Functions of human papillomavirus E5 oncogene in epithelial cells and in the onset of cervical cancer

Human papillomaviruses (HPVs) are the causal agents of cervical cancer, which is the second most common cancer among women worldwide. Cellular transformation and carcinogenesis depend on the activities of viral E5, E6 and E7 proteins. Alterations in cell-cell contacts and in communication between epithelial cells take place during cervical carcinogenesis, leading to changes in cell morphology, increased cell motility and finally invasion. The aim of this thesis was to study genome-wide effects of the HPV type 16 (HPV-16) E5 protein on the expression of host cell messenger RNAs (mRNAs) and microRNAs by applying microarray technology. The results showed that the HPV-16 E5 protein alters several cellular pathways involved in cellular adhesion, motility and proliferation as well as in the extracellular matrix. The E5 protein was observed to enhance wound healing of epithelial cell monolayers by increasing cell motility in vivo. HPV-16 E5-induced alterations in the expression of cellular microRNAs and their target genes seem to favour increased proliferation and tumorigenesis. E5 was also shown to affect the expression of adherens junction proteins in HaCaT epithelial keratinocytes. In addition, a study of a membrane cytoskeletal cross-linker protein, ezrin, revealed that when activated, it localizes to adherens junctions. The results suggest that ezrin distribution to forming adherens junctions is due to Rac1 activity in epithelial cells. These studies reveal for the first time the holistic effects of HPV-16 E5 protein in promoting precancerous events in epithelial cells. The results contribute to identifyinging novel markers for cervical precancerous stages and to predicting disease behaviour.

Jäätikön pinnanalaisten järvien hydrogeokemiallinen tutkimus läntisellä Kuningatar Maudin maalla, Etelämantereella

Tutkielma tarkastelee itäisellä Etelämantereella, läntisellä Kuningatar Maudin Maalla olevien jäätikön pinnanalaisten järvien (frozen lake) veden hydrogeokemiallisia ominaisuuksia. Keskeisin tutkimusalue on Vestfjellavuoristoketjun (73 74 °S, 13 16 °W) pohjoisimman vuoren, Basenin läheisyydessä sijaitseva jäätikön pinnanalainen järvi (Basen-järvi). Vertailevia tutkimuksia tehtiin lisäksi Plogenin ja Fossilryggenin nunatakkien läheisyydessä sekä Heimefrontfjellan vuoristoalueella. Tutkielma on Suomen Akatemian rahoittama grant # 54087 -hanke, ja siinä yhdistyvät Suomen tutkimusaseman, Aboan lähellä tehty geologinen, hydrogeologinen sekä glasiologinen tutkimus. Tutkimuksessa selvitetään Basenin jäätikön pinnanalaisen järven kemiallinen koostumus ja sen paikallinen ja ajallinen vaihtelu. Kemiallisen koostumuksen perusteella selvitetään myös ionien lähteet. Näytteenotto suoritettiin FINNARP 2003/04 Etelämanner-tutkimusretkellä. Basen -järveltä ja sen vieressä sijaitsevalta Basen -vuorelta kerättiin vesi-, suola-, kivi- ja moreeninäytteitä. Suola-, kivi- ja moreeninäytteillä selvitetään näytteissä silmillä havaittavan mineraalisaostuman koostumus. Kiinteän faasin kasvihuoneilmiö luo otolliset mahdollisuudet Basenin jäätikön pinnanalaisen järven synnylle ja kehitykselle. Basen -järven veden kemiallinen koostumus vaihtelee alueellisesti ja ajallisesti ja se on syntynyt kolmen komponentin yhteisvaikutuksesta: purovesien, nunatakilta sulavien lumien sekä sulaneen jään yhteisvaikutuksesta. Suurin vaikutus Basenin järven kemialliseen koostumukseen on kuitenkin Basenin rinteiltä virtaavilla purovesillä. Korkeimmat ionipitoisuudet havaittiin nunatakin reunan läheisyydessä. Basenin järven veden ionit ovat enimmäkseen ei-meriperäisiä. Runsain ioni on kalsium, jonka suurin lähde on jurakautisessa basaltissa esiintyvä mantelikarbonaatti. Basenin -järven vaiheista eteläisen talven aikana ei ole tietoa ja se, mitä talven aikana tapahtuu ja mikä saa veteen liuenneiden komponenttien pitoisuuden alenemaan, on vielä selvittämättä ja säilyy mahdollisena aiheena tulevaisuuden tutkimuksille.

Finnish Kullervo and chinese martial arts stories

Introduction: There are many important Finnish plays but, due to language barrier, Finnish drama is seldom exported, particularly to Hong Kong and China.. Objective: To find out differences in mentality between the Finnish and Chinese peoples by comparing the partially localized Chinese translation of Aleksis Kivi’s tragedy, Kullervo, with genuine Chinese martial arts literature. Methodology: 1. Chapman Chen has translated the Finnish classic, Kullervo, directly from Finnish into Chinese and published it in 2005. 2. In Chen’s Chinese translation, cultural markers are domesticated. On the other hand, values, characterization, plot, and rhythm remain unchanged. 3. According to Gideon Tory, the translator has to strike a golden mean between the norms of the source language and the target language. 4. Lau Tingci lists and explicates the essential components of martial arts drama. 5. According to Ehrnrooth’s “Mentality”, equality is the most important value in Finnish culture. Findings: i. Finland emphasizes independence while China emphasizes bilateral relationships. ii. The Finnish people loves freedom, but Gai Sizung argues that the Chinese people is slavish. iii. Finns are mature while many Chinese are, according to Sun Lung-kee (“The Deep Structure of Chinese Culture”; “The Deep Structure of Chinese Sexuality”), fixated at the oral and anal stages. iv. Finnish society highly values equality while Chinese interpersonal relationships are extremely complicated and hierachical. If Kullervo were a genuine Chinese kungfu story, the plot would be much more convoluted. Conclusion: The differences between Finnish and Chinese mentalities are so significant that partially localized or adapted Chinese translations of Finnish drama may still be able to introduce Finnish culture to the Chinese audience.

Kinematic analysis of the skeleton start

The purpose of this study was to describe the kinematics of the skeleton start and to compare one-foot versus two-foot starting techniques. The first two steps of the start of six national team skeleton athletes were videotaped during competition and analyzed. There were similarities between the kinematics of skeleton starts and sprint starts; however, the results showed that despite similar 50 meter start times there were differences between the one-foot and two-foot groups in knee angles off the block, trunk angle, toe height during recovery, support and flight times, and step length. These results suggest that the one-foot and two-foot starts are unique yet both effective techniques.

Análise integrada da carga física de trabalho para a prevenção da fadiga

A presente dissertação tem como objetivo a avaliação da relação entre as abordagens biomecânica, fisiológica e psicofisica da carga de trabalho. Para tanto, foi avaliado,dentro do enfoque macroergonômico, o trabalho do setor de pintura de uma empresa do ramo automotivo (JOHN DEERE BRASIL) , e o trabalho das centrais de armaçao, de carpintaria e de pré-moldados de uma empresa de construção civil pesada (ODEBRECHT). Os metodos utilizados no estudo foram a análise macroergonômica do trabalho- AMT (Guimarães,1999); a avaliação biomecânica das posturas assumidas pelo método WmOWAS@(Kivi&MattiI 1991); a avaliaçao fisiológica pela mensuração das variações da freqüência cardíaca, pulso de trabalho - PT (Grandjean, 1998) e a avaliação psicofisica da carga de trabalho (Corlett, 1995). Os dados foram tabulados, analisados e comparados com limites e critérios fisiológicos deteminados na literatura. A AMT, nos dois estudos de caso, pemitiu explicar os resultados na visão dos sujeitos e dos experts. As infomações coletadas nas entrevistas e questionários da fase de apreciação fornecem a base para entender os constrangimentos biomecânicos e as alterações fisiológicas identificadas. Além disso, pemitem apontar soluções e dar validade às propostas sugeridas, inclusive, quanto a fatores organizacionais, envolvendo as questões relativas ao leiaute, ritmo e rotinas de trabalho, visto que a avaliação biomecânica concentra-se nos constrangimentos biomecânicos geralmente relacionados com posturas de trabalho, a avaliação fisiológica em fatores que impactam no esforço, tais como o calor e falta de pausas no trabalho, e a avaliação psicofisica calca na percepção do sujeito quanto à carga de trabalho.

Influencia de la deshidratación osmótica y de la adición de cloruro de calcio en la conservación de kivis minimamente procesados

Este trabalho teve como objetivo estudar o efeito combinado da desidratação osmótica e a influência do cloreto de cálcio em rodelas de kiwi submetidas ao processamento mínimo. Amostras com e sem desidratação osmótica foram armazenadas a 5 °C em embalagem PET. A adição do cloreto de cálcio foi realizada durante a desidratação osmótica. Foram avaliados a perda de peso, acidez, sólidos solúveis, pH, umidade, coliformes, fungos e leveduras nas amostras até 15 dias de armazenamento. A avaliação microbiológica e sensorial definiu a vida de prateleira do produto. Os resultados mostraram que o pré-tratamento osmótico com adição de cloreto de cálcio aumentou a vida útil em até 15 dias, enquanto as rodelas tratadas por osmodesidratação, sem a adição do sal apresentaram vida útil de 12 dias. Sensorialmente, os consumidores preferiram as rodelas de kiwi processadas com pré-tratamento osmótico e adição de cloreto de cálcio.

Influencia de la deshidratación osmótica y de la adición de cloruro de calcio en la conservación de kivis minimamente procesados

Este trabajo tubo como objetivo estudiar el efecto combinado de la deshidratación osmótica y la influencia del cloruro de calcio en rodajas de kivi sometidos al proceso mínimo. Muestras con y sin deshidratación osmótica fueron almacenadas a 5 °C en embalajes PET. La adición de cloruro de calcio fue realizada durante la deshidratación osmótica. Se evaluaron la pérdida de peso, acidez, sólidos solubles, pH, humedad, coliformes, hongos y levaduras en las muestras hasta 15 días de almacenamiento. La deshidratación osmótica consistió en la inmersión de las rodajas de kivi en solución de sacarosa a 60% y en solución de sacarosa (60%) con adición de cloruro de calcio (0,1 M), ambos tratamientos se realizaron a temperatura ambiente (25 °C) por 24 horas y relación fruta:solución de 1:5. Los resultados mostraron que el pré-tratamiento osmótico con adición de cloruro de calcio aumentó la vida útil hasta 15 días, en cuanto las rodajas tratadas por osmodeshidratación sin adición de sal presentaron vida útil de 12 días. Sensorialmente, los consumidores prefirieron las rodajas de kivi procesadas con pré-tratamiento osmótico y adición de cloruro de calcio.

UM Men's Swimming Team, 1942

Top Row: John L. Wiese, Walter V. Stewart, John. Sharemet, Gus Sharemet, Judson Brown, James W. Skinner, John R. Patten, David Levy

Middle Row: Theodore Horlenko, J. Perry Trytten, Richard J. Riedl, head coach Matt Mann, captain William Dobson Burton, assistant coach Harvey Mueller, Robert G. West, Louis P. Kivi

Front Row (divers): Louis W. Haughey, Strother D. Martin, Jr., Alexander Canja

UM Men's Swimming Team, 1943

Top Row: Patrick C. Hayes, John F. McCarthy, Charles Fries, Merton W. Church, Jr., Harry Holiday, Jr., John Aigler, Ace R. Cory, Bill Wells.

Second Row: Louis. P. Kivi, Robert G. West, John R. Patten, head coach Matt Mann, James W. Skinner, Walter V. Stewart, Irving M. Einbinder.

Front Row: Gilbert Evans, Alexander Canja, Louis W. Haughey.

Compilation of maximum ingestion and maximum clearance rate data for marine pelagic organisms

The metabolic rate of organisms may either be viewed as a basic property from which other vital rates and many ecological patterns emerge and that follows a universal allometric mass scaling law; or it may be considered a property of the organism that emerges as a result of the organism's adaptation to the environment, with consequently less universal mass scaling properties. Data on body mass, maximum ingestion and clearance rates, respiration rates and maximum growth rates of animals living in the ocean epipelagic were compiled from the literature, mainly from original papers but also from previous compilations by other authors. Data were read from tables or digitized from graphs. Only measurements made on individuals of know size, or groups of individuals of similar and known size were included. We show that clearance and respiration rates have life-form-dependent allometries that have similar scaling but different elevations, such that the mass-specific rates converge on a rather narrow size-independent range. In contrast, ingestion and growth rates follow a near-universal taxa-independent ~3/4 mass scaling power law. We argue that the declining mass-specific clearance rates with size within taxa is related to the inherent decrease in feeding efficiency of any particular feeding mode. The transitions between feeding mode and simultaneous transitions in clearance and respiration rates may then represent adaptations to the food environment and be the result of the optimization of tradeoffs that allow sufficient feeding and growth rates to balance mortality.