Nordic Research on Political Behaviour

Abstract

This review article sets out to give an overarching presentation of Nordic research on political behaviour, which has constituted a vital subfield within Nordic political science since the 1950s. The aim of the article is to give the reader a sense of what characterises the development within the field and to point towards interesting research worth further exploring. The review covers some notes on the general progress within the field, a bibliographic analysis of publication patters complemented by a presentation of the dominating themes of research, and a discussion of methodological advancements. Research within the field rests on the strong legacy of the Norwegian scholar Stein Rokkan and the early influence of the behaviouralism and American research. The biographical analysis does, however, clearly demonstrate the leading position of Danish scholars in terms of both qualitative and quantitative indicators. From a methodological perspective, researchers within the region can be described as early adapters. The electoral programmes established in the middle of the 1950s in Sweden and Norway are among the oldest in the world, following on from the pioneering efforts of the United States which stretch back to 1948. Furthermore, recent years have brought about a significant increase in experimental research. Thematically, the research agenda has been dominated by, but not restricted to, electoral research. Sophisticated knowledge of how voters think and act at elections, but also of the changing role and behaviour of citizens within the Nordic sphere, has been developed over time.

Polyphenol- and Glucuronoxylan-Rich Fiber Extract from Birch (Betula sp.) Wood Regulates Colonic Barrier Function and Cell Proliferation in Healthy Rats

“…The GX-and polyphenol-rich extract (GXpoly) from the Natural Resources Institute Finland (Luke) was prepared via pressurized hot water extraction, according to Kilpelaïnen et al, 12 and spray dried. The highly purified GX-rich extract (pureGX) from CH-Bioforce Oy was recovered as a xylan concentrate (20% w/w) using the BLN process 13 and precipitated with ethanol. The monosaccharide composition and acetyl groups of hemicelluloses have been previously analyzed by Mikkonen et al 14 The monosaccharide composition of GXpoly was β-D-xylopyranosyl 81%, 4-O-methyl-α-D-glucopyranosyl uronic acid 6.3%, β-D(1 → 4)-mannopyranosyl 3.9%, and α-D(1 → 6)galactopyranosyl 2.2%, while pureGX had β-D-xylopyranosyl 79%, 4-O-methyl-α-D-glucopyranosyl uronic acid 7.3%, α-D(1 → 6)galactopyranosyl 4.1%, and β-D(1 → 4)-mannopyranosyl 2.9%.…”