Investigative Judges as a Legal Transplant : Finnish Nineteenth-Century Criminal Procedure in Comparative Perspective

After spreading widely in both Europe and Latin America in the early nineteenth century, the institution of the investigative judge began to gradually lose significance during the second half of the nineteenth century. This was the case both in France and in Germany. The main reason for the loss of significance was the development of criminalistics, professional criminal police and prosecutorial services. The investigative function that, following the old inquisitorial tradition, had fallen on the investigative judge at the beginning of the century, was no longer suited to the role of a judge. Instead, it made more sense to entrust criminal investigation to specialized professionals. When Finnish experts on criminal procedure set out to modernize the criminal law of the country in the 1890s, the investigative magistrate no longer seemed an interesting idea, and it did not seem reasonable to invest scarce professional resources in an institution that was losing significance. Instead, the legal resources would be better allocated to a professional corps of public prosecutors.Peer reviewe

Incidence and risk factors of exercise-related knee disorders in young adult men

Background: Musculoskeletal disorders and injuries are common causes of morbidity and loss of active, physically demanding training days in military populations. We evaluated the incidence, diagnosis, and risk factors of knee disorders and injuries in male Finnish military conscripts. Methods: The study population comprised 5 cohorts of 1000 men performing their military service, classified according to birth year (1969, 1974, 1979, 1984, and 1989). Follow-up time for each conscript was the individual conscript's full, completed military service period. Data for each man were collected from a standard pre-information questionnaire used by defense force healthcare officials and from all original medical reports of the garrison healthcare centers. Background variables for risk factor analysis included the conscripts' service data, i.e., service class (A, B), length of military service, age, height, weight, body mass index (BMI), underweight, overweight, obesity, smoking habit, education, diseases, injuries, and subjective symptoms. Results: Of the 4029 conscripts, 853 visited healthcare professionals for knee symptoms during their military service, and 103 of these had suffered a knee injury. Independent risk factors for the incidence of knee symptoms were: older age; service class A; overweight (BMI 25.0-29.9 kg/m(2)); smoking habit; comprehensive school education only; and self-reported previous symptoms of the musculoskeletal, respiratory, and gastrointestinal system. The majority of visits to garrison healthcare services due to knee symptoms occurred during the first few months of military service. Knee symptoms were negatively correlated with self-reported mental and behavioral disorders. Conclusions: The present study highlights the frequency of knee disorders and injuries in young men during physically demanding military training. One-fifth of the male conscripts visited defense force healthcare professionals due to knee symptoms during their service period. Independent risk factors for the incidence of knee symptoms during military service were age at military service; military service class A; overweight; smoking habit; comprehensive school education only; and self-reported previous symptoms of the musculoskeletal system, respiratory system, or gastrointestinal system. These risk factors should be considered when planning and implementing procedures to reduce knee disorders and injuries during compulsory military service.Peer reviewe

How to improve governance of a complex social-ecological problem? : Dioxins in Baltic salmon and herring

This article focuses on the dioxin problem of Baltic herring and salmon fisheries and its governance that is based on natural scientific knowledge. The dioxin problem weakens the perceived quality of Baltic salmon and herring as food and affects the way the catches can be used. This influences negatively the fishing livelihood, the coastal culture, and the availability of the fish for consumers. We explored how the governance of the dioxin problem could be improved, to better address its socio-economic and cultural implications. We identified four main actions: (1) adopt environmental, economic and social sustainability, and food security and safety as shared principles between the environmental, food safety/public health, and fisheries policies, (2) establish collaboration between the environmental, public health, and fisheries sectors at the regional level, (3) enhance interaction around the dioxin problem within the fisheries sector, and (4) support the participation of the Baltic fisheries stakeholders in the EU-level food safety governance. Viewing dioxins in fish not only as a natural scientific problem but as a multidimensional one would enable a wider toolbox of governing instruments to be developed to better address the different dimensions. This would support steps towards collaborative governance and a food system approach.Peer reviewe

Femoral avulsion of the medial patellofemoral ligament after primary traumatic patellar dislocation predicts subsequent instability in men : a mean 7-year nonoperative follow-up study

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Serum, liver and bile sitosterol and sitostanol in obese patients with and without NAFLD

Background and aims: Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) associates with low levels of serum plant sterols in cross-sectional studies. In addition, it has been suggested that the hepatic sterol transport mechanisms are altered in NAFLD. Therefore, we investigated the association between serum, liver and bile plant sterols and sitostanol with NAFLD. Methods: Out of the 138 individuals (age: 46.3 +/- 8.9, body mass index: 43.3 +/- 6.9 kg/m(2), 28% men and 72% women), 44 could be histologically categorized to have normal liver, and 94 to have NAFLD. Within the NAFLD group, 28 had simple steatosis and 27 had non-alcoholic steatohepatitis. Plant sterols and sitostanol were measured from serum (n = 138), liver (n = 38), and bile (n = 41). The mRNA expression of genes regulating liver sterol metabolism and inflammation was measured (n = 102). Results: Liver and bile sitostanol ratios to cholesterol were higher in those with NAFLD compared to those with histologically normal liver (all P 0.407, P <0.01 for both). In contrast, liver sitosterol to cholesterol ratio correlated negatively with steatosis (r(s) = -0.392, P = 0.015) and lobular inflammation (r(s) = -0.395, P = 0.014). Transcriptomics analysis revealed suggestive correlations between serum plant sterol levels and mRNA expression. Conclusion: Our study showed that liver and bile sitostanol ratios to cholesterol associated positively and liver sitosterol ratio to cholesterol associated negatively with liver steatosis and inflammation in obese individuals with NAFLD..Peer reviewe

Integrated governance for managing multidimensional problems : Potentials, challenges, and arrangements

The implementation challenge of ecosystem-based (fisheries) management (EB(F)M) has entailed calls for integrated governance (IG) approaches in the marine field. We arranged an expert workshop to study the preconditions and applicability of IG, and to suggest how IG could be arranged in practice. Focusing on the management of the dioxin problem shared by the herring and salmon fisheries in the Baltic Sea, and using a coupled ‘insight network’- SWOT (strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, threats) methodology, we evaluated two scenarios: 1) IG of herring and salmon fisheries to benefit from collaboration between these fisheries that suffer from the same problem, and 2) IG between the fisheries sector and the food/public health sector to incorporate food safety in fisheries governance. Our results demonstrate that a variety of societal, political, institutional, operational, instrumental, and biological factors affect the applicability of IG in marine contexts, and work as preconditions for IG. While societal needs for IG were obvious in our case, as major challenges for it we identified the competing cross-sectoral objectives, path dependencies, and limitations of experts to think and work across fields. The study suggests that establishing an IG framework by adding new aspects upon the current governance structures may be easier to accept and adapt to, than creating new strategic or advisory bodies or other new capacities. Viewing IG as a framework for understanding cross-sectoral issues instead of one that requires a defined level and form of integrated assessment and management may be a way towards social learning, and thereby towards the implementation of more sophisticated, open and broad EB(F)M frameworks.Peer reviewe

Tissue Restoration After Implantation of Polyglycolide, Polydioxanone, Polylevolactide, and Metallic Pins in Cortical Bone: An Experimental Study in Rabbits

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Framework of the outreach after a school shooting and the students perceptions of the provided support

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Comparison of 1.5T and 3T MRI scanners in evaluation of acute bone stress in the foot

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Indolepropionic acid and novel lipid metabolites are associated with a lower risk of type 2 diabetes in the Finnish Diabetes Prevention Study

Wide-scale profiling technologies including metabolomics broaden the possibility of novel discoveries related to the pathogenesis of type 2 diabetes (T2D). By applying non-targeted metabolomics approach, we investigated here whether serum metabolite profile predicts T2D in a well-characterized study population with impaired glucose tolerance by examining two groups of individuals who took part in the Finnish Diabetes Prevention Study (DPS); those who either early developed T2D (n = 96) or did not convert to T2D within the 15-year follow-up (n = 104). Several novel metabolites were associated with lower likelihood of developing T2D, including indole and lipid related metabolites. Higher indolepropionic acid was associated with reduced likelihood of T2D in the DPS. Interestingly, in those who remained free of T2D, indolepropionic acid and various lipid species were associated with better insulin secretion and sensitivity, respectively. Furthermore, these metabolites were negatively correlated with low-grade inflammation. We replicated the association between indolepropionic acid and T2D risk in one Finnish and one Swedish population. We suggest that indolepropionic acid, a gut microbiota-produced metabolite, is a potential biomarker for the development of T2D that may mediate its protective effect by preservation of alpha-cell function. Novel lipid metabolites associated with T2D may exert their effects partly through enhancing insulin sensitivity.Peer reviewe