Effects of Voluntary Running in the Female Mice Lateral Septum on BDNF and Corticotropin-Releasing Factor Receptor 2

Voluntary physical activities are known to modulate anxiety and depressive/like behaviors in both animals and humans. Brain derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF), has been reported to be elevated following exercise. BDNF, as well as type 2 corticotrophin releasing factor receptor (CRFR) 2, has been shown to mediate anxiety-like behavior. In the present study we examined the effects of long-term voluntary exercise on the transcripts for BDNF and CRFR2 in the lateral septum (LS) and for CRF in the central amygdala (CeA) in female mice. Thus, increased activity of CRF in the CeA is associated with anxiety-like behavior. Quantitative RT-PCR was employed to measure levels of mRNA in punch biopsies from LS and CeA. In addition, measurements of the concentration of corticosterone and leptin in plasma were employed. In the LS, we found a three-fold increase of BDNF mRNA (P < 0.05) but no significant change in CRFR2 mRNA. No changes in CRF in the amygdala were observed but we found a decrease in the levels of plasma corticosterone. Plasma leptin and the weight of perigonadal fat pads were decreased following exercise. In conclusion, these data show that BDNF gene expression in the LS is influenced by long-term exercise in females but not CRFR2

Increased consumer fitness following transfer of toxin tolerance to offspring via maternal effects

Adaptations and, counteradaptations are common in coevolving predatorprey systems, but little is known of the role of maternal transfer of adaptive traits in mediating species interactions. Here, we focused on tolerance against cyanobacterial toxins and asked whether this tolerance was an induced defense developed during Daphnia's lifetime, whether it was a trait that is constantly expressed, and whether such tolerance to the toxin can be transferred to the next generation through maternal effects. These questions were addressed by feeding a single clone of Daphnia magna a diet with and without algal toxin and recording changes in fitness (as intrinsic rate of population increase). Analysis of F1, F2, and F3 generations revealed that the increased tolerance to toxic Microcystis was an inducible defense developed during an individual's lifetime, and that this trait could be transferred from mother to offspring. This maternal effect was expressed in several fitness parameters, including shorter time to maturity and first reproduction, and higher numbers of offspring compared to inexperienced individuals. In some circumstances, such maternal effects may increase population production by up to 40% and may help to stabilize material and energy transfer to higher trophic levels

Functional Data Analysis of Tongue Articulation in Palatal Vowels: Gothenburg and Malmöhus Swedish /i:, y:, u-:/

This study used Functional Data Analysis (FDA) to analyse tongue articulation dynamics, more specifically the height and frontness of the tongue body and tip in the palatal vowels /i:, y:, u-:/ of two varieties of Swedish. Articulatory data were collected from nine speakers each of Gothenburg and Malmöhus Swedish. Standard z-score transformations were used for speaker normalisation. Results showed that the tongue articulation for /i:/ and /y:/ is generally similar, and significantly different from /u-:/ in both Malmö ̈hus and Gothenburg Swedish. We also found a subdivision of Gothenburg Swedish into two subtypes, where type 1 resembled Malmöhus Swedish more. Significant differences in tongue body height were found between all varieties for all of the vowels, except for /y:/ between Gothenburg type 1 and Malmöhus Swedish

Tongue articulation of front close vowels in Stockholm, Gothenburg and Malmöhus Swedish

Articulatory data were collected for the Swedish vowels /iː, yˌ, ʉ̟ː/ from nine speakers each of Stockholm, Gothenburg, and Malmöhus Swedish, and the tongue positions and their dynamics analysed using Functional Data Analysis (FDA). Results showed that the general tongue positions for /iː/ and /yː/ are similar and clearly different from /ʉ̟ː/ in all three dialects. Variation within the Stockholm and Gothenburg groups led to a subdivision into two types, where the tongue positions of type 1 resem-bled Malmöhus Swedish more. Several differences in tongue articulation between types 1 and 2 were observed, possibly explained by the presence of Viby-coloured /iː/ and /yː/ in type 2

Functional data analysis of tongue articulation in Gothenburg and Malmöhus Swedish /i:, y:, u-:/

Articulatory data collected from nine speakers each of Gothenburg and Malmöhus Swedish were used in a Functional Data Analysis (FDA) to study tongue articulation dynamics, more specifically the height and frontness of the tongue body and tip in the palatal vowels /i ̆, y ̆, u̟ ̆/. Standard z-score transformations were used for speaker normalisation. Results showed that the tongue articulation for /i ̆/ and /y ̆/ is generally similar, and significantly different from /u̟ ̆/ in both Malmöhus and Gothenburg Swedish. We also found a subdivision of Gothenburg Swedish into two subtypes, where type 1 resembled Malmöhus Swedish more. Significant differences in tongue body height were found between all varieties for all of the vowels, except for /y ̆/ between Gothenburg type 1 and Malmöhus Swedish

Litteraturstödet- En Extreme Makeover

The Swedish Arts Council supports, develops and initiates interaction between the state, the regions, municipalities and representatives for cultural life in Sweden. Since 1975 the Swedish National Council has provided literature grants for book publishers, who applies and are chosen for their newly produced titles. In order to get a grant the title has to meet certain criterias, such as high literary quality, originality, and a novel also has to stimulate diversity thereby counteracting the negative effects of commercialism. In the new report from 2009, the Swedish National Arts Council, has changed its motivations to instead of dealing with the quality of a title, they should also look into the economical situation of the publishing company. To ensure specialist knowledge in the distribution of grants in various branches of the arts, the board has appointed working and reference groups comprising qualified subject experts. The working groups make independent decisions on grant-related issues. This thesis aim to explore the backgrounds of cultural politics with its main focus on the literature grant. The grant has often been criticized in media to be beneficial to large corporate publishing houses, who often receives a larger sum in comparison to the smaller ones. Our main task is to research if the new economic criterias proposed would lead to a broad and diverse literature and benefit the publishing industry in an improved way in comparison to the previous criterias

Face and content validity and acceptability of the Swedish ICECAP-O capability measure: Cognitive interviews with 70-year-old persons

This study is part of a project that aims to culturally adapt the Investigating Choice Experiments for the Preferences of Older People-CAPability Index (ICECAP-O) for use in research and health and social care in Sweden. The objective was to evaluate face and content validity and acceptability. Eighteen 70-year-old community-dwelling persons participated in cognitive interviews. A standardized classification scheme was used to quantify any identified response problems, and a thematic analysis was applied to capture participants’ perceptions of included attributes and experiences of completing the measure. The results show that three participants (18%) had problems completing ICECAP-O, and that judged problems occurred for five (6%) of participants responses in the standardized classification scheme. Most participants perceived the attributes as understandable even though the meaning of Control brought some uncertainty. ICECAP-O seems to measure what it is supposed to measure, quality of life (QoL) with a capability approach, and acceptability is satisfactory. ICECAP- O has potential for becoming a valuable addition to the supply of QoL measures in research and health and social care in Sweden. However, we recommend further research on more diverse groups of older persons

Effects of depth and overgrowth of ephemeral macroalgae on a remote subtidal NE Atlantic eelgrass (Zostera marina) community

We conducted a short-term field sampling complemented with time integrating stable isotope analysis to holistically investigate status and ecological interactions in a remote NE Atlantic Zostera marina meadow. We found high nutrient water concentrations, large biomass of fast-growing, ephemeral macroalgae, low abundance, and biodiversity of epifauna and a food web with thornback ray (Raja clavata) as intermediate and cod (Gadus morhua) as top predator. We observed no variation with increasing depth (3.5-11 m) except for decreasing shoot density and biomass of Zostera and macroalgae. Our results indicate that the Finnoya Zostera ecosystem is eutrophicated. During the past three to four decades, nutrients from aquaculture have steadily increased to reach 75% of anthmpogenic input while the coastal top predator cod has decreased by 50%. We conclude that bottom-up regulation is a predominant driver of change since top-down regulation is generally weak in low density and exposed Zostera ecosystems such as Finnoya.Peer reviewe

Risk for depression affects older people’s possibilities to exercise self-determination in using time, social relationships and living life as one wants: A cross-sectional study with frail older people

Exercising self-determination in daily life is highly valued by older people. However, being in the hands of other people may challenge the older people’s possibilities to exercise self-determination in their daily life. Among frail older people living in Sweden, risk for depression is highly predominant. There is a knowledge gap regarding if, and how having a risk of depression affects older people’s self-determination. The objective was, therefore, to explore if, and in that case how, frail older people’s self-determination is affected by the risk of depression. In this cross-sectional, secondary data analysis, with 161 communitydwelling frail older people, simple logistic regression models were performed to explore the association between self-determination, the risk of depression and demographic variables. The findings showed that risk for depression and reduced self-determination were significantly associated in the dimensions: use of time (P=0.020), social relationship (P=0.003), help and support others (P=0.033), and the overall self-determination item (P=0.000). Risk for depression significantly affected self-determination in use of time (OR=3.04, P=0.014), social relationship (OR=2.53, P=0.011), and overall self-determination (OR=6.17, P=0.000). This point out an increased need of strengthening healthcare professionals’ perspectives, and attitudes towards a self-determined, friendly, and person-centred dialogue