University of Iceland

About: University of Iceland is a education organization based out in Reykjavik, Suðurnes, Iceland. It is known for research contribution in the topics: Population & Genome-wide association study. The organization has 5423 authors who have published 16199 publications receiving 694762 citations. The organization is also known as: Háskóli Íslands.

Origin of the first global meltwater pulse following the Last Glacial Maximum

Abstract: Well-dated sea level records show that the glacioeustatic rise following the last glacial maximum was characterized by two or possibly three brief intervals of rapid sea level rise separating periods with much lower rates. These very high rates of sea level rise indicate periods of exceptionally rapid deglaciation of remaining ice sheets. The Laurentide Ice Sheet is commonly targeted as the source of the first, and largest, of the meltwater pulses (mwp-IA between ∼14,200 (12,200 14C years B.P.) and 13,700 years ago (11,700 14C years B.P.)). In all oceanic records of deglaciation of the former northern hemisphere ice sheets that we review, only those from the Gulf of Mexico and the Bermuda Rise show evidence of low δ18O values at the time of mwp-IA, identifying the southern Laurentide Ice Sheet as a potential source for mwp-IA. We question this source for mwp-IA, however, because (1) ice sheet models suggest that this sector of the ice sheet contributed only a fraction (<10%) of the sea level needed for mwp-IA, (2) melting this sector of the ice sheet at the necessary rate to explain mwp-IA is physically implausible, and (3) ocean models predict a much stronger thermohaline response to the inferred freshwater pulse out of the Mississippi River into the North Atlantic than is recorded. This leaves the Antarctic Ice Sheet as the only other ice sheet capable of delivering enough sea level to explain mwp-IA, but there are currently no well-dated high-resolution records to document this hypothesis. These conclusions suggest that reconstructions of the Laurentide Ice Sheet in the ICE-4G model, which are constrained to match the sea level record, may be too low for time periods younger than 15,000 years ago. Furthermore, δ18O records from the Gulf of Mexico show variable fluxes of meltwater from the southern margin of the Laurentide Ice Sheet which can be traced to the opening and closing of eastward draining glacial-lake outlets associated with surging ice sheet behavior. These variable fluxes through eastern outlets were apparently sufficient to affect formation of North Atlantic Deep Water, thus underscoring the sensitivity of this process to changes in freshwater forcing.

The Nordic prescription databases as a resource for pharmacoepidemiological research—a literature review

Abstract: Purpose All five Nordic countries have nationwide prescription databases covering all dispensed drugs, with potential for linkage to outcomes. The aim of this review is to present an overview of therapeutic areas studied and methods applied in pharmacoepidemiologic studies using data from these databases. Methods The study consists of a Medline-based structured literature review of scientific papers published during 2005–2010 using data from the prescription databases in Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway, and Sweden, covering 25 million inhabitants. Relevant studies were analyzed in terms of pharmacological group, study population, outcomes examined, type of study (drug utilization vs. effect of drug therapy), country of origin, and extent of cross-national collaboration. Results A total of 515 studies were identified. Of these, 262 were conducted in Denmark, 97 in Finland, 4 in Iceland, 87 in Norway, and 61 in Sweden. Four studies used data from more than one Nordic country. The most commonly studied drugs were those acting on the nervous system, followed by cardiovascular drugs and gastrointestinal/endocrine drugs. A total of 228 studies examined drug utilization and 263 focused on the effects and safety of drug therapy. Pregnant women were the most commonly studied population in safety studies, whereas prescribers’ adherence to guidelines was the most frequent topic of drug utilization studies. Conclusions The Nordic prescription databases, with their possibility of record-linkage, represent an outstanding resource for assessing the beneficial and adverse effects of drug use in large populations, under routine care conditions, and with the potential for long-term follow-up. Copyright © 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. key words—pharmacoepidemiology; observational studies; drug utilization; effectiveness; safety; prescription databases; cross-national comparison; record-linkage

Population-scale drivers of individual arrival times in migratory birds.

Abstract: 1. In migratory species, early arrival on the breeding grounds can often enhance breeding success. Timing of spring migration is therefore a key process that is likely to be influenced both by factors specific to individuals, such as the quality of winter and breeding locations and the distance between them, and by annual variation in weather conditions before and during migration. 2. The Icelandic black-tailed godwit Limosa limosa islandica population is currently increasing and, throughout Iceland, is expanding into poorer quality breeding areas. Using a unique data set of arrival times in Iceland in different years for individuals of known breeding and wintering locations, we show that individuals breeding in lower quality, recently occupied and colder areas arrive later than those from traditionally occupied areas. The population is also expanding into new wintering areas, and males from traditionally occupied winter sites also arrive earlier than those occupying novel sites. 3. Annual variation in timing of migration of individuals is influenced by large-scale weather systems (the North Atlantic Oscillation), but between-individual variation is a stronger predictor of arrival time than the NAO. Distance between winter and breeding sites does not influence arrival times. 4. Annual variation in timing of migration is therefore influenced by climatic factors, but the pattern of individual arrival is primarily related to breeding and winter habitat quality. These habitat effects on arrival patterns are likely to operate through variation in individual condition and local-scale density-dependent processes. Timing of migration thus appears to be a key component of the intricate relationship between wintering and breeding grounds in this migratory system.