The effects of photoperiod: Investigating the role of tshβb in early maturation in male Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar) at three different body sizes during photoperiod treatments during freshwater stages of development

Masteroppgave i biologiBIO399MAMN-HAVSJMAMN-BI

Design and analysis of a video scaler suited for FPGA implementation

A video scaler, is a module that receives a picture, enlarge or shrink it, and sends it back.The video scaler in this thesis was made to be part of an AXI-Stream Video System thatis suited to be implemented on a FPGA.The system is divided into three parts: the video scaler module, the video module andthe communication module, where the final goal was to use the communication mod-ule to send data from memory, to the video scaler, scale the video up or down, send iteither back to memory or to the video module where it could be displayed on a screenby HDMI/VGA.In the video scaler, an algorithm was used to scale up the images by a factor of 4. Thescaler needs to know the pixel-width and pixel-height of the image prior to the scalingto prevent the scaled image from being distorted or askewed. Width and height caneasily be configured to fit new images.For the downscaling, a form of merging was used to scale down by a factor of 4. It wastested on the same images as the upscaler, and both of the scalers use the same inter-faces since they have to fit into the AXI-Stream Video System.The downscaler was simulated and implemented into a system where it communicatedwith memory, which was running on the FPGA, while the upscaler was only simulated

Laser-atom Interactions in the Dirac Equation for Hydrogen

The advancements of laser technology make it possible to produce high-energy lasers. It is of interest in many technologies, especially optics, to study how these high-energy lasers interact with atomic or molecular systems. The interaction needs to be modelled in a relativistic manner, due to the high-energy pulse. To get a basic understanding of the dynamics of the interaction, the field of atomic physics often look at the simplest case, hydrogenlike atoms. This thesis models hydrogenlike atoms exposed to high-energy pulses in the Dirac equation and proposes numerical solutions. The high-energy pulse is modelled as a classical wave and is included in the Dirac equation by using the method of minimal coupling. The numerical solutions are within the dipole approximations, as the spatial dependence of the pulse is neglected and thus does not have a magnetic field. The dipole approximation reduces the validity of results with truly high-energy pulses, so it is suggested to go beyond the dipole approximation to work with such pulses. The equation is first solved time-independently and then propagated in time by using the lowest order of the Magnus expansion and Krylov subspace methods. Differential probability distributions for the positive pseudo continuum and probabilities for photoionization in the Dirac equation is compared with its non-relativistic analogue, the Schrödinger equation.Masteroppgave i nanovitenskapMAMN-NANONANO39

Effects of enterprise characteristics on early retirement

Formålet med denne rapporten er å analysere tidligpensjonering blant eldre arbeidstakere når valg av pensjoneringstidspunkt blir betraktet både som et resultat av rasjonelle vurderinger knyttet til det gjeldende pensjons-system og som en følge av forhold knyttet til arbeidsstedet. Problemstillingen er interessant av flere grunner. Yrkesdeltakelsen blant eldre arbeidstakere synker, gjennomsnittlig pensjonsalder blir stadig lavere, og antallet alderspensjonister forventes å øke betydelig de nærmeste tyve årene. Isolert sett vil dette skape et sterkt press på offentlige budsjetter og vil kunne føre til en høyere forsørgerbyrde blant fremtidens yrkesaktive. Uførepensjon er den klart mest brukte tidligpensjonsordningen i Norge. I tillegg har enkelte yrkesgrupper lovfestet rett til å gå av med tjenestepensjon før ordinær pensjonsalder som er 67 år. Det eksisterer ingen universell førtidspensjonsordning, men en ordning om avtalefestet førtids-pensjon, AFP, ble introdusert i 1989. Over en tiårsperiode er ordningen blitt modifisert med hensyn til hvem som omfattes av ordningen, og alderskriteriet er redusert fra 66 til 62 år. Disse endringene har skjedd selv om arbeidsmarkedet har vært preget av oppgangskonjunktur siden 1993, og til tross for at den demografiske utviklingen vi står overfor gjør det nødvendig å stimulere eldre arbeidstakere til å forbli yrkesaktive så lenge som mulig. Den personalpolitikk som føres overfor eldre arbeidstakere vil være avgjørende for denne gruppens ønske om og muligheter til å stå i arbeid i årene som kommer. Vi ønsker derfor å studere hvordan eldre arbeidstakere tilpasser seg de ulike tidligpensjonsordningene og hvilke kjennetegn ved arbeidsplassen som er av betydning for om man velger å førtidspensjonere seg eller ikke, når det blir tatt hensyn til at ikke alle har rett til AFP

Developing an In-Vitro dynamic model of the stomach and small intestine for milk products : first prototype

The aim of this study has been to design and develop the first prototype, of a dynamic in-vitro model of the digestive system through the stomach and the small intestine. This has been part of a project initiated by a group of researchers from NMBU, which will use this model to replicate the physical and mechanical processes of digesting milk through the human gastrointestinal tract. Several conditions was set for the design of the in-vitro model, in order to make it able to keep the physical and chemical environment as similar to the in-vivo system as possible. In addition to these conditions, the initial limitation of the limited volume, set the framework for the development process. In the approach to design this model, the fluid flow through vital parts of the system, like through the small intestine, was analysed. To achieve this, the CFD analysis tool “Flow Simulations” by the 3D CAD software SolidWorks, was actively used throughout the design and prototyping processes. The finished apparatus, consists of several components, each with its own purpose. First, the rheometer (Physica UDS200, Germany) function as the “heart” of the operation. It continuously monitors the rheological characteristics of the digestive fluid, in addition to serving as the main container where the different circuits is attached, and to keep one of the physical conditions (the temperature) constant. The different fluid circuits in the system is first the stomach circuit, which consists of milk, saliva and gastric juices in its volume of approximately 15 ml. The second circuit, which is the one circulating the small intestine, consist of the stomach volume added to duodenal juices, which doubles the volume. The third circuit is the buffer volume, where the components from the digested milk should diffuse to, through the membrane. A peristaltic pump (Reclo ICC) controls the circulation of fluid through the entire system, in addition to contributing to the content’s mixing. The chemical condition (the pH-value) is monitored and controlled through a titrator (Compact Titrator G20) apparatus, which is attached to the system. The small intestine device has been one of the primary focuses in this thesis. This device should function as a dialyzer, where different components in the milk is subtracted from the digestive fluid flowing inside the membrane. For this first prototype, an artificial membrane with an ordinary inner diameter was chosen. However, a goal for the further development is to be able to use an intestine from for example a fish to get a more realistic simulation. The finished small intestine device (excluded the membrane) was made successfully by glassblowers from UiO. However, the function of the device mentioned above, has not been successfully developed. Several test were done to test the system’s capability to create diffusion through the membrane, which were unsuccessful. This is a crucial function of the dynamic model, which should be prioritized in further development of this system. The overall dynamic model’s first prototype has been design and developed, keeping the initial conditions intact. A mathematical model to estimate the simplified fluid environment locally at different running conditions, is also presented in this thesis.M-B

Uncertainty and Cancellations in Advance Surgery Scheduling: An Exact Pattern-Based Solution Approach for Large-Scale Problems applied in a Rolling Horizon Simulation

St. Olavs hospital, Midt-Norges største helseinstitusjon, forventer en økning i etterspørsel på 35 % for kirurgiske inngrep grunnet demografiske endringer. Mangelen på helsepersonell og ressurser gjør effektiv operasjonsplanlegging kritisk. Denne studien setter søkelys på å forbedre kirurgisk planlegging ved sykehusets ortopediavdeling ved å forbedre den eksisterende matematiske modellen foreslått av Schiøtz og Tysse (2022) for operasjonsplanlegginsproblemet ved å inkludere faktorer som usikker operasjonsvarighet og restitusjonstid. Vi utvikler matematiske modeller som tar sikte på å overholde avdelingens planleggingsregler, prioritere reduksjon av pasientens ventetid og avbrudd i tidsplanen, og ta hensyn til ressurser som operasjonsrom, sengeposter og den overordnede operasjonsplanen ved sykehuset. Denne studien vil også undersøke effektene av å inkludere en kanselleringsregel i sykehusets planleggingssystem og vurdere hvordan regelen kan påvirke planleggingskvaliteten samtidig som risikoen forbundet med overtid og kanselleringer reduseres. For kvantitativ sammenligning er de foreslåtte planleggingsmodellene integrert i et simuleringsrammeverk med en rullende horisont. Blant betydelige bidrag fra studien er inkluderingen av kanselleringsregler og re-planlegging av pasienter i modellene, og håndtering av store og virkelighetsnære problemstørrelser. Vi har utviklet en mønsterbasert blandet heltallsmodell som klarer å løse problemer av reell størrelse til optimalitet, i motsetning til tradisjonelle to-stegs stokastiske modeller. Modellen tar hensyn til usikkerhet, og klarer i mange tilfeller å lage bedre operasjonsplaner enn en to-stegs modell i våre tester. Forskningsresultatene våre understreker viktigheten av beregningseffektivitet og avslører et grunnleggende dilemma mellom stabilitet i operasjonsplanen og effektivitet. Et interessant funn er at deterministiske modeller undervurderer overtid, noe som understreker viktigheten av å inkludere usikkerhet, spesielt når vi inkluderer kanselleringsregler. Skalerbarheten til den mønsterbaserte heltallsmodellen, og avanserte filtreringsmetoder for mønstre ved bruk av maskinlæringsteknikker potensielle fremtidige forskningsområder.St. Olavs hospital, central Norway's largest healthcare institution, anticipates a demand increase of 35 % for surgical procedures due to demographic shifts. The shortage of healthcare professionals and resources makes efficient surgery scheduling mission critical. This study focuses on enhancing surgical scheduling at the hospital's Department of Orthopedics by improving the existing mathematical model proposed by Schiøtz and Tysse (2022) for the Advance Scheduling Problem (ASP), incorporating factors like uncertain surgery duration and recovery time. The enhanced models aim to abide by the department's scheduling rules, prioritize the reduction of patient waiting time and schedule disruption, and account for resources like operating rooms, recovery wards, and the Master Surgery Schedule. This study will also explore the impact of integrating a cancellation rule into the hospital's scheduling system and assess how it might influence the scheduling quality while mitigating the risks associated with overtime and cancellations. The proposed scheduling models are integrated into a simulation framework using a rolling horizon approach for quantitative comparison. Among the significant contributions of this research are incorporating cancellation rules and rescheduling of surgical cases into the models and handling large problem sizes akin to real-life scenarios at elective clinics. We propose a pattern-based Mixed-Integer Program that can solve real-life size problems to optimality, something traditional two-stage stochastic models can not. Our model considers uncertainty and manages to produce a better surgery schedule than two-stage models in multiple of our tests. Our research results underscore the importance of computational efficiency and reveal a fundamental dilemma between schedule stability and efficiency. Interestingly, deterministic models were found to underestimate overtime, underscoring the importance of including uncertainty, especially when cancellation rules apply. Future research areas include the scalability of the pattern-based Mixed-Integer Program and advanced pattern filtering methods using machine learning techniques

A standardized process assessing off-grid PV-system investments in developing countries - Multi-horizon stochastic programming for valuing projects with high uncertainty

This thesis is written in cooperation with SunTap, as a step towards their goal of becoming an important actor in the market for electrification of Uganda using solar technology. More than 80\% of the population in Uganda live in rural areas, and the vast majority without access to electricity. The country's geographical location makes it preferable for utilization of energy from the sun, and off-grid PV-systems are therefore regarded as attractive investments. A general processes for assessing the value of investments in off-grid PV-systems in developing countries does however not exist. Therefore, we have developed a standardized process for assessing these types of projects from a private investor s perspective. Further, we utilize the process developed to assess the investment opportunity that a mini-grid placed in a small village in Uganda can be for SunTap. Uncertainty can be of great importance for the value of a project. To incorporate this in the project evaluation, our standardized process initially assesses fundamental questions essential for project success, before a risk analysis is proposed as a way to appropriately identify, assess and respond to risks. Utilizing the information obtained in these assessments in a stochastic program, based on a multi-horizon stochastic structure combined with a discounted cash flow analysis, the expected net present value of the project can be calculated. Further, both required return on equity and Conditional Value-at-Risk are separately implemented in the stochastic program as two ways for the investor to apply subjective risk measures on the investment. Through the case study it becomes evident that the standardized process is a useful tool for private investors when assessing investments in off-grid PV-system projects located in developing countries. The results from the case study show that the investment opportunity assessed has a positive expected net present value. However, this value is highly influenced by the amount of grants awarded for the project and the subjective assessment of project risk made by the investor. Requirements concerning high shares of demand covered by solar powered electricity also result in a negative expected net present project value. For the case studied, the strategic uncertainty incorporated in the stochastic program provides a low value of stochastic solution. By incorporating additional long-term uncertainties, this effect can however be avoided

Wild state secrets: ultra-sensitive measurement of micro-movement can reveal internal processes in animals

Assessment of animal internal "state" - which includes hormonal, disease, nutritional, and emotional states - is normally considered the province of laboratory work, since its determination in animals in the wild is considered more difficult. However, we show that accelerometers attached externally to animals as diverse as elephants, cockroaches, and humans display consistent signal differences in micro-movement that are indicative of internal state. Originally used to elucidate the behavior of wild animals, accelerometers also have great potential for highlighting animal actions, which are considered as responses stemming from the interplay between internal state and external environment. Advances in accelerometry may help wildlife managers understand how internal state is linked to behavior and movement, and thus clarify issues ranging from how animals cope with the presence of newly constructed roads to how diseased animals might change movement patterns and therefore modulate disease spread