”Suomessa mä olen Suomen bosnialainen ja Bosniassa mä olen Bosnian suomalainen”. Bosnialaistaustaisten nuorten aikuisten monimuotoinen etninen ja paikallinen identiteetti uudessa asuinympäristössä

Tutkimukseni aiheena on Suomessa asuvien bosnialaistaustaisten nuorten aikuisten nykyidentiteetti sekä kulttuurisen monimuotoisuuden ja etnisen murroksen näkyminen arjessa. Kotoutumistutkimuksen sijaan olen kiinnostunut ennen kaikkea identiteetin kokemisesta ja muovautumisesta silloin, kun etnisyys on määrittävä tekijä sekä lähtö- että tulomaassa. Tutkimuskysymyksenäni on, kuinka kansallisuus, etnisyys ja kulttuurinen monimuotoisuus näkyvät sekä muovaavat arkea ja identiteettiä pakolaistaustaisten nuorten aikuisten uudessa elinympäristössä, kun lähtösyyt kotimaasta ovat olleet pitkälti etnisyyteen pohjautuvia. Kuinka etninen identiteetti muotoutuu ja mikä on kahden kulttuurin merkitys etnisyyden määrittelyssä? Mikä on kahden eri kotimaan ja kahden eri kulttuurin rooli arjessa ja identiteettipuhunnassa? Tärkeimpänä tutkimusaineistona ovat bosnialaistaustaisten nuorten aikuisten parissa tekemäni teemahaastattelut. Haastateltavani ovat vuosina 1992–1995 käydyn Bosnian sodan vuoksi pakolaisina Suomeen muuttaneita tai heidän jälkeläisiään. Tein kymmenen teemahaastattelua haastatellen viittä naista ja viittä miestä, jotka kaikki asuvat Varsinais-Suomen alueella. Lisäksi vierailin Bosniassa ymmärtääkseni paremmin sekä haastattelemieni nuorten aikuisten taustaa ja lähtökohtia että heidän ylirajaista arkeaan. Olen lähestynyt identiteetin kokemista kulttuurin, etnisyyden, uskonnon, paikan ja paikallisuuden sekä kodin ja kotimaan käsitteiden kautta. Näistä kaikilla on oma merkityksensä identiteetin muovautumisessa, ja identiteetin kokemiseen vaikuttavat sekä entinen että nykyinen kotimaa. Bosnialaisuus vaikuttaa vahvana taustalla identiteetin kokemisessa, mutta myös suomalainen kulttuuri ja arki muovaavat etnistä ja paikallista identiteettiä. Samalla on kuitenkin huomattava, että identiteettiä ei voi nähdä tiukkarajaisena eikä sitä voi asettaa selviin rajoihin. Identiteetti on jatkuvassa prosessissa ja sidoksissa myös muihin arjen tekijöihin kuin etnisyyteen, paikallisuuteen ja yhteisön kulttuuriin. Lopulta kyse on aina ihmisyksilöistä ja heidän persoonallisesta identiteetin kokemuksestaan.

Puolustusvoimien kouluttajat varusmiesten eettisen toimintakyvyn kehittäjinä

Tässä tutkimuksessa tutkitaan Puolustusvoimien kouluttajia varusmiesten eettisen toiminta-kyvyn kehittäjinä. Tämän päivän sotilaalliset kriisit ovat korostaneet eettisen toimintakyvyn merkitystä, minkä vuoksi meidän tulisi kiinnittää entistä enemmän huomiota varusmiesten eettisen toimintakyvyn kehittämiseen. Tutkimuksen motiivi on peräisin tutkijan henkilökoh-taisesta kiinnostuksesta sotilaan eettistä toimintakykyä kohtaan. Tutkimus pyrkii löytämään vastauksia siihen, minkälaisia mielipiteitä ja käsityksiä kouluttajilla ja varusmiehillä on Puo-lustusvoimien kouluttajista eettisen toimintakyvyn kehittäjinä. Tätä päätutkimusongelmaa on tutkimuksessa lähestytty kouluttajien eettisen toimintakyvyn kehittämisen valmiuksien, mah-dollisuuksien ja pyrkimyksien kautta. Tutkimuksessa on käytetty laadullista tutkimusmenetelmää ja tutkimuksen aineisto on hankit-tu haastatteluilla. Tutkimusta varten päädyttiin haastattelemaan kolmea varusmiestä sekä kah-ta kantahenkilökuntaan kuuluvaa kouluttajaa. Haastatteluissa on päädytty käyttämään puoli-strukturoitua haastattelutapaa. Tutkimuksen empiirisen aineiston analysoimisessa on käytetty fenomenografista tutkimusotetta sekä horisontaalista kuvauskategoriaa. Horisontaalinen ku-vauskategoria tulee sille siinä, että tutkimuksen empiirisessä osassa haastateltavien vastauk-set ovat toisiinsa nähden samanarvoisia, eivätkä painotu esimerkiksi henkilön saaman soti-laallisen koulutuksen mukaan. Tutkimuksen antamien tulosten mukaan Puolustusvoimien kouluttajien valmiudet varusmies-ten eettisen toimintakyvyn kehittämiseen eivät ole kaikilta osin riittävät. Kouluttajilla näyttäi-si olevan mahdollisuus varusmiesten eettiseen kasvattamiseen ja eettisen toimintakyvyn ke-hittämiseen. Puolustusvoimien kouluttajat eivät pyri tietoisesti kehittämään varusmiesten eet-tistä toimintakykyä. Kadettikoulun antamat valmiudet varusmiesten eettisen toimintakyvyn kehittämiseen eivät ole kaikilta osin riittävät. Kadettikoulussa etiikan opetus jää muiden toimintakyvyn osa-alueiden pimentoon, kuten se jää myös varusmiesten koulutuksessa. Kouluttajille näyttäisi tarjoutuvan mahdollisuuksia varusmiesten eettiseen kasvattamiseen. Asian puheeksi ottami-nen sekä etiikan sitominen osaksi koulutusta tuntuu olevan vaikeaa kouluttajille. Varusmies-ten mukaan kouluttajat eivät ole tuoneet sotilasetiikkaa osaksi koulutusta. Kouluttajien mu-kaan asiasta on saatettu mainita jollakin yksittäisellä oppitunnilla, mutta varsinaiseen tietoi-seen varusmiesten eettisen toimintakyvyn kehittämiseen ei ole tässä yhteydessä edetty. Eetti-sen toimintakyvyn korostunut merkitys nykyaikaisissa sotilaallisissa kriiseissä, tulisi korostaa sen merkitystä myös osana varusmiesten ja ammattisotilaiden koulutusta.

Evaluation of electromyographic activity and heart rate responses to isometric exercise. The role played by muscular mass and type

The purpose of the present study was to examine the relationship between the electromyographic (EMG) activity and heart rate (HR) responses induced by isometric exercise performed by knee extension (KE) and flexion (KF) in men. Fifteen healthy male subjects, 21 ± 1.3 years (mean ± SD), were submitted to KE and KF isometric exercise tests at 100% of maximal voluntary contraction (MVC). The exercises were performed with one leg (right or left) and with two legs simultaneously, for 10 s in the sitting position with the hip and knee flexed at 90o. EMG activity (root mean square values) and HR (beats/min) were recorded simultaneously both at rest and throughout the sustained contraction. The HR responses to isometric exercise in KE and KF were similar when performed with one and two legs. However, the HR increase was always significantly higher in KE than KF (P<0.05), whereas the EMG activity was higher in KE than in KF (P<0.05), regardless of the muscle mass (one or two legs) involved in the effort. The correlation coefficients between HR response and the EMG activity during KE (r = 0.33, P>0.05) and KF (r = 0.15, P>0.05) contractions were not significant. These results suggest that the predominant mechanism responsible for the larger increase in HR response to KE as compared to KF in our study could be dependent on qualitative and quantitative differences in the fiber type composition found in each muscle group. This mechanism seems to demand a higher activation of motor units with a corresponding increase in central command to the cardiovascular centers that modulate HR control.

Ein ungarisches Handbuch über rhetorische und stilistische Figuren

Kirjallisuusarvostelu

Developing construction site operations for EPC power plant projects

The purpose of this thesis is to find development areas for site operations in power plant construction projects delivered by Wärtsilä. The inspected operations are subcontractor management, site material management and work scheduling. The contractor's role in EPC project is to respond for engineering, procurement, and construction supervision. Geographical and cultural differences brings challenges for finding development areas as Wärtsilä delivers projects world-wide. Searching for development area is mainly made with survey, which answers were collected from the target company's site personnel. Based on the results, with good planning and preparation various problems would be avoided. An external view for the thesis was collected by an expert interview, which was held to three expe-rienced construction operating executives. Interviewees believed that with the se-lection of right site personnel and clearly defined areas of responsibility will great-ly affect the outcome of the project. Some of the theory has been collected from areas, which have helped to under-stand the inspected operations on site. Improving competence knowledge has been important due to the broad scope of work and the author’s inexperience of the topic. Also generally effective practices from construction projects has been col-lected to the theory part. Functionality of general practices have been reflected together with the results of empirically collected data for Wärtsilä's projects. As a result, a model was generated where development proposals and the benefits from new procedures were presented.

De usu principiorum psychologicorum in intellectu puerorum excolendo

Invokaatio: D.D.

Cognoscibile philosophicum praecisivum

Variantti A.

De mensura et mensurato

Invokaatio: Praevia sacrosancta Triade!

Normal skin and hypertrophic scar fibroblasts differentially regulate collagen and fibronectin expression as well as mitochondrial membrane potential in response to basic fibroblast growth factor

Basic fibroblast growth factor (bFGF) regulates skin wound healing; however, the underlying mechanism remains to be defined. In the present study, we determined the effects of bFGF on the regulation of cell growth as well as collagen and fibronectin expression in fibroblasts from normal human skin and from hypertrophic scars. We then explored the involvement of mitochondria in mediating bFGF-inducedeffects on the fibroblasts. We isolated and cultivated normal and hypertrophic scar fibroblasts from tissue biopsies of patients who underwent plastic surgery for repairing hypertrophic scars. The fibroblasts were then treated with different concentrations of bFGF (ranging from 0.1 to 1000 ng/mL). The growth of hypertrophic scar fibroblasts became slower with selective inhibition of type I collagen production after exposure to bFGF. However, type III collagen expression was affected in both normal and hypertrophic scar fibroblasts. Moreover, fibronectin expression in the normal fibroblasts was up-regulated after bFGF treatment. bFGF (1000 ng/mL) also induced mitochondrial depolarization in hypertrophic scar fibroblasts (P < 0.01). The cellular ATP level decreased in hypertrophic scar fibroblasts (P < 0.05), while it increased in the normal fibroblasts following treatment with bFGF (P < 0.01). These data suggest that bFGF has differential effects and mechanisms on fibroblasts of the normal skin and hypertrophic scars, indicating that bFGF may play a role in the early phase of skin wound healing and post-burn scar formation.

De peregrinatione

Invokaatio: Q.B.V.

Serum metabolic profiling of human gastric cancer based on gas chromatography/mass spectrometry

Research on molecular mechanisms of carcinogenesis plays an important role in diagnosing and treating gastric cancer. Metabolic profiling may offer the opportunity to understand the molecular mechanism of carcinogenesis and help to non-invasively identify the potential biomarkers for the early diagnosis of human gastric cancer. The aims of this study were to explore the underlying metabolic mechanisms of gastric cancer and to identify biomarkers associated with morbidity. Gas chromatography/mass spectrometry (GC/MS) was used to analyze the serum metabolites of 30 Chinese gastric cancer patients and 30 healthy controls. Diagnostic models for gastric cancer were constructed using orthogonal partial least squares discriminant analysis (OPLS-DA). Acquired metabolomic data were analyzed by the nonparametric Wilcoxon test to find serum metabolic biomarkers for gastric cancer. The OPLS-DA model showed adequate discrimination between cancer and non-cancer cohorts while the model failed to discriminate different pathological stages (I-IV) of gastric cancer patients. A total of 44 endogenous metabolites such as amino acids, organic acids, carbohydrates, fatty acids, and steroids were detected, of which 18 differential metabolites were identified with significant differences. A total of 13 variables were obtained for their greatest contribution in the discriminating OPLS-DA model [variable importance in the projection (VIP) value >1.0], among which 11 metabolites were identified using both VIP values (VIP >1) and the Wilcoxon test. These metabolites potentially revealed perturbations of glycolysis and of amino acid, fatty acid, cholesterol, and nucleotide metabolism of gastric cancer patients. These results suggest that gastric cancer serum metabolic profiling has great potential in detecting this disease and helping to understand its metabolic mechanisms.

In vitro culture and characterization of alveolar bone osteoblasts isolated from type 2 diabetics

In order to understand the mechanisms of poor osseointegration following dental implants in type 2 diabetics, it is important to study the biological properties of alveolar bone osteoblasts isolated from these patients. We collected alveolar bone chips under aseptic conditions and cultured them in vitro using the tissue explants adherent method. The biological properties of these cells were characterized using the following methods: alkaline phosphatase (ALP) chemical staining for cell viability, Alizarin red staining for osteogenic characteristics, MTT test for cell proliferation, enzyme dynamics for ALP contents, radio-immunoassay for bone gla protein (BGP) concentration, and ELISA for the concentration of type I collagen (COL-I) in the supernatant. Furthermore, we detected the adhesion ability of two types of cells from titanium slices using non-specific immunofluorescence staining and cell count. The two cell forms showed no significant difference in morphology under the same culture conditions. However, the alveolar bone osteoblasts received from type 2 diabetic patients had slower growth, lower cell activity and calcium nodule formation than the normal ones. The concentration of ALP, BGP and COL-I was lower in the supernatant of alveolar bone osteoblasts received from type 2 diabetic patients than in that received from normal subjects (P < 0.05). The alveolar bone osteoblasts obtained from type 2 diabetic patients can be successfully cultured in vitro with the same morphology and biological characteristics as those from normal patients, but with slower growth and lower concentration of specific secretion and lower combining ability with titanium than normal ones.

Comparison of the variability of the onset and recovery from neuromuscular blockade with cisatracurium versus rocuronium in elderly patients under total intravenous anesthesia

This study was designed to compare the variability of the onset and offset of the effect of two neuromuscular blocking drugs with different elimination pathways in adult and elderly patients during total intravenous anesthesia (TIVA). After Ethics Committee approval and patients’ informed consent, the drugs were compared in 40 adult and 40 elderly patients scheduled for elective surgery under TIVA with tracheal intubation who were randomized to receive a single bolus dose of 0.15 mg/kg cisatracurium or 0.9 mg/kg rocuronium. The time of onset of maximum depression, duration of action, and recovery index time were measured and recorded for each patient and variability is reported as means ± standard deviation. Time of onset was significantly shorter for rocuronium than cisatracurium for the adult and elderly groups (P = 0.000), but the variability of cisatracurium was significantly greater compared with rocuronium for the same age groups (93.25 vs 37.01 s in the adult group and 64.56 vs 33.75 s in the elderly group; P = 0.000). The duration of the effect in the elderly group receiving rocuronium was significantly longer than in the elderly group receiving cisatracurium, and the variability of the duration was significantly greater in the rocuronium group than in the cisatracurium group. Mean time of recovery was significantly longer for the elderly group receiving rocuronium than for the elderly group receiving cisatracurium (P = 0.022), and variability was also greater (P = 0.002). Both drugs favored good intubating conditions. In conclusion, cisatracurium showed less variability in these parameters than rocuronium, especially in the elderly, a fact that may be of particular clinical interest.

Overexpression of Fc receptor-like 1 associated with B-cell activation during hepatitis B virus infection

The role of B cells in the pathogenesis of hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection has not been explored in depth. In the present study, the activation status of B cells from peripheral blood of healthy controls (N = 20) and patients with acute hepatitis B (AHB, N = 15) or chronic hepatitis B (CHB, N = 30) was evaluated by measuring the expression levels of B-cell activation markers CD69 and CD86, using quantitative real-time PCR and flow cytometry. Moreover, the potential mechanism underlying B-cell activation during HBV infection was further investigated by analyzing the expression profile of FCRL1, an intrinsic activation molecule of B cells. An elevation in the levels of B-cell activation markers including CD69 and CD86 was observed in the AHB patients (44.31 ± 9.27, 27.64 ± 9.26%) compared to CHB patients (30.35 ± 11.27, 18.41 ± 6.56%, P < 0.05), which was still higher than healthy controls (12.23 ± 7.84, 8.22 ± 3.43%, P < 0.05). Furthermore, the expression of FCRL1 was found to be similar to B-cell activation markers, which was highest in AHB patients (70.15 ± 17.11%), lowest in healthy donors (36.32 ± 9.98%, P < 0.05) and half-way between these levels in patients with CHB (55.17 ± 12.03%, P < 0.05). The results were positively associated with aberrant B-cell activation. These data suggest that B cells can play a role in HBV infection, and therefore more effort should be devoted to exploring their functions.

De onomatopoëia linguae graecae 1

Dedikaatio: Johannes Christophorus Frenckell.