This thesis deals with the analysis of Gabriela Koukalová's media portrayal in selected print media in the period January 2017 - June 2019. This period was determined due to changes in Gabriela Koukalová's professional focus, as early 2017 she was a successful biathlete who has many victories from international competitions. She stopped racing in autumn of 2017 and due to the controversial biography she published in 2018, she announced retirement from her biathlon career in 2019. ​The aim is to find out whether the media image of Gabriela Koukalová at a time when she was a top biathlete differs from the media image that she had when she stopped competing. ​The theoretical part presents the role of the media in society and the theoretical definition of the construction of the media image. This section also includes mediasport, and media portrayal of biathlon and women in sports. The methodological part of the work describes the chosen analysis methods and the process of data recording. The analytical part of the work is devoted to the interpretation of the obtained results.

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The association of members of the enterovirus family with pregnancy complications up to miscarriages is under discussion. Here, infection of two different human induced pluripotent stem cell (iPSC) lines and iPSC-derived primary germ-layer cells with coxsackievirus B3 (CVB3) was characterized as an in vitro cell culture model for very early human development. Transcriptomic analysis of iPSC lines infected with recombinant CVB3 expressing enhanced green fluorescent protein (EGFP) revealed a reduction in the expression of pluripotency genes besides an enhancement of genes involved in RNA metabolism. The initial distribution of CVB3-EGFP-positive cells within iPSC colonies correlated with the distribution of its receptor coxsackie- and adenovirus receptor (CAR). Application of anti-CAR blocking antibodies supported the requirement of CAR, but not of the co-receptor decay-accelerating factor (DAF) for infection of iPSC lines. Among iPSC-derived germ-layer cells, mesodermal cells were especially vulnerable to CVB3-EGFP infection. Our data implicate further consideration of members of the enterovirus family in the screening program of human pregnancies. Furthermore, iPSCs with their differentiation capacity into cell populations of relevant viral target organs could offer a reliable screening approach for therapeutic intervention and for assessment of organ-specific enterovirus virulence.

Mutations in the BRCA1 and BRCA2 genes are known risk factors and drivers of breast and ovarian cancers. So far, few studies have been focused on understanding the differences in transcriptome and functional landscapes associated with the disease (breast vs. ovarian cancers), gene (BRCA1 vs. BRCA2), and mutation type (germline vs. somatic). In this study, we were aimed at systemic evaluation of the association of BRCA1 and BRCA2 germline and somatic mutations with gene expression, disease clinical features, outcome, and treatment. We performed BRCA1/2 mutation centered RNA-seq data analysis of breast and ovarian cancers from the TCGA repository using transcriptome and phenotype 'portrayal' with multi-layer self-organizing maps and functional annotation. The results revealed considerable differences in BRCA1- and BRCA2-dependent transcriptome landscapes in the studied cancers. Furthermore, our data indicated that somatic and germline mutations for both genes are characterized by deregulation of different biological functions and differential associations with phenotype characteristics and poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase (PARP)-inhibitor gene signatures. Overall, this study demonstrates considerable variation in transcriptomic landscapes of breast and ovarian cancers associated with the affected gene (BRCA1 vs. BRCA2), as well as the mutation type (somatic vs. germline). These results warrant further investigations with larger groups of mutation carriers aimed at refining the understanding of molecular mechanisms of breast and ovarian cancers.

I takt med att intresset för true crime- och infotainment i media växer sig större ökar behovet av att studera nyhetsmediernas påverkan på skapandet av könsbaserade maktrelationer. Syftet med denna studie är att få en ökad förståelse för hur maktrelationer produceras genom tryckt nyhetsmedias rapportering kring kvinnor som mördar. Fokus ligger på att identifiera vilka diskursiva strategier och uteslutningsmekanismer som används för att skapa dessa maktrelationer. Studien genomförs genom en foucaultiansk diskursanalys på 38 artiklar från svensk tryckt nyhetsförmedling som berör kvinnor som mördat. Vidare används ett teoretiskt ramverk bestående av genusperspektiv samt gestaltningsteori för att bidra till en djupare förståelse för analysens resultat. Studien fann att de diskursiva strategier som primärt används var klassificeringar, språkbruk och anspråk på galenskap. Genom dessa strategier identifierade studien vidare två diskursiva utrymmen för kvinnor som mördar - den “goda” och den “onda” mördaren. Studien fann att dessa två utrymmen var starkt kopplade till hur mördarens femininitet var porträtterad, där de “goda” blev porträtterade som feminina till skillnad från de “onda”. / As the true crime and infotainment industries grow larger, the need to study the news media's impact on the creation of gendered power relations grow larger. The aim of this study is to gain a deeper understanding of how power relations are produced by news media in their reporting on female killers. Of special interest is identifying which discursive strategies and mechanisms of exclusion that are used in order create these power relations. The study achieves this by analyzing 38 articles from Swedish news media about female murderers using a Foucauldian discourse analysis. Furthermore, a theoretical framework consisting of gender theory and framing theory is used to further understand the findings. The study found that the main discursive strategies that were used were categorization, rhetorical strategies and similaes, and references to madness. From these strategies the study identified two discursive spaces for female murderers to populate - the ‘good’ murderer and the ‘evil’ one. These two spaces were found to be strictly linked with how the femininity of the murderer was portrayed, where the ‘good’ were portrayed as feminine and the ‘evil’ weren’t.

Surveillance of the evolving SARS-CoV-2 genome combined with epidemiological monitoring and emerging vaccination became paramount tasks to control the pandemic which is rapidly changing in time and space. Genomic surveillance must combine generation and sharing sequence data with appropriate bioinformatics monitoring and analysis methods. We applied molecular portrayal using self-organizing maps machine learning (SOM portrayal) to characterize the diversity of the virus genomes, their mutual relatedness and development since the beginning of the pandemic. The genetic landscape obtained visualizes the relevant mutations in a lineage-specific fashion and provides developmental paths in genetic state space from early lineages towards the variants of concern alpha, beta, gamma and delta. The different genes of the virus have specific footprints in the landscape reflecting their biological impact. SOM portrayal provides a novel option for ‘bioinformatics surveillance’ of the pandemic, with strong odds regarding visualization, intuitive perception and ‘personalization’ of the mutational patterns of the virus genomes.

Uppsatsen har gjort i syfte att undersöka porträtteringen av kvinnliga antagonister samt protagonister i två Disneyfilmer för att se om porträtteringen skiljer sig filmerna emellan. De filmer som varit aktuella för undersökningen har varit Snövit och de sju dvärgarna (1937) samt Trassel (2010). Materialet har analyserats utifrån representationsteori med nedstamp i stereotyper, genus samt mise-en-scéne inom animation. De valda metoder för analysen är en narrativ samt semiotisk analys där karaktärernas handlingar samt utseende tolkats för att sedan jämföras. Antagonisterna och protagonisterna från båda filmerna porträtteras likadant och har liknande narrativa funktioner, där antagonisten är kontrasterande och binär gentemot protagonisten som ses som filmens normala. / The purpose of this essay has been to analyze the female antagonists and protagonists in two films from Disney to see if the portrayal of these characters differentiate. The films fitting for the analysis are Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs (1937) and Tangled (2010). The material has been analyzed through a perspective of representation theory as well as stereotypes, gender and mise-en-scéne in animation. The methods chosen for this essay are a narrative analysis and a semiotic analysis where the characters’ actions and appearance  are being interpreted and compared. The antagonists and protagonists from both films are portrayed in a similar way and have narrative functions that are similar, where the antagonists are contrasting and binary opposite the protagonists who are viewed as the normal.

This study, Life at Skanska, aims to examine how Skanska Sweden portrays gender norms on Instagram, differentiating between their official Swedish account, @skanskasverige, and their employee-driven account, @livetpaskanska. The analysis is based on previous research on gender studies with a focus on male-dominated industries, as well as social media and how companies can use it to their advantage. The method used for the study was a multimodal semiotic analysis and with this method an analysis of five posts from each account was made. To support the analysis theories regarding gender, representation, ambassadorship, and social identity were applied to the study.   The study reveals that there are variations in how gender is represented on both accounts. Most notable being the differences in lexical choices and communications strategies. On the official account, @skanskasverige, there is a variation of images presenting both women and men therefore signifying diverse perspectives. However lexical choices, such as job titles, may partly diminish women’s credibility. In comparison, @livetpaskanska, present a more diverse and inclusive representation of women, which can be a side-effect of it being an employee-driven account. In a comparing analysis of the two accounts the differences between them became clear in how they represent women on the channels. On @livetpaskanska women tend to be more present in the content than on @skanskasverige. The study identifies differences in communication styles, indicating that the employee-driven account prioritizes individual achievements and experiences, while the official account emphasized corporate identity and the company’s values.

Syftet med studien var att undersöka hur media porträtterar det sociala arbetet med barn samt vilka följder som det resulterat i för det sociala arbetet. Studiens utformning påminner om en systematisk litteraturöversikt där en kombination av 12 nationella och internationella vetenskapliga artiklar har granskats med hjälp av narrativ syntes och analyserats utifrån teorin om symbolisk interaktionism. Resultatet av översikten redovisas utifrån att det förekom en negativ, positiv och neutral porträttering av socialarbetare i media. Den negativa framställningen var den mest framträdande där kritik huvudsakligen riktats mot socialarbetare relaterade till fall där barn farit illa. Positiv porträttering av socialt arbete var något som sällan förekom. Porträtteringen har resulterat i både positiva och negativa följder som påverkat både på socialarbetare och allmänheten. / The purpose of the study was to examine how the media portrays social work with children and the resulting impacts on social work. The design of the study resembles a systematic literature review where a combination of 12 national and international scholarly articles has been reviewed using narrative synthesis and analyzed based on the theory of symbolic interactionism. The result of the review is presented based on the occurrence of negative, positive, and neutral portrayals of social workers in the media. The negative portrayal was the most prominent, with criticism mainly directed towards social workers related to cases where children have been harmed. Positive portrayal of social work was something that rarely occurred. The portrayal has resulted in both positive and negative consequences that have affected both the social worker and the general public.

This thesis is about certain varieties of isiXhosa and their apparent influence on English and vice versa. IsiXhosa is a language mainly spoken in the Eastern and Western Cape Provinces of the Republic of South Africa. The study concentrates on certain varieties of isiXhosa that are spoken in the Eastern Cape Province. These varieties are isiBhaca, isiHlubi, isiMpondo, isiThembu and isiGcaleka. IsiGcaleka happens to be the standard variety. A map is provided to illustrate where these varieties are spoken. The study looks at the learners’ texts which are written in isiXhosa and English. The learners who wrote these texts are in Grades 8 and 9 from selected schools in the areas of Mzimkhulu, Matatiele, Mbizana, Ngcobo and Butterworth. It is worth mentioning that Mzimkhulu has since been moved from the Eastern Cape to KwaZulu/Natal. The learners’ texts are analyzed and comments are provided for each analysis. The study also looks at how educators in selected schools relate with their learners when teaching both isiXhosa and English. Observations are made from the relationship between the educators and learners when the learners are taught isiXhosa and English. The study also looks at the debate between standard and non-standard variety. Based on the discussion of both the standard variety and non-standard variety it is the view of the researcher that this notion of “standard” and “non-standard” needs to be challenged on all fronts. This is so because standardization occurs as a result of historical coincidence. The study further looks at the Language and Planning issues in the Republic of South Africa. It is important to note that language is the key to the heart of any nation and therefore whatever that is discussed about language should be sensitive to the people speaking that language.The study concludes with the fact that there is a need to train educators especially those who are going to teach African Languages. There is also a need to undertake studies on learners’ needs so that those who design the school curricula must do so knowing what is relevant to the learners in general. / African Languages / D. Litt. et Phil. (African Languages)