SVT-publikasjoner 2007

Hadders, Hans. Relatives' presence in connection with cardiopulmonary resuscitation and sudden death at the intensive care unit. Nursing Inquiry 2007;14(3):224-232

Within Norwegian intensive care units it is common to focus on the needs of the next of kin of patients undergoing end-of-life care. Offering emotional and practical support to relatives is regarded as assisting them in the initial stages of their grief process. It has also become usual to encourage relatives to be present at the time of death of close relatives. How can dignified end-of-life care coexist with the sometimes turbulent and dramatic character of intensive care in the highly technological environment of intensive care units? This paper describes a case study based on an incident that took place at the intensive care unit (ICU) of Trondheim University Hospital, Norway, in which the relatives of a newly deceased patient voiced unusually strong dissatisfaction with the way they were excluded in connection with cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR). The next of kin's criticism highlights an important paradox as well as a degree of inconsistency in lifesaving and end-of-life care at the ICU. I argue that an investigation of the multiple identities within medical practice can illuminate the potential for clashes between lifesaving and end-of-life care, as described and analysed in this paper.

Knizek, Birthe Loa; Hjelmeland, Heidi Marie. A Theoretical Model for Interpreting Suicidal Behaviour as Communication. Theory & Psychology 2007;17(5):697-720

Theoretical publications have been relatively few and far between in suicidology. This paper is a contribution to the theoretical development of this field. A model of suicidal behaviour as communication (MoSBaC) is elaborated through a combination of Scandinavian theories within the framework of communication theory and semiotics. The model is functional as it can be used as a tool to analyse both verbal and non-verbal data. It is also flexible in the sense that a variety of qualitative data can be analysed systematically by this model. The typology of the model also is suitable for quantitative approaches. The scientific and multidisciplinary grounds on which a model should be built, what requirements it has to meet, as well as the methodological consequences of this, are also discussed.

Norberg, Perly Folstad; Tøsse, Sigvart. Integration policy concerning language training for immigrants in Norway 1970-2006. Norsk tidsskrift for migrasjonsforskning 2007(1):99-105

Forfatterne gir i denne kommentartikkelen en oversikt over språkopplæring rettet mot vokne innvandrere som ledd i norsk integreringspolitikk fra 1970 til 2006. Kommentaren bygger på studier av offentlige dokumenter og innvandringsforskning. Over tid har språkopplæringstilbudet blitt utvidet, og deltakelse på kursene har gått fra å være frivillig til å bli obligatorisk. Imidlertid er resultatene av obligatorisk språkopplæring svake. Forfatterne konkluderer med at språkopplæring overfor innvandrere trenger en ny kunnskapsplattform og bedre kommunikasjon mellom innvadrere, myndighetene og språkpedagogikkfeltet.

Rattsø, Jørn; Stokke, Hildegunn Ekroll. A growth model for South Africa. South African Journal of Economics 2007;75(4):616-630

We examine the South African growth experience during 1960-2005 using an intertemporal growth model. The model combines old growth theory investment dynamics and new growth theory endogenous productivity growth. The consumption and investment decisions are intertemporal and assume open capital markets. Structural change is captured by separating the traded and nontraded sectors, and sectoral productivity growth is determined in a barriers-to-growth framework. Calibration of the model shows how the growth experience combines neoclassical convergence, technology spillovers with barriers and productivity-investment interaction. Counterfactual analysis shows the growth costs of sanctions and protectionism. The suggested model is an alternative to existing growth modelling in South Africa, in which investments are short-sighted and productivity growth is imposed exogenously.

Chioqueta, Andrea Pinto; Stiles, Tore C. The relationship between psychological buffers, hopelessness, and suicidal ideation - Identification of protective factors. Crisis 2007;28(2):67-73

In this study we examined the role of psychological buffers (life satisfaction, self-esteem, perception of family cohesion, and perception of social support) in the development of hopelessness and suicidal ideation. The participants were 314 university students, 71 males and 243 females, who were asked to complete a battery of instruments measuring the psychological buffers mentioned above. The results of a set of hierarchical multiple regression analyses suggested that life satisfaction and self-esteem are independent predictors of lower levels of hopelessness, while perception of social support seems to be the major predictor of lower levels of suicidal ideation independent of depression and hopelessness severity. Thus, hopelessness seems to be minimized by the level of life satisfaction and level of self-esteem exhibited by the individuals, while the key factor to the mitigation of suicidal ideas seems to be perception of social support.

Haugen, Gry Mette Dalseng. Caring children: exploring care in post-divorce families. Sociological Review 2007;55(4):653-670

This article draws on information from in-depth interviews in addition to a survey from a Norwegian "Families after divorce" study, in which the perspective of children and younger people are emphasized. We describe the complex relations between care-giving and care-receiving among children and adults in post-divorce families and challenge and nuance the traditional western picture that emphasizes children as the receivers of care and adults as care-givers. Inspired by the notion of "caringscapes", the article seeks to incorporate the spatial and the temporal into the analysis of care and caring, and three "caring routes" are identified: i) the "money squeeze route", ii) the "emotional considerations route" and iii) the "time squeeze" route. The three routes are verified by the interview data as having both direct and indirect effects on the phenomenon of caring. We argue that children's care-giving should be further investigated both empirically and theoretically and that a caringscapes approach might provide insight and departure for further research.

Sætnan, Ann Rudinow. Nothing to Hide, Nothing to Fear?: Assessing Technologies for Diagnosis of Security Risks. International Criminal Justice Review 2007;17(3):193-206

Demand for surveillance technologies often assumes that these technologies would accurately identify those guilty of crimes and only those guilty of crimes. But how accurate are surveillance technologies as "diagnostic" tools? Surveillance technologies have not been tested for accuracy in the manner we expect for medical diagnostic technologies. Tests of medical technologies are designed to address sensitivity (How many of those affected by a disease does the test identify?) and specificity (How many unaffected by the disease does the test show as healthy?). Even for tests with more than 90% sensitivity and specificity, the majority of test positive results are false. Using value estimates for facial recognition and DNA identification, this article estimates the answers to these questions for crime surveillance technologies. The vast majority of test positive results would be false. In other words, even those of us with "nothing to hide" may have much to fear from crime surveillance technologies.

Michelsen, Ottar. Investigation of relationships in a supply chain in order to improve environmental performance. Clean Technologies and Environmental Policy 2007;9:115-123

This paper presents a methodology to combine environmental assessment information and knowledge on supplier relationships. The work is based on a case study of production of a chair. The methods used are shown to be effective to reduce the number of suppliers that should be managed from an environmental point of view and also obtain an overview over which suppliers that can be influenced. It is also shown how suppliers with the presumably highest potential for improvements are identified. The end-producer can thus obtain control over most of the environmental impact originating from upstream activities through a limited number of suppliers. In the case study the number of suppliers that should be managed is reduced to 3. Small and medium sized enterprises have often limited possibilities to influence the suppliers, but in this paper it is demonstrated how this problem can be overcome by cooperative purchasing within a branch of industry with a common demand for information from the suppliers.

Holtermann, Andreas; Roeleveld, Karin; Vereijken, Beatrix; Ettema, Gerardus Johannes C. The effect of rate of force development on maximal force production: acute and training-related aspects. European Journal of Applied Physiology 2007;99:605-613

The force generated during a maximal voluntary contraction (MVC) is known to increase by resistance training. Although this increase cannot be solely attributed to changes in the muscle itself, many studies examining muscle activation at peak force failed to detect neural adaptations with resistance training. However, the activation prior to peak force can have an impact on maximal force generation. This study aims at investigating the role of rate of force development (RFD) on maximal force during resistance training. Fourteen subjects carried out 5 days of isometric resistance training with dorsiflexion of the ankle with the instruction to generate maximal force. In a second experiment, 18 subjects performed the same task with the verbal instruction to generate maximal force (instruction I) and to generate force as fast and forcefully as possible (instruction II). The main findings were that RFD increased twice as much as the 16% increase in maximal force with training, with a positive association between RFD and force within the last session of training and between training sessions. Instruction II generated a higher RFD than instruction I, with no difference in maximal force. These findings suggest that the positive association between RFD and maximal force is not causal, but is mediated by a third factor. In the discussion, we argue for the third factor to be physiological changes affecting both aspects of a MVC or different processes affecting RFD and maximal force separately, rather than a voluntary strategic change of both aspects of MVC.

Karlsdottir, Ragnheidur. Læring, kommunikasjon og ledelse i organisasjoner. Tapir Akademisk Forlag 2007. ISBN 978-82519-2201-2. 214 s.

En stadig tøffere konkurranse innebærer store krav til bedriftenes evne til omstilling og fleksibilitet. Samarbeid, kunnskap, kompetanse, sterke relasjoner og gode nettverk er avgjørende for at bedrifter skal lykkes. I anledning av at den organisasjons­pedagogiske virksomheten ved Pedagogisk institutt, NTNU, har rundet sitt første tiår, presenteres her sentrale organisasjonspedagogiske problemstillinger som fagmiljøet har arbeidet med.