Nordic Council Research Articles

DECOMPOSITION OF SUB-ARCTIC PLANTS WITH DIFFERING NITROGEN ECONOMIES: A FUNCTIONAL ROLE FOR HEMIPARASITES

Quested, H.M., Cornelissen, J.H.C., Press, M.C., Callaghan, T.V., Aerts, R., Trosien, F., Riemann, P., Gwynn-Jones, D., Kondratchuk, A., Jonasson, S.E. (2003). Decomposition of sub-arctic plants with differing nitrogen economies: A functional role for hemiparasites. Ecology, 84, (12), 3209-3221 Sponsorship: This work was funded by the UK Biology and Biotechnology Research Council (BBSRC), Nordic Council of Ministers' Nordic Arctic Research Program (NARP), and the Swedish Royal Academy of Sciences (KVA)

Nordic council proposed

Nordic council proposed

Measuring international electricity integration: a comparative study of the power systems under the Nordic Council, MERCOSUR, and NAFTA

Many regions of the world feel the pressure to interconnect electric power systems internationally. Regional integrations of the electricity sector have become part of free trade and common market initiatives, though the steps individual national jurisdictions take towards developing integrated systems vary. In this article, we review three regions concerned with common market initiatives and at different stages of integration processes that involve infrastructural, regulatory, and commercial decisions. First, we examine the North European countries in the Nordic Council, then countries in the Southern Cone of South America in MERCOSUR, and finally Mexico, the United States and Canada, linked under NAFTA. This comparative study highlights the potential, but also the many hurdles, that electricity sector integrations face. The study suggests a framework for measuring the level of electricity sector integration that could be applied to other regions.

Final report of the NOR project "Management of reindeer pastures under uncertainty" Report title: "A decision-tool for adaptation of reindeer herds to rangeland: the user's manual".

The management of reindeer ranges is a complicated task as indicated both by the complexity of the normative analyses required and the mismanagement observed in real and laboratory settings. The present report is a user's manual to a decision-tool that attempts to strike a balance between complex normative analyses and practical decision-making. A simulator is provided to give decision-makers experience with the tool and to build intuition for strategies. Several cases are used to illustrate the use of the decision-tool and to demonstrate how even scarce and imprecise data can yield important insights. The project has been financed by "Nordisk ministerråd" ("Nordic Council of Ministers") under the program "Nordiska miljöstrategin för jord- och skogsbruk 1996-1999" ("Nordic Environmental Strategies for Agriculture and Forestry 1996-1999"). It was initiated and administered by "Nordisk organ for reinforskning" (NOR) ("Nordic Council for Reindeer Research").

The Nordic Council for Arctic Medical Research. History, aims and achievements

The Organization of Nordic Council for Arctic Medical Research (NCAMR, or NoSAMF in Scandinavian languages) was initiated by the governmental Nordic Council in 1966. The new council was charged with the task of promoting arctic medical research in the Nordic countries. It began its duties in 1969. Originally the council covered Denmark, Finland, Norway and Sweden; Iceland joined as a member in 1977. During the first years the NCAMR held two to three conferences a year, the proceedings of which were communicated in the Nordic Council for Arctic Medical Research Reports series, distributed in about 1500 copies, free of charge. In 1971, 1981, 1987 and 1993, the NCAMR hosted the International Congress on Circumpolar Health and played a pivotal role in the establishment of the International Union for Circumpolar Health (IUCH) in 1986. Thereafter, the activities of the NCAMR developed a much more international character. Accident prevention, cold research, pollution, family health and, in later years, the health of indigenous peoples, became priorities, along with the establishment of international research networks. The NCAMR’s report series soon developed into an established international journal under the title Arctic Medical Research. The inter-governmental financial support to the NCAMR was discontinued at the end of 1996. Thereafter, the secretariat operated under the auspices of the University of Oulu. The International Journal for Circumpolar Health, as it was named from 1997, continued to flourish, being published by the IUCH, the Nordic Society for Circumpolar Health and the University of Oulu.

John Arthur Hildes Circumpolar Health Awards

Since 1987, the Hildes medal has been awarded at each International Congress on Circumpolar Health to distinguished individuals nominated by the adhering bodies of the International Union for Circumpolar Health. Since 1987, a total of twenty researchers and health workers from Alaska, Canada, the Nordic countries and Russia have received this award. Between them, the recipients share an unsurpasssed volume of knowledge and experience about the Arctic. The editors ofthe Journal have asked the Hildes medal awardees to share some of their experiences with the readers and, in this issue, we are happy to publish the first article in the series. Bent Harvald and Inge Lynge from Denmark, who received the Hildes award in 1987 and 2000, respectively, have chosen to write the history of the Nordic Council for Arctic Medical Research, an organization that was active in the creation of the International Union for Circumpolar Health and whose report series was the immediate precursor of the journal.

A European survey of atmospheric heavy metal deposition in 2000–2001

The background, administration and current status of the monitoring programme “European Survey of Atmospheric Heavy Metal Deposition” is described. All European states are invited to join the survey 2000–2001. The co-ordination and responsibility for the survey will gradually be transferred from the Nordic Council of Ministers to the International Cooperative Programme on Effects of Air Pollution on Natural Vegetation and Crops (ICP Vegetation).

Harmonized Nordic strategies for isocyanate monitoring in workroom atmospheres.

The Nordic Network on Isocyanates (NORDNI) is financed by the Nordic Council of Ministers and is under the administration of Prof. Yngvar Thomassen and co-workers. National Institute of Occupational Health, Norway. The aim of NORDNI is to establish a broad network between the Nordic National Institutes of Occupational Health working within the field of isocyanate exposure and strategies for sampling and determination of isocyanates in workroom atmospheres. This viewpoint article summarizes the resolutions that were established at the 1st NORDNI consensus meeting arranged in Frøya, Norway, 31st August-2nd September, 2001. The consensus platform from the 1st NORDNI meeting was presented at the 4th International Symposium on Modern Principles of Air Monitoring, Lillehammer, Norway, 3-7 February, 2002.

A proposal for a long-term baseline phytobenthos monitoring programme for the Finnish Baltic coastal waters: monitoring submerged rocky shore vegetation.

Several local surveys on the submerged vegetation have been conducted in past decades along the Finnish Baltic coastal areas. Surveys have been carried out by using various methods, which make the temporal comparisons of the results difficult. The need of a joint programme for coastal phytobenthic monitoring is emphasised by the Nordic Council of Ministers and HELCOM. The Finnish coastal phytobenthic monitoring programme complements the Baltic HELCOM monitoring programme (COMBINE). It is primarily designed to reveal the effects of eutrophication. The programme includes general principles for selection of monitoring areas as well as a proposal for monitored habitats, communities and species. The need of evaluated and tested field methods, data collecting, interpretation and data storage are addressed in the Quality Assurance part. The cost-efficiency is secured by integrating the phytobenthos programme with the coastal water monitoring for obtaining the supporting data such like salinity, temperature and nutrients. In the design of the monitoring programme a special interest is paid on areas with high protection values such as Natura 2000 or HELCOM's BSPA (Baltic Sea Protected Areas) or on aspects that would support the implementation of the EU Water Framework Directive.

Preface

During 14–16 February 2000 more than 100 scientists, managers and policy-makers met at Hell outside Trondheim to a conference entitled ‘Hunting as sustainable resource utilisation: experiences and challenges’. The purpose of the conference was three-fold. First, it should provide an overview of the recent developments of theoretical principles for exploitation of renewable resources in general, and hunted species in particular. Second, the aim was to present detailed reviews of particularly well-studied systems where the consequences for population dynamics of hunting have been evaluated quantitatively. Third, the conference should help to produce some generalisations, if present, and suggest some implementation of these results into practical management and pinpoint avenues for further research. The preparation for this conference was unusual because surprisingly few of the invited speakers rejected the invitation to participate. In fact, several persons contacted us themselves and provided suggestions for interesting talks. As a result, the conference grew larger than initially intended. One reason for this large interest may be that many ecologists now consider hunting as important large-scale experiments, useful in understanding several general ecological processes. Another reason may be that hunting as an activity itself receives increased public focus in an increasing number of countries. This often results in strongly polarised opinions about the effects of hunting on the conservation of exploited populations. As a consequence, research related to hunting as a process receives increased attention in the public as well as among environmental managers. An interesting feature of most talks, both the empirical and theoretical ones, was that they included density dependence and environmental variability as central themes. Most speakers strongly addressed the need for obtaining quantitative estimates of density dependence and environmental stochasticity in hunted populations. Harvesting strategies that are not based on such estimates are not likely to be sustainable. The classical controversy, whether hunting mortality is additive or compensatory, then becomes trivial. A general consensus that appeared, not surprisingly, is that long-term statistically sound monitoring of the basic demographic parameters is needed to develop sustainable harvesting strategies. The development of such strategies must also include the criteria which should be optimised (e.g. mean annual yield in terms of number or meat, minimising variance in yield or in population fluctuations). Integrating such monitoring programmes into some sort of adaptive management schemes, involving both scientists, managers and end-users, may be a useful tool for obtaining harvest tactics that respond rapidly to changes in the population fluctuations. A central problem for such exercises will be to identify which data are most urgently needed. Harvesting is a large ecological experiment. The empirical foundation still seems to be virtually lacking for the examination of several important questions raised by theorists. For instance, how does harvest affect trophic interactions? Furthermore, will differences in the seasonal timing or in the geographical location of the harvest affect the population dynamics? There is an urgent need for empirical evaluation of such effects to achieve a greater predictive ability of harvesting models. The long-term evolutionary consequences of hunting was a theme that was almost completely absent in all the scientific talks, but often raised as questions or comments in the discussion parts of the conference. Recently, theoretical models have appeared suggesting that harvesting may induce large evolutionary changes in the population (Ratner & Lande 1). The presence of such changes may strongly affect the attitude of the public opinion towards hunting as well as the long-term yield from the hunt. Detailed statistical examinations of the presence of such effects should be conducted in hunted populations, and their potential evolutionary significance should be thoroughly examined. I would like to use this opportunity to thank our funding agencies, the Research Council of Norway, the Norwegian Directorate for Nature Management, the Swedish Environmental Protection Agency, the Nordic Council for Wildlife Research, the Swedish Association for Hunting and Wildlife Management and the Norwegian University of Science and Technology for generous financial support. Both the organisers and the participants especially wish to thank John Odden for his excellent administration of the conference. The proceeding articles published in this issue of Wildlife Biology have been reviewed in accordance with the regular procedures for Wildlife Biology, and I would like to thank all the referees for their contribution to these proceedings.

Standardization of food allergen extracts for skin prick test

The aim of the study was to standardize and evaluate technically optimized food allergen extracts for use in skin prick test (SPT). The standardization procedure comprised 36 allergic histories in 32 food allergic patients with 21 healthy, non-atopic individuals serving as controls. The patients had a history of allergic symptoms upon ingestion of either cow’s milk ( n=3), hen’s egg ( n=9), wheat ( n=4), hazelnut ( n=14) or cod ( n=6). They also had specific IgE in serum to the food in question and a positive SPT with a fresh preparation of the food. The diagnosis had been confirmed by a double-blind, placebo-controlled food challenge, except for the hazelnut-allergic patients. The controls were subjected to an open food challenge with all the foods to ensure tolerance. The standardization was performed by means of titrated SPT in accordance with the guidelines on biological standardization from the Nordic Council on Medicine. Regression analysis of the skin wheal areas was performed for each patient and the median protein concentration of allergen preparation (median C h10) eliciting a wheal area of the same size as histamine 10 mg/ml was calculated. The median C h10 was 0.56 mg/ml for milk, 0.88 mg/ml for egg, 5.4 mg/ml for wheat, 2.1 mg/ml for hazelnut and 0.017 mg/ml for the cod extract. The sensitivity of the median C h10 estimated from the SPT data was 1 for milk, 0.98 for egg, 1 for wheat, 1 for hazelnut and 0.87 for the cod extract. The allergenic activity of the hazelnut extract was further investigated by leukocyte histamine release (HR) and immunoblotting experiments using sera from 27 hazelnut allergic patients. The clinical sensitivity of the optimized hazelnut extract evaluated by HR was 0.78 compared to 0.30 for a commercially available hazelnut extract (Soluprick). Immunoblotting results showed a stronger IgE binding capacity and additional IgE-binding bands of the optimized hazelnut extract compared with the Soluprick extract.

The ATCvet classification system for veterinary medicinal products.

Journal of Veterinary Pharmacology and TherapeuticsVolume 24, Issue 2 p. 141-142 The ATCvet classification system for veterinary medicinal products A. Dahlin, A. Dahlin Nordic Council on Medicines, Box 1983, SE-751 49 Uppsala, Sweden.Search for more papers by this authorA. Eriksson, A. Eriksson Nordic Council on Medicines, Box 1983, SE-751 49 Uppsala, Sweden.Search for more papers by this authorT. Kjartansdóttir, T. Kjartansdóttir Nordic Council on Medicines, Box 1983, SE-751 49 Uppsala, Sweden.Search for more papers by this authorA. Markestad, A. Markestad Nordic Council on Medicines, Box 1983, SE-751 49 Uppsala, Sweden.Search for more papers by this authorK. Odensvik, K. Odensvik Nordic Council on Medicines, Box 1983, SE-751 49 Uppsala, Sweden.Search for more papers by this author A. Dahlin, A. Dahlin Nordic Council on Medicines, Box 1983, SE-751 49 Uppsala, Sweden.Search for more papers by this authorA. Eriksson, A. Eriksson Nordic Council on Medicines, Box 1983, SE-751 49 Uppsala, Sweden.Search for more papers by this authorT. Kjartansdóttir, T. Kjartansdóttir Nordic Council on Medicines, Box 1983, SE-751 49 Uppsala, Sweden.Search for more papers by this authorA. Markestad, A. Markestad Nordic Council on Medicines, Box 1983, SE-751 49 Uppsala, Sweden.Search for more papers by this authorK. Odensvik, K. Odensvik Nordic Council on Medicines, Box 1983, SE-751 49 Uppsala, Sweden.Search for more papers by this author First published: 21 December 2001 https://doi.org/10.1046/j.1365-2885.2001.00315.xCitations: 3 DAHLIN Nordic Council on Medicines, Box 1983, SE-751 49 Uppsala, Sweden. Read the full textAboutPDF ToolsRequest permissionExport citationAdd to favoritesTrack citation ShareShare Give accessShare full text accessShare full-text accessPlease review our Terms and Conditions of Use and check box below to share full-text version of article.I have read and accept the Wiley Online Library Terms and Conditions of UseShareable LinkUse the link below to share a full-text version of this article with your friends and colleagues. Learn more.Copy URL Share a linkShare onFacebookTwitterLinked InRedditWechat No abstract is available for this article.Citing Literature Volume24, Issue2April 2001Pages 141-142 RelatedInformation

Cultural Policy in Denmark

Click to increase image sizeClick to decrease image size Additional informationNotes on contributorsPeter DuelundPeter Duelund is associate professor of international cultural policy, Department of Comparative Literature, University of Copenhagen. He is the research director of the Nordic Cultural Institute and senior advisor on cultural policy and cultural cooperation to the Nordic Council of Ministers.

NORDINFO (Nordic Council for Scientific Information): financing international development without bureaucracy

NORDINFO (The Nordic Council for Scientific Information) was founded in 1977 after a long tradition of Nordic cooperation within the research library field. The Council is responsible for coordinating Nordic cooperative initiatives that can facilitate access to scientific information. Prior to that, Nordic countries developed a variety of cooperative forms: political, economic, cultural and scientific. During its 20 years of operation, NORDINFO has financed many experimental projects and financially supported many conferences, seminars and smaller projects with the general aim that these projects should have benefit beyond each individual country. Projects included an interface, which was to serve as a tool to search databases in different countries and structured in different languages. NORDINFO also financed Centres of Excellence where Nordic expertise could be developed. NORDINFO operates on a budget provided by the Nordic Council of Ministers and is given a three‐year contract based on strategy which must be accepted by the board, consisting of one member from each of the five countries that finance Nordic cooperation.

Evaluation of Physical Workload Standards/Guidelines from a Nordic Perspective

This paper presents the background and main conclusions from a draft report prepared for the Nordic Council of Ministers. Twenty-four standards/guidelines concerning physical work load were selected for a detailed review, and evaluated with the aim of providing recommendations concerning standards suitable for a possible Nordic implementation. A framework of criteria for identifying scientifically “good” and practically efficient standards was established and three key areas were identified in the evaluation procedure: efficacy, scientific coherency, and usability. Prior to the evaluation the standards were divided into two groups according to their level of accuracy: (a) Standards presenting quantitative guidelines for specific exposures with precise and numerical accept criteria, and (b) Process type standards presenting mainly qualitative guidelines and focussing on a program approach. In general the evaluation was most favorable for the process type standards and provided some support for the view that future regulatory actions against work-related musculoskeletal disorders will be most successful if an integrated ergonomics program approach is adapted.

Hormone replacement therapy:: Knowledge, attitudes, self-reported use — and sales figures in Nordic women

Objectives: To evaluate knowledge about, attitudes towards and use of hormone replacement therapy (HRT) in Norwegian women — and to compare self-reported use with sales statistics of HRT in the Nordic countries during recent years. Material and methods: Random samples of Norwegian women age 16–79 were interviewed by the Central Bureau of Statistics in 1994 ( n=737), in 1996 ( n=665) and in 1998 ( n=680). Statistics on the sale of estrogen were provided by the Norwegian Medical Depot and Nordic Council on Medicines. Results: One in three women had received information about HRT during the last 2 years (1994), mainly through weekly magazines and physicians. The proportion answering in accordance with the prevailing view of HRT’s effects (‘correct knowledge’) varied from 36.4 to 47.2%. Those informed by a physician possessed correct knowledge, had positive attitudes towards HRT and were willing to use HRT more often than women informed through other channels. Women with a high level of education had received information and had correct knowledge more often than others, but they were still less willing to use HRT and did not use HRT more often than the less educated. In the age group 45–69 years the use of HRT was 16.3% in 1994, 19.1% in 1996 and 19.1% in 1998 ( P=0.421, trend). In addition to received information, attitudes towards and knowledge about estrogen were the most important factors predicting use of HRT after adjusting for other variables. According to sales figures, the use of systemic estrogen in Norway has increased more than 360% since 1990. Although no other Nordic country has experienced a corresponding increase, Iceland had the highest sales figures in 1997. Conclusions: Based on the limited proportion of women receiving information on HRT and the ambivalence found in groups of educated women, we suggest that more and better information should be given middle-aged women to make them better able to make informed choices regarding use of HRT.

The Nordic Electronic Research Library in different dimensions

Abstract: The Nordic Electronic Research Library is a concept which NORDINFO, the Nordic Council for Scientific Information, will use as an umbrella for its activities during the coming years. The concept is based on national developments within the research library sector in each of the five Nordic countries, Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway and Sweden. The goals of the Nordic Electronic Research Library are built on national goals, which in general terms are to make scientific and technical information easily available in all the Nordic region, independent of subject area, publication form and location of the user. This paper explores briefly the developments of the electronic research library in the Nordic region and how the concept is carried out. NORDINFO provides grants and project money to support coordination and cooperation within the field and the question is raised as to how NORDINFO can assist this development and increase cooperative efforts.

Towards the Nordic Electronic Research Library

The Nordic Electronic Research Library is a concept which NORDINFO, the Nordic Council for Scientific Information, uses as an umbrella for its activities during the coming years. The concept is based on national developments within the research library sector in each of the five Nordic countries, Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway and Sweden. The goals of the Nordic Electronic Research Library are built on the national goals, which in general terms are to make scientific and technical information easily available in all the Nordic region, independent of subject area, publication form and location of the user. This paper explores briefly the developments of the electronic research library in each of the five countries and how the concept is carried out. NORDINFO provides grants and project money to support coordination and cooperation within the field and the question is raised how NORDINFO can assist this development and increase cooperative efforts.

Lifelong Learning: The mission of arts education in the learning community of the 21st century

Across the international arena governments, policy-makers and educators have been concentrating increasingly on the topic of Lifelong Learning. Recent publications from UNESCO, OECD, the APEC Forum, the European Parliament and the Nordic Council of Ministers have taken the theme of "Learning: realising a lifelong approach for all" as their chief educational agendum over the next five to ten years. The reasons for this concentration are embodied in the "Four Pillars" of knowledge and skill on which UNESCO believes education in the 21st Century will have to stand. The Arts have a particularly powerful part to play in adapting to, and even leading the way, in embracing the challenges and changes inherent in the imperative for learning to be an activity engaged in throughout people's lives. This paper will draw upon research and critical reflection to argue for, and justify the importance and special role of the Arts in providing models of leadership for learners across all ages.

A political sociology of the Nordic countries

The Nordic countries of Europe have many common traits. They are small countries in Northern Europe, they have been Lutheran since the Reformation, and they had, for centuries, a strong landholding peasantry but a weak aristocracy. They developed a comprehensive welfare state after the Second World War, and they are more sceptical about European integration than people from other countries in Western Europe. Despite attempts to create a Nordic union and the existence of a Nordic Council, their joint Nordic orientation has been subordinated to the national interests of the individual Nordic countries. They are clear-cut nation states with a nationalism that is not fierce, but represents a kind of official, controlled and uniform national spirit. With respect to parliamentary politics and social policy the main features of the countries have been called the Nordic Model. The model still exists, but rests on shakier ground than before.