site consisting of two histidine imidazoles and one kynurenine, the latter an oxidation product of Trp130. In this study, we demonstrate that the copper ion coordinated by this strong binding site is in the Cu(I) state when MopE* is isolated from the growth medium of M. capsulatus. The conclusion is based on X-ray Near Edge Absorption spectroscopy (XANES), and Electron Paramagnetic Resonance (EPR) studies. EPR analyses demonstrated that MopE*, in addition to the strong copper-binding site, also binds Cu(II) at two weaker binding sites. Both Cu(II) binding sites have properties typical of non-blue type II Cu (II) centres, and the strongest of the two Cu(II) sites is characterised by a relative high hyperfine coupling of copper (

The nature of entrepreneurs’ engagement with a layered rural context

Rural entrepreneurship has recently been reconceptualised as engagement with contexts. However, our knowledge of the nature of this engagement remains limited. In this paper, we explore the engagement of entrepreneurs hired as part-time industry mentors at regional universities. Using a qualitative approach based on grounded theory and self-ethnography, we interviewed five entrepreneurs in adjunct positions and their academic counterparts at universities in Northern Norway. We also relied on our own experience as academics collaborating with industry mentors. Our findings demonstrate that the entrepreneurs’ engagement encompasses and combines the business, academic and spatial layers of the entrepreneurs’ context and that it unfolds in the form of knowledge-sharing practices. Our study makes several contributions. First, it contributes to the limited empirical research on rural entrepreneurship as engagement with context and gives a novel and detailed account of how this engagement unfolds in practice. Second, it contributes by adding new insight into how entrepreneurs relate to a layered rural context. In particular, we emphasise that the knowledge-sharing practices help in crossing boundaries between the layers. Third, our study offers some practical contributions for rural entrepreneurs, policymakers and actors in regional innovation systems and regional universities

Tillit som premiss for skoledelse En studie av tillit og relasjoner i et resultatorientert system

Rundt årtusenskiftet kom det en rapport som rystet oppfatningen om kvaliteten på opplæringen i norsk skole. Norske elever gjorde det dårlig på internasjonale målinger og kravet om en skjerpet utdanningspolitikk der mål og resultatstyring ble mer synlig, kom raskt på banen. Følgelig endret ansvaret for utdanningspolitikken seg fra kommunene til staten med Utdanningsdirektoratet som organisator for felles kartlegginger og målinger som skulle gi informasjon om nivået i skolen, samtidig som prøvene skulle være til støtte for skolens rektor og øvrig pedagogiske personell. 20 år senere har debatten endret seg fra et fokus på hvor norske elever befinner seg i forhold til andre land til en bekymring rundt for mye, og for lite hensiktsmessig testing i skolen. Oppgavens problemstilling er «Hvilken betydning har tillit for skoleutvikling i et resultatorientert system?». Formålet med studien har vært å undersøke hvilken betydning resultatorienterte målinger har for tilliten til skoleledere. Jeg har valgt å se på dette fra rektors perspektiv gjennom disse tre forskningsspørsmålene: 1.Hva er rektors erfaringer med tillitsbasert ledelse? 2.Hvilken betydning har tillitsbasert ledelse for skoleutvikling? 3.Hvilke implikasjoner har resultatorientering for å få til god skoleutvikling? Forskning som har sett nærmere på hvilken påvirkning resultatorientering og tillit har for å bidra til skoleutvikling viser at resultater først og fremst er til nytte på systemnivå, mens tillit er nødvendig fra systemnivå til lokalt nivå for at det skal være hensiktsmessig for skoleutvikling. Rektors ansvarsområde er i dag så omfattende at både det å fordele ansvar på egen leder gruppe og å ha tillit fra egen leder i kommunen er nødvendig for å kunne stå støtt i jobben. En rektor som måles kun på resultater vil oppleve jobben som ensom og tyngende, mens en som får tillit til å ta de avgjørelsene den mener er riktig vil nyte godt av gode samarbeid på langs og tvers i etaten. Grunnlaget for empirien er basert på en kvalitativ tilnærming gjennom å bruke casestudier som metode. I løpet av vinteren 2023/2024 intervjuet jeg fire rektorer ved fire grunnskoler i Osloskolen. Tilnærmingen har tatt høyde for subjektive fortolkninger av skolehverdagen samtidig som den har holdt seg innenfor en fast ramme der noen spørsmål har vært gjennomgående til alle deltakerne. Felles for alle er også at de tilhører samme grunnskoleområde og dermed også samme grunnskoledirektør. Analysen viser at rektorene i Osloskolen i varierende grad praktiserer tillitsbasert ledelse. Samtidig er det en erkjennelse at Osloskolen er opptatt av at skolene skal jobbe med strategier som leder til bedre resultater på kvalitetsvurderingsmålinger som nasjonale prøver. Funnene viser at tillit opparbeides over tid og at relasjoner er av betydning for hvordan tilliten kommer til uttrykk. Tilliten til at rektors arbeid vil bidra til bedre resultater, er viktig og synes å være særlig tett knyttet til relasjonelle forhold. Det er flere ting som spiller inn i arbeidet med å skape god skoleutvikling, men noe som utmerker seg som særlig viktig er relasjonen mellom de ulike styringsnivåene, spesielt mellom rektor og grunnskoledirektør. Fordi rektors ansvarsområde er så stort, er det av betydning at resultatene er underordnet i samhandlingen med egen leder og eget pedagogisk personell. En rektor som får tid og rom til å bygge tillit i egne rekker og samtidig har tillit fra egen leder vil ha gode forutsetninger for å skape en skole der også resultatene blir bedre.Around the turn of the century a report disclosing the quality of education in Norway emerged, sending a shock wave throughout the country. Norwegian pupils performed poorly on international assessments, forcing a call for a more focused and result-oriented educational policy which also emphasized performance management. Consequently, responsibility for educational policy shifted from municipalities to the state, with the Norwegian Directorate for Education and Training in charge of organizing common assessments and measurements which provided information about the school system’s level at any given time. In addition, these assessments and measurements were meant to support school principals and other educational staff. Twenty years later, the debate has shifted from comparing Norwegian pupils to those in other countries to concerns about excessive and ineffective testing in schools. The research question for this study has been “What significance does trust have for school development in a results-oriented system?” Further, the purpose of the study has been to examine the impact of results-oriented measurements on trust in school leaders. I have chosen to approach this through the perspective of school principals, focusing on the following three research questions: 1.What experience do principals have with trust-based leadership? 2.What significance does trust-based leadership have for school development? 3.What implications does result orientation have for achieving effective school development? Research examining the impact of result-orientation and trust in school development indicates that results primarily benefit the system, while trust is essential from the system to the local level for effective school development. The empirical foundation for this study is based on a qualitative approach using case studies. During the winter of 2023/2024, I interviewed four principals from four primary schools in Oslo. The approach considered subjective interpretations of the day-to-day school life while at the same time adhering to a consistent framework of equal questions for all participants. All participants belonged to the same primary school district, and consequently, report to the same school district superintendent. The analysis reveals that school principals in Osloskolen practice trust-based leadership to varying degrees. At the same time, there is an acknowledgement that Osloskolen are concerned with strategies that lead to better results on assessments such as National Tests. The findings indicate that trust is built over time and that relationships are significant in how trust is expressed. Trust in the principal’s work contributing to better results seems to be particularly closely tied to relational factors. Several elements contribute to creating effective school development, but one that stands out as particularly important is the relationship between different levels of governance, especially between principals and the school district superintendent Given the extensive responsibilities put upon principals, it is essential that results come second when interacting with their own leadership team and educational staff. A principal who has been given the time and space to build trust within their ranks and simultaneously enjoys trust from their own leader will be well-positioned to create a school where results also improve

Gjennomgang av barneverntjenesten i Ringsaker 2009

Hovedmålet i prosjektet Gjennomgang av barneverntjenesten i Ringsaker har vært å gjennomgå aktuelle tiltak som kan forebygge plassering av barn og unge utenfor hjemmet, og vurdere hvordan Familiesenteret og Ungdomskontakten kan benyttes for å styrke barneverntilbudet i kommunen. Flere metoder har vært benyttet: Dokumentanalyse, analyse av statistikk, intervjuer med informanter samt analyse av spørreundersøkelser med ansatte i flere tjenester. NOVAs hovedkonklusjon er at tjenesten har faglig dyktige medarbeidere, men at det er avsatt for lite ressurser til barneverntjenesten i Ringsaker. Det har vært en fordobling av meldinger per 1000 barn og unge til barnevernet i perioden 2001-2009 uten at andelen av barn og unge i barneverntiltak har økt. Ringsaker ligger i 2008/2009 vesentlig under både landsgjennomsnittet og gjennomsnittet for sammenlikningskommuner på mange viktige barnevernindikatorer. NOVA anbefaler blant annet at kommunen tilsetter flere faste ansatte i tjenesten, benytter en større vifte av hjelpetiltak og etablerer en barnevernplan

Elg som næring : elgarbeid på Evenstad 1995 – 2013

I 1995 byrja me å studera elg og trafikk i Østerdalen. Då ulv etablerte seg i studieområdet, undersøkte me verknaden av ulv på elg. Sidan studerte me elgøkonomi før me såg på verknaden av elgfôring i samarbeid med Stor-Elvdal Grunneierforening, Løvenskiold-Fossum og Fritzøe Skoger. No arbeider me med samordna forvalting av skog og elg, der me prøver ut ordinære skogbrukstiltak som skal gje elgen meir fôr og skogeigaren uskadde furuforyngingar. I alt har me radiomerka 268 elgar, og me har studert elg og vegetasjon i felt. Me gjev her ei grov oversikt over resultata frå det vitskaplege arbeidet med elg på Evenstad, gjev forvaltningsråd basert på dette og viser kva me vil arbeida med framover. Hovudfokus i heile perioden har vore å sjå på elgen som ein ressurs. Arbeidstittelen har vore Elg som næring. Elg er mykje meir enn næring, men i denne artikkelen ser me på elgen hovudsakleg i næringsmessig samanheng sett med lokaløkonomiske auger

Visualisation of KPIs in zero emission neighbourhoods for improved stakeholder participation using Virtual Reality

This paper addresses the role of virtual reality in addressing the specific challenge of the increasing complexity and decreasing usability when dealing with the level of detail required to model a zero emission neighbourhood (ZEN).[1] In such neighbourhoods, there is a need to handle both 'top down' neighbourhood level data with 'bottom up' building and material level data. This can quickly become overwhelming particularly when dealing with non expert users such as planners, architects, researchers and citizens who play a key part in the design process of future ZENs. Visualisation is an invaluable means to communicate complex data in an interactive way that makes it easier for diverse stakeholders to engage in decision making early and throughout the design process. The main purpose of this work has been to make ZEN key performance indicators (KPIs) more easily comprehensible to a diverse set of stakeholders who need to be involved in the early design phase. The paper investigates how existing extended reality (XR) technologies, such as virtual reality, can be integrated with an existing dynamic LCA method in order to provide visualise feedback on KPIs in early phase design of sustainable neighbourhoods. This existing method provides a dynamic link between the REVIT Bim and the ZEB Tool using a Dynamo plugin.[2] The results presented in this paper demonstrate how virtual reality can help to improve stakeholder participation in the early design phase and more easily integrate science-based knowledge on GHG emissions and other KPIs into the further development of the user-centered architectural and urban ZEN toolbox for the design and planning, operation and monitoring of ZENs. [3]publishedVersionContent from this work may be used under the terms of theCreative Commons Attribution 3.0 licence. Any further distribution of this work must maintain attribution to the author(s) and the title of the work, journal citation and DOI. Published under licence by IOP Publishing Lt

Hospital treatment -is it affordable? A structured cost analysis of vaginal deliveries and planned caesarean sections

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Introduction</p> <p>The analysis of cost effectiveness in hospitals is as difficult as treating the patients properly. We are yet not able to answer the simple question of what costs are caused by a certain diagnosis and its treatment during an average hospital stay.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>To answer some issues of the global problem of cost effectiveness during hospitalisation, we analysed the costs and the cost structure of a normal obstetrical hospital stay during an uncomplicated vaginal delivery and a planned caesarean section. Cost data was collected and summarized from the patients file, the hospital's computer system gathering all cost centres, known material expenses and expenses of non obstetrical medical services.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>For vaginal deliveries/planned caesareans we can calculate with a surplus of about 83 €/1432 €. About 45% of the summarized costs are calculated on a reliable database.</p> <p>Discussion</p> <p>The introduction of the DRG based clearing system in Germany has aggravated the discussion on cost effectiveness. Our meticulous work-up of expenses excluded personal precautionary costs and personnel costs of documentation because no tools are described to depict such costs. If we would add these costs to the known expenses of our study, we strongly suspect that hospital treatment of vaginal deliveries or planned caesarean sections is not cost effective.</p