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PubMed1996

[The HIV-epidemic among homosexual men in Norway].

Up to 1996, 592 men had been reported as having homosexually acquired HIV infection in Norway (population 4.3 million). 295 of these had developed AIDS and 242 had died from AIDS. Although HIV testing is common practice among homosexual men in Norway, we estimate that 100-200 HIV infected homosexual men have not been diagnosed as yet. HIV spread rapidly among homosexuals in Norway in the early 1980s. The annual incidence peaked in 1985, at 70-100 cases, and has since remained at 40-50. In our opinion the initial decrease in incidence was due mainly to dissemination of information by the gay community itself, led by pioneering gay health workers. The stable incidence during the last decade is disappointing, however, considering the vast resources used for prevention. A major challenge in HIV prevention in Norway towards the year 2000 is to bring down the incidence among homosexual men.

Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome↗
PubMed1996

[Life expectancy in Norway. An international perspective--causes of death].

We have shown before that Norway is experiencing an unfavourable trend in life expectancy compared with Japan, France and several other OECD countries. In this article, we discuss the cause-specific differences in mortality that explain these contrasts. Heart infarction is the predominant cause of death in Norway, with a mortality five times higher than in Japan and three times higher than in France. Both Norway and France have three times higher mortality rates for breast cancer than found in Japan, and the mortality rate for cervical cancer is twice as high in Norway as in the two other countries. Norwegian women show a mortality rate for lung cancer that is twice as high as that of their French sisters. Suicide among young Norwegians is a rapidly growing problem, and twice as common among Norwegian men aged 20-24 than among Japanese men of the same age. We challenge the health authorities and the specialists in the relevant fields to reflect again on their preventive strategies, in light of these contrasts.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1998

[Communicable disease control in connection with international air traffic to Norway].

International air traffic has increased the risk of importation of infectious diseases to Norway. We have used notification data and a theoretical framework to assess the risk of importation and subsequent disemination of serious infectious diseases in Norway. Every year, a few cases of these diseases are imported to Norway, especially malaria, shigellosis and typhoid fever. A few secondary cases of enteric diseases may occur, but epidemics are unlikely. Counselling and immunisation of Norwegians going abroad is the first step in prevention. Secondly, health services all over the country should be able to diagnose imported diseases early and institute infection control measures. However, there is no need for concentrating resources for disease control at international airports in Norway.

Aerospace Medicine↗
PubMed1998

Seasonal variations in mortality caused by cardiovascular diseases in Norway and Ireland.

BACKGROUND: Seasonal variations in mortality resulting from cardiovascular diseases (CVD) have been demonstrated in many countries, with the highest levels observed during the coldest months of the year. We studied the seasonal changes in CVD mortality in Norway and the Republic of Ireland, two countries which are demographically quite similar, but climatically different; we also examined the relation between CVD mortality and air temperature. METHODS: Registered monthly data for mortality from CVD for the period 1985-1995 were obtained from the Norwegian Central Bureau of Statistics and the Irish Central Statistics Office. Meteorological data were provided by the Norwegian Institute of Meteorology and Met Eireann, in Ireland. Monthly mortality ratio for both men and women aged 60 and older was calculated from the mortality date. Mean monthly air temperatures for the two countries were calculated from the meteorological data. RESULTS: For the 10-year period investigated, the lowest and highest monthly mortality ratios were on average found in August and January, respectively, and mean excess winter mortality, expressed as the difference between the August and January values for the entire 10-year period, was 22% (Norway) and 35% (Ireland). However, when the percentage difference in the months with the respective highest and lowest mortality ratios were calculated for each year, the average of these differences for each of the 10 individual years was 29% and 45%. Mortality ratio was found to increase much more steeply with decreasing air temperature in Ireland than in Norway. CONCLUSION: Although the seasonal variation between CVD mortality in both countries is similar, the different relation with climatic conditions may result from differences in housing standards, allowing outdoor temperatures to have a greater influence on indoor temperature in Ireland than in Norway.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1998

[The first cesarean section in Norway].

The first reported caesarean section in Norway was performed on 20 August 1843 by a general practitioner, Lars Thalian Backer (1812-84). The operation took place in Lardal, Vestfold County, on a 27 year old woman who had been in labour for six days. The outcome was disastrous; she was delivered of stillborn twins and died 2 1/2 days after the operation. In the 19th century, infection, bleeding and thromboembolic disease made caesarean section a dangerous operation, and only 26 such operations are known in Norway, most of them performed outside hospitals. The first caesarean section in Norway resulting in a living child was performed in 1849, but no mother survived the operation before 1890. We recapitulate the caesarean section of 1843; Dr Backer and his qualifications for operative obstetrics; and the state of instrumental and surgical obstetrics in Norway at that time.

Cesarean Section↗
PubMed2003

Karyotype of Norway spruce by multicolor FISH.

The chromosomes (2n = 2 x = 24) of Norway spruce are very large since their size reflects the huge amount of genomic DNA (2C = 30 x 10(9) bp). However, the identification of homologous pairs is hampered by their high degree of similarity at the morphological level. Data so far presented in the literature were not sufficient to solve all the ambiguities in chromosome identification. Several genomic Norway spruce DNA clones containing highly repetitive sequences have been identified and characterised in our laboratory. Three of them were selected for fluorescent in situ hybridization (FISH) experiments because of their strong signals and suitability for chromosome identification: PATR140 hybridized at the centromeric site of three chromosome pairs; PAF1 hybridized in six subtelomeric and two centromeric sites; 1PABCD6 co-localized with the subtelomeric sites identified by PAF1. The statistical analysis of microscopic measurements of chromosomes in combination with the FISH signals of these probes allowed the unambiguous construction of Norway spruce karyotype. We also compared the karyotype of Norway spruce with that of other spruce species to infer the number and kind of rearrangements that have occurred during the evolution of these species.

Chromosomes, Plant↗
PubMed1982

The stimulus-basis of a natural food aversion in Norway rats.

During a 30-min test, hungry adult male Norway rats were permitted to feed on male rodents, freshly sacrificed by CO2 asphyxiation. In Experiment 1, the proportion of subjects feeding on the intact carcass of a dead conspecific decreased as a function of the dead conspecific's age. But the proportion of subjects feeding on the intact carcass of a dead house mouse remained high, regardless of the mouse's age. In Experiment 2, Norway rats were as likely to feed on tissue (heart, liver, and blood) from a conspecific as on tissue from a roof rat. In Experiment 3, lesions of increasing size on the skin of an adult conspecific attenuated and finally eliminated the aversion by Norway rats to feed on the conspecific. Taken together, the present and earlier findings suggest that the tendency by Norway rats to reject a dead adult conspecific as food is mediated, at least in part, by the same species-characteristic odor from the conspecific's inedible coat by which ras identify one another as conspecifics.

Animals↗
PubMed1991

Photosynthetic and stomatal conductance responses of Norway spruce and beech to ozone, acid mist and frost--a conceptual model.

Two-year-old beech and Norway spruce seedlings were exposed to a combination of ozone and acid mist treatments in open-top chambers in Scotland during the months of July through to September 1988. Replicate pairs of chambers received charcoal-filtered air (control), ozone-enriched air (140 nl ozone litre(-1)) or 140 nl ozone litre(-1) plus a synthetic acid mist (pH 2.5) composed of ammonium nitrate and sulphuric acid. Field measurements of assimilation and stomatal conductance were made during August. In addition, measurements of assimilation and conductance were made during September in the laboratory. Light response curves of assimilation and conductance were determined using a GENSTAT nonrectangular hyperbolic model. During February 1988/9 the Norway spruce were subject to a four day warming period at 12 degrees C and the light response of assimilation determined. The same plants were then subject to a 3-h night-time frost of -10 degrees C. The following day the time-course of the recovery of assimilation was determined. It was found that ozone fumigation did not influence the light response of assimilation of beech trees in the field, although stomatal conductance was reduced in the ozone-fumigated trees. The rate of light-saturated assimilation of Norway spruce was increased by ozone fumigation when measured in the field. Measurements of assimilation of Norway spruce made during the winter showed that prior to rewarming there was no difference in the rate of light-saturated assimilation for control and ozone-fumigated trees. However, the ozone plus acid mist-treated trees exhibited a significantly higher rate. The 4-day period of warming to 12 degrees C increased the rate of light-saturated assimilation in all treatments but only the ozone plus acid mist-treated trees showed a significant increase. Following a 3-h frost to -10 degrees C the control trees exhibited a reduction in the rate of light-saturated assimilation (Amax) to 80% of the pre-frost value. In comparison, following the frost, the ozone-fumigated trees showed an Amax of 74% of the pre-frost value. The ozone plus acid mist-treated trees showed an Amax of 64% of the pre-frost trees. The time taken for Amax to attain 50% of the pre-frost value increased from 30 min (control) to 85 min for ozone-fumigated trees to 190 min (ozone plus acid mist). These results are discussed in relation to the impact of mild, short-term frosts, which are known to occur with greater frequency than extreme, more catastrophic frost events. A simple conceptual framework is proposed to explain the variable results obtained in the literature with respect to the impact of ozone upon tree physiology.

Journal Article↗
PubMed1993

Differences in the retinohypothalamic tract in albino Lewis versus brown Norway rat strains.

Differences in sleep-wake patterns in response to light-dark stimulation have been observed between albino Lewis and pigmented Brown Norway strains of rats, which may be associated with albinism. Since several anatomical differences have been demonstrated in the visual pathways of albino and pigmented mammals, the present study was undertaken to determine whether additional differences in visual pathways of these rat strains exist that might account for their behavioral differences. Using anterograde tracing techniques and image analysis, we have investigated the retinal projections of Lewis and Brown Norway rats. Our results demonstrate that the distribution of retinal terminals in the hypothalamic suprachiasmatic nucleus extends over a greater area in Lewis compared to Brown Norway rats. This zone of termination corresponds to a cytoarchitectonically definable ventrolateral subdivision of the suprachiasmatic nucleus (SCN), which is also greater in Lewis than in Brown Norway rats. These results may have implications for behaviors related to the SCN.

Albinism↗
PubMed1985

Comparison of immune status and 1,2-dimethylhydrazine induced tumorigenesis in brown--Norway and Fischer rats. Emphasis on splenic and colonic lymphocyte function.

Sym 1,2-dimethylhydrazine (DMH)-induced colon tumorigenesis was studied in immunologically different strains of rat: the Brown--Norway which is known to be immunologically a low-responder and the Fischer a high-responder. Brown--Norway rats received a total dose of 75, 150 or 225 mg DMH/kg or vehicle and Fischer rats received 150 mg DMH/kg or vehicle over a 3-week period. Rats were killed 5 months after the final treatment. Lymphocytes were isolated from the spleen and colon from rats treated with 150 mg DMH/kg or vehicle. Natural killer (NK) cell activity and the autologous mixed lymphocyte response (AMLR) as well as colon tumor incidence were compared between the two strains. Splenic and colonic intraperithelial lymphocytes (IEL) from the Brown--Norway strain demonstrated low NK activity and reduced splenic T lymphocyte proliferation in response to autologous non-T lymphocytes. As well, colonic lamina propria lymphocyte (LPL) proliferation was low and Brown--Norway rats had a low incidence of DMH-induced colon neoplasms (7%). In comparison, the Fischer rats had more effective splenic and IEL NK killing, enhanced splenic AMLR, enhanced LPL proliferation and a higher incidence of colon tumors (20%).

1,2-Dimethylhydrazine↗
PubMed2000

Carbon stocks and soil respiration rates during deforestation, grassland use and subsequent Norway spruce afforestation in the Southern Alps, Italy.

Changes in carbon stocks during deforestation, reforestation and afforestation play an important role in the global carbon cycle. Cultivation of forest lands leads to substantial losses in both biomass and soil carbon, whereas forest regrowth is considered to be a significant carbon sink. We examined below- and aboveground carbon stocks along a chronosequence of Norway spruce (Picea abies (L.) Karst.) stands (0-62 years old) regenerating on abandoned meadows in the Southern Alps. A 130-year-old mixed coniferous Norway spruce-white fir (Abies alba Mill.) forest, managed by selection cutting, was used as an undisturbed control. Deforestation about 260 years ago led to carbon losses of 53 Mg C ha(-1) from the organic layer and 12 Mg C ha(-1) from the upper mineral horizons (Ah, E). During the next 200 years of grassland use, the new Ah horizon sequestered 29 Mg C ha(-1). After the abandonment of these meadows, carbon stocks in tree stems increased exponentially during natural forest succession, levelling off at about 190 Mg C ha(-1) in the 62-year-old Norway spruce and the 130-year-old Norway spruce-white fir stands. In contrast, carbon stocks in the organic soil layer increased linearly with stand age. During the first 62 years, carbon accumulated at a rate of 0.36 Mg C ha(-1) year(-1) in the organic soil layer. No clear trend with stand age was observed for the carbon stocks in the Ah horizon. Soil respiration rates were similar for all forest stands independently of organic layer thickness or carbon stocks, but the highest rates were observed in the cultivated meadow. Thus, increasing litter inputs by forest vegetation compared with the meadow, and constantly low decomposition rates of coniferous litter were probably responsible for continuous soil carbon sequestration during forest succession. Carbon accumulation in woody biomass seemed to slow down after 60 to 80 years, but continued in the organic soil layer. We conclude that, under present climatic conditions, forest soils act as more persistent carbon sinks than vegetation that will be harvested, releasing the carbon sequestered during tree growth.

Biomass↗
PubMed2004

Boron retranslocation in Scots pine and Norway spruce.

We previously traced 10B-enriched boric acid from shoots to roots to demonstrate the translocation of boron (B) in Scots pine (Pinus sylvestris L.) and Norway spruce (Picea abies (L.) Karst.) seedlings. To gain a more detailed understanding of B translocation, we sought: (1) to demonstrate B retranslocation directly, by showing that foliar-applied 10B is located in the new growth after dormancy; and (2) to assess whether shoot-applied B affects growth in the long term. We applied 10B-enriched boric acid to needles of Scots pine and Norway spruce seedlings. After a dormancy period and 9 weeks of growth, small but significant increases in the 10B isotope were found in the new stem and needles of both species. In Scots pine, the total B concentration of the new stem was also increased. Both species contained polyols, particularly pinitol and inositol. Boron-polyol complexes may provide a mechanism for mobilizing B in these species. To determine the long-term effects of applied B, seedlings were grown for two growing seasons after the application of 10B to shoots. In Norway spruce, the proportion of 10B in the root systems and current needles of the harvest year was slightly higher than in the controls, and in Scots pine root systems, marginally so. The B treatment had no effect on growth of Norway spruce seedlings. In Scots pine seedlings, the B treatment caused a 33% increase in total dry mass and significantly increased the number of side branches.

Boron↗
PubMed2006

White pine weevil (Pissodes strobi) biological performance is unaffected by the jasmonic acid or wound-induced defense response in Norway spruce (Picea abies).

In eastern Canada, the white pine weevil (Pissodes strobi Peck) is a pest of several native pine and spruce species and of the introduced species, Norway spruce (Picea abies Karst). We evaluated the feeding activities, oviposition and rate of adult emergence of white pine weevil on field-grown Norway spruce subjected to jasmonic acid or wounding pretreatments. We also monitored the host-plant reaction to white pine weevil attack, jasmonic acid and wounding treatments by quantifying several mono- and sesquiterpenes in bark and characterizing some molecular aspects of the terpenoid response. Two cDNA sequences were identified that had a high percentage of identity with genes encoding monoterpene or sesquiterpene synthases. Both putative terpene synthase genes showed distinctive profiles in Norway spruce bark and needles following all treatments. Although the Norway spruce trees showed different physiological responses to mechanical wounding and white pine weevil attack, transcript activity of the gene encoding terpenoid synthase and consequent accumulation of terpenoid resin did not significantly affect the weevils' feeding activities, oviposition or rate of adult emergence.

Animals↗
PubMed1998

Age-dependent and lobe-specific spontaneous hyperplasia in the brown Norway rat prostate.

We showed previously that exogenously administered testosterone caused age- and lobe-specific overgrowth of the prostate in Brown Norway rats. A common feature observed in testosterone-treated animals was cell hypertrophy in each of the ventral, dorsal, and lateral lobes of both young (6 mo old) and old (24 mo old) rats. By contrast, hyperplasia was seen only in the dorsal and lateral lobes of old rats treated with testosterone. These observations prompted us to examine whether age- and lobe-specific overgrowth might also occur in untreated rats as a consequence of the endogenous hormonal milieu. To this end, blood and prostates were collected from a large number (25-30 rats per group) of 4- to 6-mo-old (young) and 21- to 24-mo-old (old) Brown Norway rats. Both serum testosterone (-45%) and estradiol (-22%) concentrations decreased significantly with age, but the greater magnitude of the decrement in testosterone relative to estradiol led to a reduction in the serum testosterone:estradiol ratio. Paradoxically, although the prostate is androgen dependent, the wet weight, protein, and DNA contents increased significantly with age in the dorsal and lateral lobes of old rats despite the decrease in testosterone level. Histologic examination revealed that the increased weights and DNA contents of the dorsal and lateral lobes in old rats coincided with an increased number of epithelial cells in the distal and intermediate segments of these lobes, indicative of hyperplasia but independent of change in cell size. Taken together, these results show a spontaneous age-related overgrowth of cells in the dorsal and lateral prostatic lobes of old Brown Norway rats despite diminished serum testosterone concentrations. The aging Brown Norway rat, therefore, may be a useful model for studies of some aspects of the pathogenesis underlying spontaneous age-related prostatic hyperplasia.

Aging↗
PubMed2002

Methyl jasmonate induces traumatic resin ducts, terpenoid resin biosynthesis, and terpenoid accumulation in developing xylem of Norway spruce stems.

Norway spruce (Picea abies L. Karst) produces an oleoresin characterized by a diverse array of terpenoids, monoterpenoids, sesquiterpenoids, and diterpene resin acids that can protect conifers against potential herbivores and pathogens. Oleoresin accumulates constitutively in resin ducts in the cortex and phloem (bark) of Norway spruce stems. De novo formation of traumatic resin ducts (TDs) is observed in the developing secondary xylem (wood) after insect attack, fungal elicitation, and mechanical wounding. Here, we characterize the methyl jasmonate-induced formation of TDs in Norway spruce by microscopy, chemical analyses of resin composition, and assays of terpenoid biosynthetic enzymes. The response involves tissue-specific differentiation of TDs, terpenoid accumulation, and induction of enzyme activities of both prenyltransferases and terpene synthases in the developing xylem, a tissue that constitutively lacks axial resin ducts in spruce. The induction of a complex defense response in Norway spruce by methyl jasmonate application provides new avenues to evaluate the role of resin defenses for protection of conifers against destructive pests such as white pine weevils (Pissodes strobi), bark beetles (Coleoptera, Scolytidae), and insect-associated tree pathogens.

Acetates↗
PubMed2006

Predicting the decomposition of Scots pine, Norway spruce, and birch stems in Finland.

Models were developed for predicting the decomposition of dead wood for the main tree species in Finland, based on data collected from long-term thinning experiments in southern and central Finland. The decomposition rates were strongly related to the number of years after tree death. In contrast to previous studies, which have used the first-order exponential model, we found that the decomposition rate was not constant. Therefore, the Gompertz and Chapman-Richard's functions were fitted to the data. The slow initial decomposition period was mainly due to the fact that most dead trees remained standing as snags after their death. The initial period was followed by a period of rapid decomposition and, finally, by a period of moderately slow decomposition. Birch stems decomposed more rapidly than Scots pine and Norway spruce stems. Decomposition rates of Norway spruce stems were somewhat lower than those of Scots pine. Because the carbon concentration of decaying boles was relatively stable (about 50%) the rate of carbon loss follows that of mass loss. Models were also developed for the probability that a dead tree remains standing as a snag. During the first years after death, the probability was high. Thereafter, it decreased rapidly, the decrease being faster for birch stems than for Scots pine and Norway spruce stems. Almost all stems had fallen down within 40 years after their death. In Scots pine and Norway spruce, most snags remained hard and belonged to decay class 1. In birch, a higher proportion of snags belonged to the more advanced decay classes. The models provide a framework for predicting dead wood dynamics in managed as well as dense unthinned stands. The models can be incorporated into forest management planning systems, thereby facilitating estimates of carbon dynamics.

Betula↗
PubMed1986

Acute phase plasma proteins in kininogen-deficient Brown Norway rats.

We examined whether Brown Norway rat plasma (BN/May Pfd f) contains alpha 1-cysteine proteinase inhibitor (alpha 1-CPI), also called major acute phase alpha 1-protein or T-kininogen. T-kininogen is a low molecular weight kininogen from which kinin can be released by trypsin but not by kallikreins. The BN plasma reacted with rabbit anti-alpha 1-CPI gamma globulins. Purified alpha 1-CPI released a kinin-like activity with trypsin and with homogenate of salivary glands, as Brown Norway rat plasma did. High concentration of added rat urine induced a small release (10%) of kinin from alpha 1-CPI. Preincubation of Brown Norway rat plasma with rabbit anti-rat alpha 1-CPI gamma-globulins nearly suppressed the kinin-forming substrate of trypsin in this plasma. These results indicated that plasma of our Brown Norway rats contains only alpha 1-CPI as kinin-forming substrate. This plasma contains low amount of alpha 2-macroglobulin, while its content in orosomucoid and haptoglobin was a little larger than that of Wistar rat plasma.

Acute-Phase Proteins↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Testicular steroidogenesis in the aging brown Norway rat.

In seeking an animal model of age-associated changes in the male reproductive tract, we examined the effects of age on the health and testicular steroidogenic activity of the Brown Norway rat, with comparisons made to the Sprague-Dawley rat. When perfused in vitro under conditions of maximally stimulating luteinizing hormone significant age-associated reductions were seen in testosterone production by testes of Sprague-Dawley rats of 21-24 months of age and by testes of Brown Norway rats of 18-30 months of age. Decreases in the capacity of the testes to produce testosterone were reflected in age-associated decreases in both serum testosterone and in testosterone concentration within the seminiferous tubule fluid. In contrast to the Sprague-Dawley rat, changes in steroidogenic activity in the Brown Norway rat were not accompanied by the occurrence of pituitary adenomas, obesity, or testicular tumors. This along with its longevity, make the Brown Norway strain a highly promising model for testicular aging.

Aging↗