Nutrition and Fitness in Norwegian Culture

In developed nations, the leading causes of death and disability are non-communicable chronic disease conditions, including cardiovascular disease, lung disease, obesity, and diabetes. Currently, individuals in Norway have a life expectancy and healthy life expectancy for men and women that ranks in the top 20 in the world, while the United States performs more poorly, with rankings in the top 50. Life expectancy in the United States may be in uenced by the fact that approximately 50% of adults live with one chronic disease condition (ie, hypertension, coronary heart disease, stroke, diabetes, cancer, arthritis, hepatitis, weak or failing kidneys, asthma, or chronic obstructive pulmonary disease), while the prevalence of chronic disease is lower among adults in Norway. When speci cally evaluating prevalence of diabetes, 2015 data from the International Diabetes Federation revealed that 7.8% of adults have diabetes in Norway, while 12.8% of adults have diabetes in the United States. As obesity and physical inactivity are risk factors for chronic disease conditions, including Type 2 diabetes mellitus, it is important to note that 24.8% of Norwegians have a body mass index of greater than 30 kg/m2 and 20% meet the Norwegian Directorate of Health’s minimum physical activity recommendations, while 35% of American have a body mass index of greater than 30 kg/ m2 and 20% of Americans meet the 2008 Physical Activity Guidelines for Americans. ere may be contributing factors to the di erences in longevity and quality of life between Americans and Norwegians. The goal of this observational study was to use a study abroad experience to compare nutrition and dietary messaging and presentation, and physical activity opportunities available to individuals living in the Northeast region of the United States and the Southeast region of Norway. First hand observational data was obtained in Tønsberg, Norway and found that less food additives are used in Norwegian food products, Norwegian healthcare laws enforce higher taxes on highly processed foods, and there are accessible modes of transportation that encourage walking and biking, encouraging Norwegians to make healthy lifestyle choices. e Scandinavian food labeling system, called the KeyHole System, visually indicates to consumers when food products are low in sugar, fat, and sodium, yet high in ber. Bicycle and walking lanes are all newly paved, separated from the main roadways, and have their own set of street signs, making opportunities for active transport safe, reliable, and highly accessible between Norwegian cities and towns. ese national policies in regards to dietary consumption and features of the built environment may contribute to Norway’s lower prevalence of chronic disease and higher life and healthy life expectancy. Additionally, Norway’s successful history involving competitive cross-country skiing, pro table salmon shing, and the everlasting popularity of hiking and outdoor exploration each contributes to a healthy lifestyle. It is important to note that there is an increasingly strong American in uence in Norway, and the growing use of food additives are having a negative impact on health outcomes in Norway. It will be interesting to observe how health outcomes progress in both the United States and Norway as the number of individuals transitioning to older adulthood continues to grow worldwide

Tilstanden i sjøområdene ved Grimstad før start av biologisk renseanlegg på Groos

I 1995 ble Groosefjorden undersøkt for å dokumentere tilstanden før igangsetting av nytt biologisk renseanlegg. Det ble også gjort undersøkelser i andre kystområder i Grimstad kommune for å vurdere tilstanden. Undersøkelsene omfattet vannkjemiske målinger (oksygen, næringssalter, temperatur og saltholdighet), bløtbunnprøver, hardbunnundersøkelser (strandsone og dykk) samt undersøkelse av fiskeforekomster. Undersøkelsene viste at bunnområdene i Groosefjorden var tydelig påvirket av det kommunale utslippet på Groos. Bunnvannet hadde lave oksygenkonsentrasjoner og nær utslippet var bløtbunnsfaunaen dominert av arter som opptrer ved tung organisk belastning, men det var ingen større endringer i tilstanden siden forrige undersøkelse på 1980-tallet. Ved dykking ble det i tillegg registrert hydrogensulfid i sedimentene ved utslippspunktet. I overflatelaget ble det kun funnet svake effekter av utslippet. I Homborsund var det ingen større effekter av utslippet, men resultatene tyder på at området er sårbart for økning i tilførslene

The Raman optical activity of β-D-xylose: where experiment and theory meet

Besides its applications in bioenergy and biosynthesis, β-D-xylose is a very simple monosaccharide that exhibits relatively high rigidity. As such, it provides the best basis to study the impact of different solvation shell radii on the computation of its Raman optical activity (ROA) spectrum. Indeed, this chiroptical spectroscopic technique provides exquisite sensitivity to stereochemistry, and benefits much from theoretical support for interpretation. Our simulation approach combines density functional theory (DFT) and molecular dynamics (MD) in order to efficiently account for the crucial hydration effects in the simulation of carbohydrates and their spectroscopic response predictions. Excellent agreement between the simulated spectrum and the experiment was obtained with a solvation radius of 10 Å. Vibrational bands have been resolved from the computed ROA data, and compared with previous results on different monosaccharides in order to identify specific structure–spectrum relationships and to investigate the effect of the solvation environment on the conformational dynamics of small sugars. From the comparison with ROA analytical results, a shortcoming of the classical force field used for the MD simulations has been identified and overcome, again highlighting the complementary role of experiment and theory in the structural characterisation of complex biomolecules. Indeed, due to unphysical puckering, a spurious ring conformation initially led to erroneous conformer ratios, which are used as weights for the averaging of the spectral average, and only by removing this contribution was near perfect comparison between theory and experiment achieved

Distinguishing epimers through raman optical activity

The Raman optical activity spectra of the epimers β-d-glucose and β-d-galactose, two monosaccharides of biological importance, have been calculated using molecular dynamics combined with a quantum mechanics/molecular mechanics approach. Good agreement between theoretical and experimental spectra is observed for both monosaccharides. Full band assignments have been carried out, which has not previously been possible for carbohydrate epimers. For the regions where the spectral features are opposite in sign, the differences in the vibrational modes have been noted and ascribed to the band sign changes

Beyond challenges and enrichment: a qualitative account of cross-cultural experiences of nursing patients with an ethnic minority background in Norway

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Navigating the care between two distinct cultures: a qualitative study of the experiences of Arabic-speaking immigrants in Norwegian hospitals

Background During the past decades, there has been an increase in the number of immigrants to European and Scandinavian countries. This has challenged the health-care systems, which cater to the needs of patients despite their cultural and linguistic barriers, in these countries. Most studies on this topic have focused on the perspectives of health-care providers in delivering their service. The purpose of this qualitative study was to explore how hospitalized Arabic-speaking patients experienced their interaction with the Norwegian health-care system. Methods In-depth interviews with 20 participants and researcher’s participant observation were conducted to explore the idiosyncratic details and ascribed meanings that foreign-born patients attach to their everyday experience of the Norwegian health-care system. Thematic analysis was performed on the transcribed and translated versions of the in-depth interviews. Results The findings of this study indicated three interrelated core themes. Firstly, there exist challenges in understanding and being understood because of linguistic and cultural differences of newly migrated patients. Secondly, some patients missed the holistic and direct care available in their home countries. Finally, patients were satisfied with the Norwegian health-care system because of its compassion, care, and respect toward them as well as advanced health-care equipment. Conclusion Arabic-speaking patients in Norwegian hospitals experienced long waiting times and linguistic problems. Hence, a better and specialized interpreter service may resolve problems emanating from communication within the system and the subsequent delays in treatment. Compassionate care and the feeling of respect and love is the core strength of the Norwegian system as perceived by the patients.publishedVersio

Bostedsløse i Norge 2012 – en kartlegging

Download for free A summary in English can be downloaded here (PDF). Associated project Bostedsløshet i Norge 201

Fatal disseminated varicella zoster infection following zoster vaccination in an immunocompromised patient

A 79-year-old man with chronic lymphocytic leukaemia presented with fever and a widespread vesicular rash on 19 November 2014. The patient had not been under immunosuppressive regime for 6 months. He had received a shingles vaccine on 14th October and developed flu-like symptoms after 2 weeks. Intravenous antimicrobial therapy including aciclovir was started. He remained stable with no evidence of systemic involvement. On day 5, he developed respiratory and renal failure that required transfer to intensive care unit. Vesicle fluid, bronchoalveolar lavage and plasma were positive for varicella zoster virus by PCR. Slight clinical improvement allowed extubation on day 16. He subsequently deteriorated and died on day 25. Multiorgan failure was considered the immediate cause of death whereas disseminated varicella zoster infection was stated in the medical certificate as the other condition leading to this outcome. Varicella zoster Oka vaccine strain was detected in vesicle fluid, using PCR