The influence of balanced and imbalanced resource supply on biodiversity – functioning relationship across ecosystems

Numerous studies show that increasing species richness leads to higher ecosystem productivity. This effect is often attributed to more efficient portioning of multiple resources in communities with higher numbers of competing species, indicating the role of resource supply and stoichiometry for biodiversity-ecosystem functioning relationships. Here, we merged theory on ecological stoichiometry with a framework of biodiversity-ecosystem functioning to understand how resource use transfers into primary production. We applied a structural equation model to define patterns of diversity-productivity relationships with respect to available resources. Meta-analysis was used to summarize the findings across ecosystem types ranging from aquatic ecosystems to grasslands and forests. As hypothesized, resource supply increased realized productivity and richness, but we found significant differences between ecosystems and study types. Increased richness was associated with increased productivity, although this effect was not seen in experiments. More even communities had lower productivity, indicating that biomass production is often maintained by a few dominant species, and reduced dominance generally reduced ecosystem productivity. This synthesis, which integrates observational and experimental studies in a variety of ecosystems and geographical regions, exposes common patterns and differences in biodiversity-functioning relationships, and increases the mechanistic understanding of changes in ecosystems productivity.

Silta- ja rumpurakenteiden aukkomitoitus

Ilmastomallien mukaan sademäärät kasvavat kaikkialla suomessa. Sadeolojen ennustetaan äärevöityvän eli yhtäältä esiintyy pitkiä kuivia kausia ja toisaalta rankkasateet voimistuvat ja toistuvat nykyistä useammin. Etelä-Suomessa talviaika lyhenee ja lumipeite jää ohuemmaksi. Vesisateiden osuus kokonaissadannasta kasvaa ja tämä lisää talviaikaisia valuntoja. Etelä-Suomessa lumipeitteen ohenemisen vuoksi sulamisvesistä syntyvä kevätylivirtaama jää nykyistä pienemmäksi ja vuotuinen ylivirtaama-ajankohta sattuu useammin muuksi kuin kevääksi. Pohjois-Suomessa talviaikaiset sateet ovat tulevaisuudessakin suurimmaksi osaksi lunta. Vaikka lumipeitteinen aika lyhenee sielläkin, sademäärien kasvu saattaa lisätä lumipeitteen vesiarvoja ja kasvattaa sulamisvesien aiheuttamia kevätylivirtaamia (RATU, Water Adapt). Tämä korostaa silta- ja rumpuaukkojen riittävän mitoittamisen tärkeyttä. Useimmat ELY-keskukset ovat luopuneet aukkolausuntojen antamisesta. Oppaan tarkoituksena on antaa aukkomitoituksia tekeville henkilöille tietoa laskentaperusteista ja hyväksi koetuista toimintatavoista. Oppaan avulla on mahdollista luoda yhtenäinen käytäntö silta- ja rumpuaukkojen mitoituksessa. Samalla sen toivotaan korostavan hyvän suunnittelun merkitystä siltojen ja rumpujen rakentamisessa. Tämän oppaan pohjana on ollut siltojen ja rumpujen mitoitusta koskeva osa vesihallituksen vuoden 1986 julkaisusta ”Maankuivatuksen suunnittelu I osa”, joka on korvattu vuonna 2015 päivitetyllä julkaisulla ”Maan-kuivatuksen ja kastelun suunnittelu”. Opas sisältää tietoa sillan ja rummun vesiaukon mitoittamisesta. Suosittelemalla nykyistä harvemmin esiintyviä mitoitusvirtaamia pyritään pienentämään riskejä. Ohjeita aukon aiheuttaman padotuksen määrittämiseksi on selkeytetty. Oppaassa on kiinnitetty aiempaa enemmän huomiota myös aukkorakenteiden haitallisten ympäristövaikutusten ehkäisyyn. Taustalla on yhteiseurooppalaisen vesipolitiikan vaatimus vapaasta ja yhtenäisestä uomajatkumosta. Sen tila ei voi olla ekologisesti hyvä, jos silta- ja rumpurakenteet katkaisevat jatkumon. Suomen ympäristökeskus on julkaissut oppaan alun perin vuonna 2007 nimellä ”Silta- ja rumpulausunnot – Luonnos oppaaksi”. Julkaisun tekemiseen on osallistunut asiantuntijoita Suomen ympäristökeskuksesta ja ELY-keskuksista sekä konsulttina yli-insinööri Raimo K. Nissinen. Peruskuivatuksen ja ojitustoimitusten toimintamalliryhmä on päivittänyt opasta ottaen huomioon vuonna 2012 voimaan tulleen vesilainsäädännön uudistuksen (587 / 2011) sekä aluehallinnossa ja ympäristöhallinnossa tapahtuneet

Transparency in European football : A study of financial disclosure transparency from a supporter perspective

Background and Problem: Despite the exploding increase in revenue by more than 500 percent (1996-2014) among European football clubs, the operating profit in the “big five” leagues are, paradoxically, inexistent or very low. Hence, there is a need for more transparent financial reporting in European football. To preserve the game’s well-being and establish a sustainable future, UEFA introduced Financial Fair Play (FFP) back in 2010 as a part of their club licensing requirements. The transparency that FFP is intended to improve is however only disclosed to UEFA and its member associations, which is only one of many stakeholders. In times of financial turmoil in European football clubs, where fair play and sustainability is frequently discussed since the implementation of FFP, one could ask; is it really fair play that not all European football clubs are obligated to be transparent towards all their stakeholders and supporters? Purpose: The purpose of this thesis is to, from a supporter perspective, look at how transparent European football clubs’ financial disclosure is. Methodology: The research has elements of both a deductive and an inductive approach and uses a disclosure checklist with a cross-sectional design, in order to measure disclosure transparency.  Empirical Results and Conclusion: Even though the empirical findings proved that financial reporting transparency are present within European football, the conclusion is that the financial reporting is generally not transparent within the industry.

Att befinna sig i ett kaos - upplevelse av psykisk ohälsa efter stroke : Ur ett patientperspektiv. En litteraturstudie

Introduktion: Stroke är en av de stora folksjukdomarna och en av de ledande dödsorsakerna i Sverige. Det är en vanlig orsak till funktionsnedsättning och påverkar personen både fysiskt och psykiskt. Syfte: Litteraturstudiens syfte var att belysa upplevelse av psykisk ohälsa efter en stroke, ur ett patientperspektiv. Metod: Den metod som användes var en litteraturstudie, med deduktiv ansats. Med hjälp av relevanta sökord identifierades elva artiklar i databaserna CINAHL och PubMed, som sedan genomgick en kvalitetsgranskning och slutligen utgjorde resultatet. Resultat: Presenterades i tre kategorier utifrån en modifiering av referensramen enligt följande: Avsaknad av emotionellt välbefinnande, Avsaknad av socialt välbefinnande, Avsaknad av psykisk välbefinnande. Dessa kategorier visade upplevelser av psykisk ohälsa på olika sätt och hur de påverkade patienten. Slutsats: Upplevelser av psykisk ohälsa var vanligt förekommande hos patienterna. Då fokus låg på den fysiska rehabiliteringen hamnade den psykiska dimensionen i skymundan. Det är av stor vikt att sjuksköterskan uppmärksammar och möter dessa upplevelser av psykisk ohälsa i ett tidigt utvecklingsskede, för att undvika vidareutveckling mot mer allvarliga psykiatriska tillstånd. 

A rehabilitation intervention to promote physical recovery following intensive care: a detailed description of construct development, rationale and content together with proposed taxonomy to capture processes in a randomised controlled trial.

Background: increasing numbers of patients are surviving critical illness, but survival may be associated with a constellation of physical and psychological sequelae that can cause on going disability and reduced health-related quality of life. Limited evidence currently exists to guide the optimum structure, timing, and content of rehabilitation programmes. There is a need to both develop and evaluate interventions to support and expedite recovery during the post-ICU discharge period. This paper describes the construct development for a complex rehabilitation intervention intended to promote physical recovery following critical illness. The intervention is currently being evaluated in a randomised trial (ISRCTN09412438; funder Chief Scientists Office, Scotland). Methods: the intervention was developed using the Medical Research Council (MRC) framework for developing complex healthcare interventions. We ensured representation from a wide variety of stakeholders including content experts from multiple specialties, methodologists, and patient representation. The intervention construct was initially based on literature review, local observational and audit work, qualitative studies with ICU survivors, and brainstorming activities. Iterative refinement was aided by the publication of a National Institute for Health and Care Excellence guideline (No. 83), publicly available patient stories (Healthtalkonline), a stakeholder event in collaboration with the James Lind Alliance, and local piloting. Modelling and further work involved a feasibility trial and development of a novel generic rehabilitation assistant (GRA) role. Several rounds of external peer review during successive funding applications also contributed to development. Results: the final construct for the complex intervention involved a dedicated GRA trained to pre-defined competencies across multiple rehabilitation domains (physiotherapy, dietetics, occupational therapy, and speech/language therapy), with specific training in post-critical illness issues. The intervention was from ICU discharge to 3 months post-discharge, including inpatient and post-hospital discharge elements. Clear strategies to provide information to patients/families were included. A detailed taxonomy was developed to define and describe the processes undertaken, and capture them during the trial. The detailed process measure description, together with a range of patient, health service, and economic outcomes were successfully mapped on to the modified CONSORT recommendations for reporting non-pharmacologic trial interventions. Conclusions: the MRC complex intervention framework was an effective guide to developing a novel post-ICU rehabilitation intervention. Combining a clearly defined new healthcare role with a detailed taxonomy of process and activity enabled the intervention to be clearly described for the purpose of trial delivery and reporting. These data will be useful when interpreting the results of the randomised trial, will increase internal and external trial validity, and help others implement the intervention if the intervention proves clinically and cost effective.

Experiências de (in)justiça com os professores e comportamentos de desvio na adolescência

Tese de Doutoramento em Psicologia na área de especialidade Psicologia Social

Evaluation of faecal sampling methods for the analysis of Giardia sp. in companion animals

Dissertação de Mestrado Integrado em Medicina Veterinária

GENETIC VARIATION, LOCAL ADAPTATION AND POPULATION STRUCTURE IN NORTH AMERICAN RED OAK SPECIES, QUERCUS RUBRA L. AND Q. ELLIPSOIDALIS E. J. HILL

Forest trees, like oaks, rely on high levels of genetic variation to adapt to varying environmental conditions. Thus, genetic variation and its distribution are important for the long-term survival and adaptability of oak populations. Climate change is projected to lead to increased drought and fire events as well as a northward migration of tree species, including oaks. Additionally, decline in oak regeneration has become increasingly concerning since it may lead to decreased gene flow and increased inbreeding levels. This will in turn lead to lowered levels of genetic diversity, negatively affecting the growth and survival of populations. At the same time, populations at the species’ distribution edge, like those in this study, could possess important stores of genetic diversity and adaptive potential, while also being vulnerable to climatic or anthropogenic changes. A survey of the level and distribution of genetic variation and identification of potentially adaptive genes is needed since adaptive genetic variation is essential for their long-term survival. Oaks possess a remarkable characteristic in that they maintain their species identity and specific environmental adaptations despite their propensity to hybridize. Thus, in the face of interspecific gene flow, some areas of the genome remain differentiated due to selection. This characteristic allows the study of local environmental adaptation through genetic variation analyses. Furthermore, using genic markers with known putative functions makes it possible to link those differentiated markers to potential adaptive traits (e.g., flowering time, drought stress tolerance). Demographic processes like gene flow and genetic drift also play an important role in how genes (including adaptive genes) are maintained or spread. These processes are influenced by disturbances, both natural and anthropogenic. An examination of how genetic variation is geographically distributed can display how these genetic processes and geographical disturbances influence genetic variation patterns. For example, the spatial clustering of closely related trees could promote inbreeding with associated negative effects (inbreeding depression), if gene flow is limited. In turn this can have negative consequences for a species’ ability to adapt to changing environmental conditions. In contrast, interspecific hybridization may also allow the transfer of genes between species that increase their adaptive potential in a changing environment. I have studied the ecologically divergent, interfertile red oaks, Quercus rubra and Q. ellipsoidalis, to identify genes with potential roles in adaptation to abiotic stress through traits such as drought tolerance and flowering time, and to assess the level and distribution of genetic variation. I found evidence for moderate gene flow between the two species and low interspecific genetic differences at most genetic markers (Lind and Gailing 2013). However, the screening of genic markers with potential roles in phenology and drought tolerance led to the identification of a CONSTANS-like (COL) gene, a candidate gene for flowering time and growth. This marker, located in the coding region of the gene, was highly differentiated between the two species in multiple geographical areas, despite interspecific gene flow, and may play a role in reproductive isolation and adaptive divergence between the two species (Lind-Riehl et al. 2014). Since climate change could result in a northward migration of trees species like oaks, this gene could be important in maintaining species identity despite increased contact zones between species (e.g., increased gene flow). Finally I examined differences in spatial genetic structure (SGS) and genetic variation between species and populations subjected to different management strategies and natural disturbances. Diverse management activities combined with various natural disturbances as well as species specific life history traits influenced SGS patterns and inbreeding levels (Lind-Riehl and Gailing submitted).

La migración infantil indocumentada de Centroamérica, un desafío a la reformulación de la política migratoria de Estados Unidos. Estudio de caso de Honduras (2010-2014)

El siguiente estudio de caso analiza la influencia de la llegada de la migración infantil indocumentada centroamericana en la reformulación de la política migratoria de Estados Unidos en el período 2010-2014. Enfocándose en el caso de Honduras para dar a conocer y analizar las causas que crean las dinámicas migratorias por parte de los menores, este trabajo analiza como la llegada de estas poblaciones genera ciertos efectos en el proceso de toma de decisión de las políticas internas de los Estados Unidos. Por un lado, para resaltar las características del fenómeno migratorio, se utilizan las teorías de redes sociales y la teoría push and pull. Por otro, mediante los conceptos de Sensibilidad y Vulnerabilidad expuestos en la teoría de la Interdependencia Compleja de las Relaciones Internacionales, como también el concepto de Seguridad Societal propuesto por Barry Buzan se estudia el nivel de influencia del fenómeno infantil en el gobierno norteamericano.

Tiempo promedio del efecto máximo de la insulina análoga en la glucemia postprandial y factores relacionados

Introducción: El tiempo promedio del efecto máximo de la insulina regular rápida en la glucemia postprandial ha sido considerado durante años de 120 minutos. En pacientes con Diabetes Mellitus (DM) que usan insulinas análogas este tiempo y los factores asociados no se encuentran reportados para ser aplicados en el automonitoreo. El objetivo de este estudio fue calcular el tiempo y factores relacionados al efecto máximo de la insulina en la glucemia postprandial. Metodología: Se desarrolló un estudio longitudinal retrospectivo a partir de una fuente secundaria donde se realizó un análisis descriptivo y bivariado con las variables demográficas y clínicas presentes en la población. Resultados: El tiempo promedio del pico máximo de insulina en pacientes con DM1 fue de 78.4 (DE± 16.512) y DM2 75.01(DE± 12.02) minutos. El 75% de la población con DM1 y el 54.2% en DM2 era de sexo femenino, la edad promedio en DM1 era 42.38 años y en DM2 68 años, en cuanto a la categorización del IMC el 50% de la población en DM1 y el 37.5% en DM2 estaban dentro del rango de obesidad y se encontró una relación con respecto al tipo de comida “desayuno-cena” vs el tiempo promedio del efecto máximo de la insulina calculado para ambos grupos (p:0.010). Conclusiones: El tiempo promedio del efecto máximo de la insulina calculado fue menor al tiempo reportado en la literatura clínica de 120 minutos. El tipo de comida principal mostró una relación con el tiempo promedio del efecto máximo en ambos grupos.

Actitudes hacia la Enfermedad del Alzheimer según el género y la edad de adultos colombianos

La enfermedad de Alzheimer (EA) es la demencia más frecuente y su prevalencia continúa en aumento tanto en Colombia como en el mundo. Esta investigación tuvo como objetivo explorar si las actitudes hacia la EA varían según la edad y género de 450 personas adultas colombianas. Se realizó un estudio exploratorio de corte transversal en el que se aplicó un cuestionario autodiligenciado. Se encontró que efectivamente hay algunas diferencias según la edad y el género en el componente cognoscitivo (creencias y conocimiento) y conductual (intención conductual y conducta) de las actitudes; y diferencias según el género en el componente afectivo. Se concluye que los conocimientos sobre la EA son escasos, que la tristeza es la emoción predominante hacia la EA y que es un tema de interés en el que predomina la idea de que afecta especialmente la memoria. Se discutieron los resultados reconociendo que esta es una aproximación inicial a las actitudes hacia la EA.