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Western Norway (western + norway)

Distribution by Scientific Domains

Earth and Environmental Science	40%
Humanities and Social Sciences	33%
Medical Sciences	18%
2 Other Domains	9%

Selected Abstracts

Can solving of wordchains be explained by phonological skills alone?

DYSLEXIA, Issue 1 2010
Arve 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]

Some characteristics of sperm motility in European hake (Merluccius merluccius, L., 1758)

JOURNAL OF APPLIED ICHTHYOLOGY, Issue 5 2010
A.-L. Groison
Summary The objective of this paper is to characterize some of the sperm motility parameters in European hake (Merluccius merluccius), which is considered to be a species with aquaculture potential. The total ATP, ADP and AMP concentrations were determined using high-performance liquid chromatography on hake sperm samples collected during the winter-early spring in the Bay of Biscay (France) (n = 22) and on hake sperm samples collected during the summer-early autumn in waters off Western Norway (n = 5). The Adenylate Energy Charge (AEC) was deduced from these data. Computer Assisted Sperm Analysis (CASA) was used to measure a series of parameters characterizing the motility and the sperm swimming performances. Changes in salinity of the swimming medium affected all the measured motility parameters. The sperm velocity and the straightness of the movement were at maximum when sperm was activated with 100% filtrated sea water (100 SW) but decreased sharply later. When sperm was activated in filtrated sea water (50% diluted with distilled water: 50 SW) the values of these parameters increased (with a lower percentage of active cells) during the first 2.5 min and thereafter decreased slowly. In 50 SW, the initial velocity was lowered but the swimming period lasting 4.5 times longer than in 100 SW (but with a lower percentage of actively swimming cells). Initial sperm motility (percentage of swimming cells) in 100 SW was affected by sperm storage duration. Undiluted sperm could be stored at 4°C for 5 days and still show 13 ± 7% motility; the velocity and straightness of the movement were at maximum at the earliest period of measurement (0.5,1 day of storage) and then decreased gradually to reach their minima after 4 days of storage. Further, both the AEC and ATP content decreased with storage time, with the AEC decreasing from 0.78 ± 0.07 (mean ± SD) at stripping time to 0.20 ± 0.09 after 2 days of storage. Over the same period ATP content decreased from 85 ± 80 to 5 ± 4 nanomoles 10,9 spermatozoa, these data presenting a high variability. [source]

Discovery of eclogite facies carbonate rocks from the Lindås Nappe, Caledonides, Western Norway

JOURNAL OF METAMORPHIC GEOLOGY, Issue 7 2002
T. M. Boundy
Abstract Eclogite facies carbonate rocks have been discovered associated with the granulite,eclogite transitional rocks within Bergen Arc system, Caledonian Orogen of western Norway. The local occurrences of marbles and calc-silicates are found subparallel to the mafic eclogite facies shear zones on Holsnøy Island. Marbles contain the assemblage calcite (Ca0.99Sr0.01CO3), calcian strontianite (Ca0.18,0.44Sr0.53,0.84CO3), clinopyroxene (Jd7,32), epidote/allanite (Ps0,33), titanite, garnet (Alm52,56Grs28,33Pyp11,16), barite (Ba0.90,0.99Sr0.01,0.10SO4), celestine (Sr0.67,0.98Ba0.01,0.23Ca0.01,0.11SO4), and one apparently homogeneous grain of intermediate composition (Ba0.49Ca0.01Sr0.50SO4). Adjacent eclogites have clinopyroxene with similar jadeite contents (Jd14,34) and similar garnet (Alm51,60Grs26,36Pyp8,14) compositions. The marbles have high contents of Sr (9500,11000 p.p.m) and Y (115,130 p.p.m). However, low concentrations of some key trace elements (110,160 p.p.m. Ba and <5 p.p.m. Nb) appear to indicate that the marble is not a metamorphosed carbonatite. The 87Sr/86Sr ratios range from 0.7051 to 0.7059. Field and petrological relationships suggest that metasomatic reactions and fluids played a significant role in producing and/or modifying the marbles. The breakdown of scapolite in the granulite into carbonates and sulphates during eclogite facies metamorphism may have contributed to the metasomatic formation of the marbles along shear zones. Fluids involved during subduction are an important catalyst for metamorphism and are recognized to have played a critical role in the localized transformation from granulite to eclogite in the Holsnøy Island area. Thermobarometry indicates 640,690 °C and 18,20 kbar for adjacent eclogites and temperatures of 580,650 °C for the calc-silicates. The marble assemblages are consistent with fluid that is dominantly comprised of H2O (XCO2 < 0.03) under high-pressure conditions. Phase equilibria of the marbles constrain the fO2 of the fluids and imply oxidizing conditions of the deep crustal fluids. At present the source of the fluids remains unresolved. The results provide additional insights into the variable and evolving nature of fluids related to subduction and high-pressure metamorphism. [source]

Prymnesium parvum: The Norwegian Experience,

JOURNAL OF THE AMERICAN WATER RESOURCES ASSOCIATION, Issue 1 2010
Torbjørn M. Johnsen
Johnsen, Torbjørn M., Wenche Eikrem, Christine D. Olseng, Knut E. Tollefsen, and Vilhelm Bjerknes, 2010. Prymnesium parvum: The Norwegian Experience. Journal of the American Water Resources Association (JAWRA) 46(1):6-13. DOI: 10.1111/j.1752-1688.2009.00386.x Abstract:, In Norwegian waters, Prymnesium parvum has been reported from Oslofjorden in the south to Spitzbergen in the north. However, blooms of P. parvum have only been reported from the Sandsfjorden system in Ryfylke, Western Norway where the salinity of the permanent brackish layer (2-5 m) typically is in the range of 4-7 psu during the summer months. The first bloom on record occurred in 1989, and it killed 750 metric tons of caged salmon and trout which was a significant economic loss to the fish farming industry. Toxic blooms occurred as well in subsequent years and the number of fish farms in the area decreased considerably as did the occurrence of P. parvum. In 2005, fish farming was reintroduced to the area and again, in 2007 a toxic bloom of P. parvum killed 135 metric tons of caged fish. The Norwegian Institute for Water Research has, in collaboration with "Erfjord Stamfisk" fish farm, set up a monitoring program that includes light microscopy cell counts of Prymnesium, water quality measurements, and observation of the caged fish. A submergible fish net was mounted over the fish pens and during the toxic outbreak of P. parvum in July-August 2007, which was as previous years confined to the upper brackish water layer, the fish nets were lowered to 10 m depths below the surface and fish feeding was temporarily stopped. Despite substantial weight loss, the fish survived the toxic bloom and the economic loss was minimal. Monitoring of P. parvum bloom dynamics in 2007 revealed that populations were initially dominated by the nonmotile forms which were gradually replaced by the flagellated forms. Toxicity was observed when the flagellated cells dominated populations in the summer. Chrysochromulina, solitary small Chaetoceros species, and small centric diatoms co-existed with P. parvum during the monitoring period (June-October). [source]

Differential effect of environmental risk factors on postural instability gait difficulties and tremor dominant Parkinson's disease,,

MOVEMENT DISORDERS, Issue 12 2010
G.O. Skeie MD
Abstract Both environmental and genetic factors contribute to the development of Parkinson's disease (PD). We have examined environmental risk factors in a Norwegian population of incident PD patients and controls, the Norwegian ParkWest study. All five neurological wards in the study area of Western Norway participated in the study. A 4-step diagnostic procedure was used to establish a representative cohort of patients with incident PD at a high level of diagnostic accuracy. 212 incident PD patients and 175 age- and gender-matched controls were included. PD patients and controls were asked for information on occupation, education, exposure to pesticides, tobacco, alcohol, and caffeine. Agricultural work was associated with a higher risk of PD (OR 1.75 (1.03,3.0) P = 0.009). There were no differences as to other occupations. Smoking (OR 0.63 (0.42,0.95) P = 0.016) and alcohol use (OR 0.55 P = 0.008) were associated with a lower risk for PD. Interestingly, this inverse association was only seen in postural instability gait difficulties (PIGD) PD (P = 0.046 for smoking, P = 0.07 for alcohol consumption), and not in tremor dominant (TD) PD which was similar to controls. Consumption of coffee was lower in PD patients (3.3 ± 1.8 cups per day vs. 3.8 ± 2.0 in controls P = 0.02). In the regression model including intake of alcohol, coffee, and smoke, only coffee (P = 0.007) and alcohol intake (P = 0.021) remained significant whereas smoking was no longer significant. Thus, it seems as though only coffee intake reduces the risk of PD in general while associations to alcohol and smoking differ between PIGD and TD-PD patients. © 2010 Movement Disorder Society [source]

How green is the valley?

THE CANADIAN GEOGRAPHER/LE GEOGRAPHE CANADIEN, Issue 3 2005
Foreign direct investment in two Norwegian industrial towns
Since the early 1900s, foreign direct investments (FDIs) have greatly affected Norwegian society, especially peripheral communities. This article analyses how transnational corporations (TNCs) use territory down to the local level, and how this complex relationship between firms and spaces is shaped by attributes related to the TNC and the characteristics of the local economy. An extensive literature discusses different types of effects and spillovers, such as vertical supply linkages and spin-offs, but theoretical explanations of outcomes are more difficult. The literature links positive as well as negative outcomes to local conditions and to the investment motives of the entity making the FDI, but says little about how these vary with types of business, communities and national economies, and how these interactions generate different outcomes. We conclude that FDIs have different abilities to transform an area. We argue that FDI can trigger path-dependent dependency when it is dominated by economic capital and path-dependent development when it consists of a balance of economic capital, social networks and knowledge. This variation in the effects of FDI is illustrated by an empirical analysis of two industrial towns in Western Norway, one with natural resources and the other with intangible technology resources. Depuis le début des années 1900, les investissements directs à l'étranger (IDE) ont grandement marqué la société norvégienne, notamment dans les communautés périphériques. Cet article présente une analyse de la façon dont les entreprises transnationales (ETN) exploitent le territoire y compris le niveau local. Il tente aussi d'expliquer comment la relation complexe entre les entreprises et les espaces dépend des attributs propres aux ETN et des caractéristiques de l'économie locale. Un courant important de la littérature étudie les nombreuses incidences et répercussions des ETN, comme les relations d'offre verticale et les effets indirects. Cependant, les discussions qui s'ensuivent présentent généralement peu d'explications d'ordre théorique concernant les résultats. La littérature associe les résultats positifs ou négatifs directement aux conditions locales et aux motivations qui poussent une entreprise à placer ses capitaux dans un IDE. Elle aborde à peine la question sur comment les résultats peuvent varier selon les types d'entreprises, de communautés et d'économies nationales, et comment ces interactions produisent des résultats différents. En conclusion, nous rappelons que les IDE disposent de plusieurs possibilités de transformer un milieu. Un investissement peut produire une dépendance au sentier qui accentue la soumission quand le capital économique domine, et une dépendance au sentier qui accentue le développement quand il offre un équilibre entre le capital économique, les réseaux sociaux et le savoir. Une analyse empirique permet de relever cette variation qui caractérise les incidences des IDE. Elle porte sur deux villes moyennes industrielles situées dans la partie occidentale de la Norvège. La première est riche en ressources naturelles tandis que l'autre est dotée de ressources technologiques intangibles. [source]

The grain trade in northern Europe before 1350

ECONOMIC HISTORY REVIEW, Issue 2 2002
Nils 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]

Etiology of and risk factors for cerebral infarction in young adults in western Norway: a population-based case-control study

EUROPEAN JOURNAL OF NEUROLOGY, Issue 1 2004
H. Naess
We sought to study the etiology of and risk factors for cerebral infarction in young adults in Hordaland County, Norway. All patients aged 15,49 years living in Hordaland County with a first-ever cerebral infarction during 1988,97 were included. Etiology was analyzed in subgroups defined by sex, age (<40 years versus 40 years), circulation territory (anterior versus posterior circulation) and short-term functional outcome [modified Rankin score (mRS) 2 versus mRS > 2]. A questionnaire was used to evaluate possible risk factors amongst the patients compared with an age- and sex-matched control group. The distribution of etiology was significantly different in all subgroups. Atherosclerosis was frequent amongst men (22.8% vs. 4.2%) and patients 40 years (20.8% vs. 2.7%). All patients with microangiopathy had favorable short-term outcome. Significant risk factors were smoking more than 15 cigarettes per day (P < 0.001), hypertension (P = 0.001), and myocardial infarction (P = 0.035). Modifiable risk factors were frequent. [source]

The mechanism of fluid infiltration in peridotites at Almklovdalen, western Norway

GEOFLUIDS (ELECTRONIC), Issue 3 2002
O. Kostenko
Abstract A major Alpine-type peridotite located at Almklovdalen in the Western Gneiss Region of Norway was infiltrated by aqueous fluids at several stages during late Caledonian uplift and retrogressive metamorphism. Following peak metamorphic conditions in the garnet,peridotite stability field, the peridotite experienced pervasive fluid infiltration and retrogression in the chlorite,peridotite stability field. Subsequently, the peridotite was infiltrated locally by nonreactive fluids along fracture networks forming pipe-like structures, typically on the order of 10 m wide. Fluid migration away from the fractures into the initially impermeable peridotite matrix was facilitated by pervasive dilation of grain boundaries and the formation of intragranular hydrofractures. Microstructural observations of serpentine occupying the originally fluid-filled inclusion space indicate that the pervasively infiltrating fluid was characterized by a high dihedral angle (, > 60°) and ,curled up' into discontinuous channels and fluid inclusion arrays following the infiltration event. Re-equilibration of the fluid phase topology took place by growth and dissolution processes driven by the excess surface energy represented by the ,forcefully' introduced external fluid. Pervasive fluid introduction into the peridotite reduced local effective stresses, increased the effective grain boundary diffusion rates and caused extensive recrystallization and some grain coarsening of the infiltrated volumes. Grain boundary migration associated with this recrystallization swept off abundant intragranular fluid inclusions in the original chlorite peridotite, leading to a significant colour change of the rock. This colour change defines a relatively sharp front typically located 1,20 cm away from the fractures where the nonreactive fluids originally entered the peridotite. Our observations demonstrate how crustal rocks may be pervasively infiltrated by fluids with high dihedral angles (, > 60°) and emphasize the coupling between hydrofracturing and textural equilibration of the grain boundary networks and the fluid phase topology. [source]

Little ice age alluvial fan development in Langedalen, western Norway

GEOGRAFISKA ANNALER SERIES A: PHYSICAL GEOGRAPHY, Issue 4 2001
Simon G. Lewis
This paper reports a preliminary investigation of the sedimentary succession in two alluvial fans in western Norway. Sedimentological information is supplemented by palaeoecological data from pollen analysis and the age of the sequence is constrained by six radiocarbon age estimates on woody fragments and peat. These data suggest that significant accumulation of fan sediments took place after AD 1637,1685. Before this, the fluvial landscape and the adjacent slopes may have been more stable with the development of Betula, Salix and Alnus woodland on the valley floor and sides. Although there is no indication of gradual climatic deterioration in the vegetation record from these sites, the radiocarbon chronology suggests that enhanced fan development was coincident with the climatic change associated with the ,Little Ice Age'. This was probably a response to glacier expansion and increased discharge and sediment supply to the alluvial fans from outlets of the Jostedalsbreen ice cap on the southern side of Langedalen. Initial response to climate change in this setting was therefore enhanced geomorphic activity and instability of the valley-side slopes. [source]

An Empirically Based Implementation and Evaluation of a Hierarchical Model for Commuting Flows

GEOGRAPHICAL ANALYSIS, Issue 3 2010
Jens Petter Gitlesen
This article provides an empirical evaluation of a hierarchical approach to modeling commuting flows. As the gravity family of spatial interaction models represents a benchmark for empirical evaluation, we begin by reviewing basic aspects of these models. The hierarchical modeling framework is the same that Thorsen, Ubøe, and Nævdal (1999) used. However, because some modifications are required to construct a more workable model, we undertake a relatively detailed presentation of the model, rather than merely referring to the presentation in Thorsen, Ubøe, and Nævdal (1999). The model uses a hierarchical specification of a transportation network and the individual search procedure. Journeys to work are determined by the effects of distance deterrence and of intervening opportunities, and by the location of potential destinations relative to alternatives at subsequent levels in a transportation network. The model calibration uses commuting data from a region in western Norway. The estimated parameter values are reasonable, and the explanatory power is very satisfactory when compared with the results of a competing destinations approach. Este artículo presenta una evaluación empírica de un enfoque jerárquico para el modelado de flujos de desplazamientos del lugar de residencia al lugar de trabajo (commuting flows). Los modelos interacción espacial, y en particular los modelos de gravedad representan un buen punto de referencia para esta tarea. Por esta razón, los autores inician el estudio con una revisión de los aspectos básicos de estos modelos. El marco general del modelo jerárquico seleccionado es el mismo que emplean Thorsen, Ubøe y Nævdal (1999). Sin embargo, debido a que algunas modificaciones son necesarias para construir un método más viable, los autores presentan su versión del modelo de manera detallada en lugar de sólo hacer referencia a la versión de Thorsen, Ubøe y Nævdal. El modelo modificado propuesto emplea una especificación jerárquica para una red de transporte y hace uso de un procedimiento de búsqueda individual (individual search procedure). Los desplazamientos hacia el lugar de trabajo son establecidos en base a 1) los efectos limitantes de distancia de las oportunidades de desplazamiento, y 2) la localización de los posibles destinos medida en relación a las distintas alternativas existentes en los niveles inferiores de la jerarquía de la red de transporte. La calibración del modelo utiliza datos de desplazamientos de una región en el oeste de Noruega. Finalmente, los autores concluyen que los valores de los parámetros estimados obtenidos son razonables, y que el poder explicativo del modelo es muy satisfactorio en comparación a los resultados obtenidos por un análisis comparativo/competitivo de destinos a (competing destinations). [source]

Spring,summer temperature reconstruction in western Norway 1734,2003: a data-synthesis approach

INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF CLIMATOLOGY, Issue 15 2003
P. Ø. Nordli
Abstract A series of spring,summer (April,August) temperatures was reconstructed for the period 1734,1923 for western Norway based on multi-proxy data. For the period 1734,1842 the long-term variations were based on terminal moraines in front of two southern Norwegian glaciers, whereas the annual variations were based on grain-harvest data extracted from farmers' diaries. For the period 1843,1867 the spring,summer temperatures were reconstructed solely from diaries overlapping instrumental observations. All the results were incorporated into one series for the period 1734,2003 to form the Vestlandet composite series. The reconstruction method using terminal-moraine sequences was tested against the modern instrumental Bergen series for the periods of moraine formations in front of the glaciers. The agreement with the instrumental series was good, with the mean difference for all periods being only 0.2 °C. Analyses of decadal variations in western Norway revealed three periods of low spring,summer temperatures: around 1740, in the first decade of the 19th century, and in the 1830s. These periods are well known from historic records as periods of starvation, during which the use of bark bread became common. Copyright © 2003 Royal Meteorological Society [source]

Discovery of eclogite facies carbonate rocks from the Lindås Nappe, Caledonides, Western Norway

Calendar year age estimates of Allerød,Younger Dryas sea-level oscillations at Os, western Norway

JOURNAL OF QUATERNARY SCIENCE, Issue 5 2004
Øystein S. Lohne
Abstract A detailed shoreline displacement curve documents the Younger Dryas transgression in western Norway. The relative sea-level rise was more than 9,m in an area which subsequently experienced an emergence of almost 60,m. The sea-level curve is based on the stratigraphy of six isolation basins with bedrock thresholds. Effort has been made to establish an accurate chronology using a calendar year time-scale by 14C wiggle matching and the use of time synchronic markers (the Vedde Ash Bed and the post-glacial rise in Betula (birch) pollen). The sea-level curve demonstrates that the Younger Dryas transgression started close to the Allerød,Younger Dryas transition and that the high stand was reached only 200,yr before the Younger Dryas,Holocene boundary. The sea level remained at the high stand for about 300,yr and 100,yr into Holocene it started to fall rapidly. The peak of the Younger Dryas transgression occurred simultaneously with the maximum extent of the ice-sheet readvance in the area. Our results support earlier geophysical modelling concluding a causal relationship between the Younger Dryas glacier advance and Younger Dryas transgression in western Norway. We argue that the sea-level curve indicates that the Younger Dryas glacial advance started in the late Allerød or close to the Allerød,Younger Dryas transition. Copyright © 2004 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source]

Variability in temperature and geometry of the Norwegian Current over the past 600,yr; stable isotope and grain size evidence from the Norwegian margin

JOURNAL OF QUATERNARY SCIENCE, Issue 7 2003
Ida Malene Berstad
Abstract Core P1-003MC was retrieved from 851,m water depth on the southern Norwegian continental margin, close to the boundary between the Norwegian Current (NC) and the underlying cold Norwegian Sea Deep Water. The core chronology was established by using 210Pb measurements and 14C dates, suggesting a sampling resolution of between 2 and 9,yr. Sea-surface temperature (SST) variations in the NC are reconstructed from stable oxygen isotope measurements in two planktonic Foraminifera species, Neogloboquadrina pachyderma (d.) and Globigerina bulloides. The high temporal resolution of the SST proxy records allows direct comparison with instrumental ocean temperature measurements from Ocean Weather Ship (OWS) Mike in the Norwegian Sea and an air temperature record from the coastal island Ona, western Norway. The comparison of the instrumental and the proxy SST data suggests that N. pachyderma (d.) calcify during summer, whereas G. bulloides calcify during spring. The ,18O records of both species suggest that the past 70,yr have been the warmest throughout the past 600,yr. The spring and summer proxy temperature data suggest differences in the duration of the cold period of the Little Ice Age. The spring temperature was 1,3°C colder throughout most of the period between ca. AD 1400 and 1700, and the summer temperature was 1,2°C colder throughout most of the period between ca. AD 1400 and 1920. Fluctuations in the depth of the lower boundary of the NC have been investigated by examining grain size data and benthic foraminiferal assemblages. The data show that the transition depth of the lower boundary of the NC was deeper between ca. AD 1400 and 1650 than after ca. AD 1750 until present. Copyright © 2003 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source]

Scale-dependence of vegetation-environment relationships in semi-natural grasslands

JOURNAL OF VEGETATION SCIENCE, Issue 1 2008
Inger Auestad
Abstract Questions: Which environmental and management factors determine plant species composition in semi-natural grasslands within a local study area? Are vegetation and explanatory factors scale-dependent? Location: Semi-natural grasslands in Lærdal, Sognog Fjordane County, western Norway. Methods: We recorded plant species composition and explanatory variables in six grassland sites using a hierarchically nested sampling design with three levels: plots randomly placed within blocks selected within sites. We evaluated vegetation-environment relationships at all three levels by means of DCA ordination and split-plot GLM analyses. Results: The most important complex gradient determining variation in grassland species composition showed a broad-scale relationship with management. Soil moisture conditions were related to vegetation variation on block scale, whereas element concentrations in the soil were significantly related to variation in species composition on all spatial scales. Our results show that vegetation-environment relationships are dependent on the scale of observation. We suggest that scale-related (and therefore methodological) issues may explain the wide range of vegetation-environment relationships reported in the literature, for semi-natural grassland in particular but also for other ecosystems. Conclusions: Interpretation of the variation in species composition of semi-natural grasslands requires consideration of the spatial scales on which important environmental variables vary. [source]

Pattern and process in Norwegian upland grasslands: a functional analysis

JOURNAL OF VEGETATION SCIENCE, Issue 1 2002
Vigdis Vandvik
Lid & Lid (1994) Abstract. Four classes of functional and morphological plant traits , established strategies (the CSR scheme sensu Grime 1979), life-forms (sensu Raunkiaer 1934), morphology, and regenerative strategies , are used as tools for explaining vegetation gradients at summer farms in the mountains of western Norway. These farms are assembly points for free-ranging domestic grazers, and differ floristically and ecologically from the surrounding heath or woodland vegetation. DCA and TWINSPAN are used to relate major gradients in a floristic data set from 12 summer farms to two sets of explanatory variables: (1) environmental variables representing physical factors, plot position, soils, and land use, and (2) the 4 classification schemes. The main floristic gradient parallels a spatial gradient from the centres of the farms to the surrounding vegetation. A functional interpretation based on the concurrent use of the 2 sets of explanatory variables suggests that the gradient is one of decreasing disturbance and increasing environmental stress caused by decreasing grazing and manure effects away from farms. Partial CCA is used to investigate the relationships between the 4 functional/morphological plant trait classes. The 4 classification schemes are partially redundant, and do not represent different trends of specialization within the landscape. There is no strong evidence for decoupling of the traits of the vegetative and regenerative phases within the data. The combination of general process-based theories and specific plant attribute responses enhances the generality and interpretability of the study. [source]

THE HIGH-WATER MARK: THE SITING OF MEGALITHIC TOMBS ON THE SWEDISH ISLAND OF TJÖRN

OXFORD JOURNAL OF ARCHAEOLOGY, Issue 2 2004
RICHARD BRADLEY
Summary. In 1977 Grahame Clark suggested that the siting of megalithic tombs along the west coast of Scandinavia reflected the distribution of productive fishing grounds. Unlike the situation in other parts of Europe, these monuments were not associated with agriculture. Opinions have varied over the last quarter century, but enough is now known about changes of sea-level for his interpretation to be investigated on the ground. There seems to have been considerable diversity. On the large island of Örust some of the tombs located near to the sea appear to be associated with small natural enclosures defined by rock outcrops and may have been associated with grazing land. On the neighbouring island of Tjörn, however, the tombs were associated with small islands and important sea channels. During the Bronze Age the same areas included carvings of ships. Recent fieldwork in western Norway suggests that such locations were especially important in a maritime economy. [source]

Distribution of emm types and subtypes among noninvasive group A, C and G streptococcal isolates in western Norway,

APMIS, Issue 6 2008
BÅRD REIAKVAM KITTANG
Characterization of the reservoir of beta-hemolytic streptococci in a community may shed light on the pathogenesis of severe infections caused by these bacteria. We used emm sequence typing to characterize group A streptococci (GAS), group C streptococci (GCS) and group G streptococci (GGS) in community isolates associated with noninvasive disease in western Norway. A total of 165 isolates during a 13-month period were examined. Skin and throat isolates accounted for 123 and 16, respectively, and the remaining 26 isolates were from other non-sterile sites. We identified 18 previously validated emm types and one novel subtype, emm11.7, among the 101 GAS isolates. The two predominant types, emm28 and 12, were found in 40.6% of the GAS isolates. Compared to other recent studies of noninvasive GAS infections from elsewhere in the world, we found a higher frequency of emm82 (5.9%) and emm87 (12.9%) and a lower frequency of emm1 (4.0%) and emm3 (4.0%). We found a different distribution of GAS emm types compared to a previous study from western Norway. Among the 64 isolates of GCS and GGS, 15 previously described emm types and four novel subtypes, stC1400.5, stCK401.3, stG6.3 and stG652.3, were found. stG6, stG643 and stG485 were the most prevalent types and accounted for 59.4% of the GCS and GGS isolates. The high proportion of skin isolates in the present study may indicate the existence of GAS, GCS and GGS strains with predominantly skin and soft tissue tropism in our community. [source]

14C-dated fluctuations of the western flank of the Scandinavian Ice Sheet 45,25 kyr BP compared with Bølling,Younger Dryas fluctuations and Dansgaard,Oeschger events in Greenland

BOREAS, Issue 2 2010
JAN MANGERUD
Mangerud, J., Gulliksen, S. & Larsen, E. 2009: 14C-dated fluctuations of the western flank of the Scandinavian Ice Sheet 45,25 kyr BP compared with Bølling,Younger Dryas fluctuations and Dansgaard,Oeschger events in Greenland. Boreas, 10.1111/j.1502-3885.2009.00127.x. ISSN 0300-9483. We present 32 accelerator mass spectrometry (AMS) 14C dates obtained on well-preserved bones from caves in western Norway. The resulting ages of 34,28 14C kyr BP demonstrate that the coast was ice-free during the so-called Ålesund Interstadial. New AMS 14C dates on shells aged 41,38 14C kyr BP are evidence of an earlier (Austnes) ice-free period. The Ålesund Interstadial correlates with Greenland interstadials 8,7 and the Austnes Interstadial with Greenland interstadials 12,11. Between and after the two interstadials, the ice margin reached onto the continental shelf west of Norway. These events can be closely correlated with the Greenland ice core stratigraphy, partly based on identification of the Laschamp and Mono Lake palaeomagnetic excursions. We found that the pattern of the NGRIP ,18O curves for the two periods Greenland Interstadial (GI) 8 to Greenland Stadial (GS) 8 and GI 1,GS 1 (Bølling,Younger Dryas) were strikingly similar, which leads us to suggest that the underlying causes of these climate shifts could have been the same. We therefore discuss some aspects of glacial fluctuations during the Bølling,Younger Dryas in order to elucidate processes during Dansgaard,Oeschger events. [source]

Rhone River flood deposits in Lake Le Bourget: a proxy for Holocene environmental changes in the NW Alps, France

BOREAS, Issue 4 2005
Emmanuel Chapron
The Holocene evolution of Rhone River clastic sediment supply in Lake Le Bourget is documented by sub-bottom seismic profiling and multidisciplinary analysis of well-dated sediment cores. Six high-amplitude reflectors within the lacustrine drape can be correlated to periods of enhanced inter- and underflow deposition in sediment cores. Based on the synthesis of major environmental changes in the NW Alps and on the age-depth model covering the past 7500 years in Lake Le Bourget, periods of enhanced Rhone River flood events in the lake can be related to abrupt climate changes and/or to increasing land use since c. 2700 cal. yr BP. For example, significant land use under rather stable climate conditions during the Roman Empire may be responsible for large flood deposits in the northern part of Lake Le Bourget between AD 966 and 1093. However, during the Little Ice Age (LIA), well-documented major environmental changes in the catchment area essentially resulted from climate change and formed basin-wide major flood deposits in Lake Le Bourget. Up to five ,LIA-like' Holocene cold periods developing enhanced Rhone River flooding activity in Lake Le Bourget are documented at c. 7200, 5200, 2800, 1600 and 200 cal. yr BP. These abrupt climate changes were associated in the NW Alps with Mont Blanc glacier advances, enhanced glaciofluvial regimes and high lake levels. Correlations with European lake level fluctuations and winter precipitation regimes inferred from glacier fluctuations in western Norway suggest that these five Holocene cooling events at 45°N were associated with enhanced westerlies, possibly resulting from a persistent negative mode of the North Atlantic Oscillation. [source]

Storegga tsunami sand in peat below the Tapes beach ridge at Harøy, western Norway, and its possible relation to an early Stone Age settlement

BOREAS, Issue 3 2003
STEIN BONDEVIK
One of the early problems with the Storegga tsunami deposit was how to distinguish it from deposits of the midHolocene (Tapes) transgression. An excavation on Harøy, an island on the outermost western coast of Norway, shows a distinct, clean sand bed embedded in peat and clearly separated from the overlying Tapes beach deposits. This sand bed continues in the peat landwards of the beach ridge for at least 60 m. Radiocarbon dates of the peat show that the sand was deposited some time between 6900 and 7700 yr BP. The sedimentary structures of the bed, the 14C dates, and the fact that this is the only sand bed in the peat, suggest that the sand bed was deposited by a short-lived event, the Storegga tsunami. On the neighbouring island, Fjørtoft, a Stone Age settlement, dated to 7500 yr BP, was discovered in the early 1970s. The settlement was found underneath a sand bed that later had been covered by the Tapes beach ridge deposits. When discovered, the sand covering the settlement was inferred as eolian sand. However, this investigation shows that the Storegga tsunami deposited a widespread sand bed on the land surface around this time with a similar grain size distribution to eolian sand. It is therefore suggested that the sand bed covering this settlement was deposited from the Storegga tsunami. Both the stratigraphy and 14C dates demonstrate that the Tapes transgression maximum was reached well after the Storegga tsunami on Harøy, between 6500 and 6100 yr BP. [source]

Long-term mortality among young ischemic stroke patients in western Norway

ACTA NEUROLOGICA SCANDINAVICA, Issue 3 2007
U. Waje-Andreassen
Objectives,,, To obtain data on long-term mortality among young ischemic stroke patients compared with controls in this population-based study. Material and methods ,, We used Kaplan,Meier survival analysis to compare 232 patients aged 15,49 years with first-ever cerebral infarction in 1988,1997 and 453 controls followed from inclusion to death or 1 August 2005 for 2515 and 5558 person-years respectively. In a subanalysis of 192 patients, we compared risk factor variables using the Kaplan,Meier method and log-rank testing. We applied a Cox proportional hazards model to adjust for multiple risk factors. Results ,, Forty-five patients and nine controls died during follow-up (P < 0.0005). Independent risk factors for mortality were active tumor disease (P < 0.0005), high consumption of alcohol (P < 0.0005), coronary atherosclerosis (P < 0.001), living alone (P < 0.02), seizures (P < 0.04) and smoking (P = 0.08). Conclusions ,, Long-term mortality was significantly increased among young stroke patients, mainly due to such lifestyle factors as high consumption of alcohol and tobacco. [source]