Mellan idéer och närvaro : En studie över utlandsfödda kandidaters representationsuppfattningar i samband med kommunalvalet 2012 i Helsingfors

Utgångspunkten för den här studien är att Finlands invandrarbefolkning har ökat fort under de senaste åren, detta har fört med sig en offentlig diskussion samt forskning om integrationen av invandrare, men fokus har främst legat på arbetsmarknadsintegration, språkkunskaper samt tillägnandet av den lokala kulturen. Däremot finns det relativt lite forskning som behandlar den politiska integrationen, även om ämnet på sistone har fått mer uppmärksamhet. I dagsläget är personer med invandrarbakgrund underrepresenterade inom det politiska systemet och röstar mer sällan än personer som tillhör majoritetsbefolkningen, vilket kan ses som ett demokratiskt problem. Studiens huvudsakliga syfte är att studera uppfattningar av och resonemang kring politisk representation bland utlandsfödda kommunalpolitiker som var uppställda som kandidater i kommunalvalet 2012 i Helsingfors. Den huvudsakliga frågan är vilka samhällsgrupper och intressen kandidaterna ser sig själv som representanter för. Dessutom studeras även varför och hur kandidaterna har valt att aktivera sig inom politiken och deras synpunkter på eventuella specifika invandrarintressen. I och med att integrationen under de senaste åren har politiserats och på grund av att debatten främst har initierats av aktörer som förhåller sig negativt till invandring och månkulturalism är det även av intresse att studera hur politikerna har reagerat på debatten och huruvida den har påverkat deras politiska engagemang. Den huvudsakliga teoretiska referensramen utgörs av teorier om minoritetsrepresentation och framför allt av Anne Phillips idé om närvarons politik som utgår från att en ökad representation av olika minoriteter är viktig för att uppnå ett mer jämlikt system som i högre grad beaktar olika politiska intressen. Dessutom används olika perspektiv på social identitet och tillhörande samt politisk integration och mobilisering av personer med invandrarbakgrund. Studien vägleds av en förståelse att förhållandet mellan politisk representation och sociala identiteter är komplext, vilket innebär att politikernas representationsuppfattningar kan vara mycket mångskiftande. Studiens empiriska del består av 10 semistrukturerade samtalsintervjuer av utlandsfödda kandidater som var uppställda i 2012 års kommunalval i Helsingfors. Intervjuerna genomfördes mellan oktober 2012 och januari 2013. Till sin natur är studien en beskrivande fallstudie och i analysen av materialet har ett teorikonsumerande tillvägagångasätt använts. Analysen av materialet har genomförts med hjälp av programmet Atlas.ti. Resultaten visar på att kandidaterna ser sig själv som representanter för ett flertal olika grupper och intressen, men också på att många av dem vill föra invandrarnas talan inom politiken. Men det förkommer även politiker som tar avstånd från idén att de på grund av sin bakgrund ska fungera som representanter för invandrare och minoriteter, medan andra politiker använder sig av sin etniska bakgrund för att profilera sig politiskt. Resultaten speglar att Helsingfors har en allt större befolkning med invandrarbakgrund och att integrationspolitiken mer än tidigare har kommit upp på den politiska agendan. Men på grund av förväntningar från partierna, medierna och det omgivande samhället ser det även ut att finnas ett tryck på politiker med invandrarbakgrund på att de ska arbeta med minoritets- och integrationsfrågor och därför tvingas de inom politiken förhålla sig till sin bakgrund på ett eller annat sätt. Ofta har något specifikt samhällsproblem motiverat kandidaterna att aktivera sig inom partipolitiken även om det också i varierande grad förekommer olika ideologiska motiv för den politiska aktiviteten. Olika organisationer inom tredje sektorn har fungerat som en viktig rekryteringskanal av kandidaterna. Ett intressant resultat är att somliga kandidater ser sin politiska aktivitet som ett sätt att motverka ett samhällsklimat som blivit mer fientligt gentemot invandrare och olika minoriteter. Det finns en utbredd uppfattning om att det finns somliga specifika invandrarintressen som främst hänger ihop med integrationspolitiken. Men det förekommer även många reservationer gentemot uppfattningen i och med att personer med invandrarbakgrund utgör en så heterogen grupp att det inte är meningsfullt att tala om specifika invandrarintressen. Studiens resultat visar på idén om en mer deskriptiv politisk representation under de senaste åren har haft inflytande på hur man i Finland ser på representation. Det här syns bland annat i ett ökat fokus på inkluderandet av minoriteter i beslutsfattandet, vilket ur demokratisynpunkt kan ses som en positiv utveckling. Men samtidigt finns en risk att man överbetonar politikers bakgrund och samtidigt för fokus bort från deras handlingar och åsiktsöverenstämmelsen mellan dem och deras väljare

Working-memory training in younger and older adults: training gains, transfer, and maintenance

Working memory (WM), a key determinant of many higher-order cognitive functions, declines in old age. Current research attempts to develop process-specific WM training procedures, which may lead to general cognitive improvement. Adaptivity of the training as well as the comparison of training gains to performance changes of an active control group are key factors in evaluating the effectiveness of a specific training program. In the present study, 55 younger adults (20–30 years of age) and 45 older adults (60–70 years of age) received 5 weeks of computerized training on various spatial and verbal WM tasks. Half of the sample received adaptive training (i.e., individually adjusted task difficulty), whereas the other half-worked on the same task material but on a low task difficulty level (active controls). Performance was assessed using criterion, near-transfer, and far-transfer tasks before training, after 5 weeks of intervention, as well as after a 3-month follow-up interval. Results indicate that (a) adaptive training generally led to larger training gains than low-level practice, (b) training and transfer gains were somewhat greater for younger than for older adults in some tasks, but comparable across age groups in other tasks, (c) far-transfer was observed to a test on sustained attention and for a self-rating scale on cognitive functioning in daily life for both young and old, and (d) training gains and transfer effects were maintained across the 3-month follow-up interval across age

Age-Related Decline in Brain Resources Modulates Genetic Effects on Cognitive Functioning

Individual differences in cognitive performance increase from early to late adulthood, likely reflecting influences of a multitude of factors. We hypothesize that losses in neurochemical and anatomical brain resources in normal aging modulate the effects of common genetic variations on cognitive functioning. Our hypothesis is based on the assumption that the function relating brain resources to cognition is nonlinear, so that genetic differences exert increasingly large effects on cognition as resources recede from high to medium levels in the course of aging. Direct empirical support for this hypothesis comes from a study by Nagel et al. (2008), who reported that the effects of the Catechol-O-Methyltransferase (COMT) gene on cognitive performance are magnified in old age and interacted with the Brain-Derived Neurotrophic Factor (BDNF) gene. We conclude that common genetic polymorphisms contribute to the increasing heterogeneity of cognitive functioning in old age. Extensions of the hypothesis to other polymorphisms are discussed. (150 of 150 words

Human Aging Magnifies Genetic Effects on Executive Functioning and Working Memory

We demonstrate that common genetic polymorphisms contribute to the increasing heterogeneity of cognitive functioning in old age. We assess two common Val/Met polymorphisms, one affecting the Catechol-O-Methyltransferase (COMT) enzyme, which degrades dopamine (DA) in prefrontal cortex (PFC), and the other influencing the brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) protein. In two tasks (Wisconsin Card Sorting and spatial working memory), we find that effects of COMT genotype on cognitive performance are magnified in old age and modulated by BDNF genotype. Older COMT Val homozygotes showed particularly low levels of performance if they were also BDNF Met carriers. The age-associated magnification of COMT gene effects provides novel information on the inverted U-shaped relation linking dopaminergic neuromodulation in PFC to cognitive performance. The modulation of COMT effects by BDNF extends recent evidence of close interactions between frontal and medial-temporal circuitries in executive functioning and working memory

Lower baseline performance but greater plasticity of working memory for carriers of the val allele of the COMT Val158Met polymorphism

Objective: Little is known about genetic contributions to individual differences in cognitive plasticity. Given that the neurotransmitter dopamine is critical for cognition and associated with cognitive plasticity, we investigated the effects of 3 polymorphisms of dopamine-related genes (LMX1A, DRD2, COMT) on baseline performance and plasticity of working memory (WM), perceptual speed, and reasoning. Method: One hundred one younger and 103 older adults underwent approximately 100 days of cognitive training, and extensive testing before and after training. We analyzed the baseline and posttest data using latent change score models. Results: For working memory, carriers of the val allele of the COMT polymorphism had lower baseline performance and larger performance gains from training than carriers of the met allele. There was no significant effect of the other genes or on other cognitive domains. Conclusions: We relate this result to available evidence indicating that met carriers perform better than val carriers in WM tasks taxing maintenance, whereas val carriers perform better at updating tasks. We suggest that val carriers may show larger training gains because updating operations carry greater potential for plasticity than maintenance operations. (DIPF/Orig.

Comparing Employment Trajectories before and after First Imprisonment in Four Nordic Countries

Employment plays a crucial role in the re-entry process and in reducing recidivism among offenders released from prison. But at the same time, imprisonment is generally regarded as harmful to post-release employment prospects. Little is known, however, about whether or not offenders’ employment trajectories before and after imprisonment are similar across countries. As a first step towards filling this gap in research, this paper provides evidence on employment trajectories before and after imprisonment in four Nordic welfare states: Denmark, Finland, Norway and Sweden. Using data gathered from administrative records on incarcerated offenders, the analysis focuses on individuals imprisoned for the first time and who served a prison sentence less than one year in length. Results show that although employment trajectories develop in mostly similar ways before and after imprisonment across these countries, important differences exist.Peer reviewe

effect of the interplay between genetic and behavioral risks on survival after age 75

Objectives To explore the association between genes that may be related to human mortality, taking into account the possible contribution of morbidity, and investigate whether lifestyle behaviors may attenuate genetic risk. Design Twenty-five-year population-based cohort study. Setting Kungsholmen cohort, Stockholm, Sweden. Participants Individuals aged 75 and older (N = 1,229). Measurements The associations between single-nucleotide variations in 14 genes (previously associated with mortality or to diseases linked to mortality), relevant lifestyle risk behaviors (smoking; mental, physical, or social inactivity; moderate or poor social network), and mortality were estimated using Cox regression. Results People with allelic variation in four genes related to cardiovascular diseases and metabolism were more likely to die: apolipoprotein (APO)C1 GG and AG carriers, APOE ɛ4 carriers, insulin-degrading enzyme (IDE) TC carriers, and phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase (PI3KCB) GG carriers. Individuals with multiple adverse alleles had 62% higher mortality rate than those with none. In contrast, people with no risk behaviors (low-risk profile) had 65% lower mortality rate than people with all examined risk behaviors (high-risk profile). Combining the genetic and environmental factors, it was found that, independent of genetic profile, individuals with a low-risk profile had up to 64% lower mortality rate than those with a moderate high– or high-risk profile and at least one genetic risk factor. Conclusion This study supports and expands evidence that genetic variations in APOE, IDE, and PI3KCB are associated with lower mortality rate, although lifestyle behaviors can modulate their effects

l-Dopa induced dyskinesias in Parkinsonian mice: Disease severity or l-Dopa history

AbstractIn Parkinson’s disease, the efficacy of l-Dopa treatment changes over time, as dyskinesias emerge with previously beneficial doses. Using MitoPark mice, that models mitochondrial failure in dopamine (DA) neurons and mimics the progressive loss of dopamine observed in Parkinson’s disease, we found that the severity of DA denervation and associated adaptations in striatal neurotransmission at the time of initiation of l-Dopa treatment determines development of l-Dopa induced dyskinesias. We treated 20-week, and 28-week old MitoPark mice with l-Dopa (10mg/kg i.p. twice a day) and found locomotor responses to be significantly different. While all MitoPark mice developed sensitization to l-Dopa treatment over time, 28-week old MitoPark mice with extensive striatal DA denervation developed abnormal involuntary movements rapidly and severely after starting l-Dopa treatment, as compared to a more gradual escalation of movements in 20-week old animals that started treatment at earlier stages of degeneration. Our data support that it is the extent of loss of DA innervation that determines how soon motor complications develop with l-Dopa treatment. Gene array studies of striatal neurotransmitter receptors revealed changes in mRNA expression levels for DA, serotonin, glutamate and GABA receptors in striatum of 28-week old MitoPark mice. Our results support that delaying l-Dopa treatment until Parkinson’s disease symptoms become more severe does not delay the development of l-Dopa-induced dyskinesias. MitoPark mice model genetic alterations known to impair mitochondrial function in a subgroup of Parkinson patients and provide a platform in which to study treatments to minimize the development of dyskinesia

Increased dopamine release after working-memory updating training: Neurochemical correlates of transfer

AbstractPrevious work demonstrates that working-memory (WM) updating training results in improved performance on a letter-memory criterion task, transfers to an untrained n-back task, and increases striatal dopamine (DA) activity during the criterion task. Here, we sought to replicate and extend these findings by also examining neurochemical correlates of transfer. Four positron emission tomography (PET) scans using the radioligand raclopride were performed. Two of these assessed DAD2 binding (letter memory; n-back) before 5 weeks of updating training, and the same two scans were performed post training. Key findings were (a) pronounced training-related behavioral gains in the letter-memory criterion task, (b) altered striatal DAD2 binding potential after training during letter-memory performance, suggesting training-induced increases in DA release, and (c) increased striatal DA activity also during the n-back transfer task after the intervention, but no concomitant behavioral transfer. The fact that the training-related DA alterations during the transfer task were not accompanied by behavioral transfer suggests that increased DA release may be a necessary, but not sufficient, condition for behavioral transfer to occur.</div

Self and Informant Memory Reports in FINGER : Associations with Two-Year Cognitive Change

Background:Subjective memory complaints (SMCs) may be the first sign of cognitive decline in aging. Objective:To examine whether SMCs reported by oneself and informant predict cognitive change over 2 years among at-risk elderly people, and to determine the relationship of different types of SMCs (prospective and retrospective memory complaints) and change in cognitive function. Methods:This investigation is part of the FINGER project, which is a multicenter randomized controlled trial aiming at preventing cognitive decline in cognitively healthy older adults with increased risk of dementia. A subsample of 303 control-group participants (aged 60–80 years) and their informants (n = 261) rated the frequency of SMCs, using the Prospective and Retrospective Memory Questionnaire (PRMQ). Cognitive performance was measured at baseline and at 1- and 2-year follow-up visits using a neuropsychological test battery. Results:Participants who reported more SMCs improved less in global cognition, executive function, and memory during the subsequent 2 years in the fully-adjusted analyses. Self-reported retrospective memory problems predicted less improvement in all cognitive domains, whereas prospective memory problems did not. Informant-reported memory problems were not linked to subsequent change in cognition. Conclusion:Our results indicate that self-reported SMCs, measured with PRMQ, predict future cognitive change in several cognitive domains. By contrast, reports by informants were not linked to changes in cognition. Among cognitively healthy at-risk elderly individuals, the persons themselves observe more easily problems relevant for their future cognitive trajectories than their informants.Peer reviewe