Og Romsdal Research Articles

Genomic Epidemiology of Salmonid Alphavirus in Norwegian Aquaculture Reveals Recent Subtype-2 Transmission Dynamics and Novel Subtype-3 Lineages.

Viral disease poses a major barrier to sustainable aquaculture, with outbreaks causing large economic losses and growing concerns for fish welfare. Genomic epidemiology can support disease control by providing rapid inferences on viral evolution and disease transmission. In this study, genomic epidemiology was used to investigate salmonid alphavirus (SAV), the causative agent of pancreas disease (PD) in Atlantic salmon. Our aim was to reconstruct SAV subtype-2 (SAV2) diversity and transmission dynamics in recent Norwegian aquaculture, including the origin of SAV2 in regions where this subtype is not tolerated under current legislation. Using nanopore sequencing, we captured ~90% of the SAV2 genome for n = 68 field isolates from 10 aquaculture production regions sampled between 2018 and 2020. Using time-calibrated phylogenetics, we infer that, following its introduction to Norway around 2010, SAV2 split into two clades (SAV2a and 2b) around 2013. While co-present at the same sites near the boundary of Møre og Romsdal and Trøndelag, SAV2a and 2b were generally detected in non-overlapping locations at more Southern and Northern latitudes, respectively. We provide evidence for recent SAV2 transmission over large distances, revealing a strong connection between Møre og Romsdal and SAV2 detected in 2019/20 in Rogaland. We also demonstrate separate introductions of SAV2a and 2b outside the SAV2 zone in Sognefjorden (Vestland), connected to samples from Møre og Romsdal and Trøndelag, respectively, and a likely 100 km Northward transmission of SAV2b within Trøndelag. Finally, we recovered genomes of SAV2a and SAV3 co-infecting single fish in Rogaland, involving novel SAV3 lineages that diverged from previously characterized strains >25 years ago. Overall, this study demonstrates useful applications of genomic epidemiology for tracking viral disease spread in aquaculture.

Meteorological observations in tall masts for the mapping of atmospheric flow in Norwegian fjords

Abstract. Since 2014, 11 tall meteorological masts have been erected in coastal areas of mid-Norway in order to provide observational data for a detailed description of the wind conditions at several potential fjord crossing sites. The planned fjord crossings are part of the Norwegian Public Roads Administration (NPRA) Coastal Highway E39 project. The meteorological masts are 50–100 m high and located in complex terrain near the shoreline in Halsafjorden, Julsundet and Storfjorden in the Møre og Romsdal county of Norway. Observations of the three-dimensional wind vector are made at 2–4 levels of each mast with a temporal frequency of 10 Hz. The dataset is corroborated with observed profiles of temperature at two masts, as well as observations of precipitation, atmospheric pressure, relative humidity and dew point at one site. The first masts were erected in 2014, and the measurement campaign will continue until at least 2024. The current paper describes the observational setup, and observations of key atmospheric parameters are presented and put in context with observations and climatological data from a nearby reference weather station. The 10 min and 10 Hz wind data, as well as other meteorological parameters, are publicly available through the Arctic Data Centre (https://doi.org/10.21343/z9n1-qw63; Furevik et al., 2019).

Genome Sequencing of SAV3 Reveals Repeated Seeding Events of Viral Strains in Norwegian Aquaculture.

Understanding the dynamics of pathogen transfer in aquaculture systems is essential to manage and mitigate disease outbreaks. The goal of this study was to understand recent transmission dynamics of salmonid alphavirus (SAV) in Norway. SAV causes significant economic impacts on farmed salmonids in European aquaculture. SAV is classified into six subtypes, with Norway having ongoing epidemics of SAV subtypes 2 and 3. These two viral subtypes are present in largely distinct geographic regions of Norway, with SAV2 present in Trondelag, SAV3 in Rogaland, Sogn og Fjordane, and Hordaland, and Møre og Romsdal having outbreaks of both subtypes. To determine likely transmission routes of Norwegian SAV an established Nanopore amplicon sequencing approach was used in the current study. After confirming the accuracy of this approach for distinguishing subtype level co-infections of SAV2 and SAV3, a hypothetical possibility in regions of neighboring epidemics, twenty-four SAV3 genomes were sequenced to characterize the current genetic diversity of SAV3 in Norwegian aquaculture. Sequencing was performed on naturally infected heart tissues originating from a range of geographic locations sampled between 2016 and 2019. Phylogenetic analyses revealed that the currently active SAV3 strains sampled comprise several distinct lineages sharing an ancestor that existed ∼15 years ago (95% HPD, 12.51–17.7 years) and likely in Hordaland. At least five of these lineages have not shared a common ancestor for 7.85 years (95% HPD, 5.39–10.96 years) or more. Furthermore, the ancestor of the strains that were sampled outside of Hordaland (Sogn of Fjordane and Rogaland) existed less than 8 years ago, indicating a lack of long-term viral reservoirs in these counties. This evident lack of geographically distinct subclades is compatible with a source-sink transmission dynamic explaining the long-term movements of SAV around Norway. Such anthropogenic transport of the virus indicates that at least for sink counties, biosecurity strategies might be effective in mitigating the ongoing SAV epidemic. Finally, genomic analyses of SAV sequences were performed, offering novel insights into the prevalence of SAV genomes containing defective deletions. Overall, this study improves our understanding of the recent transmission dynamics and biology of the SAV epidemic affecting Norwegian aquaculture.

At the threshold of the Viking Age: New dendrochronological dates for the Kvalsund ship and boat bog offerings (Norway)

Kvalsund in the Herøy archipelago, Møre og Romsdal County, provides a sheltered harbour in a high-risk seascape along the west coast of Norway: the peninsula Stadlandet is considered the most dangerous part of the seaway between central and south Norway. At least three separate offerings were identified in a bog along the sound, one of which was excavated in the 1920s. The excavation uncovered the remains of two vessels: an ordinary boat and a ship, which were both difficult to date at the time of discovery.The site is of significant interest for two reasons. First, from a technological perspective: the ship is technologically regarded as preceding the Oseberg ship type (c. AD 820), but later than the Nydam ship (AD 310–320). The date of the ship type is consequently important, as part of the evolution of the clinker built ship of the Viking Age. Secondly, from a ritual perspective: the site was interpreted in the 1920s as an offering, and as comparable to Early Iron Age bog offerings in Denmark (a category which the Nydam ship belongs to).In 1980, the Kvalsund find was radiocarbon dated, placing the find in the range of the 7th to 8th centuries AD. This indicates that the Kvalsund offerings were later than the Early Iron Age bog offerings in Denmark. Since the 1980s, most ships from the Late Iron Age in Norway (i.e. c. AD 560–1050) are provided with a more accurate date by dendrochronology, but the Kvalsud vessels have lacked dendrochronological dates. This article presents the site, the finds, and a new dendrochronological date for the Kvalsud vessels.

Metallsøkerfunn som grunnlag for kunnskap og vern. En case-studie fra Sunndal – et knutepunkt i jernalder og middelalder.

In recent years we have seen a marked rise in private metal detecting in Møre og Romsdal, especially in Sunndal where numerous finds have been delivered to the county archaeologists. In this article, we aim to study these metal finds and look closer at what new potential knowledge of trade, meeting places and farm settlements dating from the Viking Age to the medieval period are implied. We have also discussed the relationship between the artefacts found by metal detectorists and the associated structures found beneath the topsoil, and if these items indicate or represent automatically protected heritage sites. Despite numerous detector finds from the Viking Age/medieval period, there is a scarcity of structures from this period. Hence, such items cannot automatically be assumed to indicate that structures and sites are located in close vicinity, beneath the topsoil. Instead the focus of study should be on the potential represented by the artefacts themselves, and how the concentrated find-spots could represent automatically protected sites. We have therefore suggested a new set of criteria based on grouped concentrations of artefacts with broadly similar dating and functions to try to detect, limit, interpret and understand such sites, and suggest a base model for further management.

The Blue Maritime Cluster Crisis: Financial Instability and Supply Chain Management Effects

The present paper investigates the offshore crisis 2015-2017 and its impact on one of the most complete maritime clusters, more precise the Blue Maritime Cluster, located at More og Romsdal at the North Western Coast of Norway. As this cluster is heavily involved in offshore petroleum operations, it experienced an almost devastating blow during the crisis. The cluster lost almost one third of its employees as its value added contracted by 39 percent. The crises is basically seen as result of the falling oil prices and, thus, lower activity and squeezed profit margins, particularly in marginal oil and gas fields. The paper does not dispute this. However, it also investigates the crisis in the light of financial instability and chain reactions down the maritime supply chain. By collecting data from the Blue Maritime Cluster and the Norwegian central company register one is able, both to trace the fall in activity due to the crisis and measures of financial strength. The study approaches the data by using structural time series analysis in order to map cycles as deviations from polynomial trends. The conclusions are that financial instability was dominant within the Blue Maritime Cluster during its boom before the crisis. Debt ratios, and thereby gearing or leverage was high. Thus, the companies could not meet their obligations when the crisis hit, due to low solidity and loss of financial stability. The paper also finds that narrow focused supply chain management, made the cluster fall deep in to the abyss when ship owning companies and shipyards were hit. Companies with a more diversified portfolio were able to meet the hard years better than others.

Adaptive biodiversity management of semi-natural hay meadows: The case of West-Norway

Worldwide semi-natural habitats of high biological value are in decline. Consequently, numerous Agri-Environment Schemes (AESs) intended to halt biodiversity loss within these habitats have been implemented. One approach has been the application of “adaptive management”, where scientific knowledge is applied alongside the traditional ecological knowledge (TEK) of stakeholders in order to establish an integrated approach that is adjusted as outcomes are assessed. In this paper we examine the effectiveness of the adaptive management approach of Norway’s Action Plan for Hay Meadows (APHM). Twenty-nine hay meadows from fourteen farms in the county of Møre og Romsdal were ecologically surveyed over a 2 year period. Interviews were also conducted with owners and land managers to explore TEK and management issues. The interdisciplinary study found that the disembedding of hay meadow management from its initial commercial purpose (in particular the loss of much of the livestock from the region) has contributed to a significant loss of TEK – which is now largely limited to knowledge of how the fields were managed recently. While, the APHM is limiting biodiversity decline by promoting traditional practices there were indications that the standardisation of management actions might negatively affect species composition in the long term. More critically, continued farm abandonment within the region means that without alternatives to management by farmers many of these meadows are likely to disappear in the next couple of decades. We conclude that adaptive management provides an effective short-term means of preserving hay meadows, but long term conservation will require a means of addressing the continued decline of local farming communities.

Flatmarksmiler i Vestnes fra yngre jernalder og middelalder

Charcoal kilns in Vestnes from the Late Iron Age and Middle AgesThis paper presents the first potential evidence of charcoal production prior to AD 1200 in Møre og Romsdal. During a recent archaeological survey, 16 charcoal deposits from the Late Iron Age and Middle Ages were discovered in the municipality of Vestnes. The authors argue that these deposits should be interpreted as charcoal kilns. Contrary to the common tradition in Late Iron Age and Medieval Norway of burning charcoal in pits, the new data suggest that charcoal was manufactured in charcoal kilns above the ground level, rather than in pits, prior to AD 1200 in Møre og Romsdal.

Variations in nitrogen utilisation on conventional and organic dairy farms in Norway

Reduced N-surpluses in dairy farming is a strategy to reduce the environmental pollution from this production. This study was designed to analyse the important variables influencing nitrogen (N) surplus per hectare and per unit of N in produce for dairy farms and dairy systems across 10 certified organic and 10 conventional commercial dairy farms in Møre og Romsdal County, Norway, between 2010 and 2012. The N-surplus per hectare was calculated as N-input (net N-purchase and inputs from biological N-fixation, atmospheric deposition and free rangeland) minus N in produce (sold milk and meat gain), and the N-surplus per unit of N-produce as net N-input divided by N in produce. On average, the organic farms produced milk and meat with lower N-surplus per hectare (88±25kgN·ha−1) than did conventional farms (220±56kgN·ha−1). Also, the N-surplus per unit of N-produce was on average lower on organic than on conventional farms, 4.2±1.2kgN·kgN−1 and 6.3±0.9kgN·kgN−1, respectively. All farms included both fully-cultivated land and native grassland. N-surplus was found to be higher on the fully cultivated land than on native grassland. N-fertilizers (43%) and concentrates (30%) accounted for most of the N input on conventional farms. On organic farms, biological N-fixation and concentrates contributed to 32% and 36% of the N-input (43±18kgN·kgN−1 and 48±11kgN·kgN−1), respectively. An increase in N-input per hectare increased the amount of N-produce in milk and meat per hectare, but, on average for all farms, only 11% of the N-input was utilised as N-output; however, the N-surplus per unit of N in produce (delivered milk and meat gain) was not correlated to total N-input. This surplus was calculated for the dairy system, which also included the N-surplus on the off-farm area. Only 16% and 18% of this surplus on conventional and organic farms, respectively, was attributed to surplus derived from off-farm production of purchased feed and animals. Since the dairy farm area of conventional and organic farms comprised 52% and 60% of the dairy system area, respectively, it is crucial to relate production not only to dairy farm area but also to the dairy system area. On conventional dairy farms, the N-surplus per unit of N in produce decreased with increasing milk yield per cow. Organic farms tended to have lower N-surpluses than conventional farms with no correlation between the milk yield and the N-surplus. For both dairy farm and dairy system area, N-surpluses increased with increasing use of fertilizer N per hectare, biological N-fixation, imported concentrates and roughages and decreased with higher production per area. This highlights the importance of good agronomy that well utilize available nitrogen.

Bruk av avansert behandling ved Parkinsons sykdom i Norge

Many patients with Parkinson’s disease with severe motor fluctuations benefit from advanced therapies – either deep brain stimulation or continuous infusion therapy with levodopa-carbidopa intestinal gel or apomorphine. In Norway, deep brain stimulation is provided as a shared national or multi-regional service. The treatment is currently available at Oslo University Hospital and St. Olavs Hospital; prior to 2012 it was also available at Haukeland University Hospital. Infusion therapy has no similar geographical restrictions. We therefore wished to examine geographical differences in the use of the two most common forms of advanced therapy for Parkinson’s disease.The county of residence of all patients receiving deep brain stimulation or infusion therapy with levodopa-carbidopa intestinal gel in the period 2009 – 2013 was recorded using data from hospital episode statistics and the Norwegian Prescription Database, respectively.A total of 262 patients with Parkinson’s disease began advanced therapy, 146 with deep brain stimulation and 116 with levodopa-carbidopa infusion. Four counties differed significantly from the others in their use of the two methods. Møre og Romsdal, Nordland and Sør-Trøndelag treated a significantly greater proportion of patients with deep brain stimulation, while Rogaland treated a significantly greater proportion with levodopa-carbidopa infusion therapy.Advanced therapies for Parkinson’s disease are offered throughout Norway, but there are significant geographical differences in the type of therapy initiated. One possible explanation is that patients in different counties receive different information about the therapeutic options available.

Relict Blockstreams at Insteheia, Valldalen-Tafjorden, Southern Norway: Their Nature and Schmidt Hammer Exposure Age

Two small relict blockstreams occur at Insteheia, a col at 910 m asl on the watershed between Valldalen and Tafjorden (Møre og Romsdal), southern Norway. Both blockstreams display morphological and sedimentological characteristics indicative of boulder accumulations that have moved downslope by solifluction, probably under a permafrost climatic regime. These comprise preferred orientation and dip patterns of boulders; inverse grading, with surface boulders overlying successively finer, well-sorted cobble, pebble and fine-grained (sand/silt dominated) sediment layers; imbrication, with the packing of small boulders behind larger boulders; and proximity to boulder-strewn hillslopes whose constituent boulders (organised into lobes and terraces) feed downslope into the blockstreams. Schmidt hammer exposure ages indicate that the blockstreams were last active during the Younger Dryas Stadial-Holocene transition. Blockstream development probably began at ~ 15 ka, following the Last Glacial Maximum, and lasted for ~ 5 ka. Since then any fine-grained material within the near-surface parts may have been progressively removed. The relatively rapid development of the blockstreams suggests that larger-scale forms of considerably greater age in the southern hemisphere may also have formed rapidly and have been inactive for long periods. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Restoration of the external Scandinavian Caledonides

AbstractThree models are evaluated for restoring basement rocks coring tectonic windows (Window-Basement) in the Scandinavian Caledonides; parautochthonous (Model I) and allochthonous (models II/III), with initial imbrication of the Window-Basement post-dating or pre-dating, respectively, that in the external imbricate zone (Lower Allochthon). In Model I, the Window-Basement comes from the eastern margin of the basin now imbricated into the Lower Allochthon, while in models II/III it comes from the western margin. In Model II, the Window-Basement formed a basement-high between Tonian and Cryogenian sediments imbricated into the Middle and Lower allochthons; in Model III deposition of the Lower Allochthon sediments commenced in Ediacaran times. Balanced cross-sections and branch-line restorations of four transects (Finnmark–Troms, Västerbotten–Nordland, Jämtland–Trøndelag, Telemark–Møre og Romsdal) show similar restored lengths for the models in two transects and longer restorations for models II/III in the other transects. Model I can result inc.280 km wide gaps in the restored Lower Allochthon, evidence for which is not seen in the sedimentology. The presence of <3 km thick alluvial-fan deposits at the base of the Middle Allochthon indicates proximal, rapidly uplifting basement during Tonian–Cryogenian periods, taken as the origin of the Window-Basement during thrusting in models II/III. Model I requires multiple changes in thrusting-direction and predicts major thrusts or back-thrusts, currently unrecognized, separating parts of the Lower Allochthon; neither are required in models II/III. Metamorphic data are consistent with models II/III. Despite considerable along-strike structural variability in the external Scandinavian Caledonides, models II/III are preferred for the restoration of the Window-Basement.

Decomposing the Triple-Helix synergy into the regional innovation systems of Norway: firm data and patent networks

The Triple Helix model of university-industry-government relations allows us to use mutual information among geographical, sectorial, and size distribution of firms to measure synergy at various geographical scales in a nation. In this paper we decompose the synergy in Triple Helix relations and analyze the decomposition at the county level. We use micro-level data for all Norwegian firms from 2002 to 2014. This provides new and more detailed insight into the factors explaining the previously reported variation in synergy at county level in Norway. Furthermore, we analyze the county and city level distributions of all national as well as USPTO granted patents with at least one Norwegian inventor. Co-inventor networks for Norwegian USPTO patents are visualized using Google maps. The counties with technology-dominated synergies and strong knowledge institutions have a higher level of international co-inventor networks. Sectorial and geographical networks characterize the oil and gas dominated county, Rogaland. In contrast the knowledge institution dominated county of Sor-Trondelag has broader networks both with regard to sectors and geography. In the small industry dominated county of More og Romsdal with high synergy, the lack of international co-inventor network is striking. This might be interpreted as a sign of industrial lock-in. The use of both firm level and patent data together give a broader and more precise picture of the innovation systems under study. The firm level data is closely linked to the industry sector, whereas the patent data seem to be more linked to the knowledge infrastructure. The use of both national and international patent data also broadens the picture of the innovation activity of the nation.

Decomposing the Triple-Helix Synergy into the Regional Innovation Systems of Norway: Firm Data and Patent Networks

The Triple Helix model of university-industry-government relations allows us to use mutual information among geographical, sectorial, and size distribution of firms to measure synergy at various geographical scales in a nation. In this paper we decompose the synergy in Triple Helix relations and analyze the decomposition at the county level. We use micro-level data for all Norwegian firms from 2002 to 2014. This provides new and more detailed insight into the factors explaining the previously reported variation in synergy at county level in Norway. Furthermore, we analyze the county and city level distributions of all national as well as USPTO granted patents with at least one Norwegian inventor. Co-inventor networks for Norwegian USPTO patents are visualized using Google maps. The counties with technology-dominated synergies and strong knowledge institutions have a higher level of international co-inventor networks. Sectorial and geographical networks characterize the oil and gas dominated county, Rogaland. In contrast the knowledge institution dominated county of Sor-Trondelag has broader networks both with regard to sectors and geography. In the small industry dominated county of More og Romsdal with high synergy, the lack of international co-inventor network is striking. This might be interpreted as a sign of industrial lock-in. The use of both firm level and patent data together give a broader and more precise picture of the innovation systems under study. The firm level data is closely linked to the industry sector, whereas the patent data seem to be more linked to the knowledge infrastructure. The use of both national and international patent data also broadens the picture of the innovation activity of the nation.

The lamb disease alveld: Search for fungi and bacteria on Narthecium ossifragum foliage and roots

The causality of the serious hepatogen sheep (Ovis aries) photosensitization disease alveld is not explained. In this study the bog asphodel (Narthecium ossifragum) foliage and roots were sampled for associated species of microfungi and bacteria in Møre og Romsdal, Western Norway 2001. Three species of bacteria and 16 species/genera of microfungi, several of which were new to this plant, were identified. Metabolites of saponins produced by N. ossifragum have long been suggested as the sole cause of the disease, here two additional hypotheses are discussed. Several findings have indicated that an unknown “cofactor” is required to explain causality. The cofactor hypothesis is that bacterial or fungal populations consumed with feed might either affect biological membranes and influence physiological processes through production of toxic metabolites or directly interfere with present rumen microbial populations. The second hypothesis is that secondary production of phytoalexins in Narthecium due to impact from swarms of microfungi spores is another valid possibility. The ecology of some of the identified species of microfungi and bacteria and their possible relevance to the alveld pathosystem is discussed.

A Younger Dryas moraine ridge and fjord delta in Valldal, Norddalsfjorden, Møre og Romsdal, Norway

The fjords and valleys of Norway have been shaped during several glacial cycles of the Quaternary period. Subaquatic ridges that formed at or close to the grounding lines of glacier termini during stillstands or readvances within the last deglaciation are commonly found within the fjords. An example is a prominent moraine ridge representing a readvance of the Fennoscandian Ice Sheet during the Younger Dryas ( c. 12.9–11.5 ka BP) in Norddalsfjorden, More og Romsdal, Norway. Fjord deltas may form in the same setting at the mouths of tributary valleys or at fjord heads following deglaciation. They may grow to relatively large dimensions and have morphological features that reflect the dynamic environment that exists across the fluvial–marine transition. One such delta is located close to, and partly drapes, the proximal slope of the moraine ridge at Norddalsfjorden. Norddalsfjorden is a narrow (0.8–3.5 km wide) and relatively deep (up to about 500 m deep) fjord situated between high mountain peaks and intermittent valleys (Fig. 1). A transverse, subaquatic ridge is situated on a bedrock sill just SW of the Valldal tributary valley. High-resolution multibeam data clearly depict the ridge as a well-defined topographic high with an arcuate crest that is convex down-fjord (Fig. 1c). The crest of the ridge is c. …

Risk adjustment in measurements of predicted mortality after myocardial infarction.

In 2014, the government introduced elements of quality-based funding (pay-for-performance) for the hospital sector. Survival is included as a quality indicator. If such quality indicators are to be used for funding purposes, it must be established that the observed variations are caused by conditions that the hospital trusts are able to influence, and not by any underlying variables. The objective of this study was to investigate how the predicted mortality after myocardial infarction was influenced by various forms of risk adjustment. Data from the Norwegian Patient Register on 10,717 patients who had been discharged with the diagnosis of myocardial infarction in 2009 were linked to data on socioeconomic status, comorbidity, travel distances and mortality. The predicted 30-day mortality after myocardial infarction was analysed at the hospital-trust level, using three different models for risk adjustment. Unadjusted 30-day mortality was highest in the catchment area of Førde Hospital Trust (12.5%) and lowest in Asker og Bærum (5.2%). Risk adjustment changed the estimates of mortality for many of the hospital trusts. In the model involving the most comprehensive risk adjustment, mortality was highest in the catchment area of Akershus University Hospital (10.9%) and lowest in the catchment areas of Sunnmøre Hospital Trust (5.2%) and Nordmøre og Romsdal Hospital Trust (5.2%). The variation in treatment quality between the hospital trusts, as measured by predicted mortality after myocardial infarction, is influenced by the methods used for risk adjustment. If the quality-based funding scheme is to continue, well-documented models for risk adjustment of the quality indicators need to be established.

Prevalence of tick‐borne encephalitis virus in Ixodes ricinus ticks from three islands in north‐western Norway

Tick-borne encephalitis (TBE) is the most important viral tick-borne disease in Europe and can cause severe disease in humans. In Norway, human cases have been reported only from the southern coast. The aim of this study was to investigate the prevalence of tick-borne encephalitis virus (TBEV) in questing Ixodes ricinus ticks from the north-western part of Norway. A total of 4509 ticks were collected by flagging in May and June 2014. A subpopulation of 2220 nymphs and 162 adult ticks were analysed by real-time PCR and positive samples were confirmed by pyrosequencing. The estimated prevalence of TBEV was 3.08% among adult ticks from Sekken in Møre og Romsdal County and 0.41% among nymphs from both Hitra and Frøya in Sør-Trøndelag County. This study indicates that TBEV might be more widespread than the distribution of reported human cases suggests.

Globalization and the Development of Industrial Clusters: Comparing Two Norwegian Clusters, 1900–2010

This article explores how clusters have reacted to the recent process of globalization by comparing the development of two clusters that are located in the same region, the county of Møre og Romsdal in Norway. These are the furniture cluster and the maritime cluster on the west coast of Norway. When international competition increased, the first one declined while the other prospered and became more global. Structural differences explain only partly the different development paths of these clusters. In addition, firms’ strategic actions and the degree of collectively shared visions about international operations mattered for how the clusters developed.

Fleas in nests of the White-throated Dipper Cinclus cinclus in Norway

We collected nest material from six White-throated Dipper Cinclus cinclus nests in 2006 and from 14 nests in 2007. Eight nests were located in Hedmark, one in Akershus and 11 in Vest-Agder. In addition, we also include results from material sampled in 1922 (one nest from Nordland), 1969 (three nests from Akershus) and 1971 (one nest from More og Romsdal). In the material, we recorded three species of bird fleas. The hen flea Ceratophyllus gallinae and the moorhen flea Dasypsyllus gallinulae were the most common ones; in addition, we found Ceratophyllus garei in one nest. In the material from one nest, we found an extremely high number of D. gallinulae , 3740 specimens dispersed out of the nest material.