"Three Attitudes to 140 Characters The Use and Views of Twitter in Political Party Communications in Sweden"

Abstract Digital media in general, and social media in particular, are a distinctive feature of contemporary election campaign strategies. This article adds to the on going discussion of the political power of social media by exploring political party strategies behind the usage of social media. In this study we specifically focus on Twitter (a micro blog) during the latest National Election Campaign in Sweden in 2010. The study exams the degree and character of Twitter usage among parties and prominent party members, and relates content to the declared communication strategies regarding the role of Twitter in the campaign. Methodologically, the paper is based on a quantitative content analysis of all party tweets and on personal interviews with all party campaign managers. The results show campaign purposes. However, the content analysis confirms only a modest party use of Twitter messages and Twitter patterns where messages are most often related to current news media activities and are of a one-way character, with more focus on information dissemination than on interactive dialogue with voters

Characterization of ELEKTA SRS cone collimator using high spatial resolution monolithic silicon detector array

Purpose: To investigate the accuracy of the dosimetry of radiation fields produced by small ELEKTA cone collimators used for stereotactic radiosurgery treatments (SRS) using commercially available detectors EBT3 Gafchromic TM film, IBA Stereotactic diode (SFD), and the recently developed detector DUO, which is a monolithic silicon orthogonal linear diode array detector. Methods: These three detectors were used for the measurement of beam profiles, output factors, and percentage depth dose for SRS cone collimators with cone sizes ranging from 5 to 50 mm diameter. The measurements were performed at 10 cm depth and 90 cm SSD. Results: The SRS cone beam profiles measured with DUO, EBT3 film, and IBA SFD agreed well, results being in agreement within ±0.5 mm in the FWHM, and ±0.7 mm in the penumbra region. The output factor measured by DUO with 0.5 mm air gap above agrees within ±1% with EBT3. The OF measured by IBA SFD (corrected for the over-response) agreed with both EBT3 and DUO within ±2%. All three detectors agree within ±2% for PDD measurements for all SRS cones. Conclusions: The characteristics of the ELEKTA SRS cone collimator have been evaluated by using a monolithic silicon high spatial resolution detector DUO, EBT3, and IBA SFD diode. The DUO detector is suitable for fast real-time quality assurance dosimetry in small radiation fields typical for SRS/SRT. This has been demonstrated by its good agreement of measured doses with EBT 3 films

Decreased Th1-Type Inflammatory Cytokine Expression in the Skin Is Associated with Persisting Symptoms after Treatment of Erythema Migrans

Background: Despite the good prognosis of erythema migrans (EM), some patients have persisting symptoms of various character and duration post-treatment. Several factors may affect the clinical outcome of EM, e. g. the early interaction between Borrelia (B.) burgdorferi and the host immune response, the B. burgdorferi genotype, antibiotic treatment as well as other clinical circumstances. Our study was designed to determine whether early cytokine expression in the skin and in peripheral blood in patients with EM is associated with the clinical outcome. Methods: A prospective follow-up study of 109 patients with EM was conducted at the A land Islands, Finland. Symptoms were evaluated at 3, 6, 12 and 24 months post-treatment. Skin biopsies from the EM and healthy skin were immunohistochemically analysed for expression of interleukin (IL)-4, IL-10, IL-12p70 and interferon (IFN)-gamma, as well as for B. burgdorferi DNA. Blood samples were analysed for B. burgdorferi antibodies, allergic predisposition and levels of systemic cytokines. Findings: None of the patients developed late manifestations of Lyme borreliosis. However, at the 6-month follow-up, 7 of 88 patients reported persisting symptoms of diverse character. Compared to asymptomatic patients, these 7 patients showed decreased expression of the Th1-associated cytokine IFN-gamma in the EM biopsies (p = 0.003). B. afzelii DNA was found in 48%, B. garinii in 15% and B. burgdorferi sensu stricto in 1% of the EM biopsies, and species distribution was the same in patients with and without post-treatment symptoms. The two groups did not differ regarding baseline patient characteristics, B. burgdorferi antibodies, allergic predisposition or systemic cytokine levels. Conclusion: Patients with persisting symptoms following an EM show a decreased Th1-type inflammatory response in infected skin early during the infection, which might reflect a dysregulation of the early immune response. This finding supports the importance of an early, local Th1-type response for optimal resolution of LB.Original Publication: Johanna Sjöwall, Linda Fryland, Marika Nordberg, Florence Sjögren, Ulf Garpmo, Christian Jansson, Sten-Anders Carlsson, Sven Bergstrom, Jan Ernerudh, Dag Nyman, Pia Forsberg and Christina Ekerfelt, Decreased Th1-Type Inflammatory Cytokine Expression in the Skin Is Associated with Persisting Symptoms after Treatment of Erythema Migrans, 2011, PLOS ONE, (6), 3, 0018220. http://dx.doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0018220 Copyright: Public Library of Science (PLoS) http://www.plos.org

More Cold Case Than Hot Spot A Study of Public Opinion on Political Advertising in Swedish Television

How does the public perceive televised political advertising when it is introduced as a completely new element of campaign communications? The European Parliamentary Elections in 2009 may be characterized as the first campaign where such advertising appeared on a larger scale in Sweden, but the National Election Campaign in 2006 was the initial breakthrough for political advertising in television. Two major research questions are raised: First, how can public opinion on such political advertising be described? Second, how are these attitudes related to individual and societal factors? The results indicate that attitudes towards political advertising in Sweden are in line with attitudes towards advertising in general. However, ideological beliefs on the individual level seem to be almost irrelevant. Without being on the political agenda, the political TV-advertising issue is mainly consid- ered from non-political perspectives

Esophagitis: Aspects on bacteriology, pathophysiology and symptomatology

Gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) and eosinophilic esophagitis (EoE) are the two most common diseases causing inflammation of the esophagus, namely, esophagitis. GERD and EoE are different in many aspects, but shares histological similarities and may overlap in symptomatology. Aims: The overall aim of this thesis was to investigate and compare different aspects of GERD and EoE including the pathophysiology, with a focus on bacteriology, and symptomatology. The esophageal bacteriological occurrence in subjects with GERD, EoE and in healthy volunteers (HV) was studied. The use of the GerdQ questionnaire in subjects with atypical symptoms of GERD as well as EoE was evaluated. The association between the grade of esophageal eosinophilia and symptoms/health-related quality of life (HRQL) was examined in subjects with active EoE. Methods and results: Esophageal brush samples and biopsies from HV (n=40) as well as from subjects with GERD (n=17) and EoE (n=10) were collected and cultivated. Bacteria were generally present in low amounts in most subjects and were predominantly various streptococcal species (viridans streptococci). Subjects with EoE had a significantly more diverse cultivable esophageal bacterial flora than subjects with GERD and HV had. In subjects referred for 24-h pH monitoring for typical and/or atypical symptoms suggestive of GERD (n=646) the GerdQ questionnaire was filled out before the examination. Of these subjects 57% had atypical symptoms, and 58% had GERD according to the pH-metry (GERDpH). GerdQ had a sensitivity and specificity for GERDpH of 62% and 74%, respectively, at a cut-off of 8. In subjects with active, untreated EoE (n=65) the esophageal eosinophil density was compared to the severity of disease according to symptoms/HRQL evaluated by questionnaires (Watson Dysphagia Scale, EORTC QLQOES18, SF-36). No correlation between these variables was found. However, subjects with concomitant bolus impaction had higher numbers of eosinophils in the proximal esophagus. Conclusions: Subjects with EoE have a more diverse cultivable esophageal bacterial flora than subjects with GERD and HV have. GerdQ has a diagnostic value in a population including subjects with atypical main symptoms of GERD. No correlation between the grade of esophageal mucosal eosinophilia and symptoms or HRQL was found

Reklamens bild av semester : Semesterns inflytande på reklamannonser i JönköpingsPosten 1938-1947

This thesis is based upon the perspective of the holiday law introduced in 1938. This law gave many Swedes the right to two weeks paid vacation, which previously not all had. The purpose of this essay is to investigate how the holiday was reflected in advertising during the 30-40s in connection with the introduction of the holiday act in a smaller daily newspaper. This daily newspaper is Jönköpings-Posten. By examining a ten-year period between 1938 and 1947 in the month of June, we can see how the advertising regarding holidays has been developed and produced. In connection with the introduction of the Holiday Act in 1938, advertisements for holidays increased dramatically during these ten years. In addition to an increase in the number of advertisements, we also see how society affects how these advertisements are presented. The holiday should be used in the best possible way and not be wasted. Recreation and learning would be combined and, in this way, optimize what the person would get out of their leisure time or holiday

En studie i psykosocial arbetsmiljö i ett modernt svenskt industriföretag

Syfte och frågeställningar: Vårt syfte med studien är att undersöka den psykosociala arbetsmiljön inom Industritjänst AB. Resultaten från undersökningen ska ge underlag för ledningen i företaget att arbeta fram nya mål för verksamheten inom området psykosocial arbetsmiljö. Detta är ett stort område och vi har tillsammans med vår uppdragsgivare kommit fram till att fokusera på områdena motivation, stress, samarbete, stöd, konflikter, ledarskap, kommunikation, organisationskultur, kön och lärande. För att täcka dessa områden har vi valt att utgå från följande frågeställningar: 1. Upplever medarbetarna stress i det vardagliga arbetet? 2. På vilket sätt samarbetar, motiverar och stöttar medarbetare varandra? 3. Hur upplever medarbetarna organisationskulturen och förekommer det konflikter på arbetsplatsen? 4. Hur fungerar ledarskapet ur medarbetarnas och ledarnas perspektiv? 5. Är företaget en kommunikativ och lärande organisation? Metod: Vi har valt att göra en studie där vi kombinerar en kvantitativ med en kvalitativ metod. Vi har lagt tyngdpunkten på den kvantitativa delen av studien. För den kvantitativa delen har vi använt oss av en enkätundersökning som gått ut till samtliga kollektiva och tjänstemän på Industritjänst AB. I enkäten har vi berört frågor som handlar om kommunikation, organisationskultur, jämställdhet och ledarskap. Eftersom vi vill ta reda på attityder och inställningar rörande ovan nämnda frågor anser vi att en kvantitativ ansats är mest relevant. Storleken på vår undersökningspopulation gör det också mest relevant att använda kvantitativa data. Det kvalitativa inslaget i studien riktar sig till mellanchefer som fått svara på en intervjuguide med öppna frågor. Resultat: Vi har kommit fram till att det råder en generellt god psykosocial arbetsmiljö inom koncernen, men att det finns en del områden som kan och bör förbättras. Bland annat så är det många medarbetare som upplever att de inte får uppskattning och uppmuntran i det dagliga arbetet. Vidare var det många av cheferna som upplevde konflikthantering som svårt, vilket kan behöva uppmärksammas genom utbildning och mer stöd i ledarrollen. Andra nödvändiga utvecklingsområden är rutiner för medarbetarsamtal och forum för formell kommunikation. Även här vill vi lyfta fram att stöd och kunskapspåfyllnad för ledare såväl som medarbetare är något vi anser är nödvändigt för ett lyckat utvecklingsarbete