Polis: Scaling Deliberation by Mapping High Dimensional Opinion Spaces

Deliberative and participatory approaches to democracy seek to directly include citizens in decision-making and agenda-setting processes. These methods date back to the very foundations of democracy in Athens, where regular citizens shared the burden of governance and deliberated every major issue. However, thinkers at the time rightly believed that these methods could not function beyond the scale of the city-state, or polis. Representative democracy as an innovation improved on the scalability of collective decision making, but in doing so, sacrificed the extent to which regular citizens could participate in deliberation. Modern technology, including advances in computational power, machine learning algorithms, and data visualization techniques, presents a unique opportunity to scale out deliberative processes. Here we describe Polis, an open source web application capable of collecting and synthesizing feedback from people in a scalable and distributed fashion. Polis has shown itself capable of building shared understanding, disincentivizing counterproductive behavior (trolling), and cultivating points of consensus. It has done this in the context of journalistic and academic research, and directly as part of decision-making bodies at local and national levels, directly affecting legislation. These results demonstrate that deliberative processes can be scaled up beyond the constraints of in-person gatherings and small groups

Methane and carbon dioxide fluxes over a lake : comparison between eddy covariance, floating chambers and boundary layer method

Freshwaters bring a notable contribution to the global carbon budget by emitting both carbon dioxide (CO2) and methane (CH4) to the atmosphere. Global estimates of freshwater emissions traditionally use a wind-speed-based gas transfer velocity, k CC (introduced by Cole and Caraco, 1998), for calculating diffusive flux with the boundary layer method (BLM). We compared CH4 and CO2 fluxes from BLM with k CC and two other gas transfer velocities (k TE and k HE), which include the effects of water-side cooling to the gas transfer besides shear-induced turbulence, with simultaneous eddy covariance (EC) and floating chamber (FC) fluxes during a 16-day measurement campaign in September 2014 at Lake Kuivajarvi in Finland. The measurements included both lake stratification and water column mixing periods. Results show that BLM fluxes were mainly lower than EC, with the more recent model k TE giving the best fit with EC fluxes, whereas FC measurements resulted in higher fluxes than simultaneous EC measurements. We highly recommend using up-to-date gas transfer models, instead of kCC, for better flux estimates. BLM CO2 flux measurements had clear differences between daytime and night-time fluxes with all gas transfer models during both stratified and mixing periods, whereas EC measurements did not show a diurnal behaviour in CO2 flux. CH4 flux had higher values in daytime than night-time during lake mixing period according to EC measurements, with highest fluxes detected just before sunset. In addition, we found clear differences in daytime and night-time concentration difference between the air and surface water for both CH4 and CO2. This might lead to biased flux estimates, if only daytime values are used in BLM upscaling and flux measurements in general. FC measurements did not detect spatial variation in either CH4 or CO2 flux over Lake Kuivajarvi. EC measurements, on the other hand, did not show any spatial variation in CH4 fluxes but did show a clear difference between CO2 fluxes from shallower and deeper areas. We highlight that while all flux measurement methods have their pros and cons, it is important to carefully think about the chosen method and measurement interval, as well as their effects on the resulting flux.Peer reviewe

Intraoperative complications in kidney tumor surgery : critical grading for the European Association of Urology intraoperative adverse incident classification

Introduction The European Association of Urology committee in 2020 suggested a new classification, intraoperative adverse incident classification (EAUiaiC), to grade intraoperative adverse events (IAE) in urology. Aims We applied and validated EAUiaiC, for kidney tumor surgery. Patients and methods A retrospective multicenter study was conducted based on chart review. The study group comprised 749 radical nephrectomies (RN) and 531 partial nephrectomies (PN) performed in 12 hospitals in Finland during 2016-2017. All IAEs were centrally graded for EAUiaiC. The classification was adapted to kidney tumor surgery by the inclusion of global bleeding as a transfusion of >= 3 units of blood (Grade 2) or as >= 5 units (Grade 3), and also by the exclusion of preemptive conversions. Results A total of 110 IAEs were recorded in 13.8% of patients undergoing RN, and 40 IAEs in 6.4% of patients with PN. Overall, bleeding injuries in major vessels, unspecified origin and parenchymal organs accounted for 29.3, 24.0, and 16.0% of all IEAs, respectively. Bowel (n = 10) and ureter (n = 3) injuries were rare. There was no intraoperative mortality. IAEs were associated with increased tumor size, tumor extent, age, comorbidity scores, surgical approach and indication, postoperative Clavien-Dindo (CD) complications and longer stay in hospital. 48% of conversions were reactive with more CD-complications after reactive than preemptive conversion (43 vs. 25%). Conclusions The associations between IAEs and preoperative variables and postoperative outcome indicate good construct validity for EAUiaiC. Bleeding is the most important IAE in kidney tumor surgery and the inclusion of transfusions could provide increased objectivity.Peer reviewe

Influences of light and humidity on carbonyl sulfide-based estimates of photosynthesis

Understanding climate controls on gross primary productivity (GPP) is crucial for accurate projections of the future land carbon cycle. Major uncertainties exist due to the challenge in separating GPP and respiration from observations of the carbon dioxide (CO2) flux. Carbonyl sulfide (COS) has a dominant vegetative sink, and plant COS uptake is used to infer GPP through the leaf relative uptake (LRU) ratio of COS to CO2 fluxes. However, little is known about variations of LRU under changing environmental conditions and in different phenological stages. We present COS and CO2 fluxes and LRU of Scots pine branches measured in a boreal forest in Finland during the spring recovery and summer. We find that the diurnal dynamics of COS uptake is mainly controlled by stomatal conductance, but the leaf internal conductance could significantly limit the COS uptake during the daytime and early in the season. LRU varies with light due to the differential light responses of COS and CO2 uptake, and with vapor pressure deficit (VPD) in the peak growing season, indicating a humidity-induced stomatal control. Our COS-based GPP estimates show that it is essential to incorporate the variability of LRU with environmental variables for accurate estimation of GPP on ecosystem, regional, and global scales.Peer reviewe

Probabilistic analysis of gene expression measurements from heterogeneous tissues

Motivation: Tissue heterogeneity, arising from multiple cell types, is a major confounding factor in experiments that focus on studying cell types, e.g. their expression profiles, in isolation. Although sample heterogeneity can be addressed by manual microdissection, prior to conducting experiments, computational treatment on heterogeneous measurements have become a reliable alternative to perform this microdissection in silico. Favoring computation over manual purification has its advantages, such as time consumption, measuring responses of multiple cell types simultaneously, keeping samples intact of external perturbations and unaltered yield of molecular content

Retikulosytoosi väärien positiivisten tulosten lähteenä fetaalihemoglobiinivärjäyksessä

Fetaalihemoglobiinivärjäystä käytetään pääasiassa fetomaternaalivuodon selvittelyyn. Fetomaternaalivuoto on raskauskomplikaatio, jossa sikiön verta vuotaa äidin verenkiertoon. Koska sikiön veritilavuus on hyvin pieni, vuoto voi johtaa sikiön henkeä uhkaaviin tilanteisiin. Värjäyksen avulla saadaan semikvantitatiivinen arvio vuodon määrästä. Tämän opinnäytetyön tavoitteena oli selvittää, kuinka korkeat retikulosyyttitasot johtavat fetaalihemoglobiinivärjäyksessä vääriin positiivisiin tuloksiin. Opinnäytetyö tehtiin Turun yliopistollisen keskussairaalan kliinisen hematologian erikoislaboratoriolle. Opinnäytetyön tarkoituksena oli tuottaa laboratoriolle lisätietoa fetaalihemoglobiinivärjäyksen heikkouksista mahdollista menetelmänvaihtoa varten. Tutkimus toteutettiin syksyllä 2017 Turun yliopistollisen keskussairaalan kliinisen hematologian erikoislaboratorion tiloissa. Tutkimusaineistoksi kerättiin potilasnäytteitä, joiden retikulosyyttitaso oli korkea ja jotka eivät sisältäneet fetaalihemoglobiinia. Näytteistä valmistettiin sivelyvalmisteet, jotka värjättiin ja mikroskopoitiin. Solulaskennassa havaittujen väärien positiivisten löydösten määrää verrattiin näytteen retikulosyyttitasoon. Tutkimustulosten mukaan retikulosytoosin ja fetaalihemoglobiinivärjäyksessä esiintyvien väärien positiivisten löydösten välillä löydettiin vahva korrelaatio, mutta tulokset eivät olleet tilastollisesti merkityksellisiä (r=0,89; n=9; p-arvo 0,13) vähäisen näytemäärän vuoksi.The Kleihauer-Betke test is primarily used to diagnose fetal-maternal haemorrhage. Fetal-maternal haemorrhage is a complication during pregnancy where fetal blood leaks into the maternal circulation. This may lead to life-threatening consequences for the fetus due to the extremely small total fetoplacental blood volume. Utilizing the Kleihauer-Betke test it’s possible to semiquantitatively measure the amount of fetal blood in the maternal circulation. The purpose of this bachelor’s thesis was to find out the level of reticulocytosis that leads to false positive results in the Kleihauer-Betke test. This thesis was commissioned by the clinical hematology laboratory of the Turku University Hospital. The goal of this thesis was to produce more information about the weaknesses of the Kleihauer-Betke test. The study was carried out during fall 2017 in the premises of the Turku University Hospital. The specimen material contained blood samples with high amounts of reticulocytes and no fetal hemoglobin. Slides were prepared from the samples, they were stained and finally the cells were counted under microscope. The number of false positives found during microscopy were compared to the level of reticulocytes. The results show that there is strong correlation between the level of reticulocytes and the number of false positives in the Kleihauer-Betke stain (r=0,89; n=9; p=0,13). However, the results were of no statistical significance due to the low number of specimens

CD-ja LP-julkaisun graafinen ilme

Opinnäytetyöni asiakas on suomalainen punk- ja hardcore-levy-yhtiö Combat Rock Industries. Toimeksiantona oli toteuttaa St.Hood-nimisen metallisen hardcore-bändin uuden julkaisun, For the Dead:n CD- sekä LP-levynkansien kansitaide sekä taitto. Lisäksi toteutin levynjulkaisuun liittyvän mainosmateriaalin (mm. julisteita, tarroja, web-leiska), sekä kolme kappaletta paitadesigneja. Keskityn opinnäytetyöni kirjallisessa osuudessa tarkastelemaan väreihin sekä symboliikkaan liittyviä seikkoja, unohtamatta kuitenkaan muun produktiivisen työn osuutta kirjoituksessa. Tarkastelen myös pakkauksen ulkoasun tuottamien mielikuvien suhdetta lopputuotteeseen. Tutkimusmetodini ovat sekä kvalitatiivisia eli laadullista että kvantitatiivisia eli määrällisiä. Projektin alussa tein tutkimusta siitä, mikä tekee kansitaiteesta hyvän ja kiinnostavan. Kvantitatiivista tutkimusta tein käymällä läpi tuhansia levynkansia tyylilajiin katsomatta ja tekemällä muistiinpanoja kansista, jotka kiinnittävät huomioni välittömästi ensimmäisellä silmäyksellä. Mietin mikä niistä tekee kiinnostavan ja miksi. Kvalitatiivista metodia käytin puolestaan keräämällä asiakkaan musiikkigenreä ja mahdollisesti myös levyn teemaa edustavia levyjä, joiden kannet mielestäni ovat onnistuneita, musiikkia hyvin kuvastavia ja tehokkaita. Näiden harvojen ja valittujen joukosta poimin mielestäni ne kantavat ominaisuudet, jotka tekevät kyseisen levyn kansitaiteesta mieleenpainuvaa. Näitä vahvuuksia käytin referensseinä aloittaessani oman suunnittelutyöni. Projektin päätteeksi tein yhteenvedon tutkimustuloksista, sekä niiden käyttökelpoisuudesta työn produktiivisessa osuudessa. Arvion myös omaa onnistumistani, asiakkaan tyytyväisyyttä, sekä sitä, mitä mahdollisesti olisin voinut tehdä toisin.The customer of the bachelor’s thesis is a Finnish punk / hardcore record label called Combat Rock Industries. The assignment was to design the cover art and layout for the CD and LP record release ”For The Dead” by a band called St.Hood. I also designed the marketing material, for example posters, stickers, web-layout and t-shirt designs, for the record. The theoretical part of my work focuses on the colours and symbolism of the cover art, examining briefly also the whole creative process. I also studied the way the cover art reflects the music. The research methods are both qualitative and quantitative. I started my project by analysing qualities that make cover art good and interesting. Quantitative research was executed by browsing through thousands of record covers regardless of the genre, and marking the ones that caught my eye immediately. I tried to draw conclusions of what makes them interesting and why. The study was made by searching through web galleries, books and magazines and simply just by going through the shelves of Helsinki based record stores. I even received valuable help from several record store salesmen. The qualitative study was done by collecting record covers within the client’s musical genre and theme. I only focused on the ones that were well executed, effective and reflected the style of the music. The strengths found among these collections were used as references in the beginning of my work. In the end of my project, I made a summary of the research results as well as their usefulness in my own productive work. I also evaluated my own success and the satisfaction of the client

Kauko-ohjattavien erottimien ja verkkokatkaisijoiden hyödyntäminen Hiirikosken Energia Oy:n verkossa

Opinnäytetyö on tehty Hiirikosken Energia Oy:lle. Opinnäytetyön tavoitteena oli tutkia kauko-ohjattavien erottimien ja verkkokat-kaisijoiden investoimisen kannattavuutta Hiirikosken Energia Oy:n sähkönjakelu-verkkoon. Tutkiminen suoritettiin investointivaihtoehtojen hyötyjä tutkimalla ja luotettavuuslaskennan avulla, jolla saatiin johtolähdöille vuotuinen keskeytyskustannus. Lähdemateriaalina opinnäytetyössä käytettiin muita opinnäytetöitä ja sähkötekniikkaan liittyvää kirjallisuutta. Luotettavuuslaskentaan tarvittavat sähköverkon lähtötiedot saatiin Hiirikosken Energia Oy:n keskeytystilastoista ja muuntajaluettelosta. Työn lopputuloksena saatiin suuntaa antavia laskentatuloksia kauko-ohjattavien erottimien ja verkkokatkaisijoiden vaikutuksesta keskeytyskustannuksiin.The thesis was done for Hiirikosken Energia Oy. The aim of the thesis was to investigate the profitability of the use of remote con-trolled disconnectors and sectionalizing circuit breakers in Hiirikosken Energia Oy’s distribution grid. The research was made to investigate the benefits invest-ment alternatives. Previous theses and literature in the field were used as source material in the the-sis. Initial data for reliability calculation was received from failure statistics and transformer list. The thesis produced approximate calculation results of what effect the use of re-mote controlled disconnectors and sectionalizing circuit breakers effect of failure costs