Determination of lipid oxidation products in vegetable oils and marine omega-3 supplements

Background : There is convincing evidence that replacing dietary saturated fats with polyunsaturated fats (PUFA) decreases risk of cardiovascular diseases. Therefore, PUFA rich foods such as vegetable oils, fatty fish, and marine omega-3 supplements are recommended. However, PUFA are easily oxidizable and there is concern about possible negative health effects from intake of oxidized lipids. Little is known about the degree of lipid oxidation in such products. Objective : To assess the content of lipid oxidation products in a large selection of vegetable oils and marine omega-3 supplements available in Norway. Both fresh and heated vegetable oils were studied. Design : A large selection of commercially available vegetable oils and marine omega-3 supplements was purchased from grocery stores, pharmacies, and health food stores in Norway. The content of lipid oxidation products were measured as peroxide value and alkenal concentration. Twelve different vegetable oils were heated for a temperature (225°C) and time (25 minutes) resembling conditions typically used during cooking. Results : The peroxide values were in the range 1.04–10.38 meq/kg for omega-3 supplements and in the range 0.60–5.33 meq/kg for fresh vegetable oils. The concentration range of alkenals was 158.23–932.19 nmol/mL for omega-3 supplements and 33.24–119.04 nmol/mL for vegetable oils. After heating, a 2.9–11.2 fold increase in alkenal concentration was observed for vegetable oils. Conclusions : The contents of hydroperoxides and alkenals in omega-3 supplements are higher than in vegetable oils. After heating vegetable oils, a large increase in alkenal concentration was observed

Dynamics of Control and Resistance: Reactions to the Modern Policy of Assimilation of the Travellers in Norway

For much of the 20th century, the Norwegian authorities pursued a strict assimilation policy towards Travellers (tatere/ romanifolket) and their culture. As was the case in many other countries, Travellers were constructed as "the other" (Riggins 1997, MacLaughlin 1999). When compared to other Western European countries, it is, however, surprising that Norwegian Travellers were seen as such a serious problem and threat during the 20th century. The 1845 census counted 1145 Travellers out of a total population of 1.3 million in Norway (Sundt 1852, SSB 1968: Table 13). A private charity organisation acting on behalf of the state registered 5129 "itinerants" in their archives from 1900 to 1959 (Haave 2000). These were the figures that worried the elites. This paper examines the modern assimilation policy and Travellers' reactions to this policy. In particular the paper analyses the internal relation between the modern assimilation policy and the emergence of collective demands for recognition as an ethnic minority and moral redress among Travellers in the 1990s

Om begreper: Atferdsanalyse: Når eksistens blir sirkulær bør man ta et skritt ut av sirkelen

Alle fagdisipliner hviler nødvendigvis på noen vitenskapsfilosofiske grunnforutsetninger. Atferdsanalysen tar som startpunkt for sin disiplin utgangspunkt i prinsipper basert på; determinisme, pragmatisme, kontekstualisme og en stringent forståelse av begrepet kontroll, selv sammenlignet med andre naturvitenskaplige disipliner. Første formålet med manuskriptet er å påpeke at begrunnelsen for den stringente forståelsen av begrepet kontroll er sirkulær og dermed ikke så solid som sentrale tekster i den atferdsanalytiske litteraturen gir uttrykk for. Det andre formålet handler om at det i atferdsanalytiske tekster er underkommunisert hvilke utfordringer det er i overgangen fra atferdsanalyse som fagdisiplin til atferdsanalytisk-basert tjenesteyting. Argumentene som benyttes for å opprettholde integriteten i egen fagdisiplin, kan anses som irrelevante når atferdsanalytiske kunnskap skal benyttes i kliniske sammenhenger. Derfor bør atferdsanalysen, til tross for at de fortsatt kan analysere alt ut fra eget begrepsapparat, samtidig anerkjenne at de må ta steget ut av egen fagdisiplin for å søke en rettferdiggjøring og det grunnlaget som er nødvendig for å kunne praktisere kunnskapen.publishedVersio

Index Measuring Land Use Intensity—A Gradient‐Based Approach

To monitor the changes in the landscape, and to relate these to ecological processes, we need robust and reproducible methods for quantifying the changes in landscape patterns. The main aim of this study is to present, exemplify and discuss a gradient‐based index of land use intensity. This index can easily be calculated from spatial data that are available for most areas and may therefore have a wide applicability. Further, the index is adapted for use based on official data sets and can thus be used directly in decision‐making at different levels. The index in its basic form consists of two parts where the first is based on the data of buildings and roads and the second of infrastructure land cover. We compared the index with two frequently used ‘wilderness indices’ in Norway called INON and the Human Footprint Index. Our index captures important elements of infrastructure in more detailed scales than the other indices. A particularly attractive feature of the index is that it is based on map databases that are updated regularly. The index has the potential to serve as an important tool in land use planning as well as a basis for monitoring, the assessment of ecological state and ecological integrity and for ecological accounting as well as strategic environmental assessments. infrastructure; land use; index; landscape; planning; monitoringpublishedVersio

Which way for european disability policy?

In this article we discuss the challenges facing European disability policy and in what direction it is likely to move in the years to come. We argue that the emerging interaction between transnational and national policy development is of crucial importance. At the core of this relationship is the division and interplay between policies of redistribution and of regulation. Redistributive provisions, especially schemes for income maintenance for people with impairment, are in many countries under substantial pressure, while certain forms of social regulation policy have recently gained a new momentum, especially through the emerging European Union strategy to combat discrimination and promote equal opportunities for all citizens. Yet, the future success of a European disability policy will to a great extent depend on whether one manages to develop a mutually supporting interaction between policies of redistribution and policies of regulation

Seleksjon er vel og bra - men hva med variasjonen? Et bidrag for varierte undersøkelser av privat atferd

Utgangspunktet for artikkelen er Skinners påstand om at en seleksjonsmodell på operant nivå ikke kan forutsette at organismer tilpasser seg miljøet—derimot at det utelukkende er miljøet som former og opprettholder atferd. Skinner tar feil hvis han mener at den eneste måten å studere atferd på er å anta at omgivelsene påvirker atferd alene. Diskusjoner rundt privat atferd er utsatt for å bli tolket til det motsatte; at individer tilpasser seg omgivelsene. Likevel, hva som er en riktig og gal måte avhenger av formålet med undersøkelsen. Vi argumenterer for tre forhold: 1) Gitt en nødvendig utvidet seleksjonshistorie vil kompleks privat atferd inneha kausalelementer i seg og utgjør således en forskjell på lik linje med offentlig atferd; 2) Atferdsvitenskapens mål (i.e., beskrivelse, prediksjon og kontroll) er verdibaserte. Problemet med verdisystemet er at det mangler regler for hvordan målene skal vektes innbyrdes når ulike hensyn tilsier at ikke alle målene kan oppfylles samtidig. Vitenskapsmålet kontroll—nærmere bestemt kravet om manipulerbare årsaker—ser ut til å ugyldiggjøre de andre målene. Dermed blir det vanskelig å inkludere viktige ikke-manipulerbare årsaker i analysene. Det er behov for variasjon i hvordan målene vektes; 3) Eksperimentelle data og fortolkninger er utgangspunktet for analysene av kompleks privat atferd. I tillegg, og i tråd med 1), 2) og 3), er det hensiktsmessig å stimulere til metodologiske diskusjoner og å inkludere andre former for undersøkelsesmetoder for å studere kompleks, privat atferd. Vi trenger en økt metodologisk variasjon

A Critical View of the National Student Survey as a Quality Indicator in Norwegian Higher Education

Student surveys are an integral part of quality assessment in the education sector and play a vital role in the justification of policies and decisions on governmental, institutional and individual levels. Each year in Norway a governmental agency for quality assurance in education conducts a national survey inviting all registered second year bachelor’s and master’s students to provide online feedback on their perceived study quality. We discuss the limits of the results' interpretability in the light of previous research criticising the validity of student surveys for the assessment of educational quality in general and discuss in more detail the limitations in the chosen Norwegian example. This article aims to increase the awareness of these challenges and stimulate a science-based development of alternative assessment forms of educational quality. The relationship between the educational sector's core activity and the survey's focus is discussed; suggestions for paths to improvement are made. We argue further that the nationwide assessment lays bare the conceptual deficits that may be of equally high importance for educational system evaluations in other countries.publishedVersio

Climate change drives substantial decline of understorey species richness and abundance in Norway spruce forests during 32 years of vegetation monitoring

Questions Observations in permanent forest vegetation plots in Norway and elsewhere indicate that complex changes have taken place over the period 1988–2020. These observations are summarised in the “climate-induced understorey change (CIUC)” hypothesis, i.e. that the understorey vegetation of old-growth boreal forests in Norway undergoes significant long-term changes and that these changes are consistent with the ongoing climate change as an important driver. Seven testable predictions were derived from the CIUC hypothesis. Location Norway. Methods Vegetation has been monitored in a total of 458 permanently marked plots, each 1 m2, in nine old-growth forest sites dominated by Picea abies at intervals of 5–8 years over the 32-year study period. For each of the 52 combinations of site and year, we obtained response variables for the abundance of single species, abundance and species density of taxonomic–ecological species groups and two size classes of cryptogams, and site species richness. All of these variables were subjected to linear regression modelling with site and year as predictors. Results Mean annual temperature, growing-season length and the number of days with precipitation were higher in the study period than in the preceding ca. 30-year period, resulting in increasingly favourable conditions for bryophyte growth. Site species richness decreased by 13% over the 32-year study period. On average, group abundance of vascular plants decreased by 24% (decrease in forbs: 38%). Patterns of group abundance change differed among cryptogam groups: although peat-moss abundance increased by 39%, the abundance of mosses, hepatics and lichens decreased by 13%, 49% and 67%, respectively. Group abundance of small cryptogams decreased by 61%, whereas a 13% increase was found for large cryptogams. Of 61 single species tested for abundance change, a significant decrease was found for 43 species, whereas a significant increase was found only for 6 species. Conclusions The major patterns of change in species richness, group species density and group abundance observed over the 32-year study period accord with most predictions from the CIUC hypothesis and are interpreted as direct and indirect responses to climate change, partly mediated through changes in the population dynamics of microtine rodents. The more favourable climate for bryophyte growth explains the observed increase for a few large bryophyte species, whereas the decrease observed for small mosses and hepatics is interpreted as an indirect amensalistic effect, brought about by shading and burial in mats of larger species and accelerated by reduced fine-scale disturbance by microtine rodents. Indirect effects of a thicker moss mat most likely drive the vascular plant decline although long-term effects of tree-stand dynamics and former logging cannot be completely ruled out. Our results suggest that the ongoing climate change has extensive, cascading effects on boreal forest ecosystems. The importance of long time-series of permanent vegetation plots for detecting and understanding the effects of climate change on boreal forests is emphasised.publishedVersio

Characterisation and mapping of landscape types, a case study from Norway

The European Landscape Convention emphasises the human perception of landscapes in its definition of the landscape, and promotes citizen participation in landscape management processes. On the other hand, landscape definitions adopted by the natural scientific tradition of landscape research, emphasises a material understanding of the landscape, with a more descriptive focus that includes landscape mapping. We discuss the inherent conflict between the ELC definition and propose that the ELC and natural scientific landscape definitions can be made complementary by considering landscape research as a two-phase process. The landscapes are typified, characterised and mapped in accordance with the natural science-based material landscape tradition in the first phase, and stakeholders of all kinds can be invited into an open process of landscape evaluation and development of management strategies and policies in a second phase of landscape analysis. We exemplify how the first phase in this two-phase process can be carried out, giving an overview of the system for landscape typification and characterisation developed for Nordland County, Norway as part of the Nature in Norway (NiN) system for typification and description of nature’s variation. The role of such a system in landscape research is briefly outlined and plans for further development of the system into a landscape classification system intended for mapping of landscapes in all of Norway, are presented.Das Europäisches Landschaftsübereinkommen (ELK) definiert Landschaft als “ein vom Menschen als solches wahrgenommenes Gebiet, dessen Charakter das Ergebnis des Wirkens und Zusammenwirkens natürlicher und/oder anthropogener Faktoren ist” und betont die Notwendigkeit die Öffentlichkeit aktiv an der Entwicklung von Landschaften zu beteiligen. Der vorliegende Artikel diskutiert den Konflikt zwischen der Landschaftsdefinition der ELK, die die menschliche Wahrnehmung ins Zentrum rückt, und einem naturwissenschaftlichen Verständnis des Landschaftsbegriffes, welches mehr auf die physischen Gegebenheiten und deren Erfassung und Beschreibung konzentriert ist. Um diese unterschiedlichen Perspektiven zusammenzubringen wird ein zweistufiger Ansatz zur Landschaftsanalyse vorgestellt: In der ersten Phase werden die Landschaften im Untersuchingsgebiet - einer naturwissenschaftlichen Herangehensweise folgend - anhand ihrer physischen Gegebenheiten typisiert, karakterisiert und kartiert, Auf dieser Grundlage können dann in der zweiten Phase Anspruchsgruppen und die Öffentlichkeit an der weiteren Landschaftsanalyse, sowie ihrer Bewertung und der Indentifikation von Zielen und Massnahmen der Landschaftsentwicklung beteiligt werden.Am Beispiel des norwegischen Regierungsbezirkes “Nordland” wird aufgezeigt, wie die erste Phase eines solchen Zwei-Stufen-Prozesses umgesetzt werden kann. Es wird das hierfür entwickelte System zur Typisierung and Karakterisierung der Landschaften vorgestellt und mögliche Anwendungsbereiche eines solchen Systems in der Landschaftsforschung diskutiert. Schliesslich werden Pläne für eine Weiterentwicklung dieses Systems für eine nationale Anwendung in Norwegen umrissen

Formation of Stimulus Equivalence as a Function of Number of Trials vs. Number of Programmed Consequences During Training of Baseline Relations

To eksperimenter undersøkte om antall trials under trening med en lineær serie (LS) treningsstruktur påvirket respondering i henhold til stimulusekvivalens. I Eksperiment 1 var 30 voksne forsøkspersoner fordelt i tre grupper, med 10 i hver gruppe. Alle treningsblokkene inneholdt henholdsvis 18 trials1 (Gruppe 1), 36 trials (Gruppe 2), og 54 trials (Gruppe 3). I Eksperiment 2 ble 24 forsøkspersoner fordelt i grupper som lignet de i Eksperiment 2, men her var økningen i antall trials introdusert i en treningsblokk uten programmerte konsekvenser. For begge eksperimentene inneholdt testblokken testtrials og baselinetrials uten programmerte konsekvenser. Resultatene viste at antall forsøkspersoner som responderte i henhold til stimulusekvivalens var to i Gruppe 1, fire i Gruppe 2, og fem i Gruppe 3 for Eksperiment 1 og to, tre og fem for de tilsvarende gruppene i Eksperiment 2. Resultatene fra Eksperiment 1 og 2 antyder at den avgjørende variabelen for emergens av ekvivalensklasser er antall trials og ikke antall programmerte konsekvenser. Reaksjonstidsdataene er vist kun fra Eksperiment 1, og disse reflekterte ikke variasjoner i antallet av baselinetrials i treningsblokkene.Two experiments investigated whether the number of trials during training with a linear series (LS) training structure affected responding in accordance with stimulus equivalence. In Experiment 1, 30 adult participants were divided into three groups, with 10 in each group. All training blocks contained 18 trials (Group 1), 36 trials (Group 2), and 54 trials (Group 3). In Experiment 2, 24 participants were divided into three groups as inExperiment 1 but the increase in the number of trials was only employed in the training block without programmed consequences. In both experiments, the test block contained test trials and baseline trials without programmed consequences. The results showed that the number of participants who responded according to stimulus equivalence was two in Group 1, four in Group 2, and five in Group 3 for Experiment 1 and two, three and five for the corresponding groups in Experiment 2. Experiments 1 and 2 suggest that the influential variable in producing equivalence classes, is the number of training trials and not the number of programmed consequences. The reaction time data are shown only for Experiment 1, and these data did not reflect variations in the number of baseline trials in the training blocks.publishedVersio