Northern Denmark Research Articles

Joel Barlow in Denmark: American Republicanism and the Republic of Translations in Continental Europe in the Revolutionary 1790s

ABSTRACT Through a case study of the Danish and German translations of the American revolutionary Joel Barlow's 'Advice to the Privileged Orders of Europe' (1792), this article explores the role of translations and the example of the American Revolution in forming ideas of republicanism in the Age of Revolutions. While it is today a little-known text, the article shows that Barlow's Advice had a significant impact on the formation of revolutionary ideology in the Northern Germany and Denmark. The article furthermore argues that contrary to what historians have hitherto believed, republicanism did make its way into Denmark in the period. Here, the article shows, it influenced the political ideas of key intellectuals such as Christen Henriksen Pram, August Hennings, and C.U.D. von Eggers. Because censorship made it difficult to express republican ideas, studying translations may give us a fuller and more precise picture of political ideas in the Age of Revolutions including in places like Denmark. The article thus argues that Barlow and his text was part of a broader ‘republic of translations,’ which was transformed in the wake of the American and French Revolutions and through which spread republicanism across the world, including Northern Europe.

E-Methanol Production and Potential Export in the Northern Denmark Region for 2030 and 2045

Denmark has set a target of 4–6 GW electrolysis capacity by 2030, of which a part of the produced hydrogen is to be used for export, while the rest could be transformed further into electrofuels. The North Denmark Region has favourable conditions for the production of carbon-based fuels. The region has high availability of CO2 sources and a strategic position for establishing CO2 hubs in the local harbours that could support biogenic CO2 availability in the future. This paper investigates the potential of the region for exporting e-methanol through 22 energy system scenarios and the impacts on the energy system if this is to be realised by 2030 and 2045, when Denmark is expected to achieve its national climate goals. The analysis highlights the significant potential of this region to contribute to e-methanol production not only to meet the regional demand for methanol for marine transport and aviation but also for export to the rest of Denmark or beyond Danish borders.

Regional cancer incidence and survival in Denmark

BackgroundPotential regional differences in cancer incidence and survival would demand targeted interventions to decrease cancer related death. MethodsThis descriptive cohort study provides an overview of regional cancer incidence and relative survival (RS) in Denmark during 2007–2021. National cancer incidence and RS estimates were calculated similar to the official statistics for the Danish Cancer Registry. Specifically, we estimated age-standardized (World) cancer incidence rates (ASR), and RS in 3-year periods by sex, and the five regions of Denmark (i.e., Region of Northern Denmark, Central Denmark Region, Region of Southern Denmark, Region Zealand, and Capital Region). ResultsWe identified 578,107 incident cancers in Denmark during 2007–2021, of which 124 123 were diagnosed in 2019–2021. Small fluctuations were seen in ASR for cancer overall in all five regions during 2007–2018, followed by decreasing trends in 2019–2021. Men exhibited higher ASRs than women. Consistent improvements in 1- and 5-year RS were seen during the study period in all regions. However, for patients diagnosed in 2019–2021, the 5-year RS levelled off. These patients experienced 1-year RS of 83 % among men and 84 % among women, and the 5-year RS was also similar between sexes (men: 67 %, women: 70 %, overall: 68 %). Region Zealand generally presented lower RS estimates for both sexes combined. ConclusionCancer survival improved between 2007 and 2021 in all Danish regions for both sexes. However, the improvements in cancer survival appeared to have levelled off in the most recent period, 2019–2021. For both sexes, the lowest survival was suggested for Region Zealand.

An overview of autosomal STRs and identity SNPs in a Norwegian population using massively parallel sequencing

In recent years, probabilistic genotyping software has been adapted for the analysis of massively parallel sequencing (MPS) forensic data. Likelihood ratios (LR) are based on allele frequencies selected from populations of interest. This study provides an outline of sequence-based (SB) allele frequencies for autosomal short tandem repeats (aSTRs) and identity single nucleotide polymorphisms (iSNPs) in 371 individuals from Southern Norway. 27 aSTRs and 94 iSNPs were previously analysed with the ForenSeq™ DNA Signature Prep Kit (Verogen). The number of alleles with frequencies less than 0.05 for sequenced-based alleles was 4.6 times higher than for length-based alleles. Consistent with previous studies, it was observed that sequence-based data (both with and without flanks) exhibited higher allele diversity compared to length-based (LB) data; random match probabilities were lower for SB alleles confirming their advantage to discriminate between individuals. Two alleles in markers D22S1045 and Penta D were observed with SNPs in the 3´ flanking region, which have not been reported before. Also, a novel SNP with a minor allele frequency (MAF) of 0.001, was found in marker TH01. The impact of the sample size on minor allele frequency (MAF) values was studied in 88 iSNPs from Southern Norway (n = 371). The findings were then compared to a larger Norwegian population dataset (n = 15,769). The results showed that the smaller Southern Norway dataset provided similar results, and it was a representative sample. Population structure was analyzed for regions within Southern Norway; FST estimates for aSTR and iSNPs did not indicate any genetic structure. Finally, we investigated the genetic differences between Southern Norway and two other populations: Northern Norway and Denmark. Allele frequencies between these populations were compared, and we found no significant frequency differences (p-values > 0.0001). We also calculated the pairwise FST values per marker and comparisons between Southern and Northern Norway showed small differences. In contrast, the comparisons between Southern Norway and Denmark showed higher FST values for some markers, possibly driven by distinct alleles that were present in only one of the populations. In summary, we propose that allele frequencies from each population considered in this study could be used interchangeably to calculate genotype probabilities.

Nephropathia Epidemica Caused by Puumala Virus in Bank Voles, Scania, Southern Sweden.

In 2018, a local case of nephropathia epidemica was reported in Scania, southern Sweden, more than 500 km south of the previously known presence of human hantavirus infections in Sweden. Another case emerged in the same area in 2020. To investigate the zoonotic origin of those cases, we trapped rodents in Ballingslöv, Norra Sandby, and Sörby in southern Sweden during 2020‒2021. We found Puumala virus (PUUV) in lung tissues from 9 of 74 Myodes glareolus bank voles by screening tissues using a hantavirus pan-large segment reverse transcription PCR. Genetic analysis revealed that the PUUV strains were distinct from those found in northern Sweden and Denmark and belonged to the Finnish PUUV lineage. Our findings suggest an introduction of PUUV from Finland or Karelia, causing the human PUUV infections in Scania. This discovery emphasizes the need to understand the evolution, cross-species transmission, and disease outcomes of this newly found PUUV variant.

One-year-long turbulence measurements and modeling using large-eddy simulation domains in the Weather Research and Forecasting model

We present an intercomparison of a full year of turbulence measurements and simulations at Østerild, a site in northern Denmark with relatively flat terrain and high surface roughness, where a high-quality tall meteorological mast is deployed. Both sonic and cup anemometers are mounted on booms on the mast from 7 up to 244 m, thus covering the range of heights in which modern wind turbines operate. The simulations were performed using the Weather Research and Forecasting model in a multiscale setup, with large-eddy simulations (LESs) nested one-way within mesoscale simulations. The mesoscale domains thus simulated the evolving weather, while the two innermost domains used an LES closure, intending the largest scales of turbulence to be explicitly resolved. For a selected day, we show that the simulated turbulence is accurately resolved within the innermost LES domain, and agrees well with the observations at all vertical levels. For the full year, we show that the innermost domain accurately reproduces mean wind speed, direction, and turbulence levels, whereas the mesoscale simulations have difficulties matching the frequency of occurrence of both low and high turbulence ranges when compared to the observations. The largest differences between the simulated turbulence from the innermost domain and the observations are found under low wind speed conditions close to the surface, particularly during nighttime where the simulated mean wind and turbulence levels are higher and lower, respectively, than the observations, potentially due to the inability of the LES mesh to resolve the very small scales of turbulence and associated momentum transport that those features support.

The history of Fagus sylvatica at its northern limit in Vendsyssel, Denmark

Pollen, plant macrofossils and charcoal analyses were used to study tree diversity, fire history and forest disturbance over the past c. 3500 years at three forest remnant sites in Vendsyssel, northern Denmark. All locations had a more diverse tree composition in the past including abundant Alnus, Betula, Corylus, Pinus, Quercus, Salix, Tilia and Ulmus. The changes in tree diversity through time can be attributed to a combination of factors including climate change, burning linked to shifting cultivation, grazing and felling. The balance between arboreal and non-arboreal pollen was already being influenced by human activities in the late Bronze Age c. 3000 years ago. The high pollen abundance values recorded for Tilia pre-2000 years ago are exceptional as compared to later periods at these sites. At one location, the transition from Tilia to Fagus indicated that Tilia prevailed until c. 1300 years ago. Subsequent periods of forest clearance, with charcoal and cereal cultivation, initially including Hordeum and subsequently also Secale, were recorded. There was pollen evidence for grazing followed by shrub regeneration including Calluna, Erica, Juniperus and herbaceous taxa, and following that, a forest recovery of mainly Fagus, Picea and Pinus. This recovery is also recorded in historical forest records from 1880 CE onwards, emphasising the dominant role of plantation schemes. Results are placed in a wider framework of other sites in Denmark and southern Scandinavia, which have also documented a reduction of tree diversity and forest cover over the same period. The evidence from the long-term record is used to draw conclusions to assist forest restoration programmes.

Beach-ridge formation as a possible indicator for an open Limfjord – North Sea connection

Raised beach ridges are prograded sequences of wave-built deposits that may provide valuable information about past relative sea-level changes, climate change and coastal evolution. In the Limfjord in northern Denmark, the Early and Middle Holocene sea-level changes are well-constrained. However, our understanding of Late Holocene sea-level fluctuations is limited, and the exact period when the coastal barrier between the Limfjord and the North Sea formed remains uncertain. In this study, we use optically stimulated luminescence (OSL) dating to determine the age of raised beach ridges at Gjellerodde in the western part of the Limfjord. The OSL ages presented here indicate that the beach ridges formed during three periods at 3.3–2.7, 1.4–1.0, 0.2–0.1 ka. In addition our data suggest a c. 0.2 mm/yr relative sea-level fall during the Late Holocene. The three distinct periods of beach-ridge formation coincide with periods when the Limfjord was open towards the North Sea as documented in historical records and marine records. This suggests that OSL dating of beach ridges can be used as a potential indicator for determining when the connection between the Limfjord and the North Sea was open in the Late Holocene.

Cultural variations in conceptualization of excessive drinking among young adults in Denmark, Estonia and Italy

PurposeThis paper aims to investigate the cultural meanings of excessive drinking in three different countries with different levels of alcohol use chosen as case studies of wider geographies representing Northern (Denmark), Southern (Italy) and Eastern (Estonia) Europe.Design/methodology/approachData were collected according to the Reception Analytical Group Interview method, using video clips as stimuli to enhance comparability. Eight online focus groups were organized in each country for a total number of 128 participants. Symbolic boundaries defining what drinking patterns are socially acceptable were then analysed to look at cross-national variations.FindingsResults show how different conceptualizations of excessive drinking persist, although a convergence process among drinking patterns is also observed, which suggests that differences mainly depend on meanings and values attributed to intoxication. These are both rooted in the traditional drinking cultures and affected by ongoing social and economic change processes.Research limitations/implicationsBecause of the chosen research approach, the research results may lack generalizability, even at country level, as there are differences also within the same drinking culture; however, addressing these differences was beyond the scope of the present study, which aimed to contribute to understanding persisting differences in European drinking culture despite different drivers seem to act for globalization of drinking habits.Practical implicationsThe paper includes implications for the development of tailored and effective prevention messages, considering rooted attitudes and cultural values attached to drinking and drunkenness in different European geographies, which are also related to conceptualizations of risks and pleasure.Originality/valueThis paper fulfils an identified need to understand persisting differences in alcohol-related behaviours and outcome in different European countries emerging from quantitative data.

Fungicide Resistance in Botrytis spp. and Regional Strategies for Its Management in Northern European Strawberry Production.

Grey mould, caused by Botrytis cinerea and other Botrytis spp., is a major cause of fruit rot in strawberries and other fruit crops worldwide. Repeated fungicide applications are essential in order to secure harvests. However, resistance to all currently registered single-site fungicides is widespread. The rising importance of strains with multiple resistance to most or all fungicides is of particular concern. These strains may be introduced into fields via contaminated nursery plants and/or by immigration from adjacent plots. On the basis of research conducted in northern German and Danish strawberry production, a concept to manage fungicide resistance under northern European conditions has been developed and put into regional strawberry production practice. This principally includes the testing of nursery plants for fungicide-resistant Botrytis strains prior to planting; the restricted and specific use of fungicides at flowering in the production fields, taking account of the resistance spectrum within the local Botrytis population; and crop sanitation measures such as the removal of rotting fruits at the beginning of harvest. Further options such as protected cultivation, reduced fertilisation and biological control are also discussed. The practical implementation of such a strategy in northern Germany and Denmark has been shown to reduce the occurrence of multi-resistant strains to a tolerable steady-state level.

Influence of Temporal- and Spatial Resolutions on Building Performance Simulation Models: A Danish Residential Building Case Study

This study aims to assess the accuracy of a building performance simulation (BPS) model developed in IDA ICE software, focusing on heating energy use and indoor air temperatures in a low-energy multi-story residential building located in Northern Denmark. Six apartments were analyzed, and a comparative analysis was conducted between the measured parameters and the results obtained from BPS models with different spatial and temporal resolutions. The findings indicate that while the BPS models can provide reasonably accurate estimates of heating energy use, they may not fully capture the nuanced response to factors such as indoor air temperature This highlights the importance of incorporating qualitative inputs and environmental variables into these BPS models, including heating and/or cooling setpoints, internal gains, and weather conditions. Overall, this study provides insights into the limitations and opportunities of BPS models for accurately estimating heating energy use and indoor air temperatures in low-energy residential buildings.

Introducing extended consultations for patients with severe mental illness in general practice: Results from the SOFIA feasibility study

BackgroundPeople with a severe mental illness (SMI) have shorter life expectancy and poorer quality of life compared to the general population. Most years lost are due to cardiovascular disease, respiratory disease, and various types of cancer. We co-designed an intervention to mitigate this health problem with key stakeholders in the area, which centred on an extended consultations for people with SMI in general practice. This study aimed to1) investigate general practitioners’ (GPs) experience of the feasibility of introducing extended consultations for patients with SMI, 2) assess the clinical content of extended consultations and how these were experienced by patients, and 3) investigate the feasibility of identification, eligibility screening, and recruitment of patients with SMI.MethodsThe study was a one-armed feasibility study. We planned that seven general practices in northern Denmark would introduce extended consultations with their patients with SMI for 6 months. Patients with SMI were identified using practice medical records and screened for eligibility by the patients’ GP. Data were collected using case report forms filled out by practice personnel and via qualitative methods, including observations of consultations, individual semi-structured interviews, a focus group with GPs, and informal conversations with patients and general practice staff.ResultsFive general practices employing seven GPs participated in the study, which was terminated 3 ½ month ahead of schedule due to the COVID-19 pandemic. General practices attempted to contact 57 patients with SMI. Of these, 38 patients (67%) attended an extended consultation, which led to changes in the somatic health care plan for 82% of patients. Conduct of the extended consultations varied between GPs and diverged from the intended conduct. Nonetheless, GPs found the extended consultations feasible and, in most cases, beneficial for the patient group. In interviews, most patients recounted the extended consultation as beneficial.DiscussionOur findings suggest that it is feasible to introduce extended consultations for patients with SMI in general practice, which were also found to be well-suited for eliciting patients’ values and preferences. Larger studies with a longer follow-up period could help to assess the long-term effects and the best implementation strategies of these consultations.

Triglycerides and risk of cardiovascular events in statin-treated patients with newly diagnosed type 2 diabetes: a Danish cohort study

BackgroundElevated triglyceride levels are a clinically useful marker of remnant cholesterol. It is unknown whether triglycerides are associated with residual cardiovascular risk in CVD-naïve patients with newly diagnosed type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM), who are already on statin therapy. We aimed to assess the association between triglyceride levels and risk of major cardiovascular events (MACE) in statin-treated patients with newly diagnosed T2DM managed in routine clinical care.MethodsThis cohort study included newly diagnosed T2DM patients without a previous diagnosis of cardiovascular disease in Northern Denmark during 2005–2017. Individual triglyceride levels while on statin treatment were assessed within 1 year after T2DM diagnosis. The primary outcome was a composite of myocardial infarction, ischemic stroke, or cardiac death (MACE). Patients were followed from one year after T2DM diagnosis until 30 April 2021, MACE, emigration, or death. We used Cox regression to compute hazard ratios (HRs) controlling for confounding factors.ResultsAmong 27,080 statin-treated patients with T2DM (median age 63 years; 53% males), triglyceride levels were < 1.0 mmol/L in 17%, 1.0–1.9 mmol/L in 52%, 2.0–2.9 mmol/L in 20%, and ≥ 3.0 mmol/L in 11%. During follow-up, 1,957 incident MACE events occurred (11.0 per 1000 person-years). Compared with triglyceride levels < 1.0 mmol/L, confounder-adjusted HRs for incident MACE were 1.14 (95% CI 1.00–1.29) for levels between 1.0 and 1.9 mmol/L, 1.30 (95% CI 1.12–1.51) for levels between 2.0 and 2.9 mmol/L, and 1.44 (95% CI 1.20–1.73) for levels ≥ 3.0 mmol/L. This association was primarily driven by higher rates of myocardial infarction and cardiac death and attenuated only slightly after additional adjustment for LDL cholesterol. Spline analyses confirmed a linearly increasing risk of MACE with higher triglyceride levels. Stratified analyses showed that the associations between triglyceride levels and MACE were stronger among women.ConclusionsIn statin-treated patients with newly diagnosed T2DM, triglyceride levels are associated with MACE already from 1.0 mmol/L. This suggests that high triglyceride levels are a predictor of residual cardiovascular risk in early T2DM and could be used to guide allocation of additional lipid-lowering therapies for CVD prevention.

Inhaled corticosteroids and adverse outcomes among chronic obstructive pulmonary disease patients with community-acquired pneumonia: a population-based cohort study.

While inhaled corticosteroids (ICS) may increase pneumonia risk in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), the impact of ICS on pneumonia outcomes is debated. We examined whether ICS use is associated with adverse outcomes among COPD patients with community-acquired pneumonia (CAP). Population-based cohort study of all COPD patients with an incident hospitalization for CAP between 1997 and 2013 in Northern Denmark. Information on medications, COPD severity, comorbidities, complications, and death was obtained from medical databases. Adjusted risk ratios (aRRs) for pleuropulmonary complications, intensive care unit (ICU) admissions, and 30-day mortality in current and former ICS users were compared with those in non-users, using regression analyzes to handle confounding. Of 11,368 COPD patients with CAP, 6,073 (53.4%) were current ICS users and 1,733 (15.2%) were former users. Current users had a non-significantly decreased risk of pleuropulmonary complications [2.6%; aRR = 0.82 (0.59-1.12)] compared to non-users (3.2%). This was also observed among former users [2.5%; aRR = 0.77 (0.53-1.12)]. Similarly, decreased risks of ICU admission were observed among current users [aRR = 0.77 (0.57-1.04)] and among former users [aRR = 0.81 (0.58-1.13)]. Current ICS users had significantly decreased 30-day mortality [9.1%; aRR = 0.72 (0.62-0.85)] compared to non-users (12.6%), with a stronger association observed among patients with frequent exacerbations [0.58 (0.39-0.86)]. No significant association was observed among former ICS users [0.89 (0.75-1.05)]. Our results suggest a decreased risk of death with ICS use among COPD patients admitted for CAP.

The Hoard from Bækkedal in Northern Denmark and the Use of Two-Horse Teams in the Late Nordic Bronze Age

Abstract This article examines the use and significance of two-horse teams within the Nordic Late Bronze Age cultural sphere in southern Scandinavia and the southwestern Baltic region. Its point of departure is a remarkable hoard found in the late summer of 2014 at Bækkedal in northern Jutland, Denmark. The hoard, dated to period V of the Bronze Age, differs from many other hoards of this period by virtue of its abundant and almost complete content of bridles and other harness components for a two-horse team, including cheek pieces, phalerae and jingle plates. Furthermore, organic material was preserved in the form of parts of the bridle, with bronzes in situ, together with bits and reins. It therefore provides important new information about the group of hoards that contain horse tack, given that it is now possible, for the first time, to see how a bridle was constructed. Moreover, it contributes to our understanding of driving with two-horse teams and four-wheeled wagons, which, given the quantity of horse tack in hoards, must have been more commonplace than indicated by the other finds in the archaeological record. Lastly, the local context of the hoard is examined and reveals an area rich in other contemporaneous deposit finds and numerous settlement traces.

Video Consultations in Primary Care Outside Office Hours

Background Out-of-hours primary care (OOH-PC) is facing increasing demands and workload with many negative consequences, including longer waiting time and increased risk of treatment delay and safety incidents. During the COVID-19 pandemic, video consultation (VC) was introduced as an alternative to face-to-face contact. We hypothesize that VC contributes to sustainable OOH-PC by changing patient flows, decreasing workload, and reducing waiting time. Objective This study aims to evaluate the use of video in telephone triage in OOH-PC by studying user rate, the effect on contact patterns, and patient characteristics related to receiving a VC. Methods We conducted a register-based study of VC use in OOH-PC, including all Danish residents contacting OOH-PC in the regions of Central Denmark, Southern Denmark, Northern Denmark, and Zealand. The study population will be followed from birth, immigration, or March 1, 2020 (whichever came last), until death, emigration, or December 31, 2021 (whichever comes first). We will use national registers, linking data with the unique personal identification number. We plan to conduct descriptive analyses, calculating the proportion of VC of all teletriage consultations per month during the study period. We plan to use regression models to measure the association between VC and triage outcome and the association between VC and patient characteristics, calculating risk ratios and 95% CIs. Both crude and mutual adjusted risk ratios for patient characteristics will be presented. Results Data analyses started in May 2022. Conclusions A preliminary conclusion will be presented at the conference. Conflicts of Interest None declared.

Relationship between Fields, banks and farmstead at an early Iron Age site in Northern Denmark

Ancient Celtic fields are still visible as banks and lynchets in many landscapes in Northwestern Europe today. Comparably little is known about the relationship between Celtic fields and the dwellings of the people farming these fields. Excavations of a pre-roman Iron Age field system near Aalborg, Northern Denmark, revealed the remains of a farmstead (longhouse) and fields covered by drift sand. The site is located on raised late Holocene marine foreland with very homogeneous sandy soil. This provided an excellent opportunity to study prehistoric manuring practices and spatial relationships between fields and the farmstead. Archaeological excavation, soil geochemistry, particle size analysis, macrofossils and radiocarbon dating were combined to establish a chronology and land-use history of the site. The results showed that the farmstead was established around 400 BCE, while drift sand covered the fields around or shortly after 200 BCE. The investigation revealed ard marks covering most of the excavated area, while field boundaries delimited at least six fields. The longhouse was located between two field boundaries. Particle size analysis of marine sandy plough-layer revealed that earthy material had been added from adjacent uphill areas, while a field bank was a mixture of the plough layers from its two adjacent fields. However, all results suggested a limited input of plant nutrient, manure and earthy material taking the century long farming into account. The excavated fields may hence represent a short lived expansion of fields into more marginal and naturally less fertile land. The size of the farmstead was nevertheless comparable to other longhouses found in contemporary villages in the area, suggesting that the nutrient-poor soil did not necessarily mean poor living conditions for the inhabitants.

Phenology of harbor seal pupping and the influence of weather on pup counts, investigated by UAV

AbstractSurveys of harbor seals to assess pup production in Denmark are conducted at the assumed breeding season peak between 9 and 15 hr at winds &lt;10 m/s, with no precipitation at least 6 hr before observations and at low tide in areas with a significant tidal range. Harbor seal pups can swim immediately after birth, so the fraction available for counting likely varies according to conditions. In the Limfjord, a separate harbor seal population is living in a large inlet in northern Denmark where &gt;95% of pups are born at two haul‐out sites situated 4 km apart. Drone surveys of these two haul‐outs were conducted throughout the breeding seasons during 2017–2019. The effects of weather conditions and timing of surveys on counts were analyzed by generalized additive mixed models. The best‐performing model included date and wind speed. Pup counts grew from the onset of the observation period and were predicted to peak on June 22. Wind speed had a linear relationship with pup counts and &gt; 50% more pups were counted at 5 m/s than at 1 m/s. To achieve representative pup counts careful consideration of survey conditions and possibly correction for these effects are necessary.

Protecting avian wildlife for wind farm siting: The Screening Tool Proof of Concept

Bird collisions with wind turbines continue to be a major problem within the wind industry. Developing scarecrow technologies and other, more advanced, multi-sensory bird monitoring systems on the market are paving the way to resolving this perplex dilemma. Environmental Impact Assessments are required by regulatory bodies to prove that a wind farm will not cause adverse impacts to vulnerable avian populations. The Screening Tool Proof of Concept is intended to help with permitting, and to reduce seasonal curtailment events resulting from annual migration. It revealed a positive correlation between bird activity hotspots for Pink-footed geese species and distance to crops. The most favorable crops were winter and spring cereals located at Klim Fjordholme Wind Farm in Northern Denmark. The 2 km test radius around the turbine revealed direct impacts of surrounding land use, however, for future developments, increasing the radius will provide further geospatially relevant information across a broader area. Avoidance through initial risk screening is arguably the most effective way to reduce impacts to biodiversity and ensure successful operation via coexistence with avian wildlife.

Ethics and the impossibility of the consent form: Ethnography in a Danish nursing home

Based on ethnographic fieldwork in a nursing home in northern Denmark, this article addresses challenges experienced in putting formal ethics requirements into practice. We consider how to unite procedural ethics with actual, lived ethics, when researching with vulnerable participants who live with a cognitively impairing condition. The article centers on the story of one resident, who wanted to share her experiences with what she had perceived as inadequate care, but who baulked once the wordy consent form was produced. The resident panicked that her words could now be used against her, that talking with the researcher would (further) compromise her care. She was caught in a bind, on the one hand she had a deep desire to tell her story, on the other the piece of paper in her hand threatened to trigger her anxiety and depression. In this article we therefore approach the consent form as an agent. By mapping out these unintended consequences of the consent form, we wish to draw attention to the complexities of ethical research conduct in practice, ultimately arguing that the concept of appropriate informed consent should be broadened so that it is sensitive to the lifeworld of participants.