Behaviour of Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar L.) recorded by data storage tags in the NE Atlantic – implications for interception by pelagic trawls

In a project carried out in the Nordic Seas (Northeast Atlantic) in 2002 - 2004, 413 Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar L.) were tagged with data storage tags (DST) either logging temperature and depth (StarOddi, Milli) or just temperature (Dallas semiconductor, iButton). The main aims were to study various marine life history traits of salmon, such as winter habitats, diurnal patterns of vertical migration, feeding activities. Another aim was to collect salmon behaviour data with relevance for issues related to by-catch of salmon in pelagic fisheries. In this paper we focus on possible implications of the diurnal depth distribution of salmon in relation to catchability of salmon in sampling trawls versus commercial fisheries. Five DSTs were returned from fishermen. Four of these were Milli-tags and are used in this presentation. Time from release to capture ranged from 48 - 128 days. The DSTs logged data at alternating intervals of 1, 5, 30, 60 and 120 min. almost 45000 recordings were retrieved. The data records were grouped in different phases: post-release; oceanic feeding & migration; coastal migration; estuarine migration; in-river phase. Salmon stay in the upper 5 m for 60% of the time during the oceanic phase, making deep dives (280 m) in between. The proportion of time the salmon stay at the surface (<2 m) decreases from 5.5 to 2.5% between 9 and 17 h

Hotspot crowding and over-tourism: Antecedents of destination attractiveness

This study develops a unique model capturing antecedents of place attractiveness in tourism hotspot crowding contexts. A structural equation model reveals three density dimensions: one destination image variable and two avoidance versus approach reactions that influence assessments of crowding attitude and destination appraisals. Perceived density dimensions affect destination appraisals with varying intensities and valences. Both positive and negative sentiments are present – the former as excitement, fun and conviviality resulting from peoplewatching and socialising, and the latter as discomfort and resentment resulting from personal space violations and reduced feelings of uniqueness. Many tourist types are included in this study in historic town centres and villages in iconic fjord landscapes in Norway. Cruise passengers are more crowding tolerant than self-organised travellers.publishedVersio

Veteran trees in decline: Stratified national monitoring of oaks in Norway

Old veteran trees function as biodiversity hotspots in both forests and open landscapes, and protecting such trees is an important measure to halt loss of biodiversity. Nevertheless, the number of veteran trees continues to decline worldwide, although estimates of this decline mainly stem from geographically restricted case studies. In Norway, veteran oak trees have received special protection since 2011 through the Norwegian Biodiversity Act, however, there is a lack of knowledge on status and trends for these trees. A national monitoring program was started in 2012, using a random, stratified sampling procedure. We use the data from the baseline survey and the first monitoring revisit to estimate the total number as well as mortality trends of veteran oaks in Norway. Further, we assess recruitment potential (in the baseline survey) and changes in variables describing ecological state such as regrowth. The monitoring area covered the geographical distribution of oaks in Norway and was divided into > 200 000 plots of 500 × 500 m. A set of 500 monitoring plots were randomly selected from two strata: High probability plots (n = 100; plots with high probability of occurrence of veteran oaks), and Low probability plots (n = 400), using existing knowledge and databases. Plots were surveyed over a five year-period (2012–2016), with 20 HighProb-plots and 80 LowProb-plots each year. All veteran oaks that were observed during the baseline survey were revisited in 2019, three to seven years after they were initially registered. Tree absence and cause of death/ change of ecological status was recorded. We estimated a total of 138 100 veteran oaks in Norway based on the baseline survey, of which 25 000 could be denoted “top quality oaks”. Based on the revisit, we estimated a loss of 7 600 veteran trees, i.e., an annual mortality rate of 1.2%. Recruitment oaks were present in most plots with veteran oaks, but recruitment into the veteran oak category is slow and unlikely to balance out the mortality rate. More precise estimates of recruitment should be prioritized in future monitoring. The estimate of 138 000 veteran oaks far exceeds the appr. 10 000 trees registered in the national database, and clearly demonstrates the need for continued mapping and monitoring to improve the foundation for a knowledge-based land management. Further, this short-term monitoring demonstrates the decline of this biodiversity hotspot and pivotal source of ecosystem functions, despite increased protection in recent years. Our results and conclusions are relevant also for veteran trees of other species than oak. Quercus Ancient tree Tree inventory Monitoring Annual decline Biodiversity hotspot Heritage treespublishedVersio

Competing effects of spreading rate, crystal fractionation and source variability on Fe isotope systematics in mid-ocean ridge lavas

© The Author(s), 2021. This article is distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License. The definitive version was published in Richter, M., Nebel, O., Schwindinger, M., Nebel-Jacobsen, Y., & Dick, H. J. B. Competing effects of spreading rate, crystal fractionation and source variability on Fe isotope systematics in mid-ocean ridge lavas. Scientific Reports, 11(1), (2021): 4123, https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-021-83387-7.Two-thirds of the Earth is covered by mid-ocean ridge basalts, which form along a network of divergent plate margins. Basalts along these margins display a chemical diversity, which is consequent to a complex interplay of partial mantle melting in the upper mantle and magmatic differentiation processes in lower crustal levels. Igneous differentiation (crystal fractionation, partial melting) and source heterogeneity, in general, are key drivers creating variable chemistry in mid-ocean ridge basalts. This variability is reflected in iron isotope systematics (expressed as δ57Fe), showing a total range of 0.2 ‰ from δ57Fe =  + 0.05 to + 0.25 ‰. Respective contributions of source heterogeneity and magma differentiation leading to this diversity, however, remain elusive. This study investigates the iron isotope systematics in basalts from the ultraslow spreading Gakkel Ridge in the Arctic Ocean and compares them to existing data from the fast spreading East Pacific Rise ridge. Results indicate that Gakkel lavas are driven to heavier iron isotope compositions through partial melting processes, whereas effects of igneous differentiation are minor. This is in stark contrast to fast spreading ridges showing reversed effects of near negligible partial melting effects followed by large isotope fractionation along the liquid line of descent. Gakkel lavas further reveal mantle heterogeneity that is superimposed on the igneous differentiation effects, showing that upper mantle Fe isotope heterogeneity can be transmitted into erupting basalts in the absence of homogenisation processes in sub-oceanic magma chambers.This work was supported by an ARC grant FT140101062 to O.N. H.J.B.D was supported by the NSF grants PLR 9912162, PLR 0327591, OCE 0930487 and OCE 1434452

Dietary Habits and Self-Reported Health Measures Among Norwegian Adults Adhering to Plant-Based Diets

Background: As plant-based diets is increasing, we aimed to investigate dietary habits, dietary motivation and self-reported health of Norwegian adults who adhere to different types of plant-based diets. Methods: In 2020, 808 subjects (530 women and 278 men) participated in an online survey, including vegans (8%), lacto-ovo vegetarians (16%), pescatarians (23%), and flexitarians (53%). Results: Half of the participants reported to consume fruits daily, three quarters consumed vegetables daily, and one quarter consumed whole grain products daily. Half of the participants reported weekly consumption of sweets and salted snacks, and 10% reported daily consumption of sugary drinks. Daily consumption of milk and dairy substitutes were reported by vegans (49%), lacto-ovo vegetarians (33%), pescatarians (32%), and flexitarians (25%). Daily consumption of meat replacement products was reported by vegans (3%), lacto-ovo vegetarians (5%), pescatarians (2%). Reported supplement use was highest among vegans (62%) and lowest among flexitarians (28%). Dietary motivations were driven by environmental (71%), health (64%), and animal welfare (49%) concerns, across all dietary groups. 75% reported their self-perceived health to be good or very good. Conclusion: We found that Norwegian adults adhering to plant-based diets consumed less fruit, vegetables, and whole grain products, together with more sugar than recommended in the Norwegian dietary guidelines. The participants reported their self-perceived health to be good or very good.publishedVersio

Hjemmebehandling med intravenøs antibiotika : Gjennomførbarhet og pasienters erfaringer

Home treatment of infections with intravenous antibiotics is common internationally but is uncommon in Norway. The purpose of this study was to survey a patient population and to describe patients' experiences with intravenous home treatment with antibiotics and to assess the feasibility of the course of treatment. All patients treated at home with intravenous antibiotics from November 2016 to June 2021 were asked to participate in the study. Journal review and questionnaires were used to collect data. Quantitative data were processed with descriptive statistics and qualitative data were analyzed with manifest content analysis. The study includes 175 patients with an average age of 65 years. The most frequent infections were endocarditis, prosthesis infection and septic arthritis. The study showed that the patients were very satisfied with home treatment and that also elderly patients could be treated at home (45% were ≥70 years old). 90% of the patients answered that they would choose home treatment again if they needed it and that home treatment increased well-being and subjective quality of life, but that training of and follow-up from clinical staff were important.Hjemmebehandling av infeksjoner med intravenøs antibiotika er vanlig internasjonalt, men er lite brukt i Norge. I denne studien er hensikten å kartlegge en pasientpopulasjon og beskrive pasienters erfaringer med intravenøs hjemmebehandling med antibiotika og gjennomførbarheten av behandlingsforløpet. Alle pasienter som ble behandlet hjemme med intravenøs antibiotika fra november 2016 til juni 2021 ble spurt om å delta i studien. Journalgranskning og spørreskjema ble brukt for å innhente data. Kvantitative data ble bearbeidet med deskriptiv statistikk og kvalitative data ble analysert med manifest innholdsanalyse. Studien inkluderer 175 pasienter, gjennomsnittsalder 65 år. Hyppigste infeksjoner var endokarditt, proteseinfeksjon og septisk artritt. Studien viste at pasientene var svært tilfredse med hjemmebehandling og at eldre pasienter kunne behandles hjemme (45 % var ≥70 år). 90 % av pasientene svarte at de ville valgt hjemmebehandling igjen dersom de trengte det og at hjemmebehandling ga økt trivsel og subjektiv livskvalitet, men at opplæring og oppfølgning var viktig

Postpartum dysgalactia syndrome in sows: effects on behavior of sows and piglets

Background To investigate if specific sow and piglet behavioral characteristics could be used diagnostically, this case-cohort study of the behavior of sows and piglets during the periparturient period (from 24 h before the birth of first piglet to 24 h after the birth of last piglet) was conducted. Data included 32 sows diagnosed with PDS (PDS+) vs. 37 healthy matched controls (PDS-) and their litters. Results A significant change from active behavior with many postural changes to a more passive behavior was noted in connection with parturition. Sow nesting behavior was less frequent in PDS+ sows compared to PDS- sows during (p = 0.04) and after parturition (p = 0.0004). No difference was found between PDS+ and PDS- in the number of postural changes, interval from last time standing to the birth of the first piglet, interval from last time eating/drinking to the birth of the first piglet, interval from the birth of the first piglet to the sow standing after farrowing, interval from the birth of the last piglet until eating/drinking, occurrence of bar biting, or frequency or duration of eating/drinking during the observation period. Piglets of PDS+ sows stayed outside the creep areas more often than piglets of PDS- sows (p < 0.0001), but there was no difference in the mean number of piglets observed massaging the udder every 10 min. Conclusion These results confirm that sow behavior changes from active before parturition to more passive after parturition. Being diagnosed with PDS affected the periparturient behavior of sows as well as their piglets. The observed reduction in nesting behavior in PDS+ sows may suggest that a highly motivated piglet-oriented behavior was affected. However, classical sickness behaviors like lethargy and passivity seem to be poor markers for PDS

National monitoring of iodine, sodium, and vitamin D status in toddlers and women of childbearing age - results and lessons learned from a pilot study in Norway

BACKGROUND Norway is lacking a population-based national monitoring program for iodine, sodium, and vitamin D status. OBJECTIVE The aim of this study was to pilot-test a study design for collecting biological samples from a country-representative sample of 2-year-old children and their mothers and to report results for iodine, salt, and vitamin D at baseline, before initiation of salt iodization in Norway. DESIGN In a cross-sectional study, we recruited 2-year-old children and their mothers during the routine 2-year check-up through 38 randomly selected health clinics in 2021. Spot urine samples were analyzed for iodine, creatinine, and sodium, and dried blood spots from the mothers were analyzed for thyroglobulin (Tg) and 25-hydroxyvitamin D (25(OH)D). RESULTS We aimed at including 400 mother-child pairs but recruited only 55 pairs. Major challenges were closed health clinics due to the COVID-19 pandemic, lack of motivation of the health personnel to prioritize recruiting, missing information about non-participation, and high workload for participants. The median urinary iodine concentration (UIC) was 123 (95% CI: 76, 228) µg/L in the toddlers and 83 (95% CI: 72, 99) µg/L in the mothers. The median urinary sodium concentration (UNaC) was 62 (95% CI: 37, 91) mmol/L in the toddlers and 93 (95% CI: 77, 107) mmol/L in the mothers. Of the mothers, 18% had levels of 25(OH)D <50 nmol/L (suboptimal status). DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSION Lessons learned from the pilot study will be used to design a national monitoring program for toddlers and women of childbearing age in Norway. The results indicate that 2-year-old children and women of childbearing age in Norway may have inadequate iodine intakes at the group level, while for vitamin D, most of the mothers had adequate status

Cytokine expression in mice exposed to diesel exhaust particles by inhalation. Role of tumor necrosis factor

BACKGROUND: Particulate air pollution has been associated with lung and cardiovascular disease, for which lung inflammation may be a driving mechanism. The pro-inflammatory cytokine, tumor necrosis factor (TNF) has been suggested to have a key-role in particle-induced inflammation. We studied the time course of gene expression of inflammatory markers in the lungs of wild type mice and Tnf-/- mice after exposure to diesel exhaust particles (DEPs). Mice were exposed to either a single or multiple doses of DEP by inhalation. We measured the mRNA level of the cytokines Tnf and interleukin-6 (Il-6) and the chemokines, monocyte chemoattractant protein (Mcp-1), macrophage inflammatory protein-2 (Mip-2) and keratinocyte derived chemokine (Kc) in the lung tissue at different time points after exposure. RESULTS: Tnf mRNA expression levels increased late after DEP-inhalation, whereas the expression levels of Il-6, Mcp-1 and Kc increased early. The expression of Mip-2 was independent of TNF if the dose was above a certain level. The expression levels of the cytokines Kc, Mcp-1 and Il-6, were increased in the absence of TNF. CONCLUSION: Our data demonstrate that Tnf is not important in early DEP induced inflammation and rather exerts negative influence on Mcp-1 and Kc mRNA levels. This suggests that other signalling pathways are important, a candidate being one involving Mcp-1