Assessing the social impact of a Nature-based Solution in Trondheim Municipality: A neighbourhood-scale socio-spatial analysis

Naturbaserte løsninger er en alternativ tilnærming til klimatilpasning som gir mange tilleggsgoder. Trondheim kommune etablerte i 2006 en park som en del av et bytransformasjonsprosjekt, hvor Ilabekken ble gjenåpnet og et fordrøyningsbasseng ble anlagt. Prosjektet har blitt løftet frem som svært vellykket, men det har ikke blitt gjennomført en analyse av sosiale virkning siden parken ble etablert og kommunen mangler verktøy for å kommunisere fordelene ved å ta i bruk naturbaserte løsninger til innbyggerne. Det argumenteres for at naturbaserte løsninger bør overvåkes og evalueres etter at de er etablert for å kunne vurdere hvor godt de fungerer, om de løser det problemene de ble utviklet for, og for å bidra til mer nyansert kunnskap. I denne studien ble det brukt tre indikatorer for å vurdere om parken med NbS hadde en positiv, nøytral eller negativ innvirkning på lokalsamfunnet. Innbyggernes perspektiv på parken og hvilken innvirkning den har på hverdagslivet ble undersøkt gjennom en nettbasert spørreundersøkelse. Helse og velvære ble vurdert ved hjelp av en analyse av fjernmåling, med fokus på endringer i Normalized Difference Vegetation Index før og etter parkens opprettelse. Til slutt har den økonomiske effekten blitt vurdert gjennom en kost-nytte-analyse. Kostnadene er innhentet fra Trondheim kommune og økosystemtjenester med iTree Canopy-programvaren og andre kilder. Resultatene fra undersøkelsen var positive: Beboerne i nabolaget hadde et svært positivt syn på parken og dens tilleggsgoder. Flertallet mente også at parken påvirker livskvaliteten deres på en positiv måte. NDVI har klart forbedret seg i årene etter at parkene ble opprettet sammenlignet med før. Den økonomiske effektten viste derimot mange begrensninger, og resultatet var negativt. Oppsummert, med ytterligere bakgrunnsdata om livet i nabolaget og endringer i byen, viste Iladalen Park seg å ha en positiv innvirkning på lokalsamfunnet med positive konsekvenser for innbyggerne.Nature-based Solutions are an alternative approach to climate adaptation that deliver many co-benefits. Trondheim municipality in 2006 in a transformative project created a park which holds part of a renatured stream and a detention pond. The project has been viewed as very successful; however, no social impact assessment has been carried out since its creation and the municipality is missing tools for communicating the benefits of alternative solutions to its citizens. It is argued that Nature-based Solutions should be monitored and assessed after their creation to see whether they are performing well, solving the issue which they were designed for and to create nuanced knowledge. This study utilized three indicators to assess whether the park containing NbS had a positive, neutral or negative impact on the local society. Citizens’ perception and impact on life were assessed through an online survey. Health and wellbeing through remote sensing, focusing on Normalized Difference Vegetation Index change before and after the park’s creation. Lastly, economic efficiency has been assessed through cost-benefit analysis. Costs have been obtained from the Trondheim municipality and Ecosystem services with iTree Canopy software and other sources. The results were positive, Residents of the neighbourhood had a very positive outlook on the park and its implications, the majority also believed that the park affects their quality of life in a positive manner. The Normalized Difference Vegetation Index value improved in the years after the park's creation compared to before. Assessing the economic efficiency showed many limitations, and its outcome was negative. In summary with additional background data on the neighbourhood life and changes in the city, Iladalen Park proved to have a positive impact on local society and posed positive implications for the residents

Single mothers and the issue of motherhood in essays and popular cinema in Poland in the 1930s

Małgorzata Radkiewicz analyzes the situation of single mothers in 1930s Poland, drawing on journalistic writings and popular films from that period. In 1918, women in Poland were granted the right to vote, which marked the beginning of a broader public debate concerning the role of women in the public sphere and social institutions, as well as regulations related to medical care and access to abortion. Female authors in particular engaged with issues surrounding gender roles and maternal responsibilities. Since many of these women also wrote screenplays, such themes found their way into genre films—productions that, while conforming to conventional cinematic forms, nonetheless reflected contemporary social realities

Social dominance orientation predicts lower moral condemnation of causing harm to animals

Background Recent studies and theorizing (SD-HARM model) suggested that social dominance orientation (SDO) constitutes the ideological foundation of negative attitude towards animals and acceptance of their exploitation. At the same time, right-wing authoritarianism (RWA) is expected to predict speciesist beliefs only when they are perceived as part of societal tradition. The present studies investigated these predictions with moral condemnation of harm done to animals by humans as an indicator of speciesism. Participants and procedure 400 and 324 people, aged 18-87, took part in two crosssectional studies. They reported their levels of SDO and RWA and made moral judgments of harm done to animals. Results In both studies, SDO, but not RWA, negatively predicted moral condemnation of harming animals. Conclusions The results offer additional support for the SD-HARM model. The more people accept SDO beliefs, the less they morally condemn harm done to animals by humans.Background Recent studies and theorizing (SD-HARM model) suggested that social dominance orientation (SDO) constitutes the ideological foundation of negative attitude towards animals and acceptance of their exploitation. At the same time, right-wing authoritarianism (RWA) is expected to predict speciesist beliefs only when they are perceived as part of societal tradition. The present studies investigated these predictions with moral condemnation of harm done to animals by humans as an indicator of speciesism. Participants and procedure 400 and 324 people, aged 18-87, took part in two crosssectional studies. They reported their levels of SDO and RWA and made moral judgments of harm done to animals. Results In both studies, SDO, but not RWA, negatively predicted moral condemnation of harming animals. Conclusions The results offer additional support for the SD-HARM model. The more people accept SDO beliefs, the less they morally condemn harm done to animals by humans

Metacognition and the accuracy of retrieval : integration of new ideas

There is a general agreement that remembering depends not only on the memory processes as such but rather that encoding, storage and retrieval are under the constant influence of the overarching, metacognitive processes. Moreover, many interventions designed to improve memory refer in fact to metacognition. Most attempts to integrate the very different theoretical and experimental approaches in this domain focus on encoding, whereas there is relatively little integration of approaches that focus on retrieval. Therefore, we reviewed the studies that used new ideas to improve memory retrieval due to a "metacognitive intervention". We concluded that whereas single experimental manipulations were not likely to increase metacognitive ability, more extensive interventions were. We proposed possible theoretical perspectives, namely the Source Monitoring Framework, as a means to integrate the two, so far separate, ways of thinking about the role of metacognition in retrieval: the model of strategic regulation of memory, and the research on appraisals in autobiographical memory. We identified venues for future research which could address, among other issues, integration of these perspectives

The effects of demineralisation and sampling point variability on the measurement of glutamine deamidation in type I collagen extracted from bone

The level of glutamine (Gln) deamidation in bone collagen provides information on the diagenetic history of bone but, in order to accurately assess the extent of Gln deamidation, it is important to minimise the conditions that may induce deamidation during the sample preparation. Here we report the results of a preliminary investigation of the variability in glutamine deamidation levels in an archaeological bone due to: a) sampling location within a bone; b) localised diagenesis; and c) sample preparation methods. We then investigate the effects of pre-treatment on three bone samples: one modern, one Medieval and one Pleistocene. The treatment of bone with acidic solutions was found to both induce deamidation and break down the collagen fibril structure. This is particularly evident in the Pleistocene material (∼80,000 years BP) considered in this study. We show that ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid (EDTA), when used as an alternative to hydrochloric acid (HCl) demineralisation, induces minimal levels of deamidation and maintains the collagen fibril structure. Areas of bone exhibiting localised degradation are shown to be correlated with an increase in the levels of Gln deamidation. This indicates that the extent of Gln deamidation could provide a marker for diagenesis but that sampling is important, and that, whenever possible, subsamples should be taken from areas of the bone that are visually representative of the bone as a whole. Although validation of our observations will require analysis of a larger sample set, deamidation measurements could be a valuable screening tool to evaluate the suitability of bone for further destructive collagen analyses such as isotopic or DNA analysis, as well as assessing the overall preservation of bone material at a site. The measure of bone preservation may be useful to help conservators identify bones that may require special long-term storage conditions

Social Worldviews and Personal Beliefs as Risk Factors for Radicalization: A Comparison Between Muslims and non-Muslims Living in Poland

This paper contributes to the understanding of the radicalization process. Muslim and non-Muslim residents of Poland were compared on their pro-terrorist attitudes toward sacrifice and non-sacrifice terrorism. We observed that acceptance of sacrifice terrorism and non-sacrifice terrorism are distinct but overlapping attitudes. These attitudes are explained by a separate configuration of social worldviews and personal beliefs. We found acceptance of non-sacrifice terrorism to be predicted by individual belief in a hostile world and the perception of low social support, whereas acceptance of sacrifice terrorism is determined by religious fundamentalism and authoritarianism. The separate beliefs underlying these two forms of pro-terrorist attitudes may indicate their different psychological functions. Acceptance of sacrifice terrorism serves as a defense of religion and culture, whereas acceptance of non-sacrifice terrorism serves to release personal frustration. This distinction may be used in terrorism prevention programs and/or de-radicalization programs. We also found that the risk of radicalization increases with the socio-cultural isolation of Muslims, decreases with age, and is particularly high for males

Stripped of illusions? Exploring system justification processes in Capitalist and post-Communist societies

Sociologists and political scientists have often observed that citizens of Central and Eastern Europe express high levels of disillusionment with their social, economic and political systems, in comparison with citizens of Western capitalist societies. In this review, we analyze system legitimation and delegitimation in post-Communist societies from a social psychological perspective. We draw on system justification theory, which seeks to understand how, when and why people do (and do not) defend, bolster and justify existing social systems. We review some of the major tenets and findings of the theory and compare research on system-justifying beliefs and ideologies in traditionally Capitalist and post-Communist countries to determine: (1) whether there are robust differences in the degree of system justification in post-Communist and Capitalist societies, and (2) the extent to which hypotheses derived from system justification theory receive support in the post-Communist context. To this end, we summarize research findings from over 20 countries and cite previously unpublished data from a public opinion survey conducted in Poland. Our analysis confirms that there are lower levels of system justification in post-Communist countries. At the same time, we find that system justification possesses similar social and psychological antecedents, manifestations and consequences in the two types of societies. We offer potential explanations for these somewhat complicated patterns of results and conclude by addressing implications for theory and research on system justification and system change (or transition)

Cinema – technique, movement, abstraction : texts published in “Blok" in the context of the early film theory

Lata 1924–1926, w których wydawane było pismo "Blok", to czas intensywnego rozwoju europejskiej myśli filmowej, także w środowiskach Bauhausu i grupy De Stijl. Odczytanie tekstów publikowanych w "Bloku" przez pryzmat wczesnej refleksji o kinie umożliwia prześledzenie wątków wspólnych dla rozważań o sztuce i twórczości filmowej – od kwestii technicznych, związanych z ruchem, po idee filmu abstrakcyjnego. Oprócz artykułów oryginalnych i przedrukowanych, ważny materiał badawczy stanowią też reprodukowane prace Mieczysława Szczuki i Teresy Żarnowerówny, będące próbą indywidualnej interpretacji zjawisk filmowych i ich uchwycenia za pomocą warsztatu plastycznego. Dzięki nim widać wyraźnie, że prezentowane na łamach "Bloku" poglądy na temat estetyki, celów i narzędzi awangardy, podobnie jak ówczesna myśl filmowa, odzwierciedlały dynamikę przemian technicznych, wpływających na sferę artystyczną i determinujących nowe możliwości ekspresji.The years 1924 –1926, during which the magazine "Blok" was published, were a time of vigorous development of the early film theory, also in the milieu of the Bauhaus and the De Stijl group. By reading the texts printed in "Blok" through the lens of early reflection on cinema, it is possible to trace the concepts common to considerations of art and filmmaking, from technical, movement-related issues to the notion of abstract film. In addition to original and reprinted works, important material is provided by the works of Mieczysław Szczuka and Teresa Żarnowerówna published in “Blok”, which were an attempt at an individual interpretation of film phenomena and their construal by means of artistic techniques. Thanks to these texts, it is clear that the views on aesthetics, goals and tools of the avant-garde as presented in "Blok", as well as the film theory of the time, all reflected the dynamics of technological transformations which influenced the artistic sphere and laid out new possibilities for expression

Sex differences in cancer risk and survival

Aim: The objective of study I was to delineate and quantify sex differences in cancer risk and survival together with assessing the potential gain achieved by eliminating the excess cancer risk in men. Study II and III aimed to in detail characterize the superior non-small cell lung cancer survival and the inferior urinary bladder cancer survival, in women, with the underlying objective to identify underlying drivers to these two phenomena. In study IV we wanted to explore to what extent taller body stature can explain the excess cancer risk in men. Methods: All of the studies are Swedish population-based cohort studies. Study I included all incident cancer cases (n=872,397) recorded in the Swedish Cancer Register in 1970-2014 at age 15-84. The association between sex and cancer risk and sex and cancer survival was assessed by estimating male-to-female incidence rate ratios (IRRs) and excess mortality ratios (EMRs), respectively, using Poisson regression models adjusted for age and calendar year. All incident lung squamous cell carcinoma (n=10,325) and adenocarcinoma (n=23,465) cases recorded in the Swedish Lung Cancer Register in 2002-2016 formed the basis in Study II. Flexible parametric models were applied to compute adjusted female-to-male hazard ratios (HRs) and standardized survival proportions over follow-up, including; age, year, education, marital status, birth country, health care region, ECOG performance status, smoking history, comorbidity, TNM stage, and tumor location, in the final model. A subgroup analysis of lung adenocarcinoma, additionally adjusting for EGFR mutational status, was additionally performed. In study III we included all records of urothelial bladder cancer diagnosed in 1997-2014 at age 18-89 in the Swedish Urinary Bladder Cancer Register (n=36,344). We estimated empirical survival proportions and mortality rates in men and women as well as female-to-male adjusted HRs and standardized survival proportions, using flexible parametric models including; age, year, WHO grade, TNM stage, marital status, education, health care region, birth country, and comorbidity, in the fully-adjusted models. In study IV individual-level information on height from the Swedish Passport Register, the Conscription Register, and the Medical Birth Register (n=6,156,659) was linked to the Swedish Cancer Register where 285,778 cancer cases were identified. Contemporary mediation analysis was applied to assess the effect of male sex, explained by height, on cancer risk. Results: In study I we found that men are at a higher risk of 34 of 39 malignancies, and have a poorer survival in 27 of 39. Except for smoking-associated malignancies, the excess risk in men is stable over calendar time. In male predominant sites, IRRs range from 1.05; 95% CI, 1.02-1.1 (lung adenocarcinoma) to 8.0; 95% CI, 7.5-85 (laryngeal cancer). Women with non-small cell lung cancer (study II) are younger, smoke less, and present better performance status, compared to men. Women with lung adenocarcinoma additionally present lower comorbidity burden, less advanced stage, and more often harbor activating EGFR mutations. Women with non-small cell lung cancer have a superior survival that is most consistent in lung adenocarcinoma where female-to-male HRs ranged from 0.69; 95% CI 0.63-0.76 (stage IA-IIB) to 0.94; 95% CI 0.88-0.99 (stage IIIB-IV). HR estimates remain largely unchanged after meticulous adjustments. Except for an unfavorable stage distribution in women, we found sparse evidence of sex differences in clinical management or tumor aggressiveness, in urothelial bladder cancer (study III). Women, overall, have a poorer bladder cancer survival (adjusted HR 1.15; 95% CI 1.08-1.23) which is driven by muscle invasive tumors (adjusted HR 1.24; 95% CI 1.14-1.34) and restricted to the first two years from diagnosis. Study IV confirmed that a majority of investigated cancers are associated with male sex (here, 33 of 39) and body height (27 of 39). A fair proportion of the excess male cancer risk is explained by taller body stature, and ranges from 0.5% (laryngeal) to 100% (salivary, colon, melanoma, and AML). The effect of body height and the mediated Conclusion: In Study I we found that male sex is a consistent risk as well as a negative prognostic factor for a majority of cancers. Identifying and eliminating underlying factors to the excess cancer risk in men could substantially reduce the global cancer burden. Men with lung adenocarcinoma have a consistently poorer survival that remained largely unchanged after adjustments for a range of prognostic factors, indicating sex differences in tumor biology (study II). The excess bladder cancer mortality in women is limited to muscle-invasive tumors, only noticeable within the first two years from diagnosis, and cannot be explained by the examined clinicopathological factors (study III). This warrants further investigation of sex differences in outcomes and complications to radical cystectomy. A large proportion of the excess cancer risk in men is explainable by height (study IV). This finding corroborate that a considerable proportion of cancer cases are a result of random processes during DNA replication (i.e., bad luck) rather than underlying hereditary and/or environmental factors

Chemical Ligation and Isotope Labeling to Locate Dynamic Effects during Catalysis by Dihydrofolate Reductase

Chemical ligation has been used to alter motions in specific regions of dihydrofolate reductase from E. coli and to investigate the effects of localized motional changes on enzyme catalysis. Two isotopic hybrids were prepared; one with the mobile N-terminal segment containing heavy isotopes (2H, 13C, 15N) and the remainder of the protein with natural isotopic abundance, and the other one with only the C-terminal segment isotopically labeled. Kinetic investigations indicated that isotopic substitution of the N-terminal segment affected only a physical step of catalysis, whereas the enzyme chemistry was affected by protein motions from the C-terminal segment. QM/MM studies support the idea that dynamic effects on catalysis mostly originate from the C-terminal segment. The use of isotope hybrids provides insights into the microscopic mechanism of dynamic coupling, which is difficult to obtain with other studies, and helps define the dynamic networks of intramolecular interactions central to enzyme catalysis