Om ett försök att etablera ett regionalt populärmusikkluster : Följeforskningsrapport av projektet BoomTown - en innovativ miljö för näringslivsutveckling inom musikbranschen

Upplevelseindustrin växer och får allt större ekonomisk betydelse. I den här rapporten riktas intresset mot projektet BoomTown som är en regional näringslivspolitisk satsning med syfte att skapa ett kluster inom populärmusikbranschen. Det existerar emellertid olika uppfattningar mellan de som hävdar att det är möjligt att med näringslivspolitiska insatser bygga upp ett branschkluster och de som hävdar att ett sådant växer fram organiskt omöjligt att implementera genom planerade insatser. De som menar att det är möjligt att implementera ett branschkluster företräds främst av aktörer som på olika nivåer i politiska och administrativa organ arbetar med näringslivspolitiska insatser. De som hyser tvivel är framför allt forskare inom detta område. De anför att ett kluster i stället är resultatet av historiska händelser och oförutsedda faktorer, där slumpässiga händelser spelar en viktig roll. Syftet är från dessa utgångspunkter att beskriva och diskutera möjligheten att på en näringslivspolitisk grund skapa ett regionalt populärmusikkluster. Rapporten bygger på ett följeforskningsuppdrag, genomfört som en kvalitativ fallstudie. Resultatet visar att BoomTown har lagt en grund till något som skulle kunna utvecklas till ett regionalt musikkluster inom populärmusik. Strategin har varit att dels skapa en organisation som här benämns som ”BoomTown-familjen”. Regionala näringslivspolitiska insatser spelar i det här sammanhanget en viktig roll eftersom det i många fall inte finns någon annan än offentliga organ som är villiga att gå in och finansiera långsiktiga utvecklingsprojekt med ett osäkert utfall. Näringslivspolitik är emellertid inte heller en oproblematisk aktivitet och den innehåller per se en rad möjliga komplikationer, till exempel i form av komplexa och delvis motsägelsefulla regelsystem som skapar svårforcerade hinder. Försöken att bygga ett regionalt populärmusikkluster har nu pågått under de tre projekt som tillsammans utgör varumärket BoomTown under snart 10 års tid, men trots detta återstår fortfarande flera nödvändiga insatser. Arbetet går dock vidare och det är fortfarande ett oskrivet blad vad slutresultatet kommer att bli.

Pedagogisk dokumentation i förskolan : En intervjustudie om några förskollärares uppfattningar om begreppet pedagogisk dokumentation och dess innebörd

I dagens förskoleverksamhet är det i regel ett måste att dokumentera lärandeprocesser för att kunna uppfylla samtliga mål i utbildningsplaner och bistå med god utbildningskvalitet. Pedagogisk dokumentation – som grundades av Reggio Emilia – är ett utvärderingsverktyg som skall observera barnets lärandeprocesser samt förskollärarnas förhållningssätt. I vardagliga situationer i förskoleverksamheten har pedagogisk dokumentation många fördelar som kan kartlägga och ge bra förutsättningar genom att skapa förståelse för hur barn lär sig och utvecklas bäst. Syftet med denna studie var att genomföra en litteraturstudie i kombination med kvalitativa intervjuer som utgick ifrån följande frågeställningar: Hur definierar förskollärare begreppet dokumentation respektive pedagogisk dokumentation? Hur beskriver förskollärare arbetet med pedagogisk dokumentation? Och hur menar förskollärare att arbetet med pedagogisk dokumentation utvecklar verksamheten? Intervjuerna transkriberades och kategoriserades sedan kring hur förskollärarna använder pedagogisk dokumentation, hur synen på pedagogisk dokumentation ser ut samt vilka olika arbetssätt som används. Vid färdigställande av resultatet framgick det att tre av fyra respondenter upplevde pedagogisk dokumentation som något positivt och modernt. En respondent av fyra fann inte pedagogisk dokumentation som ett bra hjälpmedel för utvärdering, då verktyget kan vara oetiskt på så sätt att det kan användas som ett bedömningsverktyg på det enskilda barnet. Diskussionsavsnittet kopplar samman tidigare forskning med förskollärarnas svar kring hur de ser på pedagogisk dokumentation, hur de beskriver arbetet med pedagogisk dokumentation och hur arbetssättet kan utveckla verksamheten.

Pedagogisk tidskrift.

"Förteckning öfver artiklar införda i Pedagogisk tidskrift årgångarna 1881-1889": v. 26, p. [500]-520.

Barns naturvetenskapliga lärande i förskolans miljö : En studie om utforskandet av och förutsättningar för barns naturvetenskapliga lärande samt pedagogers användande av läroplanen

Den här studien handlar om hur barns naturvetenskapliga utforskande kan ske på två förskolor, och hur pedagogerna använder läroplanen i det naturvetenskapliga lärandet. I undersökningen användes följande frågeställningar: Hur upptäcker barnen naturvetenskap i förskolans miljö? Vilka förutsättningar finns i förskolan för barnens naturvetenskapliga lärande enligt observationer och intervjuer? På vilket sätt beskriver pedagogerna att de införlivar läroplanen i det naturvetenskapliga lärandet? För att söka svar på frågeställningarna användes metoderna observation och intervju vid två olika förskolor i en medelstor kommun. Data från genomförda observationer, barn- samt pedagogintervjuer har analyserats för att söka efter mönster och nyckelord. Analyserna visade att barn utforskar naturvetenskap i förskolans miljö i sin lek samt genom sin kropp och sina sinnen. Barnen behöver vara aktiva och delaktiga i sitt lärande, förklarade de intervjuade pedagogerna. Pedagogerna bör finnas tillhands som medforskare för att ta tillvara barnens intressen och ställa frågor som väcker deras fortsatta utforskande och nyfikenhet. Det naturvetenskapliga arbetet dokumenterades genom bilder som användes för reflektion och som diskussionsunderlag för barn och vuxna. Pedagogernas intresse och engagemang för ämnet naturvetenskap är troligen en faktor som påverkar hur förskolorna arbetar med naturvetenskap. En annan faktor för barns utforskande är vilken miljö de erbjuds, både närmiljön och den miljö som pedagogerna kan påverka och utforma. De studerade förskolorna arbetar med läroplanen regelbundet genom att de utvärderar verksamheten mot läroplanens mål och riktlinjer. Detta ses som ett ständigt utvecklande av verksamheten för att stimulera och väcka barns naturvetenskaplig utforskande.

Drag på parnassen. Två sextiotalsstudier. : Del I: Medelklass med mänskligt ansikte. Medelklassradikalism i fyra romaner av Christer Kihlman, Jarl Sjöblom, Marianne Alopaeus och Ulla-Lena Lundberg. Del II: Modernistdebatten. Sak, person och fält i en finlandssvensk litteraturdebatt år 1965.

The objective of my dissertation Pull (or Draught, or Moves) at the Parnassus , is to provide a deeper understanding of Nordic Middle Class radicalism of the 1960 s as featured in Finland-Swedish literature. My approach is cultural materialist in a broad sense; social class is regarded a crucial aspect of the contents and contexts of the novels and literary discussions explored. In the first volume, Middle Class With A Human Face , novels by Christer Kihlman, Jarl Sjöblom, Marianne Alopaeus, and Ulla-Lena Lundberg, respectively, are read from the points of view of place, emotion, and power. The term "cryptotope" is used to designate the hidden places found to play an important role in all of these four narratives. Also, the "chronotope of the provincial small town", described by Mikhail Bakhtin in 1938, is exemplified in Kihlman s satirical novel, as is the chronotope of of war (Algeria, Vietnam) in those of Alopaeus and Lundberg s. All the four novels signal changes in the way general "scripts of emotions", e.g. jealousy, are handled and described. The power relations in the novels are also read, with reference to Michel Foucault. As the protagonists in two of them work as journalists, a critical discussion about media and Bourgeois hegemony is found; the term "repressive legitimation" is created to grasp these patterns of manipulation. The Modernist Debate , part II of the study, concerns a literary discussion between mainly Finland-Swedish authors and critics. Essayist Johannes Salminen (40) provided much of the fuel for the debate in 1963, questioning the relevance to contemporary life of the Finland-Swedish modernist tradition of the 1910 s and 1920 s. In 1965, a group of younger authors and critics, including poet Claes Andersson (28), followed up this critique in a debate taking place mainly in the newspaper Vasabladet. Poets Rabbe Enckell (62), Bo Carpelan (39) and others defended a timeless poetry. This debate is contextualized and the changing literary field is analyzed using concepts provided by sociologist Pierre Bourdieu. In the thesis, the historical moment of Middle Class radicalism with a human face is regarded a temporary luxury that new social groups could afford themselves, as long as they were knocking over the statues and symbols of the Old Bourgeoisie. This is not to say that all components of the Sixties strategy have lost their power. Some of them have survived and even grown, others remain latent in the gene bank of utopias, waiting for new moments of change.

Modern diagnosis of Epstein-Barr virus infections and post-transplant lymphoproliferative disease

Infection by Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) occurs in approximately 95% of the world s population. EBV was the first human virus implicated in oncogenesis. Characteristic for EBV primary infection are detectable IgM and IgG antibodies against viral capsid antigen (VCA). During convalescence the VCA IgM disappears while the VCA IgG persists for life. Reactivations of EBV occur both among immunocompromised and immunocompetent individuals. In serological diagnosis, measurement of avidity of VCA IgG separates primary from secondary infections. However, in serodiagnosis of mononucleosis it is quite common to encounter, paradoxically, VCA IgM together with high-avidity VCA IgG, indicating past immunity. We determined the etiology of this phenomenon and found that, among patients with cytomegalovirus (CMV) primary infection a large proportion (23%) showed antibody profiles of EBV reactivation. In contrast, EBV primary infection did not appear to induce immunoreactivation of CMV. EBV-associated post-transplant lymphoproliferative disease (PTLD) is a life threatening complication of allogeneic stem cell or solid organ transplantation. PTLD may present with a diverse spectrum of clinical symptoms and signs. Due to rapidity of PTLD progression especially after stem cell transplantation, the diagnosis must be obtained quickly. Pending timely detection, the evolution of the fatal disease may be halted by reduction of immunosuppression. A promising new PTLD treatment (also in Finland) is based on anti-CD-20 monoclonal antibodies. Diagnosis of PTLD has been demanding because of immunosuppression, blood transfusions and the latent nature of the virus. We set up in 1999 to our knowledge first in Finland for any microbial pathogen a real-time quantitative PCR (qPCR) for detection of EBV DNA in blood serum/plasma. In addition, we set up an in situ hybridisation assay for EBV RNA in tissue sections. In collaboration with a group of haematologists at Helsinki University Central Hospital we retrospectively determined the incidence of PTLD among 257 allogenic stem cell transplantations (SCT) performed during 1994-1999. Post-mortem analysis revealed 18 cases of PTLD. From a subset of PTLD cases (12/18) and a series of corresponding controls (36), consecutive samples of serum were studied by the new EBV-qPCR. All the PTLD patients were positive for EBV-DNA with progressively rising copy numbers. In most PTLD patients EBV DNA became detectable within 70 days of SCT. Of note, the appearance of EBV DNA preceded the PTLD symptoms (fever, lymphadenopathy, atypical lymphocytes). Among the SCT controls, EBV DNA occurred only sporadically, and the EBV-DNA levels remained relatively low. We concluded that EBV qPCR is a highly sensitive (100%) and specific (96%) new diagnostic approach. We also looked for and found risk factors for the development of PTLD. Together with a liver transplantation group at the Transplantation and Liver Surgery Clinic we wanted to clarify how often and how severely do EBV infections occur after liver transplantation. We studied by the EBV qPCR 1284 plasma samples obtained from 105 adult liver transplant recipients. EBV DNA was detected in 14 patients (13%) during the first 12 months. The peak viral loads of 13 asymptomatic patients were relatively low (<6600/ml), and EBV DNA subsided quickly from circulation. Fatal PTLD was diagnosed in one patient. Finally, we wanted to determine the number and clinical significance of EBV infections of various types occurring among a large, retrospective, nonselected cohort of allogenic SCT recipients. We analysed by EBV qPCR 5479 serum samples of 406 SCT recipients obtained during 1988-1999. EBV DNA was seen in 57 (14%) patients, of whom 22 (5%) showed progressively rising and ultimately high levels of EBV DNA (median 54 million /ml). Among the SCT survivors, EBV DNA was transiently detectable in 19 (5%) asymptomatic patients. Thereby, low-level EBV-DNA positivity in serum occurs relatively often after SCT and may subside without specific treatment. However, high molecular copy numbers (>50 000) are diagnostic for life-threatening EBV infection. We furthermore developed a mathematical algorithm for the prediction of development of life-threatening EBV infection.

Design and testing of stand-specific bucking instructions for use on modern cut-to-length harvesters

This study addresses three important issues in tree bucking optimization in the context of cut-to-length harvesting. (1) Would the fit between the log demand and log output distributions be better if the price and/or demand matrices controlling the bucking decisions on modern cut-to-length harvesters were adjusted to the unique conditions of each individual stand? (2) In what ways can we generate stand and product specific price and demand matrices? (3) What alternatives do we have to measure the fit between the log demand and log output distributions, and what would be an ideal goodness-of-fit measure? Three iterative search systems were developed for seeking stand-specific price and demand matrix sets: (1) A fuzzy logic control system for calibrating the price matrix of one log product for one stand at a time (the stand-level one-product approach); (2) a genetic algorithm system for adjusting the price matrices of one log product in parallel for several stands (the forest-level one-product approach); and (3) a genetic algorithm system for dividing the overall demand matrix of each of the several log products into stand-specific sub-demands simultaneously for several stands and products (the forest-level multi-product approach). The stem material used for testing the performance of the stand-specific price and demand matrices against that of the reference matrices was comprised of 9 155 Norway spruce (Picea abies (L.) Karst.) sawlog stems gathered by harvesters from 15 mature spruce-dominated stands in southern Finland. The reference price and demand matrices were either direct copies or slightly modified versions of those used by two Finnish sawmilling companies. Two types of stand-specific bucking matrices were compiled for each log product. One was from the harvester-collected stem profiles and the other was from the pre-harvest inventory data. Four goodness-of-fit measures were analyzed for their appropriateness in determining the similarity between the log demand and log output distributions: (1) the apportionment degree (index), (2) the chi-square statistic, (3) Laspeyres quantity index, and (4) the price-weighted apportionment degree. The study confirmed that any improvement in the fit between the log demand and log output distributions can only be realized at the expense of log volumes produced. Stand-level pre-control of price matrices was found to be advantageous, provided the control is done with perfect stem data. Forest-level pre-control of price matrices resulted in no improvement in the cumulative apportionment degree. Cutting stands under the control of stand-specific demand matrices yielded a better total fit between the demand and output matrices at the forest level than was obtained by cutting each stand with non-stand-specific reference matrices. The theoretical and experimental analyses suggest that none of the three alternative goodness-of-fit measures clearly outperforms the traditional apportionment degree measure. Keywords: harvesting, tree bucking optimization, simulation, fuzzy control, genetic algorithms, goodness-of-fit

Stand structural dynamics on pristine and managed boreal peatlands

The objectives of this study were to investigate the stand structure and succession dynamics in Scots pine (Pinus sylvestris L.) stands on pristine peatlands and in Scots pine and Norway spruce (Picea abies (L.) Karst.) dominated stands on drained peatlands. Furthermore, my focus was on characterising how the inherent and environmental factors and the intermediate thinnings modify the stand structure and succession. For pristine peatlands, the study was based on inventorial stand data, while for drained peatlands, longitudinal data from repeatedly measured stands were utilised. The studied sites covered the most common peatland site types in Finland. They were classified into two categories according to the ecohydrological properties related to microsite variation and nutrient levels within sites. Tree DBH and age distributions in relation to climate and site type were used to study the stand dynamics on pristine sites. On drained sites, the Weibull function was used to parameterise the DBH distributions and mixed linear models were constructed to characterise the impacts of different ecological factors on stand dynamics. On pristine peatlands, both climate and the ecohydrology of the site proved to be crucial factors determining the stand structure and its dynamics. Irrespective of the vegetation succession, enhanced site productivity and increased stand stocking they significantly affected the stand dynamics also on drained sites. On the most stocked sites on pristine peatlands the inter-tree competition seemed to also be a significant factor modifying stand dynamics. Tree age and size diversity increased with stand age, but levelled out in the long term. After drainage, the stand structural unevenness increased due to the regeneration and/or ingrowth of the trees. This increase was more pronounced on sparsely forested composite sites than on more fully stocked genuine forested sites in Scots pine stands, which further undergo the formation of birch and spruce undergrowth beneath the overstory as succession proceeds. At 20-30 years after drainage the structural heterogeneity started to decrease, indicating increased inter-tree competition, which increased the mortality of suppressed trees within stand. Peatland stands are more dynamic than anticipated and are generally not characterized by a balanced, self-perpetuating structure. On pristine sites, various successional pathways are possible, whereas on drained sites the succession has more uniform trend. Typically, stand succession proceeds without any distinct developmental stages on pristine peatlands, whereas on drained peatlands, at least three distinct stages could be identified. Thinnings had only little impact on the stand succession. The new information on stand dynamics may be utilised, e.g. in forest management planning to facilitate the allocation of the growth resources to the desired crop component by appropriate silvicultural treatments, as well as assist in assessing the effects of the climate change on the forested boreal peatlands.

Sianlihan tuotantoon vaikuttavat tekijät vuosina 1995-2006

Ennen Suomen EU-jäsenyyttä kansallisen maatalouspolitiikan yksi päätavoitteista oli elintarvikeomavaraisuus. Tavoitteen saavuttamiseksi Suomessa oli maatalouspolitiikan osalta käytössä hintatukijärjestelmä, jossa yksi pääasiallisista tuotannon ohjauskeinoista oli tavoitehinnat, joilla valtiovalta pyrki vaikuttamaan tuottajahintoihin. Tavoitehintojen avulla tuottajat pystyivät ennakoimaan tulevan hintatason ja näin siirtämään tuotantoaan taloudellisesti kannattavimpaan suuntaan. Tästä oli kuitenkin seurauksena kotimaisen elintarvikeomavaraisuuden ylittyminen varsinkin eläinkunnan tuotteiden osalta. Vuonna 1994 lihatuotteiden yhteenlaskettu omavaisuus oli 110 prosenttia. Sianlihan osalta omavaisuus oli hieman tätä suurempi, 114 prosenttia. Suomen liityttyä EU:n jäsenmaaksi vuonna 1995 tavoitehinnoista luovuttiin ja samalla tuottajahinnat putosivat. Korvaukseksi tuottajahintojen pudotuksesta tuottajille alettiin maksaa suoria tulotukia. Tutkimuksen tarkoituksena oli selvittää mitkä tekijät vaikuttivat sianlihan tuotantopäätöksiin maatalouden muuttuneessa toimintaympäristössä ja miten yhteisen maatalouspolitiikan uudistukset vaikuttivat sianlihan tarjontaan. Tutkimuksen tarkasteluaikavälinä olivat vuodet 1995 2006. Tutkimuksen tavoitteena oli myös tuotantoon vaikuttavien tekijöiden pohjalta ennustaa sianlihan tuotantoa vuoteen 2013. Tuotantopäätöksiin vaikuttavia tekijöitä tarkasteltiin regressio-analyysin avulla, jotta saataisiin selville sianlihan tuotantoa parhaiten selittävät tekijät. Tutkimuksen aikasarja-aineisto poimittiin maa- ja metsätalousministeriön tietopalvelukeskuksen (Tike:n) ja tilastokeskuksen julkaisemista ja ylläpitämistä tilastoista. Sianlihan tuotantoon vaikuttavien tekijöiden ennusteisiin tutkimuksessa käytettiin sekä kansainvälisten että kotimaisten taloustutkimuslaitosten ja organisaatioiden ennusteita. Tutkimuksen teoreettinen viitekehys muodostui yrityksen teoriasta, tarjontateoriasta ja aikavälin merkityksestä tarjontaan. Tuotantomallin estimoinnin tuloksena sianlihan tuotantoon vaikuttivat vuosien 1996 2006 aikana sianlihan tuotannon tuottavuuden kasvua kuvaava teknologiamuuttuja, neljällä neljänneksellä viivästetty sianlihan tuottajahinta ja tuotantotuet yhteenlaskettuna, kolmella neljänneksellä viivästetty vehnän tuottajahinta, kahdeksalla neljänneksellä viivästetty sianlihan tuotanto, kahdella neljänneksellä viivästetty porsaan välityshinta ja kuudella neljänneksellä viivästetty investointituet. Sianlihan tuotantomallin selitysasteeksi saatiin 0,91. Estimoidulla tuotantomallilla ennustettiin sianlihan tuotannon kehitystä vuosina 2007 2013. Perusskenaariossa tuotannon ennustettiin muuttuvan vuodesta 2007 eteenpäin samalla tavalla kuin vuosina 1995 2006 keskimäärin. Perusskenaarion lisäksi tuotantomallilla simuloitiin tuotantotukien ja investointitukien dekoplauksen vaikutusta sianlihan tuotantoon. Tuotantotukien dekoplauksen myötä sianlihan tuotanto laskisi 177 milj. kiloon vuonna 2009, mutta nousisi 193 milj. kiloon vuonna 2013. Investointitukien dekoplauksen myötä tuotanto laskisi 176 milj. kiloon vuonna 2009 ja nousisi vuoteen 2013 mennessä 191 milj. kiloon. Suurimman pudotuksen aiheutti kuitenkin vehnän tuottajahinnan nousu vuosien 2006 ja 2007 aikana, jonka seurauksena sianlihan tuotanto laskisi jo vuonna 2008 180 milj. kiloon.

Lätta stabila isotopfraktioner som verktyg i biologisk forskning

Det finns en mätbar entitet i all levande materia, nämligen förhållandet mellan ett atomslags lätta och tunga isotop. Denna entitet divideras med en definierad referens och ett värde erhålls som brukar anges i promille ( ). Värdet är ett mått på isotopfraktionering. Genom att studera ekologi, taxonomi, kretslopp, isotopeffekter, dokumenterad data och metabola effekter kan man skissera över vad isotopfraktionen betyder. Migrationsbeteende, trofinätverk, dieter, miljö- och klimatdata kan rekonstrueras i tid och rum. Vid rekonstruktioner av gången tid har de museala samlingarna en nyckelposition. I litteraturöversikten tas teori, praktik och forskning upp för att påvisa metodens faror och användningsområden.

Precipitation-induced runoff and leaching from milled peat mining mires by peat types : a comparative method for estimating the loading of water bodies during peat pruduction

Precipitation-induced runoff and leaching from milled peat mining mires by peat types: a comparative method for estimating the loading of water bodies during peat production. This research project in environmental geology has arisen out of an observed need to be able to predict more accurately the loading of watercourses with detrimental organic substances and nutrients from already existing and planned peat production areas, since the authorities capacity for insisting on such predictions covering the whole duration of peat production in connection with evaluations of environmental impact is at present highly limited. National and international decisions regarding monitoring of the condition of watercourses and their improvement and restoration require more sophisticated evaluation methods in order to be able to forecast watercourse loading and its environmental impacts at the stage of land-use planning and preparations for peat production.The present project thus set out from the premise that it would be possible on the basis of existing mire and peat data properties to construct estimates for the typical loading from production mires over the whole duration of their exploitation. Finland has some 10 million hectares of peatland, accounting for almost a third of its total area. Macroclimatic conditions have varied in the course of the Holocene growth and development of this peatland, and with them the habitats of the peat-forming plants. Temperatures and moisture conditions have played a significant role in determining the dominant species of mire plants growing there at any particular time, the resulting mire types and the accumulation and deposition of plant remains to form the peat. The above climatic, environmental and mire development factors, together with ditching, have contributed, and continue to contribute, to the existence of peat horizons that differ in their physical and chemical properties, leading to differences in material transport between peatlands in a natural state and mires that have been ditched or prepared for forestry and peat production. Watercourse loading from the ditching of mires or their use for peat production can have detrimental effects on river and lake environments and their recreational use, especially where oxygen-consuming organic solids and soluble organic substances and nutrients are concerned. It has not previously been possible, however, to estimate in advance the watercourse loading likely to arise from ditching and peat production on the basis of the characteristics of the peat in a mire, although earlier observations have indicated that watercourse loading from peat production can vary greatly and it has been suggested that differences in peat properties may be of significance in this. Sprinkling is used here in combination with simulations of conditions in a milled peat production area to determine the influence of the physical and chemical properties of milled peats in production mires on surface runoff into the drainage ditches and the concentrations of material in the runoff water. Sprinkling and extraction experiments were carried out on 25 samples of milled Carex (C) and Sphagnum (S) peat of humification grades H 2.5 8.5 with moisture content in the range 23.4 89% on commencement of the first sprinkling, which was followed by a second sprinkling 24 hours later. The water retention capacity of the peat was best, and surface runoff lowest, with Sphagnum and Carex peat samples of humification grades H 2.5 6 in the moisture content class 56 75%. On account of the hydrophobicity of dry peat, runoff increased in a fairly regular manner with drying of the sample from 55% to 24 30%. Runoff from the samples with an original moisture content over 55% increased by 63% in the second round of sprinkling relative to the first, as they had practically reached saturation point on the first occasion, while those with an original moisture content below 55% retained their high runoff in the second round, due to continued hydrophobicity. The well-humified samples (H 6.5 8.5) with a moisture content over 80% showed a low water retention capacity and high runoff in both rounds of sprinkling. Loading of the runoff water with suspended solids, total phosphorus and total nitrogen, and also the chemical oxygen demand (CODMn O2), varied greatly in the sprinkling experiment, depending on the peat type and degree of humification, but concentrations of the same substances in the two sprinklings were closely or moderately closely correlated and these correlations were significant. The concentrations of suspended solids in the runoff water observed in the simulations of a peat production area and the direct surface runoff from it into the drainage ditch system in response to rain (sprinkling intensity 1.27 mm/min) varied c. 60-fold between the degrees of humification in the case of the Carex peats and c. 150-fold for the Sphagnum peats, while chemical oxygen demand varied c. 30-fold and c. 50-fold, respectively, total phosphorus c. 60-fold and c. 66-fold, total nitrogen c. 65-fold and c. 195-fold and ammonium nitrogen c. 90-fold and c. 30-fold. The increases in concentrations in the runoff water were very closely correlated with increases in humification of the peat. The correlations of the concentrations measured in extraction experiments (48 h) with peat type and degree of humification corresponded to those observed in the sprinkler experiments. The resulting figures for the surface runoff from a peat production area into the drainage ditches simulated by means of sprinkling and material concentrations in the runoff water were combined with statistics on the mean extent of daily rainfall (0 67 mm) during the frost-free period of the year (May October) over an observation period of 30 years to yield typical annual loading figures (kg/ha) for suspended solids (SS), chemical oxygen demand of organic matter (CODmn O2), total phosphorus (tot. P) and total nitrogen (tot. N) entering the ditches with respect to milled Carex (C) and Sphagnum (S) peats of humification grades H 2.5 8.5. In order to calculate the loading of drainage ditches from a milled peat production mire with the aid of these annual comparative values (in kg/ha), information is required on the properties of the intended production mire and its peat. Once data are available on the area of the mire, its peat depth, peat types and their degrees of humification, dry matter content, calorific value and corresponding energy content, it is possible to produce mutually comparable estimates for individual mires with respect to the annual loading of the drainage ditch system and the surrounding watercourse for the whole service life of the production area, the duration of this service life, determinations of energy content and the amount of loading per unit of energy generated (kg/MWh). In the 8 mires in the Köyhäjoki basin, Central Ostrobothnia, taken as an example, the loading of suspended solids (SS) in the drainage ditch networks calculated on the basis of the typical values obtained here and existing mire and peat data and expressed per unit of energy generated varied between the mires and horizons in the range 0.9 16.5 kg/MWh. One of the aims of this work was to develop means of making better use of existing mire and peat data and the results of corings and other field investigations. In this respect combination of the typical loading values (kg/ha) obtained here for S, SC, CS and C peats and the various degrees of humification (H 2.5 8.5) with the above mire and peat data by means of a computer program for the acquisition and handling of such data would enable all the information currently available and that deposited in the system in the future to be used for defining watercourse loading estimates for mires and comparing them with the corresponding estimates of energy content. The intention behind this work has been to respond to the challenge facing the energy generation industry to find larger peat production areas that exert less loading on the environment and to that facing the environmental authorities to improve the means available for estimating watercourse loading from peat production and its environmental impacts in advance. The results conform well to the initial hypothesis and to the goals laid down for the research and should enable watercourse loading from existing and planned peat production to be evaluated better in the future and the resulting impacts to be taken into account when planning land use and energy generation. The advance loading information available in this way would be of value in the selection of individual peat production areas, the planning of their exploitation, the introduction of water protection measures and the planning of loading inspections, in order to achieve controlled peat production that pays due attention to environmental considerations.

Measuring and tracking quality factors in Free and Open Source Software projects

Free and Open Source Software (FOSS) has gained increased interest in the computer software industry, but assessing its quality remains a challenge. FOSS development is frequently carried out by globally distributed development teams, and all stages of development are publicly visible. Several product and process-level quality factors can be measured using the public data. This thesis presents a theoretical background for software quality and metrics and their application in a FOSS environment. Information available from FOSS projects in three information spaces are presented, and a quality model suitable for use in a FOSS context is constructed. The model includes both process and product quality metrics, and takes into account the tools and working methods commonly used in FOSS projects. A subset of the constructed quality model is applied to three FOSS projects, highlighting both theoretical and practical concerns in implementing automatic metric collection and analysis. The experiment shows that useful quality information can be extracted from the vast amount of data available. In particular, projects vary in their growth rate, complexity, modularity and team structure.

Population dynamics of blue mussels in a variable environment at the edge of their range

Spatial and temporal variation in the abundance of species can often be ascribed to spatial and temporal variation in the surrounding environment. Knowledge of how biotic and abiotic factors operate over different spatial and temporal scales in determining distribution, abundance, and structure of populations lies at the heart of ecology. The major part of the current ecological theory stems from studies carried out in central parts of the distributional range of species, whereas knowledge of how marginal populations function is inadequate. Understanding how marginal populations, living at the edge of their range, function is however in a key position to advance ecology and evolutionary biology as scientific disciplines. My thesis focuses on the factors affecting dynamics of marginal populations of blue mussels (Mytilus edulis) living close to their tolerance limits with regard to salinity. The thesis aims to highlight the dynamics at the edge of the range and contrast these with dynamics in more central parts of the range in order to understand the potential interplay between the central and the marginal part in the focal system. The objectives of the thesis are approached by studies on: (1) factors affecting regional patterns of the species, (2) long-term temporal dynamics of the focal species spaced along a regional salinity gradient, (3) selective predation by increasing populations of roach (Rutilus rutilus) when feeding on their main food item, the blue mussel, (4) the primary and secondary effects of local wave exposure gradients and (5) the role of small-scale habitat heterogeneity as determinants of large-scale pattern. The thesis shows that populations of blue mussels are largely determined by large scale changes in sea water salinity, affecting mainly recruitment success and longevity of local populations. In opposite to the traditional view, the thesis strongly indicate that vertebrate predators strongly affect abundance and size structure of blue mussel populations, and that the role of these predators increases towards the margin where populations are increasingly top-down controlled. The thesis also indicates that the positive role of biogenic habitat modifiers increases towards the marginal areas, where populations of blue mussels are largely recruitment limited. Finally, the thesis shows that local blue mussel populations are strongly dependent on high water turbulence, and therefore, dense populations are constrained to offshore habitats. Finally, the thesis suggests that ongoing sedimentation of rocky shores is detrimental for the species, affecting recruitment success and post-recruit survival, pushing stable mussel beds towards offshore areas. Ongoing large scale changes in the Baltic Sea, especially dilution processes with attendant effects, are predicted to substantially contract the distributional range of the mussel, but also affect more central populations. The thesis shows that in order to understand the functioning of marginal populations, research should (1) strive for multi-scale approaches in order to link ecosystem patterns with ecosystem processes, and (2) challenge the prevailing tenets that origin from research carried out in central areas that may not be valid at the edge.

The viral coat protein is regulated by HSP70 and HSP40 in Potato virus A infection

Plus-stranded (plus) RNA viruses multiply within a cellular environment as tightly integrated units and rely on the genetic information carried within their genomes for multiplication and, hence, persistence. The minimal genomes of plus RNA viruses are unable to encode the molecular machineries that are required for virus multiplication. This sets requisites for the virus, which must form compatible interactions with host components during multiplication to successfully utilize primary metabolites as building blocks or metabolic energy, and to divert the protein synthesis machinery for production of viral proteins. In fact, the emerging picture of a virus-infected cell displays tight integration with the virus, from simple host and virus protein interactions through to major changes in the physiological state of the host cell. This study set out to develop a method for the identification of host components, mainly host proteins, that interact with proteins of Potato virus A (PVA; Potyvirus) during infection. This goal was approached by developing affinity-tag based methods for the purification of viral proteins complexed with associated host proteins from infected plants. Using this method, host membrane-associated viral ribonucleoprotein (RNP) complexes were obtained, and several host and viral proteins could be identified as components of these complexes. One of the host proteins identified using this strategy was a member of the heat shock protein 70 (HSP70) family, and this protein was chosen for further analysis. To enable the analysis of viral gene expression, a second method was developed based on Agrobacterium-mediated virus genome delivery into plant cells, and detection of virally expressed Renilla luciferase (RLUC) as a quantitative measure of viral gene expression. Using this method, it was observed that down-regulation of HSP70 caused a PVA coat protein (CP)-mediated defect associated with replication. Further experimentation suggested that CP can inhibit viral gene expression and that a distinct translational activity coupled to replication, referred to as replication-associated translation (RAT), exists. Unlike translation of replication-deficient viral RNA, RAT was dependent on HSP70 and its co-chaperone CPIP. HSP70 and CPIP together regulated CP turnover by promoting its modification by ubiquitin. Based on these results, an HSP70 and CPIP-driven mechanism that functions to regulate CP during viral RNA replication and/or translation is proposed, possibly to prevent premature particle assembly caused by CP association with viral RNA.