Natural Equality and Natural Law in Locke's Two Treatises

This chapter discusses John Locke’s account of natural equality as presented in his Two Treatises of Government. Together with its sister concept natural liberty, natural equality is often associated with the idea of Locke as an early representative of liberal political thought. Locke’s notions of natural liberty and equality are seen as sings of his commitment to the values of individual autonomy and political equality held central in liberal-democratic societies of today, and his political theory is read as a more or less successful attempt to articulate those values. The chapter argues that such approach to Locke’s remarks on natural equality is historically misleading, and they are best understood when we take seriously the fact that he developed his political theory within the parameters of seventeenth-century natural law.Peer reviewe

Epilogue

Peer reviewe

Olemmeko me kaikki nyt liberalisteja?

Vaikka jotkut anglosaksisen uusliberalismin ajamista päämääristä ovat herättäneet vastakaikua myös Pohjan perukoilla, uusliberalistisilla ohjelmilla ei ole ollut täällä suurta kannattajakuntaa. Ja vaikka termi "taloudellinen liberalismi" esiintyy silloin tällöin poliittisessa retoriikassa, 1990-luvulla harjoitettu talouspolitiikka on ollut valtionyritysten yksityistämisestä ja julkisen talouden leikkauksista huolimatta aivan jotain muuta. Taloudellisen liberalismin oppien mukaan valtiovalta ei saa millään aktiivisilla toimenpiteillä vaikuttaa yritysten toimintaan. Suomessa valtiosta on sen sijaan tullut Nokian pääsponsori ja yhteiskuntapolitiikka on muutenkin valjastettu palvelemaan vientiteollisuuden tarpeita. Kyseessä on uudenlainen variaatio perinteisestä valtiovallan ja elinkeinoelämän yhteispelistä, ei siirtyminen taloudelliseen liberalismiin

Freshwater ecosystem services in Finland

Ecosystem services have become a significant multidisciplinary research agenda in the world. Man-made activities both at global and local scales deteriorate biodiversity and ecosystem functioning, which are essential also to human welfare. Ecosystem services are material and immaterial benefits and services provided by nature. Ecosystem services can be divided to the following main categories: provisioning, regulating, cultural and sustaining services. Different ecosystems provide various services depending also on their geographical location. For example, boreal ecosystems differ ecologically from tropical ones, for which the services they provide also vary. Boreal region is generally known for its high abundance of freshwaters. Quantity of freshwaters is rarely a problem in boreal region, but quality of inland waters is decreased in many places due to anthropogenic pressures. Freshwaters have received less attention than other ecosystems in ecosystem services research, because direct link between inland waters and terrestrial ecosystems makes evaluation of freshwater ecosystem services challenging. Purpose of this report is to identity and classify freshwater ecosystem services in Finland. The report consists of two parts: 1) historical review of freshwater ecosystem services in Finland, and 2) identification and classification of current ecosystem services in Finnish freshwaters. In historical review, we roughly evaluate how identification and appreciation of freshwater ecosystem services have varied temporally. In the second part, we identify and classify current freshwater ecosystem services in Finland based on two classification criteria, which complement each other. This report is part of project ”Integrated and policy relevant valuation of forest, agro, peatland and aquatic ecosystem services in Finland”, which is funded by Maj and Tor Nessling Foundation and coordinated by University of Eastern Finland. Appreciation of freshwater ecosystem services has varied over the decades. In the beginning of 20th century, inland waters were important source of nutriment and way of transportation. Increased pollution of water bodies awaked society to appreciate other services provided by freshwaters in turn of 1970s-80s. Nowadays, freshwaters have a major role among others in flood protection, climate regulation, primary production and recreation. However, identification of many freshwater services is still superficial or deficient. For example, genetic and biochemical resources, control of invasive species and diseases, aesthetic and religious services, and formation of soil and water cycling are generally poorly known in Finland. In addition, large scale studies of freshwater ecosystem services are rarely done in Finland and knowledge on how services interact with each other is inadequate

Postoperative cognitive change after cardiac surgery predicts long-term cognitive outcome

Objectives Postoperative cognitive dysfunction (POCD) is a common consequence of coronary artery bypass grafting. However, domain-specific associations between postoperative changes and long-term performance are poorly known. The aim of this study was to investigate whether domain-specific cognitive changes after cardiac surgery predict long-term cognitive outcome. Materials and Methods We assessed 100 patients (86 men, mean age 60) before coronary artery bypass grafting, with re-examinations after one week, three months, and a mean of 6.7 years. The extensive neuropsychological test battery was organized into seven functional cognitive domains. Cognitive decline and improvement were defined with the reliable change index derived from 17 matching healthy controls. Analyses were adjusted for baseline cognitive performance, age, gender, education and cardiovascular risks factors. Results On group level, one week after surgery 71% patients showed cognitive decline and 9% improvement in any functional domain, as compared to preoperative results. Three months postsurgery, decline was observed in 47% and improvement in 25% of patients. Executive functioning was the most sensitive domain to both decline and improvement. Postoperative dysfunction predicted long-term cognitive deterioration six years after operation, particularly in the domain of executive functioning. Conclusions POCD after coronary artery bypass grafting is an essential risk factor for long-term deterioration and an indication for neuropsychological follow-up. Assessment of change in executive functioning after coronary artery bypass grafting may help to identify patients at risk for unfavorable long-term outcome.Peer reviewe

Postoperative cognitive change after cardiac surgery predicts long-term cognitive outcome

Objectives: Postoperative cognitive dysfunction (POCD) is a common consequence of coronary artery bypass grafting. However, domain-specific associations between postoperative changes and long-term performance are poorly known. The aim of this study was to investigate whether domain-specific cognitive changes after cardiac surgery predict long-term cognitive outcome. Materials and Methods: We assessed 100 patients (86 men, mean age 60) before coronary artery bypass grafting, with re-examinations after one week, three months, and a mean of 6.7 years. The extensive neuropsychological test battery was organized into seven functional cognitive domains. Cognitive decline and improvement were defined with the reliable change index derived from 17 matching healthy controls. Analyses were adjusted for baseline cognitive performance, age, gender, education and cardiovascular risks factors. Results: On group level, one week after surgery 71% patients showed cognitive decline and 9% improvement in any functional domain, as compared to preoperative results. Three months postsurgery, decline was observed in 47% and improvement in 25% of patients. Executive functioning was the most sensitive domain to both decline and improvement. Postoperative dysfunction predicted long-term cognitive deterioration six years after operation, particularly in the domain of executive functioning. Conclusions: POCD after coronary artery bypass grafting is an essential risk factor for long-term deterioration and an indication for neuropsychological follow-up. Assessment of change in executive functioning after coronary artery bypass grafting may help to identify patients at risk for unfavorable long-term outcome.</div

Relationships among Body Condition, Insulin Resistance and Subcutaneous Adipose Tissue Gene Expression during the Grazing Season in Mares

Obesity and insulin resistance have been shown to be risk factors for laminitis in horses. The objective of the study was to determine the effect of changes in body condition during the grazing season on insulin resistance and the expression of genes associated with obesity and insulin resistance in subcutaneous adipose tissue (SAT). Sixteen Finnhorse mares were grazing either on cultivated high-yielding pasture (CG) or semi-natural grassland (NG) from the end of May to the beginning of September. Body measurements, intravenous glucose tolerance test (IVGTT), and neck and tailhead SAT gene expressions were measured in May and September. At the end of grazing, CG had higher median body condition score (7 vs. 5.4, interquartile range 0.25 vs. 0.43; P=0.05) and body weight (618 kg vs. 572 kg +/- 10.21 (mean +/- SEM); P=0.02), and larger waist circumference (P=0.03) than NG. Neck fat thickness was not different between treatments. However, tailhead fat thickness was smaller in CG compared to NG in May (P=0.04), but this difference disappeared in September. Greater basal and peak insulin concentrations, and faster glucose clearance rate (P=0.03) during IVGTT were observed in CG compared to NG in September. A greater decrease in plasma non-esterified fatty acids during IVGTT (PPeer reviewe

Matalaenergia- ja passiivitalojen rakenteiden ja liitosten suunnittelu- ja toteutusohjeita

Rakennusten energiatehokkuuden parantaminen tuo mukanaan muutospaineita suunnittelijoille ja rakentajille. Rakenteiden dimensiot muuttuvat eristepaksuutta kasvattaessa ja toisaalta rakenteen kosteustekninen toiminta muuttuu vaipan läpi tapahtuvien lämpöhäviöiden vähentyessä. Uusia tehokkaampia lämmöneristemateriaaleja käytetään paikoissa, joissa niitä ei ole ennen käytetty, mikä osaltaan vaikuttaa rakenteen kosteustekniseen, rakenteelliseen ja palotekniseen käyttäytymiseen sekä käytännön toteutukseen. Energiatehokkuuden parantamisen aiheuttamien muutosten lisäksi myös kiihtyvä ilmastonmuutos tulee vaikuttamaan rakenteiden toimintaan.Tämä tutkimusraportti liittyy Tampereen teknillisellä yliopistolla vuosina 2009-2012 toteutettuun FRAME-tutkimusprojektiin, jossa tutkittiin ilmastonmuutoksen ja lämmöneristyksen lisäämisen vaikutusta rakenteiden lämpö- ja kosteustekniseen toimintaan sekä rakennusten energiankulutukseen ja sisäilman olosuhteisiin. Julkaisun tavoitteena on esittää yleisesti käytetyissä rakenteissa mahdollisesti esiintyviä muutoksia, kun eristepaksuutta kasvatetaan tai eristemateriaalia vaihdetaan ja esittää rakenteiden suunnitteluja toteutusohjeita, joilla nämä muutokset otetaan huomioon. FRAME-projektin varsinaiset tutkimustulokset on esitetty erillisessä raportissa, mutta tutkimustuloksia on hyödynnetty myös tässä julkaisussa annetuissa ohjeissa. Rakennetyypit ja ohjeistukset on laadittu siten, että rakenne toimisi kosteusteknisesti myös paksummilla lämmöneristeillä sekä tulevaisuuden ilmastossa (vuonna 2050). Julkaisussa on käsitelty yleisesti käytettyjä rakennetyyppejä ja - liitoksia. Ohjeistus ja selitykset on pyritty laatimaan siten, että esitettyjä toteutusperiaatteita voidaan tarvittaessa soveltaa myös muihin rakenteisiin.Lämmöneristyksen lisäyksestä aiheutuvilla muutoksilla on muutamia yhteisiä piirteitä. Rakenteen läpi tapahtuvat lämpöhäviöt pienentyvät. Tästä seuraa rakenteiden ulko-osien viileneminen ja suhteellisen kosteuden nousu. Tilanne voi heikentää tiettyjen perinteisten rakenteiden kosteusteknistä toimintaa, jos muuttuneita olosuhteita ei oteta suunnittelussa huomioon. Rakennusaikaisen kosteuden kuivumiseen on varattava lisäksi enemmän aikaa, kun rakennetta kuivattava lämpövirta rakenteen läpi vähenee. Rakenteen dimensioiden muutos saattaa johtaa rankarakenteiden rungon ylimitoitukseen, mikä aikaansaa uusien runkotyyppien kehittämistä. Rakenteiden paksuuden kasvaessa eristeen läpi tehtyjen kannatusten ja ripustusten rasitukset kasvavat, mikä johtaa liitoskappaleiden paksuntumiseen ja lisääntyvään kylmäsiltavaikutukseen. Liitokset ja liikuntasaumat tulee mitoittaa ottaen huomioon paksujen eristekerrosten kokoonpuristuminen ja liikkeet. Energiatehokkuuden parantuessa ilmatiiviyden merkitys korostuu ja sisätilojen riittävästä ilmanvaihdosta on huolehdittava. Rakenteiden vikasietoisuuden heikkeneminen korostaa jatkossa entisestään myös rakennusaikaisen kosteudenhallinnan ja huolellisen rakentamisen merkitystä