Icelandic Research Research Articles

Career adapt-abilities scale — Icelandic form: Psychometric properties and construct validity

This study examined the psychometric characteristics and construct validity of the Icelandic form of the Career Adapt-Abilities Scale (CAAS-Iceland). The CAAS consists of four scales that measure concern, control, curiosity, and confidence as psychosocial resources for managing occupational transitions, developmental tasks, and work traumas. The 24-item measure was translated from English and administered to 1566 Icelandic students aged 14–30. Internal consistency estimates of reliability for the subscale and total scores ranged from .77 to .92. The construct validity of the measure was tested using confirmatory methods. The results indicated that the four-factor hierarchical model of career adaptability shows an acceptable fit in Iceland. The mean scores on the scales are high compared to the other countries, indicating that there may be problems with the translation of the response scale. The results indicate that the CAAS-Icelandic Form is reliable and valid and can be used with minor modifications in career counseling and research in Iceland.

Frestun læknisþjónustu meðal Íslendinga: Umfang og skýringar

Equal access to health care is a central goal in socialized health systems like the one in Iceland. Previous research in Iceland indicates considerable individual and group differences in access to health care. The study maps the distribution of postponement and cancellation of physician care among Icelandic adults and considers a number of potential explanations. The data come from a national postal health survey of Icelandic adults, age 18-75, who were randomly drawn from the National Register. 1532 individuals responded to the survey yielding a 60% response rate. 22% of the respondents had postponed or cancelled a physician visit they thought they needed in the past 6 months. The study found considerable variations in postponement rates. Postponement was positively related to younger age, full employment, financial difficulties, high out-of-pocket health care costs, inflexible daily schedules (fixed roles), dissatisfaction with last physician visit, and the number of chronic medical conditions experienced. Postponement or cancellation of medical care is fairly common among Icelandic adults, although considerable individual and group differences in postponement are observed. The results raise concerns, as equal access to care is a central goal of the Icelandic health care system. It is incumbent upon health authorities to pursue effective ways to equalize access to medical care and prevent postponement and cancellation of needed services.

Paleomagnetic observations at three locations in the Pleistocene lava sequence of southwest and south Iceland

Magnetic polarity measurements on lava samples were introduced in the 1950s as an aid in stratigraphic research in Iceland, and applied by T. Einarsson especially on Pleistocene sequences in southwest and south Iceland. However, the stratigraphy of these sequences is often complex, and Einarsson’s mapping has only been followed up to a limited extent. The present detailed laboratory study on magnetic remanence directions in lava flows is focused on three locations within the above region. In two of these locations (in southwest Iceland), profiles spanning the boundary between the polarity zones named R2 and N2 by Einarsson were sampled. The potential of using this boundary for correlation over short distances was confirmed. In a third location (in south Iceland), three normal-polarity zones are present in a 500 m thick lava and sediment sequence of dominantly reverse polarity. The stability and within-lava agreement of primary remanence vectors is generally excellent. Remanence directions in successive lava units are in many cases very similar, indicating that the volcanism was episodic. In comparison to geomagnetic poles obtained in previous paleomagnetic collections of older lava series in Iceland, the poles derived from these and other Pleistocene lavas are rarely situated in low latitudes.

Dental Erosion in a Series of Referred Patients was Statistically Associated With Gastric Reflux, Acidic Drink Intake of more than 0.5 L per day, and Low Salivary Buffering Capacity

Gastric reflux is a significant causative factor of tooth erosion. Holbrook WP, et al. J Dent Res 2009;88(5):422-6. Alexander Milosevic, PhD, BDS, FDSRCS, DRDRCS(Ed) The purpose of this study was to record the presence, severity and location of erosion in a referred Icelandic sample of children and adults and to determine the strength of association of risk factors (gastric reflux, dietary acids) and protective factors (salivary function) with dental erosion. Helsinki University Central Hospital, Finland and University of Iceland Research Fund. Case series study Level 3: Other evidence Not applicable

Bioethics in Iceland

Recent bioethics discussion and research in Iceland has been greatly affected by the fact that one of the world’s largest genetics research companies is based there and has been in the forefront of creating a population database resource for its research projects. Consequently, a large part of this article is centered around the bioethical discussion engendered by these projects, but other recent bioethical developments related to issues at the beginning and the end of life will also be discussed.

Iceland Eruptions Fuel Interest in Volcanic Gas Monitoring

Icelandic researchers and civil protection officials are continually analyzing several streams of data to make educated guesses about the duration and size of the eruption on Eyjafjallajökull, the volcano that on Wednesday, 14 April, turned into a nightmare for airlines and passengers across Europe.

Stuck in the land of disability? The intersection of learning difficulties, class, gender and religion

This article discusses the discrepancy between formal rights to full social inclusion and the lived experiences of young adults with learning difficulties. It draws on inclusive life history research in Iceland and employs intersectional theory to study the social participation of young adults with learning difficulties. In an attempt to understand the complex political, economic and ideological forces that hinder the actualisation of their formal rights the intersection of disability, class, gender and religion in the production and reproduction of existing social hierarchies is examined. The article demonstrates how the research collaborators resisted their devalued social construction and attempted to create and affirm themselves as competent social actors.

Asthma in men and women: Treatment adherence, anxiety, and quality of sleep

The aim of this study was to compare female and male asthmatics with special emphasis on reported adherence, anxiety, and quality of sleep. The study included 470 subjects with current asthma from the Nordic countries, who took part in the European Community Respiratory Health Survey (ECRHS) II. Subjects were investigated with a structured clinical interview, including questions on the presence of respiratory symptoms and therapy. They were also asked to fill in the self-reported Hospital Anxiety Depression scale and the Basic Nordic Sleep Questionnaire. Inhaled corticosteroids (OR=0.55) and a doctor's appointment in the last 12 months (OR=0.54) implied a significantly reduced risk for non-adherence in normal situations. At exacerbation in asthma, women had a significantly decreased risk for non-adherence (OR=0.46). Female gender and anxiety were independent risk factors for both insomnia (OR=3.67 and 2.53, respectively) and daytime sleepiness (OR=2.53 and 2.04, respectively). Women with asthma have a more positive attitude towards their medication, have a higher reported adherence, and use inhaled corticosteroids more often than men. At the same time women report more often anxiety and insomnia than men. Awareness of sex differences in the manifestations and attitudes towards treatment of asthma is important in order to improve asthma management.

Public Impact. Citizen influence in local government in Iceland

Considering its importance in democratic theory, public impact on public policy is a strangely neglected theme in political science. The main theoretical traditions in political science, in fact, seem sceptical of claims that the public can influence public policy in a systematic manner. The present article is an attempt to consider the ways in which public impact may be studied and evaluated through a study of citizen influence in planning and environmental issues in Icelandic local government. The results indicate - even if only tentatively - that the impact of the citizens is greater than would be expected on the basis of the main theoretical traditions in political science.(The article is part of a larger research project supported by the Icelandic Centre for Research, the University of Iceland Research Fund, Association of Local Authorities in Iceland, Landsbanki Íslands and Orkuveita Reykjavíkur.)

Johanna Einarsdottir og Judith T. Wagner: Nordic Childhoods and early Education. Philosophy, Research, Policy, and Practice in Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway and Sweden

Johanna Einarsdottir og Judith T. Wagner: Nordic Childhoods and early Education. Philosophy, Research, Policy, and Practice in Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway and Sweden

The Icelandic (Pilot) Project in ScanDiaSyn

In this paper we outline the Icelandic research plans in the Scandinavian Dialect Syntax project and explain why we have made these plans the way we have. We begin by reporting on a pilot project that was conducted in Iceland 2004-2005, explain its nature and describe the resulting plans. As will be seen, our research project includes the collection and analysis of spoken language corpora (“spontaneous speech” of different kinds), collection of syntactic material by using different elicitation techniques (including written questionnaires and interviews), and the comparison of this material. The spoken language corpora are listed and described in the second section of the paper. In the third section we describe how our present (and future) work relates to some previous work done on syntactic variation in Icelandic (and Faroese) and offer some thoughts on the nature of syntactic variation in general.

Sunderland Pleads Guilty to Violation of Conflict of Interest Regulations; More Charges against Icelandic Researchers

Sunderland Pleads Guilty to Violation of Conflict of Interest Regulations; More Charges against Icelandic Researchers

Paleomagnetism and magnetic anomalies in Iceland

The paper reviews several aspects of paleomagnetic research on Icelandic rocks in past decades, with emphasis on studies of remanence directions in composite lava sections of 1–15 Ma age. We first describe briefly the physical basis of this research and experimental techniques, and list the major studies carried out so far. This is followed by a discussion of the internal consistency of directional results, effects of alteration on magnetic properties, rates of buildup of the lava pile, and the use of paleomagnetic reversals and excursions in stratigraphic mapping. Another section of the paper discusses some contributions which paleomagnetic research in Iceland has made to knowledge of properties of the geomagnetic field. A final section is devoted to regional magnetic surveys over Iceland and the surrounding shelf, giving examples of how their results have revealed various features of geological structures in that area. Knowledge of the magnetization of basement rocks aids in the interpretation of the magnetic anomalies, but more detailed and comprehensive studies of these structures are needed.

Bokanmeldelse: Nordic Childhoods and Early Education. Philosophy, Research, Policy, and Practice in Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway, and Sweden

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Crime and Criminal Policy in Iceland

Icelandic criminologists have classified Iceland as a country in which offences are rare. Despite an increase in crime during the 1990s, the incarceration figures are among the lowest in Europe. An overview of Icelandic research on crime and criminal justice over the past five years shows diversity in the topics chosen but also indicates that in certain areas there is no research to be found. The chief topics addressed in recent Icelandic work include the formation of boundaries between deviance and conformity, fear of crime, problems in the city centre, recidivism, the social status of inmates, youth crime and long-term trends in punishment for violent offences. This article traces how public discussion of criminal policy in recent years has centred on making punishments more severe. It will be shown that the demand for more severe punishment for drug offences is driven by utilitarian motives, whereas the arguments for punishment for sexual offences are based on the principle of retribution. At the end of the 20th century, attitudes toward crime and punishment were characterized by a consensus that is seen clearly in attitudes toward drug offences, whereas political divisions have recently emerged in discussion of sexual offences.

George P. L. Walker and his geological research in Iceland

George P. L. Walker and his geological research in Iceland

Research Findings

Icelandic Researchers Developing Diagnostic Test for Osteoporosis. New BSE Strains Raise Concerns of Human Transmission. South Korean Researchers Successfully Clone Human Embryos.

FS14.3 Interleukins in patch‐test blisters for the detection of contact allergy

Objective: To investigate whether interleukins in blisters formed at patch‐test sites can be used as markers of the grade of contact allergy.Methods: Recently patch‐tested volunteers with and without allergy to nickel sulfate were retested with 5 nickel sulfate patch tests and 5 control tests. 48 hours later, the test were removed and the perfusion of the test sites was assessed with a laser Doppler perfusion imaging (LDPI) technique. Then, suction blisters were made at the test sites. Blister fluids were collected separately from the allergen test sites and the control‐test sites.Results: The patch‐test results prior to the study and in current study, and the results with the LDPI helped to distinguish between subjects with and without allergy to nickel sulfate. The concentration of one of the interleukins was high in the blister fluid from the nickel‐test sites in all of the allergic subjects while the concentration was not detectable or low in fluid from the control sites and in fluid both from the nickel and the control sites in subjects without nickel allergy.Conclusion: Immunological factors in fluid from blisters at patch‐test sites may be important for the detection of contact allergy.Acknowledgement: Icelandic Research Council.

Volcanic soils of Iceland

The parent materials of all Icelandic soils are volcanic in origin, and most of the soils are classified as Andosols. Iceland has the largest area of Andosols in Europe, and may have >5% of all Andosols in the world. A new classification scheme based on the World Reference Base (World Reference Base for Soil Resources. World Soil Resources Reports 84, FAO, Rome) is used to provide an overview of Icelandic volcanic soils. The data were acquired as part of a recently initiated effort to build a database for Icelandic soils, but are also partly based on data from the EU COST-622 action, a literature review and unpublished Icelandic research. The main soil types in Iceland are Histosols, Histic Andosols, Gleyic Andosols, Brown Andosols, Vitrisols and Leptosols. In the Icelandic language, a single term is used to refer to each soil type. This system reflects the dominant influence of eolian deposition and drainage conditions on the formation of Histosols and Andosols. The parent materials of Icelandic soils are mixtures of tephra layers and eolian sediments consisting mostly of volcanic glass. The steady flux of eolian sediments from unstable sandy deserts constantly recharges the surface with basaltic tephra materials. The Histosols (>20% C) have appreciable amounts of andic materials because of the eolian deposition. The Andosols (Histic, Gleyic and Brown Andosols) show characteristic properties of soils dominated by andic materials with allophane contents of up to 30%. Ferrihydrite commonly accounts for 5–15% of the soil. The contents of both allophane and ferrihydrite generally decrease with increasing organic C content of soil horizons, as organic matter inhibits allophane formation and iron tends to become reduced and lost in poorly drained locations. The Vitrisols are soils of desert surfaces with low organic content, but they usually meet criteria for andic materials with >30% glass and (Al+1/2Fe) o>0.4%. Cryoturbation is intense in Iceland, resulting in a range of geomorphic surface features. The cryoturbation is related to both climatic factors and the andic soil properties including high water retention and rapid hydraulic conductivity.

Research on aging in Iceland: future potentials

Iceland is a small but prototypic western society strategically located between mainland Europe and North America. Through private and public funding, Iceland is a model in the making for opportunities in research on aging. Its ethnically and socioeconomically homogenous population served by an advanced health care system has historically been exceptionally supportive and willing to participate in both trans-sectional and cohort studies. Interdisciplinary geriatric care is well established and Iceland was on of the first countries to adapt from the US, the resident assessment instrument (RAI), which makes comparison of long-term care between countries very feasible. Among a number of biotech companies recently established in Iceland is Deocode, a leading company in the field of linking genetic variation to diseases. A major population study on interactions between age, genes and environment (AGES) was launched by the Icelandic Heart Association in 2002 through support from the NIA and the Icelandic government. Ultimately, one may expect that a cutting edge aging research in Iceland will contribute to our understanding of how to maintain a better health, independence and active participation in later life.