Sitra

Unkari nousi kommunismista vapautumisen jälkeen itäisen Keski-Euroopan ykköseksi, tähtioppilaaksi ja lännen lemmikiksi. Nyt se on Euroopan Unionin ja Naton mieliharmi ja hankala häirikkö. 1990-luvulla Unkarin johto vannoi unionin ja liberaalin eurooppalaisen demokratian nimeen. Nyt se romuttaa oikeusvaltiota, hajottaa EU:ta ja on Venäjän ja Kiinan asialla. Mitä kummaa on tapahtunut? Ulkoministeriön pitkäaikainen valtiosihteeri ja suurlähettiläs Pertti Torstila etsii vastauksia tähän kysymykseen tarkastelemalla kahta tuoretta Unkari-aiheista kirjaa.

ABSTRACT This article explores the debates and innovations in parliamentary procedure in the Finnish Grand Duchy of the Russian Empire. It focuses on the radical parliamentary and suffrage reform of 1905-06, when Finland’s outdated Diet of four Estates was replaced by a unicameral parliament elected through universal male and female suffrage. Until then, Finland had been a latecomer in parliamentary development, with reformists eager to study and apply European experiences, models, and concepts. These European influences inspired Finnish actors to pursue procedural innovations while balancing the risks and benefits of the dramatic reform. While many parliaments were struggling with limited time and considered imposing restrictions on the right to speak, Finnish reformists chose a different path, embracing the traditional ideals of careful, thorough, and multivoiced deliberation. This approach became heavily politicized and was particularly challenged by socialist newcomers, leading to an open struggle between competing concepts of democracy and parliament.

Abstract This paper explores the role and potential of foresight in evaluation practice in an increasingly uncertain and complex world. Evaluation designs, which have primarily focused on assessing past and present performance, are becoming less adequate for guiding organizations and strategies toward desired futures. Consequently, there is a pressing need for evaluations to adopt a more future‐focused approach. This article argues for the integration of foresight and futures thinking into evaluation methodologies to support transformative change and tackle the systemic challenges of our time. By drawing on an evaluation case study from the Finnish Innovation Fund Sitra, we demonstrate how applied foresight methods, including Horizon Scanning and a modified Delphi method, enhanced the evaluation process. These methods enabled a forward‐looking perspective essential for informing strategic decision‐making and programming. Specifically, the application of foresight methods in Sitra's evaluation supported assessing the relevance and timeliness of strategic choices, provided options for future programming, and deepened the understanding of complexities around ecological reconstruction and the operational environment. The paper contributes to the evolving discourse and practices on transformative evaluation by offering practical insights into the use of foresight methods, ultimately advocating for a paradigm shift toward more dynamic and future‐oriented evaluation practice.

A randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, multiple-ascending dose (MAD) Phase 1b trial evaluated the safety, tolerability, pharmacokinetics, and target engagement of the tau-targeting antisense oligo- nucleotide BIIB080/ISIS 814907 in patients with mild Alzheimer’s disease (AD). Four ascending dose cohorts were enrolled sequentially and randomized 3:1 to intrathecal bolus administrations of BIIB080/ISIS 814907 or placebo every four weeks (first 3 cohorts) or every 12 weeks (last cohort) during the 13week Treatment Period, followed by a 23-week Post-Treatment Period. The primary endpoint was safety. The secondary endpoint was pharmacokinetics in cerebrospinal fluid (CSF). The prespecified key exploratory outcome was CSF total tau (t-tau) protein concentration.46 patients enrolled in the trial with 34 randomized to BIIB080/ISIS 814907 and 12 randomized to placebo. Adverse events (AEs) were reported in 92% of BIIB080/ISIS 814907-treated patients and 75% of place- bo-treated patients with all being mild (Grade 1) or moderate (Grade 2); no serious AEs were reported in BIIB080/ISIS 814907-treated patients. Robust time and dose-dependent reduction in the CSF t-tau concentration was observed with greater than 50% mean reduction from baseline at 24-weeks post-last dose in the 60-mg (4 doses) and 115-mg (2 doses) BIIB080/ISIS 814907 groups.This is the first ASO treatment evaluated in AD, and the first drug to significantly reduce tau levels in neu- rodegeneration. This demonstrates that suppression of tau protein synthesis in AD is possible and warrants further evaluation in the ongoing phase 2 trial.

Background: Finnish policymakers issued a new community waste law in 2022, that aims to increase household food waste recycling. The municipalities have launched the implementation of the waste law and are responsible for supervising the development of this new project. Problem: The implementation and supervision of the waste law increases authorities' workload and also public costs. Public servants manage the households’ compost register and carry out compost audits on-site. Challenge: The challenge is to put in place the new waste management law at the lowest public cost. Purpose: The research addresses the validation of a pioneering IT solution that supports and advances households' bio composting and aims to ease waste management authorities’ workload by fostering eGovernment. Methods: The intervention consists in delivering the IoT-sensor-equipped bio-composter and associated applications. The research adopts a mission-oriented approach, and establishes a place-based, multi-actor, participatory, and open innovation testbed at Living Lab. It leverages the Lean Startup process and SWOT analysis. The research method complies with the principles of Responsible Research and Innovation. Conclusions: The IoT-sensor-equipped bio-composter is a feasible solution. Municipality waste management authorities do not regard/consider the IoT-sensor-equipped solution as beneficial from their perspective. The eGovernment strategy is not a driver in this case since bio-composter mapping and monitoring could be a future tool for real estate maintenance companies.

Collection of moths and butterflies in the city of Arkhangelsk, Solovetsky Islands, Pinezhsky and Kargopolsky districts carried out between 2017 and 2019, and identification of occasional samples resulted in the discovery of 47 species of Lepidoptera not previously reported from the Arkhangelsk Oblast; three more species were added to the regional fauna based on published data. Especially noteworthy are the findings of Coleophora proterella (a recently described species; the first record from Russia), Clostera albosigma (the westernmost European record) and Bryotropha affinis (a rare, mainly coastal species in Fennoscandia). We also confirmed the records of eight species known from old publications only, and we report new localities for 318 species. To date, the known fauna of the Arkhangelsk Oblast totals 1188 species of moths and butterflies (639 species of microlepidoptera and 549 species of macrolepidoptera); 62 of these are classified as threatened in Finland. We estimate that the regional fauna of Lepidoptera amounts to 1800 species.

Abstract The solids content of slurry is typically increased in thickeners. A clean overflow and maximum solids concentration in the underflow are the general targets. The flocculant rate and underflow rate are the two independent variables that are typically used for control. The dependent variables include rake torque, underflow density, overflow turbidity, solids interface level (bed depth), solids inventory (bed pressure), solids settling rate and underflow viscosity. The research problem in question is that the outgoing paste is sometimes difficult to pump. The phenomena leading to this situation are not well known. In the worst-case scenario these phenomena cause clogging in the piping. A data analysis has been done to find the variables that affect and correlate with the pumping problem. The scope of this study covers the measurements from the feed line, thickener and underflow. The goal is to gain better understanding of the phenomena after this phase. The data analysis was done using the paste line pressure difference as a response variable and by dividing the data collected from Yara’s Siilinjärvi mill into two parts: operation areas with high and low pressure difference. The analysis is focused on Thickener 1 due to better availability of measurements. The knowledge of the variables found to influence the pressure difference can be utilized in further development.