Maan mahtavimmat maskuliinisuudet?: Militarisoidun maskuliinisuuden representaatiot Marvel Studiosin 2010-luvun elokuvissa

Yhdysvaltalainen Marvel Studios -tuotantoyhtiö on supersankarielokuviensa ansiosta noussut 2010-luvulla kansainvälisen elokuvateollisuuden huipulle. Maailmanlaajuisesti menestyneet supersankarielokuvat, joissa kansainvälinen politiikka esitetään toistuvasti konfliktisena, muodostavat otollisen tutkimuskohteen myös kansainvälisten suhteiden tieteenalalle. Tässä tutkielmassa lisään feministiseen sotaelokuvien tutkimukseen uuden ulottuvuuden tarkastelemalla sotaelokuvagenren edustajien sijaan moderneja yhdysvaltalaisia supersankarielokuvia. Selvitän, millaista miessupersankareiden esittäminen länsimaisen militarisoidun maskuliinisuuden ihanteiden mukaisesti on Marvel Studiosin 2010-luvun elokuvissa, ja missä määrin representaatiot vastaavat aiemmasta feministisestä tutkimuksesta nousevia piirteitä. Tutkielman teoreettiset lähtökohdat ovat etenkin kansainvälisten suhteiden feministisessä perinteessä sekä populaarikulttuurin tutkimuksessa. Näiden pohjalta lähestyn elokuvia populaarikulttuurisina representaatioina, jotka sisältävät narratiiveja kansainvälisestä politiikasta, erityisesti sodankäynnistä. Erittelenkin aineistoa narratiivien analyysilla, jossa hahmojen esitystapojen tarkastelun osalta hyödynnän laadullista teorialähtöistä sisällönanalyysia. Tällöin analyysiyksiköitä ovat yksittäiset militarisoituun maskuliinisuuteen liitettävät ominaisuudet. Aineistoni koostuu Marvel Studiosin vuosina 2012–2019 julkaisemasta neljän elokuvan laajuisesta Avengers-sarjasta. Analyysin valossa vaikuttaa siltä, että elokuvissa alkuperäisen Kostajat-supersankariryhmän miesjäsenten esittämisessä toistuvat laajalti länsimaisen sotilasihanteen piirteet: miessupersankari on parhaimmillaan sekä kovaluontoinen taistelija, oikeamielinen soturi että rakastava perheenisä. Löydösten voidaan nähdä osaltaan sekä todistavan tiettyjen militarisoitujen sukupuolisidonnaisten oletuksien, ihanteiden ja normien olemassaolosta länsimaisessa kulttuurissa että osallistuvan näiden uusintamiseen. Näin Marvel Studiosin supersankarielokuvat näyttävät edelleen osallistuvan sodankäynnin ja sen sukupuolittuneen logiikan ylläpitämiseen sekä kansainvälisen poliittisen todellisuuden rakentamiseen

Variation in body condition of songbirds during breeding season in relation to sex, migration strategy and weather

Animal body reserves are often linked with demographic parameters such as breeding success and survival. During breeding season individuals face a trade-off between maintaining body reserves and investing in reproduction. Factors influencing the body reserves of species during breeding season are poorly understood. In this study, we used long-term trapping data from Finnish Constant Effort Sites program to evaluate the impact of sex, migration behaviour, and weather on body reserve index (BRI) of old and young birds during breeding season in 20 species. Our main interest was to study how variation in weather conditions influences the BRI of breeding passerine birds. Weather variables did not explain BRI of adults. However, we found that BRI of young birds was weakly negatively connected with mean temperature, but this may have low biological importance. BRI of adult males increased towards the end of August, but female BRI showed a seasonal decline throughout June and July. Breeding females face the peak in physiological stress later thanmales, probably because females lay eggs, and often invest more in incubation and brood rearing thanmales. The seasonal decline caused females to have lower BRI thanmales at the end of the breeding season. This can cause females to be less prepared for the approaching autumnmigration thanmales. Our findings suggest that there are sex-specific changes in BRI during the breeding season, whichmay have carryover effects on other life history events.Peer reviewe

Assessment of a Cyclic Bending Test Method for Printed Flexible Supercapacitor

Printed flexible supercapacitor (SC) is seen as an attractive alternative to replace batteries as energy storage unit in energy autonomous sensors. This paper assesses a cyclic bending test method for printed flexible SC. The test is evaluated using four material stacks for printed SC in five different bending radii. The measurement system analysis (MSA) found that the calculated bending radii under all test conditions exhibit variation within a range of 0.3 mm, and the variation takes up less than 8% of bending radius. The measurement system is subjected to 9% total variation, which is within acceptable range. The variation was mainly caused by the uneven thickness distribution across the SC due to its structure. Thus, the variation caused by the test method and measurement is even smaller. In addition, the SC's bending radius subjected to even smaller variation in cyclic bending test. These indicate that this test method is highly reliable and repeatable for evaluating flexible SC.acceptedVersionPeer reviewe

Cognitive and Neuropsychiatric Symptom Differences in Early Stages of Alzheimer's Disease: Kuopio ALSOVA Study

Background/Aim: Alzheimer’s disease (AD) causes impairment in memory and other cognitive functions as well as neuropsychiatric symptoms and limitations in the activities of daily living (ADL). The aim of this study was to examine whether demographic variables, dementia severity, ADL and neuropsychiatric symptoms are associated with cognition in very mild or mild AD. Methods: We analyzed the baseline data of 236 patients with very mild or mild AD participating in a prospective AD follow-up study (ALSOVA). The Consortium to Establish a Registry for Alzheimer’s Disease neuropsychological battery total score was used in the evaluation of the global cognitive performance. Results: Cognition was associated with dementia severity and ADL but not with neuropsychiatric symptoms. ADL functions were associated with both cognitive performance and neuropsychiatric symptoms. Conclusion: Even patients with very mild or mild AD may exhibit neuropsychiatric symptoms not related to cognitive impairment. The results of this study emphasize the importance of taking a multidimensional approach to the diagnostic and prognostic evaluation of AD patients already in the early stages of the disease

Compartmentalized organ-on-a-chip structure for spatiotemporal control of oxygen microenvironments

Hypoxia is a condition where tissue oxygen levels fall below normal levels. In locally induced hypoxia due to blood vessel blockage, oxygen delivery becomes compromised. The site where blood flow is diminished the most forms a zero-oxygen core, and different oxygenation zones form around this core with varying oxygen concentrations. Naturally, these differing oxygen microenvironments drive cells to respond according to their oxygenation status. To study these cellular processes in laboratory settings, the cellular gas microenvironments should be controlled rapidly and precisely. In this study, we propose an organ-on-a-chip device that provides control over the oxygen environments in three separate compartments as well as the possibility of rapidly changing the corresponding oxygen concentrations. The proposed device includes a microfluidic channel structure with three separate arrays of narrow microchannels that guide gas mixtures with desired oxygen concentrations to diffuse through a thin gas-permeable membrane into cell culture areas. The proposed microfluidic channel structure is characterized using a 2D ratiometric oxygen imaging system, and the measurements confirm that the oxygen concentrations at the cell culture surface can be modulated in a few minutes. The structure is capable of creating hypoxic oxygen tension, and distinct oxygen environments can be generated simultaneously in the three compartments. By combining the microfluidic channel structure with an open-well coculture device, multicellular cultures can be established together with compartmentalized oxygen environment modulation. We demonstrate that the proposed compartmentalized organ-on-a-chip structure is suitable for cell culture.publishedVersionPeer reviewe

A Migratory Divide Among Red-Necked Phalaropes in the Western Palearctic Reveals Contrasting Migration and Wintering Movement Strategies

Non-breeding movement strategies of migratory birds may be expected to be flexibly adjusted to the distribution and quality of habitat, but only few studies compare movement strategies between populations using distinct migration routes and wintering areas. In thisour study, individual movement strategies of Rred-necked pPhalaropes Phalaropus lobatus, a long-distance migratory wader using saline waters in the non-breeding period, were studied using light-level geolocators. Results revealed the existence of two populations with distinct migration routes and wintering areas: one breeding in the north-eastern North Atlantic and migrating ca. 10,000 km oversea to the tropical eastern Pacific Ocean and the other breeding in Fennoscandia and Russia migrating ca. 6,000 km – largely over land – to the Arabian Sea (Indian Ocean). In line with our expectations, the transoceanic migration between the North Atlantic and the Pacific was associated with proportionately longer wings, a more even spread of stopovers in autumn and a higher migration speed in spring compared to the migration between Fennoscandian-Russian breeding grounds and the Arabian Sea. In the wintering period, birds wintering in the Pacific were stationaryresided in roughly a singlethe same area, whereas individuals wintering in the Arabian Sea showed individually consistent movementsd extensively between different areas, reflecting differences in spatio-temporal variation in primary productivity between the two wintering areas. Our study is unique in showing how habitat distribution shapes movement strategies over the entire non-breeding period within a species.Peer reviewe

Luminescent Downshifting by Photo-Induced Sol-Gel Hybrid Coatings: Accessing Multifunctionality on Flexible Organic Photovoltaics via Ambient Temperature Material Processing

A novel high-durability multifunctional organic-inorganic hybrid coating material is presented in this work as luminescent down-shifting (LDS) host matrix system for flexible organic photovoltaic (OPV) devices. Such new LDS coating is obtained by incorporating a convenient fluorescent organic dye in an appropriately functionalized fluoropolymeric resin that can be readily crosslinked by means of a dual-cure mechanism with a single-step ambient-temperature photo-induced sol-gel process. Due to its peculiar characteristics, the newly proposed system may be readily implemented in heat-sensitive flexible devices. By carefully tuning the amount of organic fluorophore in the hybrid coating material, a maximum increase in power conversion efficiency exceeding 4% is achieved on devices incorporating the new LDS layer with respect to control systems. This represents the highest efficiency enhancement reported to date on flexible OPVs by means of a polymer-based LDS layer. In addition, long-term accelerated weathering tests (>550 h) highlight the excellent stability of LDS-coated OPV devices, which can retain 80% of their initial performance, as opposed to the dramatic efficiency decay experienced by control uncoated devices. The approach presented here opens the way to the straightforward incorporation of versatile multifunctional light-managing layers on flexible OPV systems for improved device efficiency and lifetime

Digital Gaming for Improving the Functioning of People With Traumatic Brain Injury: Randomized Clinical Feasibility Study

Background Traumatic brain injury (TBI) is a major health problem that often requires intensive and long-term rehabilitation. Objective The aim of this study was to determine whether rehabilitative digital gaming facilitates cognitive functioning and general well-being in people with TBI. Methods A total of 90 Finnish-speaking adults with TBI (18-65 years) were recruited from an outpatient neuroscience clinic. The participants were randomly allocated to one of the three groups: a rehabilitation gaming group (n=29, intervention), an entertainment gaming group (n=29, active control), or a passive control group (n=32). The gaming groups were instructed to engage in gaming for a minimum of 30 min per day for 8 weeks. Primary and secondary outcomes were measured at three time points: before the intervention, after the intervention, and 3 months following the intervention. The primary outcome was cognitive status measured by processing speed and visuomotor tasks (The Trail Making Test; Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale-Fourth Edition, WAIS-IV, symbol search, coding, and cancellation tasks). Secondary outcomes were attention and executive functions (Simon task), working memory (WAIS-IV digit span and Paced Auditory Serial Addition Test, PASAT), depression (Patient Health Questionnaire-9), self-efficacy (General Self-efficacy Scale), and executive functions (Behavior Rating Inventory of Executive Function-Adult Version). Feasibility information was assessed (acceptability, measurement instruments filled, dropouts, adherence, usability, satisfaction, and possible future use). Cognitive measurements were conducted in face-to-face interviews by trained psychologists, and questionnaires were self-administered. Results The effects of rehabilitation gaming did not significantly differ from the effects of entertainment gaming or being in a passive control group. For primary outcomes and PASAT tests, the participants in all three groups showed overall improvement in test scores across the three measurement points. However, depression scores increased significantly between baseline and after 8 weeks and between baseline and after 3 months in the rehabilitative gaming group. No differences were found in patients’ self-efficacy between the three measuring points in any of the groups. Participants did use the games (rehabilitation group: 93%, 27/29; entertainment group 100%, 29/29). Games were seen as a usable intervention (rehabilitation group: 70%, 14/29; entertainment group: 83%, 20/29). The rehabilitation group was less satisfied with the gaming intervention (68%, 13/29 vs 83%, 20/29), but they were more willing to use the game after the intervention period (76%, 16/29 vs 63%, 15/29). Total time spent on gaming during the intervention period was low (15.22 hour rehabilitation gaming group, 19.22 hour entertainment gaming group). Conclusions We did not find differences between the groups in improvement in the outcome measures. The improvements in test performance by all three groups may reflect rehearsal effects. Entertainment gaming had elements that could be considered when rehabilitative games are designed for, implemented in, and assessed in larger clinical trials for persons with TBI.</p

Ilmiasullisen plastisuuden lajinsisäinen muuntelu

Understanding the causes and consequences of phenotypic divergence among natural populations is one of the fundamental goals of evolutionary biology. Phenotypic differentiation among populations can arise through divergent selection leading to local adaptation, phenotypic plasticity, or a combination thereof. Selection can also influence the expression of plasticity in different environments resulting in divergence in phenotypic plasticity. It is therefore essential to know how plasticity evolves under divergent ecological conditions when aiming to understand the mechanisms that underlie phenotypic differentiation. In this thesis I have explored the extent of variation in phenotypic plasticity across a range of locally adapted nine-spined stickleback (Pungitius pungitius) populations from different habitats. Pond and marine populations have diverged in a suite of morphological, life-history and behavioural traits. This divergence has been thought to stem from the absence of piscine predators and interspecific competitors combined with the high intraspecific competition in pond habitats. My aims were to establish if and how predator cues and variation in resource levels induce phenotypic plasticity in the nine-spined stickleback, and whether phenotypic plasticity has also diverged as a response to divergent selective pressures in different environments and between sexes. I quantified phenotypic plasticity in a set of traits that form a continuum from very labile to developmentally fixed ones. The results show that plasticity was induced by both predator presence and food availability. Fish responded to perceived predation risk with reduced growth rates, decreased body condition and by behavioural changes. Food restriction resulted in slower growth and reduced investment in energy storage, but increased feeding activity and risk-taking. The results were largely in accordance with my predictions of increasing plasticity from morphology through life history traits to behaviour. The results also show that population divergence in phenotypic plasticity is habitat dependent. Pond populations responded more strongly to food treatment in terms of behaviour and growth, while marine fish exhibited stronger responses to predation treatment. However, in the case of brain size and lateral line system, predation-induced plastic responses were detected only in pond fish that had evolved in the absence of piscine predation. I also detected strong sexual dimorphism in both trait means and phenotypic plasticity, uncovering a very important determinant of within population variation in phenotypic plasticity. Taken together, the results of my thesis demonstrate how natural and sexual selection do not only affect phenotypic traits themselves, but also the plasticity of the traits. The resultant adaptive variation in phenotypic plasticity is present both between and within populations. In some traits, plasticity was greater whenever the selective pressure was stronger, while in other traits the increased plasticity was coupled with relaxed selection due to the lack of piscine predation in ponds. My thesis demonstrates that the response of phenotypic plasticity to natural selection is context dependent. The results also work to advance our knowledge on the maintenance of phenotypic variation.Yksi evoluutiobiologian peruskysymyksiä on miksi ja miten yksilöiden ja populaatioiden välinen ilmiasullinen muuntelu syntyy. Erilaiset ympäristön valintapaineet vaikuttavat ilmiasun muunteluun joko geneettisellä tasolla paikallisten sopeutumien myötä tai suoraan niin sanotun ilmiasun plastisuuden myötä. Valinta ja toisaalta valintapaineen väheneminen voi kuitenkin vaikuttaa myös siihen, miten paljon ilmiasullista plastisuutta eri populaatioissa esiintyy. Väitöskirjassani tutkin miten ilmiasun plastisuus muuntelee eri kymmenpiikkipopulaatioissa. Käytin tutkimuksessani kymmenpiikin lampi ja meripopulaatioita, joiden on aikaisemmin todettu erilaistuneen niin morfologian, käyttäytymisen kuin erilaisten elinkiertopiirteidenkin suhteen. Yksi tärkeä syy ilmiasulliseen muunteluun on muiden kalalajien puuttuminen lampipopulaatioista ja siitä johtuvan lajinsisäisen kilpailun voimistuminen. Tavoitteenani oli selvittää millaisia plastisia muutoksia petokalojen läsnäolo ja ravinnon määrän vaihtelu aiheuttavat kymmenpiikkien ilmiasussa ja miten populaatioiden erilaiset evolutiiviset taustat tai yksilöiden sukupuoli vaikuttavat tähän muunteluun. Valitsin tutkimuskohteeksi laajan joukon kymmenpiikkien ilmiasullisia ominaisuuksia morfologiasta käyttäytymiseen. Nämä ominaisuudet muodostivat jatkumon piirteistä jotka pystyvät muuttumaan vain yksilönkehityksen aikana, sellaisiin joiden muuntelevuus on vapaampaa. Tulokseni osoittavat että petokalojen haju ja ruuan määrän vaihtelu aiheuttaa plastisuutta kymmenpiikkien ilmiasussa. Petokalan haju sai kalat hidastamaan kasvua sekä aiheutti piilottelevampaa käyttäytymistä. Myös ravinnon määrän rajoittaminen pienensi kalojen ruumiin kokoa ja energiavarantoja, mutta lisäsi ruokailuhalukkuutta ja riskinottoa. Plastisuuden määrä oli suurinta ominaisuuksissa, joita pidin etukäteen muuntelevimpina ja plastiset vasteet puuttuivat kokonaan morfologisista ominaisuuksista. Osoitin myös, että populaatioiden erilainen evolutiivinen historia vaikuttaa siihen miten ilmiasun plastisuus ilmenee populaatioissa. Lampikalat osoittivat suuremman vasteen ruoan määrän vaihteluun, kun taas meripopulaatioiden yksilöt vastasivat voimakkaammin petokalan läsnäoloon. Tutkittaessa aivojen kokoa ja muuntelua kylkiviiva-aistinten määrässä kuitenkin ainoastaan lampikalat reagoivat plastisesti petokalan hajuun. Koska lampikalat polveutuvat merikaloista, plastisuuden ilmaantuminen lampikaloihin on mielenkiintoinen ilmiö. Monessa tapauksessa plastiset vasteet myös vaihtelivat eri sukupuolten välillä. Kaiken kaikkiaan tulokseni osoittavat, että luonnonvalinta muokkaa yksilön ominaisuuksia suoraan ja toisaalta vaikuttaa epäsuorasti siihen, miten paljon yksilön ilmiasussa on plastisuutta sekä populaation sisällä (sukupuolten välillä) että niiden välillä (habitaatti tai populaatiotasolla). Sain viitteitä siitä että joissain tapauksissa ympäristön valintapaineen vahvuus saattaa lisätä plastisen vasteen voimakkuutta. Toisaalta petokalojen aiheuttaman valintapaineen väheneminen lampiympäristöissä saattaa vaikuttaa myös plastisuutta lisäten. Väitöskirjani osoittaa että ympäristön valintapaineet vaikuttavat eri ominaisuuksien plastisuuteen eri tavalla ja lisää ymmärrystämme ilmiasullisen monimuotoisuuden mekanismeista