Rase og religion: Særtrekk ved Varg Vikernes' ideologi sammenlignet med den klassiske nazismen

I 1994 ble Kristian Larsson Vikernes, bedre kjent som Varg Vikernes eller «Greven», dømt til 21 års fengsel for drap, kirkebranner og tyveri. Samme år skrev han det ideologiske manifestet Vargsmål som ble utgitt to år senere, i 1996. I manifestet som i dag foreligger på flere språk formilder Vikernes sin verdensanskuelse der idégrunnlaget i sin helhet bryter med det moderne demokratiet. Siden 1990-tallet har både forskere og journalister merket ham som både satanist og nazist basert på de tanker han formidler. Nazist er altså blitt en vanlig betegnelse når Vikernes beskrives. Vargsmål vitner om at Vikernes er en mer kompleks ideologisk skikkelse at og det trengs et større rammeverk og derav en analyse av hans ideologi for å beskrive både han og den ideologien han forfekter. Tema for denne oppgaven er hvilke særtrekk Vikernes ideologi avspeiler i forhold til den klassiske nazismen. Gjennom en kvalitativ tekstanalyse av Vargsmål sammenligner jeg utvalgte ideologiske elementer med nazismen. Oppgaven trekker også på utvalgte religiøse elementer, da i all hovedsak på hedendommen og dens opposisjon til kristendommen. Ved siden av å gjennomgå Vikernes ideologi sammenlignet med den europeiske nazismen settes den også i sammenheng med nynazisme og nyreligiøsitet. Vikernes forfekter en til dels regressiv religiøs ideologi og han kan dermed omtales som forfekter av en ny religion likesom en ideologi

Understanding Reported Cognitive Dysfunction in Older Adults With Cardiovascular Disease

High HIV-1 DNA (HIV DNA) levels in peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) correlate with HIV-1-associated dementia (HAD) in patients on highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART). If this relationship also exists among HAART-naïve patients, then HIV DNA may be implicated in the pathogenesis of HAD. In this study, we evaluated the relationship between HIV DNA and cognition in subjects naïve to HAART in a neuro AIDS cohort in Bangkok, Thailand. Subjects with and without HAD were recruited and matched for age, gender, education, and CD4 cell count. PBMC and cellular subsets were analyzed for HIV DNA using real-time PCR. The median log10 HIV DNA copies per 106 PBMC for subjects with HAD (n=15) was 4.27, which was higher than that found in subjects without dementia (ND; n=15), 2.28, p\u3c 0.001. This finding was unchanged in a multivariate model adjusting for plasma HIV-1 RNA levels. From a small subset of individuals, in which adequate number of cells were available, more HIV DNA was in monocytes/macrophages from those with HAD compared to those with ND. These results are consistent with a previous report among HAART-experienced subjects, thus further implicating HIV DNA in the pathogenesis of HAD

“Godt innenfor vindbegrensningen, og man kan allikevel oppleve ragnarokk” - En studie om risikohåndtering i lys av absolutte grenser i Widerøe AS

Master's thesis in Risk management and societal safetyFormålet med denne studien er å diskutere på hvilken måte strukturelle rammeverk, i form av regler og prosedyrer, kan påvirke piloters risikohåndtering. Med dette utgangspunktet utformet vi følgende problemstilling: På hvilken måte påvirker vindbegrensningene pilotenes risikohåndtering i cockpit? Bakteppet for studien er at Widerøe i 2005 innførte absolutte vindbegrensninger ved spesielt utsatte flyplasser, der det har vært uheldige hendelser eller tilløp til hendelser. Disse begrensningene innebærer et forbud mot å gå inn for landing dersom vindstyrken i en spesifikk sektor på flyplassen overskred en definert grense. Begrensningen er gjeldende for alle piloter i Widerøe, uavhengig av pilotens erfaringsnivå eller eksponeringsraten, og bakgrunnen for denne innføringen var en periode med et stort antall hendelser forbundet med vind og turbulens på mindre flyplasser. Studiens teoretiske grunnlag baseres på organisasjonsteori, med fokus på tilnærminger for styring av atferd og sikkerhet. Forskningsdesignet er kvantitativ der en spørreundersøkelse ble administrert ut til alle operative piloter i Widerøe AS. Undersøkelsen utgjør datagrunnlaget for studien. Konklusjonen på studiens overordnede problemstilling er at vindbegrensningene kan virke inn på risikohåndteringen i cockpit, gjennom sin potensielle virkning på pilotenes risikopersepsjon. Denne innvirkningen synliggjøres gjennom kompetanse, erfaring, rom for skjønn og opplevd handlingsrom. Totalt sett har dette betydning for hvordan risiko oppfattes og håndteres. Denne påvirkningen er ikke entydig den ene eller andre retningen, men vil kunne variere. Dette har vi argumentert for at kan skyldes ulik “bagasje” hva gjelder elementer som kompetanse, erfaring og opplevd handlingsrom, så vel som våre ulike, subjektive oppfatninger av ulike forhold rundt oss. Når individer spiller en sentral rolle i produksjonen vil det alltid være variasjoner og uforutsigbarhet inne i bildet, fordi det er umulig å regulere alle forhold. Samtidig er det vanskelig, ofte umulig å forutse hvordan ulike elementer påvirker eller kan virke i samspill med hverandre

Elevated BMI Is Associated With Decreased Blood Flow in the Prefrontal Cortex Using SPECT Imaging in Healthy Adults

Obesity is a risk factor for stroke and neurodegenerative disease. Excess body fat has been linked to impaired glucose metabolism, insulin resistance, and impulsivity and may be a precursor to decline in attention and executive cognitive function. Here, we investigated the effects of high BMI on regional cerebral blood flow (rCBF) using single photon emission computed tomography (SPECT) imaging in healthy subjects. A total of 16 adult men and 20 adult women were recruited from the community between January 2003 and July 2009 as part of a healthy brain study (HBS) conducted at the Amen Clinics, a private medical facility. Participants in the study were screened to exclude medical, neurological, and psychiatric conditions, including substance abuse. Subjects were categorized as normal or overweight according to BMI. Using a two sample t-test, we determined the effects of BMI on rCBF in normal vs. overweight subjects. Subjects were matched for age and gender. Statistical parametric mapping (SPM) revealed a higher BMI in healthy individuals that is associated with decreased rCBF in Broadmann areas 8, 9, 10, 11, 32, and 44, brain regions involved in attention, reasoning, and executive function (P < 0.05, corrected for multiple comparisons). We found that an elevated BMI is associated with decreased rCBF in the prefrontal cortex of a healthy cohort. These results indicate that elevated BMI may be a risk factor for decreased prefrontal cortex function and potentially impaired executive function

Do glucose containing beverages play a role in thermoregulation, thermal sensation, and mood state?

INTRODUCTION: Dehydration limits the appropriate delivery of oxygen and substrates to the working muscle. Further, the brain’s ability to function may also be compromised whereby thermal sensation and mood state may be altered. PURPOSE: The purpose of the present investigation was to compare the thermoregulatory, perceptual, and negative mood state profile in glucose (GLU) vs. non-glucose beverage (NON-GLU) condition. METHODS: Ten healthy men volunteered and were counterbalanced either a GLU or NON-GLU containing beverage on separate mornings. In each condition, they were exposed to 37°C, 50% relative humidity (RH) for baseline, exercise, rehydration, and recovery periods. The exercise period elicited the desired level of dehydration (mean of 2.6 ± 0.3% body weight losses). Upon completion of the protracted exercise, participants were administered either a GLU or NON-GLU containing electrolyte based sports drink ad libitum for 30 min, followed by a recovery period of 15 min in 37°C, 50% RH. Rectal (Tre) and mean skin temperatures (Tsk) were continuously monitored. Gagge (TS) and heated thermal sensation (HTS), profile of mood state (POMS) were measure at the end of each period. RESULTS: During recovery after rehydration, Tre was not significantly different between conditions (GLU vs. NON-GLU) (37.4 ± 0.8 vs. 37.0 ± 1.2°C); Tsk was also not affected by rehydration in both conditions (36.0 ± 0.5 vs. 36.0 ± 0.6°C) and, TS and HTS did not differ between conditions (0.9 ± 1.3 vs.1.3 ± 0.7) and (1.0 ± 0.8 vs.0.8 ± 0.3). Total mood disturbance (TMD) score for the POMS was utilized for overall negative mood state and demonstrated a main effect for time (p < 0.05). TMD during recovery was decreased compared to before hydration in both conditions. CONCLUSION: The non-glucose containing beverage maintained plasma volume and was effective at maintaining body temperature homeostasis in a similar fashion compared to the glucose containing beverage. Furthermore, negative mood state was not different between the two conditions. The non-glucose beverages can serve a valuable role in the exercise environment depending upon the sport, the ambient temperature, the individual, duration of the exercise, the age and training states of the individual

Do glucose containing beverages play a role in thermoregulation, sensation, and mood state?

Introduction Dehydration limits the appropriate delivery of oxygen and substrates to the working muscle. Further, the brain’s ability to function may also be compromised whereby thermal sensation and mood state may be altered. Purpose The purpose of the present investigation was to compare the thermoregulatory, perceptual, and negative mood state profile in glucose (GLU) vs. non-glucose beverage (NON-GLU) condition. Methods Ten healthy men volunteered and were counterbalanced either a GLU or NON-GLU containing beverage on separate mornings. In each condition, they were exposed to 37°C, 50% relative humidity (RH) for baseline, exercise, rehydration, and recovery periods. The exercise period elicited the desired level of dehydration (mean of 2.6 ± 0.3% body weight losses). Upon completion of the protracted exercise, participants were administered either a GLU or NON-GLU containing electrolyte based sports drink ad libitum for 30 min, followed by a recovery period of 15 min in 37°C, 50% RH. Rectal (Tre) and mean skin temperatures (Tsk) were continuously monitored. Gagge (TS) and heated thermal sensation (HTS), profile of mood state (POMS) were measure at the end of each period. Results During recovery after rehydration, Tre was not significantly different between conditions (GLU vs. NON-GLU) (37.4 ± 0.8 vs. 37.0 ± 1.2°C); Tsk was also not affected by rehydration in both conditions (36.0 ± 0.5 vs. 36.0 ± 0.6°C) and, TS and HTS did not differ between conditions (0.9 ± 1.3 vs.1.3 ± 0.7) and (1.0 ± 0.8 vs.0.8 ± 0.3). Total mood disturbance (TMD) score for the POMS was utilized for overall negative mood state and demonstrated a main effect for time (p \u3c 0.05). TMD during recovery was decreased compared to before hydration in both conditions. Conclusion The non-glucose containing beverage maintained plasma volume and was effective at maintaining body temperature homeostasis in a similar fashion compared to the glucose containing beverage. Furthermore, negative mood state was not different between the two conditions. The non-glucose beverages can serve a valuable role in the exercise environment depending upon the sport, the ambient temperature, the individual, duration of the exercise, the age and training states of the individual

Impaired Knowledge of Driving Laws Is Associated with Recommended Driving Cessation in Cognitively Impaired Older Adults

Background/Aims: The present study examined if knowledge of driving laws independently predicts on-the-road driving performance among cognitively impaired older adults. Methods: The current study consisted of retrospective observational analyses on 55 cognitively impaired older adults (77.9 ± 6.4 years) that completed an on-the-road driving evaluation, a 20-item knowledge test of driving laws, and a brief cognitive test battery. Results: Logistic regression found poorer performance on the knowledge test was significantly associated with greater likelihood of recommended driving cessation beyond important demographic and cognitive variables (p Conclusion: Cognitively impaired patients’ ability to drive may be related to their knowledge regarding common driving laws, in addition to their current level of cognitive functioning

Assessing a Monitoring Scale of Physiological Health and Risk Assessment Among Those Exposed to Heated Environments: A Brief Report

Background: Prevention of heat illness is of considerable medical interest within the field of occupational work. There are many established methods of perceptual health assessment; however, many are rather unpractical and timely. The objective was to improve the practicality and timeliness of perceptual physiological monitoring; a Heat Thermal Sensation scale has been developed. The usefulness of the scale was assessed on its ability to monitor physiological variable. Materials and Methods: Ten apparently healthy individuals performed physically exerting activity while exposed to 37 °C. Sensation and physiology were measured throughout. Results: The perceptual monitoring scale demonstrated weak positive correlations with human physiological variables including cardiorespiratory stresses. It demonstrated no correlation with thermoregulation stress. Conclusion: The scale needs further development to better improve heat illness practices to those commonly exposed in extreme heat during occupational work