Water and Society

Historian and leading water expert Terje Tvedt argues for a change that acknowledges the significant role played by water in societal development

A Bibliography on the River Nile, Vol. III

Nile Plans and reports 1960-2006. Partially Annotated

Associations between unit workloads and outcomes of first extubation attempts in extremely premature infants below a gestational age of 26 weeks

Objective: The objective was to explore whether high workloads in neonatal intensive care units were associated with short-term respiratory outcomes of extremely premature (EP) infants born <26 weeks of gestational age. Methods: This was a population-based study using data from the Norwegian Neonatal Network supplemented by data extracted from the medical records of EP infants <26 weeks GA born from 2013 to 2018. To describe the unit workloads, measurements of daily patient volume and unit acuity at each NICU were used. The effect of weekend and summer holiday was also explored. Results: We analyzed 316 first planned extubation attempts. There were no associations between unit workloads and the duration of mechanical ventilation until each infant’s first extubation or the outcomes of these attempts. Additionally, there were no weekend or summer holiday effects on the outcomes explored. Workloads did not affect the causes of reintubation for infants who failed their first extubation attempt. Conclusion: Our finding that there was no association between the organizational factors explored and short-term respiratory outcomes can be interpreted as indicating resilience in Norwegian neonatal intensive care units.publishedVersio

The function of the complement system remains fully intact throughout the course of allogeneic stem cell transplantation

IntroductionHematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT) is associated with immune complications and endothelial dysfunction due to intricate donor-recipient interactions, conditioning regimens, and inflammatory responses.MethodsThis study investigated the role of the complement system during HSCT and its interaction with the cytokine network. Seventeen acute myeloid leukemia patients undergoing HSCT were monitored, including blood sampling from the start of the conditioning regimen until four weeks post-transplant. Clinical follow-up was 200 days.ResultsTotal complement functional activity was measured by WIELISA and the degree of complement activation by ELISA measurement of sC5b-9. Cytokine release was measured using a 27-multiplex immuno-assay. At all time-points during HSCT complement functional activity remained comparable to healthy controls. Complement activation was continuously stable except for two patients demonstrating increased activation, consistent with severe endotheliopathy and infections. In vitro experiments with post-HSCT whole blood challenged with Escherichia coli, revealed a hyperinflammatory cytokine response with increased TNF, IL-1β, IL-6 and IL-8 formation. Complement C3 inhibition markedly reduced the cytokine response induced by Staphylococcus aureus, Aspergillus fumigatus, and cholesterol crystals.DiscussionIn conclusion, HSCT patients generally retained a fully functional complement system, whereas activation occurred in patients with severe complications. The complement-cytokine interaction indicates the potential for new complement-targeting therapeutic strategies in HSCT

Den norske samaritan

Ritualer, selvbilder og utviklingshjel

A Bibliography on the River Nile, Vol. I

An Annotated bibliography on the River Nile and its Economic, Political, Social and Cultural Role

Når forskning blir politikkens fortsettelse med andre midler: Om historiefagets rasjonale og en talende metafor

publishedVersio

Et motstykke til postmodernismen: bilder av Kenya i fire norske aviser

'Our intellectual tools are filters for reducing reality to a manageable simplicity. To assert that we have ever completely captured reality in an equation or a string of words would be extremely arrogant Each filter captures only part of reality' (Hardin 1986: 21). Journalistenes måte å beskrive og ordne verden på påvirkes selvsagt av dominerende perspektiv og tankestrømninger i samtiden. Denne artikkelen analyserer hvordan norske journalister på slutten av 1980-tallet beskrev Kenya, eller 'erobret' det konseptuelt, innenfor et svært meningstungt og billedskapende perspektiv og språk. Representasjonens historisitet gjøres tydeligere ved å sammenlikne Kenya-bildet med andre europeiske bilder av ‘De andre’