Factors related to seat belt use : A Turkish case

Seat belts are effective safety devices used to protect car occupants from severe injuries and fatalities during road vehicle accidents. Despite the proven effectiveness of seat belts, seat belt use rates are quite low, especially in developing countries, such as Turkey. The general aim of the present study was to investigate a large variety of factors related to seat belt use among Turkish car occupants using different perspectives and methods and therefore, to contribute to the design of effective seat belt use interventions for increasing seat belt use rates in Turkey. Five sub-studies were conducted within the present study. In the first sub-study, environmental (e.g., road type) and psycho-social factors (e.g., belt use by other car occupants) related to the seat belt use of front-seat occupants were investigated using observation techniques. Being male, of a young age, and traveling on city roads were the main factors negatively related to seat belt use. Furthermore, seat belt use by the drivers and front-seat passengers was highly correlated and a significant predictors of each other. In the second sub-study, the motivations of the car occupants for seat belt use and non-use were investigated using interview techniques. Situational conditions, such as traveling on city roads and for short distances, and not believing in the effectiveness and relevance of seat belt use for safety, were the most frequently reported reasons for not using a seat belt. Safety, habit and avoiding punishment were among the most frequently reported reasons for using a seat belt. In the third sub-study, the Theory of Planned Behavior (TPB) and the Health Belief Model (HBM) were applied to seat belt use using Structural Equation Modeling techniques. The TPB model showed a good fit to the data, whereas the HBM showed a poor fit to the data. Within the TPB model, attitude and subjective norm were significant predictors of intentions to use a seat belt on both urban and rural roads. In the fourth sub-study, seat belt use frequency and motivations for seat belt use among taxi drivers were investigated and compared between free-time and work-time driving using a survey. The results showed that taxi drivers used seat belts more when driving a private car in their free-times compared to when driving a taxi during their work-times. The lack of a legal obligation to use a seat belt in city traffic and fear of being attacked or robbed by the passengers were found as two specific reasons for not using a seat belt when driving a taxi. Lastly, in the fifth sub-study, the relationship of seat belt use to driver and health behaviors was investigated using a survey. Although seat belt use was related both to health and driver behaviors, factor analysis results showed that it grouped with driver behaviors. Based on the results of the sub-studies, a tentative empirical model showing different predictors of seat belt use was proposed. According to the model, safety and normative motivations and perceived physical barriers related to seat belt use are the three important predictors of seat belt use. Keywords: Seat belt use; environmental factors; psycho-social factors; safety and normative motivations; the Theory of Planned Behavior; the Health Belief Model; health behaviors; driver behaviors; front-seat occupants; taxi drivers; Turkey.

Oncolytic Adenoviruses for Gynecologic Cancer

Gene therapy is a promising novel approach for treating cancers resistant to or escaping currently available modalities. Treatment approaches are based on taking advantage of molecular differences between normal and tumor cells. Various strategies are currently in clinical development with adenoviruses as the most popular vehicle. Recent developments include improving targeting strategies for gene delivery to tumor cells with tumor specific promoters or infectivity enhancement. A rapidly developing field is as well replication competent agents, which allow improved tumor penetration and local amplification of the anti-tumor effect. Adenoviral cancer gene therapy approaches lack cross-resistance with other treatment options and therefore synergistic effects are possible. This study focused on development of adenoviral vectors suitable for treatment of various gynecologic cancer types, describing the development of the field from non-replicating adenoviral vectors to multiple-modified conditional replicating viruses. Transcriptional targeting of gynecologic cancer cells by the use of the promoter of vascular endothelial growth factor receptor type 1 (flt-1) was evaluated. Flt-1 is not expressed in the liver and thus an ideal promoter for transcriptional targeting of adenoviruses. Our studies implied that the flt-1 promoter is active in teratocarcinomas.and therefore a good candidate for development of oncolytic adenoviruses for treatment of this often problematic disease with then poor outcome. A tropism modified conditionally replicating adenovirus (CRAd), Ad5-Δ24RGD, was studied in gynecologic cancers. Ad5-Δ24RGD is an adenovirus selectively replication competent in cells defective in the p16/Rb pathway, including many or most tumor cells. The fiber of Ad5-Δ24RGD contains an integrin binding arginine-glycine-aspartic acid motif (RGD-4C), allowing coxackie-adenovirus receptor independent infection of cancer cells. This approach is attractive because expression levels of CAR are highly variable and often low on primary gynecological cancer cells. Oncolysis could be shown for a wide variety of ovarian and cervical cancer cell lines as well as primary ovarian cancer cell spheroids, a novel system developed for in vitro analysis of CRAds on primary tumor substrates. Biodistribution was evaluated and preclinical safety data was obtained by demonstrating lack of replication in human peripheral blood mononuclear cells. The efficicacy of Ad5-Δ24RGD was shown in different orthotopic murine models including a highly aggressive intraperitoneal model of disseminated ovarian cancer cells, where Ad5-Δ24RGD resulted in complete eradication of intraperitoneal disease in half of the mice. To further improve the selectivity and specificity of CRAds, triple-targeted oncolytic adenoviruses were cloned, featuring the cyclo-oxygenase-2 (cox-2) promoter, E1A transcomplementation and serotype chimerism. Those viruses were evaluated on ovarian cancer cells for specificity and oncolytic potency with regard to two different cox2 versions and three different variants of E1A (wild type, delta24 and delta2delta24). Ad5/3cox2Ld24 emerged as the best combination due to enhanced selectivity without potency lost in vitro or in an aggressive intraperitoneal orthotopic ovarian tumor model. In summary, the preclinical therapeutic efficacy of the CRAds tested in this study, taken together with promising biodistribution and safety data, suggest that these CRAds are interesting candidates for translation into clinical trials for gynecologic cancer.

Corneal recovery after uncomplicated and complicated PRK and LASIK

Refractive errors, especially myopia, seem to increase worldwide. Concurrently, the number of surgical refractive corrections has increased rapidly, with several million procedures performed annually. However, excimer laser surgery was introduced after a limited number of studies done with animals and to date there still are only few long-term follow-up studies of the results. The present thesis aims to evaluate the safety and functional outcome of, as well as to quantify the cellular changes and remodelling in the human cornea after, photorefractive keratectomy (PRK) and laser assisted in situ keratomileusis (LASIK). These procedures are the two most common laser surgical refractive methods. In Study I, myopic ophthalmic residents at Helsinki University Eye Hospital underwent a refractive correction by PRK. Five patients were followed up for 6 months to assess their subjective experience in hospital work and their performance in car driving simulator and in other visuomotor functions. Corneal morphological changes were assessed by in vivo confocal microscopy (ivCM). Study II comprised 14 patients who had undergone a PRK operation in 1993-1994. Visual acuity was examined and ivCM examinations performed 5 years postoperatively. In Study III 15 patients received LASIK refractive correction for moderate to high myopia (-6 - -12 D). Their corneal recovery was followed by ivCM for 2 years. Diffuse lamellar keratitis (DLK) is a common but variable complication of LASIK. Yet, its aetiology remains unknown. In Study IV we examined six patients who had developed DLK as a consequence of formation of an intraoperative or post-LASIK epithelial defect, to assess the corneal and conjunctival inflammatory reaction. In the whole series, the mean refractive correction was -6.46 diopters. The best spectacle corrected visual acuity (BSCVA) improved in 30 % of patients, whereas in four patients BSCVA decreased slightly. The mean achieved refraction was 0.35 D undercorrected. After PRK, the stromal scar formation was highest at 2 to 3 months postoperatively and subsequently decreased. At 5 years increased reflectivity in the subepithelial stroma was observed in all patients. Interestingly, no Bowman s layer was detected in any patient. Subbasal nerve fiber bundle(snfb) regeneration could be observed already at 2 months in 2 patients after PRK. After 5 years, all corneas presented with snfb, the density of which, however, was still lower than in control corneas. LASIK induced a hypocellular area on both sides of the flap interface. A decrease of the most anterior keratocyte density was also observed. In the corneas that developed DLK, inflammatory cell-type objects were present in the flap interface in half of the patients. The other patients presented only with keratocyte activation and highly reflective extracellular matrix. These changes resolved completely with medication and time. Snfb regeneration was first detected at one month post-LASIK, but still after two years the density of snfb, however, was only 64 % of the preoperative values. The performance of ophthalmological examinations and microsurgery without spectacles was easier postoperatively, which was appreciated by the residents. Both PRK and LASIK showed moderate to good accuracy and high safety. In terms of visual perception and subjective evaluation, few patients stated any complaints in the whole series of studies. Instead, the majority of patients experienced a marked improvement in everyday life and work performance. PRK and LASIK have shown similar results, with good long term morphological healing. It seems evident that, even without the benefit of over-20-year follow-up results, these procedures are sufficiently safe and accurate for refractive corrections and corneal reshaping.

Radiation effects in supported nanoparticles

Nanotechnology applications are entering the market in increasing numbers, nanoparticles being among the main classes of materials used. Particles can be used, e.g., for catalysing chemical reactions, such as is done in car exhaust catalysts today. They can also modify the optical and electronic properties of materials or be used as building blocks for thin film coatings on a variety of surfaces. To develop materials for specific applications, an intricate control of the particle properties, structure, size and shape is required. All these depend on a multitude of factors from methods of synthesis and deposition to post-processing. This thesis addresses the control of nanoparticle structure by low-energy cluster beam deposition and post-synthesis ion irradiation. Cluster deposition in high vacuum offers a method for obtaining precisely controlled cluster-assembled materials with minimal contamination. Due to the clusters small size, however, the cluster-surface interaction may drastically change the cluster properties on deposition. In this thesis, the deposition process of metal and alloy clusters on metallic surfaces is modelled using molecular dynamics simulations, and the mechanisms influencing cluster structure are identified. Two mechanisms, mechanical melting upon deposition and thermally activated dislocation motion, are shown to determine whether a deposited cluster will align epitaxially with its support. The semiconductor industry has used ion irradiation as a tool to modify material properties for decades. Irradiation can be used for doping, patterning surfaces, and inducing chemical ordering in alloys, just to give a few examples. The irradiation response of nanoparticles has, however, remained an almost uncharted territory. Although irradiation effects in nanoparticles embedded inside solid matrices have been studied, almost no work has been done on supported particles. In this thesis, the response of supported nanoparticles is studied systematically for heavy and light ion irradiation. The processes leading to damage production are identified and models are developed for both types of irradiation. In recent experiments, helium irradiation has been shown to induce a phase transformation from multiply twinned to single-crystalline nanoparticles in bimetallic alloys, but the nature of the transition has remained unknown. The alloys for which the effect has been observed are CuAu and FePt. It is shown in this thesis that transient amorphization leads to the observed transition and that while CuAu and FePt do not amorphize upon irradiation in bulk or as thin films, they readily do so as nanoparticles. This is the first time such an effect is demonstrated with supported particles, not embedded in a matrix where mixing is always an issue. An understanding of the above physical processes is essential, if nanoparticles are to be used in applications in an optimal way. This thesis clarifies the mechanisms which control particle morphology, and paves way for the synthesis of nanostructured materials tailored for specific applications.

Determinants of institutional care at older ages in Finland

Väitöskirjassa selvitettiin ikäihmisten laitoshoitoon siirtymisen todennäköisyyttä ja sen taustoja kansainvälisesti ainutlaatuisen rekisteriaineiston avulla. Selvitettäviä asioita olivat eri sairauksien, sosioekonomisten tekijöiden, puolison olemassaolon ja leskeksi jäämisen yhteys laitoshoitoon siirtymiseen yli 65-vuotiailla suomalaisilla. Tutkimuksessa havaittiin, että dementia, Parkinsonin tauti, aivohalvaus, masennusoireet ja muut mielenterveysongelmat, lonkkamurtuma sekä diabetes lisäsivät ikäihmisten todennäköisyyttä siirtyä laitoshoitoon yli 50 prosentilla, kun muut sairaudet ja sosiodemografiset tekijät oli otettu huomioon. Korkeat tulot vähensivät laitoshoidon todennäköisyyttä, kun taas puutteellinen asuminen (ilman peseytymistiloja tai keskus- tai sähkölämmitystä) sekä erittäin puutteellinen asuminen (ilman lämmintä vettä, vesijohtoa, viemäriä tai vesivessaa) lisäsivät todennäkösyyttä, kun muut sosiodemografiset tekijät, sairaudet ja asuinalue oli huomioitu. Kerrostalon hissittömyys ei ollut yhteydessä laitoshoidon todennäköisyyteen. Todennäköisyys siirtyä laitoshoitoon oli jostain syystä korkeampaa niillä ikäihmisillä, jotka asuivat vuokralla ja matalampaa omakotitalossa asuvilla ja niillä, joilla oli auto. Puolison olemassaolo vähensi ja leskeksi jääminen lisäsi laitoshoidon todennäköisyyttä huomattavasti. Todennäköisyys oli erityisen suuri, yli kolminkertainen, kun puolison kuolemasta oli kulunut enintään kuukausi verrattuna niihin, joiden puoliso oli elossa. Todennäköisyys laski, kun puolison kuolemasta kului aikaa. Miesten ja naisten tulokset olivat samansuuntaisia. Korkeat tulot tai koulutus eivät suojanneet riskiltä joutua laitoshoitoon puolison kuoltua. Puolison kuolema näyttää lisäävän hoidon tarvetta, kun kotona ei ole enää puolisoa tukemassa ja huolehtimassa kodin askareista. Laitoshoidon tarve vähenee, jos ja kun lesket ajan kuluessa oppivat elämään yksin. Toisaalta tutkimustulokset saattavat viitata myös siihen, että kaikkein huonokuntoisimmat lesket, jotka eivät pärjää yksin asuessaan, siirtyvät laitoshoitoon hyvin nopeasti puolison kuoltua. Tutkimuksessa oli mukana yhteensä yli 280 000 yli 65-vuotiasta henkilöä, joiden pitkäaikaiseen laitoshoitoon siirtymistä seurattiin tammikuusta 1998 syyskuuhun 2003. Laitoshoidoksi määriteltiin terveyskeskuksissa, sairaaloissa ja vanhainkodeissa tai vastaavissa yksiköissä tapahtuva pitkäaikainen hoito, joka kesti yli 90 vuorokautta tai oli vahvistettu pitkäaikaishoidon päätöksellä. Tutkimuksessa käytetty aineisto koottiin väestörekistereistä, sosiaali- ja terveydenhuollon rekistereistä ja lääkerekistereistä.

Itämafia : Uhkakuvapolitiikka, rikosilmiöt ja kulttuuriset merkitykset

The Eastern Mafia Threat policy, crime phenomena, and cultural meanings An interdisciplinary research on the crime phenomena and the threat policy relating to the organized crime and the mafia of Russia and Estonia is based on 151 expert interviews, statistics, documents, research literature, and press material. The main part of the material consists of interviews of the Finnish, Estonian and Russian police authorities specialized in the problem of organized crime, and the reports on the crime situation drawn up in the Finnish diplomatic representations in Tallinn and St Petersburg. The interviews have been gathered in the years 1996-2001. The main theoretical tools of the research are constructivist research on social problems, and political psychology. Definitional processes of social problems and cultural semantic structures behind them are identified in the analysis and connected to the analysis of the crime cases. Both in the Anglo-American and Russian cultural frames there appears an inflated and exaggerated talk, according to which the mafia rules everything in Russia and is spreading everywhere. There is the traditional anti-Semitic paranoia in the core of this cultural symbiosis produced by Russian legal nihilism, the theory of totalitarianism of Sovietology, and the inertia of Russian anti-capitalism. To equate the Sicilian Mafia with Russia is an anachronism, since no empirical proof of systematic uncontrolled violence or absolute power vacuum in Russia can be found. In the Anglo-American policy of threat images, "the Russian mafia" was seen as a commodified conspiracy theory, which the police, the media, and the research took advantage of, blurring the line between fact and fiction. In Finland, the evolution of the policy of threat images proceeded in three phases: Initially, extensive rolling of refugees and criminals from Russia to Finland was emphasized in the beginning of the 1990's. In the second phase, the eastern mafia was said to infiltrate all over Finnish society and administration. Finland was, however, found immune to this kind of spreading. In the third phase, in the 21st century, the organized crime of Finland was said to be lead from abroad. In Finland, the policy of threat images was especially canalised to moral panics connected to "eastern prostitution". In Estonia, the policy of threat images emphasized the crime organized by the Russian authorities and politicians in order to weaken Estonia. In Russia, the policy of threat images emphasized the total criminalizing of society caused by criminal capitalism. In every country, the policy of threat images was affected by a so-called large-group identity, a term by Vamik Volkan, in which a so-called chosen trauma caused a political paranoia of an outer and inner danger. In Finland, procuring, car theft, and narcotics crimes were at their widest arranged by the Finnish often with the help of the Estonians. The Russians had no influence in the most serious violent crimes in Finland, although the number of assassinations were at least 5, 000 in Russia in the 1990's. In Russia, the assassinations were on one hand connected to marital problems, on the other hand to the pursuit of public attention and a hoped-for effect by the aid of the murder of an influential person. In the white-collar crime phenomena between Finland and Russia, the Finnish state and Finnish corporations gained remarkable benefit of the frauds aimed at the states of the Soviet Union and Russia in 1980's-21st century. The situation of Estonia was very difficult compared to that of Russia in the 1990's, which was manifested in the stagnation of the Estonian police and judicial authorities, the crimes of the police and the voluntary paramilitary organization, bomb explosions, the rebellion called "the jaeger crisis" in the voluntary paramilitary organization, and the "blood autumn" of Eastern Virumaa, in other words terror. The situation of Estonia had a powerful effect on the crime situation of Finland and on the security of the Finnish diplomats. In the continuum of the Finnish policy of threat images, Russia and the Russians were, however, presented as a source of a marked danger.

Zur lexikographischen Darstellung der Adjektivsyntax in neueren einsprachigen Wörtbüchern des Deutschen

The main objects of the investigation were the syntactic functions of adjectives. The reason for the interest in these functions are the different modes of use, in which an adjective can occur. All together an adjective can take three different modes of use: attributive (e. g. a fast car), predicative (e. g. the car is fast) and adverbial (e. g. the car drives fast). Since an adjective cannot always take every function, some dictionaries (esp. learner s dictionaries) deliver information within the lexical entry about any restrictions. The purpose of the research consisted of a comparison in relation to the lexical entries of adjectives, which were investigated within four selected monolingual German-speaking dictionaries. The comparison of the syntactical data of adjectives were done to work out the differences and the common characteristics of the lexical entries concerning the different modes of use and to analyse respective to assess them. In the foreground, however, were the differences of the syntactical information. Concerning those differences it had to be worked out, which entry is the grammatically right one respective if one entry is in fact wrong. To find that out an empirical analysis was needed, which based on the question in which way an adjective is used within a context as far as there are no conforming data within the dictionaries. The delivery of the correctness and the homogeneity of lexical entries of German-speaking dictionaries are very important to support people who are learning the German language and to ensure the user friendliness of dictionaries. Throughout the investigations it became clear that in almost half of the cases (over 40 %) syntactical information of adjectives differ from each other within the dictionaries. These differences make it for non-native speakers of course very difficult to understand the correct usage of an adjective. Thus the main aim of the doctoral thesis was it to deliver and to demonstrate the clear syntactical usage of a certain amount of adjectives.

Information Technology in Construction – Domain Definition and Research Issues

This article discusses the scope of research on the application of information technology in construction (ITC). A model of the information and material activities which together constitute the construction process is presented, using the IDEF0 activity modelling methodology. Information technology is defined to include all kinds of technology used for the storage, transfer and manipulation of information, thus also including devices such as copying machines, faxes and mobile phones. Using the model the domain of ITC research is defined as the use of information technology to facilitate and re-engineer the information process component of construction. Developments during the last decades in IT use in construction is discussed against a background of a simplified model of generic information processing tasks. The scope of ITC is compared with the scopes of research in related areas such as design methodology, construction management and facilities management. Health care is proposed as an interesting alternative (to the often used car manufacturing industry), as an IT application domain to compare with. Some of the key areas of ITC research in recent years; expert systems, company IT strategies, and product modelling are shortly discussed. The article finishes with a short discussion of the problems of applying standard scientific methodology in ITC research, in particular in product model research.

Service Experience in an Innovation Context

Service researchers and practitioners have repeatedly claimed that customer service experiences are essential to all businesses. Therefore comprehension of how service experience is characterised in research is an essential element for its further development through research. The importance of greater in-depth understanding of the phenomenon of service experience has been acknowledged by several researchers, such as Carú and Cova and Vargo and Lusch. Furthermore, Service-Dominant (S-D) logic has integrated service experience to value by emphasising in its foundational premises that value is phenomenologically (experientially) determined. The present study analyses how the concept of service experience has been characterised in previous research. As such, it puts forward three ways to characterise it in relation to that research: 1) phenomenological service experience relates to the value discussion in S-D logic and interpretative consumer research, 2) process-based service experience relates to understanding service as a process, and 3) outcome-based service experience relates to understanding service experience as one element in models linking a number of variables or attributes to various outcomes. Focusing on the phenomenological service experience, the theoretical purpose of the study is to characterise service experience based on the phenomenological approach. In order to do so, an additional methodological purpose was formulated: to find a suitable methodology for analysing service experience based on the phenomenological approach. The study relates phenomenology to a philosophical Husserlian and social constructionist tradition studying phenomena as they appear in our experience in a social context. The study introduces Event-Based Narrative Inquiry Technique (EBNIT), which combines critical events with narratives and metaphors. EBNIT enabled the analysis of lived and imaginary service experiences as expressed in individual narratives. The study presents findings of eight case studies within service innovation of Web 2.0, mobile service, location aware service and public service in the municipal sector. Customers’ and service managers’ stories about their lived private and working lifeworld were the foundation for their ideal service experiences. In general, the thesis finds that service experiences are (1) subjective, (2) context-specific, (3) cumulative, (4) partially socially constructed, (5) both lived and imaginary, (6) temporally multiple-dimensional, and (7) iteratively related to perceived value. In addition to customer service experience, the thesis brings empirical evidence of managerial service experience of front-line managers experiencing the service they manage and develop in their working lifeworld. The study contributes to S-D logic, service innovation and service marketing and management in general by characterising service experience based on the phenomenological approach and integrating it to the value discussion. Additionally, the study offers a methodological approach for further exploration of service experiences. The study discusses managerial implications in conjunction with the case studies and discusses them in relation to service innovation.

The Nature of Learning about Customers in a Customer Service Setting - A Study of Frontline Contact Persons

The starting point of this thesis is the notion that in order for organisations to understand what customers value and how customers experience service, they need to learn about customers. The first and perhaps most important link in an organisation-wide learning process directed at customers is the frontline contact person. Service- and sales organisations can only learn about customers if the individual frontline contact persons learn about customers. Even though it is commonly recognised that learning about customers is the basis for an organisation’s success, few contributions within marketing investigate the fundamental nature of the phenomenon as it occurs in everyday customer service. Thus, what learning about customers is and how it takes place in a customer-service setting is an issue that is neglected in marketing research. In order to explore these questions, this thesis presents a socio-cultural approach to understanding learning about customers. Hence, instead of considering learning equal to cognitive processes in the mind of the frontline contact person or learning as equal to organisational information processing, the interactive, communication-based, socio-cultural aspect of learning about customers is brought to the fore. Consequently, the theoretical basis of the study can be found both in socio-cultural and practice-oriented lines of reasoning, as well as in the fields of service- and relationship marketing. As it is argued that learning about customers is an integrated part of everyday practices, it is also clear that it should be studied in a naturalistic and holistic way as it occurs in a customer-service setting. This calls for an ethnographic research approach, which involves direct, first-hand experience of the research setting during an extended period of time. Hence, the empirical study employs participant observations, informal discussions and interviews among car salespersons and service advisors at a car retailing company. Finally, as a synthesis of theoretically and empirically gained understanding, a set of concepts are developed and they are integrated into a socio-cultural model of learning about customers.

Occupational chronic solvent encephalopathy in Finland 1995 - 2007 : incidence and diagnostic methods

The occurrence of occupational chronic solvent encephalopathy (CSE) seems to decrease, but still every year reveals new cases. To prevent CSE and early retirement of solvent-exposed workers, actions should focus on early CSE detection and diagnosis. Identifying the work tasks and solvent exposure associated with high risk for CSE is crucial. Clinical and exposure data of all the 128 cases diagnosed with CSE as an occupational disease in Finland during 1995-2007 was collected from the patient records at the Finnish Institute of Occupational Health (FIOH) in Helsinki. The data on the number of exposed workers in Finland were gathered from the Finnish Job-exposure Matrix (FINJEM) and the number of employed from the national workforce survey. We analyzed the work tasks and solvent exposure of CSE patients and the findings in brain magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), quantitative electroencephalography (QEEG), and event-related potentials (ERP). The annual number of new cases diminished from 18 to 3, and the incidence of CSE decreased from 8.6 to 1.2 / million employed per year. The highest incidence of CSE was in workers with their main exposure to aromatic hydrocarbons; during 1995-2006 the incidence decreased from 1.2 to 0.3 / 1 000 exposed workers per year. The work tasks with the highest incidence of CSE were floor layers and lacquerers, wooden surface finishers, and industrial, metal, or car painters. Among 71 CSE patients, brain MRI revealed atrophy or white matter hyperintensities or both in 38% of the cases. Atrophy which was associated with duration of exposure was most frequently located in the cerebellum and in the frontal or parietal brain areas. QEEG in a group of 47 patients revealed increased power of the theta band in the frontal brain area. In a group of 86 patients, the P300 amplitude of auditory ERP was decreased, but at individual level, all the amplitude values were classified as normal. In 11 CSE patients and 13 age-matched controls, ERP elicited by a multimodal paradigm including an auditory, a visual detection, and a recognition memory task under single and dual-task conditions corroborated the decrease of auditory P300 amplitude in CSE patients in single-task condition. In dual-task conditions, the auditory P300 component was, more often in patients than in controls, unrecognizable. Due to the paucity and non-specificity of the findings, brain MRI serves mainly for differential diagnostics in CSE. QEEG and auditory P300 are insensitive at individual level and not useful in the clinical diagnostics of CSE. A multimodal ERP paradigm may, however, provide a more sensitive method to diagnose slight cognitive disturbances such as CSE.

Helsingin metropolialueen maisemaekologiset muutokset vuosina 1955-2009

Landscape is shaped by natural environment and increasingly by human activity. In landscape ecology, the concept of landscape can be defined as a kilometre-scale mosaic formed by different land-use types. In Helsinki Metropolitan Region, the landscape change caused by urbanization has accelerated after the 1950s. Prior to that, the landscape of the region was mainly only shaped by agriculture. The goal of this study was in addition to describing the landscape change to discuss the factors impacting the landscape change and evaluate thelandscape ecological impacts of the change. Three study areas at different distances from Helsinki city centre were chosen in order to look at the landscape change. Study areas were Malmi, Espoo and Mäntsälä regions representing different parts of the urban-to-rural gradient in 1955, 1975, 1990 and 2009. Land-use of the maps was then digitized into five classes: agricultural lands, semi-natural grasslands, built areas, waters and others using GIS methods. First, landscape change was studied using landscape ecological indices. Indices used were PLAND i.e. the proportions of the different land-use types in the landscape; MPS, SHEI and SHDI which describe fragmentation and heterogeneity of the landscape; and MSI and ED which are measures of patch shape. Second, landscape change was studied statistically in relation to topography, soil and urban structure of the study areas. Indicators used concerning urban structure were number of residents, car ownership and travel-related zones of urban form which indicate the degree of urban sprawl within the study areas. For the statistical analyses, each of the 9.25 x 9.25 km sized study areas was further divided into grids with resolution of 0.25 x 0.25 kilometres. Third, the changes in the green structure of the study areas were evaluated. The landscape change reflected by the proportions of the land-use types was the most notable in Malmi area where a large amount of agricultural land was developed from 1955 to 2009. The proportion of semi-natural grasslands also showed an interesting pattern in relation to urbanization. When urbanization started, a great number of agricultural lands were abandoned and turned into semi-natural grasslands but as the urbanization accelerated, the number of semi-natural grasslands started to decline because of urban densification. Landscape fragmentation and heterogeneity were the most widespread in Espoo study area which is not only because of the great differences in relative heights within the region but also its location in the rural-urban fringe. According to the results, urbanization induced agricultural lands to be more regular in shape both spatially and temporally whereas for built areas and semi-natural grasslands the impact of urbanization was reverse. Changes in landscape were the most insignificant in the most rural study area Mäntsälä. In Mäntsälä, built area per resident showed the greatest values indicating a widespread urban sprawl. The values were the smallest in highly urbanized Malmi study area. Unlike other study areas, in Mäntsälä the proportion of developing land in the ecologically disadvantageous cardependent zone was on the increase. On the other hand, the green structure of the Mäntsälä study area was the most advantageous whereas Malmi study area showed the most ecologically disadvantageous structure. Considering all the landscape ecological criteria used, the landscape structure of Espoo study area proved to be the best not least because of the great heterogeneity of its landscape. Thus the study confirmed the previous results according to which landscape heterogeneity is the most significant in areas exposed to a moderate human impact.

Helsingin seudun ruuhkamaksut yritysnäkökulmasta

Congestion of traffic is one of the biggest challenges for urban cities in global perspective. Car traffic and traffic jams are causing major problems and the congestion is predicted to worsen in the future. The greenhouse effect has caused a severe threat to the environment globally. On the other hand from the point of view of companies and other economic parties time and money has been lost because of the congestion of traffic. This work studies some possible traffic payment systems for the Helsinki Metropolitan area introducing three optional models and concentrating on the point of view of the economic parties. Central part of this work is formed by a research questionnaire, which was conducted among companies located in the Helsinki area and where more than 1000 responses were gained. The study researches the approaches of the respondents to the area s current traffic system, its development and urban congestion pricing and the answers are analyzed according to the size, industry and location of the companies. The economic aspect is studied by economic theory of industrial location and by emphasizing the meaning of smoothly running traffic for the economic world. Chapter three presents detailed information about traffic congestion, how today s car-centered society has been formed, what concrete things congestion means for economic life and how traffic congestion can be limited. Theoretically it is examined how urban traffic payment systems are working using examples from London and Stockholm where successful traffic payment experiences exist. The literature review analyzes urban development, increasing car traffic and Helsinki Metropolitan area on a structural point of view. The fourth chapter introduces a case study, which concentrates on Helsinki Metropolitan area s different structures, the congestion situation in Helsinki and the introduction of the traffic payment system clarification. Currently the region is experiencing a phase where big changes are happening in the planning of traffic. The traffic systems are being unified to consider the whole region in the future. Also different advices for the increasing traffic congestion problems are needed. Chapter five concentrates on the questionnaire and theme interviews and introduces the research findings. The respondents overall opinion of the traffic payments is quite skeptical. There were some regional differences found and especially taxi, bus and cargo and transit enterprises shared the most negative opinion. Economic parties were worried especially because of the traffic congestion is causing harm for the business travel and the employees traveling to and from work. According to the respondents the best option from the traffic payment models was the ring model where the payment places would be situated inside the Ring Road III. Both the company representatives and other key decision makers see public transportation as a good and powerful tool to decrease traffic congestion. The only question, which remains, is where to find investors willing to invest in public transportation if economic representatives do not believe in pricing the traffic by for example traffic payment systems.

Basic and translational studies on species B adenoviruses

Human adenoviruses (Ads) have been classified into six species (A to F) currently containing 55 serotypes. For almost 2 decades vectors derived from group C serotype Ad5 have been extensively used for gene transfer studies. These Ad5 based vectors are able to efficiently infect many mammalian cell types (including both mitotic and post-mitotic cells) through interaction with a primary attachment receptor, the coxsackie and adenovirus receptor (CAR). Despite the many advantages of Ad5 based vectors a number of limitations have affected their therapeutic application to many diseases. Although they can transduce many tissue types, Ad5 based vectors are unable to efficiently transduce several potential disease target cell types, including hematopoietic stem cells and malignant tumor cells. Therefore, newer vectors have been developed based on Ad serotypes other than Ad5. This thesis focuses on species B Ads. Species B Ads are comprised of three groups based on their receptor usage. Group 1 of species B Ads (Ad16, 21, 35, 50) nearly exclusively utilize CD46 as a receptor; Group 2 (Ad3, Ad7, 14) share a common, unidentified receptor/s, which is not CD46 and which was tentatively named receptor X; Group 3 (Ad11) preferentially interacts with CD46, but also utilizes receptor X if CD46 is blocked. Species B group Ads are important human pathogens. Species B group 2 serotypes are isolated from patients with respiratory tract infections, whereas the Group 1 viruses are described as causing kidney and urinary tract infections. B-group Ad infections often occur in immunocompromised patients, including AIDS patients, recipients of bone marrow transplants, or chemotherapy patients. Recent studies performed in U.S. military training facilities indicate an emergence of diverse species B serotypes at the majority of sites. This included the group 1 serotype 21 and the group 2 serotypes 3, 7, and 14. CD46-targeting vectors derived from Ad35 and Ad11 are important tools for in vitro gene transfer into human stem cells, including hematopoietic stem cells and induced pluripotent stem cells. Ad35 and Ad11 have been used as tools for cancer therapy, because CD46 appears to be uniformely overexpressed on many cancers. Furthermore, receptor X-targeting vectors, i.e vectors derived from Ad3 or vectors containing Ad3 fibers have shown superior in the transduction of tumor cells both in vitro and in vivo and are currently being used clinically in cancer patients. While extensive basic virology studies have been done on Ad5, the information of species B group 1 interaction with CD46 is limited. Furthermore, the receptor for a major subgroup of species B Ads (receptor X) is unknown. The goal of this thesis was it therefore to better understand virological and translational aspects of species B Ads. The specific findings described in this thesis include i) the identification of CD46 binding sites within the Ad35 fiber knob, ii) the study of the in vitro and in vivo properties of Ad vectors with increased affinity to CD46. iii) the study of the receptor usage of a newly emergent Ad14a, iv) the identification of desmoglein 2 as the receptor for Ad3, Ad7, Ad11, and Ad14, v) the delineation of structural details of Ad3 virus interaction with DSG2, and vi) the analysis of functional consequences of Ad3-DSG2 interaction. As a result of these basic virology studies two Ad-derived recombinant proteins have been generated that can be used to enhance cancer therapy by monoclonal antibodies.

Helsingin kävelykeskustan suunnittelu ydinkeskustan kadunvarsiliikeyrittäjien näkökulmasta

Aiempien tutkimusten mukaan keskustayrittäjien kielteinen asenne on olennaisesti vaikeuttanut kävelykatujen toteuttamista kaupunkikeskustoissa. Yrittäjät pelkäävät ostokykyisten asiakkaiden kaikkoavan ja liikevaihtonsa pienenevän kävelykeskustauudistusten myötä. Yrittäjien kielteiset asenteet ovat usein myös painottuneet suuriin kaupunkeihin. Etenkin ydinkeskustassa sijaitsevat kadunvarsiliikeyrittäjät ovat kokeneet kävelykadut ongelmiksi. Tämän tutkimuksen tavoitteena on selvittää, mikä on ydinkeskustan kadunvarsiliikeyrittäjien näkemys Helsingin kävelykeskustan suunnittelusta, millaisena ydinkeskustan kadunvarsiliikeyrittäjät näkevät sijaintikatunsa kävelykeskustan suunnittelupäämäärien kautta tarkasteltuna, ja onko kävelykatuyrittäjien ja kävelykatujen ulkopuolella sijaitsevien yrittäjien näkemysten välillä eroja. Taustana tälle tarkastellaan Helsingin kävelykeskustaa pohjoismaisessa kontekstissa, ja käydään läpi Helsingin kävelykeskustan suunnittelun ja rakentumisen historiaa ja päämääriä. Tutkimuksen aineisto koostuu Helsingin ydinkeskustan kadunvarsiliikeyrittäjille tehdystä kyselystä, kävelykeskustoihin liittyvistä tutkimuksista ja selvityksistä, kaupunkisuunnitteluun ja -tutkimukseen liittyvästä tutkimuskirjallisuudesta, sanomalehtiartikkeleista, ydinkeskustassa tehdystä empiirisestä havainnoinnista ja kahdesta asiantuntijahaastattelusta. Kyselyaineistoa analysoidaan tutkimuksessa tilastollisten menetelmien avulla. Helsingin kävelykeskustan suunnittelu ja rakentuminen on ollut pitkällinen prosessi. Vuoden 1 989 kävelykeskustan periaatesuunnitelmasta on konkretisoitunut Kluuvikatu ja Mikonkatu. Keskustatunnelihanke on vaakalaudalla, minkä vuoksi kävelykeskustan uuden periaatesuunnitelman toteutuminen on epävarmaa. Kävelykeskustan rakentuminen kuitenkin etenee. Keskuskatu ja Kalevankadun itäpää muutetaan kävelykaduiksi ja ydinkeskustan jalankulkuympäristöä parannetaan ja kehitetään jatkuvasti. Tällä hetkellä kävelykeskustan suunnittelun painopiste on Aleksanterinkadun kortteleiden ympäristössä, ja suunnittelun tärkeimpiä päämääriä ovat viihtyisyyden, turvallisuuden, kaupallisen vetovoimaisuuden ja saavutettavuuden parantaminen. Kyselyyn vastanneiden yrittäjien mielestä kävelykeskustaa tulisi laajentaa, sillä laajemman kävelykeskustan nähdään kasvattavan liikevaihtoa ja lisäävän yleisesti ydinkeskustan vetovoimaa. Kävelykatuyrittäjien näkemykset kävelykeskustan suunnittelusta ja kehittämisestä olivat kävelykatujen ulkopuolisia yrittäjiä kielteisempiä. Em. yrittäjien asenteisiin vaikuttavat oletettavasti tutkituilla kävelykaduilla ilmenneet ongelmat. Kyse voi myös olla siitä, että uusien kävelykatujen rakentaminen haittaa kävelykatujen saavutettavuutta. Kadunvarsiliikeyrittäjien yleinen suhtautuminen kävelykeskustan kehittämiseen ja suunnittelupäämääriin on kuitenkin pääosin positiivista. Jatkotutkimuksen kannalta olisi kiinnostavaa selvittää, onko muiden ydinkeskustassa toimivien yritysten, kuten esimerkiksi tavaratalojen ja kauppakeskusten johdon ja kiinteistösijoittajien ja -omistajien suhtautuminen kävelykeskustan kehittämiseen myös positiivista. Tämän lisäksi olisi mielenkiintoista selvittää keskustan käyttäjien ja keskustassa asuvien asenteita kävelykeskustan suunnitteluun, ja verrata tuloksia tässä tutkimuksessa selvitettyihin kadunvarsiliikeyrittäjien näkemyksiin.