Nordic Network Research Articles

Book Review of Gender, Cult and Culture in the Ancient World from Mycenae to Byzantium: Proceedings of the Second Nordic Symposium on Gender and Women's History in Antiquity, Helsinki 20–22 October 2000, edited by Agneta Strömberg and Lena Larsson Lovén

This volume is the second set of proceedings from symposia initiated by ARACHNE, the Nordic Network for Gender and Women’s Studies in Antiquity. The first symposium (held in June 1997 in Göteborg) was published as Aspects of Women in Antiquity (Jonsered 1998), also by Stömberg and Larsson Lovén. The contributors to this volume, and presumably those participating in the original seminar, are all women.

A VIEW ON THE FUTURE OF AN INTERNATIONAL PHILOSOPHY OF MUSIC EDUCATION: A PLEA FOR A COMPARATIVE STRATEGY

A View on the Future of an International Philosophy of Music Education:A Plea for a Comparative Strategy Frede V. Nielsen In the preface to the revised edition of my book, Almen musikdidaktik (The General Didaktik of Music) published in 1998, I wrote that the bibliography had been supplemented with a great deal of music education literature that had been published since the first edition of the book came out in 1994. I drew attention in particular to, among other things, the journal Philosophy of Music Education Review, which began in 1993. I found that publication of this journal was significant and interesting not least because it continuously supplemented the approach to a theoretical and philosophic music pedagogical reflection with new English language literature. At the same time, it provided an opportunity to ask what sort of concepts and phenomena 'the philosophy of music education' and 'the philosophy of music teaching and learning' really are and what sort of functions they can have in relation to practice-oriented music education, including the education of music teachers. Therefore, the publication of PMER was a great step forward. But, like all such steps, it also revealed interesting issues and raised new questions. [End Page 7] In the Scandinavian countries too the research-based and theory-oriented music education literature has grown considerably since the early 1990s. This is the result of local initiatives in individual countries as well as Nordic cooperation in the form of the Nordic Network for Research in Music Education, which was formalized and institutionalized in 1992. The publication of the network's yearbooks, Nordic Research in Music Education–Yearbook, since 1995 is noteworthy in this context. In our part of the world this was another step forward, but one that also raised some challenging questions. In particular it gave rise to the question: What is the structure of the object of study for music education as a science and how can this object of study be delimited appropriately in relation to other disciplines? I think we have moved further toward giving reflected and well-founded answers to these questions, even though the answers are not unambiguous and may create problems in relation to the institutional affiliations of music pedagogy as a theoretical and scientific discipline. My first encounter with the initiators of the PME symposia took place in 2003 when I attended PME-5 in Lake Forest near Chicago. Even though there were participants from a number of different countries, including the Scandinavian countries (but none, for example, from Germany), it was clear that the event was dominated by North Americans. I contributed with a paper that was based on German and Nordic didactic (didactological) theory, which apparently was quite unfamiliar to most of the conference participants. To me this was a reminder of how important it is that a society that calls itself "international" should strive to embrace and include various traditions from several different points of view if it is to live up to the designation "international." The International Society for the Philosophy of Music Education (ISPME) was formally founded at the symposium in Lake Forest. For the past two years I have enjoyed the honor of being the society's co-chair together with Estelle Jorgensen. As those of you who attended the symposium in 2003 know, I accepted this task only after some hesitation and with some reservations. Since then I have had the opportunity to consider and experience what the task entails. I mentioned that my impression of PME-5 in Lake Forest was that it was dominated by North Americans. This was no wonder, since PME-5 took place in that part of the world. Moreover, the initiative behind the PME symposia originally came from the USA and Canada. Nonetheless, it gave impetus to a broader international orientation when the ISPME was founded two years ago. I come from a Scandinavian country. Scandinavia is a small language area situated in the northernmost region of Europe and has historically been very dependent on external cultural impulses. For centuries these have not least come from continental Europe and this is also true of the fields of education, philosophy, and music culture. The French and...

Nordic Networking: cooperation in Nordic LIS research

The article presents organized efforts at cooperation between Nordic library and information science education on PhD level. A short description of the premises for such cooperation is presented. The two most important programmes, called NordIS-Net and Norslis, are presented. In order to analyse the effect of the programmes a small bibliometric study has been performed, which is described in the article. Some conclusions about Nordic cooperation are drawn.

THE NORDIC NETWORK FOR CLINICAL ISLET TRANSPLANTATION - ISLET AFTER KIDNEY (IAK) - RESULTS AND EXPERIENCES FROM THE FIRST 44 TRANSPLANTATIONS.

O453 Aims: Recent advances in clinical islet transplantation in preuremic type 1 diabetics have shown that if enough islets are transplanted one can achieve an insulin independence of 80 percent at one year. Islet isolation is still a procedure requiring both ample experience and substantial resources. These facts inspired us to start the Nordic Network for Clinical Islet Transplantation, in 2001, with one central isolation lab and six clinical centers. In our first study we have transplanted 18 uremic patients with functioning kidney grafts and therefore already on immunosuppressant medication. Methods: Patients were switched to the Edmonton Protocol (Tacrolimus, Sirolimus and Daclizumab). Steroids were withdrawn either when put on the waiting list or in conjunction with the first islet transplantation. Pancreases were harvested at the participating centers and sent to a central islet isolation lab in Uppsala, Sweden. After the isolation process the islets were transported to a center with a suitable ABO compatible patient. In the first two patients, fresh islets were transplanted, in the following islets had been in culture for 24-96h. The transplantations were performed through a percutaneous transhepatic portal injection and repeated to a maximum of four transplantations. Results: 44 transplantations have been carried out. 26 of them since Jan 1st 2003. All centers have delivered pancreases used for the transplantations. Five centers have transplanted patients. None of the two patients transplanted with fresh islets became insulin independent, but this was achieved in 6/8 of the following patients after 2-4 transplantations (a total of 7500-28000 IEQ/kgBW). After a 3-28 month follow up, 4 are still insulin free. Two of them have been treated at a center more than 500 km from the isolation lab. Another 8 patients have received 1-3 doses of islets and are waiting for further transplantations. 7 of these 8 “ongoing” patients have partial function (C-peptides >0.2 nmol/L) with a reduction of insulin requirements and stabilisation of blood glucose. 4 of them have so far received only 1 transplant. One patient died of a cerebral haemorrhage 6 months after the last islet transplant. Two patients have had pulmonary changes probably caused by Sirolimus. One of these patients needed treatment in the ICU. One of the insulin free patients had a minor pneumothorax after his first transplantation. Another pat was transfused with two units of SAG-blood due to haemorrhage following two out of four transplantations. Other, more frequent, adverse events include leucopoenia and mouth ulcers. Conclusions: Using the Edmonton Protocol can improve the results of islet transplantation not only in preuremic diabetics but also in previously kidney transplanted patients. The amount of islets needed to achieve insulin independence varies substantially. Strategies to enhance engraftment and reduce the loss of islets immediately following the transplantation are currently being developed.

Shared Graduate Student Education by International Networking

ABSTRACT: Provision of highly specialized and detailed courses essential for high‐caliber graduate student education often presents a problem of small but essential classes. There are many pitfalls, costs, and successes associated with this problem. For example, meat science is a relatively strong area of research and graduate education in the Nordic countries. Good‐quality Master's level education exists in all countries. The challenge comes in that, in some instances, the class sizes of Master's and PhD courses may be small (3 to 9) with challenges in resource management. Two solutions were considered with the Nordic Forestry, Veterinary and Agricultural Univ. (NOVA), a virtual organization, and the Nordic Network for Meat Science (NNMS). Several major barriers to implement a concerted Master's degree under NOVA related to the realities of resource management and costs. The resource implications effectively meant that the proposed sharing of courses within an existing subject area proved nonviable, although it was recognized that new Master's courses could be constructed on this model. A successful resolution to the problem focused specifically on teaching doctoral level courses. NNMS provides an electronic communication forum, training courses, and an annual workshop for approximately 60 workers in the field with an emphasis on graduate students. The annual workshops allow a relaxed forum where PhD students discuss their work with leaders in their area. NNMS conducts doctoral courses with a very high standard, utilizing both local research expertise of international standing and bringing in well‐known figures from the USA and Australia as guest teachers. Further funding has been successfully obtained against the promise of incorporating the Baltic States (Lithuania, Latvia, and Estonia) into the network.

Islet transplantation in multicenter networks: the GRAGIL example

Purpose of review The enthusiasm generated by the results of the Edmonton protocol of islet transplantation is inciting a great number of institutions to start such programs. However, the procedure of islet isolation and purification is costly, complex, and technically challenging. To share costs and to avoid facing the steep learning curve of the procedure, many centers interested in islet transplantation have looked into collaborating with experienced groups serving as core islet isolation facilities. Recent findings Proof of the principle that remote islet processing and shipment could be successfully implemented has been obtained with the Portland/Minneapolis, Huddinge/Giessen, and Houston/Miami partnerships. Moreover, to increase both the donor pool and the number of patients gaining access to islet transplantation, multicenter networks, such as the Swiss-French GRAGIL consortium and the four-country Nordic Network in Scandinavia, have been built. The GRAGIL group has been fully operational since 1999, allowing the transplantation of 27 islet preparations processed in Geneva, Switzerland, into 20 recipients in France over the course of 4.5 years. Organizational issues in the design of such networks are discussed based on the example of the GRAGIL experience. Summary The feasibility and the efficiency of islet transplantation in multicenter networks have been demonstrated. This strategy allows an increase in the donor pool and the accessibility to islet transplantation in an extended population area.

The role of theory in disability research ‐springboard or strait‐jacket?

This article is an elaboration of a key‐note speech presented at the annual conference of the Nordic Network on Disability Research in Copenhagen 2001 discussing the role of theory in disability research. The discussion is based on reviews of disability research, mostly from Scandinavia and Britain. Two types of non‐theoretical perspectives and three types of theoretical perspectives were found in the reviews. Strengths and weaknesses of the different perspectives are discussed and a typical Scandinavian perspective is identified.

How to deal with female circumcision as a health issue in the Nordic countries

Roughly 100 000 immigrants in the Nordic countries originate from areas in Africa where the tradition of FGC is still well known. A majority of this immigrant group consists of Somali women and men (approximately 25 000 in Sweden 16 000 in Denmark 8000 in Norway and 7000 in Finland less than 10 in Iceland; national statistics figures). FGC in the Nordic countries became an issue in the 1980s. The civil war in Somalia caused many Somalis to leave their country in the early 1990s. The arrival of large groups of Somali families forced the Nordic societies to take a stand on the health issue of FGC. Traditionally Somali girls are infibulated which involves excision of the clitoris labia minora and stitching of the vaginal opening. Health providers and social professionals in the Nordic countries are therefore obliged to know how to handle this issue. The primary motives for FGC in Somalia are that the practice is experienced as a religious duty and a prerequisite of marriage. Based on clinical experience the most common reaction to FGC in a Western country is one of disgust and rejection. However in countries where FGC is practiced it is looked upon as the "normal" state sometimes expressed in line with the following citations: "being smooth in the genital area without flaps is a beauty ideal" "if the labia minora are not cut they will continue to grow" "the clitoris and the labia minora have to be concealed in order to reduce sexual desire to reduce the risk of promiscuity promote fertility and make childbirth easier or the girl will not become a woman" "circumcision will ensure that the woman is a virgin as she gets married." These examples of motives do not necessarily coexist in the same ethnic groups. Thus FGC has deep and complex social and cultural roots that we cannot ignore when discussing how to best deal with FGC as a health issue in the Nordic countries. (excerpt)

Building Nordic networks.

Established bioregions across Scandinavia are increasingly joining forces in an effort to increase their international competitiveness. Paul Smaglik gets connected.

Guest editorial

Guest editorial

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.

Communicable disease epidemiology training in Northern Europe.

The five Nordic countries (Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway and Sweden) have a long tradition of collaboration in communicable disease epidemiology and control. The state epidemiologists and the immunisation programme managers have met regularly to discuss common challenges and exchange experiences in surveillance and control of communicable diseases. After the three Baltic countries (Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania) regained independence in 1991 and the Soviet Union dissolved, contacts were made across the old iron curtain in several areas, such as culture, education, business, military and medicine. Each of the Nordic communicable disease surveillance institutes started projects with partners in Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania or the Russian Federation. The projects were in such diverse areas as HIV surveillance and prevention, vaccination programmes and antibiotic resistance.

Atmospheric mercury species over central and Northern Europe. Model calculations and nordic air and precipitation network for 1987 and 1988

A chemical scheme based upon current knowledge of physicochemical forms and transformation reactions of atmospheric mercury has been implemented into a regional pollutant dispersion model for Europe. Existing databases for anthropogenic mercury emissions in Europe have been updated for 1987 and 1988 using new information on source data from eastern European countries including the former German Democratic Republic. Concentrations of total gaseous and particle associated mercury in air and mercury in precipitation calculated by the model are compared with observed values at Roervik in southwestern Sweden, Aspvreten, south of Stockholm and other locations of the Nordic network, on a daily basis. The results show that the model is capable of simulating long-range transport of mercury from Central Europe to Scandinavia including discrete events with peak concentrations in air and precipitation in the range of 10 ng m −3 and 100 ng l −1, respectively. Coinciding observed and calculated peak concentrations indicate that exceptionally high mercury emissions, most probably from chlor-alkali industry and lignite coal combustion in East Germany and Czechoslovakia, must have occurred in 1987 and 1988.

Danish Centre for Museum Research: New modes of collaboration and quality development

In August 2011, Danish Centre for Museum Research (DCMR) was established as a national research centre without walls. Members are Danish university departments that have museum research as a key research area, and the Centre currently lists 14 members spanning almost all universities. DCMR defines museum research in inclusive terms, embracing research on museums, archives, activity and experience centres and encompassing art, cultural and natural heritage in its tangible as well as intangible modes of articulation. The overall aim of the Centre is to advance the quantity and quality of Danish museum research and practice based on the scientific insights and resources originating from Danish universities and their Nordic and wider international research networks.