Opinions of clients on vocational rehabilitation organized by the State Social Security Institute of Iceland

Neðst á síðunni er hægt að nálgast greinina í heild sinni með því að smella á hlekkinn View/OpenObjectives: Evaluation of opinions of those evaluated by a multidisciplinary team on the evaluation, vocational rehabilitation they participated in and on the effect of the process on their self-confidence and self-reliance. Material and method: The Institute of Social Sciences carried out a telephone survey in October 2001, where it was attempted to contact the 109 individuals evaluated for rehabilitation potential by a multidisciplinary team in the year 2000. The data was analysed using descriptive statistics. Results: 83 (76.1%) replied. After the evaluation 40 individuals were referred to vocational rehabilitation for approximately 2 months in a rehabilitation clinic; 19 were referred to a 6 week personal computer training at a vocational rehabilitation centre and 15 to a longer (usually 18 months) rehabilitation program in the same centre. Approximately 80% were content with the vocational rehabilitation offered. 54% of those evaluated by the multidisciplinary team said that it had been useful for them to meet the members of the team and 59% said that the team had informed them on resources they had not been aware of. Approximately half of the participants said that their self-confidence and self-reliance had increased. Conclusion: Approximately 80% of the participants were content with the vocational rehabilitation offered and approximately 50% had gained more self-confidence and self-reliance.Tilgangur: Að kanna viðhorf matsþega til endurhæfingarmats og starfsendurhæfingarúrræða á vegum Tryggingastofnunar ríkisins (TR) og áhrif þessa ferlis á sjálfstraust og sjálfsbjargarviðleitni þeirra. Efniviður og aðferðir: Félagsvísindastofnun Háskóla Íslands kannaði viðhorf matsþega fyrir TR í október 2001. Reynt var að finna þá 109 einstaklinga sem metnir höfðu verið af matsteymi á árinu 2000 og tekið viðtal við þá í síma. Við úrvinnslu var notuð lýsandi tölfræði. Niðurstöður: Svör fengust frá 83 (76,1%) af matsþegum. Fjörutíu (48,2%) hafði að tillögu matsteymis verið vísað í atvinnulega endurhæfingu á Reykjalundi, 19 (22,9%) á tölvunámskeið í Hringsjá og 15 (18,1%) í fullt starfsnám í Hringsjá. Um fjórir af hverjum fimm reyndust ánægðir með þá starfsendurhæfingu sem TR hafði boðið þeim uppá á Reykjalundi eða í Hringsjá. Rúmlega helmingur þeirra sem metnir voru af matsteyminu töldu það hafa verið gagnlegt fyrir sig að hitta teymið og 59% matsþega töldu teymið hafa vísað á úrræði sem þeir vissu ekki um fyrir. Um helmingur þátttakenda sagði sjálfstraust sitt og sjálfsbjargarviðleitni hafa aukist frá því mat teymis fór fram. Ályktun: Um 80% þeirra sem vísað var í starfsendurhæfingu á vegum TR voru ánægðir með hana og um helmingur hafði öðlast aukið sjálfstraust og aukna sjálfsbjargarviðleitni við endurhæfinguna

Fitness for work after vocational rehabilitation organized by the State Social Security Institute of Iceland

Neðst á síðunni er hægt að nálgast greinina í heild sinni með því að smella á hlekkinn View/OpenObjective: The evaluation of a vocational rehabilitation programme initiated by the State Social Security Institute in Iceland (SSSI) in 1999 with the aim of reducing disability. Material and methods: New disability claimants who had been unable to work because of illness for a few months at least were referred by SSSI physicians to a multidisciplinary team for assessment of rehabilitation potentials and an advice on the appropriate type of rehabilitation. The study group included all the 109 individuals who were referred to the team in the year 2000. Data on marital status, number of children and level of education was compared with information about the Icelandic population obtained in a national survey. The outcome of the rehabilitation was assessed in a telephone survey, carried out by the Social Science Research Institute, University of Iceland, 1-2 years after the assessment and by information obtained from the disability register at SSSI. The effectiveness of the rehabilitation programme was evaluated by comparing the study group with a comparable group that had started to receive rehabilitation pension before the SSSI could offer vocational rehabilitation. Their progress was assessed a year and half after they had contacted the SSSI, the same length of time as the study group had been in the in the rehabilitation programme. Results: In the study group there were about twice as many women as men. The mean age was 35 years (range 18-57 years). The main medical reasons for referral to the team were musculosceletal and psychiatric disorders. Those evaluated were more likely to be unmarried or divorced, had more children and a lower educational level than the general Icelandic population. After evaluation 40 individuals were referred to vocational rehabilitation for approximately 2 months in a rehabilitation clinic; 19 were referred to a 6 week personal computer training at a vocational rehabilitation centre and 15 to a longer (usually 18 months) rehabilitation program in the same centre. In all, 46 individuals received other treatment or education. Almost three quarters (72%) of the participants in the telephone survey said that their fitness for work had increased after rehabilitation, but only 47% had returned to work. At the time of the reserach, 23% were students and it is likely that a part of them will return to work when their studies are completed. Between one and two years after the evaluation by the multidisciplinary team 44 out of 109 (40.4%) in the study group received disability pension and a equal number received no social insurance benefits at all. In the comparison group 97 out of 119 (81.5%) received disability pension and 21 (17.7%) received no social insurance benefits at all. Conclusions: This study shows that vocational rehabilitation organized by the SSSI is effective and can prevent disability. The results of this study are similar to the results of two Swedish studies on the same topic.Tilgangur: Markmiðið með rannsókninni var að meta árangur starfsendurhæfingar á vegum Tryggingastofnunar ríkisins (TR) og hvort hún geti komið í veg fyrir örorku. Efniviður og aðferðir: Læknar TR vísuðu einstaklingum sem verið höfðu óvinnufærir í nokkra mánuði vegna sjúkdóms til þverfaglegs teymis, til mats á möguleikum á endurhæfingu og væri mælt með henni, hvernig henni yrði þá best háttað. Aflað var upplýsinga úr skýrslum endurhæfingarmatsteymisins um sjúkdómsástand, kyn, aldur, hjúskaparstöðu, fjölda barna á framfæri og menntunarstig þeirra einstaklinga sem metnir voru á árinu 2000. Upplýsingarnar um hjúskaparstöðu, fjölda barna á framfæri og menntunarstig voru bornar saman við upplýsingar um þjóðina frá sama ári (svör við Þjóðmálakönnun Félagsvísindastofnunar Háskóla Íslands um hjúskaparstöðu og barnafjölda og upplýsingar frá Hagstofu Íslands um menntunarstig). Upplýsingar um starfshæfni og vinnu þátttakenda eftir endurhæfingu voru fengnar með símakönnun sem Félagsvísindastofnun framkvæmdi. Fengnar voru upplýsingar úr gagnasafni TR um hvort þeir sem metnir höfðu verið af endurhæfingarmatsteymi á árinu 2000 voru á bótum frá TR einu til tveimur árum eftir matið. Til samanburðar var skoðuð bótastaða einstaklinga sem fengið höfðu endurhæfingarlífeyri áður en starfsendurhæfing á vegum TR hófst. Niðurstöður: Af þeim 109 sem metnir voru af endurhæfingarmatsteymi á árinu 2000 voru konur í talsverðum meirihluta (um helmingi fleiri en karlar). Meðalaldur matsþega var 35 ár. Læknisfræðilegar forsendur tilvísana til matsteymis voru fyrst og fremst stoðkerfisraskanir og geðraskanir. Matsþegar voru í meiri mæli ógiftir eða fráskildir, höfðu fleiri börn á framfæri og lægra menntunarstig en Íslendingar almennt. Fjörutíu matsþegum var vísað í atvinnulega endurhæfingu á Reykjalundi, 19 á tölvunámskeið hjá Hringsjá (starfsþjálfun fatlaðra) og 15 í fullt starfsnám hjá Hringsjá, en 46 fóru í aðra meðferð eða nám. Tæplega þrír fjórðu þátttakenda í símakönnun Félagsvísindastofnunar töldu starfshæfni sína hafa aukist, en innan við helmingur þátttakenda taldi sig þó vinnufæran (43,6%) og hafði stundað einhverja vinnu (46,9%). Auk þess var nær fjórðungur (22,8%) þátttakenda í námi og er líklegt að hluti þeirra skili sér út á vinnumarkaðinn að því loknu. Einu til tæplega tveimur árum eftir að mati lauk fengu 44 af 109 (40,4%) örorkubætur (örorkulífeyri eða örorkustyrk) frá TR og jafnmargir fengu engar bætur frá TR, en í samanburðarhópi fólks sem fengið hafði endurhæfingarlífeyri áður en starfsendurhæfing á vegum TR hófst fengu 97 af 119 (81,5%) örorkubætur, en 21 (17,7%) engar bætur frá TR hálfu öðru ári eftir upphaf lífeyrisgreiðslu. Ályktanir: Árangur af starfsendurhæfingu á vegum TR er svipaður og af starfsendurhæfingu á vegum Tryggingastofnana í Svíþjóð. Árangurinn sýnir að væntingar um að starfsendurhæfing geti komið í veg fyrir örorku hafa staðist

Modelling the 20th and 21st century evolution of Hoffellsjökull glacier, SE-Vatnajökull, Iceland

The Little Ice Age maximum extent of glaciers in Iceland was reached about 1890 AD and most glaciers in the country have retreated during the 20th century. A model for the surface mass balance and the flow of glaciers is used to reconstruct the 20th century retreat history of Hoffellsjökull, a south-flowing outlet glacier of the ice cap Vatnajökull, which is located close to the southeastern coast of Iceland. The bedrock topography was surveyed with radio-echo soundings in 2001. A wealth of data are available to force and constrain the model, e.g. surface elevation maps from ~1890, 1936, 1946, 1989, 2001, 2008 and 2010, mass balance observations conducted in 1936–1938 and after 2001, energy balance measurements after 2001, and glacier surface velocity derived by kinematic and differential GPS surveys and correlation of SPOT5 images. The approximately 20% volume loss of this glacier in the period 1895–2010 is realistically simulated with the model. After calibration of the model with past observations, it is used to simulate the future response of the glacier during the 21st century. The mass balance model was forced with an ensemble of temperature and precipitation scenarios derived from 10 global and 3 regional climate model simulations using the A1B emission scenario. If the average climate of 2000–2009 is maintained into the future, the volume of the glacier is projected to be reduced by 30% with respect to the present at the end of this century. If the climate warms, as suggested by most of the climate change scenarios, the model projects this glacier to almost disappear by the end of the 21st century. Runoff from the glacier is predicted to increase for the next 30–40 yr and decrease after that as a consequence of the diminishing ice-covered area

Surface elevation change and mass balance of Icelandic ice caps derived from swath mode CryoSat-2 altimetry

We apply swath processing to CryoSat-2 interferometric mode data acquired over the Icelandic ice caps to generate maps of rates of surface elevation change at 0.5 km postings. This high-resolution mapping reveals complex surface elevation changes in the region, related to climate, ice dynamics, and subglacial geothermal and magmatic processes. We estimate rates of volume and mass change independently for the six major Icelandic ice caps, 90% of Iceland's permanent ice cover, for five glaciological years between October 2010 and September 2015. Annual mass balance is highly variable; during the 2014/2015 glaciological year, the Vatnajökull ice cap (~70% of the glaciated area) experienced positive mass balance for the first time since 1992/1993. Our results indicate that between glaciological years 2010/2011and 2014/2015 Icelandic ice caps have lost 5.8 ± 0.7 Gt a−1 on average, ~40% less than the preceding 15 years, contributing 0.016 ± 0.002 mm a−1 to sea level rise

Life-cycle assessment of yeast-based single-cell protein production with oat processing side-stream

Production of fish meal and plant-based feed proteins continues to increase to meet the growing demand for seafood, leading to impacts on marine and terrestrial ecosystems. Microbial proteins such as single-cell proteins (SCPs) have been introduced as feed alternatives since they can replace current fish feed ingredients, e.g., soybean, which are associated with negative environmental impacts. Microbial protein production also enables utilization of grain processing side-streams as feedstock sources. This study assesses the environmental impacts of yeast-based SCP using oat side-stream as feedstock (OS-SCP). Life-cycle assessment with a cradle-to-gate approach was used to quantify global warming, freshwater eutrophication, marine eutrophication, terrestrial acidification, land use, and water consumption of OS-SCP production in Finland. Dried and wet side-streams of oat were compared with each other to identify differences in energy consumption and transportation effects. Sensitivity analysis was performed to examine the difference in impacts at various locations and fermentation times. Benchmarking was used to evaluate the environmental impacts of OS-SCP and other feed products, including both conventional and novel protein products. Results highlight the importance of energy sources in quantifying the environmental performance of OS-SCP production. OS-SCP produced with dried side-streams resulted in higher global warming (16.3 %) and water consumption (7.5 %) than OS-SCP produced from wet side-streams, reflecting the energy and water requirements for the drying process. Compared with conventional products, such as soy protein concentrates, OS-SCP resulted in 61 % less land use, while exacerbating the environmental impacts in all the other categories. OS-SCP had more impact on global warming (205–754 %), water consumption (166–1401 %), freshwater eutrophication (118–333 %), and terrestrial acidification (85–340 %) than other novel products, including yeast protein concentrate, methanotrophic bacterial SCP, and insect meal, while lowering global warming (11 %) and freshwater eutrophication (20 %) compared with dry microalgae biomass.Peer reviewe

Greenhouse gas balances of managed peatlands in the Nordic countries – present knowledge and gaps

This article provides an overview of the effects of land-use on the fluxes of carbon dioxide (CO<sub>2</sub>), methane (CH<sub>4</sub>) and nitrous oxide (N<sub>2</sub>O) and from peatlands in the Nordic countries based on the field data from about 100 studies. In addition, this review aims to identify the gaps in the present knowledge on the greenhouse gas (GHG) balances associated with the land-use of these northern ecosystems. Northern peatlands have accumulated, as peat, a vast amount of carbon from the atmosphere since the last glaciation. However, the past land-use and present climate have evidently changed their GHG balance. Unmanaged boreal peatlands may act as net sources or sinks for CO<sub>2</sub> and CH<sub>4</sub> depending on the weather conditions. Drainage for agriculture has turned peatlands to significant sources of GHGs (mainly N<sub>2</sub>O and CO<sub>2</sub>). Annual mean GHG balances including net CH<sub>4</sub>, N<sub>2</sub>O and CO<sub>2</sub> emissions are 2260, 2280 and 3140 g CO<sub>2</sub> eq. m<sup>−2</sup> (calculated using 100 year time horizon) for areas drained for grass swards, cereals or those left fallow, respectively. Even after cessetion of the cultivation practices, N<sub>2</sub>O and CO<sub>2</sub> emissions remain high. The mean net GHG emissions in abandoned and afforested agricultural peatlands have been 1580 and 500 g CO<sub>2</sub> eq. m<sup>−2</sup>, respectively. Peat extraction sites are net sources of GHGs with an average emission rate of 770 g CO<sub>2</sub> eq. m<sup>−2</sup>. Cultivation of a perennial grass (e.g., reed canary grass) on an abandoned peat extraction site has been shown to convert such a site into a net sink of GHGs (−330 g CO<sub>2</sub> eq. m<sup>−2</sup>). In contrast, despite restoration, such sites are known to emit GHGs (mean source of 480 g CO<sub>2</sub> eq. m<sup>−2</sup>, mostly from high CH<sub>4</sub> emissions). Peatland forests, originally drained for forestry, may act as net sinks (mean −780 g CO<sub>2</sub> eq. m<sup>−2</sup>). However, the studies where all three GHGs have been measured at an ecosystem level in the forested peatlands are lacking. The data for restored peatland forests (clear cut and rewetted) indicate that such sites are on average a net sink (190 g CO<sub>2</sub> eq. m<sup>−2</sup>). The mean emissions from drained peatlands presented here do not include emissions from ditches which form a part of the drainage network and can contribute significantly to the total GHG budget. Peat soils submerged under water reservoirs have acted as sources of CO<sub>2</sub>, CH<sub>4</sub> and N<sub>2</sub>O (mean annual emission 240 g CO<sub>2</sub> eq. m<sup>−2</sup>). However, we cannot yet predict accurately the overall greenhouse gas fluxes of organic soils based on the site characteristics and land-use practices alone because the data on many land-use options and our understanding of the biogeochemical cycling associated with the gas fluxes are limited

Microscopy techniques for determining water-cement (w/c) ratio in hardened concrete: A round-robin assessment

Water to cement (w/c) ratio is usually the most important parameter specified in concrete design and is sometimes the subject of dispute when a shortfall in concrete strength or durability is an issue. However, determination of w/c ratio in hardened concrete by testing is very difficult once the concrete has set. This paper presents the results from an inter-laboratory round-robin study organised by the Applied Petrography Group to evaluate and compare microscopy methods for measuring w/c ratio in hardened concrete. Five concrete prisms with w/c ratios ranging from 0.35 to 0.55, but otherwise identical in mix design were prepared independently and distributed to 11 participating petrographic laboratories across Europe. Participants used a range of methods routine to their laboratory and these are broadly divided into visual assessment, measurement of fluorescent intensity and quantitative backscattered electron microscopy. Some participants determined w/c ratio using more than one method or operator. Consequently, 100 individual w/c ratio determinations were collected, representing the largest study of its type ever undertaken. The majority (81%) of the results are accurate to within ± 0.1 of the target mix w/c ratios, 58% come to within ± 0.05 and 37% are within ± 0.025. The study shows that microscopy-based methods are more accurate and reliable compared to the BS 1881-124 physicochemical method for determining w/c ratio. The practical significance, potential sources of errors and limitations are discussed with the view to inform future applications

Injection-induced surface deformation and seismicity at the Hellisheidi geothermal field, Iceland

Induced seismicity is often associated with fluid injection but only rarely linked to surface deformation. At the Hellisheidi geothermal power plant in south-west Iceland we observe up to 2 cm of surface displacements during 2011–2012, indicating expansion of the crust. The displacements occurred at the same time as a strong increase in seismicity was detected and coincide with the initial phase of geothermal wastewater reinjection at Hellisheidi. Reinjection started on September 1, 2011 with a flow rate of around 500 kg/s. Micro-seismicity increased immediately in the area north of the injection sites, with the largest seismic events in the sequence being two M4 earthquakes on October 15, 2011. Semi-continuous GPS sites installed on October 15 and 17, and on November 2, 2011 reveal a transient signal which indicates that most of the deformation occurred in the first months after the start of the injection. The surface deformation is evident in ascending TerraSAR-X data covering June 2011 to May 2012 as well. We use an inverse modeling approach and simulate both the InSAR and GPS data to find the most plausible cause of the deformation signal, investigating how surface deformation, seismicity and fluid injection may be connected to each other. We argue that fluid injection caused an increase in pore pressure which resulted in increased seismicity and fault slip. Both pore pressure increase and fault slip contribute to the surface deformation

Using dissolved H₂O in rhyolitic glasses to estimate palaeo-ice thickness during a subglacial eruption at Bláhnúkur(Torfajökull, Iceland)

The last decade has seen the refinement of a technique for reconstructing palaeo-ice thicknesses based on using the retained H2O and CO2 content in glassy eruptive deposits to infer quenching pressures and therefore ice thicknesses. The method is here applied to Bláhnúkur, a subglacially erupted rhyolitic edifice in Iceland. A decrease in water content from ~0.7 wt.% at the base to ~0.3 wt.% at the top of the edifice suggests that the ice was 400 m thick at the time of the eruption. As Bláhnúkur rises 350 m above the surrounding terrain, this implies that the eruption occurred entirely within ice, which corroborates evidence obtained from earlier lithofacies studies. This paper presents the largest data set (40 samples) so far obtained for the retained volatile contents of deposits from a subglacial eruption. An important consequence is that it enables subtle but significant variations in water content to become evident. In particular, there are anomalous samples which are either water-rich (up to 1 wt.%) or water-poor (~0.2 wt.%), with the former being interpreted as forming intrusively within hyaloclastite and the latter representing batches of magma that were volatile-poor prior to eruption. The large data set also provides further insights into the strengths and weaknesses of using volatiles to infer palaeo-ice thicknesses and highlights many of the uncertainties involved. By using examples from Bláhnúkur, the quantitative use of this technique is evaluated. However, the relative pressure conditions which have shed light on Bláhnúkur’s eruption mechanisms and syn-eruptive glacier response show that, despite uncertainties in absolute values, the volatile approach can provide useful insight into the mechanisms of subglacial rhyolitic eruptions, which have never been observed