Experimental Governance and Urban Planning Futures: Five Strategic Functions for Municipalities in Local Innovation

Experimental governance is increasingly being implemented in cities around the world through laboratories, testbeds, platforms, and innovation districts to address a wide range of complex sustainability challenges. Experiments often involve public-private partnerships and triple helix collaborations with the municipality as a key stakeholder. This stretches the responsibilities of local authorities beyond conventional practices of policymaking and regulation to engage in more applied, collaborative, and recursive forms of planning. In this article, we examine how local authorities are involved in experimental governance and how this is influencing their approach to urban development. We are specifically interested in the multiple strategic functions that municipalities play in experimental governance and the broader implications to existing urban planning practices and norms. We begin the article by developing an analytic framework of the most common strategic functions of municipalities in experimental governance and then apply this framework to Stockholm, a city that has embraced experimental governance as a means to realise its sustainability ambitions. Our findings reveal how the strategic functions of visioning, facilitating, supporting, amplifying, and guarding are producing new opportunities and challenges to urban planning practices in twenty-first century cities

Bestämning av optimal skördetidpunkt och lagringspotential för äpple med DA-meter

För att kunna tillgodose marknadens och konsumenternas krav på högkvalitativ frukt krävs en långsiktig strategi för hantering av frukt vid och efter skörd. Därför har en ny metod tagits fram som på ett exakt och icke-destruktivt sätt bestämmer optimal skördetidpunkt och lagringsduglighet. Syftet med detta arbete var att utvärdera användningen av det icke-destruktiva, praktiska och korrekta instrumentet, DA-mätare. Försöket utfördes på äpplesorterna ’Aroma’ och ’Discovery’. Flera mognadsindex bedömdes för att avgöra mognadsgraden för äpple (Streif index, fasthet, stärkelsenedbrytning, total löslig torrsubstans och respirationshastighet). Den portabla spektrometern, DA-meter (klorofyll absorbans index (IAD)), kontrollerar fruktmognaden genom att mäta klorofyllnedbrytning (skillnaden i absorbans mellan 670 och 720 nm) under skalet. DA-mätaren utvärderades för att kunna ersätta dessa mognadsindex med en mer praktisk och icke-destruktiv metod. Resultaten visar att det finns korrelationer mellan alla de destruktiva metoder som använts i försöket och plockningstiderna (mognadsgrad). De destruktiva index som visar en tydlig korrelation med plockningstiden har även tydlig korrelation med respirationshastigheten och kan därmed användas som lämpliga mognadsindex. Dessa index är stärkelsenedbrytning och fasthet för ’Discovery’, samt total löslig torr substans och Streif index för ’Aroma’. IAD-värdet visade en mycket stark negativ korrelation med plockningstiden och med respirationshastigheten för båda äpplesorterna. Därför kan IAD-värdet användas som ett index för att bestämma den optimala skördetidpunkten. Eftersom resultaten visade mycket stark korrelation mellan destruktiva mognadsindex och IAD-värdet, kan dessa destruktiva metoder ersättas med DA-mätare för mer exakt bestämning av mognadsgrad. Lagringspotentialen för de två äpplesorterna kan bedömdas med hjälp av IAD. Denna studie visar att ’Discovery’ bör skördas inom intervallen IAD 1,0 - 1,5 och lagras under maximum 11 veckor, för att få så bra lagringspotential som möjligt. Medan ’Aroma’ bör skördas vid ett IAD- värde mellan 1,6 - 1,9 och lagras under 12 veckor.To meet market and consumer demand for high quality fruit a long-term strategy for how to handle fruit during and after harvest is required. Therefore, a new method has been developed that accurately and non-destructively determine the optimal harvest date and storability. The purpose of this work was to evaluate the use of the non-destructive, practical and accurate instrument DA-meter. The trial was performed on apple varieties 'Aroma' and 'Discovery'. Several maturation indices were assessed to determine the level of maturity of apple (Streif index, firmness, starch degradation, total soluble solids and respiration rate). The portable spectrometer, DA-meter (chlorophyll absorbance Index (IAD)), were evaluated to replace these methods with a more practical and non-destructive method. The results showed close correlations between all the destructive methods used in this study and picking times. The destructive indices which showed clear correlations with picking times as well as with respiration rate should be used as optimal maturity index. These destructive indices were starch degradation and firmness for ‘Discovery’ and Streif Index and total soluble solids for ‘Aroma’. IAD value showed strong correlation with picking time and respiration rate at harvest. Therefore, different destructive maturity indices can be replaced with DA-meter to determine the optimal harvest time for either cultivars. The storage potential of the two apple cultivars could be assessed using IAD values. This study showed that 'Discovery' should be harvested in the ranges of 1.0 - 1.5 IAD and stored for maximum 11 weeks in air, to get as good storage potential as possible, while 'Aroma' should be harvested at IAD value between 1.6 and 1.9 and stored for 12 weeks in air

Binding of divalent cations is essential for the activity of the organellar peptidasome in Arabidopsis thaliana, AtPreP

AbstractThe dual-targeted mitochondrial and chloroplastic zinc metallooligopeptidase from Arabidopsis, AtPreP, functions as a peptidasome that degrades targeting peptides and other small unstructured peptides. In addition to Zn located in the catalytic site, AtPreP also contains two Mg-binding sites. We have investigated the role of Mg-binding using AtPreP variants, in which one or both sites were rendered unable to bind Mg2+. Our results show that metal binding besides that of the active site is crucial for AtPreP proteolysis, particularly the inner site appears essential for normal proteolytic function. This is also supported by its evolutionary conservation among all plant species of PreP.Structured summaryMINT-7231937, MINT-7232017, MINT-7232035, MINT-7232051, MINT-7232070, MINT-7232090:AtPreP1 (uniprotkb:Q9LJL3) enzymaticly reacts (MI:0414) pF1 beta (uniprotkb:P17614) by protease assay (MI:0435)MINT-7232132:AtPreP1 (uniprotkb:Q9LJL3) enzymaticly reacts (MI:0414) galanin (uniprotkb:P22466) by protease assay (MI:0435)MINT-7232175:AtPreP1 (uniprotkb:Q9LJL3) enzymaticly reacts (MI:0414) Cecropin A (uniprotkb:P14954) by protease assay (MI:0435)MINT-7232163:AtPreP1 (uniprotkb:Q9LJL3) enzymaticly reacts (MI:0414) hPrPss (uniprotkb:P04156) by protease assay (MI:0435

The transthyretin-related protein family

A number of proteins related to the homotetrameric transport protein transthyretin (TTR) forms a highly conserved protein family, which we present in an integrated analysis of data from different sources combined with an initial biochemical characterization. Homologues of the transthyretinrelated protein (TRP) can be found in a wide range of species including bacteria, plants and animals, whereas transthyretins have so far only been identified in vertebrates. A multiple sequence alignment of 49 TRP sequences from 47 species to TTR suggests that the tertiary and quaternary features of the three-dimensional structure are most likely preserved. Interestingly, while some of the TRP orthologues show as little as 30% identity, the residues at the putative ligandbinding site are almost entirely conserved. RT/PCR analysis in Caenorhabditis elegans confirms that one TRP gene is transcribed, spliced and predominantly expressed in the worm, which suggests that at least one of the two C. elegans TRP genes encodes a functional protein. We used doublestranded RNA-mediated interference techniques in order to determine the loss-of-function phenotype for the two TRP genes in C. elegans but detected no apparent phenotype. The cloning and initial characterization of purified TRP from Escherichia coli reveals that, while still forming a homotetramer, this protein does not recognize thyroid hormones that are the natural ligands of TTR. The ligand for TRP is not known; however, genomic data support a functional role involving purine catabolism especially linked to urate oxidase (uricase) activity

High resolution crystal structures of piscine transthyretin reveal different binding modes for triiodothyronine and thyroxine

Transthyretin (TTR) is an extracellular transport protein involved in the distribution of thyroid hormones and vitamin A. So far, TTR has only been found in vertebrates, of which piscine TTR displays the lowest sequence identity with human TTR (47%). Human and piscine TTR bind both thyroid hormones 3,5,3 -triiodo- L-thyronine (T3) and 3,5,3 ,5 -tetraiodo-L-thyronine (thyroxine, T4). Human TTR has higher affinity for T4 than T3, whereas the reverse holds for piscine TTR. X-ray structures of Sparus aurata (sea bream) TTR have been determined as the apo-protein at 1.75 Å resolution and bound to ligands T3 and T4, both at 1.9 Å resolution. The apo structure is similar to human TTR with structural changes only at -strand D. This strand forms an extended loop conformation similar to the one in chicken TTR. The piscine TTR T4 complex shows the T4-binding site to be similar but not identical to human TTR, whereas the TTR T3 complex shows the I3 halogen situated at the site normally occupied by the hydroxyl group of T4. The significantly wider entrance of the hormone- binding channel in sea bream TTR, in combination with its narrower cavity, provides a structural explanation for the different binding affinities of human and piscine TTR to T3 and T4.We thank Anders Olofsson, Uwe H. Sauer, Andreas Ho¨rnberg, and Terese Bergfors for valuable discussions and critical reading of the manuscript

Mångfacetterat innovationsarbete under ledning av kommunala organisationer : en typologisering av vinnovas satsning på innovationsplattformar i sex svenska städer : delrapport 1 från Praktiknära samordning av följeforskning vid innovationsplattformar

Den här rapporten beskriver och analyserar sex svenska innovationsplattformar för hållbara och attraktiva städer. De studerade innovationsplattformarna finns i Borås, Göteborg, Kiruna, Lund, Stockholm och Umeå och har startats och bedrivits med projektstöd av Vinnova i form av en särskild satsning på innovationsplattformar i städer

ECCO Essential Requirements for Quality Cancer Care: Primary care.

ECCO Essential Requirements for Quality Cancer Care (ERQCC) are checklists and explanations of organisation and actions that are necessary to give high-quality care to cancer patients. They are written by European experts representing all disciplines involved in cancer care. This paper concerns the integration of primary care into care for all cancers in Europe. Primary care integration

Hormone affinity and fibril formation of piscine transthyretin: the role of the N-terminal

Transthyretin (TTR) transports thyroid hormones (THs), thyroxine (T4) and triiodothyronine (T3) in the blood of vertebrates. TH-binding sites are highly conserved in vertebrate TTR however, piscine TTR has a longer N-terminus which is thought to influence TH-binding affinity and may influence TTR stability. We produced recombinant wild-type sea bream TTR (sbTTRWT) plus two mutants in which six (sbTTRM6) and twelve (sbTTRM12) N-terminal residues were removed. Ligandbinding studies revealed similar affinities for T3 (Kd=10.6±1.7nM) and T4 (Kd=9.8±0.97nM) binding to sbTTRWT. Affinity for THs was unaltered in sbTTRM12 but sbTTRM6 had poorer affinity for T4 (Kd=252.3±15.8nM) implying that some residues in the N-terminus can influence T4 binding. sbTTRM6 inhibited acid-mediated fibril formation in vitro as shown by fluorometric measurements using thioflavine-T.In contrast, fibril formation by sbTTRM12 was significant, probably due to decreased stability of the tetramer. Such studies also suggested that sbTTRWT is more resistant to fibril formation than human TTR

The clinical utility of patient-reported outcome measures in total hip replacement and lumbar spine surgery

Background: Beginning in the late 1990s, the Swedish Hip Arthroplasty Register (SHAR) and the Swespine have successfully implemented programs to collect patient-reported outcomes measures (PROMs). The use of PROMs has enabled assessment of patients’ health-related quality of life (HRQoL), physical function and pain following total hip replacement (THR) and lumbar spine surgery (LSS). The nationwide collection of PROMs has made it possible to evaluate changes of care, compare providers, investigate factors influencing outcomes that matter for patients, and it has contributed to improvement in clinical practice. Objective: The overall objective of this thesis is to investigate different ways to utilize PROMs following total hip replacement and lumbar spine surgery. Specifically, this thesis aims to: Investigate PROMs in patients who have undergone LSS prior to THR and in patients who have undergone THR prior to LSS compared to matched patients with isolated THR or LSS. Investigate if the order of THR and LSS affects PROMs one year following the last procedure in patients with both procedures performed within a period of two years. Investigate if PROMs can predict the risk for reoperation following THR. Assess the measurement properties of EQ-5D-5L compared to EQ-5D-3L in a Swedish THR population and to estimate how different severity levels of the two versions of the questionnaire conforms. Patients and methods: For Paper I-III, data including PROMs on patients with THR and LSS performed in 2002-2012 were obtained from SHAR and Swespine and linked to identify those who occurred in both registers. In Paper IV, data from SHAR on patients with THR in 2002-2014 were used to establish the relationship between PROMs and reoperation. For Paper V, patients eligible for THR in western Sweden during 2015 were invited to answer EQ-5D-3L and EQ-5D-5L with a two-week separation before and after surgery. Logistic and linear regression analyses were used to investigate research questions. Results: Patients with both THR and LSS performed had worse one-year PROMs following the last procedure compared to patients with surgery in only one location. Patients eligible for both THR and LSS within a short period of time had better outcomes following the last procedure if surgery started with LSS. PROMs collected one year following THR predicted the risk for subsequent reoperation. Patients frequently utilized the additional response options of EQ-5D-5L and ceiling effects at the one-year follow-up were reduced compared to EQ-5D-3L. EQ VAS estimates for different severity levels conformed well between questionnaires. Conclusion: This thesis contributes to the understanding of patient-reported outcomes for patients who undergo both THR and LSS. Given their ability to predict reoperations following THR, PROMs can be utilized to identify patients at increased risk, which may be used to improve follow-up routines and care. Since EQ-5D-5L better describes health-related quality of life in THR patients, the introduction of the extended questionnaire as a standard tool in SHAR will enable a more accurate assessment of the procedure