Finnur Jónsson’s Image of Iceland:Writing History in Changing Conditions

This article charts the role of Finnur Jónsson’s Historia Ecclesiastica Islandiæ in the development and display of proto-nationalist ideas in eighteenth-century Iceland through the formation of a national identity based on an idealized past. The research presents an analysis of how contemporary ideas about science, freedom and the North came to be projected onto Iceland, a country that found itself in a state of dependency within the Danish realm, in order to constitute its identity within and across the boundaries of that realm. The study outlines the changing environment in which this could happen, the methods used to guarantee its acceptance, and the overwhelming acclaim the work received internationally, anchoring a positive image of Iceland for the next century.</p

The criterion-related validity of the Northwick Park Dependency Score as a generic nursing dependency instrument for different rehabilitation patient groups

Objective: To investigate the criterion or concurrent validity of the Northwick Park Dependency Score (NPDS) for determining nursing dependence in different rehabilitation groups, with the Barthel Index (BI) and the Care Dependency Scale (C D S).Design: Cross-sectional study.Setting: Centre for Rehabilitation of the University Medical Center Groningen, The Netherlands.Subjects: Patients after stroke, spinal cord injury, multitrauma, head injury, amputation, rheumatoid arthritis, diabetes mellitus, lung diseases, tuberculosis and coronary artery disease. One hundred and fifty-four patients were included.Measures: The Northwick Park Dependency Score (NPDS), the Barthel Index (BI) and the Care Dependency Scale (CDS).Results: The correlation (rho) between the NPDS and the BI for all groups was - 0.87-1 R-2 = 0.76 (n = 154). Per patient group rho varied from - 0.70 (R-2 = 0.49) to - 0.93 (R-2 = 0.86). The overall correlation between the NPDS and CDS was larger than the criterion of rho = 0.60 (r=- 0.74; R-2 = 0.55) but was &lt;0.60 in the rheumatoid arthritis and tuberculosis group. The overall correlation between BI and CDS exceeded the criterion (r = 0.75; R-2 = 0.56).Conclusions: The NPDS is a generic nursing dependency instrument that can be used as a valid measure across various patient groups in rehabilitation.</p

Contribution of Conformal Antennas Towards Sustainable Aircraft

This paper shows the drag and emission reduction potential of integrated, flush communication antennas at the surface of an airliner. The CFD simulations of the aircraft model representing a modern airliner with radome in different locations on its upper part of the fuselage have been done. The results have been compared with the baseline configuration of the aircraft without radome. The aerodynamic equivalent weight penalty and additional fuel needed due to the drag of the radome and its weight itself have been calculated by two approaches. The obtained drag reduction potential has been used for the estimation of the CO2 and NOx emissions reduction by using integrated antenna

Social support as a predictor of perceived health status in patients with multiple sclerosis

Objective: The main aim of this study was to investigate whether different levels of perceived social support are associated with different levels of perceived health status in multiple sclerosis (MS) patients. Methods: Two hundred and seven MS patients (38.4 +/- 10.6 years, 66.2% female) completed the Short-Form-36 Health Survey (SF-36) as the measure for perceived health status, and the perceived social support scale (PSSS) as the measure for social support. Functional disability was assessed using Kurtzke's expanded disability status scale (EDSS). The contribution of EDSS and PSSS for explaining the variance in SF-36 was investigated with multiple linear regression analysis. Results: Demographic variables and EDSS explained 44% of the variance of the physical health summary scale in the SF-36. Demographic variables, EDSS and PSSS front family and friends explained 24% of the variance in mental health summary scale in the SF-36. Results varied according to the multiple linear regression analyses of predictors of variance in the eight dimensions of the SF-36. Conclusion: PSSS from significant others was positively associated with general health dimension of perceived physical health status, while PSSS from family and friends was positively associated with perceived mental health status in MS patients. Practice implications: The results show the importance of supporting social ties and relationships between MS patients and others. (C) 2008 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved