Session D2: Stream Restoration in an Urban Context

Abstract: When doing river restoration within and in connection with major urban areas, experience shows that it is important to think holistically to get the best solutions. Furthermore, a close cooperation between different municipal departments (8 different in Copenhagen) and the consultant will result in innovative solutions not previously identified. Background: Copenhagen has a vision to transform the stream Harrestrup from a former sewage channel to a combination of nature and recreational park through the existing parks with the aim to increase quality of life and value for the city. The top priority is to meet the water plans and above all to create a good water environment in good ecological status according to the EU Water Framework Directive. This will contribute to the fact that the stream Harrestrup with the surrounding areas can have a greater biological diversity than is the case today. Next comes the recreation needs to open up the best possible access to and varied use of the blue/green areas. Climate adaptation is the third priority while ensuring that the river and the green areas can be used as drainage for the city during extreme rainfall. For the Municipality of Copenhagen Ramboll has designed a master plan for the restoration of the stream Harrestrup. The presentation will focus on the ecological and climatic aspects of the master plan, and hopefully inspire participants to think holistically, when working with nature projects in or related to urban settlements

How to account for Inuit ancestry in lung function prediction

Rigorous lung function prediction equations for the Inuit are lacking. We used spirometry from 351 Inuit and 29 people of other ancestry obtained during an occupational survey in Greenland to determine how to obtain valid lung function predictions for the Inuit using Global Lung Function Initiative (GLI) equations for Europeans. Standing height for the Inuit was used in the predictions as well as their height modified in line with the known differences in standing to sitting height ratio (SHR) for the Inuit. With recorded height in predicting lung function, mean±SD Inuit z-scores for FVC and FEV1 were significantly higher than predicted (0.81±1.20 and 0.53±1.36, respectively, p<0.0001) which was not true for the non-Inuit participants (-0.01±1.04 and 0.15±1.17, respectively). When using height modified for SHR the mean±SD Inuit z-scores for FVC and FEV1 were no longer significantly different from predicted (0.10±1.10 and -0.12±1.24, respectively). The mean±SD Inuit FEV1/FVC z-scores were not significantly different from the non-Inuit, being respectively -0.45±0.98 and -0.01±1.04. Modified height changed the mean±SD Inuit FEV1/FVC z-scores to -0.39±0.99. Representative lung function predictions from GLI equations can be made for Inuit by using standing height modified for the known differences in SHR between Inuit and those of European ancestr

Information literacy is not a one-man show

This article will discuss the issues at stake when cooperation between library and faculty on information literacy (IL) is initiated and explored by using an action research approach. Research on and experiences from cooperation between faculty libraries and faculties indicate that several teaching programmes have not integrated IL into the curriculum nor have they established a formalised cooperation between library and faculty on IL. Participants in the project were three librarians, six lecturers, one library manager, two directors of programme and two project managers from VIA University College, Denmark. The data for this study originates from focus group interviews, process protocols, records of reflective sessions and support meetings as well as from mail correspondences. Results indicate that formal cooperation between librarians and educators is necessary and provides the needed access to the other’s understanding of IL, the curriculum, pedagogical professionalism and mutual roles. A joint conceptual understanding of IL is important for making this teamwork work. Librarians need access to programme documents and knowledge on students’ level of learning and on course work. Co-teaching supports the librarian in developing pedagogical skills. Educators have diverging experiences with IL which can be a problem when challenging students on IL for their assignments. IL is everyone’s business and local dissemination of an agreed curriculum intervention throughout a programme is important. Leadership and re-sources are also significant if the integration of IL is to be possible

Identifying Urban Sources as Cause of Elevated Grass Pollen Concentrations using GIS and Remote Sensing

We examine here the hypothesis that during flowering, the grass pollen concentrations at a specific site reflect the distribution of grass pollen sources within a few kilometres of this site.We perform this analysis on data from a measurement campaign in the city of Aarhus (Denmark) using three pollen traps and by comparing these observations with a novel inventory of grass pollen sources. The source inventory is based on a new methodology developed for urbanscale grass pollen sources. The new methodology is believed to be generally applicable for the European area, as it relies on commonly available remote sensing data combined with management information for local grass areas. The inventory has identified a number of grass pollen source areas present within the city domain. The comparison of the measured pollen concentrations with the inventory shows that the atmospheric concentrations of grass pollen in the urban zone reflect the source areas identified in the inventory, and that the pollen sources that are found to affect the pollen levels are located near or within the city domain. The results also show that during days with peak levels of pollen concentrations there is no correlation between the three urban traps and an operational trap located just 60 km away. This finding suggests that during intense flowering, the grass pollen concentration mirrors the local source distribution and is thus a local-scale phenomenon. Model simulations aimed at assessing population exposure to pollen levels are therefore recommended to take into account both local sources and local atmospheric transport, and not to rely only on describing regional to long-range transport of pollen. The derived pollen source inventory can be entered into local-scale atmospheric transport models in combination with other components that simulate pollen release in order to calculate urban-scale variations in the grass pollen load. The gridded inventory with a resolution of 14m is therefore made available as supplementary material to this paper, and the verifying grass pollen observations are additionally available in tabular form

Udbygning af den kollektive trafik i København

Hovedstaden står over for store trafikale udfordringer. Udbygningen af metrosystemet og anlæg af nye letbaner er Københavns bedste bud på en attraktiv storby med høj mobilitet og god tilgængelighed. Derfor peges der nu efter flere års screenings og analysearbejde på at gå videre med to konkrete projekter, nemlig metro til Ny Ellebjerg via Sydhavn og analyse af letbane på Frederikssundsvej

Seasonal variations in work-related health effects in swine farm workers

The aim of the project was to investigate whether there were diminished health effects in swine farm workers during summer compared with winter, as seasonal differences in concentrations of bioaerosols have been reported. Twenty-four workers were visited once during each season. Before and after a work shift, they underwent lung function testing and blood sampling. During work, they wore personal air sampling equipment. The mean endotoxin exposure of the workers was highest during winter (25,690 vs. 6,553 EU/m3; p = 0.004). Although exposures to endotoxin and CO2 varied between the seasons, no differences in lung function were found between them. White blood cell concentration increased over the work shift from 5.74–6.82 in winter (p < 0.0001) and from 5.80–6.38 in summer (p = 0.014). These increases differed between the two seasons (p = 0.032). Plasma tumour necrosis factor concentrations fell over the work shift only during winter (1.34–1.24 pg/ml (p = 0.03) (p = 0.014 for the difference between seasons). Plasma interleukin-6 increased over the work shift independently of season (p = 0.0006). The study supported our hypothesis of adverse effects on lung function and immune system, but less so during summer than during winter among Québec swine farm workers

Work-related health effects in swine building workers after respiratory protection use

Objective: To compare inflammation and lung function in swine workers after periods with and without respiratory protection during work. Methods: Twenty-three workers were examined before and after two nonprotected work shifts. One shift was preceded by a period with diminished exposure by use of respirators. The other shift was preceded by an unprotected period of work. Results: Endotoxin concentrations were similarly high (24,636 and 28,775 endotoxin units/m3). A 3.1% cross-shift decline in forced vital capacity occurred after the period with respiratory protection (P = 0.01). Blood leukocytes increased more (P = 0.01) and bactericidal/permeability-increasing protein was reduced (P = 0.015) only after the period with respiratory protection. Plasma interleukin-6 increased (P < 0.0001) during both visits. Conclusion: Respiratory protection resulted in cross-shift inflammatory and respiratory reactions at return to unprotected work

The Use of Minipigs for Testing the Local Intranasal Toxicity of Fentanyl

The local intranasal toxicity of a nasal formulation of the opioid analgesic fentanyl was investigated in this  study. Minipigs were used as the experimental model. Fentanyl was administered using the formulation and  the device intended for human use. Doses of 400 μg fentanyl were administered 5 times daily to the minipigs  for 4 weeks. In addition, the spreading pattern of the formulation in the minipig nasal cavity was investigated  by applying a formulation containing methylene blue at necropsy. Results: The methylene blue spread to the middle parts of the endoturbinates. The No-Observed-Adverse-  Effect-Level (NOAEL) of intranasally administered fentanyl in minipigs was documented to be above 5 x  400 μg/day. After necropsy, no relevant treatment related macroscopic or microscopic findings were  observed, but minimal focal deciliation/degradation of the respiratory epithelium was seen in one animal.  In conclusion, intranasal administration of 400 μg fentanyl 5 times daily for a period of 4 weeks did not  cause any treatment related changes in the nasal cavity of the minipig.