Testing virtual fences for reindeer

Virtual fencing systems have been developed for several animal species. The Norwegian NoFence system is guided by pre-determined GPS positions. During the winter of 2011 and 2013 we tested two prototypes of the NoFence collar under controlled conditions. The first prototype had little influence on animal behaviour but the second prototype showed important improvements. The system was however not successful in controlling reindeer movements using warning signals and low current electrical shocks

Noter til musikken : premisser og konstruksjoner

What is music and how do we go about researching it? Obviously, these are important questions, and the backbone of further developments within the discipline of musicology. As far as empirical fields and contextualization goes, this text initially claims that studies within ethnomusicology and musicology today portray a blurring of borders. The making of text as such and the analysis of a musical phenomenon, be it more or less focused on contexts primarily understood as external to the sound itself or the actual production of it, cannot escape the sediments of academic traditions and a multitude of challenges translating "music" to Music. What music is will always permeate academic texts on the matter whether it is an explicit theme or not. Without offering a final solution, nor excluding any takes on the matter, this article offers some critical comments funded primarily on a text by Michael Tanner (Understanding Music) that more or less explicitly treats this question

Fangst av leppefisk: Ruse gir like god overlevelse som teine

Leppefisk er viktig i oppdrettsnæringens lakselusebekjempelse. I 2010 ble det fanget ca. 10 millioner leppefisk til dette formålet. Det blir hevdet at teiner gir fisk av bedre kvalitet enn ruser, og enkelte oppdrettsselskaper kjøper kun leppefisk fanget med teiner. Et forsøk der vi sammenlignet overlevelsen viste imidlertid ingen forskjell mellom de to redskapstypen

Ship Route Optimization Using Hybrid Physics-Guided Machine Learning

This paper presents a method for energy efficient weather routing of a ferry in Norway. Historical operational data from the ferry and environmental data are used to develop two models that predict the energy consumption. The first is a purely data-driven linear regression energy model, while the second is as a hybrid model, combining physical models with data-driven models using machine learning techniques. With an established energy model, it is possible to develop a route optimization that proposes efficient routes with less energy usage compared to fixed speed and heading control.publishedVersio

Can vitamin D3 supplementation prevent bone loss in persons with MS? A placebo-controlled trial

Multiple sclerosis (MS) is a possible cause of secondary osteoporosis. In this phase II trial we assessed whether a weekly dose of 20,000 IU vitamin D3 prevents bone loss in ambulatory persons with MS age 18–50 years. ClinicalTrials.gov ID NCT00785473. All patients managed at the University Hospital of North Norway who fulfilled the main inclusion criteria were invited to participate in this double-blinded trial. Participants were randomised to receive 20,000 IU vitamin D3 or placebo once a week and 500 mg calcium daily for 96 weeks. The primary outcome was the effect of the intervention on percentage change in bone mineral density (BMD) at the hip, the spine, and the ultradistal radius over the study period. Of 71 participants randomised, 68 completed. Mean serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D [25(OH)D] levels in the intervention group increased from 55 nmol/L at baseline to 123 nmol/L at week 96. After 96 weeks, percentage change in BMD did not differ between groups at any site. BMD decreased at the hip, by 1.4% in the placebo group (95% CI −2.3 to −0.4, SD 2.7, p = 0.006) and by 0.7% in the treatment group (−1.6 to 0.2, 2.7, p = 0.118), difference 0.7% (−1.9 to 0.7, p = 0.332). Findings were not altered by adjustment for sex or serum 25(OH)D. Supplementation with 20,000 IU vitamin D3 a week did not prevent bone loss in this small population. Larger studies are warranted to assess the effect of vitamin D on bone health in persons with MS

Understanding climate resilience in Scandinavia during the Neolithic and Early Bronze Age

Mid and late-Holocene climate shifts are considered to have profoundly shaped demographic developments and adaptive responses of communities globally. Yet their onset, duration, and impact on Neolithic and Early Nordic Bronze Age communities in the high-latitude ranges of southern and north-western Scandinavia remain a major research gap. Here, we built on an emerging body of archaeological and paleoclimate data, encompassing 20,908 anthropogenic 14C dates and 49 climate records from the Holocene. Additionally, we gathered and correlated a new archaeological dataset of 3649 houses from southern Scandinavia and southern Norway. In this study, we utilised 6268 reliable 14C dates and 2519 dwellings to generate time series and socio-economic trends from ∼4100 to 1100 BCE. Our study revealed three key findings: (1) A distinct lateral zonation, with variations in the duration and timing of the Holocene Thermal Maximum (∼7050–2050 BCE). In Southern Scandinavia, a warmer climate may have facilitated the spread of crop cultivation (3820–3790 BCE), coinciding with significant population growth. Neolithic communities settled in permanent two-aisled houses 90–160 years later (3700–3660 BCE). (2) The 2250 BCE (4.2 ka BP) cooling trend marked the beginning of a climate regime shift with varying duration and timing (∼3450–1450 BCE). This period coincided with demographic growth, migration, crop cultivation diversity, and the development of houses with crop storage facilities (2290–2215 BCE). (3) Severe abrupt cooling periods (∼1850–1450 BCE) corresponded to short-term demographic decline including disruptions in trade networks with continental Europe. However, repopulation and redistribution of wealth (∼1450 BCE), along with the development of stable three-aisled houses (1475–1450 BCE), underscore the resilience of food-producing economies in mitigating environmental disturbances

Efficiency and catch dynamics of collapsible square and conical pots used in the red king crab (Paralithodes camtschaticus) fishery

We compared the capture efficiency and catch dynamics of collapsible square and conical pots used in resource assessment and harvesting of red king crabs (Paralithodes camtschaticus [Tilesius, 1815]) in the Barents Sea. After two days of soaking, square pots caught three times as many crabs as conical pots, and their catches consisted of a higher proportion of male crabs and male crabs larger than 160 mm carapace length compared to the catches in the conical pots. Catches in the square pots did not increase as soak times were increased beyond two days, which indicates equilibrium between the rate of entries into and the rate of exits from the pots. Catches in conical pots, however, increased with increasing soak times up to eight days, the longest soak time examined in this study. These findings demonstrate the higher efficiency of square pots and the importance of understanding catch dynamics when making population assessments based on catchper-unit-of-effort data. The favorable catch characteristics and handling properties of the collapsible square pot may make this pot design suitable for other crab fisheries, as well

Utprøving av nytt reinvarslingssystem på E6 over Saltfjellet. Vintrene 2018 og 2019.

Påkjørsel av tamrein og andre beitedyr er et stadig økende problem både i nordiske land og i Europa for øvrig. I Norge har mer enn 3000 tamrein blitt påkjørt av tog de siste 10 år og dette medfører store dyrelidelser og samfunnsøkonomiske kostnader. Formålet med vårt prosjekt var å teste driftssikkerhet og virkning av et nytt elektronisk reinvarslingssystem langs vei vinterstid. Et viktig delmål i prosjektet var å redusere antall kollisjoner mellom kjøretøyer og tamrein. Varslingssystemet er basert på radiobølger (805.15.4 866MHz). Reinsenderen er på størrelse med en tjuekroning og har en estimert batterikapasitet på 5 år. Støpt inn i en halsklave sender den radiosignaler med rekkevidde på ca. 100 meter. Det ble satt opp 41 mottakere i 2018 og 39 mottakere i 2019 på stikker langs en 4,5 km teststrekning på E6 over Saltfjellet. Disse mottakerne er utstyrt med røde lysdioder som begynner å blinke når reinen nærmer seg. Over 500 voksne reinsimler ble instrumentert med halsklaver og radiosendere i løpet av de to årene som utprøvingen foregikk. Funksjonaliteten av varslingssystemet ble kontrollert og loggført fire ganger i 2018 og ukentlig i 2019 (18 ganger) i løpet av testperiodene. Det ble samtidig lagret datalogg over sendere som hadde aktivert mottakere med SIM kort. En fartsmåler ble i tillegg satt opp i nærheten av teststrekningen i 2019......publishedVersio

The multidimensional fatigue inventory (MFI-20): psychometrical testing in a Norwegian sample of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) patients

OBJECTIVES To evaluate the psychometric properties of the Norwegian version of the multidimensional fatigue inventory (MFI-20) in patients with inflammatory bowel disease. METHODS Participants were recruited from nine hospitals in the southeastern and western parts of Norway. Clinical and sociodemographic data were collected, and participants completed the MFI-20, as well as the Fatigue Questionnaire (FQ). In addition to a confirmatory factor analysis, validity, reliability, test-retest and responsiveness were evaluated. RESULTS In total, 410 patients were included. The Norwegian MFI-20 had an acceptable model fit when compared to the original five-dimensional structure. A positive correlation was observed between the dimensions of MFI-20 and the FQ. MFI-20 scores increased according to subjective disease activity, but no differences were observed when using a calprotectin cut-off  =250 µg/g mg/kg. All MFI-20 dimensions except ‘reduced motivation’ in both ulcerative colitis (UC) and Crohn’s disease (CD) patients had alpha Cronbach alpha values ≥70, and test-retest reliability revealed good to excellent values. Merely one dimension (Reduced activity) in UC patients reporting improvement did not reach the threshold for acceptable responsiveness according to Guyatt statistics. CONCLUSIONS The Norwegian version of MFI-20 is valid, reliable and responsive. The instrument can safely be used in studies using fatigue as an endpoint.publishedVersio