Vegetasjonshistorie, tverrvitskap og naturmangfald

Nyleg vart FNs rapport om naturmangfaldet i verda lagt fram. Den syner ei faretruande utvikling, der artar og naturtypar forsvinn i stadig raskare tempo. På landjorda er endra arealbruk sett som den viktigaste årsaka, der naturøydeleggingar og moderne landbruk har store konsekvensar for mangfaldet. Kvifor veks artar der dei veks? Kva prosessar har gitt mangfaldet av naturtypar? Korleis har samspelet mellom naturen og menneska vore gjennom tid

Linpollen - ei historie om lindyrking

Linplanta har tradisjonelt vorte dyrka med føremål å produsere tekstilar og olje. Ved funn av fossile pollen, frø og fibrar frå planta kan vi botanikarar spore lindyrking attende i tid, medan arkeologiske funn som linhekle og tekstilar fortel om tekstilproduksjon og bruk. Linpollenet er «digert» (50–60 μm) og har ein karakteristisk utsjånad som er vanskeleg å oversjå dersom ein har det i synsfeltet i mikroskopet. Sjølv ein flik av pollenkornet er attkjenneleg. Linpollenet har difor ei eiga forteljing som kan få ny tyding i historiske samanhengar og gje eit utfyllande bilete til det arkeologiske materialet

Uventede funn med konsekvenser - småskalajordbruk i yngre steinalder på Vestlandet

Noen ganger dukker det opp uventede arkeologiske funn og naturobjekter. Det kan være gjenstander som er altfor gamle, ting fra et sted urimelig langt borte, eller pollen fra planter som ikke skal ha vokst der. Når dette skjer, blinker varsellampene hos fagfolkene og kildekritikken slår inn. Vi leter etter måter å forklare det på, og å finne feilen

Demographic developments in Stone Age coastal western Norway by proxy of radiocarbon dates, stray finds and palynological data

This paper presents a multi-proxy approach to coastal Stone Age demography. It uses the district Hordaland, western Norway as a case and applies the proxies SPD (summed probability distributions) of radiocarbon dates and stray find distributions. These are compared to pollen-based landscape reconstructions. Large numbers of Stone Age sites have been surveyed and excavated in western Norway during the last few decades, mainly because of modern development and cultural heritage management. This work has produced significant amounts of radiocarbon dates. The data has, until now, not been sufficiently organized and systematized for the purpose of doing research on long-term changes. The same is true for the many stray finds, which are stored at University Museum of Bergen. During the last decades, methodological development in palynology has made compilation of data and new vegetation reconstructions possible. For the first time, these dispersed datasets from the district Hordaland are brought together for comparative purposes, with a specific goal to study relative demographic changes. The hypothesis is that during the Stone Age, demographic change accompanied big cultural transformations in the transition from LM (late Mesolithic) to EN (early Neolithic) c. 5950 cal BP and between MN (middle Neolithic) and LN (late Neolithic) c. 4300 cal BP. This study partly supports the hypothesis, as the changes in the SPD and the stray finds during the transition to the late Neolithic clearly reflect marked population growth, related to the introduction of agriculture, at the same time as the pollen data reveal forest clearance. The LM-EN transition is less clearly connected to demographic change. Generally, up until the transition to the LN, the data indicate that there was gradual demographic growth with marked fluctuations within a forested landscape. Although the proxies sometimes co-vary for the different periods, they may also display conflicting patterns, and this strengthens the argument that a multi-proxy approach to demographic studies is to be recommended.publishedVersio

Implementation fidelity in a complex intervention promoting psychosocial well-being following stroke: an explanatory sequential mixed methods study

publishedVersio

Two thousand years of Landscape—Human interactions at a coastal peninsula in Norway revealed through pollen analysis, shoreline reconstruction, and radiocarbon dates from archaeological sites

Human impact on long-term vegetation and biodiversity changes is often discussed on a general level, connecting palynological data to archaeological time periods. In the present paper we present environmental change during the last 2,400 years on a coastal peninsula in Norway using pollen data from three sites: one lake and two bogs, in addition to 621 radiocarbon dates and in-context pollen samples from archaeological sites. Locally, a close relationship between palynological richness reflecting high landscape, habitat and floristic diversity, and the summed probability distribution of radiocarbon dates was found. During the settlement period 400 BCE–550 CE, concordant with maximum number of dates from archaeological contexts, a mosaic landscape containing infields and outfields developed. Cereals were cultivated and animals were grazing in heathlands that could provide both summer grazing and winter fodder. Additionally, seashores and wetlands were used for grazing. Settlement recession from 350 CE and abandonment following the 536 CE climate event, resulted in vegetation successions toward reforestation, abandonment of arable fields, and marshes turning into ombrotrophic peat. At the same time the distance to the sea, and to species rich shoreline meadows, continued to increase due to continuous postglacial land uplift in a flat landscape. A new increase in the summed probability distribution 900–1250 CE, is reflected in expansion of outfield pastures, heathlands in particular, a management that continued up into modern time. The local development is supported by the results on a regional scale, indicating overall climatic and social causes for observed vegetation changes. Both palynological richness and pollen-based landcover reconstructions indicate reforestation and less habitat diversity in the sixth century. On a regional scale, reforestation in the fifteenth century following the late medieval crises, is more pronounced than on the local scale, although both reflect exploitation of outfield resources

Nurses’ and occupational therapists’ experiences of conducting a home-based psychosocial intervention following stroke: a qualitative process evaluation

Background: Persons with stroke are susceptible to psychosocial problems, and express disappointment at how health care professionals fail to meet their psychosocial needs following discharge to home. The responsibility of nurses and occupational therapists in stroke rehabilitation is to assist the persons and their families during the recovery and adjustment process. A home-based dialogical intervention aiming to enhance psychosocial support was therefore developed and tested in a randomized controlled trial. This study is a part of the process evaluation conducted alongside the trial. The aim was to explore the nurses’ and occupational therapists’ experiences of conducting the intervention. Methods: Eighteen nurses and four occupational therapists participated in six focus groups to explore their experiences when providing the intervention. The themes discussed in the focus groups were the aspects that facilitated the delivering of the intervention and the challenges they encountered during the study period. The interviews were analysed using qualitative content analysis. Results: The analysis generated two themes. The theme Developing a supportive relationship to facilitate the adjustment process following stroke had two subthemes: Getting personally involved and Handling challenges. This theme reveals how the nurses and occupational therapists experienced their relationship with the persons with stroke and potential threats which challenged them while conducting the intervention. The theme Developing professional skills in providing psychosocial support had two subthemes: Becoming confident in conducting dialogues and Integrating psychosocial topics. This theme reveals the aspects that the nurses and occupational therapists perceived as facilitating the development of their professional skills in conducting the dialogues. Conclusion: Delivering the psychosocial intervention was perceived as deeply meaningful and increased the nurses’ and occupational therapists’ understanding of how to support stroke survivors to live with the consequences of stroke. However, balancing the professional and the personal relationship was challenging. A basic educational programme, training, supervision and having dedicated time were crucial elements to instil confidence in professionals conducting theme-based dialogues to promote post-stroke psychosocial well-being. Individual clinical experience and knowledge of stroke care were considering important to enable professionals to integrate psychosocial rehabilitation into community health care.publishedVersio

The Norwegian degenerative spondylolisthesis and spinal stenosis (NORDSTEN) study: study overview, organization structure and study population

Purpose To provide an overview of the The Norwegian Degenerative spondylolisthesis and spinal stenosis (NORDSTEN)-study and the organizational structure, and to evaluate the study population. Methods The NORDSTEN is a multicentre study with 10 year follow-up, conducted at 18 public hospitals. NORDSTEN includes three studies: (1) The randomized spinal stenosis trial comparing the impact of three different decompression techniques; (2) the randomized degenerative spondylolisthesis trial investigating whether decompression surgery alone is as good as decompression with instrumented fusion; (3) the observational cohort tracking the natural course of LSS in patients without planned surgical treatment. A range of clinical and radiological data are collected at defined time points. To administer, guide, monitor and assist the surgical units and the researchers involved, the NORDSTEN national project organization was established. Corresponding clinical data from the Norwegian Registry for Spine Surgery (NORspine) were used to assess if the randomized NORDSTEN-population at baseline was representative for LSS patients treated in routine surgical practice. Results A total of 988 LSS patients with or without spondylolistheses were included from 2014 to 2018. The clinical trials did not find any difference in the efficacy of the surgical methods evaluated. The NORDSTEN patients were similar to those being consecutively operated at the same hospitals and reported to the NORspine during the same time period. Conclusion The NORDSTEN study provides opportunity to investigate clinical course of LSS with or without surgical interventions. The NORDSTEN-study population were similar to LSS patients treated in routine surgical practice, supporting the external validity of previously published results.publishedVersio

Perceived study-induced influence on the control group in a randomized controlled trial evaluating a complex intervention to promote psychosocial well-being after stroke: a process evaluation

Background A commonly applied control condition in trials evaluating complex interventions in rehabilitation research is “usual care.” The main challenge is to ensure that the control group receives genuine usual care as delivered in everyday clinical practice. The assessment interviews and dialogues with the data collectors may influence the control group participants’ reflections on their condition and adjustments. This represents a threat to the internal validity of the trial. Thus, the aim of this study was to explore the perceived study-induced influence of assessment interviews on the adjustment of the members of a control group in a randomized clinical trial. The aim of the trial was to test a dialogue-based psychosocial intervention aiming at promoting the psychosocial well-being and adjustment of stroke survivors. Methods Fifteen participants in the control group of a multicenter stroke rehabilitation trial participated in narrative semi-structured interviews. Ricoeur’s interpretation theory guided the analysis. Results The perceived study-induced influence of the assessment interviews on the adjustment process of members of the control group varied considerably. The results demonstrated that the assessment interviews facilitated some participants’ feelings of control and their ability to cope. Other participants’ statements indicate that they relied on their existing personal capacity to cope and adjust and that the assessment interviews did not make any difference either on their coping ability or on their process of adjustment. Five themes were identified that described the perceived study-induced influence of the assessment interviews in the control group. The themes illustrated that the assessments served as a safety net, enhanced awareness and understanding, encouraged seeking support, allowed the opportunity to vent disappointment, or did not make any difference either way. Conclusions RCT assessment interviews may influence the adjustment process and represent a serious problem in measuring interventions over time in trials of complex interventions in rehabilitation research. To uphold rigor and stringency, the usual care control conditions should be thoroughly assessed and described. Informing participants only about the treatment they were allocated to receive might counteract the potential to dilute the difference between the two arms of the trial

Promoting psychosocial well-being following stroke: study protocol for a randomized, controlled trial

Source at https://doi.org/10.1186/s40359-018-0223-6.Background: Stroke is a major public health threat globally. Psychosocial well-being may be affected following stroke. Depressive symptoms, anxiety, general psychological distress and social isolation are prevalent. Approximately one third report depressive symptoms and 20% report anxiety during the first months or years after the stroke. Psychosocial difficulties may impact significantly on long-term functioning and quality of life, reduce the effects of rehabilitation services and lead to higher mortality rates. The aim of the study is to evaluate the effect of a previously developed and feasibility tested dialogue-based psychosocial intervention aimed at promoting psychosocial well-being and coping following stroke among stroke survivors with and without aphasia. Methods: The study will be conducted as a multicenter, randomized, single blind controlled trial with one intervention and one control arm. It will include a total of 330 stroke survivors randomly allocated into either an intervention group (dialogue-based intervention to promote psychosocial well-being) or a control group (usual care). Participants in the intervention group will receive eight individual sessions of supported dialogues in their homes during the first six months following an acute stroke. The primary outcome measure will be psychosocial well-being measured by the General Health Questionnaire (GHQ). Secondary outcome measures will be quality of life (SAQoL), sense of coherence (SOC), and depression (Yale). Process evaluation will be conducted in a longitudinal mixed methods study by individual qualitative interviews with 15–20 participants in the intervention and control groups, focus group interviews with the intervention personnel and data collectors, and a comprehensive analysis of implementation fidelity. Discussion: The intervention described in this study protocol is based on thorough development and feasibility work, guided by the UK medical research council framework for developing and testing complex interventions. It combines classical effectiveness evaluation with a thorough process evaluation. The results from this study may inform the development of further trials aimed at promoting psychosocial well-being following stroke as well as inform the psychosocial follow up of stroke patients living at home. Trial registration: NCT02338869; registered 10/04/2014 (On-going trial).</p