Home About us Contact
|
Home About us Contact | ||
|
|
||
Norway
Kinds of Norway Terms modified by Norway Selected AbstractsGOVERNMENTAL ACCOUNTING IN NORWAY: A DISCUSSION WITH IMPLICATIONS FOR INTERNATIONAL DEVELOPMENTFINANCIAL ACCOUNTABILITY & MANAGEMENT, Issue 2 2008Norvald Monsen Accrual accounting is now being introduced in governmental organizations internationally. Some scholars have, however, questioned this development, implying that other accounting theories, like cameral accounting, should also be considered for use in these organizations. Since Norway is a country, which has not introduced accrual accounting in the governmental sector, the purpose of this paper is to study the evolution of governmental accounting in this country. Based on the Norwegian experiences, the paper aims to present some conclusions for the further international development of governmental accounting. [source] HISTORICAL DEVELOPMENT OF LOCAL GOVERNMENTAL ACCOUNTING IN NORWAYFINANCIAL ACCOUNTABILITY & MANAGEMENT, Issue 4 2006Norvald Monsen First page of article [source] THE CHANGING STRUCTURE OF THE CENTRAL PLACE SYSTEM IN TRØNDELAG, NORWAY, OVER THE PAST 40 YEARS , VIEWED IN THE LIGHT OF OLD AND RECENT THEORIES AND TRENDSGEOGRAFISKA ANNALER SERIES B: HUMAN GEOGRAPHY, Issue 2007Britt Dale ABSTRACT. The IGU Symposium on Urban Geography in Lund in 1960 was a path-breaking event towards new nomothetic thinking within the discipline. In nearly half of the papers, the state of the art in central place research was presented and debated. The symposium was the main source of inspiration for a study of the central place system in Midt-Norge in the 1960s, a research project that has been followed up in stages over a 40-year period. The result is a unique collection of data, covering all central places in the region and the location of approximately 200 service functions of different categories in the 1960s, 1980s and c. 2000. Despite the profound changes that have taken place on the part of the consumer, as well as the supplier, the main structure of the central place hierarchy has been surprisingly stable. However, when looking at the growth and decline of each of the different service functions, considerable dynamics have been found. There are tendencies of centralization/concentration as well as decentralization/dispersion. Furthermore, the functional division of labour by vertical steps and tiers in the 1960s has been supplemented by horizontal specialization between places, and also in the lower levels of the central place hierarchy. In this paper, we present and discuss some of the main changes that have taken place in the system in the light of older and newer theories and trends. [source] THE EARLY VIKING AGE IN NORWAYACTA ARCHAEOLOGICA, Issue 1 2000Bjørn Myhre First page of article [source] Etiological factors related to dental injuries in Norwegians aged 7,18 yearsDENTAL TRAUMATOLOGY, Issue 6 2003Anne B. Skaare Abstract ,,,Prevention of diseases and injuries is a field of priority for the health authorities in Norway. In 1990, an interdepartmental project was established in order to reduce the number of accidents, including dental injuries. The purpose of the present study was to examine the causes of dental injuries, the place of event and the possibilities for prevention. During a 1-year period, all new trauma episodes affecting children aged 7,18 years were registered by calibrated dentists in the public dental health service in the county of Nord-Trøndelag and in the capital city of Oslo. A distinction was made between school and leisure time accidents. The severity of injuries was classified as mild, moderate or severe, and the dentists were asked to judge whether the severe injuries were preventable. Nearly half of the 1275 injured individuals (48%) were injured at school. Almost half of the leisure time injuries occurred during children's play. Sports and traffic accidents were less common. Sports accidents represented only 8% of the total number of injuries, the same as the number of individuals injured by violence. Statistically significant associations were observed between the cause of injury and county (P < 0.001) and the cause of injury and age group (P < 0.001). In total, 4% of all injuries were classified as severe, of which only one-third were assumed to be preventable. In summary, because of the complexity of etiological factors, it is neither easy to prevent dental injuries nor to make guidelines on prevention. [source] Hospital-treated psychosis and suicide in a rural community (1877,2005).ACTA PSYCHIATRICA SCANDINAVICA, Issue 2007Part 1: Incidence rates Objective:, To calculate the incidence rates of hospital-treated psychosis and suicide in historical cohorts of a small rural community in southeast Norway, and to compare the local findings with the national ones. Method:, We have carried out a longitudinal epidemiological study, reviewing the patient records at the mental hospitals of people born in the rural community after 1845. Based on these records, we have constructed a local register of psychosis and suicide in this population. The local incidence rates of psychosis and suicide have been compared with the national ones. Results:, The overall local incidence rates of psychosis and suicide were similar to the national ones. The local rates of schizophrenia dropped considerably after World War II. Conclusion:, The overall local incidence rates of psychosis and suicide seem to be representative for the country at large despite frequent endogamy. The recent drop in the incidence rate of schizophrenia seems to be in agreement with several international studies. [source] The Declaration of Hawaii andClarence BlomquistACTA PSYCHIATRICA SCANDINAVICA, Issue 399 2000J. O. Ottosson The international code of ethics of psychiatry, the Declaration of Hawaii was in the main the achievement of Clarence Blomquist. There were several prerequisites for the success of this work. 1. The unique profile of the education of Clarence Blomquist, combining training to be a specialist in psychiatry with a doctor's degree in practical philosophy. 2. An outstanding competence in analyzing complicated issues and in putting thoughts into words. 3. The courage to challenge the Hippocratic ethics and adapt the principles of ethics to modern health care. 4. A scholarship at the Institute of Society, Ethics and the Life Sciences, Hastings-on-Hudson, New York, where he could test his ideas in an intellectual interdisciplinary atmosphere. 5. Support from the late Professor Leo Eitinger, Norway and Professor Gerdt Wretmark, Sweden, who together with Clarence Blomquist constituted a task force on ethics of the World Psychiatric Association. 6. A continuous backing-up by Dr Denis Leigh, the then secretary general of the World Psychiatric Association. Denis Leigh was convinced that a code of ethics was the only means to reconcile the various member countries on issues of misuse of psychiatry and, in addition, would raise the quality of psychiatric care throughout the world. [source] Can solving of wordchains be explained by phonological skills alone?DYSLEXIA, Issue 1 2010Arve E. Asbjørnsen Abstract The present study focussed on the determinants for effective solving of the Wordchains Test (WCT) in a normative sample of Norwegian junior high-school students. Forty voluntary participants from a rural school district in Western Norway completed the WCT along with tests of general intellectual capacity, single word and non-word reading, auditory working memory, and visual scanning. All measures correlated significantly with each other except for general non-verbal abilities were not correlated with visual scanning. A stepwise multiple regression analysis, using the WCT as the dependent variable, yielded a model that included single word reading, letter recognition, and working memory as independent variables. This model accounted for 75% of the variance in WCT performance. This finding suggests that phonological skills only have an indirect influence on WCT performance. Thus, the core deficit in dyslexia, i.e. impaired phonological skills, may be related to the development of word recognition skills, but have no direct effect on the WCT performance in a normative sample. Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source] Resistant readers 8 months later: energizing the student's learning milieu by targeted counsellingDYSLEXIA, Issue 2 2006Anne Brit Andreassen Abstract Several studies have reported that an alarming large subgroup of poor readers seems to be treatment resistant. This group obviously needs attention beyond standard special education instructions. In Norway, the National Centre for Reading Education and Research has been assigned the task of assisting the school psychological services nationwide in severe cases of reading disabilities. The aim of the present study of a clinical sample of students with severe dyslexia, due to phonological deficits, was to evaluate effects of counselling 8 months after a 2-day assessment at the centre. Sixty-five students, with a mean age of 12.3 years, participated. A thorough assessment of each student's strengths and problems was conducted at the centre. Additional information was obtained from the school psychological services, the teachers, and the parents. Diagnostic reports and proposals for remediation were forwarded to the school psychological services. Students', parents', and teachers' evaluation of the students' reading abilities 8 months after the assessment was retrieved for 75% of cases. Of these, 80% reported clear progress in the students' reading abilities. The progress could not be related to age, cognitive level, place of residence, or previous special education received, but instead to improved motivation. Copyright © 2006 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source] The rationale for early intervention in schizophrenia and related disordersEARLY INTERVENTION IN PSYCHIATRY, Issue 2009Merete Nordentoft Abstract Aim: To examine the rationale and evidence supporting an early intervention approach in schizophrenia. Methods: A selective literature review was conducted. Results: During the onset of schizophrenia, there is often a significant delay between the emergence of psychotic symptoms and the initiation of treatment. The average duration of untreated psychosis is around 1,2 years. During this period, brain function may continue to deteriorate and social networks can be irreversibly damaged. Studies have consistently linked longer duration of untreated psychosis with poorer outcomes and this relationship holds even after controlling for the potential confounding variable of premorbid functioning. In Norway, the early Treatment and Intervention in PSychosis study demonstrated that duration of untreated psychosis is amenable to intervention with the combination of educational campaigns and specialized early detection units substantially decreasing the period from onset of symptoms to treatment initiation. Furthermore, recent evidence from the randomized controlled OPUS and the Lambeth Early Onset trial studies have linked phase-specific early interventions to improved outcomes spanning symptoms, adherence to treatment, comorbid drug abuse, relapse and readmission. Some benefits persist after cessation of the intervention. Conclusions: Early intervention in schizophrenia is justified to reduce the negative personal and social impact of prolonged periods of untreated symptoms. Furthermore, phase-specific interventions are associated with improved outcomes, at least in the short term. Further research is needed to establish the optimum duration of such programmes. [source] What shapes Eurasian lynx distribution in human dominated landscapes: selecting prey or avoiding people?ECOGRAPHY, Issue 4 2009Mathieu Basille In the multi-use landscape of southern Norway, the distribution of lynx is likely to be determined both by the abundance of their favoured prey , the roe deer , and the risk associated with the presence of humans because most lynx mortalities are caused by humans (recreational harvest, poaching, vehicle collisions). We described the distribution of the reproductive portion of the lynx population based on snow-track observations of females with dependent kittens collected over 10,yr (1997,2006) in southern Norway. We used the ecological-niche factor analysis to examine how lynx distribution was influenced by roe deer, human activity, habitat type, environmental productivity and elevation. Our first prediction that lynx should be found in areas of relatively high roe deer abundance was supported. However, our second prediction that lynx should avoid human activity was rejected, and lynx instead occupied areas more disturbed in average than those available (with the exception of the most densely occupied areas). Lynx, however, avoided the most disturbed areas and our third prediction of a trade-off between abundance of prey and avoidance of human activity was supported. On the one hand, roe deer in the most disturbed areas benefit to a large extent from current human land use practices, potentially allowing them to escape predation from lynx. On the other hand, the situation is not so favourable for the predators who are restricted in competition refuges with medium to low prey densities. The consequence is that lynx conservation will have to be achieved in a human modifed environment where the potential for a range of conflicts and high human-caused mortality will remain a constant threat. [source] Population structure and migratory directions of Scandinavian bluethroats Luscinia svecica, a molecular, morphological and stable isotope analysisECOGRAPHY, Issue 1 2008Olof Hellgren Many species of birds show evidence of secondary contact zones and subspeciation in their Scandinavian distribution range, presumably resulting from different post-glacial recolonization routes. We investigated whether this is the case also in the Scandinavian bluethroat Luscinia svecica, a species that has been suggested to consist of two separate populations: one SW-migrating and long-winged (L. s. gaetkei) breeding in southern Norway, and one shorter-winged ESE-migrating (L. s. svecica) in northern Scandinavia. We sampled males at eleven breeding sites from southern Norway to northernmost Sweden. There were no morphological differences or latitudinal trends within the sample, neither were there any genetic differences or latitudinal trends as measured by variation in AFLP and microsatellite markers. Stable isotope ratios of throat feathers moulted on the wintering grounds showed no, or possibly marginal differences between birds from southern Norway and northern Sweden. We also re-measured old museum skins that in previous studies were classified as L. s.gaetkei, and found marginally longer wings in birds from the southern part of the Scandinavian breeding range. The difference, however, was much smaller than proposed in earlier studies. We conclude that there is no evidence of a genetic population structure among Scandinavian bluethroats that would suggest the presence of a zone of secondary contact. Finally we discuss whether the presumed subspecies gaetkei ever existed. [source] Regularity of species richness relationships to patch size and shapeECOGRAPHY, Issue 4 2007Einar Heegaard This study aims to assess the degree of regularity in the effect of patch size and patch shape on plant species richness across a macroscale region, and to evaluate the implications for nature conservation. Our study area covers south-eastern Norway and contains 16 agricultural landscapes with 2162 patches. To analyse regularity a local linear mixed model (LLMM) was applied. This procedure estimates the richness trends due to shared effects of size and shape, and simultaneously provides the landscape-specific random effect. The latter is a direct estimate of the degree of irregularity between the landscapes, conditioned on specific values of size and shape. The results show a positive interaction between the shape and size of patches, which is repeated for all landscapes. The shape of the patches produces more regular patterns in species richness than the size of patches. This we attribute to effects of dispersal and distance to neighbouring patches of different environmentally conditioned species pools. Large and complex patches have shorter average distance to neighbouring patches (of different types) than large simple-shaped (circular) patches have. We attribute the higher species richness of the former, given a similar area, to a higher number of species dispersed from the outside into the more complex plot. For small patches, however, the distance to the edge is short relative to normal dispersal distances, for patches of all shapes. This explains why the positive effect of shape complexity on species richness is stronger for large patches. This interpretation is supported by a strong spatial correlation conditioned on the most complex patches. Theories of dynamics in biodiversity in patchy landscapes must consider shape as a regulator at the same level as size, and both shape and size of patches should be simultaneously taken into account for management planning. [source] Estimating the growth of a newly established moose population using reproductive valueECOGRAPHY, Issue 3 2007Bernt-Erik Sæther Estimating the population growth rate and environmental stochasticity of long-lived species is difficult because annual variation in population size is influenced by temporal autocorrelations caused by fluctuations in the age-structure. Here we use the dynamics of the reproductive value to estimate the long-term growth rate s and the environmental variance of a moose population that recently colonized the island of Vega in northern Norway. We show that the population growth rate was high (,=0.26). The major stochastic influences on the population dynamics were due to demographic stochasticity, whereas the environmental variance was not significantly different from 0. This supports the suggestion that population growth rates of polytocous ungulates are high, and that demographic stochasticity must be assessed when estimating the growth of small ungulate populations. [source] Shifting altitudinal distribution of outbreak zones of winter moth Operophtera brumata in sub-arctic birch forest: a response to recent climate warming?ECOGRAPHY, Issue 2 2007Snorre B. Hagen Climatic change is expected to affect the extent and severity of geometrid moth outbreaks, a major disturbance factor in sub-arctic birch forests. Previous studies have reported that the two geometrid species involved, autumnal moth and winter moth, differ in their temperature requirements and, consequently, in their altitudinal and latitudinal distribution patterns. In this study, we document the altitudinal distribution of winter moth outbreaks in a large coastal area in northern Norway. We show that, in the present winter moth outbreak, defoliated birch stands were seen as distinct zones with a rather constant width in the uppermost part of the forest and where the upper limit coincided with the forest line. The outbreak zone closely followed the spatially variable forest line as an undulating belt, although some of the variation in outbreak zone width was also related to variation in topographical variables, such as distance from the coast, forest line altitude, and slope of the terrain. A distinct outbreak zone at the altitudinal forest line is the typical picture that has been depicted in more qualitative historical records on previous outbreaks of autumnal moth rather than winter moth. We suggest that the recent documented climate warming in this region may have induced a shift in distribution of the winter moth both relative to topography and geography. Further investigation is, however, required to substantiate these suspicions. [source] Effects of summer grazing by reindeer on composition of vegetation, productivity and nitrogen cyclingECOGRAPHY, Issue 1 2001Johan Olofsson In this study, we investigated the effect of reindeer grazing on tundra heath vegetation in northern Norway. Fences, erected 30 yr ago, allowed us to compare winter grazed, lightly summer grazed and heavily summer grazed vegetation at four different sites. At two sites, graminoids dominated the heavily grazed zone completely, while ericoid dwarf shrubs had almost disappeared. In the other two areas, the increase of graminoids was almost significant. At one of the sites where graminoids dominated the heavily grazed area, we also measured plant biomass, primary production and nitrogen cycling. In this site, heavy grazing increased primary production and rate of nitrogen cycling, while moderate grazing decreased primary production. These results were inconsistent with the view that the highest productivity is found at intermediate grazing pressure. These results rather support the hypothesis that intensive grazing can promote a transition of moss-rich heath tundra into productive, graminoid-dominated steppe-like tundra vegetation. Moreover the results suggests that intermittent intensive reindeer grazing can enhance productivity of summer ranges. [source] Is there a higher risk for herbivore outhreaks after cold mast years?ECOGRAPHY, Issue 6 2000An analysis of two plant/herbivore series from southern Norway Historical data on two plant-herbivore interactions from southern Norway were used to test the hypothesis that the degree of herbivore outbreaks in post-mast years is negatively related to summer temperatures in the mast year, because plants are more depressed after a high seed production if temperatures and thus the photosynthetic activity is low. The plant species were the sessile oak Quercus petraea and the bilberry Vaceinium myrtillus. For the former species post-mast years were identified from reports given by the local forest authorities for the period 1930,48, and from acorn export curves for the period 1949,98, For the latter species, post-mast years were identified mainly from bilberry export curves for the period 1920,31, from game reports for the period 1932,78. and from diary notes for the period 1979,87. The herbivore species used were the green oak leaf roller moth Tortrix viridana and the capercaillie Tetrao urogallus. Eight moth outbreaks on oak forests were reported by the forest authorities in the period 1930,98, and they all started in a post-mast year of the sessile oak. There were however also eleven post-mast years without moth outbreaks. According to game reports, observations and autumn counts, all increases in the autumn population size of capercaillie during 1920 88 occurred in or after a year with high bilberry production. Among i8 post-mast years, there were seven with strong increase, seven with slight or moderate increase, and four with no increase. For both herbivore species, post-mast years with marked population increases had significantly lower summer temperatures in the preceding (mast) year than had post-mast years with no or slight increases. For moth populations there also was a negative effect of high temperatures in April, possibly because moth eggs tend to hatch too early relative lo budburst if spring temperatures are high. For the capercaillie, high amount of precipitation in June , July seemed to have some negative impact on the autumn population sizes, as also found in previous studies. [source] Foraging of lynxes in a managed boreal-alpine environmentECOGRAPHY, Issue 3 2000Peter Sunde Foraging of Eurasian lynxes Lynx lynx was studied with telemetry and snow tracking in central Norway. In all habitats and at all seasons, medium-sized ungulates (roe deer Capreolus capreolus, reindeer Rangifer tarandus and domestic sheep Ovis aries) dominated the diet (81% of ingested biomass estimated from faeces). Mountain hares Lepus timidus and galliform birds comprised the remainder of the diet (15% and 3%, respectively). Lynxes with different life history status did not differ in prey choice, but adult males utilised carcasses of ungulate prey considerably less (16% of the edible parts) than did females with offspring (80%) and subadults (58%.). Forest habitats in lowlands and adjacent to cultivated fields were the most favourable foraging habitats (indexed as the prey encounter rate per km lynx track) primarily owing to the presence of roe deer. Two family groups tracked in winter killed 0.2 ungulate per day. The importance of agricultural land as a foraging habitat and the dominance of livestock in the diet in remoter areas indicate that the lynx has responded to agriculture and reindeer husbandry during the past century by switching from smaff game to ungulates. [source] Contrasting alternative hypotheses about rodent cycles by translating them into parameterized modelsECOLOGY LETTERS, Issue 3 2001Peter Turchin Ecologists working on population cycles of arvicoline (microtine) rodents consider three ecological mechanisms as the most likely explanations of this long-standing puzzle in population ecology: maternal effects, interaction with specialist predators, and interaction with the food supply. Each of these hypotheses has now been translated into parameterized models, and has been shown to be capable of generating second-order oscillations (that is, population cycles driven by delayed density dependence). This development places us in a unique situation for population ecology. We can now practice "strong inference" by explicitly and quantitatively comparing the predictions of the three rival hypotheses with data. In this review, we contrast the ability of each hypothesis to explain various empirically observed features of rodent cycles, with a particular emphasis on the well-studied case of Microtus agrestis and other small rodents in Fennoscandia (Finland, Sweden and Norway). Our conclusion is that the current evidence best supports the predation hypothesis. [source] Contemporary egg size divergence among sympatric grayling demes with common ancestorsECOLOGY OF FRESHWATER FISH, Issue 1 2008F. Gregersen Abstract, This study documents divergence in egg size that has occurred over less than 25 generations among sympatric demes of European grayling (Thymallus thymallus) from Lake Lesjaskogsvatnet in Norway. A cluster analysis identified two clusters of tributaries: one of small, warm tributaries (SW) and the other of large, cold tributaries (LC). Spawning occurs more regularly and up to 4 weeks earlier in SW tributaries compared with that in LC ones. We explored numerous mixed models predicting egg size from year (random effect), basin and tributary (fixed effects), and female length. The most supported model estimated length-adjusted egg size to be larger in SW tributaries compared with that in LC tributaries. Combinations of density-dependent (competition for food/space) and density-independent (temperature) factors along with phenotypic plasticity and maternal effects are discussed as potential differentiation sources. We suggest high temperatures (increased metabolism) to reinforce the selective advantage of large eggs under conditions with highly density-dependent fry interactions. [source] The grain trade in northern Europe before 1350ECONOMIC HISTORY REVIEW, Issue 2 2002Nils Hybel A network of interregional grain routes extended across northern Europe in the century before 1350. With an interlude from c . 1310 to 1330 English grain was shipped to western Norway and the last decades before 1350 witnessed increasing English deliveries to the Netherlands. The most important of these commercial links were the grain routes from Mecklenburg, Pomerania, and Prussia to Norway, England, and the Netherlands established on a regular basis c . 1300. In western Europe the Baltic grain deliveries were an alternative source of supply which affected prices, urbanization, and the profitability of arable farming. [source] Mortality among opiate users: opioid maintenance therapy, age and causes of deathADDICTION, Issue 8 2009Thomas Clausen ABSTRACT Aims This study investigates how age of opioid users is related to causes of death prior to, during and after opioid maintenance treatment (OMT), and estimates risks of death from various causes in relation to age. Design, setting and participants Data on all opiate dependents in Norway (1997,2003) who applied for and were accepted for OMT (n = 3789) were cross-linked with the Norwegian death register. The total observation time was 10 934 person-years. Findings A total of 213 deaths was recorded. Of these, 73% were subject to autopsy, and causes of death were known for 208 cases: the overall death rate was 1.9%. Deaths were due to drug overdose (54%), somatic (32%) and traumatic causes (14%). Overdose deaths among all age groups were reduced during OMT but age had a differential effect upon risk when out of treatment. Younger opioid users were at greater risk of overdose before entering treatment; older users were at greater risk after leaving treatment. Older OMT patients were at higher risk of both somatic and traumatic deaths, and deaths during OMT were most likely to be due to somatic causes. Conclusions The high rates of overdose prior to and after treatment emphasize the need to provide rapid access to OMT, to retain patients in treatment and to re-enrol patients. The high prevalence among older patients of deaths due to somatic causes has implications for screening, treatment and referral, and may also lead to increased treatment costs. [source] Prevalence and clinical relevance of corrected QT interval prolongation during methadone and buprenorphine treatment: a mortality assessment studyADDICTION, Issue 6 2009Katinka Anchersen ABSTRACT Aims To determine the prevalence of corrected QT interval (QTc) prolongation among patients in opioid maintenance treatment (OMT) and to investigate mortality potentially attributable to QTc prolongation in the Norwegian OMT programme. Participants and setting Two hundred OMT patients in Oslo were recruited to the QTc assessment study between October 2006 and August 2007. The Norwegian register of all patients receiving OMT in Norway (January 1997,December 2003) and the national death certificate register were used to assess mortality. Mortality records were examined for the 90 deaths that had occurred among 2382 patients with 6450 total years in OMT. Design and measures The QTc interval was assessed by electrocardiography (ECG). All ECGs were examined by the same cardiologist, who was blind to patient history and medication. Mortality was calculated by cross-matching the OMT register and the national death certificate register: deaths that were possibly attributable to QTc prolongation were divided by the number of patient-years in OMT. Findings In the QTc assessment sample (n = 200), 173 patients (86.5%) received methadone and 27 (13.5%) received buprenorphine. In the methadone group, 4.6% (n = 8) had a QTc above 500 milliseconds; 15% (n = 26) had a QTc interval above 470 milliseconds; and 28.9% (n = 50) had a QTc above 450 milliseconds. All patients receiving buprenorphine (n = 27) had QTc results <450 milliseconds. A positive dose-dependent association was identified between QTc length and dose of methadone, and all patients with a QTc above 500 milliseconds were taking methadone doses of 120 mg or more. OMT patient mortality, where QTc prolongation could not be excluded as the cause of death, was 0.06/100 patient-years. Only one death among 3850 OMT initiations occurred within the first month of treatment. Conclusion Of the methadone patients, 4.6% had QTc intervals above 500 milliseconds. The maximum mortality attributable to QTc prolongation was low: 0.06 per 100 patient-years. [source] Old enough for a beer?ADDICTION, Issue 9 2008Compliance with minimum legal age for alcohol purchases in monopoly, Norway, other off-premise outlets in Finland ABSTRACT Aim To assess whether government monopoly outlets comply better with minimum legal age for purchase of alcohol compared to other off-premise outlets for alcohol sales. Methods Under-age-appearing 18-year-olds attempted to purchase alcohol in off-premise outlets applying identical procedures in Finland (n = 290) and Norway (n = 170). Outcomes were measured as whether or not the buyers were asked to present an identity (ID) card and whether or not they succeeded in purchasing alcohol. Results The buyers were asked to present an ID card in slightly more than half the attempts, and they succeeded in purchasing alcohol in 48% of the cases. The buyers were more likely to be requested to present an ID card and less likely to succeed in purchasing alcohol in monopoly outlets compared to other types of outlets, and also when other outcome predictors, such as age and gender of salesperson and crowdedness in the outlet, were taken into account. Conclusion Monopoly outlets may facilitate compliance with minimum legal age for purchase of alcohol. [source] Framing participation with multicriterion evaluations to support the management of complex environmental issuesENVIRONMENTAL POLICY AND GOVERNANCE, Issue 2 2010Katrine Soma Abstract A repeated statement observed in the literature is that stakeholder participation can contribute to improve complex environmental management decisions. However, transparent and legitimate decision-making processes cannot be ensured without suitable involvement strategies and information treatments throughout the processes. The main goal in this study is to frame participatory processes with multicriterion evaluations to increase transparency of the decision support. The developed approach applies clearly defined roles of interest groups, experts and citizens, as well as alternatives presented on maps, criteria arranged in a hierarchy of decision elements and weights obtained by conducting deliberative processes with citizens. The approach is applied in a case study at municipal level in Norway to support coastal zone management decisions. Relevant interests and social values are systematically represented by the multicriterion evaluation framework utilized in the approach presented. Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd and ERP Environment. [source] Is there anything like a citizen?ENVIRONMENTAL POLICY AND GOVERNANCE, Issue 1 2010A descriptive analysis of instituting a citizen's role to represent social values at the municipal level Abstract Environmental policy-making can be challenging because of lobbying by strong private interests. This results in less consideration about what is best for the wider community. The main goal of this study is to evaluate to what extent it is possible to institutionalize a citizen's role in decision-support processes. While the literature makes a clear distinction between private and social values, very little research is undertaken on how the framing of the instituted process influences which types of value become legitimate. Two deliberative meetings with local inhabitants were conducted in a municipality in Norway focusing on land use policy in coastal areas. The meetings were framed to facilitate dialogue and to emphasize the most important values to protect, given the interests of the wider municipality in the longer run. A large majority of the participants found the framing appropriate. Analyses of the dialogues, letters written by participants before the meetings and individual interviews undertaken afterwards document that the format of the meetings influenced strongly which arguments were found legitimate. The setting favoured the identification and specification of social values for inhabitants of the involved municipality such as public accessibility in conserved nature areas along the coast. The data moreover give insights about how the framing influenced the process. Arguments in favour of private construction interests were present, but were found to be weak in legitimacy. The framing might, however, also have influenced which social values were emphasized the most strongly. Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd and ERP Environment. [source] Interpreting sustainable development and societal utility in Norwegian GMO assessmentsENVIRONMENTAL POLICY AND GOVERNANCE, Issue 4 2008G. Kristin Rosendal Abstract This article examines the process of assessing applications for genetically modified (GM) crops or plants for import or commercial planting in Norway. GMO legislation in Norway is closely linked to the EU through the Agreement on the European Economic Area (EEA), to which Norway is a party. A central difference with the EU processes emanates from specific clauses in the Norwegian Gene Technology Act on ,sustainable development' and ,societal utility', which provide a potentially wider leverage for Norwegian authorities to turn down the applications. Research material indicates evidence of an increasingly restrictive practice in the Norwegian evaluations, raising the question of how this can be explained in the face of increasing global acceptance of GMOs. A related question is to what extent and how this result is affected by the trends in the EU. An increasingly restrictive practice may be explained by changes in the access structure to the evaluating body, or it may be due to learning and a growing acceptance of the precautionary principle in this sector. Third, a higher number of rejections may largely be associated with the interest structure pertaining to GMOs in Norway. Final decisions are pending and there are uncertainties concerning how Norwegian authorities will apply the specific criteria of the Gene Technology Act. Copyright © 2008 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd and ERP Environment. [source] Analysis of micronuclei in blue mussels and fish from the Baltic and North SeasENVIRONMENTAL TOXICOLOGY, Issue 4 2004Janina Bar Abstract Micronuclei (MN) were analyzed in erythrocytes of flounder (Platichthys flesus) and wrasse (Symphodus melops) and in gill cells of blue mussels (Mytilus edulis). The organisms were collected from three study stations in the Baltic Sea and from seven stations in the North Sea (Karmsund area, Norway) 4 times. The statistically significant differences obtained were related to the season, sex of the fish, and sampling locality. Higher MN frequencies were found in fish and mussels collected from the most polluted study stations in the North Sea. The same tendency could be described in the Baltic Sea; however, it was masked by the recent oil spill from the Butinge oil terminal. Our results showing higher MN frequencies in presumably what were the most polluted study locations suggest that MN tests in fish and mussels may be used for the detection of genotoxic effects in a marine environment. The endpoint is well characterized and can be easily recognized, and the technique is convenient to use in field samplings following standard procedures and protocols. © 2004 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Environ Toxicol 19: 365,371, 2004. [source] Metal concentrations, sperm motility, and RNA/DNA ratio in two echinoderm species from a highly contaminated fjord (the Sørfjord, Norway),ENVIRONMENTAL TOXICOLOGY & CHEMISTRY, Issue 7 2008Ana I. Catarino Abstract The present study evaluated the effects of field metal contamination on sperm motility and the RNA/DNA ratio in echinoderms. Populations of Asterias rubens and Echinus acutus that occur naturally along a contamination gradient of sediments by cadmium, copper, lead, and zinc in a Norwegian fjord (the Sørfjord) were studied. Sperm motility, a measure of sperm quality, was quantified using a computer-assisted sperm analysis system. The RNA/DNA ratio, a measure of protein synthesis, was assessed by a one-dye (ethidium bromide)/one-enzyme (RNase), 96-well microplate fluorometric assay. Although both species accumulate metals at high concentrations, neither sperm motility parameters in A. rubens nor the RNA/DNA ratio in both species were affected. The Sørfjord is still one of the most metal-contaminated marine sites in Europe, but even so, populations of A. rubens and E. acutus are able to endure under these conditions. [source] Field testing of equilibrium passive samplers to determine freely dissolved native polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon concentrationsENVIRONMENTAL TOXICOLOGY & CHEMISTRY, Issue 3 2008Gerard Cornelissen Abstract Equilibrium passive samplers are promising tools to determine freely dissolved aqueous concentrations (CW,free) of hydrophobic organic compounds. Their use in the field, however, remains a challenge. In the present study on native polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) in Oslo Harbor, Norway, two different passive sampler materials, polyoxymethylene (POM; thickness, 55 ,m [POM-55] and 500 ,m [POM-500]) and polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS; thickness, 200 ,m), were used to determine in the laboratory CW,free in sediment pore water (CPW,free), and the suitability of five passive samplers for determination of CW,free in overlying surface water was tested under field conditions. For laboratory determinations of CPW,free, both POM-55 and PDMS turned out to be suitable. In the field, the shortest equilibrium times (approximately one month) were observed for POM-55 and PDMS (thickness, 28 ,m) coatings on solid-phase microextraction fibers, with PDMS tubing as a good alternative. Low-density polyethylene (thickness, 100 ,m) and POM-500 did not reach equilibrium within 119 d in the field. Realistic values were obtained for dissolved organic carbon,water partition coefficients in the field (approximately one log unit under log KOW), which strengthened the conclusion that equilibrium was established in field-exposed passive samplers. At all four stations, chemical activity ratios between pore water and overlying water were greater than one for all PAHs, indicating that the sediment was a PAH diffusion source and that sediment remediation may be an appropriate treatment for PAH contamination in Oslo Harbor. [source] | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||