Organohalogen concentrations and a gross and histologic ...

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Acknowledgements
Rune Dietz gave me the opportunity to join arctic research in Greenland and
preparing the present thesis. He came up with the idea, performed a significant
job in the present investigation and gave me fruitful supervision. Without
Rune this work would never had been a reality. My wife Pia Sonne and
my children Sofie Sille Sonne and Oscar Lau Sonne are acknowledged for
their patience with me, when I was writing ”day and night”. My parents, Pia
and Ralph Sonne, introduced me to the Arctic world through several journeys
in northern Scandinavia, from where I obtained my interest for this
pristine environment.
Erik W. Born is acknowled for his significant contributions to manuscripts
and discussions along the route as well as his continous encouragement. Vibeke
Dantzer is acknowledged for believing in me as a PhD student and for
being my official supervisor and always taking time for me. Without you
this education had never been a possibility for me. Pall Leifsson, Lars Hyldstrup
and Frank F. Riget are acknowledged for being my external indispensable
supervisors and Lise-Lotte W. Andersen for doing the genetic analysis
on the female polar bear with clitoral enlargement and reference material.
Maja Kirkegaard did a gigantic, technical support during the histology performance,
skull measurements, age determination and for advice, discussions
and comments on the thesis and are acknowledged for this. Rob J.
Letcher and Derek C. G. Muir are acknowledged for conducting the contaminant
analysis and for their fruitfull scientific cooperation and personal
qualities.
Local hunters, Jonas Brønlund, Hanne Tuborg and Birger Sandell are deeply
acknowled for initiation and conduction of sample collection in the field.
Without them the present study could not have been conducted. Steen Andersen,
Foxtrot, provided photo collage, technical assistance at field sampling
and necropsies for the present thesis and are acknowledged for this and
his always enormous energy and our excellent friendship.
Jeppe Møhl, Mogens Andersen, Abdi Hedayat and Hans Baagøe from the
Zoological Museum in Copenhagen are acknowleged for access to the sampling
and technical assistance in preparing bone material. Colleagues at the
Department of Arctic Environment, National Environmental Research Institute,
Roskilde, Copenhagen, Denmark are acknowledged for scientific
discussions and high spirit.
Technicians at the Laboratory of Pathology, Department of Veterinary
Pathobiology, Royal Veterinary and Agricultural University, Denmark are
acknowledged for conducting histology slides. Technicians at the Deparment
of Endocrinology, University Hospital of Hvidovre, Denmark provided
assistance during detection of the mineral density in skulls. Technicians
at National Water Research Institute and Great Lakes Institute for Environmental
Research, Canada are acknowledged for conducting the chemical
analysis.
Todd M O’Hara is acknowledged for disussions of histology and Professor
Øystein Wiig and Professor Andy E. Derocher for fruitful discussions on
presumed female pseudohermaphrodites at Svalbard. Aage K. Olsen, Mario