Ventilation of the Arctic Ocean: Mean ages and inventories of anthropogenic CO2 and CFC-11

The Arctic Ocean constitutes a large body of water that is still relatively poorly surveyed because of logistical difficulties, although the importance of the Arctic Ocean for global circulation and climate is widely recognized. For instance, the concentration and inventory of anthropogenic CO2 (C ant) in the Arctic Ocean are not properly known despite its relatively large volume of well-ventilated waters. In this work, we have synthesized available transient tracer measurements (e.g., CFCs and SF6) made during more than two decades by the authors. The tracer data are used to estimate the ventilation of the Arctic Ocean, to infer deep-water pathways, and to estimate the Arctic Ocean inventory of C ant. For these calculations, we used the transit time distribution (TTD) concept that makes tracer measurements collected over several decades comparable with each other. The bottom water in the Arctic Ocean has CFC values close to the detection limit, with somewhat higher values in the Eurasian Basin. The ventilation time for the intermediate water column is shorter in the Eurasian Basin (∼200 years) than in the Canadian Basin (∼300 years). We calculate the Arctic Ocean C ant inventory range to be 2.5 to 3.3 Pg-C, normalized to 2005, i.e., ∼2% of the global ocean C ant inventory despite being composed of only ∼1% of the global ocean volume. In a similar fashion, we use the TTD field to calculate the Arctic Ocean inventory of CFC-11 to be 26.2 ± 2.6 × 106 moles for year 1994, which is ∼5% of the global ocean CFC-11 inventor

The preterm cervix reveals a transcriptomic signature in the presence of premature pre-labor rupture of membranes

BACKGROUND: Premature prelabor rupture of fetal membranes accounts for 30% of all premature births and is associated with detrimental long-term infant outcomes. Premature cervical remodeling, facilitated by matrix metalloproteinases, may trigger rupture at the zone of the fetal membranes overlying the cervix. The similarities and differences underlying cervical remodeling in premature prelabor rupture of fetal membranes and spontaneous preterm labor with intact membranes are unexplored. OBJECTIVES: We aimed to perform the first transcriptomic assessment of the preterm human cervix to identify differences between premature prelabor rupture of fetal membranes and preterm labor with intact membranes and to compare the enzymatic activities of matrix metalloproteinases-2 and -9 between premature prelabor rupture of fetal membranes and preterm labor with intact membranes. STUDY DESIGN: Cervical biopsies were collected following preterm labor with intact membranes (n = 6) and premature prelabor rupture of fetal membranes (n = 5). Biopsies were also collected from reference groups at term labor (n = 12) or term not labor (n = 5). The Illumina HT-12 version 4.0 BeadChips microarray was utilized, and a novel network graph approach determined the specificity of changes between premature prelabor rupture of fetal membranes and preterm labor with intact membranes. Quantitative reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction and Western blotting confirmed the microarray findings. Immunofluorescence was used for localization studies and gelatin zymography to assess matrix metalloproteinase activity. RESULTS: PML-RARA-regulated adapter molecule 1, FYVE-RhoGEF and PH domain-containing protein 3 and carcinoembryonic antigen-ralated cell adhesion molecule 3 were significantly higher, whereas N-myc downstream regulated gene 2 was lower in the premature prelabor rupture of fetal membranes cervix when compared with the cervix in preterm labor with intact membranes, term labor, and term not labor. PRAM1 and CEACAM3 were localized to immune cells at the cervical stroma and NDRG2 and FGD3 were localized to cervical myofibroblasts. The activity of matrix metalloproteinase-9 was higher (1.22 ± 4.403-fold, P < .05) in the cervix in premature prelabor rupture of fetal membranes compared with preterm labor with intact membranes. CONCLUSION: We identified 4 novel proteins with a potential role in the regulation of cervical remodeling leading to premature prelabor rupture of fetal membranes. Our findings contribute to the studies dissecting the mechanisms underlying premature prelabor rupture of fetal membranes and inspire further investigations toward the development of premature prelabor rupture of fetal membranes therapeutics

Constraining the Oceanic Uptake and Fluxes of Greenhouse Gases by Building an Ocean Network of Certified Stations: The Ocean Component of the Integrated Carbon Observation System, ICOS-Oceans

The European Research Infrastructure Consortium “Integrated Carbon Observation System” (ICOS) aims at delivering high quality greenhouse gas (GHG) observations and derived data products (e.g., regional GHG-flux maps) for constraining the GHG balance on a European level, on a sustained long-term basis. The marine domain (ICOS-Oceans) currently consists of 11 Ship of Opportunity lines (SOOP – Ship of Opportunity Program) and 10 Fixed Ocean Stations (FOSs) spread across European waters, including the North Atlantic and Arctic Oceans and the Barents, North, Baltic, and Mediterranean Seas. The stations operate in a harmonized and standardized way based on community-proven protocols and methods for ocean GHG observations, improving operational conformity as well as quality control and assurance of the data. This enables the network to focus on long term research into the marine carbon cycle and the anthropogenic carbon sink, while preparing the network to include other GHG fluxes. ICOS data are processed on a near real-time basis and will be published on the ICOS Carbon Portal (CP), allowing monthly estimates of CO2 air-sea exchange to be quantified for European waters. ICOS establishes transparent operational data management routines following the FAIR (Findable, Accessible, Interoperable, and Reusable) guiding principles allowing amongst others reproducibility, interoperability, and traceability. The ICOS-Oceans network is actively integrating with the atmospheric (e.g., improved atmospheric measurements onboard SOOP lines) and ecosystem (e.g., oceanic direct gas flux measurements) domains of ICOS, and utilizes techniques developed by the ICOS Central Facilities and the CP. There is a strong interaction with the international ocean carbon cycle community to enhance interoperability and harmonize data flow. The future vision of ICOS-Oceans includes ship-based ocean survey sections to obtain a three-dimensional understanding of marine carbon cycle processes and optimize the existing network design

Managing the work-family dilemma - a qualitative study of Volvo IT India

This thesis it written upon a request from Volvo IT India, in order to explain how the organisation can increase gender diversity and the effects an increase might generate. The thesis aims to investigate and understand the respondents’ perceptions on why women in India start working and the challenges they might come across. Furthermore, Volvo IT India wants to facilitate work life balance for females which is why the thesis also aims to explore how the employees manage the work and family dilemma from a gender perspective, with an emphasized focus on mothers. The theoretical and empirical background regards gender diversity, the work-family dilemma, role theory, border theory and flexibility. In order to obtain and fully understand the respondents’ thoughts and feelings, a qualitative approach with semi-structured interviews was used. The respondents consists of 12 employees at Volvo IT India; women with children, women without children and men with children, with four respondents in each category. According to the findings, there is a lot that Volvo IT India can gain from having a diverse workforce, for example gender diversity leads to productivity and creates innovation. Work- family interface is something that all of the respondents face, but it emerged that the females experience higher degrees of both work-family interface and vice versa. It was also shown that the respondents were satisfied with their work and the family situation but that the borders between them were more difficult to separate for the females than the men. Most of the respondents express that having multiple roles is a gratitude for them and the benefits that it generates compensates the downsides. To create a more satisfying work-life balance, decrease gender inequalities and create more equal opportunities for everyone in the organisation the respondents would like to see more flexible work options

Winning or losing? : The importance of political networks in the contest to become a member of Parliament

Focusing on national election campaigns in Sweden, this study examines how candidates’ political networks may influence who becomes member of Parliament in a flexible list system. Flexible list systems enable candidates placed on a non-eligible seat during the nomination process within the party organization, to still get elected via the voters’ optional preferential votes. The data used is derived from a unique survey including a total sample of candidates elected to the Swedish Parliament 1998–2014 via preferential votes after being placed on a non-eligible seat during the nomination process. The data also includes acquaintances to these candidates defined as their political networks. The method used to track down the network members, was to ask the candidates for acquaintances who helped them during the nomination process and the election campaign. The motivation, resources and recruiting networks amongst these respondents are compared to those of candidates, and their political networks, who, despite being placed on an eligible seat during the nomination process ended up losing a seat in Parliament as a consequence of the flexible list system. The analysis shows how dissatisfaction with the nomination process creates a motivation to use the preferential voting system in order to overrule the decisions made by the party. The result also indicates that the elected candidates and their political networks are more active within voluntary associations than their opponents. Furthermore, important differences in temporal resources are shown. Elected candidates can participate in the election campaign full-time and are able to take leave of absence from their ordinary jobs, while the opposite applies for the political networks. The political networks supporting elected candidates do not work full-time within the party to the same extent as networks supporting non-elected candidates. A suggestion for future research is to examine the importance of voluntary associations in relation to the use of preferential votes in flexible list systems

Blockpolitik i riksdagen : Har riksdagsledamöterna förvandlats till röstboskap?

This thesis aims at studying the development of the party cohesion and oligarchichaltendencies in the party groups of the Swedish national parliament, riksdagen, after theintroduction of two clear block coalitions during the years 2006-2010.The result of the cohesion during these years has been compared towards the years 1998-2006. The research method being used has been 18 semi structured interviews with member of the parliament during the examined years. The main findings show an increment of both the cohesion and the oligarchical tendencies after the block coalitions during the years 2006-2010. The result verified therefore also the two originally stated hypothesis

Att följa piskan eller hjärtat? : Partisammanhållningens utveckling i riksdagen efterpersonvalsreformens tillkomst

This thesis aims at studying the development of the party cohesion in the Swedish national parliament, riksdagen, after the introduction of preference voting in the election of 1998. The party cohesion has been measured during parliamentary sessions before and after the reform. The result of the cohesion during each of the sessions has then been compared towards each other. The cohesion was measured between the members of parliament viewed as a whole, and within the party groups during the different sessions. The research method being used has been a quantified statistical voting analysis, making the comparisons of party cohesion during the different parliamentary sessions as easy as possible. The main findings show an increment of the cohesion after 1998, both among the parliamentary members as a whole, and within the political parties. The result rejected the originally stated hypothesis, saying the party cohesion would decrease after the implementation of preference voting to the Swedish parliament

Who is the preschool parent? : An interview study about which parent identities that emerge through experiences during introduction to preschool

Samarbetet mellan hem och förskola är enligt tidigare forskning en viktig del i barns förskolegång. Föreliggande studie fokuserar på inskolningen som är början på detta samarbete där föräldern är en betydelsefull part. Av den anledningen utgår studien från ett föräldraperspektiv på inskolning. För att synliggöra en nyanserad bild av föräldern och skapa förståelse för vem förskoleföräldern är syftar studien till att söka kunskap om vilka föräldraidentiteter som framträder i upplevelser under inskolning i förskolan. Studiens teoretiska utgångspunkt består av ett identitetsteoretiskt perspektiv där identiteter betraktas som socialt konstruerade. Studien är baserad på intervjuer med föräldrar där deras upplevelser av inskolning i förskolan lyfts fram. Analysen av dessa upplevelser resulterade i två teman; Föräldraidentiteter i medvind respektive Föräldraidentiteter i motvind. Ur dessa teman har i sin tur olika föräldraidentiteter kunnat utmönstras. Resultatet visar vilka föräldraidentiteter som framträder i upplevelser av främjande respektive utmanande faktorer för deltagande i inskolning i förskolan. Upplevelser av delaktighet, inflytande och information dominerar båda kategorierna. I slutsatsen framhålls inskolningens betydelse för föräldraidentiteterna samt för det fortsatta samarbetet mellan hem och förskola

Cellular localization of the blood-brain barrier in the brainstem: Area postrema and nucleus tractus solitarius

The blood-brain barrier regulates the transport into the brain and protects the central nerve system (CNS) from toxics substances. However some areas of the brain, called circumventricular organs (CVO), lack the blood-brain barrier. One of these is area postrema (AP), which is located in the brainstem immediately adjacent to the nucleus tractus solitarius (NTS). These two areas together regulate autonomic behaviours such as food intake, and also make up the vomiting center. The hormones leptin and ghrelin, which regulate food intake, are too big to pass the blood-brain barrier, but have receptors in NTS. In this study we used immunohistochemistry to obtain a detailed map of the different components of the blood-brain barrier in AP and NTS. The results suggest that there is a barrier that prevents diffusion of substances from AP into NTS. However, there seems to be some vessels in NTS that have a weaker or no barrier characteristics. These vessels could provide an entrance for peripheral substances to neurons in NTS