Pregnancy and politics: On the gender gap in political knowledge, attitudes, and participation

Pregnancy and early parenthood are significant life milestones. They also affect women and men differently. The biological marvel of pregnancy and birth and the changing social roles that come with parenthood can trigger a reevaluation of personal and social values and political priorities among mothers and fathers and lead to new reflections. I ask how the time around pregnancy influences political knowledge, attitudes, and participation and whether the experiences of mothers and fathers can explain political differences between women and men. There is a lot of research on the political consequences of parenthood, but pregnancy is less well-understood. Furthermore, causal inference is uncommon in this area of research. I make two main contributions. I integrate pregnancy into the study of how parenthood affects politics, and I provide more robust inferences based on original longitudinal data in a research area that largely relies on data with single time points. There are four research papers in the dissertation. Three of the papers study the Swedish case. They reveal that overall, pregnancy and early parenthood have a surprisingly limited impact on a broad range of political outcomes at the individual level. Political demobilization is more likely than mobilization, but these changes usually dissipate one to two years post-partum. However, a closer examination of specific topics reveals that parents undergo a learning process and shift their attitudes concerning welfare-state policy and issues that are directly relevant for parents. Mothers and fathers are often similarly affected. Pregnancy and early parenthood cannot, therefore, explain the persistent gender gaps in political knowledge, attitudes, and participation. In the fourth paper, I extend the scope of the analysis beyond parenthood and study the effects of women politicians' media visibility—an alternative explanation for gender gaps in political knowledge. I find that an increased visibility of women does not significantly close the gender knowledge gap in the 49 countries under study. It suggests that if there is a role-model effect of women politicians on political knowledge, it is not a direct function of how often women are seen in the media. In conclusion, although the effects of pregnancy and early parenthood appear to be limited, their significance should not be underestimated in relation to other events in people’s lives, especially since prevailing expectations are rooted in decades of cross-sectional research that likely overestimates the effects of many different types of events. My findings underscore the critical importance of longitudinal research for furthering our understanding of the many ways in which life experiences such as pregnancy and parenthood influence democratic citizenship

3D printing is a transformative technology in congenital heart disease

Survival in congenital heart disease has steadily improved since 1938, when Dr. Robert Gross successfully ligated for the first time a patent ductus arteriosus in a 7-year-old child. To continue the gains made over the past 80 years, transformative changes with broad impact are needed in management of congenital heart disease. Three-dimensional printing is an emerging technology that is fundamentally affecting patient care, research, trainee education, and interactions among medical teams, patients, and caregivers. This paper first reviews key clinical cases where the technology has affected patient care. It then discusses 3-dimensional printing in trainee education. Thereafter, the role of this technology in communication with multidisciplinary teams, patients, and caregivers is described. Finally, the paper reviews translational technologies on the horizon that promise to take this nascent field even further

Three dimensional ink-jet printing of biomaterials using ionic liquids and co-solvents

1-Ethyl-3-methylimidazolium acetate ([C2C1Im][OAc]) and 1-butyl-3-methylimidazolium acetate ([C4C1Im][OAc]) have been used as solvents for the dissolution and ink-jet printing of cellulose from 1.0 to 4.8 wt%, mixed with the co-solvents 1-butanol and DMSO. 1-Butanol and DMSO were used as rheological modifiers to ensure consistent printing, with DMSO in the range of 41–47 wt% producing samples within the printable range of a DIMATIX print-head used (printability parameter < 10) at 55 °C, whilst maintaining cellulose solubility. Regeneration of cellulose from printed samples using water was demonstrated, with the resulting structural changes to the cellulose sample assessed by scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and white light interferometry (WLI). These results indicate the potential of biorenewable materials to be used in the 3D additive manufacture process to generate single-component and composite materials

En krokodil med vingar - en kvalitativ studie om mellanchefens upplevelse av sin roll i flexibla organisationer

Syftet med denna studie är att skapa en djupare förståelse för hur mellanchefer i flexibla organisationer upplever sin arbetsroll samt hur de arbetar för att möta de krav som ställs. Studien omfattar mellanchefer i flexibla organisationer, där bemanningsföretag har fått statuera exempel på flexibel organisation. Insamling av empiriskt material har skett via 10 semistrukturerade intervjuer, med totalt 11 intervjupersoner. Utifrån teorier kring ämnet mellanchefsrollen och hanteringsstrategier har vi analyserat vår empiri och fått en djupare förståelse om hur mellancheferna i flexibla organisationer upplever sin roll och arbetssituation samt hur de hanterar de krav som ställs på dem. Det framgår i studien att mellancheferna upplever sin arbetsroll som positiv, trots att den stundtals kan vara både utmanande och krävande. Mötet med människor ses som en central del av rollen och intervjupersonerna beskriver det som en källa till såväl glädje som frustration. Stödet från sina kollegor och från organisationen beskrivs som en förutsättning för att klara av sitt arbete. Resultatet visar att mellancheferna använder sig utav både problemfokuserade och känslofokuserade hanteringsstrategier, vilket främst visar sig genom att de använder sig av ett proaktivt förhållningssätt för att klara av att möta de krav som ställs. En metafor för mellanchefens roll i flexibla organisationer kan beskrivas som en krokodil med vingar – de förväntas vara överallt i organisationen, lösa alla problem, helst samtidigt och gärna igår

The significance of planning and management of the subsurface to achieve sustainable cities

Introduction: The subsurface is the foundation upon which all cities rest. But the subsurface is not only a construction basis which provide physical space for infrastructure and the possibility to create a better surface living environment: the subsurface is a multifunctional natural resource. Apart from physical space, it provides water, energy, materials, habitats for ecosystems, support for surface life, and a repository for cultural heritage and geological archives. Currently, the subsurface is often utilised according to the “first-come-first-served” principle, which hinders possibilities to take strategic decisions on prioritisation and optimisation of competing subsurface uses, as well as fair inter- and intragenerational distribution of limited natural resources. A great disadvantage is the invisibility of the subsurface and consequently a lack of understanding of it as a multifunctional resource: the recently launched concept of geosystem services could help mitigate its underrating. Methods: In order to better acknowledge and lift forward the significance of the subsurface in achieving a sustainable future, the 17 SDGs are scrutinized in relation to the resources of subsurface, and specifically how better planning and management of the subsurface can contribute in achieving the goals. Results: Subsurface planning and management is relevant to at least seven (3, 6, 7, 9, 11, 12, 13) out of seventeen SDGs. Although the subsurface is not explicitly mentioned in the SDGs (except for aquifers), the subsurface can significantly contribute in achieving several of these goals. Conclusions: Sound planning and management of the subsurface can support the achievement of the mapped SDGs in various ways. The subsurface must be recognised as a precious and multifunctional resource which require careful planning and sensitive management in accordance with its potential and its value to society.Grant support: Swedish Research Council Formas (942-2016-50), Swedish Rock Engineering Research Foundation (BeFo 385), Swedish Institute Visby Programme (23887/2017)

3D bioactive composite scaffolds for bone tissue engineering

Bone is the second most commonly transplanted tissue worldwide, with over four million operations using bone grafts or bone substitute materials annually to treat bone defects. However, significant limitations affect current treatment options and clinical demand for bone grafts continues to rise due to conditions such as trauma, cancer, infection and arthritis. Developing bioactive three-dimensional (3D) scaffolds to support bone regeneration has therefore become a key area of focus within bone tissue engineering (BTE). A variety of materials and manufacturing methods including 3D printing have been used to create novel alternatives to traditional bone grafts. However, individual groups of materials including polymers, ceramics and hydrogels have been unable to fully replicate the properties of bone when used alone. Favourable material properties can be combined and bioactivity improved when groups of materials are used together in composite 3D scaffolds. This review will therefore consider the ideal properties of bioactive composite 3D scaffolds and examine recent use of polymers, hydrogels, metals, ceramics and bio-glasses in BTE. Scaffold fabrication methodology, mechanical performance, biocompatibility, bioactivity, and potential clinical translations will be discussed

Subsurface planning: Towards a common understanding of the subsurface as a multifunctional resource

In response to powerful trends in technology, resource and land supply and demand, socioeconomics and geopolitics, cities are likely to increase use of the subsurface in the near future. Indeed, the subsurface and its appropriate use have been put forward as being of crucial importance if we are to achieve resilient and sustainable cities. In recent years, quite apart from being seen primarily as a construction basis to provide physical space for infrastructure and to create a better surface living environment, the subsurface has been recognised as a multifunctional natural resource, one which provides physical space, water, energy, materials, habitats for ecosystems, support for surface life, and a repository for cultural heritage and geological archives. Currently, the subsurface is often utilised according to the “first-come-first-served” principle, which hinders possibilities to take strategic decisions on prioritisation and optimisation of competing subsurface uses, as well as fair inter- and intragenerational distribution of limited natural resources. Taking a broad international perspective, this paper investigates the subsurface as a multifunctional resource from five focal points: (1) what professionals with different backgrounds mean when using different terms related to the subsurface; (2) how professionals describe the subsurface and its multiple resources, functions and services; (3) how planning of subsurface use is supported in policy and regulations; (4) how the subsurface is included in the planning process; and (5) frameworks that can support decision-making on responsible use of the subsurface. The study reveals that the subsurface must be recognised (not only by scientists but also by decision- and policy-makers and other stakeholders) as a precious and multifunctional resource requiring careful planning and sensitive management in accordance with its potential and its value to society. Utilisation of the different subsurface functions to yield services requires careful planning and a framework to support decision-makers in achieving a balance between utilisation and preservation, and between the subsurface functions themselves in the case of outright utilisation. Further, to facilitate the necessary change towards transdisciplinary work settings in the planning process and form a platform for knowledge exchange and capacity building, there is an urgent need for a common language, i.e. mutually understandable terminology, and a common understanding, i.e. an all-inclusive view on the subsurface as a complex multifunctional resource

Long-term in vivo integrity and safety of 3D-bioprinted cartilaginous constructs

Long-term stability and biological safety are crucial for translation of 3D-bioprinting technology into clinical applications. Here, we addressed the long-term safety and stability issues associated with 3D-bioprinted constructs comprising a cellulose scaffold and human cells (chondrocytes and stem cells) over a period of 10 months in nude mice. Our findings showed that increasing unconfined compression strength over time significantly improved the mechanical stability of the cell-containing constructs relative to cell-free scaffolds. Additionally, the cell-free constructs exhibited a mean compressive stress and stiffness (compressive modulus) of 0.04 +/- 0.05 MPa and 0.14 +/- 0.18 MPa, respectively, whereas these values for the cell-containing constructs were 0.11 +/- 0.08 MPa (p= .019) and 0.53 +/- 0.59 MPa (p= .012), respectively. Moreover, histomorphologic analysis revealed that cartilage formed from the cell-containing constructs harbored an abundance of proliferating chondrocytes in clusters, and after 10 months, resembled native cartilage. Furthermore, extension of the experiment over the complete lifecycle of the animal model revealed no signs of ossification, fibrosis, necrosis, or implant-related tumor development in the 3D-bioprinted constructs. These findings confirm the in vivo biological safety and mechanical stability of 3D-bioprinted cartilaginous tissues and support their potential translation into clinical applications

Does extreme political ideology predict conspiracy beliefs, economic evaluations and political trust? Evidence from Sweden

A large volume of academic research has demonstrated that individuals who profess radical political ideology, both left- and right-wing, tend to share similar underlying psychological patterns. By utilizing data collected through a voting advice application in Sweden, this study aims to assess whether extreme leftists and rightists share similarities in the psychological and political understanding of how society functions. We propose three hypotheses to test this pattern: Extreme left and right individuals are more inclined to believe in conspiracy theories than moderates; they are more likely to have negative economic evaluations; and they are less politically and interpersonally trustful. By means of hierarchical regression analyses, we reveal a quadratic relationship between extreme political ideology and conspiracy beliefs. Moreover, we find a similar linkage between ideology and economic evaluations. However, the empirical analyses fail to provide evidence that extreme ideology is related to lower political and interpersonal trust

Simulations of 3D bioprinting: predicting bioprintability of nanofibrillar inks

3D bioprinting with cell containing bioinks show great promise in the biofabrication of patient specific tissue constructs. To fulfil the multiple requirements of a bioink, a wide range of materials and bioink composition are being developed and evaluated with regard to cell viability, mechanical performance and printability. It is essential that the printability and printing fidelity is not neglected since failure in printing the targeted architecture may be catastrophic for the survival of the cells and consequently the function of the printed tissue. However, experimental evaluation of bioinks printability is time-consuming and must be kept at a minimum, especially when 3D bioprinting with cells that are valuable and costly. This paper demonstrates how experimental evaluation could be complemented with computer based simulations to evaluate newly developed bioinks. Here, a computational fluid dynamics simulation tool was used to study the influence of different printing parameters and evaluate the predictability of the printing process. Based on data from oscillation frequency measurements of the evaluated bioinks, a full stress rheology model was used, where the viscoelastic behaviour of the material was captured. Simulation of the 3D bioprinting process is a powerful tool and will help in reducing the time and cost in the development and evaluation of bioinks. Moreover, it gives the opportunity to isolate parameters such as printing speed, nozzle height, flow rate and printing path to study their influence on the printing fidelity and the viscoelastic stresses within the bioink. The ability to study these features more extensively by simulating the printing process will result in a better understanding of what influences the viability of cells in 3D bioprinted tissue constructs