Lake Mývatn experiences remarkable fluctuations in the populations of many of its 37 midge species. Here, we analyzed data from four adult traps from 1977 to 2023, and nine traps from 1999 to 2023, to characterize the annual dynamics of individual midge species, patterns of trends and cyclicity, synchrony among their fluctuations, and changes in community composition. Eighteen of the 20 common species from the 1977–2023 dataset showed quasi-periodic dynamics with periods of either 3–4 or 6–8 years. Furthermore, 12/20 species showed significant declines in abundance, while only one showed a significant increase. Although many pairs of species fluctuated in synchrony, synchrony was not greater for taxonomically related species. However, species that were more likely to have high adult abundances at the same locations (traps) were more likely to show synchrony. Finally, at the community level, a single species, Tanytarsus gracilentus, was associated with changes in the species composition of midges in Mývatn through time, while another common species, Cricotopus sylvestris, was primarily responsible for differences in community composition in space; differences occurred among traps from the two basins of Mývatn and along the Laxá outlet river. The prevalence of quasi-periodicity and synchrony in the dynamics among species suggests that many species share the same drivers of population fluctuations. We discuss the possible drivers, and although we can use the data to exclude some possible explanations of midge population dynamics, the data do not reveal a single explanation as best. Our results show the value of high-quality, long-term data on communities of organisms for revealing the existence of species-species and species-environment interactions that link the dynamics of species within the community and generate spatiotemporal changes in community composition.
This article presents Prithvi-EO-2.0, a new geospatial foundation model (GFM) that offers significant improvements over its predecessor, Prithvi-EO-1.0. Trained on 4.2 million global time-series samples from NASA's Harmonized Landsat and Sentinel-2 data archive at 30-m resolution, the new model incorporates temporal and location embeddings for enhanced performance across various geospatial tasks. Through extensive benchmarking with GEO-Bench, the model outperforms the previous Prithvi-EO model by 8% across a range of tasks. It also outperforms six other GFMs when benchmarked on remote sensing tasks from different domains and resolutions (i.e., from 0.1 to 15 m). The results demonstrate the versatility of the model in both classical Earth observation (EO) and high-resolution applications. Early involvement of end-users and subject matter experts (SMEs) allowed constant feedback on model and dataset design, enabling customization across diverse SME-led applications in disaster response, land cover and crop mapping, and ecosystem dynamics monitoring. Prithvi-EO-2.0 is available as an open-source model on Hugging Face and IBM TerraTorch, with additional resources on GitHub. The project exemplifies the Trusted Open Science approach embraced by all involved organizations.
Introduction Although the rising worldwide incidence of thyroid cancer (TC) has been largely attributed to changes in diagnostic means, the full spectrum of contributing factors remains unknown. We present a comprehensive registry-based study evaluating the impact of occupational background on the risk of TC in the Nordic countries. Methods Data were from the Nordic Occupational Cancer (NOCCA) study from the Nordic countries from 1961 to 2005. Standardized incidence ratio (SIR) of TC in each occupational category was calculated using national incidence rates as reference. Results The NOCCA cohort includes 14.9 million people (7.5 million women (50.3%), 7.4 million men (49.7%)). In total, 23,241 TCs were recorded: 16,758 (71.9%) in women and 6483 in men. Increased SIRs were observed in female farmers (SIR 1.19; 95% CI 1.07-1.30) and male fishermen (1.32;1.06-1.62), military personnel (1.29; 0.99-1.66), and clerical workers (1.19; 1.05-1.35). Conclusion Our results suggest an association between certain occupational backgrounds and TC. These findings may help elucidate new risk factors for TC to enable targeted diagnosis and surveillance of individuals most at risk.
As organizations adapt to evolving work practices, many are turning to activity-based work environments with the aim of enhancing employee interactions, particularly communication and collaboration. Despite the growing popularity of activity-based work environments, evidence on their actual impact remains limited and mixed. This study investigates how transitioning to activity-based work environments affects employee communication and collaboration, and how these effects depend on person-environment fit. Drawing on longitudinal survey data from three small organizations in Iceland, we analysed employee responses collected once before and three times after the activity-based work environment was implemented. Using hierarchical linear modelling, we find modest but statistically significant increases in communication and collaboration following the transition. Furthermore, the improvements were more pronounced among employees with a higher person-environment fit, suggesting that alignment between individual preferences and workspace design plays a key role in shaping outcomes. These findings contribute to a clearer understanding of how flexible workspace arrangements influence day-to-day employee interactions and highlight the importance of accounting for individual differences in evaluating such changes.MAD statementThis study provides important insights into how activity-based work environments influence workplace communication and collaboration, offering scholars and practitioners evidence-based guidance on designing workspaces that support effective employee interaction. By using longitudinal data and examining the moderating role of person-environment fit, the research demonstrates both the overall benefits of activity-based work environments and the value of aligning workspace design with individual needs. These findings address a growing organizational challenge: fostering communication and collaboration in increasingly flexible and dynamic work settings. As such, this work is highly relevant for those seeking to improve employee interaction, teamwork, and performance through thoughtful workplace design.
The Bergen 4-day treatment (B4DT) for obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD) is a concentrated form of exposure and response prevention that has been implemented at the Icelandic Anxiety Centre. The aim of the present study was to assess 12-month results of 86 participants undertaking the treatment. The Yale-Brown Obsessive-Compulsive Scale (Y-BOCS) was administered at pre-, post-, and 3- and 12-month follow-up, accompanied by measures on generalised anxiety (GAD-7), depression (PHQ-9), and functional impairment (WSAS). The mean pre-treatment score on Y-BOCS was 30.5 (SE=0.5), the post-treatment score was 10.7 (SE=0.4), and the 12-month follow-up score was 11.5 (SE=0.9). There was no significant difference in Y-BOCS scores from post-treatment to 3- and 12-month follow-up, which indicates that treatment gains were maintained over time. Functional impairment, along with symptoms of anxiety and depression, decreased significantly from pre- to post-treatment, with further reductions in functional impairment observed at the 12-month follow-up. All participants completed treatment, and at 12-month follow-up, 83.7% had responded and 67.4% recovered. Among the participants that had responded or remitted at post-treatment, 22% had a worse outcome at 12-month follow-up, but 54% of the participants in the response or no change categories at post-treatment had a better outcome at follow-up. These results support the effectiveness and long-term benefits of the B4DT when implemented outside of its country of origin.Key learning aims The Bergen 4-day treatment (B4DT) is a highly intensive format of exposure and response prevention (ERP) for OCD. Treatment gains from the B4DT for OCD are sustained for at least 12 months, with 67% of patients remaining recovered and 84% showing improvement. Approximately half of those who do not fully benefit initially experience further improvement by the 12-month follow-up. Drop-out rates are negligible, which is unusual for exposure and response prevention. The B4DT demonstrates effectiveness beyond its country of origin.
