Lasten kaswattamisesta: wanhemmille ja opettajille, niin kuin myöskin kaikille niille, joilla jollakin muotoaan on lasten kaswattamisen kanssa tekemistä

Imprimatur: Borgå domkapitel 20.9.1848 Clas Molander.

Vantaanjoen vesistöalueen tulvariskien hallintasuunnitelma : vuosille 2016-2021

Riihimäki on nimetty yhdeksi Suomen valtakunnallisesti merkittävistä tulvariskialueista. Vantaanjoen tulvien kannalta suurimpana ongelmana ovat suuret virtaamavaihtelut sekä ilmastonmuutoksen myötä lisääntyvät ja yleistyvät rankkasateet. Tulvariskien hallinnan suunnittelussa tarkasteltiin vaihtoehtoisia tapoja tulvahaittojen ehkäisemiseksi ja vähentämiseksi. Toimenpiteet tulvariskien hallinnan suunnittelun kaudelle 2016–2021 ovat käytössä olevien tulvariskien hallinnan keinojen tehostaminen, veden virtauksen parantaminen Riihimäen keskusta-alueella korvaamalla alimitoitettuja siltarumpuja putkisilloilla, veden pidätysmahdollisuuksien selvittäminen valuma-alueella sekä veden leviämisen estäminen Peltosaaren Bad Segebergin puistoon rakennettavalla penkereellä. Esitetyillä toimenpiteillä pyritään parantamaan varautumista harvinaisiin tulvatilanteisiin. Suunnitelman on valmistellut maa- ja metsätalousministeriön nimeämä Vantaanjoen vesistöalueen tulvaryhmä, jossa ovat olleet edustettuina Hämeen liitto, Uudenmaan liitto, Hausjärven kunta, Riihimäen kaupunki, Hyvinkään kaupunki, Kanta-Hämeen pelastuslaitos, Keski-Uudenmaan pelastuslaitos, Uudenmaan ELY-keskus ja Hämeen ELY-keskus. Suunnitelma perustuu tulvariskilakiin, vesistöalueelta tehtyyn tulvariskien alustavaan arviointiin, tulvakarttoihin sekä olemassa olleisiin tulvariskien hallinnan asiakirjoihin. Suunnitelmaehdotus on ollut kuultavana ja kaikilla on ollut mahdollisuus esittää mielipiteensä siitä. Maa- ja metsätalousministeriö on hyväksynyt suunnitelman joulukuussa 2015. Suunnitelma tarkistetaan tarpeellisin osin viimeistään vuonna 2021.

Unconventional integrin-ligand interactions

Integrins are cell surface adhesion and signaling receptors. Cells use integrins to attach to the extracellular matrix and to other cells, as well as for sensing their environment. In addition to adhesion and migration, integrins have been shown to be important for many biological processes including apoptosis, cell proliferation, and differentiation into specific tissues. Many important next generation biological drugs inhibit integrin functions. Thus, research into interactions between integrins and their ligands under different physiological and pathological conditions is not only of academic interest, but is also important for the field of drug discovery. In this Ph.D. project, the functions of integrin-ligand interactions were studied under different physiologically interesting conditions including 1) human echovirus 1 binding to integrin α2β1, 2) integrin α2β1 binding to collagen under flow conditions, 3) integrin α2β1 binding to a ligand in the presence of the angiogenesis inhibitor histidine rich glycoprotein (HRG) and 4) integrin binding to posttranslationally citrullinated ligands. As a result of the project, we could show that for each condition the integrin-ligand interaction is somewhat unconventional. 1) Echovirus 1 binds only to non-activated conformations of integrin α2β1. 2) Surprisingly, the non-activated conformation is also the primary conformation of integrin α2β1 when it binds to collagen under flow conditions, like when platelets adhere to subendothelial collagen in vascular injuries. In addition, the pre-activation of integrin α2β1 does not increase adhesion under flow. 3) HRG binds to integrin α2β1 through a low-affinity interaction that inhibits integrin binding to collagen. This shows that low affinity interactions could be biologically relevant and possibly regulate angiogenesis. 4) The citrullination of collagen, a posttranslational modification reported to occur in rheumatoid arthritis, specifically inhibits the binding of integrin α10β1 and α11β1, but does not affect the binding of α1β1 ja α2β1. On the other hand, the citrullination of isoDGR in fibronectin and RGD in pro-TGF- β:n inhibit integrin binding completely. Citrullination seems to be an inflammation related process and integrin ligands become citrullinated frequently in vivo. This Ph.D. thesis suggests that unconventional interaction mechanisms between integrins and their ligands, such as posttranslational modifications, low affinity interactions, and non-activated integrin conformations, can have an important role in pathological processes. The study of these kinds of integrin-ligand interactions is important for understanding biological phenomena more deeply. The research might also be beneficial for the development of integrin based therapies for treating diseases.

Common dyslipidemias, high lipoprotein(a) concentrations and endothelial function in the children of the STRIP study families

Extreme lipid values predisposing on illnesses are dyslipidemias. Dyslipidemias evolve in early childhood, but their significance or persistency is not well known. Common dyslipidemias may aggregate in the same families. This thesis is a part of the longitudinal randomized Special Turku coronary Risk factor Intervention Project STRIP, in which 1054 families with six months old children were randomized to a control or to an intervention group. The family lipid data from the first 11 years was used. Fasting samples at the age of five years defined the lipid phenotypes. The dyslipidemias coexisting in the parent and the child were studied. At the age of 11 years 402 children participated artery ultrasound studies. The significance of the childhood dyslipidemias and lipoprotein(a) concentration on endothelial function was evaluated with the flow mediated arterial dilatation test. Frequently elevated non-HDL cholesterol concentration from one to seven-year-old children associated to similar parental dyslipidemia that improved the predictive value of the childhood sample. The familial combinations were hypercholesterolemia (2.3%), hypertriglyceridemia (2.0%), familial combined hyperlipidemia (1.8%), and isolated low HDL-cholesterol concentration (1.4%). Combined hyperlipidemia in a parent predicted most frequently the child’s hyperlipidemia. High lipoprotein(a) concentration aggregated in some families and associated to childhood attenuated brachial artery dilatation. Hypercholesterolemia and high lipoprotein(a) concentration at five years of age predicted attenuated dilatation. This study demonstrated that parental dyslipidemias and high lipoprotein(a) concentration help to find early childhood dyslipidemias. The association of hypercholesterolemia and lipoprotein(a) concentration with endothelial function emphasizes the importance of the early recognition of the dyslipidemias.