Conditions In Norway Research Articles

Parents’ Views on Mobile Phone Use

Mobile phones have become almost ubiquitous, including the lives of parents of young children. This paper examined the question of how parents with young children living in Norway perceive their phone usage. Twelve parents were interviewed individually about situations and for what purposes they used their phones, whether they had discussed mobile media with others and how they felt about it. Interviews were analyzed thematically. Parents reported using their phones mainly for information seeking and communication and networking in their role as parents. Mobile phones were evaluated as positive or helpful to parents. However, situations that were deemed to require parents’ focused attention, such as playing or book-reading were considered inappropriate for using mobile phones, as were mealtimes. Situations in which children were occupied with playing or watching TV were considered acceptable for using mobile phones. Visits to the playground seemed controversial and situational. Being present emerged as a major theme of good parenting and even though brief and important usages of the phone were considered somewhat acceptable while with children, many parents reported feeling guilty about their usage. Several usage reduction strategies were described such as muting the phone or certain notifications or putting the phone away. Despite national guidelines recommending the topic, the majority had not received information about parental screen use from health care personnel. In contrast, many had discussed the topic with friends and family members, sometimes controversially. The results are briefly discussed in light of the previous research and the societal conditions in Norway.

Association between Johns Hopkins Adjusted Clinical Groups risk scores and self-reported outcome measures: an observational study among individuals with complex or long-term conditions in Norway

ObjectiveInvestigate the association between Johns Hopkins Adjusted Clinical Groups (ACG) risk scores and low scores in self-reported outcome measures (SROMs) among individuals with complex or long-term conditions.DesignLongitudinal study using five...

Scandinavian experiments in democratic education

This article is the first of four articles exploring democratic schools co-founded by teenage students in Norway and Sweden. Our larger project explores the relationship between democracy in education and educational dialogism. Both democracy in education and educational dialogism are partially rooted in the idea that education should be a personal meaning-making practice where the participants can create and organize their lives in ways that make sense to them and explore their interests, values, and desires. We describe the processes of founding two schools – one in Oslo, Norway, and the other in Gothenburg, Sweden – in which students practiced the right to democratic governance. We describe the process of the founding of these schools against the background of the students’ movements in the late 1960s and the 1970s and the social and political conditions in Norway and Sweden at that time. We explore the students’ perspectives on the possibility, desirability, and legitimacy of the students’ voices in ethical-ontological dialogues in which the participants jointly examine their relationships with the world, with others, and with themselves. Further, we explore the forms of democratic school governance that Norwegian and Swedish students created and identified tensions that appeared between the legitimacy of individual students’ rights to ownership of their learning, teachers’ ownership of teaching, and the conventional normative educational policies in Norway and Sweden.

Experts and migrants – A survey experiment on public acceptance of violence and child protection interventions

Do experts influence public attitudes toward familial violence and child protection interventions? Are public attitudes on familial violence and child protection interventions biased against migrant families? I conduct a vignette experiment survey on the Norwegian population’s acceptance of psychological and indirect violence to determine whether acceptance increases or decreases due to causal claims credited to experts and/or alleged violence in migrant families, and whether these factors influence the population’s recommended intervention. The analysis shows that there is significant differential acceptance with regard to violence in the children’s environment in migrant and non-migrant families. Yet, concerning psychological violence and state interventions there appears to be little difference. The population attitudes appear unaffected by expert claims with regard to acceptance of violence and state interventions. The study contextualises criticism against the Norwegian child protection services that claims migrant children risks living longer under violent conditions in Norway, as well as claims about a lack of cultural sensitivity. Judicial decision-makers acting in this environment must balance allegations of violence with societal norms and the law, having to ensure equality and not legitimising potential discriminating attitudes.

Risk Assessment of the Fungicide Talius with the Active Substances Proquinazid

Talius is a new fungicide containing the new active substance proquinazid. Talius is a fungicide against cereal powdery mildew (Blumeria graminis) in cereals and grass seed. The risk assessment was finalized at a meeting Mai 29, 2012, by VKM’s Scientific Panel on plant protection products (VKM). VKM is in particular asked by the Norwegian Food Safety Authority to look at the following: 
 
 The human health risk for operators related to the properties of the active substance and the product. o The effects seen in studies on dog and if these effects warrant a classification for chronic toxicity. o The oncogenic effects in liver and thyroid. o The establishment of reference values (ADI, AOEL and ARfD). o Dermal absorption. o The classification and labelling of the active substances and the product. • The fate and behaviour in the environment and the ecotoxical effects and risks with regard to the properties of Talius and proquinazid.
 
 VKM’s conclusion is as follows: 
 Health:
 VKM concluded that a less serious effect (dose-related ocular discharge increase) was seen in dogs in both the 90 days study and 1 year-study. The opinion of the Panel is that cholangiocarcinomas is relevant for the classification of cancer and VKM is concerned about these effects. 
 VKM proposes an NOAEL of 1.2 mg/kg bw/day for proquinazid based on the 2 year study with rats.
 VKM support:
 
 The proposed ADI value of 0.01 mg/kg bw/day. • The proposed AOEL value of 0.02 mg/kg bw/day.
 
 
 
 The proposed ARfD value of 0.2 mg/kg bw/day. • The proposed classification from The Norwegian Food Safety Authority.
 
 VKM supports The Norwegian Food and Safety Authority calculations for dermal absorption under Norwegian directions for use (2.6 times higher dilution).
 Environment:
 Proquinazid can be persistent under prevailing conditions in Norway and the Panel considers the results from the Finnish PEC calculator to be relevant for Norwegian conditions and expects that repeated annual applications may cause accumulation in soil up to an equilibrium level under Norwegian conditions.The potential for groundwater contamination from leaching of proquinazid and its metabolites are low. There are minimal risks for toxic effects of proquinazid to terrestrial organisms, sediment dwelling organisms, aquatic plants, and algae with the proposed application regime. 
 For fish and invertebrates minimal risks are calculated provided that a 3 m buffer zone is used.

"Imagine, 7 Years Without a Future": A Qualitative Study of Rejected Asylum Seekers' Life Conditions in Norway.

Asylum seekers are in an extraordinary situation as their future life depend on decisions made by authorities in a bewildering, bureaucratic system, with excessive waiting and unpredictable timeframes. Those that are not granted asylum, and not able to return to their country of origin, can neither spatially nor temporally visualize if, when or how a potential change is going to occur. This paper is part of a larger study based on narrative interviews with asylum seekers and refugees in asylum centers in Norway, exploring their experiences before, during, and after flight. As we found that the life circumstances for those being refused asylum, were highly different from other participants in the project, we chose to address this particular group in a separate paper. The participants in this part of the study consisted of 21 individuals (of a total of 78 participants) in the age range 18–44, of whom eight were female and 13 males. Trough qualitative interviews and participant observation the aim of this study was to explore and describe the life condition and mental health situation of rejected asylum seekers in Norway. We found that the gradual loss of rights, opportunities and finances are experienced as a form of violence that leads to extreme mental and social suffering. This policy clearly conflicts with Human Rights incorporated in the Norwegian constitution, and we argue that it legitimizes treating asylum seekers as a group of undesirable and underserving political bodies, with serious consequences for their mental health and wellbeing.

Production Methods for High Yielding Plants of Everbearing Strawberry in the Nordic Climate

Environmental conditions during plant raising determine the yield potential of everbearing strawberries. We studied the effect of three rooting dates in the cultivars ‘Favori’ and ‘Murano’ in a greenhouse with 18 ℃ and 20-h long day and under outdoor conditions in Norway. The highest yield of 1.350 g/plant was obtained in ‘Favori’ plants rooted on 1 August and raised outdoors, being at level with ‘Favori’ plants produced in The Netherlands. High yields were mainly related to fruit size and less to fruit number, and determined by a complex three-factor interaction of rooting date, raising environment, and cultivar. The seasonal pattern of fruit flushes and off periods varied significantly between cultivars and treatments. The large first flush of high yielding ‘Favori’ plants was associated with a long off period, while the small first flush in ‘Murano’ resulted in a more even crop distribution. Earliness of ripening and berry harvest was superior in ‘Favori’, which had a larger share of its crop during the first half-season. We conclude that it is possible by choosing the right rooting date and raising environment to produce plants with the same high quality and yield potential under the cool Nordic conditions as those currently produced in Central Europe.

Self-reported Mental and Physical Health Among Norwegian Adolescents Before and During the COVID-19 Pandemic

The COVID-19 pandemic and resulting conditions may negatively affect adolescents. To examine aspects of self-reported mental and physical health among adolescents in Norway before and during the pandemic, including the role of pandemic-associated anxiety. This cohort study examined a diverse nationwide sample of grade 11 students from the longitudinal MyLife study in Norway. The original study recruitment of all 8th, 9th, and 10th graders from the same middle schools facilitated identification of 2 sociodemographically comparable cohorts assessed in October to December 2018 and 2019, before the COVID-19 pandemic, and October to December 2020, during the pandemic. School entry and enrollment in Norway is determined by the birth year, and students usually start high school (11th grade) during the fall of the year of their 16th birthday. Data were analyzed from March to June 2021. The COVID-19 pandemic and associated conditions in Norway. In grades 10 and 11, adolescents reported their depression symptoms using the Patient Health Questionnaire-9 (cutoff scores for moderate/severe depression, ≥15), number of close friends, physical health, and organized sports participation. Cohort differences were examined with a set of nested regression models, incrementally controlling for sociodemographic covariates and grade 10 outcomes. A sample of 2536 adolescents (1505 [59.4%] girls) was analyzed, including 1621 adolescents before the pandemic and 915 adolescents during the pandemic, of whom 158 adolescents (17.3%) reported high pandemic anxiety. The only significant difference in outcomes between the COVID-19 cohort and the pre-COVID-19 cohort were lower odds of organized sports participation (adjusted odds ratio [aOR], 0.69; 95% CI, 0.56-0.87). However, in subanalyses comparing adolescents with high anxiety during the COVID-19 pandemic with adolescents in the pre-COVID-19 cohort, adolescents with high pandemic anxiety were more likely to experience clinical-level depression symptoms (aOR, 2.17; 95% CI, 1.39-3.37) and poor physical health (aOR, 1.53; 95% CI, 1.01-2.31). In this cohort study of Norwegian adolescents, adolescents who started high school during the pandemic year had lower odds of organized sports participation in late 2020, but were otherwise comparable in terms of self-reported mental and physical health with their pre-COVID-19 counterparts. However, adolescents in the COVID-19 cohort experiencing high pandemic-related anxiety had significantly greater odds of poorer mental and physical health than adolescents in the pre-COVID-19 cohort. Strategies aiming to mitigate the impact of COVID-19 may benefit from identifying youth disproportionally affected by the pandemic conditions.

Effects of Runner Removal and Partial Defoliation on the Growth and Yield Performance of ‘Favori’ Everbearing Strawberry Plants

It is not known to what degree growth and fruit yield are source-limited in everbearing strawberry plants. The growth and yield performance effect of bi-weekly removal of all runners and/or one or two leaves during the cropping season of tunnel-grown ‘Favori’ everbearing strawberry plants was determined. Plants were grown on a table-top system in an open plastic tunnel under natural light conditions in Norway from May to October. Removal of runners and leaves was bi-weekly from 5 June until 25 September. Fruits were harvested from 5 July to 7 October. Bi-weekly runner removal increased total and marketable yield and number and size of fruits, while increasing leaf thinning had the opposite effects. However, none of the treatments affected the fruit number and yield of the first fruiting flush. The treatments did not affect realization of the yield potential of the plants at planting, whereas the continued floral initiation and fruit growth were enhanced by runner removal. Increasing leaf thinning had the opposite effects. Both floral initiation and fruit growth in heavily flowering and fruiting everbearing strawberry are source-limited owing to the high fruit/leaf ratio of such plants.

Validity and reliability of the Norwegian version of the eHealth Literacy Scale (eHEALS) among patients after percutaneous coronary intervention

Abstract Funding Acknowledgements The Western Norway Health Authority. OnBehalf The CONCARD-PCI Investigators Background In recent years an internet-based technology has become an important source for providing health information to patients after an acute cardiac event. Therefore, consideration of patients’ perceived eHealth literacy skills, is crucial for improving patient-centred health information after percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI). Purpose The aim of this study was to translate and adapt the eHealth literacy Scale (eHEALS) to conditions in Norway, and to determine the psychometric properties of the eHEALS in self-report format administered to patients after PCI. Methods The original English version of the eHEALS was translated into Norwegian, following a cross-cultural adaptation process. Further, we set out to determine the reliability (internal consistency, test-retest) and construct validity (structural validity, hypotheses testing and cross-cultural validity). Internal consistency was calculated using Cronbach alpha. Intra-class correlation (ICC) was used to assess test-retest reliability. A confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) was performed for a priori hypotheses 1-, 2- and 3-factor model. Demographic information, health-related internet use, health literacy and health status were collected to correlate with eHEALS scores. Results For the validation, 1695 patients were included after PCI. Mean age was 66 years. Most of the patients were male (78%). Cronbach’s alpha for the eHEALS was >0.999. The corresponding Cronbach’s alpha for the 2-week retest was >0.937. The ICC for eHEALS was 0.605 (95% CI 0.419-0.743, P < 0.001). CFA showed a modest model fit of the 1- and 2-factor model. After modifications in the 3-factor model, all the goodness-of-fit indices indicated a good fit. A weak correlation with age (r=-0.206) was found. Employed and higher educated patients scored higher on the eHEALS: There was a higher eHEALS score for the patients with higher education level compared with those with lower education level (mean difference between 2.24 (P = 0.002) and 4.61 (P < 0.001)), and for the patients who were employed compared to those who were retired (mean difference 2.31, P < 0.001). The eHEALS score was higher among the patients who reported to use the internet to find health information (95% CI -21.40, -17.21 (P < 0.001)). There was a moderate correlation with perceived usefulness (r = 0.587) and importance (r = 0.574) of using the internet for health information. There was a moderate correlation with the health literacy dimensions for appraisal of health information (r= 0.380) and ability to find good health information (r = 0.561). Conclusions The study provides additional information on the psychometric properties of the eHEALS for patients after PCI, suggesting a multidimensional construct rather than unidimensional. The high internal consistency indicated a redundancy of items. Therefore, further validation studies of the eHEALS is required.

Forensic intellectual disability services: differences in staff perspectives in the Danish and Norwegian systems

PurposePersons with intellectual disabilities (ID) who offend are treated differently depending on the national jurisdiction. Norway and Denmark are two such examples. The differences in care models may also have an impact on staff perspectives. This paper aims to study the differences between Norwegian and Danish staff members within secure forensic ID services.Design/methodology/approachA cross-sectional study involving Norwegian (n= 145) and Danish staff (n= 279) in secure forensic learning disabilities services was conducted. The response rates were 50% in Denmark (n= 147) and 69% in Norway (n= 98), respectively. An electronic survey covering five sets of topics (demographic characteristics, working conditions, workplace culture, work motivation and work resilience) was used. The findings was statistically analysed using SPSS.FindingsThis study confirmed that staff in the two neighbouring countries have common conceptions of their employment. Danish staff were more exposed to violent incidents (t= 4.1(237);p< 0.001). There was greater concern with workplace safety in Denmark (t= 5.2(237);p< 0.001) compared to more team-based and rigid working conditions in Norway (t= −2.6(237);p< 0.01).Originality/valueThese differences are discussed in relation to some important national differences in a professional culture, educational systems, service organisation and legal issues that possibly add realistic explanations to the findings.

A comparison of triploid and diploid Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar) performance and welfare under commercial farming conditions in Norway

ABSTRACT Avoiding genetic interactions between wild and farmed Atlantic salmon is regarded as one of the major requirements for a sustainable salmon aquaculture industry. For this reason, farming functional sterile triploids has been suggested as a possible solution. However, knowledge about how triploids cope under commercial conditions is lacking. In the present study, we compared the performance of diploid and triploid Atlantic salmon among four Norwegian aquaculture companies. Diploid and triploid groups of the same genetic line were farmed in western, mid, and northern Norway under commercial conditions from seawater transfer until slaughter.Overall, triploid salmon exhibited reduced survival, higher incidence of emaciated fish, and scored, on average, a lower quality rating during primary processing. The results highlight the need for further research on how to improve the welfare and performance of triploid salmon in commercial aquaculture operations.

Hydro-Mechanical Effects of Several Riparian Vegetation Combinations on the Streambank Stability—A Benchmark Case in Southeastern Norway

Vegetation can be used as a nature-based solution (NBS) to restore rivers and mitigate water-triggered processes along streambanks. Roots are well known to improve the overall stability of slopes through hydro-mechanical reinforcement within the rooted zone. Vegetation-based solutions require the selection of species that are most suitable for specific locations, and they are aimed at restoring the natural state and function of river systems in support of biodiversity, flood management, and landscape development. Selecting a combination of different species along different zones of the riverbank can improve the conditions for the river system with regard to biodiversity and stability. Therefore, more studies are needed to investigate how the combination of a variety of different plant species can improve the stability of the riverbank. This paper presents a methodological approach for slope stability modeling including vegetation as well as the results obtained from a series of slope stability calculations adopting the proposed methodology. The analyses were carried out for critical shallow (≤3 m deep) shear planes of ideal benchmark slopes covered with four different plant combinations—(i) only grass, (ii) grass and shrubs, (iii) only trees, and (iv) trees, shrubs, and grass—for species typically found along streams in southeastern Norway. In this desk study, two types of tree species were selected, namely Norway spruce (Picea abies) and Downy birch (Betula pubescens). The Goat willow (Salix caprea) was selected as a shrub, while a common mixed-grass was chosen as grass. Vegetation features were obtained from the literature. The methodology was used for two main cases: (1) considering only the mechanical contribution of vegetation and (2) considering both the hydrological and mechanical reinforcement of vegetation. The main outcome of the numerical modeling showed that the purely mechanical contribution of vegetation to slope stability could not be decoupled from the hydrological reinforcement in order to have a realistic assessment of the roots improvement to the stability. The most critical shear surfaces occurred below the rooted zone in all cases, and the best performance was obtained using the combinations including trees. Considering the typical climate conditions in Norway, the hydro-mechanical reinforcement was most effective in the spring and for combinations including low height vegetation (i.e., grass and shrubs). The study concludes that a mixed combination of vegetation (trees, shrubs, and grass) is the most suitable for reaching the highest hydro-mechanical reinforcement of streambanks, together with erosion protection and boosting the ecosystem biodiversity. The current study can help practitioners determine which vegetation cover combination is appropriate for improving the current stability of a streambank with restoration practices.

Psychometric Properties of the Norwegian Version of the Electronic Health Literacy Scale (eHEALS) Among Patients After Percutaneous Coronary Intervention: Cross-Sectional Validation Study.

BackgroundWeb-based technology has recently become an important source for sharing health information with patients after an acute cardiac event. Therefore, consideration of patients’ perceived electronic health (eHealth) literacy skills is crucial for improving the delivery of patient-centered health information.ObjectiveThe aim of this study was to translate and adapt the eHealth Literacy Scale (eHEALS) to conditions in Norway, and to determine its psychometric properties. More specifically, we set out to determine the reliability (internal consistency, test-retest) and construct validity (structural validity, hypotheses testing, and cross-cultural validity) of the eHEALS in self-report format administered to patients after percutaneous coronary intervention.MethodsThe original English version of the eHEALS was translated into Norwegian following a widely used cross-cultural adaptation process. Internal consistency was calculated using Cronbach α. The intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC) was used to assess the test-retest reliability. Confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) was performed for a priori-specified 1-, 2-, and 3-factor models. Demographic, health-related internet use, health literacy, and health status information was collected to examine correlations with eHEALS scores.ResultsA total of 1695 patients after percutaneous coronary intervention were included in the validation analysis. The mean age was 66 years, and the majority of patients were men (1313, 77.46%). Cronbach α for the eHEALS was >.99. The corresponding Cronbach α for the 2-week retest was .94. The test-retest ICC for eHEALS was 0.605 (95% CI 0.419-0.743, P<.001). The CFA showed a modest model fit for the 1- and 2-factor models (root mean square error of approximation>0.06). After modifications in the 3-factor model, all of the goodness-of-fit indices indicated a good fit. There was a weak correlation with age (r=–0.206). Between-groups analysis of variance showed a difference according to educational groups and the eHEALS score, with a mean difference ranging from 2.24 (P=.002) to 4.61 (P<.001), and a higher eHEALS score was found for patients who were employed compared to those who were retired (mean difference 2.31, P<.001). The eHEALS score was also higher among patients who reported using the internet to find health information (95% CI –21.40 to –17.21, P<.001), and there was a moderate correlation with the patients’ perceived usefulness (r=0.587) and importance (r=0.574) of using the internet for health information. There were also moderate correlations identified between the eHEALS score and the health literacy domains appraisal of health information (r=0.380) and ability to find good health information (r=0.561). Weak correlations with the mental health composite score (r=0.116) and physical health composite score (r=0.116) were identified.ConclusionsThis study provides new information on the psychometric properties of the eHEALS for patients after percutaneous coronary intervention, suggesting a multidimensional rather than unidimensional construct. However, the study also indicated a redundancy of items, indicating the need for further validation studies.Trial RegistrationClinicalTrials.gov NCT03810612; https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT03810612

Risk Assessment of Malakite with the Active Substances Dithianon and Pyrimenthanil

The plant protection product Malakite (BAS 669 01 F), containing the active substances dithianon and pyrimethanil, is a fungicide against scab in pome fruits. Products containing these active plant protection substances are approved in Norway, but not with both substances in the same product. The Swedish Chemicals Agency (KemI) has as zonal Rapporteur Member State (zRMS) of the Northern Zone evaluated the product Malakite and decided on non-approval due to the observation of unacceptable effects in exposed birds, aquatic organisms, non-target arthropods and earthworms.&#x0D; On request from The Norwegian Food Safety Authority, the VKM Panel on Plant Protection Products has discussed the available data and the report prepared by KemI, and has concluded as follows on the questions raised:&#x0D; On the refinement of DT50 in long term risk assessment for birds:&#x0D; It is the view of the VKM panel that the refinement is not acceptable because the analysis using first order kinetics seems not in line with a realistic and sufficiently conservative approach for the data provided. Furthermore, field studies from more sites are required.&#x0D; On the long term cumulative effects of the active substances on birds:&#x0D; VKM shares the view of KemI, that the combined sub-lethal and reproduction effects should be assessed because the mode of action of the two ingredients has only been shown in fungi, and since the mechanisms in birds could be different.&#x0D; On the reduction of assessment factor for fish:&#x0D; VKM opposes to the reduction of assessment factor for dithianon in fish because the data from acute toxicity tests cannot be extrapolated to chronic toxicity, and because the factor should reflect not only the variation in interspecies sensitivity, but also the uncertainty involved in extrapolation from laboratory tests to the field situation.&#x0D; On the choice of end point in risk assessment for fish:&#x0D; The VKM panel considers the NOEC of dithianon for fish determined from the study at pH 7.9 not to be adequate for the more acidic Norwegian surface waters, and recommends using the data from the test performed at pH 6.5.&#x0D; On the formulation studies for aquatic organisms:&#x0D; It is the opinion of the VKM panel that the formulation studies may be used together with corresponding studies with the active ingredients as long as the studies compared are performed and evaluated according to the same principles. However, VKM notes that the formulation tests as well as the tests of the active ingredients have been performed at high pH values, which are not representative to most Norwegian surface waters. Thus, the toxic effect of dithianon shown in these tests are likely to be lower than expected under typical conditions in Norway.&#x0D; On the assessment factors for concentration addition in fish:&#x0D; It is the opinion of the VKM panel that a reduction in assessment factor for one component in a mixture cannot be used for a formulation containing components for which a similar reduction has not been accepted.&#x0D; On effect studies of active substances and formulations on non-target arthropods:&#x0D; The VKM panel shares the view of KemI that the risk assessment should be based on all available information, including the studies presented for the active substances.&#x0D; On the endpoint in earthworm risk assessment:&#x0D; VKM supports the view of KemI that the observed effects of pyrimethanil on reproduction of earthworms should be considered in the risk assessment of Malakite.

Adaptation and psychometric properties of the Norwegian version of the heart continuity of care questionnaire (HCCQ)

BackgroundContinuity of cardiac care after hospital discharge is a priority, especially as healthcare systems become increasingly complex and fragmented. There are few available instruments to measure continuity of cardiac care, especially from the patient perspective. The aim of this study was (1) to translate and adapt the Heart Continuity of Care Questionnaire (HCCQ) to conditions in Norway, and (2) to determine its psychometric properties in self-report format administered to patients after percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI).MethodsThe HCCQ was first translated into Norwegian from the original English version, following a widely used cross-cultural adaptation process. Data were collected before hospital discharge and in a follow-up after 2 months. To assess psychometric properties, a confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) was performed and three aspects of construct validity were evaluated: structural validity, hypotheses testing and cross-cultural validation. Internal consistency of the HCCQ subscales was calculated using Cronbach’s alpha, while intra-class correlation (ICC) was used to assess test-retest reliability. Additionally, socio-demographic and patient-reported data were collected to correlate with HCCQ scores.ResultsOf those included at baseline, 436 (76%) completed the questionnaires after 2 months. CFA suggested that the fit of the HCCQ data to a 3-factor model was modest (RMSEA = 0.11, CFI = 0.90, TLI = 0.90). However, convergent validity was satisfactory, based on existing research. Internal consistency was good, as indicated by its Cronbach’s alphas: total continuity of care (0.95); informational (0.93), relational (0.87), and management (0.89) continuity. The ICC for the total HCCQ score was 0.80 (95% CI [0.71, 0.87] p < 0.001). As indicated by negative care experiences (rated as 1 or 2 on the five-point scale), patients seemed to have limited knowledge about medical treatment, lifestyle modification and follow-up after PCI. Participation in cardiac rehabilitation and longer consultations with the general practitioner after hospital discharge were positively correlated with better continuity of care.ConclusionsImplementation of the HCCQ will likely support healthcare providers and researchers in identifying problem areas of continuity of cardiac care and in evaluating interventions aimed at improving continuity of care.

The influence of stand density on bilberry (Vaccinium myrtillus L.) cover depends on stand age, solar irradiation, and tree species composition

The ericaceous shrub bilberry (Vaccinium myrtillus L.) is a keystone species of the Eurasian boreal forest. The most optimal light condition for this plant is partial shading. Shade from the forest canopy depends on the stand density, a forest attribute that can be manipulated by forest managers. Most previous studies of the relationship between bilberry abundance and forest density have not explored the potentially modifying impacts of factors like stand age, tree species composition, and the solar irradiation at the site, as determined by location and topography. Using data from the Norwegian National Forest Inventory, we developed a generalized linear model applicable to estimate local bilberry cover across a wide range of environmental conditions in Norway. The explanatory terms in the final model were stand density (basal area per ha), solar irradiation, stand age, percentages of deciduous, pine, and spruce trees, summer (June-August) mean temperature and precipitation sum, mean temperature in January, site index, and soil category, in addition to the two-way interactions between stand density and the following: solar irradiation, stand age, percentage of deciduous trees, and percentage of Norway spruce (Picea abies). The final model explained ca. 21% of the total variation in bilberry cover. We conclude that a stand density of c. 30 m2 ha−1 in general will create favourable conditions for bilberry. If the forest is younger than 80 years old, or dominated by Norway spruce or deciduous trees, the optimal stand density is reduced to around 20 m2 ha−1. In a forest dominated by Scots pine (Pinus sylvestris), basal areas up to 40 m2 ha−1 would be beneficial to bilberry abundance. Our results demonstrate the importance of considering interactions between stand density and other stand and site characteristics.

Adaptability of hull-less barley varieties to different cropping systems and climatic conditions

ABSTRACTMultilocation testing remains the main tool for understanding varietal responses to the environment. Here, Latvian and Norwegian hull-less and hulled barley varieties were tested in field experiments in Latvia and Norway in order to assess the varieties adaptability across environments (sites). Two Latvian (cv Irbe and cv Kornelija) and one Norwegian hull-less barley variety (cv Pihl) were tested along with one Latvian (cv Rubiola) and one Norwegian hulled barley variety (cv Tyra) under conventional and organic management systems. The grain yield, together with physical and chemical grain parameters were compared, and variety yield and protein stability determined. Overall, grain yield of hull-less barley varieties was significantly lower than for hulled barley varieties regardless of climatic conditions and management system. However, in the organic farming systems this difference between barley types was less pronounced. The hull-less barley varieties cv Pihl and cv Irbe, along with both hulled varieties, had good yield stability across environments and were well adapted to both cropping systems. Hull-less barley varieties tended to contain more protein and β -glucans than hulled barley varieties. Despite being bred for local conditions in Norway and Latvia, our study shows that all the varieties used may be successfully transferred across countries.

Economic losses and burden of disease by medical conditions in Norway

We explore the correlation between disease specific estimates of economic losses and the burden of disease. This is based on data for Norway in 2013 from the Global Burden of Disease (GBD) project and the Norwegian Directorate of Health. The diagnostic categories were equivalent to the ICD-10 chapters. Mental disorders topped the list of the costliest conditions in Norway in 2013, and musculoskeletal disorders caused the highest production loss, while neoplasms caused the greatest burden in terms of DALYs. There was a positive and significant association between economic losses and burden of disease. Neoplasms, circulatory diseases, mental and musculoskeletal disorders all contributed to large health care expenditures. Non-fatal conditions with a high prevalence in working populations, like musculoskeletal and mental disorders, caused the largest production loss, while fatal conditions such as neoplasms and circulatory disease did not, since they occur mostly at old age. The magnitude of the production loss varied with the estimation method. The estimations presented in this study did not include reductions in future consumption, by net-recipients, due to premature deaths. Non-fatal diseases are thus even more burdensome, relative to fatal diseases, than the production loss in this study suggests. Hence, ignoring production losses may underestimate the economic losses from chronic diseases in countries with an epidemiological profile similar to Norway.

Identifying plant fibre textiles from Norwegian Merovingian Period and Viking Age graves: The Late Iron Age Collection of the University Museum of Bergen

The investigation of textiles and textile production can yield important information about the infrastructure and resource management in ancient societies. Before the 19th century textiles made of plant material in Scandinavia were mainly made from locally available raw materials: nettle, hemp and flax. In 2012, an investigation of ten Scandinavian Viking Age and Early Middle Age wall hangings showed that four of these, including the famous Överhogdal wall hanging, are in fact made with hemp. This investigation demonstrates that hemp, in some cases at least, was also used for fine textile production in Viking Age Scandinavia. The aim of this paper is to investigate this topic further. In order to do so we examined all known Merovingian Period (560/570–800CE) and Viking Age (800–1066CE) textile finds in the Late Iron Age Collection of the University Museum of Bergen. The collection is extensive and belongs to one of the oldest archaeological collections in Norway. It contains finds from western Norway mainly. We identified a total of 45 grave finds with more than 100 different weaves in the collection. Plant fibres do not keep well under the burial conditions in Norway, but we managed to identify ten non-mineralized and non-charred finds with fragments of plant fibre material belonging most probably to clothing and accessories. Fibres from these ten finds were investigated using the modified Herzog test. In addition, morphological features were observed carefully. Nine samples were identified as flax, one sample could only be identified as a bast fibre. Our finds show that though hemp was used in some cases for fine textile production in Viking Age Scandinavia, available remains of plant fibre clothing and accessories coming from Hordaland, Sogn og Fjordane and Rogaland counties are made of flax.