Sini Mikkola, Rakkaat sisaret, riehaantuneet rouvat. Martin Lutherin naiset. Helsinki: Kirjapaja, 2019. [Kirja-arvostelu]

Non peer reviewe

Martin Lutherin ja Philipp Melanchthonin kirjeenvaihto Kustaa Vaasan kanssa 1539–1551

Tässä tutkimuksessa avataan ensimmäisen kerran Martin Lutherin ja Philipp Melanchthonin kirjeenvaihto Kustaa Vaasan kanssa. Kirjeiden tutkimus valottaa, millaista ajatustenvaihtoa reformaattoreiden ja kuninkaan välillä käytiin. Kirjeitä on säilynyt yhteensä kymmenen kappaletta vuosilta 1539–1551. On kuitenkin todennäköistä, että viestien ja uutisten välitys lähettien avulla oli vilkkaampaa ja laajempaa, mitä säilynyt kirjemateriaali antaa olettaa. Kirjeistä kolme on Martin Lutherilta Kustaa Vaasalle (18.4.1539, 4.10.1541 sekä 12.4.1544) ja kolme puolestaan kuninkaalta Lutherille (16.8.1540, 1.6.1541 sekä 3.6.1544). Neljä kirjeistä on Philipp Melanchthonilta Kustaa Vaasalle (12.5.1539, 23.7.1541, 13.2.1544 sekä 13.1.1551). Ruotsin valtakunnanarkiston eli Riksarkivetin tiedon mukaan kirjeitä oli alun perin neljä enemmän, mutta ne tuhoutuivat Tukholman linnan palossa vuonna 1697. Kirjeet on kirjoitettu saksaksi ja latinaksi. Tutkimuksessa selvitetään mikä on näiden kirjeiden sisältö. Kirjeiden muotoanalyysin kautta tarkastellaan kirjeiden rakennetta, ajan kirjeenvaihdolle tyypillisiä konventioita sekä niissä esiintyviä mahdollisia poikkeamia. Sisällön analyysin kautta nostetaan esiin sellaisia kirjeissä esiin tuotuja asioita, tapahtumia ja henkilöitä, jotka ovat historiallisesti tarkasteltuna merkityksellisiä. Huomiota kiinnitetään näiden merkitysten poliittisiin, yhteiskunnallisiin ja uskonnollisiin yhteyksiin eli siihen miten kirjeet heijastelevat aikaa Saksassa ja Ruotsissa. Tutkimuksessa pyritään vastaamaan kysymyksiin miksi kirjeenvaihtoa käytiin ja miksi kirjeenvaihto oli merkityksellinen sen osapuolille, mitkä olivat kirjeenvaihdon ja kirjoittajien motiivit, päämäärät sekä keinot päämäärien saavuttamiseksi. Melanchthonin, Lutherin ja Kustaa Vaasan välistä kirjeenvaihtoa voidaan pitää sisällöllisesti monipuolisena. Kirjeiden sisällöt jakautuivat neljään pääteemaan: suosituksiin, poliittisiin uutisiin, reformaatioon liittyviin asioihin ja huolenilmauksiin. Kirjeiden sisältämät asiat olivat merkityksellisiä ja tiedonvaihdon kannalta oleellisia kaikille osapuolille. Kirjeiden kautta reformaattorit pystyivät jossain määrin vaikuttamaan ja ohjailemaan Kustaa Vaasan hallintoa. He lähettivät ja suosittelivat kuninkaan palvelukseen Wittenbergissä opiskelleita, reformaation omaksuneita ja luotettaviksi osoittautuneita oppineita. Hyöty oli molemminpuolinen: reformaation aatteet levisivät oppineiden mukana Lutherille ja Melanchthonille mieluisalla ja luotettavalla tavalla Euroopan pohjoisimpaan kolkkaan ja Kustaa Vaasa puolestaan hyötyi saksalaisesta tietotaidosta uudistaessaan valtakuntansa hallintoa. Lutherin ja Melanchthonin kirjeenvaihdolla Kustaa Vaasan kanssa on ollut merkitystä Ruotsin kirkollisissa uudistamisessa, eikä vähiten siksi, että näin reformaattoreilla oli suora kontakti ja vahva vaikutuskanava luterilaistuvaan maahan

Staining and microscopy of mycorrhizal fungal colonization in preserved ericoid plant roots

BACKGROUND: Visualization of ericoid mycorrhizal colonization using traditional methods relies on either fresh or KOH stored samples. Increasing interest in studying ericoid mycorrhization has highlighted a need for methods which can be used for preserved samples and are simple to implement with commonly available equipment. OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to improve on traditional techniques for staining ericoid mycorrhizal fungi and microscopically visualizing ericoid mycorrhizal roots which have been preserved. METHODS: Ericoid mycorrhizal roots were placed in KOH or frozen at -20 degrees C for long-term storage. Traditional Trypan Blue staining methods were modified to reduce damage to fine mycorrhizal hyphae and cortical cells. A high light-intensity dark-field microscopy technique was applied to clearly visualize stained mycorrhizae. The novel application was compared to other commonly used practices. RESULTS: Trypan Blue staining without KOH storage or clearing allowed for successful staining of ericoid mycorrhizal roots stored at -20 degrees C. The application of high light-intensity dark-field microscopy provided high contrast visualization of mycorrhizal structures. CONCLUSIONS: The modified Trypan Blue staining method was effective on frozen root samples, with dark-field microscopy being particularly effective at visualizing dark colored roots. Advantages to this method are lowcost and relatively fast application time. Therefore, this method is a realistic option for large scale analyses with many samples which require long-term preservation.Peer reviewe

Spatial variations in bacterial and archaeal abundance and community composition in boreal forest pine mycorrhizospheres

Mycorrhizal fungi have a strong impact on soil biota. In this study, bacterial and archaeal populations in different parts of Suillus bovinus - Pinus sylvestris mycorrhizospheres in boreal forest were quantified and identified by DNA analysis. The numbers of bacterial and archaeal 16S rRNA gene copies were highest in uncolonized humus and lowest in fruiting bodies. The numbers of bacterial 16S rRNA gene copies varied from 1.3 x 10(7) to 3.1 x 10(9) copies g(-1) fw and archaeal copies from 4.1 x 10(7) to 9.6 x 10(8) copies g(-1) fw. The relatively high number of archaeal 16S rRNA gene copies was likely due to the cold and highly organic habitat. The presence of hyphae appeared to further promote archaeal numbers and the archaea:bacteria ratio was over one in samples containing only fungal material. Most detected archaea belonged to terrestrial Thaumarchaeota. Proteobacteria, Actinobacteria and Acidobacteria were predictably the dominating bacterial taxa in the samples with clear trend of Betaproteobacteria preferring the pine root habitats.Peer reviewe

Learning enhancing emotions predict student retention : Multilevel emotions of Finnish university physics students in and outside learning situations

Research on student retention in higher education (HE) physics could benefit by studying emotions in the context of engagement and learning. However, popular retention theories include only a narrow selection of emotions, creating a need to look elsewhere. In this study, we borrow the lens of an affective engagement model, the framework of an optimal learning moment, which has rarely been used in HE research so far. It defines situational engagement and three categories of learning enhancing, detracting, or accelerating emotions via twelve singular situational emotions. These twelve emotions in learning and other situations form intensive longitudinal data collected from twenty students using the experience sampling method (ESM) during their first two months of studying physics in a Finnish university. A two -level hierarchical dataset consisting of ESM measures (N1 = 440) and student records (N2 = 20), with gender as a background factor, are analyzed in two steps: first with hierarchical linear modeling, followed by multinomial logistic regression, giving results on both levels of the hierarchy, which is quite uncommon still. The results show how situational engagement and learning situations are separately connected to situational emotions and, further, how especially the learning enhancing emotions connect to success in courses (passing, grades) and first year student retention, surpassing the effect of course success.Peer reviewe

Building the content of CSR in the food chain with a stakeholder dialogue

The paper is concerned with the content of corporate social responsibility (CSR) in the food supply chains. The objective is to build the content of CSR in the food chain with a stakeholder dialogue. The research project takes an action oriented approach and is based on case studies. The project draws on three different case food products and their supply chains: rye bread, broiler chicken products and margarine. The content of CSR is constructed in interaction between researchers, consumers, companies and their interest groups. The research project combines the compilation and analysis of extensive information sources, constructive technology assessment and stakeholder workshops. The paper presents how the research process is proceeding in a dialogue with researchers, representatives of case companies, consumers and other stakeholders and provides results on important CSR issues related to the case food products and their supply chains.Corporate social responsibility, supply chain, stakeholders, Agribusiness,

Boreal soil microbial diversity and seed onion mycorrhizal colonization is unaffected by preceding one season crop cultivation

Arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) enhance plant phosphorus uptake, increase soil water holding abilities, reduce soil erosion and can protect their hosts from soil-borne pathogens. Hence, AMF play an important part in improving sustainable agricultural practices, and information about the effects of different preceding crop species on the following crop's AMF well-being is crucial for designing crop rotations. We studied onion root and soil microbial diversity and onion root AMF colonization rates after being preceded by three AMF hosting and one non-hosting green manure crop species in a boreal climate organic field. One-season cultivation of different preceding green manure crops did not have a strong effect on AMF colonization or microbial diversity in onion roots nor in the surrounding soil. Onions had high AMF colonization and microbial diversity after all four preceding crops. The overall fungal and bacterial populations of the soil reacted more strongly to seasonal variations than preceding crops. The study suggests that one season is a too short time to influence the AMF community in boreal climate organic fields with conventional tillage. Thus, non-host preceding crops can also be used in rotations, especially together with AMF host crops.Peer reviewe

Trends in bacterial and fungal communities in ant nests observed with Terminal-Restriction Fragment Length Polymorphism (T-RFLP) and Next Generation Sequencing (NGS) techniques-validity and compatibility in ecological studies

Microbes are ubiquitous and often occur in functionally and taxonomically complex communities. Unveiling these community dynamics is one of the main challenges of microbial research. Combining a robust, cost effective and widely used method such as Terminal Restriction Fragment Length Polymorphism (T-RFLP) with a Next Generation Sequencing (NGS) method (Illumina MiSeq), offers a solid alternative for comprehensive assessment of microbial communities. Here, these two methods were combined in a study of complex bacterial and fungal communities in the nest mounds of the ant Formica exsecta, with the aim to assess the degree to which these methods can be used to complement each other. The results show that these methodologies capture similar spatiotemporal variations, as well as corresponding functional and taxonomical detail, of the microbial communities in a challenging medium consisting of soil, decomposing plant litter and an insect inhabitant. Both methods are suitable for the analysis of complex environmental microbial communities, but when combined, they complement each other well and can provide even more robust results. T-RFLP can be trusted to show similar general community patterns as Illumina MiSeq and remains a good option if resources for NGS methods are lacking.Peer reviewe

Spatial variations in bacterial and archaeal abundance and community composition in boreal forest pine mycorrhizospheres

Mycorrhizal fungi have a strong impact on soil biota. In this study, bacterial and archaeal populations in different parts of Suillus bovinus - Pinus sylvestris mycorrhizospheres in boreal forest were quantified and identified by DNA analysis. The numbers of bacterial and archaeal 16S rRNA gene copies were highest in uncolonized humus and lowest in fruiting bodies. The numbers of bacterial 16S rRNA gene copies varied from 1.3 × 107 to 3.1 × 109 copies g−1 fw and archaeal copies from 4.1 × 107 to 9.6 × 108 copies g−1 fw. The relatively high number of archaeal 16S rRNA gene copies was likely due to the cold and highly organic habitat. The presence of hyphae appeared to further promote archaeal numbers and the archaea:bacteria ratio was over one in samples containing only fungal material. Most detected archaea belonged to terrestrial Thaumarchaeota. Proteobacteria, Actinobacteria and Acidobacteria were predictably the dominating bacterial taxa in the samples with clear trend of Betaproteobacteria preferring the pine root habitats.acceptedVersionPeer reviewe

Plant growth-promoting microbes improve stormwater retention of a newly-built vertical greenery system

On-site decentralized urban stormwater management has gained significant momentum in urban planning. Recently, vegetated roofs have been recommended as a viable decentralized stormwater management system and nature-based solution to meet the challenge of urban floods. However, as another type of unconventional green infrastructure, vertical greenery systems (VGS), also known as vegetated facades, have received much less research attention. Even though some researchers suggest that stormwater management by VGS is comparable to that of vegetated roofs, empirical evidence to substantiate this claim is limited. In this study, we conducted rain simulations on newly-built vegetation containers with water storage compartments. These vegetation containers were designed to be incorporated into a VGS specifically for stormwater management. We tested variables that could influence water retention efficiency and evapotranspiration of the containers under field conditions, i.e., inoculation of plant growth-promoting microbes (PGPMs) (Rhizophagus irregularis and Bacillus amyloliquefaciens), different substrate types (sandy loam and reed-based substrate), simulated rain quantity, natural precipitation, substrate moisture, and air temperature. The inoculation of PGPMs significantly reduced runoff quantity from the vegetation containers. Meanwhile, the well-ventilated sandy-loam substrate significantly reduced the remaining water in the water storage compartments over 1-week periods between rain simulation events, achieving high water-use efficiency. The selected microbes were established successfully in the containers and promoted the growth of 2 out of 5 plant species. R. irregularis colonization responded to substrate type and host plant species, while B. amyloliquefaciens population density in the substrate did not respond to these factors. Environmental conditions, such as antecedent substrate moisture, air temperature, and natural precipitation also influenced the efficiency of stormwater retention and/or evapotranspiration. In conclusion, this study provides instructive and practical insights to reduce urban flood risk by using VGS.Peer reviewe