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Folic acid has a well-documented stabilising effect on chromosomes. A correlation between folate status and chromosome stability in humans has been reported in studies that were restricted to certain subpopulations, e.g., folate-deficient persons. The goal of the present investigation was to clarify if there also is a correlation between folate status and chromosome stability among individuals without any folate deficiency.

The method used here is the recently developed flow cytometry-based micronucleus assay in human transferrin-positive reticulocytes (MN-Trf-Ret). In a blood sample, separation of the very young reticulocytes from the mature erythrocytes makes this micronucleus assay possible.

This investigation comprises three studies (cross-sectional, giving baseline data), two of which are connected to an intervention study. In the three cross-sectional studies (total number of subjects, 99) the frequency of MN-Trf-Ret (fMN-Trf-Ret) was measured and compared with the serum folate status. In two of the studies also serum homocysteine and Vitamin B12 were measured and compared with the baseline fMN-Trf-Ret. Combining the results from the three cross-sectional studies, a negative correlation between folate status and fMN-Trf-Ret was obtained (p < 0.05).

The goal of the intervention studies was to clarify if different nutritional supplementations had any effect on the fMN-Trf-Ret and the cell proliferation (percentage polychromatic erythrocytes, PCE). Each of the two studies involved two groups, one placebo and one supplemented group. In one of the studies the supplementation was folic acid, 1000 μg/day during 1 week (n = 30, both sexes); in the other intervention study, folic acid (800 μg/day), B12 (20 μg/day) and B6 (4 mg/day) were taken during 1 week (n = 29, both sexes). No significant difference in %PCE or fMN-Trf-Ret between the two groups was found in either of the two intervention studies.

Purpose/Aim: The purpose of this thesis is to define and analyse how Swedish record companies work with digital musical content distributors. A more narrow aim is to show how the record companies and with the digital musical content distributors iTunes Music Store and Spotify create incentives for consumer’s to use legal digital music channels through the Internet. To further circle the core of the problem following questions have been asked: How does the record companies provide iTunes Music Store and Spotify with digital content and what is done by the record companies to retain control over the material? How do the record companies view digital musical sales and what incentives are given to consumers to buy music digitally? Finally, What position of power do iTunes Music Store and Spotify have on the digital content arena?

Material/Method: The data collected for this thesis is retrieved through personal interviews with representatives from three of the four major record companies Universal Music, Warner Music and EMI and their Swedish branches.

Main results: The consumer’s access to digital content through iTunes Music Store and Spotify is of the utmost importance and is a prerequisite. Even if the record companies choose to not demand DRM protection on their products it does not stop Apple from keeping their Fairplay protection. In this way Apple is the company controlling the files, even if the Record Companies have made their decision based on research, which has shown that sales go down if the music files are DRM protected. The record companies have chosen not to get involved with the sales of digital content. This results in power being shifted to E-tailers such as iTunes Music Store and Spotify. The incentives the consumers are given to buy music digitally are found in the surplus value, which is supported by iTunes Music Store and Spotify. These surplus values are such services as recommendations of music or artists. Different packaging solutions, such as subscriptions through an Internet provider, do not raise the value of the music. The value is added to the Internet provider’s products and not the music, but they do guarantee a steady income for the record companies.

Titel: Into tomorrow – Constructing scenarios for the record industry in the 21-century.Number of Pages: 54 (55 including enclosures)Author: Erik G AgebergTutor: Else NygrenCourse: Media and Communication Studies DPeriod: Spring semester 2009University: Division of Media and Communication studies, Department ofinformation science, Uppsala University.Purpose/Aim: The aim of this paper is to, through scenario planning methodology,present recommendations in order for record companies to be competitive in the nearfuture. In order to achieve this goal three question where asked. (1) What are the mostcentral problems of the record industry? (2) How can these problems affect the futurein the industry? (3) In what way can record companies’ work to avoid theseproblems? The paper focuses on the Swedish market partly because of the giventimeframe but also because of Sweden’s position in that of file sharing as well astechnological advances. It is also assumed in this paper that the future of music saleswill be concentrated to the Internet.Material/Method: The chosen method for this paper was scenario planning. Anextensive literature study was complemented with interviews of key players involvedin content consumption over the Internet.Main results: A fundamental issue for the future of the music industry is that oflegislation. The outcome of the record industry’s future is almost exclusivelydependent on the way, which the legislation takes. A stricter legislation, whichincludes violations of citizens’ personal integrity, may backfire and result in politicalpirate parties’ becoming members of parliaments. This may in turn result in that theintellectual property laws of the nineteenth century are removed. Suing privatepersons and trackers can result in record companies alienating an entire generation ofmusic consumers. Record companies attempts to retain music as a product may proveto be futile within time, but they can absolutely prolong the period in which it is aproduct. It is nevertheless, not entirely negative for music to become a service. Bybeing a service music can more easily be attached to another service, like an Internetsubscription, or an experience.

Until recently, collections of digital images were stored in classical databases and indexed by keywords entered by a human operator. This is not longer practical, due to the growing size of these collections. Moreover, the keywords associated with an ima

Purpose/Aim: The aim of this thesis was to study the construction of gender and to compare Media’s portrayal of male and female athletes.

Material/Method: 140 articles covering seven famous Swedish male and female athletes were selected from two Swedish newspapers (Aftonbladet and Expressen). The articles has been analysed within the frames of Norman Faircloughs Critical Discourse Analysis.

Main results: Male athletes are often described in powerful ways and are framed as being strong and successful. Skills and strengths of women athletes are often devalued in comparison to standards of hegemonic masculinity and self-control. They are often framed as women and girlfriends in advantage of the fact that they are athletes.

Purpose/Aim: The aim of this thesis was to study Sydsvenskans coverage of the police crisis in Skåne 2009.

Material/Method: The study is based on 26 articles which has been analysed within the frames of Norman Faircloughs Critical Discourse Analysis.