THE MAP OR THE REALITY? HOW LEVERAGE EFFECTS OF TIME LEAKAGES DISTORT KEY RATIOS IN INFORMATION ECONOMY

This paper addresses specifically leverage effects based on the irreversible nature of time and the Cognitive Time Distortion in economy. In service - and information society, time has received an ever increasing importance, not from the perspective of faster production, but due to the fact that the major part of the economic value of Total Revenues and Total Costs is based on time. In this paper, we demonstrate new mathematical mechanisms in economy due to the irreversible nature of time and Cognitive Time Distortion, and we explore their lever effects. It is presented that the lever effect on return on capital employed may rise to many hundred percent of budgeted outcome. It is concluded that even moderate cognitive time distortions cause substantial deviation in budgeted profit as well as it proves to be a mechanism to large delays. The lever effect due to the time perception is an ever present distortion of a true economic outcome

Toll-like Receptors in Airway Inflammation in vitro and in vivo

During evolution a variety of solutions has been developed by different living organisms in order to protect itself from invading potential pathogens and particles. Protection of the host is essential for its survival and involves efficient recognition and elimination of potential pathogens. The recognition is often mediated by pathogen recognition receptors (PRRs). Activation of PRRs is mainly driven by exogenous pathogen associated molecular patterns (PAMPs) or endogenous danger associated molecular patterns (DAMPs) and result in secretion of multiple pro-inflammatory cytokines. Toll-like receptors (TLRs) are members of the PRR family and the importance of these receptors during pro-inflammatory conditions is addressed in the present thesis, both in vitro and in vivo. In Paper I we showed that farmers and smokers, two groups that are continuously exposed to organic material through daily work at the farm or through tobacco smoke, have an ongoing inflammation in the respiratory tract. It was shown that chronically exposed subjects develop an adaptation to the effects of acute exposure to inhaled organic material. Further, it was demonstrated that exposure in the swine barn was a much stronger pro-inflammatory stimulus than inhaled pure lipopolysaccharide (LPS), in vivo. In Paper II, the gene expression of TLR2 on primary bronchial epithelial cells was demonstrated. This expression was synergistically enhanced by co-stimulation with pro-inflammatory stimuli and glucocorticosteroids. Dust obtained from the swine barn was a more potent pro-inflammatory stimulus than pure LPS or pure peptidoglycan (PGN), in vitro, as already shown in vivo. The secreted pro-inflammatory cytokines from the epithelial cells were diminished by blocking of the TLR2 and TLR4 with monoclonal antibodies, indicating that the pro-inflammatory stimulation was at least partly dependent on TLR2 and TLR4. In paper III we found that TLR2 on blood neutrophils was down-regulated by proinflammatory stimuli, whereas the expression TLR4 and CD14 were unaffected by the pro-inflammatory stimulation, in vitro. The expression of TLR4 and CD14 were increased by the presence of epithelial cells, irrespective of stimulation. Moreover, we showed synergistically enhanced secretion of CXCL8 (IL-8) and sCD14 during coculture compared to single culture condition and a strong positive correlation between CXCL8 and sCD14 in LPS-stimulated co-cultured cells. These findings strongly suggest an active bidirectional cross-talk between alveolar epithelial cells and neutrophils. In paper IV we confirmed what we already had shown in vitro, that TLR2 was down regulated by pro-inflammatory conditions on neutrophils, this time in vivo. We also showed the presence of soluble TLR2 (sTLR2) in BAL and sputum and that this expression was altered in COPD compared to healthy subjects. Moreover, CD14 expression on sputum neutrophils was enhanced compared with blood neutrophils and that the gene expression of CD14 on alveolar macrophages in BAL-fluid was increased in smokers compared with non-smokers. These findings indicate that PRRs expression 2 is altered by smoking per se, but also that the disease, COPD, contributes. This is likely of importance in COPD patho-physiology, in particular for exacerbations, which often are caused by microorganisms. Overall, these studies have shown the involvement of PRRs in several immunological active cell types during pro-inflammatory conditions. A better understanding of the mechanisms behind PRRs regulation and outcome would potentially benefit drug development and in the end many patients with inflammatory diseases

Äga rum: Offentliga rum betraktade i ett politiskt perspektiv, fallet Pristina

In order to fully grasp the phenomena 'City' we must understand its political structure as an integrated part of its physical structure and vice versa. This thesis focuses on one crucial element of the City, the public space, and discusses it in relation to the public realm, or sphere, of the City. The aim is to see if it is possible to conceive public space as a spatial dimension of power, and if so, how to analyse this. With the help of the theoretical tool of two ideal types of the configuration of public space, "The city as civic public life" and "The city as authoritarian control" an empirical study is carried out on the case of Prishtina, capital of Kosovo. Conclusions made are that function and use of a city's public spaces can be understood in relation to changes in the political climate of the society. Furthermore, a void in the asset of concepts offered by the ideal types is found ? and therefore also need for new concepts to describe and understand a public space undergoing a dynamic transformation, as being a part of a city in political transition

Dörren står öppen, men torka av skorna! En uppsats om statliga normer för ungdomars politiska organisering

En betydande del av Sveriges nationella ungdomspolitik syftar till att ge ungdomar större inflytande över samhällsutvecklingen. De målformuleringar som staten skapat genom bland annat regeringens liggande ungdomspolitiska proposition, har intresserat oss. Denna uppsats behandlar de normer som staten, genom olika dokument och skrifter, konstruerar för hur ungdomars politiska engagemang bör organiseras och tas till vara. Med hjälp av kvalitativ textanalys har vi sökt identifiera dessa normer i vårt utvalda material, för att sedan på en hög abstraktionsnivå diskutera vad dessa kan få för effekter för det demokratiska styrelsesättet. Vår slutsats är att det saknas en medvetenhet om de vidare implikationer som den nationella ungdomspolitiken får, och vi efterlyser därmed en bredare diskussion i ämnet

HRV Biofeedback in Neck Pain Effects of Heart Rate Variability Biofeedback in Subjects with Stress-related Chronic Neck Pain: a Pilot study

Abstract Recent studies focusing on autonomic nervous system (ANS) dysfunctions, together with theoretical pathophysiological models of musculoskeletal disorders, indicate the involvement of ANS regulation in development and maintenance of chronic muscle pain. Research has demonstrated the effectiveness of heart rate variability (HRV) biofeedback (BF) in increasing HRV and reducing the symptoms of different disorders characterized by ANS aberration. The study investigated the effects of resonance frequency HRV BF on autonomic regulation and perceived health, pain, stress and disability in 24 subjects with stress-related chronic neckshoulder pain. Twelve subjects participated in 10 weekly sessions of resonant HRV BF and were compared to a control group. Subjective reports and HRV measures during relaxation and in response to a standardized stress protocol were assessed for both groups pre-and postintervention. Group X time interactions revealed a significantly stronger increase over time in perceived health (SF-36) for the treatment group, including vitality, bodily pain and social functioning. Interactions were also seen for HRV during relaxation and reactivity to stress. The present pilot study indicates improvement in perceived health over a 10 week intervention with HRV-biofeedback in subjects with chronic neck-pain. Increased resting HRV as well as enhanced reactivity to hand grip and cold pressor tests might reflect beneficial effects on ANS regulation, and suggest that this intervention protocol is suitable for a larger controlled trial

Unknown cadaver: its historical and academic importance for human anatomy

Observações feitas na maioria das universidades brasileiras estrangeiras, e, inclusive, em algumas sobre o aspecto acadêmico do uso de cadáveres humanos como principal material que suporta e direciona a Anatomia Humana nos cursos da área da saúde, traz, dentre outras conclusões de caráter didático, uma questão de formação, muito mais importante do que uma simples questão de, apenas, informação universitária. Há de se concordar que, mesmo com o fabuloso avanço tecnológico e suas possibilidades, nossas universidades hoje, primam mais pela questão informativa do que propriamente pela formativa, ao passo que ternos consciência de que o ser humano necessita igualmente de ambas. Em consequência disto, o principal objetivo deste trabalho é enfocar o valor acadêmico do cadáver, evidenciando sua importante relação histórica, sem a qual a Anatomia não existiria e, certamente, a Medicina também não teria ultrapassado suas fronteiras limitadas do passado. O fato de ser este um trabalho realizado em uma universidade brasileira é revestido de responsabilidade e determinação em tentar colocar a figura do cadáver humano no lugar, no qual ele realmente deva estar, não apenas como simples material e instrumento de ensino da anatomia, mas também como lição de vida através da morte, criando Ciência e Arte, valorizando sua importância no contexto artístico e religioso, fatores estes imprescindíveis para a formação sócio-cultural humana. Por outro lado, este estudo com abordagem de caráter acadêmico, tornou-se dificil quanto a bibliografia específica, tendo sido feita portanto, quase toda a sua pesquisa em tratados históricos e anatômicos e, apenas alguns poucos trabalhos sobre a importância do cadáver para a Anatomia. Neste trabalho, procuramos usar ilustrações e figuras como documentação de caráter informativo e estético. Assim sendo, para uma abordagem mais ampla, o cadáver foi discutido desde sua relação histórica e acadêmica, até os dias de hoje, onde ainda se enfrenta, quase, as mesmas dificuldades do passado, no que diz respeito as questões de doação de corpo e órgãos, que deixaram de ser apenas institucionalmente acadêmicas, para ser mais rigorosamente sociais, segundo as Leis vigentes.Observations about most of brazilian universities and, even some of foreign ones, concerning the academic aspects of the use of human cadavers or corpses as the principal human anatomy method of studying, which maintain the basic courses of Health Sciences Field, that is, the cadaver or corpse himself should be also seen as a noble and magnificent way of transmitting knowledge and human values. Indeed, these observations have been showing some didactic results concerning much more, a matter of individual information than individual formation itself. Nowadays, this happens because scholasticism, differently from the past, seems to emphasize quantitative rather than qualitative teaching philosophy. We must admit that, even living in a technological era and being able to take advantages of its possibilities, our universities today emphasize much more the information itself than individual formation of our professionals of tomorrow, while we know that the individual needs both, equally. Therefore, the main goal of this work is focusing the academic importance of the human cadaver or corpse as a practical studying material, which is related to the own history of the practical Anatomy and consequently Medicine and, if it were not because of that, Medicine itself would not have gone beyond its limited frontiers of the past. On the other hand, the inedited academic meaning of this work became too difficult to come abroad, because of its specific bibliographical lack among scientific publications and, that's why, most of its text was found in the old Health Sciences, books and texts in general. However, another particular characteristic of this work is the great number of pictures and illustrations, which enrich the present text and substitute the lack of similar works' bibliography, In this work, the corpse is seen, from his historical relation and academical aspects the to present circumstances, where the need for anatomical study faces the same difficulties of the past, when Vesalius opened the way to the study of Human Anatomy, but as we know many years passed before Anatomy could be taught to medical students by means of dissection, the only method by which physicians and surgeons can fully acquire this knowledge. The scarcity of anatomical material seemed to be over at the present time, when laws were just enacted, such as specified law for the use of the corpse, organs and structures donation, that unfortunately did not solve the old and permanent problem, such as the absence of corpses for anatomical dissections.BV UNIFESP: Teses e dissertaçõe