What Was a Relevant Translation in the 18th Century?

The paper applies RT to analyse an 18th century translation of a Latin text by the preeminent Romanian scholar Demetrius Cantemir. The translation diverges significantly from the original and was met with harsh criticism. Using the conceptual toolkit of RT, I argue that the differences between the original and its English translation were motivated by the translator’s desire to yield the same cognitive effect without putting the audience to unnecessary processing effort. Both effects and effort need to be evaluated by taking into account the respective cognitive environments of the source-text and the target-text audiences. The intertextual dimension of the text under scrutiny adds to the difficulty of communicating the same message in different languages and cultures

Exploring persistent postsurgical pain from the patient’s perspective 5 years after total knee arthroplasty: A mixed-methods study

Background: Osteoarthritis (OA) of the knee is a common ailment and is estimated to affect 240 million people globally, with 10% of men and 18% of women over 60 years having symptomatic knee OA. The main symptom of OA is pain, stiffness, and reduced function of the joint. Total knee arthroplasty (TKA) remains the treatment of choice in moderate to severe knee OA, when non-surgical treatments are no longer effective in alleviating symptoms. Unfortunately, approximately 20% of patients operated with primary TKA experience pain 12 months after surgery, with 15-19% reporting severe pain. With an anticipated increase in TKA procedures over the next decade, the number of patients living with persistent postsurgical pain (PPP) one year after surgery becomes substantial. Little is known about these patients’ outcomes and lives with PPP 5 or more years after TKA. Hence, this PhD project includes the patient’s perspective, exploring PPP over the first 5-7 years post-TKA. Aim: The overall aim of this PhD thesis was to explore experiences of PPP in patients 5-7 years after TKA. Methods: This thesis had a hybrid mixed-methods (MM) design, employing features from two independent parallel strands (one quantitative and one qualitative), as well as one explanatory sequential strand. The data was obtained from questionnaires and qualitative interviews with patients who underwent primary TKA for OA in a high-volume surgical clinic in Oslo. The MM design allowed for different perspectives and voices to explore the complex phenomenon of PPP within three sub-studies, and the findings were combined and presented in a joint display. Study 1: Quantitative strand (n=136). A prospective longitudinal observational study design was employed to examine the associations between preoperative factors and moderate-tosevere pain and pain-related functional impairment 5 years after TKA. Socio Now Pop was employed to assess patients’ sociodemographic characteristics at baseline. Patient-reported outcome measures assessed at 5 years included the Brief Pain Inventory (BPI) and the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale. To assess associations between selected preoperative factors and moderate-to-severe pain or pain-related functional impairment at 5 years, statistically significant factors from univariate regressions were entered into a multiple logistic regression model. Study 2: Qualitative strand (n=23). An explorative-descriptive qualitative design was employed to explore earlier experiences of pain and stress in patients with PPP at 12-months. Semi-structured interviews were conducted at 5-7 years, transcribed verbatim and analyzed through qualitative content analysis. Study 3: Mixed-methods strand (qualitative=23, quantitative n=19). A sequential, explanatory design was employed to explore patients’ experiences of living with persistent pain 5-7 years after primary TKA. The BPI questionnaire was filled out at three timepoints. Semi-structured interviews were conducted at one timepoint. The quantitative analysis included descriptive and non-parametric statistics to compare the demographics of included and excluded patients. In addition, two multivariate mixed models for repeated measures were employed to estimate within‐patient and between‐patient differences, as well as to assess the effect of time on pain with walking, daily activity, and average pain. Interviews were analyzed through qualitative content analysis. The findings were integrated and presented in a joint display. Results: Study 1 showed that severe preoperative pain, more preoperative painful sites, and more preoperative anxiety are associated with moderate-to-severe pain 5 years after surgery. More preoperative anxiety was also associated with pain-related functional impairment. Male sex was associated with less pain-related functional impairment; more severe OA was associated with less pain 5 years after TKA surgery. Study 2 identified two main themes: 1) Painful years – the burden of living with long lasting pain and 2) The burden of living with psychological distress. The participants told stories of severe long lasting knee pain and pain in other locations preoperatively. Moreover, the women had additional painful conditions that the men did not have. Participants’ stories included stressful experiences such as anxiety, grief, and loss, which impacted their lives over time. Study 3 identified three main themes: 1) persistent limitations after TKA, 2) regaining wellness over time, and 3) complexity in physical challenges. Limitations included PPP with certain movements and after physical activities. Other painful conditions and ailments may have hampered the knee rehabilitation process. Noteworthy, those with PPP at 12 months, experienced an overall decrease in pain 5-7 years after surgery, and no-one regretted their TKA at the time of the interview, 5-7 years after surgery. Conclusion: The study provides insight into non-improving TKA patients as individuals and suggests ways of identifying patients who are at risk for developing PPP after TKA. These are patients who may benefit from personalized care and perioperative pain management. Health personnel who interact with patients preoperatively may use the findings from the current study to inform and guide patients on strategies for coping with pain, comorbidity, and function in the time leading up to surgery. Furthermore, health personnel may support and guide those with delayed improvements in pain toward more realistic expectations for recovery and rehabilitation. Bakgrunn: Artrose i kneet anslås å ramme 240 millioner mennesker globalt. Man regner med at totalt 9,6 % av menn og 18 % av kvinner over 60 år i verden, har symptomatisk kne-artrose. Symptomene på artrose er smerte, stivhet og nedsatt leddfunksjon. Når annen ikke-kirurgisk behandling er forsøkt uten symptomlindring, er total kneprotese (TKP) den foretrukne behandlingen ved moderat til alvorlig artrose. Dessverre opplever omtrent 20 % av pasientene vedvarende postoperative smerter 12 måneder etter primær TKP, 15-19 % av disse rapporterer om sterke smerter. Med en forventet vekst i TKP-kirurgi i løpet av det neste årene, blir antallet pasienter med vedvarende postoperative smerter ett år etter TKP betydelig. Det er lite kunnskap om disse pasientenes erfaringer med smerter 5 år etter TKP. Derfor inkluderer dette PhD prosjektet, pasienters erfaringer når vedvarende postoperative smerter utforskes i ett 5 års perspektiv. Hensikt: Denne studiens overordnede hensikt var å bidra til økt kunnskap om vedvarende postoperative smerter hos pasienter 5-7 år etter primær TKP for artrose. Metode: Avhandlingen har et hybrid mixed-methods (MM) design hvor to parallelle grener (en kvantitativ og en kvalitativ) og en MM gren kombineres. Dataene stammer fra spørreskjemaer og kvalitative intervjuer. De inkluderte pasientene gjennomgikk primær TKP for artrose i en høy-volums kirurgisk klinikk i Oslo. MM-designet tillater å belyse ulike perspektiver for kompleksiteten ved vedvarende postoperative smerter. Funnene integreres og presenteres i en felles sammenfatning: et «joint display». Studie 1: kvantitativ gren (n=136). Et prospektivt longitudinelt observasjonsdesign ble anvendt for å undersøke assosiasjonene mellom preoperative faktorer, og smerte og smerterelatert funksjonsnedsettelse 5 år etter TKA. Socio Now Pop ble anvendt preoperativt for å samle demografiske data og data om komorbiditet. Pasientrapporterte utfallsmål inkludert i denne studien; The Brief Pain Inventory, og Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale. For å teste og identifisere sammenhengen mellom utvalgte preoperative faktorer og smerte eller smerterelatert funksjonsnedsettelse 5 år etter TKP, ble statistisk signifikante faktorer fra univariate regresjoner inkludert i en multippel logistisk regresjonsmodell. Studie 2: kvalitativ gren (n=23). Et eksplorativt-beskrivende kvalitativt design ble anvendt for å utforske tidligere erfaringer med smerte og psykisk stress hos pasienter med vedvarende postoperative smerter etter TKP. Individuelle semistrukturerte intervjuer ble gjennomført. Intervjuene ble analysert med kvalitativ innholdsanalyse. Studie 3: MM-gren (n=23 kvalitative/19 kvantitative). Et mixed-methods-design ble anvendt, for å utforske pasientenes erfaringer med å leve med vedvarende smerte 5-7 år etter primær TKP. Deltakerne fylte ut Brief Pain Inventory spørreskjemaet på tre tidspunkter; preoperativt, 12 måneder- og 5 år etter operasjonen. Individuelle semistrukturerte intervjuer ble gjennomført én gang. Deskriptive statistiske analyser og ikke-parametriske analyser ble gjennomført for å sammenligne inkluderte pasienter med de ikke-inkluderte. I tillegg ble det utført to multivariate «mixed-models» for gjentatte målinger, for å estimere innenfor- og mellom-pasient variasjoner i tillegg til å vurdere effekten av tid på smerte-utfallet. De kvalitative dataene ble analysert med kvalitativ innholdsanalyse. Funnene ble integrert og presentert i en «joint display». Resultater: Studie 1 viste at sterke preoperative smerter, flere smertefulle steder og engstelse var assosiert med moderate til sterke smerter 5 år etter operasjonen, Engstelse var i tillegg assosiert med smerterelatert funksjonsnedsettelse. Å være mann var assosiert med mindre smerterelatert funksjonsnedsettelse. Mer alvorlig artrose var forbundet med mindre smerter 5 år etter TKA-operasjon. Studie 2 identifiserte to hovedtemaer: 1) Smertefulle år – byrden av å leve med langvarig smerter og 2) Byrden av å leve med psykiske plager over tid. Deltakerne fortalte om alvorlige og langvarige knesmerter i tillegg til langvarige preoperative smerter andre steder i kroppen. De kvinnelige deltakerne hadde i tillegg smertefulle tilstander som mennene ikke hadde. Deltakerne fremhevet historier med engstelse, sorg og tap i nære relasjoner som viktige i sine erfaringer før kneoperasjonen. Mange opplevde en dobbel belastning av smerte og psykisk stress som preget livet i lang tid før kneoperasjonen. Studie 3 identifiserte tre hovedtemaer: 1) Vedvarende smerter ved daglige aktiviteter 2) En gjenvunnet følelse av velvære med forbedret livskvalitet og mindre smerte og 3) Kompleksitet i fysiske utfordringer. Noen deltakere erfarte fortsatt kortvarige smerter ved spesifikke bevegelser. Alle ga uttrykk for mindre smertepåvirkning i hverdagen på intervjutidspunktet. Andre smertefulle tilstander og plager opplevdes som hemmende i rehabiliteringsprosessen etter TKP. Ingen angret på TKP-operasjonen 5-7 år etter. Konklusjon: Denne studien gir et innblikk i opplevelser knyttet til vedvarende postoperative smerter 5-7 år etter kneprotesekirurgi. Funnene identifiserer faktorer som kan avdekke sårbare pasienter for vedvarende smerter før operasjonen. Helsepersonell som samhandler med pasienter før operasjonen, kan bruke funnene fra denne studien til å informere og veilede pasienter om strategier for håndtering av smerte, aktivitet og andre ikke-kne-relaterte smertefulle symptomer i tiden før operasjonen. Videre kan det virke som pasienter som opplever forsinket rehabilitering kan dra nytte av personlig tilpasset støtte og veiledning lengre tid etter operasjonen for håndtering av smerter og fysisk aktivitet og for å justere forventninger til bedring og rehabilitering.publishedVersio

Modeling of the indoor environment of buildings heated using wood stoves

This paper investigates the thermal plume caused by wood stoves, with the main goal of integrating wood stoves in highly insulated buildings, ensuring an acceptable thermal environment. The physical theory behind thermal plumes are reviewed as an introduction before an experiment where measurements of the physical properties of a plume are investigated, using an electric stove to simulate the effect of a wood stove. The results show that the air speed and temperature distribution of a cross-section in a plume can be described with Gaussian functions, as expected. The goal is to figure out when the plume s air speed and temperature distribution becomes self-similar, which means that a new zonal model in the program EQUA, can be used properly, unlike the previous version where there was an error in the coding. The results from the experiment gives insight about when self-similarity is achieved in plumes

Sustainability-Linked Bonds An Examination of Yield Differences Between Sustainability-Linked and Conventional Bonds

This thesis explores sustainability-linked bonds (SLBs), a financial instrument that directly link coupon payments to a predefined sustainability performance target, resulting in a potential penalty if the target is not met. This thesis explores the existence, magnitude and determinants of sustainability premium. Furthermore, we examine the determinants of the yield differential between by matching bonds from the same issuer. Finally, we investigate the effect of the callable feature on the yield differential between SLBs and their counterfactuals. We find a positive sustainability premium of 22.71 basis points, which challenges previous research. We find that callable SLBs on average have a higher yield differential than at-maturity bond pairs, implying a penalty for issuers of callable SLBs. The thesis provides a comprehensive overview of the rapid growing SLB marked, highlighting key features.publishedVersio

The value creating board : results from the "Follow-up surveys" 2005/2006 in Norwegian firms

This report is one of several research contributions which are the outcomes of “The Value Creating Board” research program conducted at The Norwegian School of Management BI from 2001 to 2007. The report is a descriptive presentation of data from three surveys, directed at CEOs, board chairpersons and board members in Norwegian firms, collected through questionnaires during the fall 2005 and winter/spring 2006. It considers boards across both small, medium sized and large firms

Digital creation of a cultural heritage

Bacheloroppgave i data/informasjonsteknologi, Institutt for datateknologi, elektroteknologi og realfag, Høgskulen på Vestlandet, campus BergenDAT19

Cold heparinized lactated ringers with procaine (HeLP) preservation fluid in 266 living donor kidney transplantations

Since the 1960s simple inexpensive cold lactated Ringers with additives has been used for short-term cold preservation of kidneys from living donors. We performed 266 living donor kidney transplantations from January 22, 2003 to October 30, 2006. Donor allografts were recovered laparoscopically and flushed with cold heparin, lactated Ringer's and procaine (HeLP) solution. Warm and cold ischemic times were typically <45 min and <90 min, respectively. The mean follow up was 21.6±12.2 months. There was no delayed graft function. Actuarial 1-year patient and graft survival were 98.6% and 98.1%, respectively. The creatinine at 1 year was 1.46±0.51 mg/dL. The cumulative incidences of acute cellular rejection at 6, 12, 18, and 24 months were 3.0%, 7.1%, 10.2%, and 11.7%. There were no identifiable side effects attributed to the HeLP solution. This study documents the effectiveness of cold HeLP as a flushing and short-term preservation fluid for living donor kidney transplantation with excellent results and significant cost benefit because of its low cost. © 2007 Lippincott Williams & Wilkins, Inc

Bruk av Maskinlæring for Deteksjon og Parameterestimering av Z’-partikkelen ved LHC - Analyse basert på ATLAS’ Simulerte Kollisjonsdata (HVL)

Bacheloroppgave i ingeniørfag, Data. Fakultet for teknologi, miljø- og samfunnsvitskap/ Institutt for datateknologi, elektroteknologi og realfag/ Høgskulen på Vestlandet.DAT19