Litteraturvetenskap vid Åbo Akademi – ett ämne med många ansikten

Ämnet litteraturvetenskap omfattar hela den ”allmänna”, d.v.s. västerländska litteraturen, men den forskning som bedrivits har i stor utsträckning varit inriktad på den svenskspråkiga litteraturen i Finland – och i Sverige. Områden som ägnats ett mera omfattande intresse är bl.a. nlandssvensk dramatik och lyrik, kritikhistoria, barn- och ungdomslitteratur, litteratursociologi med inriktning på opinionsbildning och propa- ganda samt ekokritik. Litteraturvetenskapen vid Åbo Akademi var tidigt ute med undervisning och forskning i barn- och ungdomslitteratur

Finland, den heliga tystnadens land: Om en frusen svensk gemenskap och en drömd skandinavisk union

Föreställningarna om Finland i den svenska litteraturen efter 1809 är ett i forskningen föga undersökt område. Som ett första försök i detta ämne inriktar sig denna artikel på 1840-talet, då den liberala oppositionen kombinerade sin kritik av bristen på demokrati i Sverige med utfall mot det autokratiska Ryssland. I romanen Kärlekens seger(1846) av J.A. Kiellman-Göranson (1811−1869) ingår dessutom skandinavism i det liberala programmet, liksom den mycket utbredda men likafullt falska föreställningen att den övervägande majoriteten av Finlands befolkning längtade efter en återförening med Sverige. Kombinationen är tidstypisk, men leder till vissa komplikationer. Kärlekens segerkan beskrivas som en social äventyrsroman eller som en sensationsroman av Eugène Sues modell. Efter att en rysk spions lömska intriger slutligen gjorts om intet når den romantiska intrigen slutligen sitt mål med den lyckliga föreningen av tre skandinaviska par. Allegorin är en prydlig illustration av en skandinavisk dröm, där också Finland förefaller att ingå i den åtrådda unionen. Den bild av Finland som romanen förmedlar avslöjar likafullt en påtaglig okunskap om landets pågående modernisering. Härmed framträder en säregen variant av Benedict Anderson’s ”imagined communities”. Till följd av den psykiska oförmågan att acceptera 1809 års gränser innefattar denna ”svenska” gemenskap nämligen en grupp – finländarna – som utgör ett viktigt inslag i den diskursiva processen men själva är omedvetna om sin egen roll i den

The impact of cuff size and the presence of medical staff during blood pressure measurement in dogs : evaluated by HDO-dedicated software

SAMMANFATTNING Vidhållandet av normalt blodtryck är en essentiell funktion hos både människor och djur. Blodtrycksmätning på djur utförs idag mer än någonsin men att diagnostisera ett sant avvikande värde är inte helt enkelt. Den så kallade ”white-coat-effekten” (WCE) kan orsaka ett högt blodtryck p.g.a. exempelvis stress. I litteraturen framkommer att även kuffstorlek är väsentlig vid indirekt blodtrycksmätning. Ett mål med studien var att se om en WCE kan minskas genom att djurägaren får mäta blodtrycket ensam i rummet. Ett annat syfte med studien var att undersöka om det föreligger en skillnad mellan mätvärden då två olika kuffstorlekar används, tillhörande senaste tekniken inom oscillometri, high definition oscillometry (HDO). Vid alla blodtrycksmätningar sammankopplades HDO-systemet med en tillhörande mjukvara för att utvärdera dess användarvänlighet. I studien medverkade totalt 31 hundar. Blodtrycket mättes i tre omgångar hos varje hund. Operatören använde två olika kuffstorlekar i två omgångar och djurägaren mätte blodtrycket ensam en omgång. Ett blodtrycksmedelvärde beräknades vid varje mätomgång, utifrån de fem mest trovärdiga mätvärdena. Resultatet visade att den större och bredare kuffen uppmätte ett signifikant lägre tryck med en genomsnittlig skillnad på 6,8 mmHg. Hundarnas blodtryck var signifikant lägre då djurägaren mätte det ensam. Den genomsnittliga skillnaden var 5,8 mmHg. Vid 79 av 82 mätomgångar registrerade mjukvaran mätningarna. Nya blodtrycksmedelvärden, som beräknades utifrån analys av mjukvaran, jämfördes med de medelvärden som beräknats innan mjukvaran användes till hjälp. Vid fem av 79 mätomgångar (6 %) översteg skillnaden i beräknat medelvärde 10 mmHg. Dessa fall är därmed av möjlig klinisk betydelse. Utifrån studiens resultat drogs slutsatserna att valet av kuffstorlek vid blodtrycksmätning med HDO hos hund troligen inte spelar någon avgörande roll för bedömning av patienten. Det kan vara fördelaktigt att låta djurägaren mäta blodtrycket själv på sin hund för att minska en eventuell WCE. Det är sannolikt inte alltid nödvändigt att rutinmässigt använda mjukvaran vid en blodtrycksmätning för avgöra om mätningen är korrekt samt överensstämmande med verkligheten. Mjukvaran kan dock bidra med kompletterande information i specifika fall, till exempel vid tidsbrist eller hos djur som har svårt att vara stilla.SUMMARY Maintenance of normal blood pressure is an essential function in both humans and animals. Blood pressure measurement is today practiced more than ever in animals but, it can be difficult to diagnose a true abnormal value. The so called “white coat effect” (WCE) can cause a high blood pressure due to stress/anxiety. According to previous studies, cuff size is essential during indirect blood pressure measurement. One purpose of this study was to evaluate if a WCE can be reduced by having the owner measure their dogs’ blood pressure alone in the room. Another purpose of the study was to investigate if there was a significant difference in the measured blood pressure when using two different cuff sizes belonging to the latest oscillometric system, high definition oscillometry (HDO). During each measurement the HDO was connected to a software in order to evaluate its user friendliness. In total, 31 dogs were included in the study. Blood pressure was measured in three sets in each dog. Medical staff were using two different cuff sizes in two sets and one third set were performed by the owner alone. During each set of measuring, a mean blood pressure value was calculated using the five most reliable values. Use of the larger and wider cuff resulted in a significantly lower blood pressure with a mean difference of 6,8 mmHg. A significantly lower blood pressure was also obtained when the owner measured alone. The mean difference was 5,8 mmHg. In total, 79 out of 82 measuring sets were recorded by the software. The mean blood pressure values that were calculated, from each measuring set, both before and after analysis of the software, were compared to each other. In five out of 79 measuring sets (6 %), the difference in calculated mean blood pressure exceeded 10 mmHg, which may potentially be of clinical importance. According to this study, the cuff size when using HDO for blood pressure measurement in dogs probably has little impact on the evaluation of the patient. A suspected WCE can be decreased by allowing the owner to measure the blood pressure alone in the room. The use of HDO-software is probably not always essential in order to decide whether blood pressure measurements are correctly performed by the HDO. The software can, however, contribute with valuable information in some specifi

Chromogranin A

SAMMANFATTNING För att få fram en prognos när ett djur uppsöker vård finns det idag olika metoder. Inga är dock perfekta och därför forskas det på biomarkörer som ska kunna berätta mer om en individs allmäntillstånd. En biomarkör ska objektivt fungera som en indikator för normala biologiska processer, patogena processer eller farmakologiska responser efter en terapeutisk åtgärd. Chromogranin A (CgA) är en molekyl vars egenskaper och funktion undersökts mycket, bland annat dess potential som biomarkör vid olika tillstånd. Få djurstudier finns men humanstudier demonstrerar att CgA-koncentrationer exempelvis ökar vid olika sjukdomstillstånd; såsom hjärtsjukdomar, brännskador och hos patienter med neuroendokrina tumörer. Vidare ses förhöjda koncentrationer även vid andra tillstånd; såsom högintensiv träning och psykologisk stress. Syftet med denna litteraturstudie är därför att undersöka CgA:s egenskaper och funktion. Det ska även utredas vid vilka situationer CgA-koncentrationer ökar och vad detta kan indikera. Har CgA potential som en prognostisk biomarkör och gäller det i så fall även hos hund? Chromogranin A upptäcktes år 1967 och ingår i familjen Graniner som är en grupp sura, lösliga och sekretoriska proteiner. CgA finns i neuroendokrina celler i hela kroppen varifrån den frisätts genom exocytos tillsammans med respektive vävnads hormon/er eller verksamma substanser. Detta gäller även för hund och hos dem har man, som hos människa, även funnit att neuroendokrina tumörer innehåller CgA. Chromogranin A frisätts bland annat från sympatiska nervändar och chromaffinceller i binjuremärgen tillsammans med adrenalin och noradrenalin. Dessa är transmittorsubstanser i sympatiska nervsystemet (SNS) som aktiveras vid så kallade ”fright-fight-flight-situationer”. I flera studier ses förhöjda CgA-koncentrationer i takt med ökad sympatikusaktivitet, som vid hjärtstillestånd, hypoglykemi (även hund) eller psykologisk stress, vilket tyder på att CgA kan fungera som ett mått på sympatisk aktivitet. Denna koncentrationsökning är även något som kan påverka resultaten vid mätning av CgA-koncentrationer vid andra tillstånd. Hos patienter med neuroendokrina tumörer ses även allmänt förhöjda CgA-koncentrationer. Dessutom har förhöjda koncentrationer Chromogranin A visats kunna ge en prognos angående tumörstorlek samt om metastasering skett hos patienter med neuroendokrina tumörer. Utöver detta har CgA även kopplats samman med mortalitet och sämre prognos hos hjärtsjuka samt allvarligt sjuka patienter. Hos människa verkar alltså CgA besitta många av de egenskaper som definierar en biomarkör och har dessutom uppvisat potential som en prognostisk sådan vid olika tillstånd. Molekylen är dessutom stabil och kan mätas i blod eller saliv hos både människa och hund. Det finns även studier som talar för att hundars CgA på flera sätt liknar människans. Men trots de många humanstudier som talar för CgA:s potential som prognostisk biomarkör kan inga paralleller dras till hund. För detta krävs mer forskning och därmed klara bevis avseende just denna art. För att ha klinisk betydelse är det även viktigt att utreda huruvida CgA tillför något mer än de idag vedertagna prognostiska hjälpmedlen.SUMMARY Today there are several possible methods to rapidly assess a prognosis when an animal is ill. However, none of these methods are perfect which is why scientists are constantly looking for biomarkers capable of telling us more about an individual’s general condition. A biomarker should objectively work as an indicator for normal biological processes, pathogenic processes, or pharmacologic responses to a therapeutic intervention. Chromogranin A is a molecule whose properties and functions has been investigated extensively, for example its potential as a biomarker. There are few animal studies done, however, human studies has shown that CgA-concentrations increase at several medical conditions; e.g. heart diseases, burn injuries and patients with neuroendocrine tumours. Moreover, CgA is elevated in other situations as well; for example high-intensity exercise and psychological stress. Therefore, the purpose of this study is to investigate CgA:s properties and function. Moreover, to analyse in which situations CgA is elevated and what this could indicate. Does CgA have the potential of a prognostic biomarker and, in that case, does this also apply for dogs? Chromogranin A was found in 1967 and is a member of the Granin family, a group of acidic, soluble secretory proteins. CgA is distributed in neuroendocrine cells from which it is secreted by exocytosis together with hormones of that tissue. The same is true for dogs and studies has shown that neuroendocrine tumours of dogs, as in humans, contain CgA. For instance, CgA is released from sympathetic nerve endings and chromaffin cells in the adrenal medulla along with epinephrine and norepinephrine. These are transmitter substances in the sympathetic nervous system (SNS) which is activated in so-called ”fright-fight-flight-situations”. In several studies CgA-concentrations are elevated along with increased sympathetic activity; e.g. in cardiac arrest, hypoglycemia or psychological stress, which suggests that CgA could be an indicator of sympathetic activity. Something to consider about this increase is that it could interfere with the results when measuring CgA for other reasons. In patients with neuroendocrine neoplasia CgA is also elevated in general. Furthermore, elevated concentrations of CgA has been able to give a prognosis regarding tumour size and if metastasis occur in patients with neuroendocrine tumours. Moreover, CgA have been associated with mortality and poor prognosis in patients with heart diseases and severely ill patients. In humans CgA seems to possess many features defining a biomarker and has also presented potential as a prognostic biomarker in several situations. This molecule is stable and measurable in blood or saliva in both humans and dogs. There are also studies demonstrating several similarities between human and canine CgA. However, even though CgA has a potential as a prognostic biomarker in humans, this cannot yet be said for dogs. More research and consequently evidence considering dogs and their CgA are required first. Another important question to be answered is whether CgA contributes to something more than the traditional prognostic methods already do

Impact of equipment and handling on systolic blood pressure measurements in conscious dogs in an animal hospital environment

Background Situational hypertension and differences between devices complicate interpretations of systolic blood pressure (SBP) measurements in dogs.Hypothesis/Objectives To evaluate if time point of in-clinic SBP measurement, type of oscillometric device, and operator affect SBP measurements in conscious dogs.Animals Sixty-seven privately owned dogs with or without chronic kidney disease, divided into 2 study samples (A and B).Methods Cross-sectional diagnostic study. In part A, SBP measurements in dogs were performed using 2 different devices (HDO and petMap) after acclimatization at 3 standardized time points during a clinical visit. In part B, SBP measurements (HDO) were performed in dogs by a trained final year veterinary student and by the owner alone, at the same occasion.Results For all dogs, there was no difference in mean SBP (mSBP) among the 3 time points for HDO (P = .12) or petMAP (P = .67). However, intraindividual mSBP differences of up to 60 mm Hg between time points were documented. Mean SBP obtained with petMAP was on average 14 (95% CI: 8-20) mm Hg higher than mSBP obtained with HDO, and this difference increased with increasing SBP. Mean SBP measurements obtained by the trained student were 7 (95% CI: 2-11) mm Hg higher than mSBP measurements obtained by the owner.Conclusions and Clinical Importance According to the results of this study, time point of in-clinic SBP measurement in dogs is of minor importance, and instructing owners to perform measurements might reduce suspected situational hypertension. Differences in mSBP measured with HDO and petMAP underscore the need for validation of BP devices used clinically

Captured by Evil: The Idea of Corruption in Law

Corruption is one of the most powerful words in the English language. When it comes to the treatment of corruption by law, however, corruption is a troubled concept. With increasing recognition of the costs of corruption for economic development, democratic governance, international aid programs, and other world goals, attempts to articulate what this destructive force is have led to an avalanche of theoretical writing. In the last fifteen years, corruption has been variously defined as the violation of law, a public servant\u27s breach of public duty, an agent\u27s betrayal of a principal\u27s interests, the pursuit of secrecy, the denial of equality in political influence, and other ways. In the end, however, all of these efforts fall short. Corruption is more than law-breaking: it is more than breaching public duties. To say that A is a thief or that A has breached his duty is not to say that A is corrupt. The latter is far more powerful, far more emotional, far more essential than the others. It is more than secrecy, or the denial of equal opportunity. It is a searing indictment, somehow, not only of A\u27s act but of A\u27s character. It is a statement not only of what A has done, but of what A has become. Corruption is, I argue, a far more powerful idea than these existing legal understandings have articulated: it is the idea of capture by evil, the possession of the individual by evil, in law. Just as we once believed in corruption of the blood in American law, which decreed that offspring of those who had committed crimes were believed to be irrevocably tainted by their parents\u27 depravity, so we still retain - through the idea of corruption - the belief that individual evil extends beyond acts of wrongdoing, or the denial of equal opportunity, or breach of the public trust. It is this idea of corruption, I argue - the idea of capture by evil - that, although unarticulated, drives our understandings of corruption in law. It drives our understanding of corrupt judges, who, once corrupt, we believe will act so in every case. It drives our understanding of campaign finance reform, where we fear deep corruption of the process from the occurrence of corrupt acts. It drives our understanding of corruption as a systemic effect and systemic influence, which presents institutional dangers that are greater than other crimes, and that requires purgation rather than simple law enforcement. This Article explores this deeper understanding of corruption, its impacts in areas such as judicial corruption and campaign finance reform, and its implications for the principle of the rule of law

Macrophage Replication Screen Identifies a Novel Francisella Hydroperoxide Resistance Protein Involved in Virulence

Francisella tularensis is a Gram-negative facultative intracellular pathogen and the causative agent of tularemia. Recently, genome-wide screens have identified Francisella genes required for virulence in mice. However, the mechanisms by which most of the corresponding proteins contribute to pathogenesis are still largely unknown. To further elucidate the roles of these virulence determinants in Francisella pathogenesis, we tested whether each gene was required for replication of the model pathogen F. novicida within macrophages, an important virulence trait. Fifty-three of the 224 genes tested were involved in intracellular replication, including many of those within the Francisella pathogenicity island (FPI), validating our results. Interestingly, over one third of the genes identified are annotated as hypothetical, indicating that F. novicida likely utilizes novel virulence factors for intracellular replication. To further characterize these virulence determinants, we selected two hypothetical genes to study in more detail. As predicted by our screen, deletion mutants of FTN_0096 and FTN_1133 were attenuated for replication in macrophages. The mutants displayed differing levels of attenuation in vivo, with the FTN_1133 mutant being the most attenuated. FTN_1133 has sequence similarity to the organic hydroperoxide resistance protein Ohr, an enzyme involved in the bacterial response to oxidative stress. We show that FTN_1133 is required for F. novicida resistance to, and degradation of, organic hydroperoxides as well as resistance to the action of the NADPH oxidase both in macrophages and mice. Furthermore, we demonstrate that F. holarctica LVS, a strain derived from a highly virulent human pathogenic species of Francisella, also requires this protein for organic hydroperoxide resistance as well as replication in macrophages and mice. This study expands our knowledge of Francisella's largely uncharacterized intracellular lifecycle and demonstrates that FTN_1133 is an important novel mediator of oxidative stress resistance

The Drosophila melanogaster host model

The deleterious and sometimes fatal outcomes of bacterial infectious diseases are the net result of the interactions between the pathogen and the host, and the genetically tractable fruit fly, Drosophila melanogaster, has emerged as a valuable tool for modeling the pathogen–host interactions of a wide variety of bacteria. These studies have revealed that there is a remarkable conservation of bacterial pathogenesis and host defence mechanisms between higher host organisms and Drosophila. This review presents an in-depth discussion of the Drosophila immune response, the Drosophila killing model, and the use of the model to examine bacterial–host interactions. The recent introduction of the Drosophila model into the oral microbiology field is discussed, specifically the use of the model to examine Porphyromonas gingivalis–host interactions, and finally the potential uses of this powerful model system to further elucidate oral bacterial-host interactions are addressed