Hasil untuk "Norway"

Heidi Marie Meling, Valborg Baste, Sabine Ruths et al.

Abstract Background Depressive disorders can negatively impact work life sustainability for affected individuals. Little is known about depression care trajectories and their association with sustainable return to work (SRTW) after long-term sick leave. This study aimed to identify depression care trajectories during the first three months of sick leave among long-term sick-listed workers with depression and investigate their associations with SRTW. Methods Design Nationwide cohort study using linked data from Norwegian health and population registries. Study population: All inhabitants of Norway aged 20–64 from 1 January 2009 to 1 April 2011, who were diagnosed with depression in general practice, and had reached three months consecutive sick leave (n = 13 624, 63.7% women). Exposure: Depression care trajectories during the first three months of initial sick leave, identified using group-based multi-trajectory modeling. Types of depression care included were general practitioner (GP) consults, GP longer consults and/or talking therapy, antidepressant medication (MED), and specialized mental healthcare. Outcome: SRTW, measured by accumulated all-cause sickness absence days during two-year follow-up after initial sick leave, with cutoffs at 0, ≤ 30, and ≤ 90 days. Analysis: Gender stratified generalized linear models, used to investigate the associations between depression care trajectories and SRTW, adjusting for sociodemographic factors and sick leave duration. Results Four depression care trajectory groups were identified: “GP 12 weeks” (37.2%), “GP 2 weeks” (18.6%), “GP & MED 12 weeks” (40.0%), and “Specialist, GP & MED 12 weeks” (8.7%). The “GP 12 weeks” group (reference) had the highest proportion attaining SRTW for both genders. Men in the “GP 2 weeks” group had a 12–14% lower likelihood for SRTW compared to the reference. Women in the “Specialist,GP & MED 12 weeks 12 weeks” group had a 19- 23% lower likelihood for SRTW compared to the reference. Conclusion The association between depression care trajectories and SRTW varies by gender. However, trajectories involving follow-up by the GP, including both standard and longer consults and/or talking therapy over 12 weeks, showed the highest likelihood of SRTW for both genders. Enhancing GP resources could improve SRTW outcomes by allowing more frequent and longer consultations or talking therapy.

Omid Khatin-Zadeh, Danyal Farsani, Hassan Banaruee

It has been argued that many metaphors are understood through the mapping of an image-schematic structure from the source onto the target. This image-schematic structure can be depicted by a gesture that is called gestural depiction of metaphor schema. In this study, we tried to find out how metaphor schema’s gestural depiction may affect metaphor comprehension. Three groups of participants made judgments on the acceptability of the same set of metaphors in three different conditions: congruent gesture-aligned conditions, incongruent gesture-aligned conditions, and no-gesture conditions. In congruent gesture-aligned conditions, metaphor schema, and the gesture accompanying the metaphor were congruent. In incongruent gesture-aligned conditions, metaphor schema, and the accompanying gesture were not congruent. Our findings showed that in congruent conditions, acceptability judgments were made in the shortest periods of time, and metaphorical sentences had the highest degrees of acceptability. In contrast, in incongruent gesture-aligned conditions, acceptability judgments were made in the longest periods of time, and metaphorical sentences had the lowest degrees of acceptability. Based on these results, we suggest that gestural depiction of metaphor schema activates the prominent property defining the metaphorical meaning and suppresses metaphorically-irrelevant properties. This impact is more significant when the key semantic property is spatial.

Gianenrico Rizzatti, Bertrand Napoléon, Fabrice Caillol et al.

Juan Manuel Vazquez, Jane I. Khudyakov, Carla B. Madelaire et al.

Marine mammals are integral to global biodiversity and marine health through their roles in coastal, benthic, and pelagic ecosystems. Marine mammals face escalating threats from climate change, pollution, and human activities, which perturb their oceanic environment. The diverse biology and extreme adaptations evolved by marine mammals make them important study subjects for understanding anthropogenic pressures on marine ecosystems. However, ethical and logistical constraints restrict the tractability of experimental research with live marine mammals. Additionally, studies on the effects of changing ocean environments are further complicated by intricate gene-environment interactions across populations and species. These obstacles can be overcome with a comprehensive strategy that involves a systems-level approach integrating genotype to phenotype using rigorously defined experimental conditions in vitro and ex vivo. A thorough analysis of the interactions between the genetics of marine mammals and their exposure to anthropogenic pressures will enable robust predictions about how global environmental changes will affect their health and populations. In this perspective, we discuss four challenges of implementing such non-invasive approaches across scientific fields and international borders: 1) practical and ethical limitations of in vivo experimentation with marine mammals, 2) accessibility to relevant tissue samples and cell cultures; 3) open access to harmonized methods and datasets and 4) ethical and equitable research practices. Successful implementation of the proposed approach has the potential impact to inspire new solutions and strategies for marine conservation.

Sopisa Benjakul, Aina Karen Anthi, Anette Kolderup et al.

Abstract Immunocompromised patients often fail to raise protective vaccine-induced immunity against the global emergence of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) variants. Although monoclonal antibodies have been authorized for clinical use, most have lost their ability to potently neutralize the evolving Omicron subvariants. Thus, there is an urgent need for treatment strategies that can provide protection against these and emerging SARS-CoV-2 variants to prevent the development of severe coronavirus disease 2019. Here, we report on the design and characterization of a long-acting viral entry-blocking angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (ACE2) dimeric fusion molecule. Specifically, a soluble truncated human dimeric ACE2 variant, engineered for improved binding to the receptor-binding domain of SARS-CoV-2, was fused with human albumin tailored for favorable engagement of the neonatal fragment crystallizable receptor (FcRn), which resulted in enhanced plasma half-life and allowed for needle-free transmucosal delivery upon nasal administration in human FcRn-expressing transgenic mice. Importantly, the dimeric ACE2-fused albumin demonstrated potent neutralization of SARS-CoV-2 immune escape variants.

Giulia Di Nunno, Kęstutis Kubilius, Yuliya Mishura et al.

In this paper, we present a comprehensive survey of continuous stochastic volatility models, discussing their historical development and the key stylized facts that have driven the field. Special attention is dedicated to fractional and rough methods: without advocating for either roughness or long memory, we outline the motivation behind them and characterize some landmark models. In addition, we briefly touch on the problem of VIX modeling and recent advances in the SPX-VIX joint calibration puzzle.

Daniel Hatlem, Mikkel Christensen, Nina K. Broeker et al.

α-helical coiled-coils are ubiquitous protein structures in all living organisms. For decades, modified coiled-coils sequences have been used in biotechnology, vaccine development, and biochemical research to induce protein oligomerization, and form self-assembled protein scaffolds. A prominent model for the versatility of coiled-coil sequences is a peptide derived from the yeast transcription factor, GCN4. In this work, we show that its trimeric variant, GCN4-pII, binds bacterial lipopolysaccharides (LPS) from different bacterial species with picomolar affinity. LPS molecules are highly immunogenic, toxic glycolipids that comprise the outer leaflet of the outer membrane of Gram-negative bacteria. Using scattering techniques and electron microscopy, we show how GCN4-pII breaks down LPS micelles in solution. Our findings suggest that the GCN4-pII peptide and derivatives thereof could be used for novel LPS detection and removal solutions with high relevance to the production and quality control of biopharmaceuticals and other biomedical products, where even minuscule amounts of residual LPS can be lethal.

Maria C. Magnus, Nils-Halvdan Morken, Knut-Arne Wensaas et al.

BackgroundIncreased risk of miscarriage has been reported for women with specific chronic health conditions. A broader investigation of chronic diseases and miscarriage risk may uncover patterns across categories of illness. The objective of this study was to study the risk of miscarriage according to various preexisting chronic diseases.Methods and findingsWe conducted a registry-based study. Registered pregnancies (n= 593,009) in Norway between 2010 and 2016 were identified through 3 national health registries (birth register, general practitioner data, and patient registries). Six broad categories of illness were identified, comprising 25 chronic diseases defined by diagnostic codes used in general practitioner and patient registries. We required that the diseases were diagnosed before the pregnancy of interest. Miscarriage risk according to underlying chronic diseases was estimated as odds ratios (ORs) using generalized estimating equations adjusting for woman’s age. The mean age of women at the start of pregnancy was 29.7 years (SD 5.6 years). We observed an increased risk of miscarriage among women with cardiometabolic diseases (OR 1.25, 95% CI 1.20 to 1.31;p-value <0.001). Within this category, risks were elevated for all conditions: atherosclerosis (2.22; 1.42 to 3.49;p-value <0.001), hypertensive disorders (1.19; 1.13 to 1.26;p-value <0.001), and type 2 diabetes (1.38; 1.26 to 1.51;p-value <0.001). Among other categories of disease, risks were elevated for hypoparathyroidism (2.58; 1.35 to 4.92;p-value 0.004), Cushing syndrome (1.97; 1.06 to 3.65;p-value 0.03), Crohn’s disease (OR 1.31; 95% CI: 1.18 to 1.45;p-value 0.001), and endometriosis (1.22; 1.15 to 1.29;p-value <0.001). Findings were largely unchanged after mutual adjustment. Limitations of this study include our inability to adjust for measures of socioeconomic position or lifestyle characteristics, in addition to the rareness of some of the conditions providing limited power.ConclusionsIn this registry study, we found that, although risk of miscarriage was largely unaffected by maternal chronic diseases, risk of miscarriage was associated with conditions related to cardiometabolic health. This finding is consistent with emerging evidence linking cardiovascular risk factors to pregnancy complications.

Anne B. Reinertsen

This is a collection of articles preoccupied with the future of education [...]

Jeevan Karloss Antony Samy, Odd Arne Rognli, Mallikarjuna Rao Kovi

Abstract Meadow fescue (Festuca pratensis Huds.) is one of the most important forage grasses in temperate regions. It is a diploid (2n = 14) outbreeding species that belongs to the genus Festuca. Together with Lolium perenne, they are the most important genera of forage grasses. Meadow fescue has very high quality of yield with good winter survival and persistency. However, extensive genomic resources for meadow fescue have not become available so far. To address this lack of comprehensive publicly available datasets, we have developed functionally annotated draft genome sequences of two meadow fescue genotypes, ‘HF7/2’ and ‘B14/16’, and constructed the platform ForageGrassBase, available at http://foragegrass.org/, for data visualization, download and querying. This is the first open-access platform that provides extensive genomic resources related to this forage grass species. The current database provides the most up-to-date draft genome sequence along with structural and functional annotations for genes that can be accessed using Genome Browser (GBrowse), along with comparative genomic alignments to Arabidopsis, L. perenne, barley, rice, Brachypodium and maize genomes. We have integrated homologous search tool BLAST also for the users to analyze their data. Combined, GBrowse, BLAST and downloadable data gives a user-friendly access to meadow fescue genomic resources. To our knowledge, ForageGrassBase is the first genome database dedicated to forage grasses. The current forage grass database provides valuable resources for a range of research fields related to meadow fescue and other forage crop species, as well as for plant research communities in general. The genome database can be accessed at http://foragegrass.org.

JOSÉ A. CARRILLO, KATRIN GRUNERT, HELGE HOLDEN

We analyze stability of conservative solutions of the Cauchy problem on the line for the Camassa–Holm (CH) equation. Generically, the solutions of the CH equation develop singularities with steep gradients while preserving continuity of the solution itself. In order to obtain uniqueness, one is required to augment the equation itself by a measure that represents the associated energy, and the breakdown of the solution is associated with a complicated interplay where the measure becomes singular. The main result in this paper is the construction of a Lipschitz metric that compares two solutions of the CH equation with the respective initial data. The Lipschitz metric is based on the use of the Wasserstein metric.

Steven Coats

The ZipfExplorer is a tool for the interactive comparison and visualization of shared word type frequencies for two texts or corpora. The tool can be used to give insight into similarities and differences in textual and discourse content in terms of individual keywords or groups of keywords, and also calculates several measures of lexical diversity for the shared types of the selected texts. A selection of texts and corpora can be analyzed, and users can upload their own files for interactive comparison.

Timo Pukkala, Kjersti Hanssen, Kjell Andreassen

Based on data from long-term experimental fields with Norway spruce ( (L.) H. Karst.), we developed new stem taper and bark functions for Norway. Data was collected from 477 trees in stands across Norway. Three candidate functions which have shown good performance in previous studies (Kozak 02, Kozak 97 and Bi) were fitted to the data as fixed-effects models. The function with the smallest Akaike Information Criterion (AIC) was then chosen for additional analyses, fitting 1) site index-dependent and 2) age-dependent versions of the model, and 3) fitting a mixed-effects model with tree-specific random parameters. Kozak 97 was found to be the function with the smallest AIC, but all three tested taper functions resulted in fairly similar predictions of stem taper. The site index-dependent function reduced AIC and residual standard error and showed that the effect of site index on stem taper is different in small and large trees. The predictions of the age-independent and age-dependent models were very close to each other. Adding tree-specific random parameters to the model clearly reduced AIC and residual variation. However, the results suggest that the mixed-effects model should be used only when it is possible to calibrate it for each tree, otherwise the fixed-effects Kozak 97 model should be used. A model for double bark thickness was also fitted as fixed-effects Kozak 97 model. The model behaved logically, predicting larger relative but smaller absolute bark thickness for small trees.Picea abies

Åge Garnes, Morten Morå

Entreprenører representerer den helt nye ettervekst – de nye byggeklossene – i næringslivet. Entreprenørlysten er kjempestor. Noen ganske få entreprenører har kommersiell supersuksess. Slike bygger gigantvirksomheter. De starter på nytt, de restrukturerer, og de sprer seg. De opptrer etter hvert som næringslivsarkitekter. De største nye byggeklossene har enorm potent reproduksjonsevne. De aller fleste – hundretusener – blir det lite eller ingenting av. Noen titalls er forskningsbaserte, noen tusen er mellomstore. Noen er nyskapende, noen lovende kremmere, mens svært mange er frilansere og yrkesbaserte. Entreprenører er en kaleidoskopisk forsamling. De har svært ulikt kommersielt potensial, og de har ulike ressurser, ulike evner, ulike behov, og deres ulike etableringer kan ha nytte av ulike former for impuls og støtte.

Lillian Hansen, Lillian Hansen

This paper investigates transition pathways using an example from the bioeconomy: salmon farming and feed development in Norway. With a Multi-Level Perspective (MLP), the analysis shows how a crucial biological input factor, feed, was gradually developed and innovated through interactions among technologies, institutions, and landscape (external) pressures, with the industry’s ambitions of becoming more sustainable. The case story presents the start of salmon farming as an example of an incremental transformation pathway with gradual reorientations in the 1960s’, where the shift from wet feed to dry, extruded feed was a crucial technological enabler. At the start of the 1990s, strong exogenous changes, including an economic crisis of overproduction and declines in salmon prices, led to extensive institutional changes. Shifts in ownership and the introduction of feed quotas brought a substitution pathway, whereby salmon farming became a national economic project. As production recovered, however, overfishing for feed became a concern. From the late 1990s on, the sociotechnical regime followed a reconfiguration pathway with the innovation of among others plant-based feed input. Over time, using vegetarian salmon feed has had unintended consequences, particularly environmental and social problems related to soy production. While neither technologies nor transitions in themselves are sustainable, this case exhibits a shift in transition pathways and how the salmon farming industry was able to respond to different sustainability concerns over time. Yet, as the transition to soy-based salmon feed demonstrates, this development entails only a weak sustainability with a main focus on economic sustainability, which also could be the case as new innovative feed substitutions continue to evolve. This finding is line with the critique of the bioeconomy agenda for paying insufficient attention to environmental sustainability and for failing to challenge predominant structures in society.

Jessica Allen Hanssen

Philip Pullman’s His Dark Materials trilogy reinvigorated the high fantasy genre, not least by his invention of the dæmon. In this article I argue that the dæmon concept, when applied as a drawing exercise in the teacher education context, provides important insight into the vast diversity of interests, feelings, and values of ELT student teachers as they prepare to enter their chosen profession. From the years 2007-2017, approximately 200 university students were invited to draw a representation of their ‘dæmon’. The drawings, assembled and analysed as a data set based on markers such as the student teachers’ gender, as well as by content, size, and relative creativity, allow certain patterns and tendencies to become visible, and individual drawings also serve as important reflection points on the novel and the nature of teaching literature. Northern Lights, the first book of His Dark Materials trilogy, makes for excellent reading, and is also a helpful book to use in the teacher education context, to help student teachers learn the conventions of the fantasy genre and understand how knowledge of the genre can enhance their teaching practice. This article therefore presents a long-term learning activity connected to teaching Northern Lights, as a way into working with genre conventions, and also as a point of departure on the subject of the importance of self-reflection in the literature classroom’s interpretative community.

Kim S. Jacobsen, John D.C. Linnell

Lars Henrik Erlandsen, Thomas de Lange

Sammendrag Erfaringsbasert undervisning fremheves ofte som godt egnet i praksisorienterte profesjonsutdanninger, fordi studenten utfordres til aktivt å vurdere hvordan fag knyttes til yrkesrelevante situasjoner. En utfordring med denne undervisningen er at studenten opplever læringsarbeidet som sammensatt og komplekst. Denne kompleksiteten blir ofte håndtert ved å trekke inn fagstøtte i form av faglig erfarne veiledere. På krigsskolens lederutdanning har denne veilederstøtten blitt håndtert ved å implementere medstudentveiledning. Denne medstudentveiledningen praktiseres i det avsluttende året på profesjonsstudiet, der ansatte veiledere erstattes med en medstudent fra samme studienivå. Artikkelen dokumenterer hvordan denne ordningen fungerer, hvilke utfordringer studentene støter på og hvilke sider av denne ordningen som fremstår som spesielt konstruktive. Det empiriske materialet i artikkelen er basert på fokusgruppeintervjuer som dekker både studentveilederes og medstudenters perspektiv. Funnene fra analysen viser at samtlige parter opplever ordningen positiv og særlig fruktbar hva angår yrkesrelevant ledelsestrening. En utfordring med ordningen er at medstudentveiledere og studenter i liten grad er forberedt på de spesifikke utfordringene som ligger i å veilede medstudenter og personer på samme faglige nivå.

Fredrik Lundvall, Pascal D. C. Dietzel, Helmer Fjellvåg

In the title compound, C18H18O6, the benzene rings are coplanar due to the centrosymmetric nature of the molecule, with an inversion centre located at the midpoint of the C—C bond between the two rings. Consequently, the methyl carboxylate substituents are oriented in a trans fashion with regards to the bond between the benzene rings. The methyl carboxylate and methoxy substituents are rotated slightly out of plane relative to their parent benzene rings, with dihedral and torsion angles of 18.52 (8) and −5.22 (15)°, respectively. The shortest O...H contact between neighbouring molecules is about 2.5 Å. Although some structure-directing contributions from C—H...O hydrogen-bonding interactions are possible, the crystal packing seems primarily directed by weak van der Waals forces.

Gundersen KG, Potvin R

Kjell G Gundersen,1 Rick Potvin21IFocus &Oslash;yeklinikk AS, Haugesund, Norway; 2Science in Vision, Akron, NY, USAPurpose: To compare the visual acuity (VA) and quality of vision between bilateral implantation of a trifocal intraocular lens (IOL) and blended bifocal IOLs with an intermediate add in the dominant eye and a near add in the nondominant eye.Patients and methods: Patients with either trifocal or blended bifocal IOLs implanted were recruited after surgery. Subjects returned for a single diagnostic visit between 3 and 24 months after surgery. VA was tested at various distances, including low-contrast acuity and acuity at their preferred reading distance. A binocular defocus curve was obtained, and subjective visual function and quality of vision were evaluated.Results: Twenty-five trifocal subjects and 30 blended bifocal subjects were enrolled. There were no significant differences in low-contrast acuity, preferred reading distance, or acuity at that reading distance. Binocular vision at 4 m, 60 cm, and 40 cm was not statistically significantly different. The trifocal provided statistically significantly better visual acuity (P&lt;0.05) at vergences from -0.5 to -1.5 D (from 2 m to 67 cm viewing distance, P&lt;0.05). There was no statistically significant difference in the near vision subscale scores of the 39-question National Eye Institute Visual Function Questionnaire or the overall scores of the Quality of Vision questionnaire, though significantly more trifocal subjects reported that the observed visual disturbances were &ldquo;bothersome&rdquo; (P&lt;0.05).Conclusion: Both lens modalities provided subjects with excellent binocular near and distance vision, with similar low rates of visual disturbances and good reported functional vision. The trifocal IOL provided significantly better intermediate VA in the viewing distance range of 2 m to 67 cm, corresponding to viewing things such as a car dashboard or grocery shelf. VA was similar between groups at viewing distances from 60 to 40 cm, corresponding to computer or reading distance.Keywords: ReSTOR, At LISA tri, multifocal IOL, cataract, presbyopia