916 research outputs found
Irrigation and river basin management: options for governance and institutions
No full textRiver basin development / Governance / Institutions / Organizations / Financing / Irrigation management / France / USA / Mexico / South Africa / Turkey / Vietnam / California / Central Valley / Lerma Chapala / Olifants / Gediz / Dong Nai
Review Of A Philosophy Of Freedom By L. Svendsen
No full textSvendsen (Univ. of Bergen, Norway) offers a wide-ranging discussion and defense of freedom—both metaphysical and normative—demonstrating his solid grasp of issues and literature on both these broad topics. Included are a sensible discussion of the limits of brain science as it pertains to freedom, and a careful survey of various responses to determinism. Svendsen argues that if people are to make sense of their lives as moral animals, then their use of various reactive attitudes such as resentment and gratitude (see P. F Strawson’s Freedom and Resentment and Other Essays, CH, Nov\u2774) is unavoidable, along with such notions as autonomy. But, of course, freedom and autonomy are contested concepts, insists Svendsen. Though he does not break new ground, his synoptic integration of views on these topics will stir readers to think more clearly about them. Svendsen defends liberal democracy in some detail but recognizes the internal tensions inherent in any democracy, e.g., majority rule and minority rights, and free expression and its limits. One of the good things about this book is the author\u27s thorough familiarity with both so-called analytic and so-called Continental sources, which he brings together fruitfully in his final chapter, citing the works of Michel Foucault, Paul Ricoeur, and Harry Frankfurt. Valuable for all libraries, especially undergraduate ones. Summing Up: Highly recommended. Lower-level undergraduates through graduate students; general readers
Dietary intake, physical activity, and eating behaviour in obese patients with high cardiovascular risk : Assessments and implications for treatment
No full textForekomsten av fedme (kroppsmasseindeks ≥ 30 kg/m2) er økende i Norge og ellers i verden. Det er viktig å finne effektive tiltak for behandling. En moderat vektreduksjon oppnådd ved endring av matvaner og økt fysisk aktivitet kan redusere risikofaktorer for hjerte- og karsykdom og type 2 diabetes. Varig endring av matvaner er vanskelig, derfor har fedmereduserende medikamenter vært foreslått som et hjelpemiddel. Man har trodd at et medikament (orlistat) som hemmer opptaket av fett fra tarmen kan ha en oppdragene effekt på spisevaner fordi et for høyt fettinntak kan gi diaré. I sin avhandling Dietary intake, physical activity and eating behaviour in obese patients with high cardiovascular risk - assessments and implications for treatment fant ikke Mette Svendsen og hennes medarbeidere støtte for dette. I en sammenligning av orlistat mot placebo blant pasienter med fedme fant de ingen forskjell i spiseadferd og fettinntak mellom gruppene. Dette betyr at pasienter som har fått ernæringsveiledning neppe endrer spisevaner fordi de bruker et slikt medikament.
Effekten av et økt inntak av grønnsaker og frukt ble undersøkt. En daglig økning av grønnsaker og frukt med 500 g resulterte i vektreduksjon, lavere blodtrykk og mer antioksidanter i blodet blant pasienter med fedme og høy risko for hjerte- og karsykdom. Dette viser at gjennomføring av enkle kostråd gir helsegevinst.
I veiledning for vektreduksjon er underrapportering av matinntak et stort problem. Sammenlignet med målt energiforbruk, ble 600 kcal og 1000 kcal underrapportert ved henholdvis kostintervju og matdagbok. For en stor andel av pasienter med fedme, kan derfor ikke selvrapportert matinntak være utganspunkt for kostbehandling.
En måling av fysisk aktivitet før råd om vektreduksjon ble gitt, viste at pasienter med fedme trente med moderat intensitet i gjennomsnitt 26 minutter per dag. Dette er nær gjeldende anbefalinger, men mer fysisk aktivitet enn dette er nødvendig for å oppnå vektreduksjon
The algal vegetation in the outer part of Isfjorden, Spitsbergen: revisiting Per Svendsen's sites 50 years later
No full textThe benthic algal vegetation was investigated at two different sites in the outer part of Isfjorden, Svalbard, during 27–29 July 2007. One exposed site at Kapp Linné and one sheltered site in Ymerbukta were sampled both in the littoral and sublittoral zones. A total of 83 different taxa were recorded, 81 from the sublittoral and 40 from the littoral zone. The sublittoral zones at the two sites did not differ much in terms of the taxa recorded, but the number of species in the littoral differed between the two sites: Kapp Linné had 39 while only five species were found in Ymerbukta. The results are compared to a survey made by Per Svendsen in 1954 and 1955 in order to seek any changes in the diversity. Even though the number of species is difficult to compare directly, we registered a higher species number than Svendsen did 50 years ago. The difference seemed more pronounced in the littoral zone than in the sublittoral. Possible explanations for the differences between the two investigations are discussed. Two species not previously recorded in Svalbard, Antithamnionella floccosa and Litosiphon laminariae, were registered
Why Does the Northern Light Shine So Brightly? Decentralisation, social capital and the economy
No full textBased on institutional economics, the paper develops a new model pointing at two main reasons why Scandinavia is doing so well in economic terms, namely the level of decentralisation and social capital in its broad sense. The idea in the model is that a political system, which decentralises power, means less lobbyism because access to economically harmful rent seeking is more costly. Consequently, social capital and the trust in other people and the political leadership will increase. This model, suggesting one single social capital measure, is applied to countries in both Western and Eastern Europe. The social capital ranking results indeed show that Scandinavia (Denmark, Norway, Sweden and Finland) is among the seven top ranking countries together with Switzerland, the Netherlands and Iceland.Social capital; decentralisation; economy; Scandinavia; Switzerland; Netherlands; rent seeking; transaction costs; economic freedom; corruption
How well can near infrared reflectance spectroscopy (NIRS) measure sediment organic matter in multiple lakes?
No full textLoss-on-ignition (LOI) is the most widely used measure of organic matter in lake sediments, a variable related to both climate and land-use change. The main drawback for conventional measurement methods is the processing time and hence high labor costs associated with high-resolution analyses. On the other hand, broad-based near infrared reflectance spectroscopy (NIRS) is a time and cost efficient method to measure organic carbon and organic matter content in lacustrine sediments once predictive methods are developed. NIRS-based predictive models are most robust when applied to sediments with properties that are already included in the calibration dataset. To test the potential for a broad applicability of NIRS models in samples foreign to the calibration model using linear corrections, sediment cores from six lakes (537 samples, LOI range 1.03–85%) were used as reference samples to develop a predictive model. The applicability of the model was assessed by sequentially removing one lake from the reference dataset, developing a new model and then validating it against the removed lake. Results indicated that NIRS has a high predictive power (RMSEP < 4.79) for LOI with the need for intercept and slope correction for new cores measured by NIRS. For studies involving many samples, NIRS is a cost and time-efficient method to estimate LOI on a range of lake sediments with only linear bias adjustments for different records
Replication Data for: How well can near infrared reflectance spectroscopy (NIRS) measure sediment organic matter in multiple lakes?
No full textThis dataset contains the reference data and script to develop a predictive NIRS model to measure LOI in lacustrine sediments, as described in the article: How well can near infrared reflectance spectroscopy (NIRS) measure sediment organic matter in multiple lakes?</span
Some observations on commercial harvesting and regrowth of Laminaria hyperborea
No full textCommercial harvesting of Laminaria hyperborea from the bottom has been carried out on the west coast of Norway since 1964. This alga, together with L. digitata and Ascophyllum nodosum, is used for alginate production. The harvesting apparatus is a seaweed dregde equipped with knives fixed at the front end and a trawl net to collect the plants. Two different models of the dredge have been designed for use by conventional fishing boats of 25 feet and 60—70 feet respectively. A boat of 57 feet, especially designed for the harvesting of L. hyperborea, has been in operation since 1969. The dredges are used at 1 — maximum 20 m depth, and the daily catch is normally about 6 tons of seaweed for smaller boats and 20—25 tons for large ones. Even larger catches are obtained with the 57 feet boat. L. hyperborea is currently being harvested on the west coast at about 59º N and near 63º N. This study was made in the southern area during short visits in the Kvitsøy district in 1968, 1969 and 1970. Some results from similar investigations at Hustadvika near 63º N are included. The harvesting technique on rocky and stony bottoms and the effects on the vegetation were observed by diving. The dredge works very efficiently on even, rocky bottoms and cuts off the stipe 5—20 cm above the holdfast; few plants are lost when the dredge is properly operated. The results are less satisfactory on loose bottoms where plants are easily overturned and missed by the dredge. The substrate can also be disturbed, and even large boulders may be turned over. The stumps soon decompose and have almost completely disappeared within a year. Subsequent observations and sampling at 4—10 m depth were made in areas harvested 2, 18, 24 and 36 months previously to study the repopulation. Harvested areas are soon reinvaded by new plants of L. hyperborea. Other species which occur in the area, may also develop at the same time and become locally dominant during the first three years after harvesting. The most important species are Desmarestia aculeata, D. viridis, Laminaria saccharina and Halidrys siliquosa. In general, these species were more common on stony than on rocky bottoms. L. hyperborea grows fast in cleared areas, and within a year a dense vegetation has developed. The number of plants per unit area is very high in young populations; in one case up to 153 plants of L. hyperborea per square meter were found at 5 m depth on a rocky bottom harvested 18 months previously. Stipe length had reached as much as 55 cm, and a maximum density of 6.0 kg per m(2 was recorded from the few samples obtained. The growth rate increases during the second and especially the third year after harvesting. The main stipe length of 13 tagged plants at 4 m depth in an area which had been harvested at Hustadvika, was 40 cm after two years and 95 cm after three years. The mean fresh weight of stipe and frond of the same plants were 304 g and 350 g respectively. These may be maximum values for L. hyperborea on the Norwegian coast . Three years old populations at Kvitsøy are very well developed and have been regularly harvested. On the basis of the harvested material it would appear that the density of L. hyperborea was aproximately 9 kg per m(2 after 3 years regrowth as compared to 10 kg per m(2 originally. The yield is surprisingly high: the plants are small at this stage compared with the size they can ultimately attain, but the number of plants per unit area is high. Observations on older populations indicate that a further year's growth, by which time the frond weight seems to have reached a maximum, would significantly increase the yield. Full grown plants at Kvitsøy may be at least 9 years old and have a stipe length of almost 200 cm. A density of up to 30 kg per m(2 of L. hyperborea has been recorded at 5 m depth in an old forest. Young plants have relatively smooth stipes with few epiphytes and provide better raw material than older ones
Noen observasjoner over taretråling og gjenvekst av stortare, Laminaria hyperborea
No full textCommercial harvesting of Laminaria hyperborea from the bottom has been carried out on the west coast of Norway since 1964. This alga, together with L. digitata and Ascophyllum nodosum, is used for alginate production. The harvesting apparatus is a seaweed dregde equipped with knives fixed at the front end and a trawl net to collect the plants. Two different models of the dredge have been designed for use by conventional fishing boats of 25 feet and 60—70 feet respectively. A boat of 57 feet, especially designed for the harvesting of L. hyperborea, has been in operation since 1969. The dredges are used at 1 — maximum 20 m depth, and the daily catch is normally about 6 tons of seaweed for smaller boats and 20—25 tons for large ones. Even larger catches are obtained with the 57 feet boat. L. hyperborea is currently being harvested on the west coast at about 59º N and near 63º N. This study was made in the southern area during short visits in the Kvitsøy district in 1968, 1969 and 1970. Some results from similar investigations at Hustadvika near 63º N are included. The harvesting technique on rocky and stony bottoms and the effects on the vegetation were observed by diving. The dredge works very efficiently on even, rocky bottoms and cuts off the stipe 5—20 cm above the holdfast; few plants are lost when the dredge is properly operated. The results are less satisfactory on loose bottoms where plants are easily overturned and missed by the dredge. The substrate can also be disturbed, and even large boulders may be turned over. The stumps soon decompose and have almost completely disappeared within a year. Subsequent observations and sampling at 4—10 m depth were made in areas harvested 2, 18, 24 and 36 months previously to study the repopulation. Harvested areas are soon reinvaded by new plants of L. hyperborea. Other species which occur in the area, may also develop at the same time and become locally dominant during the first three years after harvesting. The most important species are Desmarestia aculeata, D. viridis, Laminaria saccharina and Halidrys siliquosa. In general, these species were more common on stony than on rocky bottoms. L. hyperborea grows fast in cleared areas, and within a year a dense vegetation has developed. The number of plants per unit area is very high in young populations; in one case up to 153 plants of L. hyperborea per square meter were found at 5 m depth on a rocky bottom harvested 18 months previously. Stipe length had reached as much as 55 cm, and a maximum density of 6.0 kg per m(2 was recorded from the few samples obtained. The growth rate increases during the second and especially the third year after harvesting. The main stipe length of 13 tagged plants at 4 m depth in an area which had been harvested at Hustadvika, was 40 cm after two years and 95 cm after three years. The mean fresh weight of stipe and frond of the same plants were 304 g and 350 g respectively. These may be maximum values for L. hyperborea on the Norwegian coast . Three years old populations at Kvitsøy are very well developed and have been regularly harvested. On the basis of the harvested material it would appear that the density of L. hyperborea was aproximately 9 kg per m(2 after 3 years regrowth as compared to 10 kg per m(2 originally. The yield is surprisingly high: the plants are small at this stage compared with the size they can ultimately attain, but the number of plants per unit area is high. Observations on older populations indicate that a further year's growth, by which time the frond weight seems to have reached a maximum, would significantly increase the yield. Full grown plants at Kvitsøy may be at least 9 years old and have a stipe length of almost 200 cm. A density of up to 30 kg per m(2 of L. hyperborea has been recorded at 5 m depth in an old forest. Young plants have relatively smooth stipes with few epiphytes and provide better raw material than older ones
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