Visual expertise as embodied practice

This study looks at the practice of thoracic radiology and follows a group of radiologists and radiophysicists in their efforts to find, discuss, and formulate issues or troubles ensuing the implementation of a new radiographic imaging technology. Based in the theoretical tradition of ethnomethodology it examines the local endogenous practices pertaining to the radiologists’ expertise in the interpretation of visual representations and tries to explicate the ways in which they draw upon various resources in order to accomplish their professional tasks. As the study is addressing the topic of visual expertise it also aims to do so in terms that acknowledge that all expertise is rooted in embodied practices. The analysis follows a case of what is called the enacted production of radiological reasoning. One of the central features of the described work is the manner in which it is carried out by way of the living present body of an expert. The experienced radiologist interweaves anatomical and technological terminology with visual representations and gestures in such a way that none of these components can be said to be superfluous to the argumentation. As a consequence, we should appreciate gestures and embodied actions as important means through which expertise become organised. These are parts of a repertoire of methods through which the experts learn their profession. In addition, gestures can also become enrolled in the re-negotiation of expertise in the face of new challenges

Differences of quality in deliveries of pine sawlogs to Bollsta sawmill by region, season, origin and diameter

The study compared quality distribution in deliveries of pine sawlogs to SCA's sawmill Bollsta in 2019. The purpose was to investigate whether there were any differences depending on region, origin, season for harvesting and diameter and to create a picture of how the current quality classification meets the sawmill's own sorting. This was done by analyzing data on measured volumes. In order to investigate how the current quality classification meets Bollsta's own quality sorting, an interview was performed. Jämtland was the region that delivered the largest share of class 1 sawlogs. However, Medelpad and Ångermanland were not far behind. Västerbotten, on the other hand, had the smallest share of class 1 and the largest share of class 4. Medelpad and Ångermanland had the highest average topdiameter, followed by Jämtland. These three regions were relatively even, while Västerbotten had a clearly lower average topdiameter. It was found that there was a greater share of class 1 from individual forest owners than from SCA's own forest holdings. It was also possible to see trends of more class 1 sawlogs being delivered during spring and autumn. The proportion of class 1 sawlogs increased in the coarser diameter classes. The wreckage proportion increased exponentially with the diameter. However, there was no connection between quality distribution and average site productivity. The total wreckage share for all deliveries to Bollsta sawmill in 2019 was 2.1 percent, which is a very good level. In the sorting of sawlogs at the sawmill, information from the quality classification carried out by Biometria is not used because it is not fully adapted to the products produced at Bollsta. Instead, the wood is sorted using a three-dimensional measuring frame and an X-ray equipment. However, the payment to the seller is based on Biometria's quality rating. In order to create a better picture of the raw material delivered to Bollsta sawmill, the results from the sawmill's analysis equipment linked to deliveries would need to be analyzed. Then clearer correlations can be made on how the distribution of wood properties looks in deliveries depending on region, origin, season and diameter

Entwicklungszusammenarbeit im Rahmen der Vereinten Nationen

Die Vereinten Nationen (United Nations – UN) setzten sich in ihrer Charta (Art.1) das Ziel, „internationale Probleme wirtschaftlicher, sozialer, kultureller und humanitärer Art zu lösen“. Auf dieser Grundlage sind sie seit ihrer Gründung in vielfältiger Weise entwicklungspolitisch tätig. Heute richten sich zum Teil große Erwartungen an die UN, die im Sinne von „global governance“ in diesem Bereich eine zentrale Rolle übernehmen sollen. Allerdings besitzen die UN bislang nicht die Voraussetzungen, um eine solche Rolle spielen zu können. Nicht nur die Vielzahl und die Unübersichtlichkeit der UN-Einrichtungen auf diesem Gebiet geben immer wieder Anlass zu erheblicher Kritik. Auch andere (Vor-)Urteile wie Ineffizienz und Verschwendung, Schwerfälligkeit und Politisierung gehören vielfach weiterhin zum Image der UN-Entwicklungszusammenarbeit. Hinzu kommt eine geringe finanzielle Ausstattung. Allerdings haben die Reformanstrengungen von UN-Generalsekretär Kofi Annan durchaus zu sichtbaren Erfolgen geführt. Bestehen bleiben aber die unterschiedlichen Interessen und Erwartungen der sehr heterogenen 189 UN-Mitgliedstaaten

The organization of turn-taking in poolskate sessions

This study takes pool skating, where only one skater rides at a time, as an example of a turn-taking system, albeit one that is organized not through speech but through bodily actions. This allows us to revisit Sacks, Schegloff, and Jefferson’s (1974) famous “turn taking” paper—in particular, their initial broad conception of turn-taking systems as including activities other than the speech-exchange systems studied by conversation analysis. Despite the original declaration, non-speech turn-taking systems have evaded close scrutiny for the past four decades. By turning our attention to such a system here, this study makes two contributions: firstly, to the sociology of turn-organized activities (through a comparison of the central features of turn-taking for conversation with pool skating) and, secondly, to the study of how bodily actions can accomplish pre-beginnings (since in pool skate sessions, this is the place to settle the matter of turn allocation in order to avoid overlaps in riding)

AMP-Activated Protein Kinase (AMPK) Mediates Nutrient Regulation of Thioredoxin-Interacting Protein (TXNIP) in Pancreatic Beta-Cells

Thioredoxin-interacting protein (TXNIP) regulates critical biological processes including inflammation, stress and apoptosis. TXNIP is upregulated by glucose and is a critical mediator of hyperglycemia-induced beta-cell apoptosis in diabetes. In contrast, the saturated long-chain fatty acid palmitate, although toxic to the beta-cell, inhibits TXNIP expression. The mechanisms involved in the opposing effects of glucose and fatty acids on TXNIP expression are unknown. We found that both palmitate and oleate inhibited TXNIP in a rat beta-cell line and islets. Palmitate inhibition of TXNIP was independent of fatty acid beta-oxidation or esterification. AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK) has an important role in cellular energy sensing and control of metabolic homeostasis; therefore we investigated its involvement in nutrient regulation of TXNIP. As expected, glucose inhibited whereas palmitate stimulated AMPK. Pharmacologic activators of AMPK mimicked fatty acids by inhibiting TXNIP. AMPK knockdown increased TXNIP expression in presence of high glucose with and without palmitate, indicating that nutrient (glucose and fatty acids) effects on TXNIP are mediated in part via modulation of AMPK activity. TXNIP is transcriptionally regulated by carbohydrate response element-binding protein (ChREBP). Palmitate inhibited glucose-stimulated ChREBP nuclear entry and recruitment to the Txnip promoter, thereby inhibiting Txnip transcription. We conclude that AMPK is an important regulator of Txnip transcription via modulation of ChREBP activity. The divergent effects of glucose and fatty acids on TXNIP expression result in part from their opposing effects on AMPK activity. In light of the important role of TXNIP in beta-cell apoptosis, its inhibition by fatty acids can be regarded as an adaptive/protective response to glucolipotoxicity. The finding that AMPK mediates nutrient regulation of TXNIP may have important implications for the pathophysiology and treatment of diabetes

The Organization of Turn-Taking in Pool Skate Sessions

This is an Accepted Manuscript of an article published by Taylor & Francis in Research on Language and Social Interaction on 18th November 2015, available online: http://www.tandfonline.com/10.1080/08351813.2015.1090114.This study takes pool skating, where only one skater rides at a time, as an example of a turn-taking system, albeit one that is organized not through speech but through bodily actions. This allows us to revisit Sacks, Schegloff, and Jefferson’s (1974) famous “turn taking” paper—in particular, their initial broad conception of turn-taking systems as including activities other than the speech-exchange systems studied by conversation analysis. Despite the original declaration, non-speech turn-taking systems have evaded close scrutiny for the past four decades. By turning our attention to such a system here, this study makes two contributions: firstly, to the sociology of turn-organized activities (through a comparison of the central features of turn-taking for conversation with pool skating) and, secondly, to the study of how bodily actions can accomplish pre-beginnings (since in pool skate sessions, this is the place to settle the matter of turn allocation in order to avoid overlaps in riding)

The Uses of Stance in Media Production: Embodied Sociolinguistics and Beyond

While many conversation analysts, and scholars in related fields, have used video-recordings to study interaction, this study is one of a small but growing number that investigates video-recordings of the joint activities of media professionals working with, and on, video. It examines practices of media production that are, in their involvement with the visual and verbal qualities of video, both beyond talk and deeply shaped by talk. The article draws upon video recordings of the making of a feature-length documentary. In particular, it analyses a complex course of action where an editing team are reviewing their interview of the subject of the documentary, their footage is being intercut with existing reality TV footage of that same interviewee. The central contributions that the article makes are, firstly, to the sociolinguistics of mediatisation, through the identification of the workplace concerns of the members of the editing team, secondly showing how editing is accomplished, moment-by-moment, through the use of particular forms of embodied action and, finally, how the media themselves feature in the ordering of action. While this is professional work it sheds light on the video-mediated practices in contemporary culture, especially those found in social media where video makers carefully consider their editing of the perspective toward themselves and others