Kommunpampen och media En studie av ledande svenska kommunalpolitikers mediekontakter

The purpose of this study is to examine the mediatization of Swedish politics on a municipal level. We live in a world were media affects many aspects of life. One of those aspects is the communication between the citizens and the politicians. Our main research questions are: To what extent do politicians communicate with journalists and who initiates these contacts? Do politicians talk to some types of media rather than others? What factors make a politician choose to speak to media? To what extent do leading Swedish municipal politicians use media strategies? To answer these questions we have used various theories to help us understand media’s role of today. First we explain the transformation that has taken part in Swedish media over the last century, from political party press to independent media companies. Then we explain the theories about the mediatization of the politics and the difference between media logic and political logic. Lastly we also go through media’s role in a democratic society. To answer our research questions we constructed an online survey which we sent to all chairmen and vice chairmen of the municipal boards in Sweden, a total of 786 politicians. 525, 68 percent, chose to take the survey. Our study shows that a vast majority of leading Swedish municipal politicians talk to journalists at least once a week. A majority of the politicians also experience that the coverage of their politics differ between different media sources and many also find it hard to reach out to the citizens with their politics through media. Nearly half of the respondents work with media strategies. The study confirms previous studies that the politics are mediatization and that the media affects the politicians’ work to a considerable extent

Functional hypogonadism in prediabetes and metabolic syndrome: the role of testosterone replacement therapy

Testosteronikorvaushoidon käyttö toiminnallisen (funktionaalisen) hypogonadismin hoidossa on kiistanalaista. Testosteronihoidon turvallisuudesta sydän- ja verisuonitapahtumien suhteen on kiistelty tieteellisen yhteisön sisällä jo lähes kymmenen vuotta. Tämän työn tarkoitus on koota viimeaikaisen tutkimuksen tulokset toiminnallisesta hypogonadismista tyypin 2 diabeteksessa ja metabolisessa oireyhtymässä, ja testosteronikorvaushoidon asemasta näissä tiloissa. Katsauksessa arvioitavana on testosteronikorvaushoidon hyödyt ja haittavaikutukset sekä erityisesti sen sydän- ja verisuonitautiturvallisuus. Oireinen ja vahvistettu hypogonadismi on aina indikaatio testosteronikorvaushoidolle, mikäli hoidolle ei ole vasta-aiheita. Hoidon tarkoituksena on saavuttaa ja turvallisesti ylläpitää fysiologinen seerumin testosteronipitoisuus. Testosteronikorvaushoidon lyhyenajan mahdolliset haittavaikutukset ovat hyväksyttävissä, kun toiminallisen hypogonadismin diagnoosi on tehty huolellisesti ja hoidon seuranta mahdollisten haittavaikutusten suhteen toteutetaan tarkasti. Testosteronikorvaushoidon pitkän ajan vaikutuksista ei kuitenkaan ole tutkimustietoa. Päätös testosteronikorvaushoidon aloittamisesta tulisikin tehdä potilaan kanssa yhdessä punniten hoidon riskit ja saavutettavissa olevat hyödyt. Testosteroni vaikuttaa lupaavalta hoitomuodolta tyypin 2 diabeteksen ehkäisyyn miehillä, joilla on esidiabetes ja/tai metabolinen oireyhtymä sekä luotettavasti diagnosoitu toiminnallinen hypogonadismi. Testosteronikorvaushoito yhdessä elintapamuutosten (liikunta- ja ruokavaliointerventio) kanssa parantaa merkittävästi tuloksia tyypin 2 diabeteksen ehkäisyssä verrattuna yksistään elintapamuutosten vaikutuksiin. On kuitenkin mahdollista, että GLP-1-reseptoriagonistit voivat osoittautua tyypin 2 diabeteksen ehkäisyssä vielä testosteroniakin tehokkaammaksi hoitomuodoksi kyseisessä potilasryhmässä

Effects of altered precipitation regimes on bryophyte carbon dynamics in a Peruvian tropical montane cloud forest

Tropical montane cloud forests (TMCF) are unique ecosystems that are frequently surrounded by clouds which increase humidity and promote the growth of bryophytes. Several dimensions of humidity are important for the carbon dynamics of bryophytes. Climate change is therefore projected to have a large impact on them as well as on the TMCF itself. The present study aimed to investigate the effects that changing precipitation regimes will have on bryophyte carbon dynamics. Specifically changes in precipitation amounts, frequency and type i.e. if the precipitation falls as rain or is brought by cloud mist were studied through three experiments; (1) a blocked, full factorial experimental set-up tested for the effect of the three precipitation factors on bryophyte net photosynthesis and respiration, (2) the bryophyte photosynthetic performance was also measured on this set up and (3) on a second experimental set up the response of bryophyte carbon dynamics to re-wetting after increasing desiccation periods was measured. The results of the first experiment showed that precipitation amount had the clearest effect on bryophyte carbon dynamics where net ecosystem exchange (NEE) decreased most in high amount treatments. A slightly lower decrease in NEE was found with low amounts of mist compared to low amounts of rain, although the difference between the types was not significant. Furthermore, an effect from frequency was found on respiration where the effect differed most between amounts and types for the high frequency treatments while the difference was smaller for medium and low frequencies. However no interactions with frequency were found for NEE or gross primary production (GPP). In the second experiment, bryophytes generally reached a saturated photosynthesis at relatively low light levels (400 μmol photons m-2 s-1). At these light intensities or higher, the samples watered with low amounts of mist at high frequencies led to the highest maximum photosynthetic rate (Pmax) while the samples watered with high amounts of mist at low frequency gave the lowest Pmax. Thus, low amount, high frequency mist was generally most beneficial for carbon uptake. However at lower light intensities (200 μmol photons m-2 s-1) the carbon gain for the samples of low amount treatments was lower compared to samples of high amount treatments. In the third experiment, there was a clear decrease in GPP and NEE, i.e. carbon uptake, with increasing desiccation length. No trend for the respiratory response to increasing desiccation length was determined. In summary, bryophytes in TMCF seem to be well adapted to the environment they live in today, where desiccation periods are short and where low amounts of precipitation, probably in the form of mist are beneficial to bryophyte carbon uptake. This also suggests that projected changes in climate conditions in TMCF will influence bryophyte carbon dynamics negatively, leading to a decrease in carbon accumulation. Since bryophytes provide a number of important ecosystem services, a negative change in their carbon dynamics could result in biodiversity loss as well as changes in the hydrologic cycle and carbon dynamics of the TMCF. This in turn could have large scale effects on both downslope ecosystems and the people living there, as well as an impact on the world’s biodiversity.Tropiska bergmolnskogar (eng: Tropical montane cloud forests; TMCF) är unika ekosystem som frekvent omges av moln vilka ökar fuktigheten och gynnar tillväxt av mossor. Koldynamiken hos mossor påverkas av fukt över flera dimensioner. Det är därför projicerat att klimatförändringen kommer få en stor påverkan på dem samt även på de TMCF. Målet med denna studie var att se hur effekterna av förändrade mängder och frekvenser av nederbörd och om den nederbörden föll som regn eller kom direkt från molnen (dimma), påverkar mossors koldynamik. Detta utfördes genom tre experiment; (1) ett grupperat fullfaktoriellt experiment där responsen på de tre nederbördsfaktorerna mättes genom skillnader i mossornas respiration och nettoutbyte av koldioxid vid fotosyntes, (2) vidare studerades fotosyntes vid varierande ljusintensiteter under de olika nederbördsregimerna samt (3) hur mossors koldynamik svarade på varierande uttorkningsperioder. Resultaten från det första experimentet visade att nettoutbytet av koldioxid minskade mest med höga mängder nederbörd. En något mindre minskning i nettoutbyte förekom med låga mängder dimma jämfört med låga mängder regn, skillnaden mellan de två nederbördstyperna var dock inte signifikant. Vidare hittades också en effekt från nederbördsfrekvens på mossornas respiration där hög frekvens visade störst skillnader mellan mäng och typ av nederbörd medan medium och låg frekvens visade mindre sådana skillnader. Ingen interaktion med frekvens hittades för bruttoproduktionen eller netto utbyte av koldioxid. Det andra experimentet visade att mossor generellt uppnådde sin maximala fotosyntetiska kapacitet vid en relativt låg ljusintensitet (400 μmol fotoner m-2 s-1). Vid denna eller högre ljusintensitet gav låga mängder dimma med hög frekvens den högsta maximala fotosyntesen (Pmax) medan höga mängder dimma med låg frekvens gav den lägsta Pmax. Det verkar därmed som att låga mängder dimma med hög frekvens var mest fördelaktigt för mossors kolupptag. Vid lägre ljusintensitet (200 μmol fotoner m-2 s-1) var kolupptaget dock lägre i prover vattnade med låga mängder nederbörd jämfört med höga. I det tredje experimentet visade både bruttoproduktionen och nettoutbytet av koldioxid en linjär nedåtgående trend med längre uttorkningsperiod. Respiration visade dock ingen klar trend. Sammanfattningsvis verkar mossor i TMCF vara väl anpassade till den miljö de lever i idag med korta uttorkningsperioder och där låga mängder nederbörd, troligtvis i form av dimma är mest fördelaktigt för mossors kolupptag. Detta tyder också på att projicerade förändringar i nederbördsregimer tyder på att deras kommer påverka mossors koldynamik negativt och att deras kolupptag kommer vara mindre än idag. Då mossor utför viktiga ekosystemtjänster kan en negativ förändring av deras koldynamik leda till förlust av biodiversitet och förändringar av hydrologin och kolcykeln i TMCF. På en större skala skulle detta i sin tur påverka ekosystem på lägre altituder och de människor som bor där samt få en stor påverkan på världens biodiversitet

Annealing and Re-embrittlement of Reactor Pressure Vessel Materials - State of the Art Report

Annealing of a reactor pressure vessel embrittled by neutron irradiation constitutes the only known technique to restore the initial material properties, to an extent that depends on the annealing conditions and on the materials. This technique is used in WWER-440 type reactor pressure vessels. A very important related issue is the one of re-embrittlement behaviour of the material after the annealing. In this respect, there is an obvious link with radiation embrittlement understanding. This report compiles the vast amount of information on annealing and re-embrittlement, which is available in the European countries where such annealing operations have been performed. In addition this topic was also investigated in various TACIS-PHARE projects, and the conclusions are included here as well. To complete the state-of-the-art, the results from a number of annealing experiments carried out in US on Western type RPV steels have also been considered.JRC.F.4-Nuclear design safet

The potential of blockchain technology in solving green supply chain management challenges

Blockchain technology has gathered plenty of interest among academia and in companies for its potentially revolutionizing effect on industries and society by increasing traceability, transparency and trust among transacting parties. One of the many applications of blockchain exists in the context of supply chain management, specifically environmentally sustainable or green supply chain management, which is also a trending research topic due to the pressing state of the environment, increased awareness and regulation. Blockchain technology is still emerging and research on its potential in the area of green supply chains is sparse. This thesis combines these two trending topics by exploring the connection of the core characteristics of blockchain and the challenges in green supply chain management that the technology could potentially help in solving. It therefore contributes to the early work on the subject of blockchain’s role in green supply chain management challenges and guides further research into the matter

Characterization of cytokine binding and its implications in the physiology of Aggregatibacter actinomycetemcomitans

Bacterial pathogens cause severe infections in humans. The emergence of multiresistant bacteria requires the development of new antimicrobial strategies. Bacteria utilize various virulence mechanisms to promote their survival in the host organism. Among these virulence mechanisms, we may find novel targets for antimicrobial treatment. This thesis concerns a virulence mechanism of an oral bacterium that may disturb the human immune response and potentially increase bacterial virulence. The model organism for this study is Aggregatibacter actinomycetemcomitans, a gram-negative opportunistic pathogen that forms biofilms on the surface of teeth and causes an inflammatory oral disease called periodontitis. Bacteria living in biofilms are more resistant to antimicrobial compounds and the mechanisms associated with their virulence are poorly known. Previously, it was discovered that A. actinomycetemcomitans binds and uptakes human inflammatory cytokines, which may modulate the local inflammatory milieu and weaken the host defense. This thesis consists of four parts, each published as a separate article in scientific journals. In the beginning of this thesis I discovered a novel cytokine-binding outer membrane protein, BilRI, in A. actinomycetemcomitans. BilRI was located on the outer membrane of A. actinomycetemcomitans and interacted with the human cytokine IL-1β. The second article showed that BilRI binds multiple cytokines and has an intrinsically disordered structure. In the third article, I showed that a major bacterial cell wall component, lipopolysaccharide, interacted with certain cytokines. This interaction was shown in many A. actinomycetemcomitans serotypes using intact bacterial cells, outer membrane vesicles and isolated lipopolysaccharides. Further, some information was obtained about the location of the interaction site. In the fourth article, I found that a channel protein of A. actinomycetemcomitans, HofQ, binds human cytokines, such as IL-1β and IL-8. This protein has been previously associated with DNA uptake, providing a possible link between the naturally occurring uptake of extracellular DNA and the cytokine uptake mechanism in bacteria. This thesis showed the cytokine binding of A. actinomycetemcomitans outer membrane molecules and how they affected the physiology of the pathogen. Further research is needed regarding the roles of these molecules in the virulence of A. actinomycetemcomitans.Patogeeniset bakteerit aiheuttavat ihmisille vakavia infektioita. Nykyisille antibiooteille multiresistenttien bakteerien yleistyminen vaatii uusien antimikrobistrategioiden kehittämistä. Bakteerit käyttävät useita virulenssimekanismeja, jotka auttavat niitä selviytymään isäntäorganismissa. Näiden virulenssimekanismien joukosta saattaisi löytyä uusia antimikrobihoidon kohteita. Väitöskirjassa tutkittiin suubakteerin virulenssimekanismia, joka saattaa häiritä ihmisen immuunipuolustusta ja lisätä bakteerin virulenssia. Työssä käytettiin malliorganismina Aggregatibacter actinomycetemcomitans – bakteeria, joka on gram-negatiivinen opportunistinen patogeeni. Se muodostaa biofilmejä hampaiden pinnalle ja aiheuttaa suun tulehdussairautta parodontiittia. Biofilmeissä elävät bakteerit ovat vastustuskykyisempiä antimikrobisille aineille ja niiden virulenssiin liittyviä mekanismeja tunnetaan huonosti. Aiemmin on havaittu, että A. actinomycetemcomitans sitoo ja siirtää sisäänsä ihmisen tulehduksenvälittäjäaineita, sytokiineja. Tämä saattaa muuttaa paikallista tulehdusympäristöä ja heikentää isännän puolustusta. Väitöskirjatutkimukseni koostuu neljästä osatyöstä, jotka on julkaistu erillisinä artikkeleina tieteellisissä lehdissä. Väitöskirjatutkimukseni alussa löysin A. actinomycetemcomitansista uuden sytokiineja sitovan ulkokalvon proteiinin, BilRI:n. BilRI tuottui bakteerin ulkokalvolle ja sitoutui IL-1β:aan. Toisessa osatyössä BilRI:n havaittiin sitovan useita sytokiineja ja olevan rakenteeltaan luonnostaan järjestäytymätön. Kolmannessa osatyössä osoitin, että bakteerin soluseinän komponetti lipopolysakkaridi vuorovaikuttaa joidenkin sytokiinien kanssa. Vuorovaikutus osoitettiin useiden eri A. actinomycetemcomitans serotyyppien kanssa kokonaisilla bakteerisoluilla, ulkokalvon vesikkeleillä sekä eristetyillä lipopolysakkarideillä. Lisäksi vuorovaikutuskohdan sijainnista saatiin tietoa. Neljännessä osatyössä havaitsin, että HofQ-kanavaproteiini sitoo myös ihmisen sytokiineja, kuten IL-1β:aa ja IL-8:aa. Aiemmin tämän kanavaproteiinin on havaittu osallistuvan DNA:n sisäänottoon, joten työ osoittaa mahdollisen yhteyden luonnollisen solunulkoisen DNA:n sisäänoton ja sytokiinien sisäänoton välillä. Väitöskirjassa osoitettiin A. actinomycetemcomitansin ulkokalvon molekyylien sitoutuminen sytokiineihin sekä niiden vaikutuksia bakteerin fysiologiaan. Näiden molekyylien vaikutuksista A. actinomycetemcomitansin virulenssiin tarvitaan vielä lisää tutkimusta

The Lassiter Decision: Termination of Parental Rights - New Standards for Right to Appointed Counsel

This casenote will examine the historical development of the constitutional right to counsel. It will then analyze the Court\u27s opinion in Lassiter in light of previous cases and look to the future impact of the decision