Spis ikke, med mindre helsa eller miljøet blir bedre! Om utviklingen i norske forbrukeres holdninger til genmodifisert mat

I denne artikkelen drøfter vi hvordan norske forbrukeres holdninger til genmodifisert mat har endret seg gjennom årene. Allerede da genteknologi ble etablert som et eget forskningsfelt og utviklingsområde på 1980-tallet, viste den norske opinionen stor skepsis. Den norske lovgivningen tidlig på 1990-tallet utmerket seg også som den mest restriktive i Europa. Dette bildet endret seg ikke mye i løpet av 1990-tallet, mens opinionen i mange europeiske land i disse årene kom mer på linje med den norske. I hele denne perioden var både forbrukeropinionen og lovgivningen i USA langt mer aksepterende enn i Europa, noe som ga seg utslag i en handelskonflikt som toppet seg med EU sitt moratorium for utsetting av genmodifiserte planter i 1999. I denne artikkelen stiller vi spørsmålet om norske forbrukeres holdninger til genmodifisert mat har endret seg de siste årene. Artikkelen viser at mellom 2002 og 2007 er det en voksende gruppe av forbrukere som ser ut til å akseptere genmodifiserte matvarer hvis det fører til en helse- eller miljøgevinst (mindre sprøytemidler). Men til tross for dette så er nordmenn fremdeles skeptiske til genmodifisert mat. Det kan tolkes slik at genmodifisert mat ikke har ført til den nytten som ansees nødvendig for å ta den risikoen det innebærer å gjøre et betydelig skifte i matseddel. Matpatriotisme og en kulturell konservatisme når det gjelder skifte i matvaner bidrar også til å forklare den dominerende vente-og-se-holdningen.© 2009 the author

Migrants’ Work Environment in the Danish Construction Sector: a Scoping Study

This study of existing research maps out what is known about the work environment of migrant workers employed in the construction sector in Denmark. Through the systematic approach offered by a scoping study and using two conceptual models identifying determinants of worker health and safety as analytical frameworks, we identify an overall paucity of research concerned specifically with the health and safety of migrants. A broader literature shows that migrants are vulnerable workers who are channeled into 3D jobs and face job insecurity. Migrants also face poor treatment and segregation. We conclude by identifying 10 gaps in the current literature, including a lack of valid evidence concerning accidents and risks

Teaching In Student-Centred Active Learning Spaces: How Relational, Pedagogical, Spatial, And Technological Aspects Intertwine And Affect The Learning Environment

Higher educational institutions internationally have shown a growing interest in developing learning spaces that support student-centred learning approaches. For engineering education, this development aligns well with an increased emphasis on cross-disciplinarity and a system-thinking approach. However, research and our own experiences as teachers and evaluators of such learning spaces suggest that teachers who enter these learning spaces need support, as the complexity of the teaching situation becomes more apparent, compared to the traditional lecture hall. In this workshop, we will investigate this complexity together with the participants. Participants can expect to leave the workshop with a better understanding of: a conceptual framework that will assist the participants in navigating through the complexity of teaching in student-centred learning spaces. how to plan, implement and evaluate one’s own teaching in such learning spaces (Do’s and Dont’s). The take-home message from this workshop is an appreciation for how the relational, pedagogical, spatial, and technological aspects intertwine and affect the learning environment in spaces designed for student activity

Bacterial diversity in faeces from polar bear (Ursus maritimus) in Arctic Svalbard

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Polar bears (<it>Ursus maritimus</it>) are major predators in the Arctic marine ecosystem, feeding mainly on seals, and living closely associated with sea ice. Little is known of their gut microbial ecology and the main purpose of this study was to investigate the microbial diversity in faeces of polar bears in Svalbard, Norway (74-81°N, 10-33°E). In addition the level of <it>bla</it>_TEMalleles, encoding ampicillin resistance (amp^r) were determined. In total, ten samples were collected from ten individual bears, rectum swabs from five individuals in 2004 and faeces samples from five individuals in 2006.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>A 16S rRNA gene clone library was constructed, and all sequences obtained from 161 clones showed affiliation with the phylum <it>Firmicutes</it>, with 160 sequences identified as <it>Clostridiales </it>and one sequence identified as unclassified <it>Firmicutes</it>. The majority of the sequences (70%) were affiliated with the genus <it>Clostridium</it>. Aerobic heterotrophic cell counts on chocolate agar ranged between 5.0 × 10⁴to 1.6 × 10⁶colony forming units (cfu)/ml for the rectum swabs and 4.0 × 10³to 1.0 × 10⁵cfu/g for the faeces samples. The proportion of amp^rbacteria ranged from 0% to 44%. All of 144 randomly selected amp^risolates tested positive for enzymatic β-lactamase activity. Three % of the amp^risolates from the rectal samples yielded positive results when screened for the presence of <it>bla</it>_TEMgenes by PCR. <it>Bla</it>_TEMalleles were also detected by PCR in two out of three total faecal DNA samples from polar bears.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>The bacterial diversity in faeces from polar bears in their natural environment in Svalbard is low compared to other animal species, with all obtained clones affiliating to <it>Firmicutes</it>. Furthermore, only low levels of <it>bla</it>_TEMalleles were detected in contrast to their increasing prevalence in some clinical and commensal bacterial populations.</p

Early life growth and associations with lung function and bronchial hyperresponsiveness at 11-years of age

Low birthweight and being born small-for-gestational age (SGA) are linked to asthma and impaired lung function. Particularly, poor intrauterine growth followed by rapid catch-up growth during childhood may predispose for respiratory disease. Bronchial hyperresponsiveness (BHR) is an essential feature of asthma, but how foetal and early childhood growth are associated with BHR is less studied. Our hypothesis was that children born SGA or with accelerated early life growth have increased BHR and altered lung function at 11-years of age. We studied the associations between SGA and early childhood growth with lung function and BHR at 11-years of age in a subgroup of 468 children from the Norwegian Mother, Father and Child Cohort Study (MoBa), and included data from the Medical Birth Registry of Norway (MBRN). Weight at 6 months of age was positively associated with forced vital capacity (adjusted Beta: 0.121; 95% Confidence interval: 0.023, 0.219) and negatively associated with the ratio of forced expiratory flow in first second/forced vital capacity (−0.204; −0.317, −0.091) at 11-years of age. Similar patterns were found for weight at 36 months and for change in weight from birth to 6 months of age. SGA or other various variables of early childhood growth were not associated with BHR at 11-years of age. Early life growth was associated with an obstructive lung function pattern, but not with BHR in 11-year old children. Foetal growth restriction or weight gain during early childhood do not seem to be important risk factors for subsequent BHR in children.acceptedVersio

A comprehensive profile of circulating RNAs in human serum

Non-coding RNA (ncRNA) molecules have fundamental roles in cells and many are also stable in body fluids as extracellular RNAs. In this study, we used RNA sequencing (RNA-seq) to investigate the profile of small non-coding RNA (sncRNA) in human serum. We analyzed 10 billion Illumina reads from 477 serum samples, included in the Norwegian population-based Janus Serum Bank (JSB). We found that the core serum RNA repertoire includes 258 micro RNAs (miRNA), 441 piwi-interacting RNAs (piRNA), 411 transfer RNAs (tRNA), 24 small nucleolar RNAs (snoRNA), 125 small nuclear RNAs (snRNA) and 123 miscellaneous RNAs (misc-RNA). We also investigated biological and technical variation in expression, and the results suggest that many RNA molecules identified in serum contain signs of biological variation. They are therefore unlikely to be random degradation by-products. In addition, the presence of specific fragments of tRNA, snoRNA, Vault RNA and Y_RNA indicates protection from degradation. Our results suggest that many circulating RNAs in serum can be potential biomarkers

Sjømatnæringen og Covid-19 - Tiltak, strategier, muligheter og utfordringer

I mars 2020 erklærte Verdens helseorganisasjon (WHO) at Covid-19 var en pandemi og den norske regjeringen innførte en nasjonal nedstenging av samfunnet. Denne rapporten presenterer en studie av konsekvenser av korona for den norske sjømatnæringen, tiltak og strategier, muligheter og utfordringer. Intervju med aktører i næringen synligjør at det var viktig at næringen ble definert som samfunnskritisk og at forum dialog mellom myndigheter og næring ble etablert tidlig. Samtidig traff tiltak knyttet til stengte grenser havbruk og hvitfisksektoren ulikt. Rapporten gir kunnskap som kan være verdifull for fremtidig krisehåndtering i næringen.publishedVersio