Here are recent publications with contributions from K2 based on last week’s search on PubMed (and optionally articles that have not been included in previous lists). This time the list includes in total 18 recent publications. The entries appear in the order they were received from NCBI. If you have publications that are not included in this or previous lists, please send the references to Johnny Laupsa-Borge.
Somewhat unfamiliar? This novel was released in 1986, with a Norwegian translation in 1987. The author Kazuo Ishiguro was awarded the Nobel prize of literature for 2017. The plot is set in the author’s country of birth Japan, and this is the connection with this editorial: the University of Bergen’s strategic partnership with Japanese research organizations. Together with NTNU and Innovation Norway, UiB have joined forces to approach potential Japanese collaborators in relation to research and innovation. During spring 2017 former Dean Langeland headed a delegation visiting Tokyo and Kyoto, where themes discussed spanned from stem cell research to geriatric medicine.
Japan is well known for technology (and labor effort). Do you have ideas/thoughts related to your research that may profit by Japanese industrial cooperation? Our Vice Dean of Innovation, Helge Raeder, is eager to convey ideas/contact/collaboration. A new Japanese visit is planned for spring 2018. Perhaps you should be joining?
Speaking of innovation and future research: Horizon 2020 hosts a kick-off seminar the 31st of October. Please sign up! Both the Head of Bergen University as well as “our” Dean Bakke is eager to encourage researchers to apply for international research funds. The institute has research advisors for helping you during such application processes; make use of them!
Another action point from the University leadership is increased digitalization: how may this be used to save resources? Are there tasks in your everyday work life better handled by a computer than by manual labor? I am unsure if the hospital’s speech recognition program is a very good example, but the principle is illustrative: instead of secretaries writing the doctors’ notes, the dictates are transcribed by a computer. And thanks to machine learning (!), the writings turn out as (a little) more understandable for every note I make. But in the beginning, there were a lot of absolutely incomprehensible phrases written in the patient files; almost as if one should be “An artist of the floating world”.
Jone
Welcome to The Department Day on Wednesday 29 November in the University Aula. We would like to remind you that the Department Day is mandatory for all permanent employees at K2.
The University of Bergen has implemented “sikresiden” (På den sikre siden, On the safe side) from 2nd of October. The mobile friendly website proves training in security matters and information on how to act in situations of emergency and crisis. More information can be found here.
The Swedish Childhood Diabetes Foundation (Barndiabetesfonden) annually distributes Johnny Ludvigsson Prizes – one for prominent childhood diabetes research in the Nordic region, and the other for younger childhood diabetes researchers in Sweden.
The Johnny Ludvigsson Childhood Diabetes Fund Prize for Prominent Childhood Diabetes Research in the Nordic Region is awarded the Norwegian researcher Pål Njølstad, Professor at the University of Bergen and Haukeland University Hospital. K2 congratulates!
In the grounds of this award, the Childhood Diabetes Foundation’s prize committee mention Professor Njølstad’s breakthrough in clinical practice for children with a mutation in KCNJ11, and his major international influence on the development of personalized treatment of unusual forms of diabetes.
Read more here. (Link in Swedish.)
K2 organizes an open event showing the movie Moldovan Miracle, which was also part of the program during the Bergen International Film Festival.
Time: Thursday 26 October at. 15:00.
Venue: Auditorium 1 in the BB building.
The movie show is free.
Dear all,
The Postgradute School of Clinical Medicine is preparing a new Network Luncheon for all PhD fellows and researchers at K1 and K2 departments.
The upcoming Network Luncheon will take place Tuesday 24 October, in the Konferanserom of BBB (in front of auditoriums 2 and 4), from 11:30 to 13:00.
Take a break from your daily lab-routine and enjoy a free lunch, socialize and hear talks from fellow PhD students, and on top of all that, earn one ECTS point!
Feel free to contact me with any questions you may have!
Looking forward,
The Flow Cytometry core facility invites to a seminar about Imaging Mass Cytoemtry. Fluidigm and AH Diagnostics are coming to visit and will tell us about their new imaging module.
Imaging Mass Cytoemtry enables analysis of more than 40 parameters in tissue sections, freeze sections, formalin fix parafine embedded sections and cell smears, using metal labeled antibodies and routine immunohistochemical methods.
Time: Thursday 2 November, at. 13–14.
Venue: Auditorium B301, Sentralblokken, Haukeland University Hospital.
Deadline for registration: 26 October.
Read more here.
The Norwegian Cancer Society invites to the nomination of candidates for the H. M. King Olav Vs Cancer Research Award 2018.
H. M. King Olav Vs Cancer Research Award of NOK 1 000 000 is awarded annually to a cancer researcher or research group that has helped to promote the quality and scope of Norwegian cancer research. H.M. King Harald awards the prize in a celebratory selection in the Old Hall of Fame, University of Oslo.
The prize has a high prestige in the Norwegian cancer research community and goes to the very best in the whole range of Norwegian cancer research. The prize will go to research groups or researchers who are still active and contribute in cancer research today.
To honor the researchers’ efforts, the Cancer Society wishes to invite Norwegian institutions to promote proposals for candidates for the H. M. King Olav Vs Cancer Research Award 2018. As more and more groundbreaking research is carried out by research communities, special attention is given to nomination of research groups.
Nominations should be sent by email to Lars Klæboe.
Deadline for nomination: 15 November 2017.
Here, you find this week’s deadlines.
Here are recent publications with contributions from K2 based on last week’s search on PubMed (and optionally articles that have not been included in previous lists). This time the list includes in total 15 recent publications. The entries appear in the order they were received from NCBI. If you have publications that are not included in this or previous lists, please send the references to Johnny Laupsa-Borge.
To follow-up the literary references: the title is from a play by Ludvig Holberg. This was also the title winning the Holberg high-school competition some years ago, a project dealing with fraud.
At the last meeting in the committee of extended research management, research fraud was pointed at as one focus area. We should strive to be attentive to this ethical aspect when planning, conducting and presenting our research.
Forging results we all acknowledge as fraud, but there are several more subtle areas where our ethical consciousness might be stretched to benefit ourselves. What about the tendency of selective citation of references; those supporting our own hypothesis are preferred to those disagreeing. Selective publishing is another; it is somehow more convenient to publish positive (meaning: statistical significant) results than those without differences. And what if the interesting (and significant) results from the former study of the newest promising biomarker could not be validated in the following study? We do however have a moral responsibility to publicly present our conducted research, both for the sake of those providing research funding and participating patients contributing with biologic samples/clinical data, as well as to not introduce new treatment algorithms prematurely. “The Invisible” (meaning unpublished) studies may in effect be one form of fraud.
And do we follow the Vancouver treaty? Holding the title as research group leader or head of clinical department, is that equivalent to actually plan, conduct, analyse and write every paper from the group/department? Or should some of these stated as authors in reality be the Invisible?
I would like to remind you all of the OSCE exam 8th of November; those not already having stated who will contribute: please do so to Ketil Grong (he is in need of more qualified helpers).
The Day of the Institute (K2) will be hosted the 29th of November. We do hope our new Head of Institute will be formally appointed at that time, and will actively contribute by presenting the upcoming visions for our Department of Clinical Science.
Jone
All staff at UiB shall have completed fire protection training, both theory and practice, which is enacted in the Fire Act and the HSE Regulations.
A course runs over two hours – divided into one hour theory and one hour practical fire extinguishing.
There is a total enrolment from the department, and interested should contact Marius Alvheim in the expedition.
Read more about the fire protection training here. (Link in Norwegian.)
Best regards,
Julie
The deadline for registering final holidays was 1 October. However, there are still many who have not done this.
Anyone with remaining holidays must register in requested holidays as soon as possible and no later than 20 October!
If you do not register application for holidays, the employer can decide when the holidays should be taken, pursuant to section 6 of the Holidays Act.
If you have any questions regarding holidays and registration, please see the pagablog.
Or contact HR consultant Kristine Kleppan Blikra.
The government’s goal is that by 2024 all Norwegian scientific articles financed by public funds shall be openly available:
In light of this, and in connection with the International Open Access Week, the University Library invites to a seminar on open access to research.
Time: Thursday 26 October at. 10-12.
Location: Dragefjellet School, Faculty of Law, Auditorium 4.
The event is free and open to all, and will be streamed.
Horizon2020 is about to embark on the last three years of it’s existence with a bigger budget than ever. On that occasion, the Division of Research Management at UiB and the Research Council of Norway arrange a kick-off meeting where you will have the possibility to:
Time: 31 October at. 13:45–15:15.
Venue: Scandic Ørnen Hotel, Bergen.
CCBIO have received funding from NFR and SIU for an INTPART program, where students’ education and exchange is promoted through collaboration between CCBIO and the Boston based Harvard Medical School and Harvard Kennedy School. Elisabeth Wik is coordinating the program. Several CCBIO-INTPART seminars and courses will take place the coming years, and CCBIO is happy to be inviting you to the first seminar in this series on 13–14 December – a two-day seminar in scientific writing – with valuable input in the program for both students, postdocs and professors.
The seminar is open (requires registration), free of charge, and includes lunch both days.
Time: 13–14 December.
Venue: Birkhaugsalen, Sentralblokken, 3rd floor, Haukeland University Hospital.
Deadline for registration: 30 November.
Here is a reminder of the Vita hjertego’ grant 1 kr til Hjertesaken, which for 2018 announces up to NOK 600,000 distributed on one or more research projects and other activities related to preventive cardiac health.
Information. (Link in Norwegian.)
Deadline for application: 30 October.
Here, you can see who has previously received grants.
Questions can be directed to vitahjertego@mills.no.
Here, you find this week’s deadlines.
Here are recent publications with contributions from K2 based on last week’s search on PubMed (and optionally articles that have not been included in previous lists). This time the list includes in total 19 recent publications. The entries appear in the order they were received from NCBI. If you have publications that are not included in this or previous lists, please send the references to Johnny Laupsa-Borge.
In the new curriculum for the medical students at our faculty, Medicine 2015, it has been decided that what is referred to as OSCE examinations (O = objective; S = structured; C = clinical; E = examination) should be introduced and included. One of the main arguments for this is to secure a fairer evaluation and grading compared to the current clinical examinations. There are arguments both pro and con. However, we all must relate to this decision and make sure that these examinations are performed in a proper manner. The first ordinary OSCE examination will be on June 20th, 2018 for 160 medical students. The OSCE exam is a station-based exam (“circle exercise”), and all students are examined at all stations.
As announced since April/May, the fourth and last pilot-OSCE examination will be on Wednesday November 8th (in about one month). The pilot medical students to be examined this time are from Class 14-B. They have been medical students for about 3½ years by now. Altogether, 39 examiners are needed to run three parallel circles with 13 different active stations. Examiners from Departments of Biomedicine, Clinical Medcine, Clinical Science and Global Public Health and Primary Care will be more or less involved as examiners. There will be electronic and online assessment with laptop at each station.
This is an example of the checklist for the examination in one of the stations used in the pilot examination in May this year:
This example is related to the teaching in neurophysiology at the Departments of Biomedicine. The “objectivity” is secured by evaluating all candidates and issuing points on each single question/element in the checklist. A global score (totalvurdering) is the examiner’s overall and general judgement and impression of the candidate’s performance, independent of points actually obtained.
By a Single borderline score regression analysis, the global evaluation (Not passed, Borderline, Sufficient, Good, Excellent) is plotted on the x-axis vs. the points scored for every student (in this example 68) on the y-axis. If a score of > 40% of the points is preset as the limit for passing this station, 6 students have failed. In this example, the regression analysis will adjust the limit to ~ 60%, and 12 students will fail. The borderline regression analysis corrects for an easy station where many students obtain high scores and a more difficult task/station where many students obtain a low score.
This pilot OSCE examination will commence at. 08:00 a.m. on November 8th, and is finished by lunchtime.
Ketil Grong
It is easy to think that the Norwegian Public Service Pension Fund is “only” involved in what you will live off when you become a pensioner. In reality, it is involved in much more. The Fund is involved in what you will live off if you are injured or become ill, and it is about providing security for your family.
UiB arrange an information meeting about this and related issues for international researchers and other foreign employees.
Time: 2 October at. 16:30–19:30.
Location: Student Centre or Christies gate 12 (depending on the number of participants).
More information and link to a registration form can be found here.
To all employees at UiB.
IT security is a challenge both at work and private. Attempts to obtain unauthorized access to, manipulation and damage to our data and systems are becoming more advanced and increasing in scope. Security and trust in our systems and our data is important in everyday life, and it is in everyone’s interest that we together contribute to protecting our values. We are all responsible for protecting and preserving our student and research data, as well as administrative data. One of the best measures UiB can implement is better knowledge and competence.
In connection with the National Security Month, which is organized in October each year, we will offer all employees a course in information security. The course consists of a series of 2–3 minute modules that you will receive by email from 3 October. The sender is National Security Month 2017 (course@nanolearning.com).
I hope you want to participate in the course, thus helping us to increase our shared expertise in this important area. We wish to register those who complete this course in Information Security in My Folder in the HR Portal to document that you have completed the course.
If you wish to attend this course, you can register here.
The registration deadline is Friday 29 September at. 12:00.
We also remind you of the Digital Day for employees on 4 October, where IT security will have its own stand.
Best regards,
Tore Burheim
The Faculty of Medicine offers grants for research stays abroad for scientific staff. The purpose of the grant is to cover initial and additional expenditures in connection with research-related stays abroad. It is also possible to apply for travel expenses to be covered.
Three types of UiB employees are eligible for the grants:
1) Scientific staff in permanent positions. The position must be funded by the University, and an application for research sabbatical including a stay abroad must have been submitted by the deadline for sabbaticals (1 May). Deadline: 1 October.
2) Postdoctoral fellows with UiB funding. Deadlines 1 March and 1 October.
3) PhD candidates with UiB funding/UiB research fellow (PhD) positions: PhD candidates funded by the Faculty of Medicine, University of Bergen, can apply for research grant limited to NOK 25.000. Application deadline are 1 March and 1 October.
More information is available here.
This is a request to participate in a research project to investigate particular sensory experiences. Both individuals with and without such experiences are invited to participate by answering a questionnaire about this. It will take about 15–30 minutes, with the possibility of breaks along the way. A week later, participants will be invited to answer only part of the questions again. All information will be anonymous.
The project is supported by the University of Bergen (Department of Biological and Medical Psychology, Faculty of Psychology) and the Bergen Research Foundation. The project is approved by the Regional Committee for Medical and Health Research Ethics [REK (2017/69)].
More information about the study can be found here. (Link in Norwegian.)
With best regards,
Frank Larøi
Professor, Department of Biological and Medical Psychology
Faculty of Psychology, University of Bergen
As students in the master’s programs in clinical and human nutrition shall write a master’s thesis, the Program Committee in Nutrition (Programutvalget for ernæring) requests proposals for new master projects in nutrition during the year 2018–19.
In the spring of 2018, students in the bachelor program in human nutrition shall also write a bachelor’s thesis. Here, the Program Committee in Nutrition also requests input to nutrition-related topics for bachelor assignments.
More information about master’s and bachelor’s thesis can be found here.
Templates for thesis descriptions:
Deadline: 20 October.
In cooperation with The Association of Doctoral Organizations in Norway (SiN) and their local affiliations, UiB wish to establish a local interest organization for all PhD students and postdocs (including young researchers with temporary positions) at the university.
The main aims with this organization will be to:
As a PhD candidate or postdoctoral fellow at UiB,
If so, a local interest organization for all PhD students and postdocs at UiB may help you.
You can show your interest for the existence of such an organization by becoming a member of the Facebook group PhD students and Post-Docs at UiB. If you do not have a Facebook account, or you do not wish to join this group, but you are still interested in learning more, please contact Ronja Hesthammer, and she will forward you information by email.
You may also join the information meeting on 9 October, where representatives from SiN and the other local organizations will share information about how they work at other universities, and what we can do here at UiB.
Time: 9 October at. 17.
Venue: Auditorium 128, Bjørn Christiansens hus, Christies gate 12.
Best regards,
Ronja Hesthammer
SiN contact at UiB