Comparison of the first medical assessment for rehabilitation benefits and disability pension in Iceland September 1st 1999 to November 30th 2003

Neðst á síðunni er hægt að nálgast greinina í heild sinni með því að smella á hlekkinn View/OpenAims: To evaluate the main characteristics which differentiate between those who are considered to benefit from rehabilitation and those for whom disability pension is thought more appropriate. Material and methods: The study includes all those fulfilling the medical criteria for rehabilitation benefits or full disability pension in their first assessment at the State Social Security Institute of Iceland between September 1st 1999 and November 30th 2003. Results: Rehabilitation benefits were mainly awarded in younger age groups; disability pension in older age groups. Mental and behavioural disorders were the most common medical reasons for granting rehabilitation benefits among both genders, followed by disorders of the musculoskeletal system and connective tissue, malignant neoplasms and injuries. Among females disorders of the musculoskeletal system and connective tissue were the most common medical reason for granting full disability pension, but this group of disorders was a less common reason for rehabilitation benefits. Those who fulfilled the medical criteria for rehabilitation benefits due to disorders of the musculoskeletal system and connective tissue were markedly older than those who fulfilled the medical criteria for rehabilitation benefits due to mental and behavioural disorders. Conclusion: In Iceland rehabilitation benefits are most likely to be awarded to relatively young claimants suffering from psychiatric disorders.Tilgangur: Að bera saman fyrsta læknisfræðilegt mat vegna endurhæfingarlífeyris og vegna örorkulífeyris á Íslandi á tímabilinu 1. september 1999 til 30. nóvember 2003 í því skyni að kanna hvar áherslur í endurhæfingu liggja. Efniviður og aðferðir: Unnar voru upplýsingar úr skrám Tryggingastofnunar ríkisins um aldur, kyn og fyrstu sjúkdómsgreiningu þeirra sem metnir voru í fyrsta sinn til endurhæfingarlífeyris eða örorkulífeyris á Íslandi á ofangreindu tímabili. Niðurstöður: Endurhæfingarlífeyrir var einkum metinn yngri aldurshópunum og örorka eldri aldurshópunum. Geðraskanir voru algengasta læknisfræðileg forsenda endurhæfingarlífeyris hjá báðum kynjum, en næst komu stoðkerfisraskanir, illkynja sjúkdómar og áverkar. Hjá konum voru stoðkerfisraskanir algengasta læknisfræðileg forsenda örorkulífeyris, en þessi sjúkdómaflokkur hafði mun minna vægi hjá þeim sem forsenda endurhæfingarlífeyris. Þeir sem metnir voru til endurhæfingarlífeyris vegna stoðkerfisraskana voru talsvert eldri en þeir sem metnir voru vegna geðraskana. Ályktun: Í matsgerðum tryggingalækna er lögð því meiri áhersla á endurhæfingu sem lengra er eftir af væntanlegri starfsævi

Context-Sensitive Spelling Correction and Rich Morphology

Proceedings of the 17th Nordic Conference of Computational Linguistics NODALIDA 2009. Editors: Kristiina Jokinen and Eckhard Bick. NEALT Proceedings Series, Vol. 4 (2009), 231-234. © 2009 The editors and contributors. Published by Northern European Association for Language Technology (NEALT) http://omilia.uio.no/nealt . Electronically published at Tartu University Library (Estonia) http://hdl.handle.net/10062/9206

Histology does not accurately predict the clinical behaviour of bronchopulmonary carcinoids - results from an Icelandic population-based study

Neðst á síðunni er hægt að nálgast greinina í heild sinni með því að smella á hlekkinn View/OpenBACKGROUND AND AIMS: Bronchopulmonary carcinoids (BPC) are rare tumors of neuroendocrine origin. These tumors are histologically classified into two distinctive forms, typical and the more malignant atypical BPC. We evaluated the epidemiology and results of treatment for BPC in Iceland with special emphasis on how atypical vs. typical histology relates to clinical behavior. MATERIAL AND METHODS: This retrospective nation-wide study included all cases of BPC diagnosed in Iceland from 1955-2005. Histology of all the cases was reviewed and survival was based on data obtained from medical records and vital statistics. RESULTS: BPC was diagnosed in 64 patients (22 males, mean age 49 yrs.), accounting for 1.9% of all lung neoplasms in Iceland. Average tumor-diameter was 2.5 cm (range 0.4-5.5), with typical histology in 54 (84%) and atypical in 10 patients (16%). Altogether 56 patients (87.5%) were operated on, most with lobectomy (82.1%). Forty eight patients were diagnosed in TNM stage I, two patients in stage II, four patients had mediastinal lymph node metastases (stage III) and distant metastases were diagnosed in 6 patients (stage IV), 2 of whom had typical histology. At follow-up, 5 out of 64 patients had died of the disease (7.8%), two of them with typical histology. Five-year disease specific survival was 96% for patients with typical and 70% with atypical histology (p<0.05). CONCLUSION: BPCs usually behave as benign neoplasms, with excellent long-term survival after surgical removal. Metastases are more common in patients with atypical histology (40%), and their survival is worse. However patients with typical histology can metastasize (14.8%) and die from the disease. Therefore, histology (typical vs. atypical) can not be used with certainty to predict the clinical behaviour of these tumors.Inngangur: Krabbalíki í lungum (bronchopulmonary carcinoids) eru sjaldgæf æxli sem flokkast eftir vefjagerð í dæmigerð (typical) og afbrigðileg (atypical) krabbalíki. Í þessari rannsókn var skoðuð faraldsfræði þessara æxla og árangur meðferðar. Einnig var kannað hvort vefjagerð sé áreiðanleg til að spá fyrir um klíníska hegðun þeirra. Efniviður og aðferðir: Afturskyggn rannsókn sem tók til allra krabbalíkisæxla sem greindust í lungum á Íslandi frá 1955 til 2005. Vefjasýni voru endurmetin og lífshorfur sjúklinga reiknaðar á grundvelli gagna úr sjúkraskrám og þjóðskrá. Niðurstöður: 64 sjúklingar (22 karlar, meðalaldur 49 ár) greindust, sem er 1,9% af öllum illkynja lungnaæxlum á tímabilinu. Meðalstærð æxlanna var 2,5 cm (bil 0,4-5,5 cm) og voru 54 (84%) þeirra dæmigerð og 10 (16%) afbrigðileg. Æxli 56 sjúklinga voru fjarlægð með skurðaðgerð, oftast með blaðnámi (82,1%). Einn sjúklingur dó innan 30 daga frá aðgerð. Flestir, eða 48 sjúklinganna, voru á TNM-stigi I og tveir á stigi II. Fjórir sjúklingar greindust með meinvörp í miðmætiseitlum (stig III), allir með dæmigerða vefjagerð. Aðrir sex sjúklingar greindust með fjarmeinvörp (stig IV), tveir þeirra með dæmigerða vefjagerð. Við eftirlit hafa fimm af 64 sjúklingum látist úr sjúkdómnum (7,8%), þar af tveir með dæmigerða vefjagerð. Fimm ára lífshorfur sjúklinga með dæmigerð krabbalíki voru 96% og 70% fyrir þá sem voru með afbrigðilega vefjagerð (p<0,05). Ályktun: Krabbalíki í lungum hegða sér oftast eins og góðkynja æxli og langtíma lífshorfur þessara sjúklinga eru yfirleitt ágætar. Sjúklingar með afbrigðilega vefjagerð eru oftar með útbreiddan sjúkdóm og lífshorfur þeirra eru marktækt verri. Hins vegar geta sjúklingar með dæmigerð krabbalíki einnig haft meinvörp (14,8%) og jafnvel dáið úr sjúkdómnum. Þess vegna getur vefjagerð þessara æxla ekki talist áreiðanleg til að spá fyrir um klíníska hegðun þeirra

Environmental pressure from the 2014–15 eruption of Bárðarbunga volcano, Iceland

The effusive six months long 2014-2015 Bárðarbunga eruption (31 August-27 February) was the largest in Iceland for more than 200 years, producing 1.6 ± 0.3 km3 of lava. The total SO2 emission was 11 ± 5 Mt, more than the amount emitted from Europe in 2011. The ground level concentration of SO2 exceeded the 350 μg m−3 hourly average health limit over much of Iceland for days to weeks. Anomalously high SO2 concentrations were also measured at several locations in Europe in September. The lowest pH of fresh snowmelt at the eruption site was 3.3, and 3.2 in precipitation 105 km away from the source. Elevated dissolved H2SO4, HCl, HF, and metal concentrations were measured in snow and precipitation. Environmental pressures from the eruption and impacts on populated areas were reduced by its remoteness, timing, and the weather. The anticipated primary environmental pressure is on the surface waters, soils, and vegetation of Iceland

Ground-Based Measurements of the 2014–2015 Holuhraun Volcanic Cloud (Iceland)

The 2014–2015 Bárðarbunga fissure eruption at Holuhraun in central Iceland was distinguished by the high emission of gases, in total 9.6 Mt SO2, with almost no tephra. This work collates all ground-based measurements of this extraordinary eruption cloud made under particularly challenging conditions: remote location, optically dense cloud with high SO2 column amounts, low UV intensity, frequent clouds and precipitation, an extensive and hot lava field, developing ramparts, and high-latitude winter conditions. Semi-continuous measurements of SO2 flux with three scanning DOAS instruments were augmented by car traverses along the ring-road and along the lava. The ratios of other gases/SO2 were measured by OP-FTIR, MultiGAS, and filter packs. Ratios SO2/HCl = 30–110 and SO2/HF = 30–130 show a halogen-poor eruption cloud. Scientists on-site reported extremely minor tephra production during the eruption. OPC and filter packs showed low particle concentrations similar to non-eruption cloud conditions. Three weather radars detected a droplet-rich eruption cloud. Top of eruption cloud heights of 0.3–5.5 km agl were measured with ground- and aircraft-based visual observations, web camera and NicAIR II infrared images, triangulation of scanning DOAS instruments, and the location of SO2 peaks measured by DOAS traverses. Cloud height and emission rate measurements were critical for initializing gas dispersal simulations for hazard forecasting

Understanding the environmental impacts of large fissure eruptions: Aerosol and gas emissions from the 2014–2015 Holuhraun eruption (Iceland)

The 2014–2015 Holuhraun eruption in Iceland, emitted ∼11 Tg of SO2 into the troposphere over 6 months, and caused one of the most intense and widespread volcanogenic air pollution events in centuries. This study provides a number of source terms for characterisation of plumes in large fissure eruptions, in Iceland and elsewhere. We characterised the chemistry of aerosol particle matter (PM) and gas in the Holuhraun plume, and its evolution as the plume dispersed, both via measurements and modelling. The plume was sampled at the eruptive vent, and in two populated areas in Iceland. The plume caused repeated air pollution events, exceeding hourly air quality standards (350 μg/m3) for SO2 on 88 occasions in Reykjahlíð town (100 km distance), and 34 occasions in Reykjavík capital area (250 km distance). Average daily concentration of volcanogenic PM sulphate exceeded 5 μg/m3 on 30 days in Reykjavík capital area, which is the maximum concentration measured during non-eruptive background interval. There are currently no established air quality standards for sulphate. Combining the results from direct sampling and dispersion modelling, we identified two types of plume impacting the downwind populated areas. The first type was characterised by high concentrations of both SO2 and S-bearing PM, with a high Sgas/SPM mass ratio (SO2(g)/SO42−(PM) > 10). The second type had a low Sgas/SPM ratio (<10). We suggest that this second type was a mature plume where sulphur had undergone significant gas-to-aerosol conversion in the atmosphere. Both types of plume were rich in fine aerosol (predominantly PM1 and PM2.5), sulphate (on average ∼90% of the PM mass) and various trace species, including heavy metals. The fine size of the volcanic PM mass (75–80% in PM2.5), and the high environmental lability of its chemical components have potential adverse implications for environmental and health impacts. However, only the dispersion of volcanic SO2 was forecast in public warnings and operationally monitored during the eruption. We make a recommendation that sulphur gas-to-aerosol conversion processes, and a sufficiently large model domain to contain the transport of a tropospheric plume on the timescale of days be utilized for public health and environmental impact forecasting in future eruptions in Iceland and elsewhere in the world

Selecting for BRCA1 testing using a combination of homogeneous selection criteria and immunohistochemical characteristics of breast cancers

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>BRCA1 gene-related tumours are more frequently estrogen receptor (ER) and progesterone receptor (PR) negative with a lower prevalence of human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2) overexpression or amplification. We evaluated the effectiveness of a combination of homogeneously selected criteria and immunohistochemical (IHC) characteristics of Familial Breast Cancers (FBCs) in detecting BRCA1 mutation carriers.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>Primary breast tumours from 93 FBC patients defined by specific eligibility criteria, based on personal and familial tumour history, were evaluated by Allred's method. The BRCA1 molecular analysis, including Multiplex Ligation-dependent Probe Amplification (MLPA), was considered as the gold standard assay.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>A total of 10 BRCA1 pathogenetic mutations was found. With the exclusion of the tumours characterized by double positive receptorial status and/or strong HER2 positivity (3+), we identified 22 patients, 10 of whom resulted as BRCA1 mutation carriers. The sensitivity, specificity, positive and negative predictive values were 100%, 83.3%, 45.4% and 100% respectively.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>Our findings suggest that the IHC analysis by Allred's method improves our ability to select patients for BRCA1 testing.</p

Treatment as Prevention for Hepatitis C (TraP Hep C) - a nationwide elimination programme in Iceland using direct-acting antiviral agents

Publisher's version (útgefin grein)A nationwide programme for the treatment of all patients infected with hepatitis C virus (HCV) was launched in Iceland in January 2016. By providing universal access to direct‐acting antiviral agents to the entire patient population, the two key aims of the project were to (i) offer a cure to patients and thus reduce the long‐term sequelae of chronic hepatitis C, and (ii) to reduce domestic incidence of HCV in the population by 80% prior to the WHO goal of HCV elimination by the year 2030. An important part of the programme is that vast majority of cases will be treated within 36 months from the launch of the project, during 2016–2018. Emphasis is placed on early case finding and treatment of patients at high risk for transmitting HCV, that is people who inject drugs (PWID), as well as patients with advanced liver disease. In addition to treatment scale‐up, the project also entails intensification of harm reduction efforts, improved access to diagnostic tests, as well as educational campaigns to curtail spread, facilitate early detection and improve linkage to care. With these efforts, Iceland is anticipated to achieve the WHO hepatitis C elimination goals well before 2030. This article describes the background and organization of this project. Clinical trial number: NCT02647879.Sigurdur Olafsson: Speaker's fee from Merck. Magnus Gottfredsson: Speaker's fee from Astellas and Gilead. MH and the Burnet Institute receive investigator‐initiated research funding from Gilead Sciences, AbbVie and BMS.Peer Reviewe

Comparison of summer and winter objectively measured physical activity and sedentary behavior in older adults: Age, gene/environment susceptibility Reykjavik study

In Iceland, there is a large variation in daylight between summer and winter. The aim of the study was to identify how this large variation influences physical activity (PA) and sedentary behavior (SB). Free living PA was measured by a waist-worn accelerometer for one week during waking hours in 138 community-dwelling older adults (61.1% women, 80.3 ± 4.9 years) during summer and winter months. In general, SB occupied about 75% of the registered wear-time and was highly correlated with age (β = 0.36). Although the differences were small, more time was spent during the summer in all PA categories, except for the moderate-to-vigorous PA (MVPA), and SB was reduced. More lifestyle PA (LSPA) was accumulated in ≥5-min bouts during summer than winter, especially among highly active participants. This information could be important for policy makers and health professionals working with older adults. Accounting for seasonal difference is necessary in analyzing SB and PA data. View Full-TextThis study has been funded by NIA contract N01-AG-1-2100, the NIA Intramural Research Program, Hjartavernd (the Icelandic Heart Association), and the Althingi (the Icelandic Parliament). This work was also supported by the National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellowship under Grant No. DGE-0940903 and by the National Institutes of Health Intramural Research Program, grant number: Z01 DK071013 and Z01 DK071014 to Robert J. Brychta and Kong Y. Chen. The researchers are indebted to the participants for their willingness to participate in the study.Peer Reviewe

Morphological predictors of BRCA1 germline mutations in young women with breast cancer

BACKGROUND: Knowing a young woman with newly diagnosed breast cancer has a germline BRCA1 mutation informs her clinical management and that of her relatives. We sought an optimal strategy for identifying carriers using family history, breast cancer morphology and hormone receptor status data.METHODS: We studied a population-based sample of 452 Australian women with invasive breast cancer diagnosed before age 40 years for whom we conducted extensive germline mutation testing (29 carried a BRCA1 mutation) and a systematic pathology review, and collected three-generational family history and tumour ER and PR status. Predictors of mutation status were identified using multiple logistic regression. Areas under receiver operator characteristic (ROC) curves were estimated using five-fold stratified cross-validation.RESULTS: The probability of being a BRCA1 mutation carrier increased with number of selected histology features even after adjusting for family history and ER and PR status (Po0.0001). From the most parsimonious multivariate model, the odds ratio for being a carrier were: 9.7 (95% confidence interval: 2.6-47.0) for trabecular growth pattern (P=0.001); 7.8 (2.7-25.7) for mitotic index over 50 mitoses per 10 high-powered field (P 0.0003); and 2.7 (1.3-5.9) for each first-degree relative with breast cancer diagnosed before age 60 years (P 0.01). The area under the ROC curve was 0.87 (0.83-0.90).CONCLUSION: Pathology review, with attention to a few specific morphological features of invasive breast cancers, can identify almost all BRCA1 germline mutation carriers among women with early-onset breast cancer without taking into account family history. British Journal of Cancer (2011) 104, 903-909. doi: 10.1038/ bjc. 2011.41 www. bjcancer. co