Sikiöaikana päihteille altistuneiden lasten kasvuympäristö ja kehitys

Life of children exposed to alcohol or drugs in utero This study focused on the growth environment, physical development and socio-emotional development of children, aged 16 and under, who had been exposed to alcohol (n=78) or drugs (n=15) in utero. The aim of the study was to obtain a comprehensive picture of the living conditions of these children and to examine the role of the growth environment in their development. The study was carried out using questionnaires, written life stories and interviews. Attachment theory was used as a background theory in the study. Over half of the children exposed to alcohol were diagnosed with foetal alcohol syndrome (FAS), one quarter was diagnosed with foetal alcohol effects (FAE), and one fifth had no diagnosis. Most of the children exposed to drugs had been exposed to either amphetamines or cannabis, and a smaller number to heroin. Some of the children exposed to alcohol were mentally handicapped or intellectually impaired. The children exposed to drugs did not exhibit any serious learning difficulties but a considerable number of them had socio-emotional development problems. Language and speech problems and attention, concentration and social interaction problems were typical among both the children exposed to alcohol and those exposed to drugs. Only one child had been placed into long-term foster care in a family immediately after leaving the maternity hospital. In biological families there had been neglect, violence, mental health problems, crime and unemployment, and many parents were already dead. Two of the children had been sexually abused and four were suspected of having been abused. From the point of view of the children's development, the three most critical issues were 1) the range of illnesses and handicaps that had impaired their functional capacity as a result of their prenatal exposure to alcohol, 2) child's age at the time of placement on a long-term basis, and 3) the number of their traumatic experiences. The relationship with their biological parents after placement also played a role. Children with symptoms were found in all diagnosis categories and types of exposure. Children with the smallest number of symptoms were found among those who had never lived with their biological parents. Almost all children were exhibiting strong symptoms at the time of placement in foster care. In most cases, they were behaving in a disorderly manner towards others, but some children were withdrawn. The most conspicuous feature among those with the most severe symptoms was their disorganized behaviour. Placement in a foster family enhanced the children's development, but did not solve the problems. The foster parents who brought these children up did not receive as much therapy for the children and support for the upbringing as they appear to have needed. In Finland, transfer to long-term custody is based on strict criteria. The rights of children prescribed in the child protection law are not fulfilled in practice. Key words: FASD, FAS, FAE, alcohol exposure, drugs exposure, illegal drugs, early interaction, child development, attachment

Retirement Transition and Well-being : A 16-year Longitudinal Study

The ageing of the labour force and falling employment rates have forced policy makers in industrialized countries to find means of increasing the well-being of older workers and of lengthening their work careers. The main objective of this thesis was to study longitudinally how health, functional capacity, subjective well-being, and lifestyle change as people grow older, and what effect retirement has on these factors and on their relationships. The present study is a follow-up questionnaire study of Finnish municipal workers, conducted in 1981 to 1997 at the Finnish Institute of Occupational Health. In 1981, a postal questionnaire was sent to 7344 municipal workers in different parts of Finland. The respondents were born between 1923 and 1937. A total of 6257 persons responded to the first questionnaire. In the end, a total of 3817 persons had responded to all four (1981, 1985, 1992, 1997) questionnaires. (The response rate was 69% of the living participants). Cross-tabulations, comparison of means, logistic regression analyses and general linear models with repeated measures were used to derive the results. The transition from work life to retirement, and the following years as a pensioner were associated with many changes. Involvement in various activities increased during the transition stage but later decreased to the previous level. Physical exercise was an exception: it became increasingly popular over the years. Perceived health improved markedly from the working stage to the retirement transition stage, even though morbidity increased steadily during the follow-up. On the other hand, functional capacity decreased over the follow-up, especially among those who were occupationally active until the retirement stage. Subjective well-being remained stable during the follow-up period. There were, however, great differences based on the type of work, favouring those whose work had been mental in nature. The impact of activity level on maintaining well-being became greater during the follow-up, whereas the effect of physical functioning diminished. Good physical functioning and an active life-style contributed to staying on at work until normal retirement age. Also work-related factors, i.e. possibilities for development and influence at work, responsibility for others, meaningful work, and satisfaction with working time arrangements were positively related to continuing working. The transition from work to retirement had a positive impact on a person s health and functional capacity. The study results support the view that it should be possible to ease one s work pace during the last years of a work career. This might lower the threshold between work and retirement and convince people that there will still be time to enjoy retirement also a few years later.

Species-specific and Indication-based Use of Antimicrobials in Dogs, Cats, Cattle and Horses in Finland : Data collected using three different methods

Increasing antimicrobial resistance in bacteria has led to the need for better understanding of antimicrobial usage patterns. In 1999, the World Organisation for Animal Health (OIE) recommended that an international ad hoc group should be established to address human and animal health risks related to antimicrobial resistance and the contribution of antimicrobial usage in veterinary medicine. In European countries the need for continuous recording of the usage of veterinary antimicrobials as well as for animal species-specific and indication-based data on usage has been acknowledged. Finland has been among the first countries to develop prudent use guidelines in veterinary medicine, as the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry issued the first animal species-specific indication-based recommendations for antimicrobial use in animals in 1996. These guidelines have been revised in 2003 and 2009. However, surveillance on the species-specific use of antimicrobials in animals has not been performed in Finland. This thesis provides animal species-specific information on indication-based antimicrobial usage. Different methods for data collection have been utilized. Information on antimicrobial usage in animals has been gathered in four studies (studies A-D). Material from studies A, B and C have been used in an overlapping manner in the original publications I-IV. Study A (original publications I & IV) presents a retrospective cross-sectional survey on prescriptions for small animals at the Veterinary Teaching Hospital of the University of Helsinki. Prescriptions for antimicrobial agents (n = 2281) were collected and usage patterns, such as the indication and length of treatment, were reviewed. Most of the prescriptions were for dogs (78%), and primarily for the treatment of skin and ear infections most of which were treated with cephalexin for a median period of 14 days. Prescriptions for cats (18%) were most often for the treatment of urinary tract infections with amoxicillin for a median length of 10 days. Study B (original publication II) was a retrospective cross-sectional survey where prescriptions for animals were collected from 17 University Pharmacies nationwide. Antimicrobial prescriptions (n = 1038) for mainly dogs (65%) and cats (19%) were investigated. In this study, cephalexin and amoxicillin were also the most frequently used drugs for dogs and cats, respectively. In study C (original publications III & IV), the indication-based usage of antimicrobials of practicing veterinarians was analyzed by using a prospective questionnaire. Randomly selected practicing veterinarians in Finland (n = 262) recorded all their antimicrobial usage during a 7-day study period. Cattle (46%) with mastitis were the most common patients receiving antimicrobial treatment, generally intramuscular penicillin G or intramammary treatment with ampicillin and cloxacillin. The median length of treatment was four days, regardless of the route of administration. Antimicrobial use in horses was evaluated in study D, the results of which are previously unpublished. Firstly, data collected with the prospective questionnaire from the practicing veterinarians showed that horses (n = 89) were frequently treated for skin or wound infections by using penicillin G or trimethoprim-sulfadiazine. The mean duration of treatment was five to seven days. Secondly, according to retrospective data collected from patient records, horses (n = 74) that underwent colic surgery at the Veterinary Teaching Hospital of the University of Helsinki were generally treated according to national and hospital recommendations; penicillin G and gentamicin was administered preoperatively and treatment was continued for a median of three days postoperatively. In conclusion, Finnish veterinarians followed well the national prudent use guidelines. Narrow-spectrum antimicrobials were preferred and, for instance, fluoroquinolones were used sparingly. Prescription studies seemed to give good information on antimicrobials usage, especially when combined with complementary information from patient records. A prospective questionnaire study provided a fair amount of valuable data on several animal species. Electronic surveys are worthwhile exploiting in the future.

The EU and Institutional Twinning in Morocco - An inquiry into the motives of cooperation through discourse ethics

This study examines Institutional Twinning in Morocco as a case of EU cooperation through the pragmatic, ethical and moral logics of reason in Jürgen Habermas’s discourse ethics. As a former accession tool, Twinning was introduced in 2004 for legal approximation in the context of the European Neighborhood Policy. Twinning is a unique instrument in development cooperation from a legal perspective. With its long historical and cultural ties to Europe, Morocco presents an interesting case study of this new form of cooperation. We will analyse motives behind the Twinning projects on illegal immigration, environment legislation and customs reform. As Twinning is a new policy instrument within the ENP context, there is relatively little preceding research, which, in itself, constitutes a reason to inquire into the subject. While introducing useful categories, the approaches discussing “normative power Europe” do not offer methodological tools precise enough to analyse the motives of the Twinning cooperation from a broad ethical standpoint. Helene Sjursen as well as Esther Barbé and Elisabeth Johansson-Nogués have elaborated on Jürgen Habermas’ discourse ethics in determining the extent of altruism in the ENP in general. Situating the analysis in the process-oriented framework of Critical Theory, discourse ethics provides the methodological framework for our research. The case studies reveal that the context in which they operate affects the pragmatic, ethical and moral aspirations of the actors. The utilitarian notion of profit maximization is quite pronounced both in terms of the number of Twinning projects in the economic sphere and the pragmatic logics of reason instrumental to security and trade-related issues. The historical background as well internal processes, however, contribute to defining areas of mutual interest to the actors as well as the motives Morocco and the EU sometimes described as the external projection of internal values. Through its different aspects, Twinning cooperation portrays the functioning of the pragmatic, ethical and moral logics of reason in international relations.

The Structure and Functions of Hantavirus Nucleocapsid Protein

Hantaviruses, members of the genus Hantavirus in the Bunyaviridae family, are enveloped single-stranded RNA viruses with tri-segmented genome of negative polarity. In humans, hantaviruses cause two diseases, hemorrhagic fever with renal syndrome (HFRS) and hantavirus pulmonary syndrome (HPS), which vary in severity depending on the causative agent. Each hantavirus is carried by a specific rodent host and is transmitted to humans through excreta of infected rodents. The genome of hantaviruses encodes four structural proteins: the nucleocapsid protein (N), the glycoproteins (Gn and Gc), and the polymerase (L) and also the nonstructural protein (NSs). This thesis deals with the functional characterization of hantavirus N protein with regard to its structure. Structural studies of the N protein have progressed slowly and the crystal structure of the whole protein is still not available, therefore biochemical assays coupled with bioinformatical modeling proved essential for studying N protein structure and functions. Presumably, during RNA encapsidation, the N protein first forms intermediate trimers and then oligomers. First, we investigated the role of N-terminal domain in the N protein oligomerization. The results suggested that the N-terminal region of the N protein forms a coiled-coil, in which two antiparallel alpha helices interact via their hydrophobic seams. Hydrophobic residues L4, I11, L18, L25 and V32 in the first helix and L44, V51, L58 and L65 in the second helix were crucial for stabilizing the structure. The results were consistent with the head-to-head, tail-to-tail model for hantavirus N protein trimerization. We demonstrated that an intact coiled-coil structure of the N terminus is crucial for the oligomerization capacity of the N protein. We also added new details to the head-to-head, tail-to-tail model of trimerization by suggesting that the initial step is based on interaction(s) between intact intra-molecular coiled-coils of the monomers. We further analyzed the importance of charged aa residues located within the coiled-coil for the N protein oligomerization. To predict the interacting surfaces of the monomers we used an upgraded in silico model of the coiled-coil domain that was docked into a trimer. Next the predicted target residues were mutated. The results obtained using the mammalian two-hybrid assay suggested that conserved charged aa residues within the coiled-coil make a substantial contribution to the N protein oligomerization. This contribution probably involves the formation of interacting surfaces of the N monomers and also stabilization of the coiled-coil via intramolecular ionic bridging. We proposed that the tips of the coiled-coils are the first to come into direct contact and thus initiate tight packing of the three monomers into a compact structure. This was in agreement with the previous results showing that an increase in ionic strength abolished the interaction between N protein molecules. We also showed that residues having the strongest effect on the N protein oligomerization are not scattered randomly throughout the coiled-coil 3D model structure, but form clusters. Next we found evidence for the hantaviral N protein interaction with the cytoplasmic tail of the glycoprotein Gn. In order to study this interaction we used the GST pull-down assay in combination with mutagenesis technique. The results demonstrated that intact, properly folded zinc fingers of the Gn protein cytoplasmic tail as well as the middle domain of the N protein (that includes aa residues 80 248 and supposedly carries the RNA-binding domain) are essential for the interaction. Since hantaviruses do not have a matrix protein that mediates the packaging of the viral RNA in other negatve stranded viruses (NSRV), hantaviral RNPs should be involved in a direct interaction with the intraviral domains of the envelope-embedded glycoproteins. By showing the N-Gn interaction we provided the evidence for one of the crucial steps in the virus replication at which RNPs are directed to the site of the virus assembly. Finally we started analysis of the N protein RNA-binding region, which is supposedly located in the middle domain of the N protein molecule. We developed a model for the initial step of RNA-binding by the hantaviral N protein. We hypothesized that the hantaviral N protein possesses two secondary structure elements that initiate the RNA encapsidation. The results suggest that amino acid residues (172-176) presumably act as a hook to catch vRNA and that the positively charged interaction surface (aa residues 144-160) enhances the initial N-RNA interacation. In conclusion, we elucidated new functions of hantavirus N protein. Using in silico modeling we predicted the domain structure of the protein and using experimental techniques showed that each domain is responsible for executing certain function(s). We showed that intact N terminal coiled-coil domain is crucial for oligomerization and charged residues located on its surface form a interaction surface for the N monomers. The middle domain is essential for interaction with the cytoplasmic tail of the Gn protein and RNA binding.

Kulinaarinen kolmio analyysivälineenä

Tutkielman aiheena on ranskalaisen antropologin Claude Lévi-Straussin laajalti tunnettu malli, kulinaarinen kolmio, jonka Lévi-Strauss esitti alun perin primitiivistä mytologiaa käsittelevän tutkimusprojektinsa yhteydessä. Hänen mukaansa mallin avulla oli mahdollista esittää eräs tutkimuksen kohteena olevaa myyttiaineistoa jäsentävä syvärakenne. Myyttitutkimuksessaan Lévi-Strauss osoitti, että mallin avulla on mahdollista jäsentää ennen kaikkea erilaisia luonnon ja kulttuurin väliseen vastakkaisuuteen liittyviä ilmiöitä. Mallia on mahdollista käyttää myyttien ja niissä ilmenevän symbolisen ajattelun ohella myös konkreettisten ruokajärjestelmien analyysivälineenä. Mallia onkin sovellettu erilaisissa empiirisissä tutkimuksissa sekä määrättyihin empiirisiin ruokajärjestelmiin, että mitä erilaisimpiin kulttuurisiin ilmiöihin. Vaikka malli on ollut laajalti tunnettu ja synnyttänyt runsaasti keskustelua, ei siitä ole esitetty minkäänlaista systemaattista tulkintaa. Mallia koskeva keskustelu on ollut suurimmaksi osaksi kuvailevaa ja siihen kohdistetut kriittiset arviot ovat usein keskittyneet johonkin määrättyyn mallin aspektiin. Tutkielmani tehtävänä on täsmentää sitä, mistä mallissa on itse asiassa kyse ja millä tavalla Lévi-Strauss itse mallinsa mielsi. Tehtävä edellyttää mallin suhteuttamista sen taustalla olevaan teoreettiseen ja metodologiseen viitekehykseen. Tutkielmani ensimmäinen aineisto muodostuu Lévi-Straussin kulinaariseen kolmioon ja mallin taustalla olevaan viitekehykseen liittyvistä teksteistä. Erityisen keskeisiä lähteitä ovat artikkeli The Culinary Triangle ja myyttitutkimussarjan (Mythologiques) teokset. Tutkielman toisena tehtävänä on kartoittaa sitä, miten mallia on sovellettu erilaisissa empiirisissä tutkimuksissa ja millä tavalla nämä suhteutuvat Lévi-Straussin tapaan käyttää mallia ja hänen noudattamaansa tutkimusmetodologiaan. Keskityn kolmen mallia käyttävän tutkimuksen tarkastelemiseen ja erittelen sitä, millä tavalla ne suhteutuvat Lévi-Straussin tapaan käyttää mallia. Mallia soveltavat tutkimukset muodostavat opinnäytteeni toisen aineiston. Tutkielmani osoittaa, että malli on yleisestä luonteestaan johtuen altis erilaisille tulkinnoilla ja sovellusmahdollisuuksille. Tuon myös esille sen, millaisia reunaehtoja mallin soveltamiseen yleisesti liittyy ja millaisia seikkoja on otettava huomioon, kun mallia sovelletaan nyky-yhteiskuntiin. Vaikka mallia on mahdollista soveltaa hyvin erilaisiin ilmiöihin, ei sen avulla ole mahdollista käsitellä monia yhteiskuntatieteiden kannalta keskeisiä kysymyksiä.

Monikulttuurinen huoltoriita oikeudellisena ongelmana : suomalaisten äitien ja ulkomaalaistaustaisten isien näkökulma internetkeskusteluissa.

Tutkin pro gradu –työssäni monikulttuurista huoltoriitaa oikeudellisen ongelman näkökulmasta. Huoltoriidoilla tarkoitetaan tässä tutkimuksessa myös sellaisia lapsen huoltoa koskevia kiistoja ja erimielisyyksiä, jotka eivät välttämättä etene tuomioistuimeen asti tai jotka jatkuvat oikeuden antaman virallisen päätöksen jälkeen, koska keskeistä on vanhempien oma käsitys huoltoriitaongelman olemassaolosta. Tavoitteena on selvittää, minkälaisia oikeudellisia ongelmia huoltoriitoihin liittyy, ja miten vanhemmat hahmottavat oman asemansa huoltoriidassa suhteessa lapsen toiseen vanhempaan ja toisaalta myös suhteessa oikeusjärjestelmään. Tutkimuksen aineisto koostuu monikulttuurisesta parisuhteesta eronneiden tai eroamassa olevien suomalaisäitien ja ulkomaalaistaustaisten isien internetkeskusteluista vuosilta 2006-2010. Aineistoa on analysoitu kvalitatiivisesti diskurssianalyyttisellä tutkimusotteella. Lisäksi tutkimuksessa on hyödynnetty grounded theorya aineiston kategorisoinnissa. Tutkimuksen keskeisenä teoreettisena viitekehyksenä on Patricia Ewickin ja Susan S. Silbeyn kirjoitukset oikeudellisesta ongelmasta ja oikeustajusta sekä Pierre Bourdieun teoria taloudellisesta, kulttuurisesta ja sosiaalisesta pääomasta. Vanhemmat välittävät puheensa välityksellä käsityksiään oikeustajusta eli siitä, onko heitä kohdeltu huoltoriidassa oikeudenmukaisesti. Oikeustajulla tarkoitetaan kuitenkin myös yleisiä suhtautumistapoja lakia ja oikeusjärjestelmää kohtaan. Oikeustajun omakohtainen ja yleinen ulottuvuus tulevat tässä tutkimuksessa näkyväksi oikeudellisen ongelman kautta. Sekä suomalaisten naisten että ulkomaalaistaustaisten miesten aloittamissa internetkeskusteluissa on havaittavissa useita eri oikeustajun muotoja. Naiset ilmaisevat puheensa välityksellä pääosin luottamusta suomalaisia oikeuskäytäntöjä ja viranomaisia kohtaan. Miehet sen sijaan näkevät oikeudelliset menettelyt usein epäoikeudenmukaisina. Tämän tutkimuksen tulosten perusteella keskeinen ero miesten ja naisten välillä on, että aineiston suomalaisnaiset käyttävät useimmiten lakia välineenä, kun taas ulkomaalaistaustaiset miehet esitetään pääsääntöisesti lain ohitse asettuvina. Miesten lain ohitse asettuminen näkyy huoltoriidassa sekä lain välttämisenä että sääntöjen ja lakien rikkomisena. Naisilla taas näyttää olevan usein miehiä enemmän taloudellista ja kulttuurista pääomaa, mikä mahdollistaa lain käyttämisen välineenä.

We Are All Georgians : The Neoconservative Narrative on the Russia-Georgia War

In this thesis I examine the U.S. foreign policy discussion that followed the war between Russia and Georgia in August 2008. In the politically charged setting that preceded the presidential elections, the subject of the debate was not only Washington's response to the crisis in the Caucasus but, more generally, the direction of U.S. foreign policy after the presidency of George W. Bush. As of November 2010, the reasons for and consequences of the Russia-Georgia war continue to be contested. My thesis demonstrates that there were already a number of different stories about the conflict immediately after the outbreak of hostilities. I want to argue that among these stories one can discern a “neoconservative narrative” that described the war as a confrontation between the East and the West and considered it as a test for Washington’s global leadership. I draw on the theory of securitization, particularly on a framework introduced by Holger Stritzel. Accordingly, I consider statements about the conflict as “threat texts” and analyze these based on the existing discursive context, the performative force of the threat texts and the positional power of the actors presenting them. My thesis suggests that a notion of narrativity can complement Stritzel’s securitization framework and take it further. Threat texts are established as narratives by attaching causal connections, meaning and actorship to the discourse. By focusing on this process I want to shed light on the relationship between the text and the context, capture the time dimension of a speech act articulation and help to explain how some interpretations of the conflict are privileged and others marginalized. I develop the theoretical discussion through an empirical analysis of the neoconservative narrative. Drawing on Stritzel’s framework, I argue that the internal logic of the narrative which was presented as self-evident can be analyzed in its historicity. Asking what was perceived to be at stake in the conflict, how the narrative was formed and what purposes it served also reveals the possibility for alternative explanations. My main source material consists of transcripts of think tank seminars organized in Washington, D.C. in August 2008. In addition, I resort to the foreign policy discussion in the mainstream media.

Pahaa hyvän puolesta? Venäjän Georgian- ja Naton Kosovon-interventioiden oikeutusperusteet presidenttien puheissa

Naton Kosovon-interventiolla vuonna 1999 ja Venäjän Georgian-interventiolla vuonna 2008 ei äkkiseltään katsottuna ole juurikaan yhteistä. Molemmissa tapauksissa kuitenkin suurempi valtio tai organisaatio toteutti sotilaallisen intervention suvereenin valtion fyysiselle alueelle ilman legitiimin kansainvälisen auktoriteetin, Yhdistyneiden kansakuntien turvallisuusneuvoston, siunausta. Molemmissa tapauksissa intervention kohteena oli monikulttuurinen, monien sosiaalisten, taloudellisten ja poliittisten jakolinjojen maa ja alue, jossa vähemmistöjen asema oli voimakkaan debatin aiheena. Tämän ”Pahaa hyvän puolesta?” -tutkielman tavoitteena on Yhdysvaltain ja Venäjän presidenttien puheissaan esittämien interventioiden oikeusperusteiden sekä niiden samankaltaisuuksien ja erojen määritteleminen. Tutkimuksen aineiston muodostavat presidentti Clintonin maalis-huhtikuussa 1999 ja presidentti Medvedevin elokuussa 2008 pitämät puheet, joissa he pyrkivät oikeuttamaan johtamaansa interventiota. Keskustelu Kosovon ja Georgian tapausten yhteneväisyyksistä heräsi syksyllä 2008: esimerkiksi pääministeri Vladimir Putin käytti Kosovon itsenäistymistä Georgian separatistialueiden itsenäistymisen esikuvana ja suomalaisten Venäjän-tutkijoiden piirissä interventioiden yhtäläisyyksiä pohdittiin jo pian Georgian tapahtumien alettua elokuussa 2008. Tähän keskusteluun haluan tällä tutkimuksella osallistua. Tutkimuksen teoreettinen tausta muodostuu valtiota, suvereniteettia, interventiota, sotaa, uhkaa ja identiteettiä käsittelevistä teorioista, Chaïm Perelmanin retoriikan teoriasta sekä aiemmasta Venäjän ja Yhdysvaltain ulkopolitiikkaa ja Georgiaa ja Kosovoa käsittelevästä tutkimuksesta. Aineiston analyysi osoittaa, että presidenttien esittämissä oikeusperusteissa oli sekä samankaltaisuuksia että eroavaisuuksia. Medvedevin esittelemät oikeutusperusteet voidaan jakaa neljään eri ryhmään, joita ovat kansainvälisen lainsäädännön rikkominen, humanitaariset syyt ja omien kansalaisten suojelu, rauhanturvaamisen ja historiallisen tehtävän täyttäminen sekä interventio rangaistuksena. Clintonin esittämät oikeutusperusteet jaan tässä tutkimuksessa viiteen ryhmään: interventio suuremman katastrofin estämiskeinona, humanitaarisen katastrofin, etnisen väkivallan ja julmuuden lopettamiskeinona, Yhdysvallat rauhantekijänä, vapaan, rauhallisen ja vakaan Euroopan puolesta sekä interventio moraalisena valintana ja vastauksena kansainvälisten sopimusten rikkomiselle. Puheissa esiintyy voimakkaita tunteisiin vetoavia ilmaisuja ja niissä on havaittavissa ajallinen evoluutio, ilmaisujen vähittäinen muuttuminen ajan kuluessa. Aineisto keskittyy erityisesti intervention alkuvaiheeseen, jolloin legitimiteetin vahvistaminen oli erityisen tärkeää. Molemmissa presidenttien puheissa uhka ja toiseus määritellään selkeästi. Oma toiminta esitetään korostetun positiivisessa valossa, viattomien pelastajana ja lain, oikeudenmukaisuuden ja turvallisuuden puolustajana. Puheet on suunnattu tarjoamaan jotain jokaiselle yleisölle. Poliittisina, virallisina dokumentteina niiden tehtävänä on vallankäyttö ja yleisöjen asenteisiin ja mielipiteisiin vaikuttaminen myös arvoihin vetoamalla. Puheet ovat viimeisteltyjä poliittisen teatterin näytöksiä. Näiden näytösten rooleja näyttelevät niin suuri valtio, pieni valtio, kansainvälinen yhteisö ja viattomien ihmisten kohtalokin.

The phenomenon of oligarchy in Russia and its impact on Russian transition

Nowadays any analysis of Russian economy is incomplete without taking into account the phenomenon of oligarchy. Russian oligarchs appeared after the fall of the Soviet Union and are represented by wealthy businessmen who control a huge part of natural resources enterprises and have a big political influence. Oligarchs’ shares in some natural resources industries reach even 70-80%. Their role in Russian economy is big without any doubts, however there has been very little economic analysis done. The aim of this work is to examine Russian oligarchy on micro and macro levels, its role in Russia’s transition and the possible positive and negative outcomes from this phenomenon. For this purpose the work presents two theoretical models. The first part of this thesis work examines the role of oligarchs on micro level, concentrating on the question whether the oligarchs can be more productive owners than other types of owners. To answer the question this part presents a model based on the article “Are oligarchs productive? Theory and evidence” by Y. Gorodnichenko and Y. Grygorenko. It is followed by empirical test based on the works of S. Guriev and A. Rachinsky. The model predicts oligarchs to invest more in the productivity of their enterprises and have higher returns on capital, therefore be more productive owners. According to the empirical test, oligarchs were found to outperform other types of owners, however it is not defined whether the productivity gains offset losses in tax revenue. The second part of the work concentrates on the role of oligarchy on macro level. More precisely, it examines the assumption that the depression after 1998 crises in Russia was caused by the oligarchs’ behavior. This part presents a theoretical model based on the article “A macroeconomic model of Russian transition: The role of oligarchic property rights” by S. Braguinsky and R. Myerson, where the special type of property rights is introduced. After the 1998 crises oligarchs started to invest all their resources abroad to protect themselves from political risks, which resulted in the long depression phase. The macroeconomic model shows, that better protection of property rights (smaller political risk) or/and higher outside investing could reduce the depression. Taking into account this result, the government policy can change the oligarchs’ behavior to be more beneficial for the Russian economy and make the transition faster.

Mass spectrometry and n-in-one analytics in early drug discovery: Combinatorial chemistry libraries, lipophilicity and absorption screening

This thesis describes current and past n-in-one methods and presents three early experimental studies using mass spectrometry and the triple quadrupole instrument on the application of n-in-one in drug discovery. N-in-one strategy pools and mix samples in drug discovery prior to measurement or analysis. This allows the most promising compounds to be rapidly identified and then analysed. Nowadays properties of drugs are characterised earlier and in parallel with pharmacological efficacy. Studies presented here use in vitro methods as caco-2 cells and immobilized artificial membrane chromatography for drug absorption and lipophilicity measurements. The high sensitivity and selectivity of liquid chromatography mass spectrometry are especially important for new analytical methods using n-in-one. In the first study, the fragmentation patterns of ten nitrophenoxy benzoate compounds, serial homology, were characterised and the presence of the compounds was determined in a combinatorial library. The influence of one or two nitro substituents and the alkyl chain length of methyl to pentyl on collision-induced fragmentation was studied, and interesting structurefragmentation relationships were detected. Two nitro group compounds increased fragmentation compared to one nitro group, whereas less fragmentation was noted in molecules with a longer alkyl chain. The most abundant product ions were nitrophenoxy ions, which were also tested in the precursor ion screening of the combinatorial library. In the second study, the immobilized artificial membrane chromatographic method was transferred from ultraviolet detection to mass spectrometric analysis and a new method was developed. Mass spectra were scanned and the chromatographic retention of compounds was analysed using extract ion chromatograms. When changing detectors and buffers and including n-in-one in the method, the results showed good correlation. Finally, the results demonstrated that mass spectrometric detection with gradient elution can provide a rapid and convenient n-in-one method for ranking the lipophilic properties of several structurally diverse compounds simultaneously. In the final study, a new method was developed for caco-2 samples. Compounds were separated by liquid chromatography and quantified by selected reaction monitoring using mass spectrometry. This method was used for caco-2 samples, where absorption of ten chemically and physiologically different compounds was screened using both single and nin- one approaches. These three studies used mass spectrometry for compound identification, method transfer and quantitation in the area of mixture analysis. Different mass spectrometric scanning modes for the triple quadrupole instrument were used in each method. Early drug discovery with n-in-one is area where mass spectrometric analysis, its possibilities and proper use, is especially important.

Sireenit, floksit ja iirikset- Puu-Käpylän koristekasvit

Puu-Käpylä (“Wooden Käpylä”), a neighbourhood of Helsinki, is the earliest example of the Garden City Movement in Finland. The suburb of valuable wooden architecture was built between 1920 and 1925, with the aim to provide a healthy housing area for working-class families with many children. The houses were erected by a co-operative (Käpylän kansanasunnot, “People?s Dwellings”) and they are protected by the city plan since 1960?s. However, the historical value of the sheltered courtyards has not been investigated. The aim of this study was to survey the garden flora of Puu-Käpylä and to evaluate the authenticity of the courtyard gardens. The survey covered the area of one residential quarter (1.2 ha) with twelve 2-storey semi-detached timber houses arranged around a common yard, which was originally appointed for the tenants? vegetable gardens. The houses are still rented, and each flat is allowed a small lot of the courtyard for cultivation. A complete list was made of all perennial, ornamental plant taxa present in the quarter. Spring bulbs were missed due to the timing of the survey. Generally, the plants were recorded on species level, with the exception of common lilacs, shrub roses, irises and peonies that were thoroughly studied for cultivar identification. It was assumed that plants initially grown in the courtyard could be distinguished by studying Finnish garden magazines, books and nursery catalogues published in the 1920?s and by comparing the present vegetation to surviving documents from the quarter. The total number of ornamental plant taxa identified was 172, of which 17 were trees, 47 shrubs, 7 climbers and 101 herbaceous perennials. The results indicated that a major part of the shrubs, climbers and perennials presumably originated from the 1970?s or later, whereas ca. 70 % of the tree specimens were deemed as original. The survey disclosed a heritage variety of common lilac, resembling cultivar „Prince Notger?, a specific peony taxon, Paeonia humilis Retz., cultivated in Nordic countries since long ago, and a few historic iris varieties. Well-preserved design elements included front gardens on one side of the quarter, a maple alley on another side as well as trees at the garden gates. Old garden books and magazines did not shed much light on the Finnish garden flora commonly used in the period when Puu-Käpylä was built. However, they gave a valuable picture of contemporary planting design. Nursery catalogues offered insight into the assortment of ornamental plants traded in the 1920?s. Conclusions on the authenticity of the current flora were mainly drawn on the basis of old photographs and a vegetation survey map drawn in the 1970?s. This study revealed a need for standardization of syrvey methods applied when investigating garden floras. Uniform survey techniques would make the results comparable and enable a future compilation of data from e.g. historic gardens.

Paluu paratiisiin : Polkuja hyvän ja pahan tuolle puolen Martti Lutherin ja Friedrich Nietzschen perinteissä

Tutkimukseni tarkoitus on paikallistaa polkuja hyvän ja pahan tuolle puolen. Tutkimukseni termit hyvä ja paha määrittyvät moraalisesti. Täten tutkimusaiheeni on ihmisen ja moraalin välinen suhde. Tutkin ihmisen moraalista olotilaa, siinä tapahtuvaa muutosta ja tämän muutoksen ehtoja. Tutkimuksellani on kaksi pääkysymystä: kuinka on mahdollista päästä hyvän ja pahan tuolle puolen ja miksi meidän tulisi siirtyä hyvän ja pahan tuolle puolen. Polut hyvän ja pahan tuolle puolen vievät myös etiikan tuolle puolen. Tutkimukseni pyrkii selvittämään mitä vikaa etiikassa on ja kuinka on mahdollista perustella toimintaa ilman etiikkaa. Tutkimukseni metodi on systemaattinen analyysi. Johdanto-osassa käsittelen yleisesti moraalia, sen vaikutuspiiriä ja niitä syitä, joiden vuoksi se täytyy hylätä. Tarkastelen myös etiikkaa ja selvitän sitä laajempaa kontekstia mihin se liittyy. Ensimmäisessä luvussa käsittelen Martti Lutherin teologiaa. Lutherilla moraalia edustaa Jumalan laki, jonka alaisuudesta kristitty pääsee vapaaksi kun Jeesus ottaa ristinkuolemassaan ihmisten synnin itselleen ja kärsii Jumalan lain mukaisen kuolemanrangaistuksen. Uskon yhteydessä Kristukseen kristitty kohoaa lain ulkopuolelle tekemään rakkauden tekoja. Toinen luku on omistettu Søren Kierkegaardin kristilliselle eksistentialismille. Kierkegaardin eksistenssitasojen filosofiassa uskonnollinen olemisen taso paljastuu korkeammaksi kuin eettinen. Tässä nousee tärkeäksi Kierkegaardin kirja Pelko ja vavistus. Kierkegaard tutkii Raamatun kertomusta Aabrahamista, jolle Jumala antaa käskyn uhrata oma poikansa Iisak. Kierkegaardille tarina on esimerkki eettistä korkeammasta ja sitä tilapäisesti vastustavasta olemisen tavasta. Kolmannessa luvussa käsittelen Dietrich Bonhoefferin teologiaa. Bonhoefferin mukaan Jeesus kutsuu ihmisiä seuraamaan häntä. Tämä on kutsu hyvän ja pahan tuolle puolen paratiisin viattomuuteen, joka rikkoo eettisyyden ihmisen ja Jeesuksen välillä. Neljännessä luvussa tarkastelen Friedrich Nietzschen filosofiaa ja pyrin ymmärtämään mitä hänen ohjelmansa hyvän ja pahan tuolle puolen tarkoittaa. Nietzschen vallantahdon filosofiassa moraali on heikkojen keino alistaa vahvat. Tarkastelen Nietzschen käsitystä moraalin synnystä ja sen haitallisuudesta ja pyrin selvittämään kuinka herrat elävät hyvän ja pahan tuolla puolen. Viidennessä luvussa tutkin Jaques Derridan grammatologiaa. Derridan mukaan teksti on suljettu tila, jonka ulkopuolelle on mahdoton päästä. Derrida sanoittaa kuitenkin sanoittamatonta tilattomuutta tekstin tuolla puolen. Tästä ei-paikasta käsin hypereettinen dekonstruktio purkaa perinteistä etiikkaa. Kuudennessa luvussa tarkastelen Mark C. Taylorin epä/teologiaa. Taylorille olotilan muutosta kuvaa termi harhautuminen , joka vie ihmisen lainsuojattomuuteen hyvän ja pahan tuolle puolen. Selvitän mitä harhautuminen tarkoittaa ja miten se liittyy Taylorin Jumalan kuoleman epä/teologiaan. Johtopäätösluvussa tuon esiin tutkimustuloksia, nostan esille joitain pääluvuissa esiintyviä teemoja ja vertaan tutkimuskohteitteni näkemyksiä toisiinsa. Lutherin ja Nietzschen perinteissä on paljon yhteistä, mutta pohjimmiltaan ne sotivat toisiaan vastaan. Hyvän ja pahan tuolle puolen johtaa kaksi polkua. Toinen niistä vie paratiisiin, toinen tuhoon.

Enhancing Physics Education in the National Defence University : A design based research approach in the production of learning material

This research is connected with an education development project for the four-year-long officer education program at the National Defence University. In this curriculum physics was studied in two alternative course plans namely scientific and general. Observations connected to the later one e.g. student feedback and learning outcome gave indications that action was needed to support the course. The reform work was focused on the production of aligned course related instructional material. The learning material project produced a customized textbook set for the students of the general basic physics course. The research adapts phases that are typical in Design Based Research (DBR). The research analyses the feature requirements for physics textbook aimed at a specific sector and frames supporting instructional material development, and summarizes the experiences gained in the learning material project when the selected frames have been applied. The quality of instructional material is an essential part of qualified teaching. The goal of instructional material customization is to increase the product's customer centric nature and to enhance its function as a support media for the learning process. Textbooks are still one of the core elements in physics teaching. The idea of a textbook will remain but the form and appearance may change according to the prevailing technology. The work deals with substance connected frames (demands of a physics textbook according to the PER-viewpoint, quality thinking in educational material development), frames of university pedagogy and instructional material production processes. A wide knowledge and understanding of different frames are useful in development work, if they are to be utilized to aid inspiration without limiting new reasoning and new kinds of models. Applying customization even in the frame utilization supports creative and situation aware design and diminishes the gap between theory and practice. Generally, physics teachers produce their own supplementary instructional material. Even though customization thinking is not unknown the threshold to produce an entire textbook might be high. Even though the observations here are from the general physics course at the NDU, the research gives tools also for development in other discipline related educational contexts. This research is an example of an instructional material development work together the questions it uncovers, and presents thoughts when textbook customization is rewarding. At the same time, the research aims to further creative customization thinking in instruction and development. Key words: Physics textbook, PER (Physics Education Research), Instructional quality, Customization, Creativity

Evolutionary and conservation biology of the Finnish house sparrow

Recently it has been recognized that evolutionary aspects play a major role in conservation issues of a species. In this thesis I have combined evolutionary research with conservation studies to provide new insight into these fields. The study object of this thesis is the house sparrow, a species that has features that makes it interesting for this type of study. The house sparrow has been ubiquitous almost all over the world. Even though being still abundant, several countries have reported major declines. These declines have taken place in a relatively short time covering both urban and rural habitats. In Finland this species has declined by more than two thirds in just over two decades. In addition, as the house sparrow lives only in human inhabited areas it can also raise public awareness to conservation issues. I used both an extensive museum collection of house sparrows collected in 1980s from all over Finland as well as samples collected in 2009 from 12 of the previously collected localities. I used molecular techniques to study neutral genetic variation within and genetic differentiation between the study populations. This knowledge I then combined with data gathered on morphometric measurements. In addition I analyzed eight heavy metals from the livers of house sparrows that lived in either rural or urban areas in the 1980s and evaluated the role of heavy metal pollution as a possible cause of the declines. Even though dispersal of house sparrows is limited I found that just as the declines started in 1980s the house sparrows formed a genetically panmictic population on the scale of the whole Finland. When compared to Norway, where neutral genetic divergence has been found even with small geographic distances, I concluded that this difference would be due to contrasting landscapes. In Finland the landscape is rather homogeneous facilitating the movements of these birds and maintaining gene flow even with the low dispersal. To see whether the declines have had an effect on the neutral genetic variation of the populations I did a comparison between the historical and contemporary genetic data. I showed that even though genetic diversity has not decreased due to the drastic declines the populations have indeed become more differentiated from each other. This shows that even in a still quite abundant species the declines can have an effect on the genetic variation. It is shown that genetic diversity and differentiation may approach their new equilibriums at different rates. This emphasizes the importance of studying both of them and if the latter has increased it should be taken as a warning sign of a possible loss of genetic diversity in the future. One of the factors suggested to be responsible for the house sparrow declines is heavy metal pollution. When studying the livers of house sparrows from 1980s I discovered higher levels of heavy metal concentrations in urban than rural habitats, but the levels of the metals were comparatively low and based on that heavy metal pollution does not seem to be a direct cause for the declines in Finland. However, heavy metals are known to decrease the amount of insects in urban areas and thus in the cities heavy metals may have an indirect effect on house sparrows. Although neutral genetic variation is an important tool for conservation genetics it does not tell the whole story. Since neutral genetic variation is not affected by selection, information can be one-sided. It is possible that even neutral genetic differentiation is low, there can be substantial variation in additive genetic traits indicating local adaptation. Therefore I performed a comparison between neutral genetic differentiation and phenotypic differentiation. I discovered that two traits out of seven are likely to be under directional selection, whereas the others could be affected by random genetic drift. Bergmann s rule may be behind the observed directional selection in wing length and body mass. These results highlight the importance of estimating both neutral and adaptive genetic variation.