Spatial Analysis of Cirques from Three Regions of Iceland: Implications for Cirque Formation and Palaeoclimate

This study is a quantitative analysis of cirques in three regions of Iceland: Tröllaskagi, the East Fjords and Vestfirðir. Using Google Earth and the National Land Survey of Iceland Map Viewer, we identified 347 new cirques on Tröllaskagi and the East Fjords region, and combined these data with 100 cirques previously identified on Vestfirðir. We used ArcGIS to measure length, width, aspect, latitude and distance to coastline of each cirque. Palaeo‐equilibrium‐line altitudes (palaeo‐ELAs) of palaeo‐cirque glaciers were calculated using the altitude‐ratio method, cirque‐floor method and minimum‐point method. The mean palaeo‐ELA values in Tröllaskagi, the East Fjords and Vestfirðir are 788, 643 and 408 m a.s.l, respectively. Interpolation maps of palaeo‐ELAs demonstrate a positive relationship between palaeo‐ELA and distance to coastline. A positive relationship between palaeo‐ELA and latitude is observed on Vestfirðir, a negative relationship is observed on Tröllaskagi and no statistically significant relationship is present on the East Fjords. The modal orientation of cirques on Tröllaskagi and Vestfirðir is northeast, while orientation of cirques in the East Fjords is north. Palaeo‐wind reconstructions for the LGM show that modal aspect is aligned with the prevailing north‐northeast wind directions, although aspect measurements demonstrate wide dispersion. Cirque length is similar on Tröllaskagi and the East Fjords, but cirques are approximately 200 m shorter in Vestfirðir. Cirque widths are similar in all three regions. Comparisons with a global data set show that cirques in Iceland are smaller and more circular than cirques in other regions of the world. Similar to glaciers in Norway and Kamchatka, our results demonstrate that access to a moisture source is a key parameter in determining palaeo‐ELAs in Iceland. Temperatures interpreted from palaeo‐ELA depressions suggest that these cirques may have been glaciated as recently as the Little Ice Age

Anxiety and depression among surgical patients

Neðst á síðunni er hægt að nálgast greinina í heild sinni með því að smella á hlekkinn Skoða/Opna(view/open)Iðulega er meiri áhersla lögð á líkamlega umönnun en sálræna þegar hjúkrunarþjónusta er veitt á skurðdeildum. Tilgangur rannsóknarinnar var að lýsa sálrænni líðan skurðsjúklinga með því að meta kvíða- og þunglyndiseinkenni þeirra á spítala og heima fjórum vikum síðar og athuga tengsl við verki, almenn einkenni, þætti tengda heilsu og spítalalegu og bakgrunn. Gagna var aflað með spurningalistum og voru einkenni kvíða og þunglyndis metin með HADS-kvarðanum. Fleiri stig á kvarðanum benda til að einstaklingur hafi mörg einkenni um kvíða eða þunglyndi. Úrtakið var 733 innkallaðir sjúklingar sem fóru í aðgerð 15. janúar til 15. júlí 2007 og var svörun 56,8%. Niðurstöður sýna sterk tengsl á milli einkenna kvíða og þunglyndis á spítala (r=0,76) og heima (r=0,78). Á spítalanum voru 25 sjúklingar með einkenni hugsanlegs eða líklegs kvíða og þunglyndis, 21 sjúklingur heima og sjö sjúklingar bæði á spítalanum og heima. Almennt voru veik til miðlungssterk tengsl á milli almennra einkenna og kvíða- og þunglyndiseinkenna. Sterkust voru tengslin við minnisskerðingu, erfiðleika með hreyfingu, erfiðleika í kynlífi og mæði. Miðlungssterk tengsl voru á milli þess að vera með mörg almenn einkenni á spítala og einkenni kvíða og þunglyndis á spítala. Sambærileg tengsl komu fram heima. Sjúklingarnir voru ánægðari með umönnunina sem þeir fengu á spítalanum aðspurðir þar heldur en heima. Hærri aldur og meiri ánægja með umönnun hafði veika neikvæða tengingu við kvíða og þunglyndi, bæði á spítala og heima. Konur, sjúklingar með börn á heimilinu, sjúklingar þar sem heimilismeðlimur átti við veikindi að stríða eða þurfti aðstoð við daglegt atferli ásamt þeim sem töldu bata sinn og árangur aðgerðar ekki í samræmi við væntingar fengu að jafnaði fleiri stig á kvíða- og þunglyndiskvörðum HADS. Lagt er til að á Landspítala verði útbúin aðferð til að greina sálræna vanlíðan skurðsjúklinga og benda á íhlutun. Eftirfylgni í síma, þar sem leitað er eftir ákveðnum einkennum, er einföld leið til að finna sjúklinga sem gætu talist í áhættuhópi.Perioperative nursing care is mainly focused on physical care with psychological needs less addressed. The objective of this study was to describe surgical patients psychological well-being by assessing symptoms of anxiety and depression, pain, general symptoms and care among surgical patients at Landspitali- University Hospital (LUH). Higher scores on HADS indicate more symptoms of anxiety and depression. Data were collected with a questionnaire, at the hospital and at home four weeks later. Symptoms of anxiety and depression were measured by HADS. The sample was 733 patients who had surgery from January 15 until July 15, 2007 and response rate was 56.8%. Findings revealed a correlation between symptoms of anxiety and depression at the hospital (r=0.76) and at home (r=0.78). Twenty five patients were diagnosed with “doubtful” or definite symptoms of anxiety and depression at the hospital, 21 patients at home and seven patients at both hospital and home. In general, weak or medium significant correlations were found between general symptoms and symptoms of anxiety and depression. The correlation was strongest with memory impairment, sexual difficulties, difficulties with movement and dyspnoea. Medium correlation was also found between having a number of general symptoms and symptoms of anxiety and depression. Patients’ satisfaction with care was significantly higher when asked at the hospital than at home. Satisfaction with care and age had a weak significant negative correlation with anxiety and depression at both time points. Female patients, patients with children at home, those living with sick relatives, with relatives needing assistance with daily activities and those who found their recovery and the success of the operation not as expected experienced significantly more symptoms of anxiety and depression. The perioperative wards at LUH should develop an intervention to detect psychological distress in surgical patients and provide resources. Furthermore, a follow-up telephone call consisting of symptom specified questions can be effective to detect patients at risk

Bioactivity of Cod and Chicken Protein Hydrolysates before and after in vitro Gastrointestinal Digestion

Bioactivity of cod (Gadus morhua) and chicken (Gallus domesticus) protein hydrolysates before and aft er in vitro gastrointestinal (GI) digestion was investigated using yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae as a model organism. Both hydrolysates were exposed to in vitro GI digestion prior to cellular exposure to simulate digestion conditions in the human body and therefore investigate the role of modulations in the GI tract on the cell response. The eff ect of digested and undigested hydrolysates on intracellular oxidation, cellular metabolic energy and proteome level was investigated. No diff erence in the eff ect on intracellular oxidation activity was obtained between cod and chicken hydrolysates, while higher aff ect on intracellular oxidation was provided by digested hydrolysates, with relative values of intracellular oxidation of cod of (70.2±0.8) and chicken of (74.5±1.4) % than by undigested ones, where values of cod and chicken were (95.5±1.2) and (90.5±0.7) %, respectively. Neither species nor digestion had any eff ect on cellular metabolic energy. At proteome level, digested hydrolysates gave again signifi cantly stronger responses than undigested counterparts; cod peptides here also gave somewhat stronger response than chicken peptides. The knowledge of the action of food protein hydrolysates and their digests within live cells, also at proteome level, is important for further validation of their activity in higher eukaryotes to develop new functional food ingredients, such as in this case chicken and cod muscle-derived peptides

Dietary intake of young Icelanders with psychotic disorders and weight development over an 8-12 months period

To access publisher's full text version of this article, please click on the hyperlink in Additional Links field or click on the hyperlink at the top of the page marked FilesTilgangur: Tíðni lífsstílssjúkdóma er hærri meðal einstaklinga með geðrofssjúkdóma en almennings. Tilgangur rannsóknarinnar var að kanna fæðuval ungs fólks með geðrofssjúkdóma, en fæðuval þessa hóps hefur aldrei verið kannað hérlendis áður. Efniviður og aðferðir: Þátttakendur voru þjónustuþegar Laugarássins (n=48, 18-30 ára), sem sóttu þjónustu á því tímabili sem gagnaöflun fór fram (júlí- ágúst 2016). Fæðuval og næringargildi fæðu var metið með sólarhringsupprifjun á mataræði. Niðurstöður voru bornar saman við ráðleggingar Embættis landlæknis og niðurstöður landskönnunar á mataræði 2010-2011 fyrir sama aldurshóp (n=250). Þróun líkamsþyngdar síðastliðna 8-12 mánuði var metin út frá skráðum upplýsingum í sjúkraskrá (Sögu). Niðurstöður: Neysla á ávöxtum, fiski, mjólkurvörum, jurtaolíum og lýsi var marktækt lægri meðal þjónustuþega en hjá þátttakendum í landskönnun 2010-2011, en neysla á sælgæti og gosdrykkjum hærri (p5% af upphafsþyngd sinni á 8-12 mánaða tímabili. Ályktanir: Fæðuval ungs fólks með geðrofssjúkdóma samræmist ekki opinberum ráðleggingum um fæðuval og er lakara en fæðuval viðmiðunarhópsins. Mikilvægt er að þróa leiðir til að bæta fæðuval og þar með næringargildi fæðu hópsins.Introduction: The prevalence of lifestyle related diseases is higher among people with psychotic disorders than the general population. The aim was to assess dietary intake of young people with psychotic disorders for the first time in Iceland. Material and methods: Subjects were young people (n=48, age 18-30y) with psychotic disorders. Dietary intake was assessed by a 24-hour recall in July-August 2016, and compared with official recommendations and intake of the general public (n=250, age 18-30y). Body weight in the past eight to 12 months, was retrieved from medical records. Results: Consumption of fruits, fish, dairy products, vegetable and fish oil was significantly lower among subjects when compared with the general public, while their soft drink and sweets consumption was higher (p5% of their initial body weight in the past 8-2 months. Conclusion: Diet of young people with psychotic disorders is not consistent with recommendations and is worse than the diet of their peers in the general population. It is important to find ways to improve the diet and thereby nutrient intake of the group

Tracking Holocene drift-ice limits on the northwest–southwest Iceland shelf: Comparing proxy data with observation and historical evidence

We detail variations in the weight percent (wt%) of quartz, a proxy for drift ice, in fifteen marine sediment cores from the northwest, west, and southwest Iceland shelf throughout the past 10 cal ka BP. We present the first map of iceberg distributions in Iceland waters between 1983 and 2011 and a new compilation of sea-ice records in the century from 850 to 1950 CE. The wt% of quartz, determined by quantitative X-ray diffraction (qXRD) analysis, is used to evaluate changes in the importation of drift ice. Small wt% of quartz were added to milled basalt (0% quartz), and to a mixture of non-clay and clay minerals; the qXRD method replicated 0 percent quartz, while measured 1&ndash;3 percent quartz always resulted in a &ldquo;presence&rdquo; estimate. The outer sites in the northwest sector lie close to the average position of the sea-ice margin between 1870 and 1920 CE; the southwest shelf sites lie south of this limit. Transects of cores along the H&uacute;nafl&oacute;i and Dj&uacute;p&aacute;ll troughs indicate that the traces of drift ice decrease rapidly landward from the outer sites. The cores from the west/southwest of Iceland have limited amounts of quartz, generally possibly limited incursions of drift ice.</p

Veganism and Its Challenges : The Case of Iceland

Publisher Copyright: © 2023, The Author(s).Our research discusses how four main ethical challenges to veganism manifest in the context of Iceland. Veganism is becoming an increasingly popular lifestyle in many parts of the world, especially in OECD countries. Studies on the motivation for choosing a vegan lifestyle (which includes, but is not restricted to, following a vegan diet) include ethical considerations, dietary choices, personal health, taste, religious and political beliefs, or environmental concerns. Ethics plays a particularly important role, and as such, veganism has become a central object of interest in recent conversations on animal rights and welfare among ethicists. Our analysis reviews four ethical challenges (i.e., the challenge of universality, demandingness, causal impotence, and the least environmental harm principle) in the literature that problematize the norms and rationale underpinning veganism and vegan discourse and discusses how each applies within the context of Icelandic society and geography. We conjecture that the particular economic, demographic, and geographic characteristics of Iceland indicate that being vegan in Iceland does not free oneself of having global social and environmental impacts on account of chosen dietary options. All diets constitute global systems that account for dependencies and opportunities, vulnerabilities, and strengths, which may challenge the assumption that veganism is a more socially and environmentally sustainable dietary option within this particular regional context.Peer reviewe

Intact Polar brGDGTs in Arctic Lake Catchments: Implications for Lipid Sources and Paleoclimate Applications

Paleotemperature histories derived from lake sediment archives provide valuable context for modern and future climate changes. Branched glycerol dialkyl glycerol tetraether (brGDGT) lipids are a valuable tool in such pursuits due to their empirical correlation with temperature and near ubiquity in nature. However, the relative contributions of terrestrial and lacustrine sources of brGDGTs to lake sediments is site-dependent and difficult to constrain. Here, we explored the potential for intact brGDGTs—the complete lipids with polar head groups (HGs) still attached—to provide insight into the sources of brGDGTs on the landscape and their contributions to the sedimentary record in a set of Arctic lakes. We measured core and intact brGDGTs in soils, surface and downcore sediments, water filtrates, and sediment traps across five lake catchments in the Eastern Canadian Arctic, with an emphasis on Lake Qaupat (QPT), Baffin Island. Soils were dominated by brGDGTs with a monoglycosyl (1G) HG, while lacustrine samples contained more phosphohexose (PH) brGDGTs, providing evidence for in situ brGDGT production in both settings. Core- and PH-brGDGT-IIIa were more abundant in sediments than in the soils or water column, implying an additional post-depositional source of brGDGTs. A hierarchical clustering analysis indicated that core brGDGTs in Lake QPT sediments were largely lacustrine in origin, while 1G-brGDGTs were primarily soil-derived. Additionally, we found evidence for preservation of intact brGDGTs—especially 1G-brGDGTs—downcore on thousand-year timespans, though in situ production deeper in the sediment column cannot be ruled out. Finally, we explored the possibility of reconstructing 1G-brGDGT-derived soil temperatures and core-brGDGT-derived lake temperatures in tandem from sedimentary archives

Association between baseline handgrip strength and cognitive function assessed before and after a 12-week resistance exercise intervention among community-living older adults

This study was part of the IceProQualita project, which was funded by Only the Icelandic Technology Development Fund has provided No 071323008, Research Fund of the University of Iceland, a grant from Landspitali National University Hospital Research Fund and the Helga Jonsdottir and Sigurlidi Kristjansson Geriatric Research Fund.Peer reviewe